Dylan Thomas Centre
Welcome! Poets and authors. Films and theatre. Book launches and award ceremonies. Walking tours and exhibitions. These are just some of the Dylan Thomas 2014 events taking place in Swansea from April through to June. The main highlight is the Dylan Thomas Centre’s exhibition of Dylan’s four poetry Notebooks, written between 1930-34, which are returning to Swansea and the UK for the first time since their sale in the 1940s. Poet Michael Rosen and film maker Emma-Louise Williams present their film inspired by Under Milk Wood - Under The Cranes at the Dylan Thomas Centre in May and Henry Widdicombe hosts a special comedy weekend in June. There are a variety of walking tours on offer too with Fluellen Theatre Company and Lighthouse
Theatre Company. There’ll also be Under Milk Wood: an opera at the Taliesin Arts Centre, Welsh Mam’s Day at Cwmdonkin Park, a Dylanathon Photo Marathon at Dylan’s birthplace and the Dylan’s Swansea exhibition at Swansea Museum. Further information and booking details will be available at www.dylanthomas.com.
Tickets: S Standard C Concessions PTL Passport to Leisure 100
DT 100 funded event
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Dylan Thomas 2014 supported event.
Tony Curtis
Thursday 10 April, 7.30pm
Thursday 3 April – Saturday 5 April, 7.30pm
Under Milk Wood: an opera Taliesin Arts Centre Taliesin Arts Centre, Le Chien Qui Chante (Montreal), Companion Star (New York) in association with Welsh National Opera presents the world premiere of Under Milk Wood: an opera, based on the original play. Tickets: S £12, C £9 (01792 602060
DT 100
Until Sunday 6 July
Dylan’s Swansea Swansea Museum An exhibition that celebrates the Swansea that Dylan knew, where he was born, grew up, worked and played and how this influenced his work. The Museum has worked with Dylan Thomas expert Jeff Towns and the exhibition features illustrations from Wyn Thomas.
Professor Tony Curtis – ‘My Life with Dylan Thomas’ Dylan Thomas Centre An illustrated talk by Professor Tony Curtis for the 2014 centenary celebrations of the birth of Dylan Thomas. Tony Curtis was born in Carmarthen in 1946 and so for seven years shared that town with Dylan, his family and friends. Wales’s first Professor of Poetry describes being taught by Vernon Watkins at Swansea University in 1967 and he goes on to trace Dylan’s influence on his own writing and the experiences of others. Tickets: S £5 C £3.50 PTL £1.60 (01792 463980
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Free entry (01792 653763 3
Swansea Museum Monday 14 April – Sunday 15 June
Inspired by the Work of Dylan Thomas Swansea Museum 10 Cardiff Metropolitan University photographic students have interpreted the words of Dylan Thomas using their unique perspective to produce a body of work that will reflect his rich and diverse prose. Free Entry (01792 653763
Wednesday 16 April, 7.30pm
On The Edge: Results Night by Sara Hawys and Leon Russell Dylan Thomas Centre Och aye the noo! The results of the Scottish Independence referendum have been declared. A crisis or celebration for Wales? This may not get you voting but it may have you reeling in the aisles! Tickets: S £4 PTL £1.60 (01792 463980
Dylan’s Swansea Saturday 19 April, 1.00pm
Theatre in Focus: Fluellen Present: Shakespeare’s Women Dylan Thomas Centre To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, Theatre In Focus looks at the role of women in his plays. From queens to bawds, from quick-witted comedy to violent rage, from lovers to schemers, their variety is infinite. All Theatre In Focus productions are script-in-hand and are preceded by a talk about the playwright. Tickets: S £5, PTL £2 (01792 463980
Sunday 20 April, Sunday 18 May, Sunday 22 June 10.30am – 12.30pm
Guided Tour Dylan’s Swansea Dylan Thomas Centre Fluellen Theatre Co.’s lively and entertaining performance-based guided tour of Dylan’s central Swansea starts from the Dylan Thomas Centre and includes Dylan Thomas Square, The Three Lamps, the site of the Kardomah, Castle Square and ends in the No Sign Wine Bar. Tickets: S £10 C £8 PTL £4 (01792 463980
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Tyler Keevil Monday 21 – Sunday 27 April
Wednesday 23 April, 7.30pm
The Many Faces of Dylan National Waterfront Museum
Tyler Keevil in conversation with Alan Bilton Dylan Thomas Centre
Swansea Artists Circle presents a live painting and drawing event featuring a number of local artists who will be creating works using Dylan Thomas inspired themes. Free Entry (029 2057 3600
Join us on World Book Night to celebrate the work of Fireball author Tyler Keevil. Burrard Inlet is named after the body of water that divides Vancouver’s North Shore from the Lower Mainland, where the city meets the mountains, and civilisation meets the wild, a backdrop for characters struggling against the elements, each other and themselves. These awardwinning stories are awash in blood and brine. Tyler will also discuss his new novel The Drive with Dr Alan Bilton. Free Entry and Refreshments (01792 463980
Jonathan Edwards Thursday 24 April, 7.30pm
Poets at the DTC with Jonathan Edwards Dylan Thomas Centre Jonathan Edwards has been described by Mike Jenkins as ‘one of the most exciting poets to emerge from the Valleys in many years.’ He won the Terry Hetherington Award in 2010 and in 2012 was awarded 2nd prize in the Cardiff International Poetry Competition. His work has appeared in a wide range of magazines, including Poetry Review, Poetry Wales, New Welsh Review and Magma. His first collection, My Family and Other Superheroes, has just been published by Seren. The evening also includes an open mic session.
Sunday 27 April, 11.00am 5.00pm
Welsh Mam’s Day Cwmdonkin Park On the anniversary of Dylan Thomas’ mother Florence’s birthday, the Friends of Cwmdonkin Park, Elysium Gallery, Dylan Thomas Theatre and the City and County of Swansea present a free family funday with multi-activity workshops and live entertainment. Free Entry (01792 205327
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Tickets: S £4 C £2.80 PTL £1.60 (01792 463980
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Dylan Thomas Centre Wednesday 30 April, Wednesday 28 May
Science Cafe Dylan Thomas Centre Each month a leading expert in their field gives a brief introductory talk followed by a friendly informal chat. You can sit back, relax with a drink in your hand and listen, or get involved in the discussion and debate. Free Entry (01792 463980
Saturday 10 May, 1.00pm
Under Milk Wood Day: Fluellen Theatre Co present After the One Spring Day Dylan Thomas Centre Did Mr Pugh ever poison his wife? Did Organ Morgan have a hand in one of the biggest hits of the 1960s? These and other questions are answered in a series of sketches specially written by playwrights including Ken Blakemore, Kate Bowman, Glynis Judge and Mike Witchell, as they ponder what might have happened to some of the residents of Llareggub after that “one Spring day”. Tickets S £5 PTL £2 (01792 463980
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Under The Cranes
Caitlin
Saturday 10 May, 7.30pm
Monday 12 – Saturday 17 May
Under Milk Wood Day – Film showing: Under The (12a) Cranes Dylan Thomas Centre
Caitlin Grand Theatre
Poet and author Michael Rosen was immersed in Dylan Thomas’ work at a time when his voice could be heard on the radio. Rosen has now written his own poetic play for voices based on Under Milk Wood, Hackney Streets, which has itself inspired the film, Under the Cranes. Emma-Louise Williams’ Under the Cranes mixes archive film and new cinematography to explore the history of one part of East London through the voices of the people who have passed this way. Michael and Emma-Louise will host a Q and A session after the film showing.
(14+)
Renowned Swansea actress Helen Griffin plays Caitlin Macnamara, Dylan Thomas’ wife, in a one woman show about one man in an intoxicating story that will linger with you long after curtain comes down. Mike Kenny’s evocative work has wowed audiences and critics alike in both Wales and New York in a play that discovers the forces that brought them together and eventually tore them apart. Tickets: S £10.00 (01792 475715
Tickets: S £5 C £3.50 PTL £1.60 100 (01792 463980
Under The Cranes (Photo credit: Under The Cranes 2011, courtesy of Hackney Archives)
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National Waterfront Museum Wednesday 14 May, 7.30pm
On the Edge: The War is Dead Long Live the War – Patrick Jones Dylan Thomas Centre To mark the centenary of the First World War – a revisit to the Blackwood poet’s 2004 play. Wilfred Owen meets a Young Gulf War soldier. From the team, Patrick Jones and Michael Kelligan, that produced Dandelion. Tickets: S £4 PTL £1.60 (01792 463980
Saturday 17 & 31 May, Sunday 1 June, Saturday & Sunday 5 & 6 July, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Return Journey National Waterfront Museum to Cwmdonkin Park A promenade production by the Lighthouse Theatre Company, in association with the Dylan Thomas Centre, through the streets of Swansea starting at the National Waterfront Museum and ending in Cwmdonkin Park. Relive the author’s journey through blitzed Swansea surrounded by the sights and sounds of the city. The performance uses local performers and contains historical information about the Swansea of Dylan’s youth. The participants will also receive an information pack with excerpts from his works, history and maps of the period. Tickets: S £9, C £7 (01792 463980
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Dylan Thomas Centre Sunday 18 May, 6.00pm
Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22 May, 7.30pm
Dylan Thomas in New York: Lecture & Book Launch Rough Diamonds National Waterfront Museum Dylan Thomas Centre Join Swansea poet Peter Thabit Jones for an evening to celebrate Thomas’s time in New York and to launch his new book Dylan Thomas Walking Tour of Greenwich Village, written with Thomas’s daughter Aeronwy Thomas. Following the lecture there’s an opportunity to buy a signed copy of the book. Free Entry (029 2057 3600
Don’t miss two nights of ambitious new drama drawn from the work of students on Swansea University’s prestigious Creative Writing programme. The performances are introduced and directed by playwright D.J.Britton, Associate Professor in Dramatic Writing at Swansea University, and performed by Swansea’s outstanding Fluellen Theatre Company. Tickets: S £4 PTL £1.60 (01792 463980
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Llanelli Ramblers Thursday 22 May, 10.00am – 5.30pm
Writers’ Day Dylan Thomas Centre The Swansea Writers’ Day features a wealth of presentations and discussions with representatives from across the world of publishing. These include Rebecca Carter of Janklow & Nesbit literary agency, along with book editors, publishers and writers. The day’s presentations and discussions will address key publishing matters relevant to new and emerging writers, with question and answer sessions and plenty of opportunity for general networking. Free entry, booking essential (01792 463980
Saturday 24 – Monday 26 May
Llanelli Ramblers Festival of Walks – Inc. Dylan Thomas Trails, Swansea Various Routes 2014 will see the 19th annual Festival of Walks, themed on Dylan Thomas’ Wales, the places that he lived, worked and played in such as Swansea, New Quay and Laugharne Tenby and Llangain. Walks range from easy, suitable for all the family, to the more challenging. Distances are from 3 – 12 miles. 8 festival@llanelliramblers.org.uk DT
Rhossili Monday 26 May, 4.00pm
Monday 26 May, 7.30pm
Extraordinary Little Cough National Trust Shop, Rhosilli
Reminiscences of Childhood Rhossili Village Hall
Swansea’s Lighthouse Theatre bring its unique story-telling style to the National Trust by recreating the experience of Dylan on a walk along the cliffs to the Coastguard Lookout. (01792 390 636 8 www.lighthouse-theatre.co.uk DT
Following its Fringe first nominated debut at the Edinburgh Festival, Lighthouse Theatre presents Adrian Metcalfe in an hour-long, solo performance during which he draws on his own childhood in Swansea, entwining it with material from ‘The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog’, ‘Quite Early One Morning’, ‘The Collected Poems’ and ‘Return Journey’ creating a delightful, haunting exploration of Dylan Thomas’ work. Tickets: S £6, C £3 8 www.lighthouse-theatre.co.uk
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Dylan Thomas’ War
Alan Perry Thursday 29 May, 7.30pm
Poets at the DTC with Alan Perry Dylan Thomas Centre Alan Perry is a widely published poet, painter and short story writer, living and working in Swansea, and a founder and judge of the Terry Hetherington Award. The evening will also include an open mic session. Tickets: S £4 C £2.80 PTL £1.60 ( 01792 463980
Saturday 31 May – Sunday 31 August
Dylan Thomas Notebooks Exhibition Dylan Thomas Centre This exhibition comprises the four poetry Notebooks written between 1930 and 1934, and the Red Prose Notebook that also dates from this time. They are accompanied by supporting material such as extracts from letters which refer to the poems and the processes involved in their writing, and a self-portrait in coloured pencil Dylan drew on the back of a letter to Pamela Hansford Johnson. The items are on loan from State University of New York at Buffalo. Free Entry ( 01792 463980
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Saturday 7 June
Saturday 7 June 1.00pm
Dylan Thomas’ War: the Pacifist, the Propagandist and the Swansea Blitz Various Routes
Fluellen Theatre Co present Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and the Crown Diamond Dylan Thomas Centre
Terrified of conscription and a Pacifist Socialist, Dylan was disturbed by the Second World War. Migrating between London and west Wales throughout, he worked on propaganda films as well as crafting some of his darkest, saddest literature. The tour explores war-torn Swansea, through the sites of streets ravaged by bombs which he diligently listed, to the places which survived, examining the devastating loss of the 1930s Kardomah Gang haunts.
The master detective strikes again! An original play written by his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. All Theatre In Focus productions are script-in-hand and preceded by a talk about the playwright. Tickets: S £5 PTL £2 ( 01792 463980
Tickets: Full tour - £17; talk & screening only - £8 8 www.literaturewales.org 100
Dylan Thomas’ War (Photo credit: West Glamorgan Archives Service)
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Dylan Thomas’ Walk
Under Milk Wood Vehicle Run
Friday 13 June
Friday 13 – Sunday 15 June
Dylan Thomas Walk Uplands, Cwmdonkin Park, Dylan Thomas Birthplace
Comedy Weekend with Henry Widdicombe Dylan Thomas Centre
Join the Gower Walking Festival in a climb to the top of Cwmdonkin Park, at various points during the walk there will be short readings from Dylan Thomas’ works. The price includes entry to Dylan Thomas birthplace and afternoon tea.
Join us for a weekend of comedy, featuring some of the finest acts on the circuit, curated by comedian and festival organiser Henry Widdicombe. Dylan Thomas is known for both his razor-sharp wit and his gentle humour. His work is full of funny characters, whether it’s those that populate the village of Llareggub (spell it backwards) in Under Milk Wood, or the beautifully told, laugh-out-loud tale about a charabanc outing, ‘A Story’. A fan of Marx brothers films, he was an entertainer who throughout his lifetime delighted audiences with his readings and anecdotes. Come along and celebrate the work of contemporary comedians at a series of special shows held at the Dylan Thomas Centre this weekend.
Tickets: S £7 8 www.gowerwalkingfestival.org
Tickets: See www.dylanthomas.com ( 01792 463980 100
Carrie Etter
Saturday 14 June
Thursday 26 June, 7.30pm
Under Milk Wood Classic Vehicle Run Bracelet Bay to Laugharne
Poets at the DTC with Carrie Etter Dylan Thomas Centre
Historic motorcycles, cars, vans, trucks, coaches and busses take the annual outing to Laugharne prior to the 21st Swansea Festival of Transport in Swansea City Centre on Sunday 15th June.
In Imagined Sons, Carrie Etter has written a book of vivid, heartbreaking poems on the experience of giving up a child for adoption. A prize-winning author, lecturer, critic and popular blogger, Etter imagines the possible destinies for the child and presents us with various scenarios from the tragic to the absurd. The evening also includes an open mic.
Free Entry 8 swanseatransport@aol.com Thursday 26 June, 2.00pm 4.30pm
Poetry with Dylan Thomas & Carrie Etter Dylan Thomas Centre
Tickets: S £4 C £2.80 PTL £1.60 ( 01792 463980
In this workshop, led by renowned poet Carrie Etter, we’ll immerse ourselves in Thomas’s Notebooks and revel in the narrative details and uses of language, then take our findings to create new, original poems that build on that inspiration. Maximum 12 places. Tickets: S £14 C £11.00 PTL £5.00 ( 01792 463980 100
Carrie Etter credit Dot and Lucy Photography
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Terry Hetherington Awards
Primary Dance Project Thursday 26 – Friday 27 June 7.00pm
Primary Dance Project Taliesin Arts Centre Once again the Primary Dance Project fills the Taliesin stage with the energy, excitement and skill of the children of Swansea. Six schools join with students of Gower College to present a high octane response, in dance, to the exploration of Dylan’s childhood in Swansea; a fitting dedication from this highly acclaimed annual project in the centenary year. Tickets: S £2.00 ( 01792 602060 Whilst every effort is made to ensure that details of this programme are accurate, the City and County of Swansea reserve the right to alter any part of the programme without notice. Supported by:
Friday 27 June, 7pm
Terry Hetherington Award Ceremony Dylan Thomas Centre Celebrate the achievements of this year’s entrants into the £1000 Terry Hetherington Award for writers under 30. Their work will again be published by Parthian in the latest volume of Cheval, which will be launched on the night. Free ( 01792 463980 Saturday 28 June
Dylanathon – Photomarathon Dylan Thomas Birthplace Using a camera, smart-phone or tablet; entrants are encouraged to use innovation over picture quality to interpret 10 Dylan Thomas related themes throughout the day. info@dylanthomasbirthplace.com 100