麻豆社

Michael Sheen directs and stars in this special performance of Under Milk Wood for 麻豆社 Radio Wales at New York鈥檚 92nd Street Y cultural centre, where Dylan Thomas premiered his 鈥榩lay for voices鈥� in 1953. The radio drama聽broadcasts live on 26 October at 7 PM GMT, to mark the centenary of Dylan鈥檚 birth (and is available online here for 30 days afterwards).

Our聽broadcast follows that's run throughout this centenary year. Earlier in 2014,聽麻豆社 Wales have聽presented a kaleidoscope of programmes across, radio, television聽and online, celebrating the poet鈥檚 life, work and legacy.

Michael Sheen says: 鈥淚t's a real honour and an absolute thrill to perform Under Milk Wood in this very special year and on the stage that it first found its voice.聽

鈥淭his live radio broadcast is an opportunity to celebrate him and his work in both New York - a city that became so important to Dylan - and, at the same time, in Wales, his inspiration and home.鈥澛�

In addition to directing, Sheen reads 鈥淔irst Voice鈥�, the play鈥檚 narrator, a part Dylan himself read in the 1953 premiere.聽

The all-Welsh cast also features actress Kate Burton, whose parents, Sybil Williams and Richard Burton, participated in the first 麻豆社 radio recording of Under Milk Wood in 1954 - just two months after Thomas鈥檚 tragic death in New York. Burton also starred in the 1972 film adaptation of Under Milk Wood.

鈥淚t is very meaningful for me to be participating in this event as my parents were in the original recording,鈥� says Burton. 鈥淚 am very proud to be Welsh and to carry on the family tradition."聽

Radio Wales editor Steve Austins, said: 鈥淚'm really excited to be able to bring our listeners the chance to hear Dylan's masterpiece performed live, in the city he loved, on the stage where it was first performed. And it's wonderful that Michael has come on board to direct and perform in this unique event."

It was 92nd Street Y鈥檚 Poetry Center that introduced Thomas to an American audience. Former Poetry Center director John Malcolm Brinnin brought Thomas to 92Y for his first US reading in 1950, and the poet made 11 more appearances at 92Y between 1950 and 1953, including four performances of Under Milk Wood. Brinnin also acted as Thomas鈥檚 agent in the US, arranging the reading tours that took him to colleges and universities across the country.