A classic BBC Radio full-cast drama of Dylan Thomas' poetic play for voices starring Richard Burton

 

'To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black. '

From their dreamy dreams to their work-day gossip, Dylan Thomas' lyrical masterpiece traces the lives of a group of villagers in a tiny Welsh seaport.

Blind Captain Cat sits in the window of Schooner House, listening as the boys and girls, the postman, the gossips, dressmaker, preacher and publican all pass by.

With words good enough to eat, Thomas portrays their innermost thoughts — from fantasy dreamworld to waking lives, full of a riotous mix of prudery and bawdiness.

This BBC radio drama of Under Milk Wood is the full version broadcast in 1963, which includes several passages omitted from the first recording in 1954. With his incomparable rich Welsh voice, Richard Burton reads the role that Thomas himself was originally to have played.

As a young man when I first heard this performance I was blown away on the wind of authenticity.I am a Welshman of the valleys and I can vouch for the reality of those capers and supressed and sometimes realised sexual goings on in the minds of some very eloquent locals.The characterisations are awesome and in my opinion are better drawn than in any other play for voices.My English serving friends(we were RAF aircrew) who watched a BBC TV version were all captivated and falling about with laughter in places.You cannot fail to enjoy it.