Adventures in the Skin Trade
By Dylan Thomas. Adapted for the stage by Lucy Gough with Theatr Iolo
Samuel Bennett leaves his home in South Wales to pursue a career in London. Setting out with an attitude of reckless, nihilistic purpose, he encounters a nightmarish city with an assortment of bizarre characters and an embarrassing first sexual experience. Join Samuel as he meanders through this dreamlike world, all with a beer bottle stuck on his little finger.
Accompanied by a contemporary music score intercut with 1930s jazz, this energetic, surreal and poetic production vividly captures the madness and melodrama of youth, and the wildness and passion that exemplifies Dylan Thomas.
Thomas’s gloriously surreal coming-of-age and unfinished novel is given new life by acclaimed writer Lucy Gough in a special production created for the Dylan Thomas centenary celebrations.
Theatr Iolo is an award-winning theatre company based in Cardiff, Wales, which for over 25 years has specialised in creating work that is witty, bittersweet and compelling for audiences of all ages.
Artistic director of Cardiff-based Theatr Iolo, Kevin Lewis talks about the first time he read Thomas’ Adventures in the Skin Trade;
“It gripped me from the start,” says Lewis. “It seemed like punk rock writing. I had to read it twice because it didn’t seem like anything Dylan Thomas had ever written. It was quite mad, with the tumultuous opening and then this young man heading to London, meeting an array of strange characters, getting trashed in dubious pubs and clubs, and I thought, because I come from London originally, it was a breath of fresh air.”
*SOURCE: http://www.walesonline.co.uk
Feedback/Comments
good night out
Loved the show
different and clever production
Very great production, left me in a path of senseless, abstract thought that only the best plays do. 5 stars!
Acting quite good. Set direction excellent. I found the story line quite weak. Overall I thought the play pretty ordinary.
Very interesting and enjoyable, great production
Great production excellent seats thanks to On the House
Great adaptation of Dylan Thomas's work. Samuel Bennett was mesmerizing. Worth seeing!
Put 3.5 starts - good enough for the evening out, interesting, innovative.
Brillant interpretation of youthful innocence and adventures escaping the provincial constraints on life. Very energetic performances. Imaginative use of ladder and bath scene very amusing. Highly recommend seeing this play
We loved it!
A creative adaptation of Dylan Thomas' work with great performers and clever use of setting.
We'd definitively recommend it.
I love Welsh accents, so was always going to enjoy this - great use of set, drama techniques, and sound.
Magnificent adaptation of Dylan Thomas' work.Creative use of setting. Great acting - A winner.
Funny, whimsical adaptation of 3 short stories about rites of passage into manhood. Innovative artistic direction executed by a strong ensemble cast made for great entertainment.
Smooth, eclectic and clever. Five players intertwining around the main character as he struggled with the transition from Wales to London. A marvellous working of Dylan Thomas' work. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Very entertaining!
Wonderful and deeply moving. On the House were amazing.