Brave the calm and the storm of Welsh lives.
Under 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.