Do3 - The Beach Of Falesa

[Guest]

This is a premiere of Dylan Thomas' unfilmed screenplay, and had me captivated for 90 minutes. Highly recommended.

Russ

[DracoM]

Was captivated more for the performance than the script to be honest. BUT interesting and feels like a dry run for UMW?

[Sir Velo]

This is a premiere of Dylan Thomas' unfilmed screenplay, and had me captivated for 90 minutes. Highly recommended.

Russ

Haven't heard this but would be interesting to know how you felt it compared with Stevenson's original. Even better, IMO, if one really wants a shattering South Sea drama, The Ebb Tide, also by Stevenson and, again, IMO, the equal or better than anything ever done in a similar genre by Conrad.

[vinteuil]

Haven't heard this but would be interesting to know how you felt it compared with Stevenson's original. Even better, IMO, if one really wants a shattering South Sea drama, The Ebb Tide, also by Stevenson and, again, IMO, the equal or better than anything ever done in a similar genre by Conrad.

... yes, RLS's originals are marvellous works - lovely to find another enthusiast - and if you like The Beach of Falesá and The Ebb Tide you might also want to try The Wrecker

[verismissimo]

... yes, RLS's originals are marvellous works - lovely to find another enthusiast - and if you like The Beach of Falesá and The Ebb Tide you might also want to try The Wrecker

And here's a third!

"Wealth is only useful for two things: a yacht and a string quartette."
Letter to his cousin RAM Stevenson

Of course, in life he went more for the former.

[french frank]

If you want to compare the original text, it's here. Not sure whether to read or listen first ... Read, I think. Otherwise I wouldn't know how to judge Thomas's work.

[Sir Velo]

And here's a third!

"Wealth is only useful for two things: a yacht and a string quartette."

Any relation to Sydney Grew?

[vinteuil]

If you want to compare the original text, it's here. .

.... ah, but are you sure that that is the "original text" ? As I recall, the publishing history was a complex one, and most printed editions toned down (to RLS's displeasure) some of the more unsavoury aspects - particularly the nature of the 'marriage contract'. My RLS is in store pro tem so I ca'n't check... I think the penguin edn (with Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde) restores the original, with an explanation in the foreword

[french frank]

.... ah, but are you sure that that is the "original text" ?

No . But I doubt it's the Dylan Thomas one ...

[verismissimo]

I love RLS's story, one of his very best IMO, and I've had the Dylan Thomas screenplay for years without actually reading it. Upset at his presumption, I suppose.

Now I've listened to the broadcast of a somewhat edited version of the Thomas text, reading alongside, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Somehow the melding of the two stylists really works. It's on iPlayer till Saturday, I guess.

[aeolium]

I also thought this was sufficiently compelling to listen right through. Although there were some fine DT touches, it didn't sound like his best work and I'm not sure that adaptation suited him as his own style was so strongly individual. Also, checking the text that ff provided, the adaptation had taken quite a few liberties with the RLS original (assuming that text was). The performances were good, especially that of Nicky Henson as the saturnine Case.

Compelling though DT's own poetic use of a narrator in Under Milk Wood is, I rarely find it convincing in dramatic adaptations of novels or short stories. It breaks up the drama and makes the whole sound more like a story reading with different voices. And this is ultimately why I so much prefer Do3 to concentrate on plays, not short stories or novels.