Dylan Thomas: Return Journey (Bristol)

Once in a while theatre has the ability to leave you inspired, slightly overwhelmed and in utter awe of the drama that has unfolded before you. Such was the impact of Bob Kingdom and his now legendary performance as Dylan Thomas in this extraordinary one man show that some of the audience took quite a while to return from the hypnotic spell and leave their seats.

Kingdom has woven together Thomas’s poetry, acerbic wit and wry views on the world and people around him. Somehow Kingdom inhabits the world and almost the “being” of Thomas so completely that the worlds seem to collide and merge in a breathtaking recitation of some of the most glorious poetry written, alongside the impending disaster of his destructive drinking habits.

Directed by Sir Anthony Hopkins the quality and precise nature of this fairly static piece allows the words to sail and performance to truly be the centre of the piece.

This is an absolute master class in the monologue, shrouded here as the final lecture tour that led to Thomas’s untimely death. It should not be missed, a celebration of great performance and poetry; Kingdom continues his run next week with a new piece An Audience with the Duke of Windsor . I for one will be returning.

- by Petra Schofield