Playing Burton

Playing Burton is a fascinating one-man show about the storied life of star of stage and screen, Richard Burton. This play offers a penetrating look at the notorious actor’s life — from growing up in an impoverished mining community in South Wales to becoming one of the greatest performers of his generation. Playing Burton is an intense and personal look at his lifelong achievements as an artist, his passionate, yet tempestuous love affair with Elizabeth Taylor, and his tragic, yet public battle with alcoholism.

The lyrical, poetic text is a soulful exploration of fame, ambition, and identity told from the perspective of the megastar who experienced it all. Acclaimed actor Brian Mallon (Gods and Generals and Gettysburg), reprises the role of Burton with expertise. In 2005, he performed this play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to great accolades. Mallon also played this role in NYC, LA and Cardiff. His fluency in Welsh provides genuine authenticity, as it was Burton’s first language.