Under Milk Wood: A Play for Voices: The classic 1963 BBC Radio production

The classic 1963 full-cast BBC Radio production, starring Richard Burton

'To begin at the beginning: it is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black...'

When Richard Burton breathed the opening words of Under Milk Wood into a microphone, broadcasting history was made. For this 'play for voices' conjures up the intimate dreams and waking lives of the inhabitants of a Welsh seaside village in a remarkable way. It is bawdy and beautiful; its colourful characters lust and love, gossip and fantasise. Through the magic of language, Under Milk Wood creates a rich modern pastoral which, once heard, touches the listener with its poetry and haunts the imagination for ever.

This radio drama is the completed version broadcast in 1963 which includes several passages that were omitted from the first recording in 1954.


Cast and Credits
Written by Dylan Thomas

The Narrator – Richard Burton
Captain Cat / Voice of the Guide Book – Hugh Griffith
Rosie Probert / Lily Smalls – Gwyneth Petty
Polly Garter / Gossamer Beynon – Margo Jenkins
Mr Mog Edwards – Aubrey Richards
Myfanwy Price – Margo Jenkins
Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard – Dorothea Phillips
Mr Ogmore / Nogood Boyo – David Garfield
Mr Pritchard / Dai Bread / Cherry Owen – John Gill
Mrs Dai Bread One – Guinevere Roberts
Mrs Dai Bread Two – Patricia Mort
Butcher Beynon – Richard Curnock
Mrs Beynon – Olwen Brookes
Rev Eli Jenkins – T H Evans
Mr Pugh – Raymond Llewellyn
Mrs Pugh / Mrs Willy Nilly – Rachel Thomas
Willy Nilly Postman – Mervyn Johns
Sinbad Sailors – Talfryn Thomas
Mary Ann Sailors – Betty Lloyd-Davies
Mrs Cherry Owen – Buddug-Mair Powell
Mr Waldo – David Rees
Further Cast: Julia Cleverdon, Philip Davies, Judith Davies, Elizabeth Ponsford, Billy Johnnie, Christo Dicky, Christopher Baliard, Peter Richards and Courtney Davies

Produced by Douglas Cleverdon
Songs set by Daniel Jones
Children’s songs and singing game recorded at Albert Road Junior School, Penarth

First broadcast on BBC Third Programme, 11th Oct 1963

©2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P)2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd