A new film about the teacher who nurtured the young Richard Burton will be screened at Fishguard’s Theatr Gwaun on the release weekend, but the best is yet to come…

A special screening of the film, starring Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey and Lesley Manville, on Sunday, April 6 will be followed by a live Q&A session. This is with not only the director Marc Evans and producer Ed Talfan, but also Philip Burton’s biographer Angela V John, plus surprise guest Griff Rhys Jones.

In Port Talbot in 1942, wayward schoolboy Rich Jenkins is caught between the pressures of his struggling family, a devastating war and his own ambitions. However, his life starts to change when his natural talent for drama catches the attention of his teacher, Philip Burton. Taking Richard under his wing, Philip's strict tutelage sets him on his path to becoming one of the world's greatest actors – with his new name, Richard Burton.

Angela V John's biography Behind the Scenes: The Dramatic Lives of Philip Burton will be published by Parthian Books in May 2025. Professor John was an adviser on the film, which is produced by Severn Screen and distributed by Icon Film Distribution.

This special screening will be a pre-festival event for Fishguard’s annual festival Ar Ymyl y Tir – On Land's Edge, which this year has a Richard Burton theme, 2025 being the centenary of the actor's birth, and Fishguard the location for his iconic 1972 film of Under Milk Wood.