The Dylan Thomas BBC Radio Collection

Under Milk Wood, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Rebecca’s Daughters & more

By: Dylan Thomas

Narrated by: Richard Burton, Dylan Thomas, Matthew Rhys, Roger Allam, Sian Philips, Matthew Gravelle, Freddie Jones, Patrick Mower, Philip Madoc, full cast

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Matthew Rhys introduces this collection of plays, poems and prose by the great Welsh writer, featuring Dylan Thomas reading his own work plus bonus biographical plays based on his life

'A spellbinding homage' The Guardian

'Sure to satisfy every admirer of Dylan Thomas’ works from the most ardent aficionados to casual poetry lovers... Thomas demonstrates his gift for seeing the beauty in the ordinary and affectionately ribbing the frailties of the human condition.' Entertainment Focus

Dylan Thomas was the 20th Century's first rock star author, famed for his dazzling imaginative poetry and chaotic personal life. Best known for Under Milk Wood, he also wrote numerous poems, short stories and screenplays, and made regular BBC broadcasts. A legend in his own lifetime, he remained hugely popular after his death at the age of 39, influencing cultural icons from Bob Dylan to The Beatles.

This definitive collection is presented by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason), who played Dylan Thomas in the 2008 film The Edge of Love.

It begins with sunny, summery recollections in ‘Holiday Memory’, which sees Dylan Thomas recalling an evocative August Bank Holiday, followed by A Child's Christmas in Wales, dramatised with a full cast including Philip Madoc and Freddie Jones. Two Thomas masterpieces follow: ‘Quite Early One Morning’, in which Dylan Thomas reads the story that later became Under Milk Wood, and then Under Milk Wood itself, a masterpiece and a lyrical 'play for voices' focusing on one day in the life of a Welsh fishing village and starring Richard Burton as the Narrator.

Next, Dylan Thomas’s unfilmed screenplay The Beach of Falesá, adapted from a Robert Louis Stevenson short story. Narrated by Matthew Rhys and starring Matthew Gravelle and Nicky Henson, it tells the thrilling tale of the clash between good and evil on an unnamed Pacific Island. A less sinister seaside trip is recalled in ‘The Outing’, Thomas's story of a childhood excursion read by Matthew Rhys and interspersed with memories from Swansea residents and music from the 1920s and '30s.

We hear from Thomas in his own words in ‘A Return Journey to Swansea’, followed by four readings of his short stories narrated by Siân Philips, Geraint Morgan, Iestyn Jones and William Thomas. Rebecca's Daughters, a romantic adventure set in 19th Century Wales, stars Patrick Mower.

Dylan Thomas tells of a rollercoaster experience of a lecture tour across the US in ‘A Visit to America’, and in The Voice of Dylan Thomas, introduced by Douglas Cleverdon, we hear him reading a choice selection of his works.

Our final programmes are three original plays based on moments in Dylan Thomas’s life: Badgers in My Vest by John Fletcher, Investigating Mr Thomas by Rob Gittins and Chelsea Dreaming by D J Britton. We join Thomas in a Newquay pub during World War II, follow private detective Jimmy as he tries to dig the dirt on Thomas, and see the poet through the eyes of the Chelsea Hotel.

Contents
Holiday Memory
A Child's Christmas in Wales
Quite Early One Morning
Under Milk Wood
The Beach of Falesá
The Outing
A Return Journey to Swansea
Patricia, Edith and Arnold
A Visit to Grandpa’s
Extraordinary Little Cough
The Followers
Rebecca's Daughters
A Visit to America
The Voice of Dylan Thomas
Badgers in My Vest
Investigating Mr Thomas
Chelsea Dreaming

Text copyright © the estate of Dylan Thomas, 1940 (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog), 1944 ('Quite Early One Morning'), 1945 ('A Child's Christmas in Wales'), 1946 ('Holiday Memory'), 1948 ('Rebecca's Daughters'), 1953 ('The Outing'), 1954 (Under Milk Wood), 1963 (The Beach of Falesá)

Badgers in My Vest copyright © John Fletcher 2003
Investigating Mr Thomas copyright © Rob Gittens 2008
Chelsea Dreaming copyright © D J Britton 2003

©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Through The Decades With Thomas & The BBC

Dylan Thomas as been described as the first rock star poet, remembered as much for his colorful personal life and untimely death as for his body of work. Yet for such a short life, Thomas left behind a treasure trove as both a writer and broadcaster. Both are something that this recently released BBC Radio Collection release will attest to.

Covering from the 1940s to the 2010s, 17 different productions take listeners through the width and breadth of Thomas life and work. There’s chances to hear from the man himself as both a reader and actor, from his cynically nostalgic Return Journey to the biting portrait of the US lecture circuit of the early 1950s in A Visit to America. There are productions of Thomas work, from the legendary Under Milk Wood with Richard Burton to his unfilmed screenplays for the Pimpernel inspired Rebecca’s Daughters and the moody The Beach of Falesá (itself adapted from a novella by Robert Louis Stevenson) and adaptions of well-known pieces such as Child’s Christmas in Wales. Closing out the set are three dramas inspired by Thomas colorful life, from the Wales based Badgers in My Vest to the New York set Investigating Mr. Thomas and Chelsea Dreaming, each presenting very different visions of the poet’s final days.

The result is as much a journey through the history of radio drama and production as it is Thomas’ work. From recordings of Thomas made in the 1940s and 1950s through dramas made from the 1950s right up to nearly the present day, the differing styles of production and acting styles are present. From straightforward readings to the mix of fiction and documentary in The Outing to the “film for voices” presentation of The Beach of Falesá, it’s an eclectic mix. Not to mention with casts that include a number of well-known UK performers and character actors from the likes of Richard Burton to Roger Allam, Philip Madoc, and Siân Philips. All anchored by Matthew Rhys, both as a host for the collection and his appearances in a couple of the productions.

For fans of Thomas or just good audio drama, this set is well worth a listen. From Welsh villages in the 1840s and 20th century to the south Pacific islands and 1950s New York City, Thomas as writer and flawed man are all on display. A celebration and tribute to a rock star poet who was far more besides, nothing short of a modern bard.