Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Tom Hollander, Essie Davis, Ewen Bremner, Phoebe Fox, Samantha Fox, Stuart Matthews, Shane Hart, Morfydd Clark, Lucinda O’Donnell.
What really drives a poet as an artist? Not for them perhaps the adulation bestowed upon them as other artists, the secrecy of their work arguably not given a thought by the population as whole in the same way as a those who follow music. The craft is unseen and so is their life as they squirrel away words like some hide treasure or famous paintings by old Masters. However for Dylan Thomas, he was a breed of the new poet, loved on both sides of The Atlantic after the ravages of World War Two.
In the centenary year of his birth in Wales, it seems only fitting that the B.B.C. pay homage to the man and his work and in A Poet In New York, the man was seen raging against the dying of the light in the final few days of his life.
Invited to America to do a series of talks and to finish what would be arguably become one of the greatest living examples of enduring English Literature, Under Milk Wood, Dylan Thomas raged hard, drank hard and played hard in the final desperate days. There is always the thought that writers and poets, have the closest occupation known to mimic death, they sit around all day waiting for that one moment of inspiration, the click of the synaptic misfire in which it all makes sense and watching Tom Hollander give a tremendous version of the man, that sense of purpose in life was well worth waiting for.
Tom Hollander never seems to give a bad performance in anything he puts the artistic temperament to but in A Poet In New York, he exemplified the thought of the Welsh wizard of words in the final few days. The self-destruct button had been firmly pressed and as was noted to say, “Why does Death take so long to happen.” The sight of the man having one last big round of drinks firmly showed just how lonely the life of a poet imaginably can be, feted by all but only truly known by those who are willing to take the ride to the point of rhythmical oblivion.
With Essie Davis giving a magnificent performance as Dylan’s wife Caitlin Thomas and Phoebe Fox as Liz Reitell, Dylan’s friend and lover on the other side of the Atlantic pond, A Poet In New York was a compelling piece of television history and fitting for the man who bought such greatness into the English language. Beautifully dramatized and with a script that framed the man in the final few hours of his life. Outstanding!
Ian D. Hall