In this brilliantly staged production, Llareggub is brought to life in this latest adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ acclaimed Under Milk Wood.

A ‘Play for Voices’, it follows the day in the life of the eclectic residents of a coastal Welsh village, spanning their waking life and inner thoughts.

Along with his poem ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’, it is one of Thomas’ best known works and amongst the finest examples of Welsh literature in modern times. 

There have been a number of adaptations since it was first broadcast on BBC Radio in 1954, with the likes of Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Anthony Hopkins lending their talents to Thomas’ words down the years.

Now Theatr Clwyd’s version visits the Torch with a thoroughly enjoyable and accessible take of its own.

With 38 characters played by eleven actors, everyone is given time to shine, with excellent staging, pacing and choreography to enable that. The actors also use their physicality and varied timbre to distinguish each of their roles well.

The incorporation of sign language is ambitious and executed flawlessly. Watch out for one particularly memorable moment of silent sign storytelling from actor Adam Bassett. 

On the other side of things, there are commanding deliveries of Thomas’ naturalistic poetry and bursts into song that display enchanting vocals.

These kinds of juxtapositions are key to Thomas’ Under Milk Wood. Most explicitly between reality and dreams, but also the living and dead, time and timelessness, love and heartbreak, and humour and sincerity.

This is a slice of life that is so well observed yet off-kilter and aethereal enough, meaning that you can examine both the surface level actions that knit communities together and the absurdity of the human experience.

As stated, the on-stage cast has a strong grasp of this balance and, as they capture Thomas’ frantic exploration of these dichotomies, the production team uses colour expertly to reflect the rapid tonal swings. 

In addition, the housing arrangements first illustrate the slumbering order of nighttime and then the busy, close quarter, everyone-knows-everyone living that quaint villages like this often provide in the daytime setting.

But perhaps the most pertinent thing to say about Theatr Clwyd’s Under Milk Wood is that it is great fun and a delight to watch. Thomas’ story is so rich of life and this production makes it an immersive, enjoyable evening.