The Actors' Crucible Port Talbot and the Making of Burton, Hopkins, Sheen and All the Others

The town of Port Talbot has long been seen (quite literally) as synonymous with the steel industry. Yet it also has another claim to fame as the actors' capital of Wales. It has produced a remarkable number of actors since the inter-war years. Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen head the glittering cast but there are many others including early stars such as Ronald Lewis and Ivor Emmanuel, more recent figures like Rob Brydon and Di Botcher as well as a cluster of exciting young actors starting to make their names in the West End and on the big and small screen. This book explores the provision of educational and cultural facilities for young people over the years and demonstrates a commitment to drama that is deeply embedded in the town's history. It tells in some depth the stories of the superstars but in a novel way, focusing on how they emerged and on those who nurtured their talent, presenting the actors as part of a tradition that was set in motion even before Richard Burton began to make his mark. Such an approach also raises wider questions about the importance of the arts and of drama in particular to the wellbeing of communities.

Angela V. John is a widely published historian and biographer living in Pembrokeshire but originally from Port Talbot. Her previous biographical subjects include Lady Charlotte Guest, Elizabeth Robins, Henry W. Nevinson and, most recently, Margaret Haig Thomas, otherwise known as Lady Rhondda. In 2010 Angela’s biography Rebel Woman: 1869-1955 was longlisted for the biennial Portico Prize for Literature.