Under Milk Wood

Summary: BBC production of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood.
Theatre play: Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas [more information]
Play synopsis: 'An omniscient narrator invites the audience to listen to the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of a fictional small Welsh fishing village Llareggub ('bugger all’ backwards).They include Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, relentlessly nagging her two dead husbands; Captain Cat, reliving his seafaring times; the two Mrs Dai Breads; Organ Morgan, obsessed with his music; and Polly Garter, pining for her dead lover. Later, the town awakens and, aware now of how their feelings affect whatever they do, we watch them go about their daily business’ (source: ).
Production history: Under Milk Wood was first performed as a stage play in Edinburgh in 1956, following its initial incarnation as a radio play which was broadcast in 1954, shortly after Thomas’ death. It was first produced for television shortly after the subsequent London run closed.
Date of transmission: Thursday 9 May 1957
Time: 8.30pm
Series: Henry Sherek Presents
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC

Producer

David J. Thomas

Playwright

Dylan Thomas

Adaptor of Script

Eric Crozier (1914-1994)

Composer

Daniel Jones

Designer

Roy Oxley

Cast

Title: Under Milk Wood (BBC, 1957)
Archive: BBC Information and Archives [more information]
Address
White City
London
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)20 8008 2288
Website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/
Access
BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Title: 'Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, "a Play for Voices" on Radio, Stage and Television’ (Journal article)
Author/creator: Amanda Wrigley (Author)
Reference: Critical Studies in Television, vol. 9.3, pp. 77-88

Title: Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood (BBC, 1957) (Blog article)
Author/creator: Amanda Wrigley (Author)
Reference: https://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/under-milk-wood, published 28 November 2014

Title: Radio Times, 28 June 1957 (Magazine)
Linking notes: article on The History of a Radio Classic by Douglas Cleverdon on p. 6

Title: Radio Times, 3 May 1957 (Magazine)
Linking notes: illustrated listing on p. 19 and article by Henry Sherek ('Presenting Under Milk Wood’) with b&w image from the production on p. 5

Title: Under Milk Wood (Audience Research Report)
Archive: BBC Written Archives Centre (WAC) [more information]
Address
Peppard Road
Caversham Park
Reading
Berkshire
RG4 8TZ
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)118 948 6281
Email
heritage@bbc.co.uk
Website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/wac
Access
The WAC is open from 9.30am to 5.00pm on Wednesdays to Fridays throughout the year to academics, postgraduate students and writers by appointment.
Reference: Report reference VR/57/261, held in file R9/7/28

Title: Welsh TV Reflects National Gift for Drama: Memorable Plays and Outside Broadcasts (Newspaper article)
Reference: The Manchester Guardian, 6 August 1957, p. 2
Linking notes: passing mention of the production

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