If you feel like a good night in with a movie and popcorn, look no further than ‘Mr Burton’ starring Hurtwood’s own Harry Lawtey. Richard Burton’s real life daughter Kate stated ‘With stunning visuals, meticulous performances, and a deeply researched script, ‘Mr. Burton’ promises to introduce a new generation to Richard Burton’s remarkable story while celebrating the teachers and mentors who help shape his extraordinary talents.’

Already a household name after playing ‘Robert Spearing’ in the BBC series ‘Industry’ and ‘Harvey Dent’, alongside Lady Gaga in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, Harry is wowing critics and audiences alike. Lawtey stars alongside Toby Jones (‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’) who plays Burton’s teacher and the relationship between the pair forms the emotional backdrop of the film. The Times critics were impressed stating ‘The performances from the two leads are impressive, with Lawtey deftly charting Richard’s progress from squeaky adolescent to adored stage smoothie, complete with trademark pout and mellifluous baritone’. The Guardian agreed saying ‘Lawtey makes a smart casting. He is, too, a young star in ascendance, diligent and eager to learn, in touch with the thrill of his own potential.’ According to the paper, when he won the part, Harry embarked upon ‘an incredible fact-finding mission, which was pretty comprehensive on my part, and to be honest just a joy. There’s a burden of responsibility in doing something like this, which I certainly felt, but I relished it. I loved learning about him.’ Lawtey also worked with a voice coach and watched hours of footage of Burton starting at the end of his career and moved back to his earliest work. ‘There were times I would watch Richard’s work in preparation for this film where I just got it,’ he says. ‘It just feels like he’s burning on screen. Like there’s this presence or aura or light round him, and he’s so invigorating and propulsive and aggressive but also vulnerable at the same time.’ He also read his diaries, describing them as ‘my north star in terms of getting to know him and feeling familiar and close to him’. At Hurtwood, we are not surprised by the level of research Harry put into the part – a three A* student, he excelled academically in his A Levels as well as on the stage.

At Hurtwood, we are so proud of everything that Harry has achieved so far. It seems like only yesterday that he was playing ‘Billy Flynn’ in ‘Chicago’ on the Hurtwood stage. After Hurtwood, Harry went to ‘Drama Centre’, the alma mater of Colin Firth and Tom Hardy, and was subsequently taken on by the prestigious acting agent Hamilton Hodell and cast instantly in the best roles. A Drama scholar at Hurtwood, when he left Harry wrote to Cosmo Jackson, our Headmaster, to thank him for the opportunities that Hurtwood had given him and for ‘the very best two years of my life’. He stated that he hoped to ‘repay the faith’ that Cosmo showed in him and it is undeniable that Harry has done just that. He has already made a huge mark on the acting world, but we all suspect that this is the tip of the iceberg and we look forward to watching Harry in many more productions in the years to come.