National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue
Date: Thursday 18th February 2027
Time: 7pm
Running time: 180
Certificate: 15
The Motive and the Cue
by Jack Thorne
directed by Sam Mendes.
The fierce and funny five-star play returns to the big screen. Sam Mendes (The Lehman
Trilogy) directs Mark Gatiss in an Olivier Award-winning performance as John Gielgud.
1964: Richard Burton (Johnny Flynn), newly married to Elizabeth Taylor (Tuppence
Middleton), is set to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet
under Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide
and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.
From multi-award-winning writer Jack Thorne (Adolescence), this acclaimed production was
filmed live during its sold-out London run in 2023.
