This 1988 recording produced and directed by George Martin features just about every Welsh star known to man - from Nerys Hughes to Sir Harry Secombe, Aled Jones - you get the picture.

In one of the many essays in the excellent and informative CD booklet Anthony Hopkins titles his: 'Hard Acts to follow'. Therein lies the problem. The BBC 1954 recording with Richard Burton defines post war British broadcasting - and 'Under Milk Wood' with its mix of great voices both amateur and professional. Anthony Hopkins is a good match for Richard Burton - and the cast are also excellent, as one would expect - but things start to go wrong with the introduction of Alan Bennett as guide book reader - suddenly we are outside - and Wales is other. Gradually the production spins out of control. As much as I enjoyed Bonnie Tyler's 'Polly Garter' song in eighties folk mode, the intimacies are lost and I felt I was at a West End musical - ah no - 'Saturday Night at the Palladium', confirmed by Tom Jones's rendition of 'Come and sweep my chimbley'.

The final 45 minutes are a travesty - steer clear and heed Nicolas Soames's advice in the Naxos recording of the 1954 brodcast [SEE: The Essential Dylan Thomas: Poetry And Stories]:

'Anthony Hopkins and a carefully chosen cast...made a brave attempt at putting a different, modern spin on it for another commercial recording...However despite certain raw moments, audible edits, and sonic limitations of the period, the original 1954 recording remains by far the one to hear.' ( )

I have to say - I simply loved this. Although I had been somewhat dubious when I picked the text up, the moment I started reading the play - the gorgeous, gorgeous setting of the scene - I was pretty much in love. For the record, I suggest you read it out loud - because it makes it even better! :) ( )

I've read the reviews for the "conventional" copies of this book/play. I say conventional, but there is nothing conventional about the works of Dylan Thomas - just sheer literary genius. I've read the book, seen the play, watched it on television, have at least two LP's of various versions, and finally bought the ultimate version, which is anything but conventional. I just used that word to distinguish it from all the other versions. This must be one of the most important pieces of calligraphy of the last century, and was commissioned in 1961 by Edward Hornby. " The choice of the text was central to the artist's inspiration. The layout of the play gave pattern to the pages. The voices of the characters added variety, the musical quality of the language and underlying sound of the sea combined to engender a use of colour as harmony that is one of Sheila's special gifts. This is sustained throughout the eighty pages of the original folio."
I urge anyone who is a devotee of the works of Dylan Thomas to see this edition. It adds a whole new dimension to the work! ( )

Some works of literature just beg to be read out loud - This is the House that Jack Built and Hiawatha are two that most people are familiar with. Under Milkwood too, is better appreciated read aloud. When I read this play by Dylan Thomas, I hear the village life of my childhood come to life. He caught the lilt of the valleys' speech and the cadence and trivial preoccupations of the people perfectly. Of course it helps that like Dylan Thomas I am also from South Wales and have the accent down pat!A little known fact, apparent to all Welsh people but no-one else, is that the village of Llareggub which looks perfectly Welsh is actually the English Bugger All backwards. (If it had been Welsh it would have been Llanreggub and mean the Parish of Reggub!) ( )

c/w slipcase.
Lithographs by Ceri Richards ( )