Richard Burton Exhibition

Becoming Richard Burton


Was Richard Burton your heart throb too? Or maybe you wanted to be Cleopatra or even Liz Taylor herself? Don’t miss this exhibition!

Postponed from 2019, ‘Becoming Richard Burton’ is now running at the National Museum Cardiff until 3rd October. This is the first major exhibition about the life of Richard Burton and has been organised in partnership with Swansea University and the Richard Burton Archives which hold papers, diaries and photographs donated to the university by Burton’s widow, Sally.

Admission is free, and if you are flagging after an hour or so (as I was), you can adjourn to the coffee shop on the Ground Floor, to revive yourself, then return for the last half of this excellent exhibition.

Boring and stuffy, it ain’t!! A lovely walk down Memory Lane, with lots of nostalgia, and anecdotes about Richard’s life abound. The videos and audio commentaries which supplement it just add to the aura, and it makes any Welsh person very proud to think of the so very many great talents that have emerged from such a small country. Apart from Burton, one thinks of Antony Hopkins, Sian Philips, Glyn and Donald Houston, Michael Sheen, Harry Secombe, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Katherine Jenkins, Charlotte Church, the Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Michael Ball, Huw Edwards. I am sure I have missed out several more, and that is not even talking about our 2nd national religion, RUGBY players!!

So, Wales has really proved the old saying “Small is Beautiful” and we can fly our flag proudly! And DO book a place online to see this exhibition. You will certainly enjoy it.

Val Roberts