“I became an actor, by accident, it wasn’t vocational.”

Join us for an evening of celebration to mark the centenary of Richard Burton, one of the twentieth century’s most charismatic and powerful actors.

A miner’s son from Pontrhydyfen, South Wales, Burton, with his mellifluous voice, would be acclaimed as the greatest classical stage actor of his generation and go on to become a top international box office cinema star. However, despite all the adulation and success, Burton wrestled with the notion of being an actor throughout his life; always ambivalent about the idea of saying someone else’s words whilst wearing make-up and costumes as a way to make a living.

In this illustrated talk, film scholar Graham Rinaldi explores the Welsh actor’s film career, from his debut in The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949) to his final feature, 1984 (1984). The talk will include a closer analysis of Burton’s purple patch of performances in the mid-1960s – Becket (1964), The Night of the Iguana (1964), The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1966), and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1965), utilising a range of film clips and contemporary interview footage.

Graham Rinaldi is writer and film studies lecturer, specialising in Italian Cinema, British film comedy and the art of screen acting. His book Will Hay (2009) is the definitive study of the comic film actor. He has also contributed writing to several Blu-ray/DVD releases. He has been a fan of Richard Burton from childhood and since 2012 has run The Richard Burton Diaries on social media at X and Bluesky.

Doors open at 18.00, for a 19.00 start.

Refreshments will be available in our licensed cafe/bar.

TICKETS & PRICING

Tickets £8.

Advance tickets may be purchased from Ticketlab, or direct from the Museum by calling 020 7840 2200 in office hours.