Dylan Thomas: Return Journey - Bob Kingdom

This performance was supposed to be my first encounter with Bob Kingdom, only he never showed up. Instead, I spent an hour or so with Dylan Thomas, who is disarmingly charming in a very understated way. The meeting begins with a sort of informal lecture, evolving into a combined poetry recital and personal reminiscence. Kingdom’s performance as Thomas is sweetly endearing, evoking some delightful Welsh wit. It’s a delicious type of ventriloquism; directed by Anthony Hopkins , Kingdom’s words seemingly meander but are in fact surprisingly precise.

Anecdotes about pub trips merge seamlessly with sublime poetry; the thing about Thomas is, whatever the subject matter, the language is so well chosen – even at its most informal, its casual nature hides the fact that each word is so well chosen. Kingdom evocation of Thomas seems unassuming and subtle, but it actually takes a very deep level of observation to resurrect a personality with such conviction. Poignant, entertaining, and full of warmth.

- Miranda Fay Thomas