The producers wanted the Welsh locations to bring authenticity to the real-life story of a young Richard Burton

With the release on 4 April of independent feature Mr. Burton, The Knowledge spoke to producer and Severn Screen creative director Ed Talfan about the locations that provided authenticity and character to the uniquely Welsh story.

Mr. Burton explores the early life of a young Richard Jenkins, played by Harry Lawtey. As Richard is taken under the wing of teacher Philip Burton (Toby Jones), the young man blossoms and goes on to become the iconic stage and screen actor Richard Burton.

Location manager Idris Ahmed and the Severn Screen team were keen to showcase the beauty of Wales’ backdrops, while staying true to the story setting. Filming took place over six weeks in the summer of 2024, with Talfan describing the shoot as “a whistle-stop tour of industrial South Wales.”

“Locations are such a huge part of any film. For Mr. Burton we were looking for locations that felt authentic for all manner of reasons, partly because they looked authentic but also because being in certain places can give you something extra.”

Richard Burton’s early years formed such a key part of his character, and it was important that some of his real-life locations reflected this while adding resonance to the film.

This was especially true for Pontrhydyfen, a village best known as Burton’s birthplace and still home to some of his relatives. It provided the signature location for the film.

“We shot there on a glorious Wednesday in July. The drone was out, and we were filming Harry Lawtey and Toby Jones walking across the viaduct. It’s here that we probably felt closest to Richard’s ghost.”

The scene mirrors a famous photo of Burton and his father and provides a pivotal moment in the film.

In another central scene Philip is seen leading Richard up onto a mountain side to teach him to practice vocal exercises. The moment actually took place on Margam Mountain but was filmed in the grounds of Margam Castle, a park and castle on the edge of Port Talbot.

“It gives you a great vista of the town and the ocean beyond and we supplemented that shot with visual effects to reinstate the industrial skyline of the 1940s,” Talfan remarked. “This is quite a famous story of Richard going up the mountain with Philip. It’s a lovely moment in the film.”

As the film progresses to explore Burton’s first professional audition with the famous casting director Daphne Rye, production wanted to film the interior of the old Prince of Wales theatre in Cardiff, the site of the real events.

The building, however, is now a Weatherspoons. A solution was found by using the inside of the Swansea Grand, an opulent Victorian theatre, and an exterior was created using what is left of the original exterior in Cardiff.

On finishing the six weeks of filming Talfan felt “a palpable sense of pride in the whole team and crew. We moved around Wales filming and put as much of the place on screen as we could.”

With a script so deeply rooted in the culture and geography of its filming locations and a crew and many cast from the local area, everyone came away from the project with their own favourite location. For Talfan it was the beach in Aberavon.

“There’s a lovely scene between Richard and his girlfriend (played by Mali O’Donnell), just the two of them on the beach talking and you see Richard reading an extract from Dylan Thomas.

“We went there initially to film on a day when it happened to be raining, so we wrapped early and decided to postpone. Having waited, bided our time for a second bite of the cherry, we finally got the weather on this stunning beach.

“It’s not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Port Talbot because everyone thinks of the steelworks, but it’s an impossibly beautiful place.”

He summed up: “Locations give you character for free. If you curate your locations and find the right ones, they give you so much.”

Mr. Burton is released in cinemas on 4 April by Icon Film Distribution.

With many thanks to Ed Talfan and the team at Severn Screen.