REVIEWS ROUND-UP: Under Milk Wood
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Splice Productions’ brand new version of Dylan Thomas’ classic ‘play for voices’ has been going down a treat. Faithful to the original text, but with a framing device that adds new layers of intrigue and conflict to the dynamics of the story, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying piece of theatre, with three fantastic performances at its heart. And the reviewers seem to agree…
Last week the show picked up an impressive 4 stars from the Guardian. “It’s an affecting reworking in a performance space intimate enough to be a radio studio” wrote Elisabeth Mahoney, continuing, “Gwilym and Stewart give an energetic interpretation of the original, while Pring spikes it with a wonderfully impish, helpless charm. Dylan Thomas, you sense, would have approved.” Click here for the full review.
Bristol Evening Post scored the show 8/10 and had particularly kind words to say about Bob Gwilym and Kerry Joy Stewart, who “retain all the poignancy and wit of the original.” Reviewer Pete Tabener concludes that it’s “a splendidly rollicking show in which Kath Rogers’ direction adds a generous dose of theatre to the original radio script.”
Venue‘s Rina Vergano enjoyed this “rollicking rendition of this timeless classic” and again had high words of praise for the performers: “Bob Gwilym reaches deep into his bible-black bag of voices to conjure the variously drunken, amorous, henpecked and addled living and long-dead boyos (and the odd fishwife) of Llareggub, in warm sonorous tones that would melt the snow off a Welsh hillside in mid-winter, whilst the wonderfully retro, dumpling-breasted, dimple-cheeked Kerry Joy Stewart chews each delicious word like treacle toffee and spits it out with a comic timing that pings, ticks, chimes and tocks.” You can read her full verdict here.
Online reviewers have been similarly effusive. Bristol Culture particularly enjoyed Natasha Pring’s portrayal of the troubled sound effect artist, Betty Foley. Kayleigh Cassidy at Suit Yourself proclaimed it to be the best production she’s seen so far this year and James Bunting at Intuition Online was similarly wowed, writing that it “bridged the divide between what is spoken and what is seen and left the hairs on the back of [his] neck rigid and a lump in my throat.” Meanwhile writing for Bristol 24/7 Elfyn Griffith described how “the intricacy and humour of this peerless work is captured brilliantly.”
Tickets for the show are selling fast, so do get in touch with our Box Office to book soon. Or you can book online by clicking here.
About this Article
Posted by Carrie on Fri 21 January 2011 at 1:01 am
in News, Reviews
and tagged with none
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