UNDER Milk Wood is one of those classic entities, so well known on the one hand, so little known on the other.

It's a bit like Worcester Cathedral or the Guildhall. You might pass them everyday, but when was the last time you actually went in?

You probably remember bits of Under Milk Wood from your schooldays. You might even have seen a flash of it when the film version - famously starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole et al - turns up on TV. But when was the last time you sat through and enjoyed the whole play?

Now's your chance. Because from Tuesday 1, to Saturday June 5, a new adaptation of Dylan Thomas's best known work comes to Malvern Theatres.

This year sees the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of what is generally considered the world's most famous radio play and also the first stage performance of what is now Wales' most famous piece of theatre by Wales' most famous son.

S taged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Thomas' death, Under Milk Wood offers a voyeuristic slice of life in a typical Welsh seaside town from arguably the greatest lyric poet of the 20th Century.

Hailed by some as Dylan Thomas' finest work, Under Milk Wood - a play for voices - recounts dreams, gossip and waking hours of the sleepy seaside town of Llareggub over a 24-hour period one spring day.

The play is in turn funny, touching and delightful, reflecting the places he knew and grew up in Wales - particularly Laugharne, New Quay and Swansea.

Unforgettable characters such as Captain Cat, Myffanwy Price, The Reverend Ely, Polly Carter and Dai Bread populate this odd place and their affectionate charm and humour still captivate and entertain, even 50 years on.

Under Milk Wood plays Malvern Festival Theatre from Tuesday June, 1 until Saturday June, 5. Tickets £10-£16 (students £8). Tickets 01684 892277.