September 25, 2002
The Express
Day and Night; Day and Night
by Kathryn Spencer, Julie Carpenter, Michael Leventhal and Kate Bohdanowicz

CONSCIENTIOUSLY plumping himself up for the role of bloated Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, Scottish actor Dougray Scott has now been invited to "get into character " by drinking in alcoholic Dylan's favourite watering hole.

Tom Watts, landlord of Brown's Hotel in Laugharne, has invited Scott to visit him when filming starts on The Map Of Love, starring Emily Watson and produced by Mick Jagger 's company Jagged Films in January. Thomas, who died in 1953 aged 39 from drugs to curb his boozing, got much of his inspiration from the hotel. "He spent more time here than in his boathouse, " explains Watts, 71. "It was his favourite place. He used to sit in the corner smoking Woodbines and, when someone made a remark, he would pull out a packet and write on it what had been said. All the characters came from the bar here."

Watts, however, insists that Thomas didn't have a drink problem: "I can only remember him drinking half pints of beer." Yes, but how many?

Copyright 2002 EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS