UNDER MILK WOOD

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who completed Under Milk Wood, his poetic "play for voices," just weeks before he died in 1953, appeared in only one recorded version of that acclaimed work. Here it is, captured by chance when someone placed a tape recorder on the stage for this live performance. Thomas serves as narrator/commentator of this tale of a day in the lives of 53 characters in a small Welsh village; his is a compelling, booming, lyrical voice. His five excellent companion readers, all of them, interestingly, American, match his deftness in what is a somewhat plotless but highly entertaining and touching account of simple people dealing with the complexities of existence. Top marks for this cassette--and thanks to the long-forgotten audiophile who thought to tape the drama. T.H. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 99]