Hannah Ellis, granddaughter of Dylan Thomas talks about
his work at the BBC.
My grandfather’s success on the radio was as a result of his
wit and charm, sense of fun, empathy and, above all, his hard work. These
attributes brought my grandfather respect from many of his colleagues. Contrary
to popular belief, Ralph Maud, in his introduction to his book The
Broadcasts, a collection of broadcasts for the BBC, stresses that Dylan was
‘a professional radio broadcaster, whose services as a performer and
scriptwriter were sought and appreciated’.
In of his other writing, he
was a perfectionist. He worked slowly, experimented with a single phrase;
writing sentences a hundred different ways before he was content. I’m heartened
to discover that this same work ethic was clearly shown during his time at the
BBC.
The BBC archive undoubtedly reveals to us that, as well as
being a great writer, my grandfather was an excellent actor. Richard Burton
described Dylan as an ‘explosive dynamic performing force’, and ‘a dangerous
rival for other actors’.
My mum, Aeronwy Thomas, had strong memories of her
father. Recalling their weekly reading sessions, acting out the stories, she
described her father, while reading Hansel and Gretel, adopting ‘a
falsetto voice’ making ‘quite a convincing old lady’. As well as dramatic
parts, Louis MacNeice discovered that, when necessary, Dylan was capable of
‘underplaying’ a role.
This was never more evident than when my grandfather read
his own broadcasts, letting the words speak for themselves. The one that really
stands out for me is Return Journey, which shows how he was profoundly
moved during the Second World War – especially after seeing the impact of a
three-night-blitz on his hometown of Swansea.
The script sees Dylan describing
the devastation caused, while also seeking out his younger self amongst the destruction.
In his usual style, my grandfather researched the piece meticulously, in order
to ensure that he had correctly named all the shops and buildings that had been
ruined.
On a different level, hearing my grandfather’s beautiful voice
describing a mischievous boy taunting cats and the exploits of his eccentric
aunts and uncles in his classic A Child’s Christmas in Wales, never
fails to make me laugh. His friend Bert Trick described listening to him saying
‘The glorious voice boomed out of the loudspeaker’, and the ‘living room filled
with the presence of Dylan’.
These are just a few examples from the one hundred and forty
five separate engagements that my grandfather had with the BBC. These included
writing scripts, reading poetry and short stories, as well as acting. He also
became a regular on many discussions, making him a well-known radio
personality. I hope both the lighter, and the more serious, sides of my
grandfather’s work for the BBC can be reflected in this season.
You can find out more
about the Dylan Thomas season on the website.
