The Motive and the Cue

Sam Mendes directs Johnny Flynn as Richard Burton, Mark Gatiss as John Gielgud and Tuppence Middleton as Elizabeth Taylor, in this fierce and funny new play by Jack Thorne, offering a glimpse into the politics of a rehearsal room and the relationship between art and celebrity. 

1964: Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet under John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.

National Theatre Live is the National Theatre of Great Britain’s initiative to broadcast live performances from the National’s stages to cinemas worldwide. National Theatre Live performances are filmed live in high definition and broadcast via satellite to almost 400 cinemas around the world, live in Europe and some US cities, and time-delayed in countries further afield. Presented by Amphibian Stage in partnership with the Modern. For ticket information, visit www.amphibianstage.com.