We love a red carpet. This week saw the gala premiere screening of the film, Mr Burton, starring Toby Jones, opening in a hail of five-star reviews at the Reel cinema in Port Talbot.
Burton. Port Talbot. This has to be about Richard Burton, yes? To a point, but this is the story of the school-master who made him; who took a promising pupil – miner’s son Richard Jenkins – and prepared him for a stellar career on stage and screen.
Philip Burton’s influence was so great that the famous actor took his name. So of course we want to know more about him, especially as his namesake is so revered for his unrivalled command of words and language. We’re a literary festival after all, and we want to know what inspired that spectacular talent.
Mr Burton will be something of a premiere for us at Monty Lit Fest too as it will be the first time we’ll be screening a movie. It’s an exciting way to close the festival – but the full, intriguing story is of the man on whom the film is based, and we invite you to come and hear from his biographer, historian Angela John.
In her book, Behind the Scenes: The Dramatic Lives of Philip Burton, she reveals a man whose passion for the theatre had a transformative impact on many people in Britain and America, not just young Richard. His own prolific creative career took him from a poor mining village to becoming the first director of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.
Angela John will be talking about her research and first-hand knowledge of the Burtons’ background in writing the book. She’ll be joined by Ed Talfan, producer of the film, and Richard’s niece, actress Sian Owen, giving us some real insight into the tension between preserving authenticity and creating drama.
One of Richard Burton’s seminal roles was, of course, Mark Antony in the infamously expensive and glorious 1963 film Cleopatra. That title suggests that she was the only Cleopatra in Egyptian history – but she wasn’t. There were six before her, all superstars of the Ptolemaic dynasty in their own right (there were many Ptolemies too – very confusing).
Following his tour de force with The Persians two years ago, we’re delighted to welcome back Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to guide us through the dynasty that’s the subject of his latest book, The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt. In it, he makes a strong case for the achievements of all the Cleopatras in securing their 300-year reign, not least through the brother-sister marriages to promote their god-like status.
Mistresses of propaganda, survivors of court politics and mob rule, the Cleopatras used their religious and royal status as well as the ancestral family advantage of the name of Alexander the Great. These were no walk-on parts in Egypt’s history: the Cleopatras had leading roles in a big budget epic – and the hieroglyphics and temple reliefs give them amazing reviews.
So, if you fancy a bit of on- and off-stage drama, look no further than this year’s Monty Lit Fest. Tickets are on sale now, available online and in person at The Montgomery Bookshop and Ivy House Cafe in Montgomery.
Bring your own popcorn.