Dylan Thomas: The Beach of Falesa

Never filmed screenplay by Dylan Thomas, adapted for radio for the centenary of his birth, and narrated as a 'Film for Voices' by Matthew Rhys.

Wiltshire arrives on an unnamed Pacific island hoping to trade in copra. But an encounter with rival trader Case leads to a macabre wedding. Shunned by the locals, Wiltshire sets out to uncover the secret behind Case's mysterious hold over the islanders, and the truth in the tales of the singing devils living deep in the bush.

Dylan Thomas adapted the short story of the same title by Robert Louis Stevenson to create this screenplay but it was never filmed, despite interest from Richard Burton. It blends some of the wordplay of Under Milk Wood with the brooding mystery of Heart of Darkness.

Producer Alison Hindell came across The Beach of Falesa when her stepdaughter moved into a new house in Sydney and found the published edition of the text amongst the remnants left behind by the previous owner.

Narrator ..... Matthew Rhys
Wiltshire ..... Matthew Gravelle
Case ..... Nicky Henson
Uma ..... Fiona Marr
Jenkins / Captain ..... Simon Armstrong
Randall ..... Stephen Critchlow
Little Jack ..... Steve Toussaint

Original music composed by Roger Goula

Sound by Nigel Lewis.

Adapted for radio and directed by Alison Hindell.

A BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2014