A One-Man Welsh Chorus

Few people know that 'Under Milk Wood' is only a first draft. Dylan Thomas worked on the project for nine years and submitted his first draft a few months before his death. He died in 1953; the following year the play was published and recorded for radio by the BBC, with Richard Burton as one of the voices.

Originally written for radio, the play is the poet's dramatic painting of a dreamlike Welsh town. It is night time as the dead come forward to speak. The descriptions of this "bible-black" town are not left written for a scene designer to interpret, but are instead voiced, making the environment of the play ethereal and moody. A voice that guides the audience says, "Come closer now. Only you can hear the houses sleeping in the streets in the slow deep salt and silent black, bandaged night."

This corner of Wales is beyond the surreal, and the language lulls its listeners as they are encompassed in the folds of this unlit location. The people are positively strange in this separate world called Llareggub, which is, incidentally, "bugger all" spelled backwards. (There is, however, a character called Jack Black, but he's not a cheery bloke.)

The portraits of the inhabitants of the town are straightforward, but it is the language that lends them endless layers of complexity. Each character's little life is explained with a grand sense of curiosity, and also with countless metaphors that hold the reader close with their easy effectiveness: "At the sea-end of town, Mr and Mrs Floyd, the cocklers, are sleeping as quiet as death, side by wrinkled side, toothless, salt, and brown, like two old kippers in a box."

Thomas asserted that 'Under Milk Wood' was his attempt at creating a linguistic portrait of human beauty. In the shadow of World War II, he wanted to write of the regenerative abilities of humanity, and its capacity to love, even if it only comes across as longing or loss.

In the sleepy, creepy surroundings there are countless voices and characters. For a play that was originally meant for radio, this piece would present a bit of a situation for any actor.

But someone has come along to try to sweep the dreamed Welsh town off its feet. The production of 'Under Milk Wood' that will reach Glasgow this month stars Guy Masterson. Not to be confused with dice-rolling 'Guys and Dolls' character Sky Masterson, the real Guy has a considerable dramatic CV under his belt. You may have caught a glimpse of his shiny scalp on "Casualty" or "Brass Eye", but theatre is his most frequented domain. Masterson has worked home and abroad as a director, producer, playwright and actor, and has brought endless shows to Edinburgh during festival time.

Here Masterson gets to fill his favourite role: that of an actor. Not only that, but there are no other actors to be found. He plays all the characters. In a work whose most famous presentations have been on radio, the text gives a man who loves the stage a boundary-less canvas on which to work.

One-man shows are the epitome of potential. Simon Callow has created an empire of electric voices in his shows, covering front row punters with spittle and filling huge venues with his singular voice. In 2004, the Best Actor Tony Award went to a one-man performance, for the play 'I Am My Own Wife'. Although the format could initially strike one as potentially lacking, a solo actor has a great opportunity to enthrall and capture his audience with delicate changes and interpretations as he switches between characters and scenes.

Masterson, who has a demonstrated adoration of Dylan Thomas's work, has likely set his sights high for this one. He has performed in 'Under Milk Wood' a couple of times before, and now he is ready to go it alone. If you'd like to see Masterson give the one-guy format a try, he will be taking this entire Welsh town with him to Glasgow in November.