From Swansea to Chicago - - celebrating Dylan Thomas
Dylan Down The Ups - - new Swansea event marking Dylan’s birthday
Dylan Thomas was born in the Uplands neighborhood of Swansea. His birthplace at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive (pictured below) was restored and opened a year ago as a self-catering cottage – an absolute “must-stay” for visitors looking to truly follow in Dylan’s footsteps.
This year would mark Dylan Thomas’ 95th birthday. To celebrate, local residents and traders in the Uplands neighborhood will be laying on a series of events entitled “Dylan Down The Ups” on October 27th. Visitors will be able to take part in fun contests as they explore the Victorian and Edwardian character of the neighborhood.
The Chattery restaurant in Uplands will be the venue for an evening of Dylan Thomas’ work performed by poet Peter Thabit Jones and musician Terry Clarke.
This new event is being pioneered by Anne and Geoff Haden who own the restored 5 Cwmdonkin Drive. Amme says: “Swansea is made up of villages and this is Dylan’s – after all it was the place where he lived for over half his life and so much of his work was inspired by the area – this is the least that we can do for him. Dylan’s short stories are typically Welsh and full of humor while his poems are deep. The aim is to bring Dylan back to street level through fun, friendliness and accessibility.”
And don’t forget the annual Dylan Thomas Festival in Swansea
The Dylan Thomas Festival takes place in downtown Swansea; this year from October 26th to November 9th.
The Dylan Thomas Fringe Festival will take place from October 26th through November 8th, 2009 - www.dylanthomasfringe.com
From Swansea to Chicago
The memory of Dylan Thomas also lives on here in America. Caffeine Theatre in Chicago has teamed up with Dylan Down The Ups, and is staging a production of Under Milk Wood from August 27th through September 27th.
Caffeine Theatre is also staging an event – the Dylan Thomas Coffeehouse Cabaret – on September 9th at Storefront Theater Mezzanine. It will celebrate the work of Dylan Thomas with a program of pieces inspired by his work, and the winner of the Eli Jenkins’ Five and Country Senses poetry competition will be announced.
www.caffeinetheatre.com/get-caffeinated/default
Back in Swansea, Geoff and Anne Haden are enthusiastic about working with their new Chicago friends at the Caffeine Theatre. Geoff said: “This is the start of a trans-continental partnership and all entries (into the Chicago cabaret and poetry contests) can be considered for inclusion in the Dylan Down The Ups program so we will have some of the best contemporary work over here.”