Poet's lost play festival preview

The Dylan Thomas Festival runs in Swansea until 10 November

A newly discovered and previously unknown piece of wartime propaganda by Dylan Thomas is to premier at an annual festival to the poet.

The Art of Conversation was unearthed by his biographer Andrew Lycett at the Harry Ransom Centre in Texas.

Soon to be broadcast on Radio Four, it will be previewed at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea on Saturday.

Thomas spent part of World War II at Stand Films, who made documentaries for the Ministry of Information.

Never broadcast, The Art of Conversation addresses the general theme of "careless talk costs lives", a message the government was eager to communicate throughout the war.

The Harry Ransom Centre in Austin holds many of Thomas's papers.

The script takes the form of a lecture with the lecturer, played in the new drama by Philip Madoc, allowing the audience to listen in on a range of encounters.

These include parodies of exchanges between Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley, self-deflating verbal sparring between writers and everyday chats between ordinary people.

Actor Philip Madoc takes the role of the lecturer in the drama.

Mr Lycett believes the script dates towards the later part of the conflict.

He said it was not clear if it was for a film or radio play but suspects it was the latter.

"As a vehicle for Thomas's talents, it is intriguing, displaying his wit, learning, dramatic timing and gift for dialogue," he wrote recently.

But he said it might have been thought "too flippant, or even too revealing, for the time."

The 30 minute radio drama will be introduced at the Dylan Thomas Centre on Saturday by Alison Hindell, Head of BBC Radio Drama, who directed the new recording.

The evening will be presented by DJ Britton, playwright, radio-dramatist and lecturer in Creative Writing at Swansea University who has interviewed Mr Lycett on the subject.

Entry is free but tickets must be reserved in advance.

The Art of Conversation is due to be broadcast at 1130 GMT on Radio Four on 3 December.