Throughout 2025 Neath Port Talbot Council will take the lead on the Richard Burton Centenary - a programme of events celebrating 100 years since the Hollywood actor was born in Pontrhydyfen, Afan Valley.
Developed in partnership with Swansea University, the programme is supported by Welsh Government, through Event Wales, and by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Centenary Year ‘RB100’ will see events take place across the NPT region, all aiming to raise awareness of Richard Burton’s legacy and inspire more people to engage with the arts.
To launch RB100, Neath Port Talbot Council has opened the new Richard Burton Trails in his birthplace of Pontrhydyfen and childhood village of Taibach. The trails are free for members of the public to visit, with QR codes available across each route sharing more insight and information about Richard Burton’s early life.
The Trails will be open throughout the Centenary year, which will also invite locals and visitors to discover more about the actor through tours, workshops, talks, events, performances and screenings, encouraging a greater appreciation for his life and work.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s tourism team is leading the programme of events, in collaboration with partners across Wales, to bring Richard Burton’s legacy to life.
Councillor Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing at Neath Port Talbot CouncilThe Centenary Year will be a wonderful opportunity to inspire more people to take part in the arts and to learn more about how Richard Burton represented Wales on the international stage and silver screen."
Born in Pontrhydyfen and raised in Taibach, Port Talbot, Richard Burton’s story was one of humble beginnings. After Richard’s mother died and his father became unwell, his sister Cybil raised him from her Taibach home. His teacher, and later his legal guardian, Mr Philip Burton took him under his wing and encouraged him to pursue his acting talents on a professional level.
Richard Burton’s acting career made him a household name of TV, theatre and film. He mastered the art of Shakespeare performances in West End productions, became a beloved figure of British television, and earned his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with performances in acclaimed films such as My Cousin Rachel, Alexandra the Great, Look Back in Anger, and Cleopatra. He was nominated for seven Oscars throughout his career, and yet it all began with vocal training on Margam Mountain and in Grammar School productions.
His voice has become synonymous with Welsh arts following his performance of his hero Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood in the first complete UK stage reading and recording in 1954.
A programme of Richard Burton Tours will be launched in April until the end of the year. The tours will be delivered by Griff Harries, Green Badge Guide which will explore the landscapes that shaped Richard Burton’s life and career. This fascinating tour visits key locations connected to the legendary Welsh actor and offers insights to his life in Port Talbot. Bespoke tours can be arranged for groups on request. Contact Hannah Evans or call 01792 460200 and ask for the Dramatic Heart of Wales team
Find out more about RB100 by visiting the Richard Burton Centenary website.
A new film ‘Mr Burton’ highlighting the significant influence Welsh schoolmaster Philip Burton had on Richard's early life and career, is coming to UK cinemas in April 2025.
