Scenes from Under Milk Wood

Scenes from Under Milk Wood brings Dylan Thomas’ moving and hilarious account of a spring day in a Welsh coastal town to vivid life. Commissioned by the BBC and first broadcast on radio in 1954 as a play for voices, Thomas’ work has inspired creations across many genres.

Rather than setting the entire text, Scottish-born composer Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade selects a series of scenes from the play. Following the narrative arc of Thomas’ original, the piece unfolds across four sequences – Dreams, Morning, Afternoon and Evening – blending aria, recitative, patter song, and spoken word in innovative ways. This approach brings to life a cast of Dylan Thomas’ colourful characters, capturing the humour, warmth, and poetry of the original text.

Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade’s Scenes from Under Milk Wood was a co-commission between the Presteigne Festival, Nova Music Trust and the Spitalfields Music Festival. Premiered by Nova Music Opera on 2 July 2025 at the Spitalfields Festival, London