Sir Tom Jones, Sian Phillips and Michael Sheen are named in an all-star cast for a new BBC Wales TV adaptation of Dylan Thomas's play Under Milk Wood.
Featured locations include the poet's favourite pubs in New York and west Wales where he wrote his "play for voices" over a 10 year period.
Next month's show marks the centenary of Swansea-born Thomas's birth and 60 years since the play's BBC radio debut.
National Theatre Wales will also stage a related live event at Laugharne.
Since its first broadcast on radio, Under Milk Wood's tale of the residents of the fictional Welsh village of Llareggub has been adapted as a popular stage play, an opera, and a film version in 1972 starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Sir Tom Jones will play the role of Captain Cat with Sheen among several famous names playing First and Second Voice, including Matthew Rhys, Griff Rhys Jones and John Rhys Davies.
Jonathan Pryce will appear alongside Sian Phillips as Mr and Mrs Pugh, with singers Katherine Jenkins and Charlotte Church in the cast as Polly Garter and Mrs Ogmore Pritchard respectively.
Ioan Gruffudd will play Mog Edwards while the Rev Eli Jenkins will be portrayed by opera star Bryn Terfel.
Katherine Jenkins said: "It was wonderful to be involved in a project celebrating such a great Welshman.
"It's also been such a joy to collaborate with so many other Welsh artists whom I respect and admire. I hope the results are a fitting tribute."
The 60-minute TV drama will open with actors Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Matthew Rhys connecting via their laptops in Brown's Hotel, Laugharne, and the White Horse Tavern in New York before Michael Sheen enters as First Voice.
Executive producer Bethan Jones said: "It's been an enormous privilege to work with such an extraordinary ensemble of Welsh talent for this unique presentation of Dylan Thomas' play, and an amazing experience to witness how this familiar text feels fresh and alive when read with truth and simplicity by this wonderful cast."
National Theatre Wales will also present a live theatre experience in Laugharne from 3-5 May called Raw Material: Llareggub Revisited, created by Marc Rees and writer Jon Tregenna.
The company previously staged an outdoor production of The Passion in Port Talbot over Easter 2011, starring Sheen as Jesus Christ.
Under Milk Wood will be shown on BBC One Wales and the BBCiPlayer in early May as the culmination of a season of programmes celebrating Dylan Thomas's centenary.
What a line up RB!!!
What a line up RB!!!
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: What a line up RB!!!
Since this will be on tv, will the women mail their undergarments to the BBC? though I suspect there might be more than a few Depends in the batch.
Re: What a line up RB!!!
Long Run wrote:Since this will be on tv, will the women mail their undergarments to the BBC? though I suspect there might be more than a few Depends in the batch.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
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Re: What a line up RB!!!
That has to be unmissable - surprised there seem to be 2 really distinct Welsh voices missing from the line up - would have liked to have seen Rhod Gilbert and Rob Brydon also involved.
Ohh note to Gob - Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon have done another "The Trip" which is being shown currently here I highly recommend it.
Ohh note to Gob - Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon have done another "The Trip" which is being shown currently here I highly recommend it.
If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you may have misjudged the situation.
Re: What a line up RB!!!
Cheers R-B, is that the Italy one?
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”