Tales of the Welsh village and beyond
'To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea [...]'
The village is asleep and dreaming. And it's not a quiet sleep: in the darkness the ghosts, desires and regrets haunt the sleeping. As people wake to another day a small Welsh fishing village (Llareggub) comes to life (and light) with stories more or less insane, with longing, solitude, gossip... The sea captain haunted by dead crew and lost love, landlady with penchant to clean obsessively and of fear her tenants, two wives of one man both strong characters, all knowing postman... All trading in secrets and trying to adjust to their realities. They get (en)tangled in peculiar dance of mundane routines and night visions.
Somewhere in between, or rather: right in the midst of the robust stories a son tries to reconnect with his father.
The company delivers an incredible performance that prompts the audience to laughter, reflection... With Michael Sheen commandeering the stage and holding the spectators by their throats with his extraordinary lead. Not a single word is wasted, not a single pause. Like a kick in the teeth or punch in the gut his words are his weapons and audience is disarmed completely. Superbly balancing the line between opposite emotions: with laughter still sounding in the ears audience goes silent choking on tears. His character is full of pain, regrets and desperation and one just can't take eyes off of him as he struggles to connect with his frail father who doesn't seem to recognise him.
Dylan Thomas' play is ripe with words and sounds – they circle and drown the audience in them like funfair's cacophony, attacking all senses. It can be full of chaos and ruckus – just like dreams, or rather like fragments of memories of someone losing them, one by one, along with himself. Then it can be poignant with quieter moments and lonesome songs sounding like a mournful trumpet throughout the theatre.
Originally radio drama gets breath of fresh air with National Theatre's adaptation. It's an absolute gem with intimate and engaging storytelling.
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'Under Milk Wood' by Dylan Thomas
additional material by Siân Owen
directed by Lyndsey Turner, cast includes: Michael Sheen, Karl Johnson, Siân Phillips
poster photography by Viktor Gårdsäter
