Mr Burton puts on an amateur play called The Bishop's Candlesticks. This is presumably a reference to a scene in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, in which a convict (Jean Valjean) is given food and shelter by a bishop, then steals his candlesticks when he leaves.
Although not mentioned in the film because it happened a few years later (plus they were a little younger than him), Richard Burton would go on to become a lifelong friend of actors Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris due to their similar working class backgrounds and their shared interest in drinking and the sport of Rugby.
This film was released to coincide with the centenary of Richard Burton's birth.
Often considered one of the finest all round actors to ever come out of the British Isles, young Richard Burton's chain-smoking and fondness for alcohol are correctly addressed in this film. Although these no doubt helped fashion his distinctive gravelly voice, they also unfortunately directly contributed towards his relatively young death in 1984 aged 58.