Under Milk Wood

Tuesday 11 March - By Freya McCall for The Student

Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood is more of a poetry collection than a typical play. The story is a tapestry of the interwoven lives of the citizens of Llareggub, a seemingly sleepy seaside town in Wales. As the reverse of Llareggub suggests, the town itself appears quiet and the plot is quaintly non-eventful, allowing space for the eclectic host of characters to shine.

Robbie Morris and Molly Gilbert’s direction played into the eccentricity of the play, and the brightly coloured sets, lighting changes and musical elements complimented the whimsical nature of characters like the murderous Mr Pugh (played by Dan Bryant) and the bumbling Mr Waldo (played by Ella Peattie). We entered Llaggrebub via the descriptive monologue of the First Voice: Bella Burgess set the tone of the play excellently, delivering the wordy, almost melodic reams of poetry with ease. Lily Norris Dugdale’s musical interludes as Polly Garter provided moments of tenderness, while another standout, Hal Hobson, was charmingly endearing as Mog Edwards.

The vast array of characters leant itself to this ensemble cast, whose chemistry and general enjoyment of being on stage was palpable; in the group dance number, the ensemble singing, and the merriment of cast members like Olivia Dale as the lovable Mrs. Cherry Owen.

Though there were moments of accent inconsistency, the sense of small-town community spirit was achieved in this rendition of Under Milk Wood.

Friday 14 February - By Megan Fourie

nder Milk Wood is a story that follows a day in the life of the Welsh town Llareggyb. A never-ending flow of characters rush about the stage, all with their own storylines that eventually intertwine and cancel each other out with no real conclusion. A handful of side-by-side doorways set the scene of a closed-off community. The costumes are a vision of countryside woollens and tweeds with both sailing motifs and fairytale accessories making a feature. Although I was transported to the chilled landscape of Wales, I found Under Milk Wood to be a play of two halves.

I recognise that a lot of things were done right in this production and it is difficult to say how they could be improved. However, I can’t ignore the few factors which kept my opinion of the show from being a perfect one. The accidental climate of Bedlam Theatre seemed quite appropriate for setting the scene, but it was a first for audience members to be shivering in their seats. To have the breath of the actors visibly rising like smoke as they stumbled through their lines. What could have been avoided was the labels with character names that were left on quite a few of the costumes and which detracted from the immersive experience.

On the other hand, I was drawn in right away by the poetry of Bella Burgess. I was thoroughly engrossed by every line emoted by the First Voice. Burgess never left the stage but managed to stay engaging even when the spotlight was on someone else. Everyone made an attempt at the Welsh accent, with some success to be had all around. Again, everyone did a good job of keeping up with their various characters, always finding something different to do. Rufus Goodman was the only actor other than Bella Burgess who had the one character to focus on which made for another standout performance. Captain Cat is the beating heart of Under Milk Wood, bringing a touching sadness and serious tone to his scenes. Goodman, if not entirely believable as a blind man, can certainly do a beautiful and convincing old-man fidget in his grand chair. The hauntingly stunning singing voice of Lily Norris Dugdale as Polly Garter stays with you also.

It is still worth it to endure the hectic jumble of over-the-top personalities in order to benefit from the richness of Dylan Thomas’ words. On an unfortunate opening night with just a few obstacles that weren’t quite overcome, this production of Under Milk Wood can still hold its head up high and be considered a job well tackled.

Thursday 13 February - By hugh simpson

EUTC’s staging of Under Milk Wood, at the Bedlam until Saturday, is a beautifully realised and engaging piece of theatre.

Dylan Thomas’s 1954 radio play has had theatrical versions before (perhaps most notably, as far as Edinburgh is concerned, in Guy Masterson’s long-running solo version). Any stage adaptation has to cope with the fact that the words are the stars here, and the visual content has to reflect this – something filmed versions in particular have failed to reflect.

However, co-directors Robbie Morris (also responsible for this adaptation) and Molly Gilbert have navigated this admirably, with the result being a coherent and attractive production.

Much of its impact is down to Bella Burgess as the First Voice, the piece’s narrator figure. It is always going to be difficult to escape from the shadow of Richard Burton’s original radio iteration, and the task of conjuring up the scene alone on stage at the beginning is a hugely difficult one. However, Burgess is definitely equal to it, with a performance that is measured, warm and draws the audience in completely.

Throughout, there are carefully made directorial choices that help the production massively. The decision not to have all of the cast attempt Welsh accents is surely the right one – those that do surface are pretty good, and the other voices (aside from a couple of accents that are a little too off-the-shelf ‘regional’) work very well, with every word utterly clear.

Juliet Gentle’s music and Luke Hardwick’s sound design are restrained and add atmosphere, although Will Lewis’s lighting design appears a little over-ambitious at times.

Aside from the narrator, the cast all play multiple roles. The exception is the blind Captain Cat, although in this version he is less prominent than in those where he remains on stage throughout. Rufus Goodman has an authoritative presence, managing to nail the melancholy aspects of the character, with his scene with the ghost of Rosie Probert (Gentle) particularly affecting.

It is notable that the more contemplative elements – the lost loves, the regrets – are given as much weight as the humorous and grotesque moments. The setting is given here as ‘Llaregyb’ as in the original printed text, rather than Thomas’s preferred ‘Llareggub’ whose reverse-spelling joke was considered too risqué for 1950s readers; perhaps this is a sign that this production is striving after emotional clarity rather than a cheap laugh.

Indeed, the comedy moments do not always completely convince; there is a little too much gurning and straining after a reaction. This is unnecessary, especially when performers such as Ella Peattie, Dan Bryant and Hal Hobson are extremely funny anyway.

The other members of the ensemble – Olivia Dale, Georgia Thomas, Spoons, Bibi Benson and Lily Norris Dugdale – are all versatile, committed and accomplished, with the last named adding genuine pathos as Polly Garter. Benson’s cleanliness-obsessed Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, meanwhile, is a particular joy.

Leon Lee’s minimalist set design is effective; movement of furniture is done with the minimum of fuss. The directors make imaginative use of the auditorium, and throughout the pacing is careful.

Indeed, at times it verges a little on the stately. The end result – practically two hours in length without an interval – is a shade too long for comfort. Because the pace is not the only thing here that is glacial. The usual warnings about taking several layers, hats and gloves to the Bedlam are more vital here than ever; there is certainly no need for the smoke machine when the cast’s breath is hanging in the air.

Any suitably attired audience member, however, will be thoroughly entertained by this finely judged production.

Thursday 13 February - By Eleanor price

The new EUTC production of Under Milk Wood – arguably Dylan Thomas’s most well-known work, is ingeniously staged at the Bedlam Theatre. A simple, yet highly effective, set consists of a street of multi-coloured doors that reveal vignettes of ordinary daily life in the Welsh village of Llarreggub. The play was originally written for radio, with no associated staging instructions, thus giving producers carte blanche in set design with a wide array of theatrical devices skilfully employed in this ambitious production.

Staged over the course of a full day in an initially sleepy, imaginary Welsh village, as dawn breaks we are introduced one by one to its quirky, colourful residents. Bella Burgess as the narrator deftly sets the scene with her soft, lilting, Welsh accent; intoning Thomas’s delicious descriptions with appropriate rhythm and cadence. Wonderful phrases, too numerous to mention, remind the audience that this was originally designed as a non-visual work, but Burgess quickly establishes a warm rapport and it’s worth a visit just to hear this beautiful prose from one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers.

Under Milk Wood is famous the world over for its rich and diverse cast of every-day characters, which provides the company with ample opportunities for dramatisation. As the day progresses we meet a cosmos of human life. We are introduced to their idiosyncrasies and learn of their deepest desires and sorrows. Thomas’s script makes good use of dark humour and the characters are keenly observed, from the rather po-faced Reverend Eli Jenkins, to randy, alcoholic Mr Waldo – (portrayed with great slapstick comedy by Ella Peattie). Then there’s Mrs Ogmore Pritchard with her two dead husbands, who even from beyond the grave epitomise hen-packed servitude, and then Mr and Mrs Pugh, the former hatching a ludicrous, and never completely fulfilled, plot to murder his wife.

The action and mood is ever-changing and contrasting: with the banal and hilarious sitting cheek-by-jowl with moments of poignancy. This is a veritable smörgåsbord of human life. The interplay between the lovers Myfanwy Price and Mog Edwards contrasts with the reflections of Captain Cat, the blind sea captain whose reminiscences are delivered with suitable emotion and gravitas by Rufus Goodman. The play gathers momentum, becoming increasingly intense, and often hilarious – this is a village which represents everywhere and nowhere (Llareggub is after all palindromic for “bugger all”).

This student company manages to bring this rich array of characters to life, constantly changing their roles as they dot in and out of doors, using simple props to conjure up the ever-changing scenes and provoking much laughter along the way. There is clever use of song and all cast members prove adept at swift character changes with not one line missed in this packed script. There were a few instances when certain dialogue could have been better projected but this is a minor point in an otherwise flawless and impressive amateur performance of a timeless classic.