The backstory, the motive and the cue: everything you need to know about Richard Burton
Posted on 14 July 2023
Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, His Dark Materials) explores the tumultuous relationship between art and celebrity in his latest play, The Motive and the Cue. The story follows Richard Burton (Johnny Flynn), fresh from his (first) wedding to Elizabeth Taylor. Burton is preparing to play the titular role in John Gielgud’s (Mark Gatiss) experimental, stripped-back production of Hamlet. It was gamble for the world’s most famous actor to perform such a well-known play, considering he'd played the role 10 years earlier.
However, Burtons fears will ill found as the production became a smash hit breaking the record for the longest run for the play in Broadway history at 137 performances. Many credited Burton’s personality as much as his performance for the show’s runaway success, but how did Richard Burton become such a global phenomenon?
Early Life and Education
Richard was the twelfth out of thirteen children born to a Welsh coal miner and his wife. The first in his family to go to secondary school, he was soon taken under the wing of teacher Philip Burton. Philip had a frustrated dream of being an actor, and as a teacher looked for a young protégé through whom he could achieve acting success.
He found a talent in Richard and tutored him intensively in school subjects, as well as developing his accent and acting voice, including outdoor voice drills which improved his projection. The pair shared a close bond, so much so that Richard took Burton's name when his teacher became his legal ward (Richard’s mother had died when he was just two years old, and his dad was a ’12 pints a day man’ who could not look after over half a dozen children).
Richard’s immense interest and talent in reading poetry, as well as English and Welsh literature, saw him win a scholarship to Exeter College at Oxford in 1943. During his first year in college, Burton secured a role in the college's production of Pygmalion, which garnered him critical acclaim. His dedication and remarkable stage presence on smaller stages garnered critical acclaim, propelling him into the international spotlight.
Cinema
Burton's undeniable talent caught the attention of Hollywood producers, and he was soon offered a chance to conquer the world of cinema. From his breakthrough role in My Cousin Rachel in which he earned his first of seven Oscar nominations, to his unforgettable portrayal of Mark Antony in Cleopatra, Burton's performances breathed life into every character he portrayed, specialising in historical roles in motion pictures, including the leading role in the first widescreen cinemascope production, The Robe. By the late 1960s, Burton was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, receiving fees of $1 million or more plus a share of the gross receipts. With his striking looks and commanding presence, Richard Burton was an acting legend both on and off the silver screen. His magnetic charisma, unparalleled talent, and insatiable appetite for life captivated audiences worldwide, especially his legion of adoring female fans…
Love, Scandal, and Elizabeth Taylor
Burton and Taylor’s passionate love affair, often plagued by scandal and public scrutiny, became the stuff of legends. Their on-screen chemistry in movies such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? added an extra layer of intensity to their real-life romance. The popular pair played opposite each other in eleven films (that’s more than Johnny Depp has done with Tim Burton or Jason Schwartzman has down with Wes Anderson!). In 1969 the couple went down in history, as a 69-carat Cartier diamond bought for Taylor by Burton was renamed the Taylor-Burton Diamond. However, Taylor wasn’t the only love of Burton’s life. Richard Burton married 5 times to 4 separate people (he and Taylor tied the knot twice, once in 1964 and again 11 years later in 1975) his other wives included Welsh actress Sybil Williams, model and choreographer Suzy Miller, and author and theatre producer Sally Burton.
Adventure
Whilst studying at Oxford college, the Welsh actor served in British Royal Air Force as a navigator from 1944 to '47 – proving that he was always destined to reach the highest of heights! In his four-decade-long career, Richard Burton often pushed himself to bigger and better challenges. He appeared in 36 films, and 29 theatre productions, including Camelot in which he played the role of King Arthur in both the 1960 and 1980 productions. He won a BAFTA, Tony, Golden Globe, and Grammy, and was nominated for seven Oscars.
Book tickets to The Motive and The Cue today
Despite its commercial and critical success, many who were involved in the 1963 production of Hamlet did not share the joys they bestowed on their audiences. Explore the complicated relationship between actors, directors, art, and celebrity and discover what happened behind the scenes...
