Small town life and dark humour on stage

CASTLEMAINE Theatre Company is just a few weeks away from opening night of their production of Under Milk Wood.

Written by poet Dylan Thomas in 1954 for BBC radio, the script has since been adapted for the stage and tells the stories of the people living in a small coastal village in Wales.

The play’s director Michelle Dorian said Thomas appeared to have a love-hate relationship with the town he wrote about, which was something the cast had been able to relate to.

“We’re getting sneak peaks into the lives of the residents of the small town, and I think largely it’s really funny but it’s kind of dark humour in a lot of ways and that’s why we think he loves them, but he’s also having a go,” she said.

The cast and crew involved in the production are all volunteers from the surrounding community and Dorian said putting on the play as a team had produced a better outcome.

“Working collaboratively and giving everyone the opportunity to have some input gives everyone ownership in it, in the outcome and that’s just a lovely process,” she said.

Dorian said theatre in regional Victoria was vital to communities because it provides a place for people to come together and share the experience of the story being told.

“I think having a creative outlet, and also having access to theatre, so not just for actors but for audiences is really important for people in the regions because it makes you feel connected,” she said.

Under Milk Wood will open at Phee Broadway Theatre in Castlemaine on 26 October and run until 5 November.

Tickets are available via the Castlemaine Theatre Company website or on the door.