Welcome to the Dylan Thomas Centre's Festival Website for 2003.
The Dylan Thomas Festival is held annually between Thomas’ birth date, 27 October, and his death date, 9 November, in his home town of Swansea. This use to be the official website for the festival. However its domain registration expired and this site disappeared from the internet. Fortunately, the English department in partnership with the Web Archive Project funded the restoration and archiving of this website for use by both the English and History departments. Many thanks to search consultant Bob Sakayama from TNG/Earthling for his contribution in getting the technical aspects under control. Also to Hugh Downs, who assisted with research and confirming historic facts, photos, and art.
Go to www.dylanthomas.com/festival/ for the most up-to-date news regarding this year's Dylan Thomas Festival.
In 2003 I was fortunate to be in Wales. I was visiting a potential client for the software company that I work for. I am a huge Dylan fan and have a collection of all his published works. So being here for work was a huge opportunity for me that I had been looking forward to for months. After meeting with the potential client I drove to Swansea and spent a week enjoying the exhibitions, studies and events surrounding the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Dylan Thomas. I have returned to Swansea several times since 2003, including 2014 when the Dylan Thomas Centre presented the exhibition called, ‘Love the Words’, in celebration of Dylan’s 100th birthday. The interactive displays tell the story of one of the twentieth century’s most significant writers. So enjoy this step back to 2003 when Swansea was hosting a very special Dylan Thomas Festival.
2003 was the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Dylan Thomas.
This site is an archive of articles relating to 2003 along with details of the many events that were held all over the world.
The Dylan Thomas Centre,
Somerset Place, Swansea SA1 1RR
Tel: 01792 463980
Fax: 01792 463993
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DYLAN THOMAS IS DEAD!
Swansea Poet Dies Suddenly In America
Yesterday on November 9th the famous poet Dylan Thomas, died in St. Vincents hospital, New York. Mystery surrounds his death, with many speculating that it involved a drink induced coma. His death will be particularly shocking to the arts community as he was only 39 and was transforming the popularity of poetry and prose through his exciting
personal readings and recitals which have held students and academics spellbound in the USA.
While it is not for me to comment on the quality of his work, I do know from admirers I have spoken to, that his style though apparently obvious, was in fact revolutionary.
Only time will tell where Dylan Marlais Thomas will be placed in the pantheon of great writers.....
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....And so, we now have a good idea, where, nearly 50 years after his death, Dylan Thomas is in the ‘pantheon of great writers.’- with those few, at the very, very,top.
This website was created in order to keep the world appraised of what will be happening in 2003 to celebrate the death of Dylan Marlais Thomas, born 27th Oct 1914. If invited anyone who was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dylan's death to let the creators of the website and the world know. If you had been planning to visit Wales, this website would you plan around the numerous activities and events that were planned..
Weekend Tours for 2003
Guided Tours for Operators
To celebrate Dylan's year, the Dylan Thomas Centre are running a series of weekend tours, between the months of July and August, to No.5 Cwmdonkin Drive, the Uplands Walkand the City Centre Walk, also guided trips to Laugharne. These tours will run every weekend from Saturday 5 July to Sunday 31 August.
5, CWMDONKIN DRIVE
Saturdays & Sundays, 10am - 4pm
Call in for a guided tour of Dylan Thomas’ birthplace. The house was brand new when the Thomases moved in a few months before Dylan was born in the upstairs front bedroom on 27th October 1914. The house has retained many of its original features, so you can still see the original fireplace around which Dylan’s aunts and uncles sat in A Child’s Christmas in Wales, and breathe in the atmosphere of his father D.J.’s"brown study" where Dylan’s love of words was first encouraged. The view of Swansea Bay and Mumbles Lighthouse from Dylan’s bedroom at the back of the house,where he wrote his notebook poems, is as inspiring today as it was to the young writer in the 1920s and 1930s.
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CITY CENTRE WALK
Saturdays, from 2pm - 3.30pm
As Dylan Thomas wrote to an old friend, "Swansea is still the best place". This guided walk will explore many of his places in the centre of Swansea, starting in the Maritime Cultural Quarter of the city. As you walk, you will be entertained by extracts from Dylan’s work, and anecdotes from his life. As well as places directly associated with Dylan, the tour will give you a flavour of Swansea’s vibrant city centre, and point out other significant cultural and historical landmarks. The walk finishes at the Dylan Thomas Centre, so allow time for a well-earned pint of Dylan’s ale, and a browse in the Café-Bookshop!
Time – approx. 90 minutes
Route - Dylan Thomas Centre, Wind Street, Salubrious Passage (No Sign Bar), Castle Square, Oxford Street, Swansea Market, St. Marys Church (Cross Keys), Swansea Museum,Dylan Thomas Square, Captain Cat (Queens Hotel), Dylan Thomas Centre
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STREET ENTERTAINMENT
Saturday afternoons
Visit Swansea’s lively city centre and see Dylan Thomas’ work brought alive in the open air. There will be tableaux of characters from Under Milk Wood, and actors performing extracts from his poetry and prose, at different areas around the city centre.
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CWMDONKIN WALK
Sundays, from 10am
Dylan Thomas was born, and spent the first, formative twenty years of his life, in the Uplands. The tour will lead you through Dylan’s places in the area, including the house in which he was born and wrote his early work. You will see the Uplands Tavern,fundamental to his daily "provincial rhythm", and pass the site of the Uplands cinema and the BBC recording studios, before entering Cwmdonkin Park, immortalised in his writings. On your journey, you will hear readings from works inspired by his childhood,which will help you visualise the little boy who used to "Fight in the bandstands" and "Play on the green bank" in the Park.
Time - approx. 90 minutes.
Route – No. 5, Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands Tavern, South Park Entrance, Park shelter,Top park entrance, Water fountain, Bowls pavilion, Memorial stone
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GUIDED TRIPS TO LAUGHARNE
Sundays, leaving at 2pm
Along with Swansea, Laugharne is the other most influential place in Dylan’s life and work. On this driven tour, you will enjoy a performance of extracts from Dylan’s work on the journey, such as the marvellous short story, ‘The Outing’. When you reach Laugharne, "This timeless, beautiful, barmy (both spellings) town…",the tour follows in Dylan’s footsteps along Castle walk, to his Writing Shed. A little further on is the Boathouse, with its inspiring estuary views. Afterwards, enjoy a drink in Dylan’s local, Brown’s Hotel, before visiting the Graveyard where Dylan and his wife Caitlin’s grave is marked by a simple white cross.
Time - 2pm til 6pm
Route - Dylan Thomas Centre, Laugharne – Car Park, Castle walk, Writing shed,Boathouse, Browns Hotel, Graveyard
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FILM SHOWS AT DYLAN THOMAS CENTRE
Sundays, 2pm and 3pm
The Dylan Thomas Centre will show a variety of Dylan-related films and documentaries every Sunday afternoon. Why not have Sunday lunch in the Centre’s award-winning restaurant first, before enjoying the film show?
There will be 2 showings, each lasting 50 mins.
(Just Some of the) All Year Dylan Thomas Festival Events 2003
The West Wales Dylan Thomas trail -a self guided walk that starts from the TIC in Aberaeron and continues along the cliffs to New Quay. Full details in The Dylan Thomas Trail, available from bookshops and TICs
Venue: Aberaeron-New Quay SA45 9QB
Box Office: 01545 561460
Area: Mid & North Wales
All Year
Dylan's New Quay - a self guided walk around the town and beaches, taking in all the places associated with Dylan and Under Milk Wood. Leaflets from TICs, pubs and shops
Venue: New Quay SA45 9QB
Box Office: 01545 561460
Area: Mid & North Wales
01 January - 02 February
Exhibition - 'Dylan and the Photographers'
Venue: Dylan Thomas Centre SA1 1RR
Box Office: 01792 463980
Area: South West Wales
01 January
Winter tour of "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
Venue: Halliwell Theatre, Trinity College, Carmarthen SA31 3EP
Box Office: Tickets sold on the door
Area: South West Wales
11 January - 08 February
'The Great, the good and the Dead' -an exhibition of Bernard Mitchell's photographs
Venue: Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea SA2 8PP
Box Office: 01792 296883
Area: South West Wales
11 January
Winter tour of "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
Venue: Queen's Hall, Narberth, Pembroke
Box Office: 01834 861212
Area: South West Wales
16 January
Dr. Richard Chamberlain gives a talk on Dylan
Venue: 5 Cwmdonkin Drive SA2 0RA
Box Office: 01792 463980
Area: South West Wales
18 January
Winter tour of "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
Venue: Taliesin Theatre, University of Swansea SA2 8PP
Website: www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk
Box Office: 01792 296883
Area: South West Wales
24 January - 27 April
Real/Surreal: Photographs by Lee Miller
Venue: Whitworth Art Gallery M15 6ER
Box Office: 0161 275 7450
Area: England
25 January
Winter tour of "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
Venue: Laugharne Millenium Memorial Hall, Carmarthenshire
Box Office: 01994 427444
Area: South West Wales
28 January 4.00pm
CREW presents a talk by Dr Daniel Williams: 'Wales-Bird': Dylan Thomas, Jazz and American Poetry
Venue: Room 220, Keir Hardie Building, University of Wales, Swansea SA2 8PP
Box Office: 01792 205678
Area: South West Wales
31 January
Launch of 'Dylan the Actor' Exhibition, which recounts Dylan's membership of the Swansea Little Theatre and its relevance to his later work
Venue: Dylan Thomas Theatre SA1 1TY
Box Office: 01792 473238
Area: South West Wales
04 February - 04March
'Rites of Passage' - an exhibition of work by Swansea artist Ceri Thomas
Venue: Dylan Thomas Centre SA1 1RR
Box Office: 01792 463980
Area: South West Wales
11-22 February
'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog' - a theatrical journey through the prose writings of Dylan Thomas
Venue: Theatre Clwyd Cymru CH7 1YA
Box Office: 0845 330 3565
Area: Mid & North Wales
13-15 February
'Caitlin' - a one woman show with Swansea actress Helen Griffin taking the part of Caitlin Thomas. Soon to tour the USA with possible venues including the White Horse Tavern, New York
Venue: Sherman Theatre Cardiff CF24 4YE
Box Office: 02920 646909
Area: South East Wales
18-23 February February
Production of Noel Coward’s Hay Fever Dylan starred in a production of this play which opened on 18 February 1932.
Venue: Dylan Thomas Theatre SA1 1TY
Box Office: 01792 473238
Area: South West Wales
18 February - 02 March
Guy Masterson - 'Fern Hill and Other Dylan Thomas'
Venue: Circa Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand
Box Office: +64 8017992
Area: New Zealand
19 February
'Dylan 50 - The Visitors': Canadian writer, director and actor Larry Tremblay visits Swansea to perform some of his poems and stories
Venue: Dylan Thomas Centre SA1 1RR
Box Office: 01792 463980 Event No. 190201DTC
Area: South West Wales
20 February
Mererid Hopwood gives a talk on Dylan Thomas
Venue: 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea SA2 0RA
Box Office: 01792 463980 Event No. 200201CWM
Area: South West Wales
22-25 February
Performances of Under Milk Wood/Over Builth Bridge by Builth Wells Community Arts
Venue: Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells LD2 3BN
Box Office: 01982 552555
Area: South East Wales
27 February - 8 March
Cwmni/Theatr Gwynedd will be staging Dan Y Wenallt, the Welsh translation of Under Milk Wood
Venue: Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor LL57 2TL
Box Office: 01248 351708
Area: Mid & North Wales
27 February
'Dylan 50 - The Poets': Gorseinon-born J C Evans launches Paper Songs, his fourth collection of poems
Venue: Dylan Thomas Centre SA1 1RR
Box Office: 01792 463980 Event No. 270201DTC
Area: South West Wales
27 - 28 February
Bob Kingdom as Dylan Thomas in Return Journey. Tickets are £15 with proceeds to a local charity
Venue: Lisvane Memorial Hall, Cardiff CF14 0SQ
Box Office: 02920 759854 07721 834 165
Area: South East Wales
March - 27 April
Real/Surreal: Photographs by Lee Miller
Venue: Whitworth Art Gallery M15 6ER
Box Office: 0161 275 7450
Area: England
01-15 March
Dylan Thomas book promotion
Venue: Stauffacher Bookshop, Berne, Switzerland
Website: www.stauffacher.ch/en/index_home.php?content=dylanthomas.inc
Box Office: See their website
Area: Switzerland
03 March
Guy Masterson - 'Fern Hill and Dylan Thomas'
Venue: Hawera Theatre, New Zealand
Box Office: +64 93600418
Area: New Zealand
04-05 March
Guy Masterson - 'Fern Hill and Dylan Thomas'
Venue: Taranaki Festival, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Box Office: +64 93600418
Area: New Zealand
05-30 March
Exhibition - Edward Ardizzone (1)
Venue: Dylan Thomas Centre SA1 1RR
Box Office: 01792 463980
Area: South West Wales
05 March
Showing of animated film of Under Milk Wood
Venue: Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea SA2 8PP
Website: www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk
Box Office: 01792 296883
Area: South West Wales
06 March
World Book Day - joint Dylan Thomas Centre, Welsh Books Council and Swansea University event 12pm-2pm
Venue: University of Wales, Swansea SA2 8PP
Box Office: 01792 463980
Area: South West Wales