The Motive and the Cue

T1282331105
Why would the most famous movie star in the world choose to do a play which everyone already knows? And what lures us back to the same plays, year after year? Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new 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.

Author

Jack Thorne

Archive :: production:T1282331105, play:S1221992002, venue:V380

Production details

This fierce and funny new play by Jack Thorne offers a glimpse into the politics of a rehearsal room and the relationship between art and celebrity. Sam Mendes directs a startling new play on the making of Burton and Gielgud's Hamlet.

Special Performances

3 Feb 24 Sign Interpreted
20 Feb 24 Captioned
29 Feb 24 Audio Described
9 Mar 24 Captioned
16 Mar 24 Audio Described

Performance

Venue	Noel Coward Theatre
Town	West End
County	Greater London
From	9th December 2023
Opened	18th December 2023
To	23rd March 2024
What is currently on at Noel Coward Theatre (V380)

Reviews

The Motive and the Cue review
22Mar24: Live broadcast seen at the Regal Cinema, Wadebridge.

Company

Producer	National Theatre
Producer	Neal Street Productions
Director	Sam Mendes
Design	Es Devlin
Costume	Katrina Lindsay
Lighting	Jon Clark
Music	Benjamin Kwasi Burrell
Sound	Paul Arditti
Design	Luke Halls (video)
Director	Alastair Coomer (CDG - casting)
Director	Naomi Downham (casting)
Director	Zoe Ford Burnett (associate director)
Director	Yasmin Hafesji (staff director)
Performer	Johnny Flynn (Richard Burton - Hamlet)
Performer	Mark Gatiss (Sir John Gielgud - Director and Ghost)
Performer	Tuppence Middleton (Elizabeth Taylor - a world apart)
Performer	Allan Corduner (Hume Cronyn)
Performer	Sarah Woodward (Eileen Herlie)
Performer	Rebecca Collingwood (Linda Marsh)
Performer	Luke Norris (William Redfield)
Performer	Laurence Ubong Williams (Hugh McHaffie)
Performer	Elena Delia (Jessica Levy)
Performer	Huw Parmenter (Clement Fowler)
Performer	Aaron Anthony (Robert Milli)
Performer	Adam Sina (Frederick Young)
Performer	Ryan Ellsworth (George Voskovec)
Performer	Daniel Krikler (Dillon Evans / Waiter)
Performer	David Tarkenter (Alfred Drake)
Performer	Kate Tydman (Christine Cooper)
Performer	Mark Extance (Mick Burrows)
Performer	Stephanie Siadatan (Susannah Mason)

CORONAVIRUS: All venues in the UK were shut down on March 16, 2020, and the restrictions were finally lifted on July 19, 2021. It is important to mention that the UK Theatre Web archive listings (iUKTDb) from March 2020 to July 2021 might not be accurate due to the lack of information regarding rescheduled and cancelled shows.