"Playing Burton."

Cariad Theatre Productions presents:

“Playing Burton”, by the late Mark Jenkins.

The play offers a penetrating look at one of the most powerful actors and celebrities of the Twentieth Century, Richard Burton. From his impoverished South Wales beginnings to his rise as one of the greatest performers of his generation.

Charting his passionate love affair with Elizabeth Taylor (they were rarely out of the papers for three decades; the term “paparazzi” was coined for them ) and his very public struggle with alcoholism, the play is a soulful exploration of fame, ambition, loss, and identity.

He was... the most nominated actor never to win an Oscar. From his humble roots, as the 12th child of a Welsh miner, he rose to become the World's first megastar. But the real Burton, little Richie Jenkins, was known only to a few.

Presented in Burton's own words and those of the great writers he admired, proud Welshman Lloyd Richards inhabits both the actor and the myth in a moving, charming, and deeply profound performance. An emotional roller coaster ride through the life of a flawed genius. In this, Richard Burton's centenary year, we must ask ourselves, how steep is the price we still demand our idols to pay?

Lloyd’s father met Richard Burton on a few different occasions. A Welsh rugby international, Bryan Richards captained both Swansea and London Welsh in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Capped just once for his country at “Outside Half” ( an honour Richard Burton publicly stated he would have given all his Hamlets and Henry the fifths for ) Bryan first met Burton at an after match dinner between Swansea and Aberavon. As Captain, Bryan hosted Burton at the “top table” and shared a bottle of Remy Martin with the Pre- Cleopatra famous Welsh star. Lloyd remembers being told this story of his two greatest hero’s meeting and asking his father “Well, did you get his autograph?”

Bryan, ever the humblest of men replied in his melodic Welsh accent, “No…. but he asked for mine.”

“Playing Burton” has toured domestically and internationally since it was written in 1986. It won the Cymru BAFTA for best film in 2014 starring Josh Richards. More recently The Welsh National Theatre staged a production for Burton’s centenary year starring Matthew Rhys.

Lloyd says of the role, “Growing up, Richard Burton’s legend loomed large. I was 16 years old when he died and it has taken over 40 years to realise the role of a lifetime. I feel privileged to be given permission by the licence holder of the play ( Wyndham Price of Spinning Head Films ) and the late Mark Jenkins daughter. I am so pleased that more and more people are getting to know about “Rich” and rediscovering his movies and his stage performances and of course that wonderful voice. I hope I do him proud.”