Under original direction by Anthony Hopkins, Bob Kingdom portrays Welsh poet Dylan Thomas as he recites poetry and prose from his last tour. The tour before the tragic incident at The White Horse Tavern in 1953 where Thomas famously downed 18 whiskeys before returning to his hotel room to pass away at the age of 39. Dylan Thomas remains one of the most innovative writers in the Western hemisphere.
For the performance Kingdom’s hour long one-man show used minimal lighting and no microphone. This simple set was made possible by the intimate surroundings of the Baillie room in the 18th century Assembly Hall. The audience seemed devout Dylan Thomas fans who lapped up every word. This undistracted environment allowed the audience to embark on an emotional journey that went through extremes of laughter and sadness.
This engagement with the audience was helped along by Bob Kingdom who possessed a fine ability to allow a simulation of Dylan Thomas’ company. The actor mirrored Thomas in looks, tone, and performed the delivery of the poetry and prose in much the same way Thomas did.
As the title of the show suggests the central piece of the performance was Return Journey. In addition to reading some of his most significant poems such as the classic ‘And Death Shall Have No Dominion’, a highlight of the performance was the short story ‘Return Journey to Swansea’. The brilliantly impersonated dialogue brought a dynamic energy to the performance that was needed in a one-man poetry reading. Kingdom’s impersonation of other characters within Dylan Thomas’s poetry and short stories keeps the audience’s attention.
The strength of Kingdom’s performance allowed the continued significance of Thomas’ words to resonate with today’s audience; expressing the innermost neuroses and an intimate portrayal of a life that was often dark and troubled. This open heart soon led to a reflection on his health and his concern about death by American hospitality. These words take on a profound significance as Kingdom’s readings express how closely Thomas understood his path of self- destruction. Despite the focus on death Thomas’s prose and poetry, expressed through Kingdom, possessed a dry wit that shone above his bleak outlook.
