Audition: Under Milk Wood
We will be holding an open audition for Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas as follows:
Tuesday 5th May at 7:30pm
St Mary Le Wigford church hall, next to Lincoln Railway Station
Performance dates: 22-24 October 2026, Broadbent Theatre, Wickenby
The play will be directed by Colin Brimblecombe, and everyone is welcome to audition, member or non-member.
Our production is set on the night of July 28th, 1965, the 100th anniversary of Welsh settlers arriving in Patagonia on the clipper Mimosa. These good people went on to found the towns of Gaiman, Dolavon, Trelew, and Trevelin and a host of other settlements. Today there are upward of 5,000 Welsh speakers in Patagonia, and it is estimated that there are 70,000 inhabitants of Welsh descent. The inhabitants even hold Eisteddfodau that are bilingual, in both Patagonian Welsh and Argentine Spanish, and include poetry, prose, literary translations (Welsh, Spanish, English, Italian, and French), musical performances, arts, folk dances, photography, and filmmaking among others. The Eisteddfod de la Juventud is held every September at Gaiman. The main Eisteddfod del Chubut is held every October at Trelew. Other annual eisteddfodau are held at Trevelin, in the Andes and at Puerto Madryn along the South Atlantic coast.
This will be a celebratory performance of Thomas’s iconic comic story of a close Welsh community performed as a live radio play, broadcast from Maida Vale studio, complete with microphones and Foley artists using techniques of 1960s radio. All performers will have the script in their hands, but it IS a performance. As a gala performance it is a black-tie event.
The play opens and closes with announcements in Spanish, Welsh and English, with specially written music and songs by Hannah Borrill.
We will need a minimum of four men and four women in the cast, plus one Welsh and one Spanish speaker and, hopefully, someone with a strong posh Aussie accent. All actors will be required to play multiple roles, including women playing men, vice versa, children and to sing. The narrators (Voice 1 & 2) will also be performed by different actors as the play progresses. A good Welsh accent is obviously essential for the speaking roles. The Foley artists will provide all the sound effects using a variety of items: no electronic equipment will be used, and they will be asked to provide supplementary voices in the background.
Cast of Characters
First and Second Voices – omnipresent narrators to be spoken by whoever is available
Captain Cat The old blind sea captain who dreams of his deceased shipmates and lost lover Rosie Probert. He is one of the play’s most important characters as he often acts as a narrator. He comments on the goings-on in the village from his window.
The Drowned Captain Cat’s deceased sailor crew who appears in a dream
Rosie Probert Captain Cat’s deceased lover, who appears in his dreams.
Myfanwy Price The sweetshop-keeper who dreams of marrying Mog Edwards.
Mr Mog Edwards The draper, enamoured of Myfanwy Price. Their romance, however, is restricted strictly to the letters they write one another and their interactions in their dreams.
Jack Black The cobbler, who dreams of scaring away young couples.
Evans the Death The undertaker, who dreams of his childhood.
Mr Waldo Rabbit catcher, barber, herbalist, cat doctor, quack, dreams of his mother and his many unhappy, failed marriages. He is a notorious alcoholic and general troublemaker and is involved in an affair with Polly Garter.
Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard The owner of a guesthouse, who dreams of nagging her two late husbands. She refuses to let anyone stay at the guesthouse because of her extreme penchant for neatness.
Mr Ogmore Deceased, Linoleum salesman, late of Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard.
Mr Pritchard Deceased, failed bookmaker, late of Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard. He committed suicide “ironically” by ingesting disinfectant.
Gossamer Beynon The schoolteacher (daughter of Butcher Beynon), dreams of a fox-like illicit love. During the day, she longs to be with Sinbad Sailors, but the two never interact.
Organ Morgan The church organ player has perturbed dreams of music and orchestras within the village. His obsession with music bothers his wife intensely.
Mrs. Organ Morgan A shop owner who dreams of “silence,” as she is disturbed during the day by Organ Morgan’s constant organ-playing.
Mr & Mrs. Floyd The cocklers, an elderly couple, seemingly the only couple to sleep peacefully in the village. They are mentioned only during the dream sequence.
Utah Watkins The farmer, dreams of counting sheep that resemble his wife.
Ocky Milkman The milkman, dreams of pouring his milk into a river, ‘regardless of expense’.
Mr Cherry Owen Dreams of drinking and yet is unable to, as the tankard turns into a fish, which he drinks.
Mrs Cherry Owen Cherry Owen’s devoted wife, who cares for him and delights in rehashing his drunken antics.
PC Attila Rees The policeman, relieves himself into his helmet at night, knowing somehow he will regret this in the morning.
Mr Willy Nilly The postman, dreams of delivering the post in his sleep, and physically knocks upon his wife as if knocking upon a door. In the morning they open the post together and read the town’s news so that he can relay it around the village.
Mrs Willy Nilly who, because of her husband’s knocking upon her, dreams of being spanked by her teacher for being late for school. She assists Willy Nilly in steaming open the mail.
Mary Ann Sailors 85 years old, dreams of the Garden of Eden. During the day she announces her age (“I’m 85 years, 3 months and a day!”) to the town.
Sinbad Sailors The barman, dreams of Gossamer Beynon, whom he cannot marry because of his grandmother’s disapproval.
Mae Rose Cottage Seventeen and never been kissed, she dreams of meeting her “Mr. Right”. She spends the day in the fields daydreaming and unseen, draws lipstick circles around her nipples.
Bessie Bighead Hired help, dreams of the one man that kissed her “because he was dared”.
Butcher Beynon The butcher, dreams of riding pigs and shooting wild giblets. During the day he enjoys teasing his wife about the questionable meat that he sells.
Mrs Butcher Beynon Butcher Beynon’s wife, dreams of her husband being ‘persecuted’ for selling “owl’s meat, dogs’ eyes, manchop.”
Rev Eli Jenkins The reverend, poet and preacher, dreams of Eisteddfodau. Author of the White Book of Llareggub.
Mr. Pugh Schoolmaster, dreams of poisoning his domineering wife. He purchases a book named “Lives of the Great Poisoners” for ideas on how to kill Mrs. Pugh; however, he does not do it.
Mrs Pugh The nasty and undesirable wife of Mr. Pugh.
Dai Bread The bigamist baker who dreams of harems.
Mrs Dai Bread One Dai Bread’s first wife, traditional and plain.
Mrs Dai Bread Two Dai Bread’s second wife, a mysterious and sultry gypsy.
Polly Garter An innocent young mother, who dreams of her many babies. During the day, she scrubs floors and sings of her lost love.
Nogood Boyo A lazy young fisherman who dreams peevishly of “nothing”, though he later fantasises about Mrs. Dai Bread Two in a wet corset. He is known for causing shenanigans in the wash house.
Lord Cut-Glass A man of questionable sanity, who dreams of the 66 clocks that he keeps in his house, all telling different times.
Lily Smalls Dreams of love and a fantasy life. She is the Beynons’ maid, but longs for a more exciting life.
Gwennie A child in Llareggub, who insists that her male schoolmates “kiss her where she says or give her a penny”.
Voice of a Guide book Posh Aussie
BBC Announcer
Welsh Announcer
Spanish Announcer
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