The Motive and the Cue
2023 play by Jack Thorne
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The Motive and the Cue is a play written by Jack Thorne. The production, directed by Sam Mendes, premiered on 21 April 2023 in the Lyttelton Theatre at the London's Royal National Theatre. The play revolves around the history behind the 1964 Broadway production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet starring Richard Burton and directed by John Gielgud. As rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.[1][2] The original London cast included Johnny Flynn as Burton, Mark Gatiss as Gielgud, and Tuppence Middleton as Elizabeth Taylor.[3]
| The Motive and the Cue | |
|---|---|
West End Promotional Poster | |
| Original language | English |
| Written by | Jack Thorne |
| Subject | History, acting, Shakespeare |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | 1960s New York City |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 21 April 2023 |
| Place | Lyttelton Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London |
| Directed by | Sam Mendes |
Background
Mendes decided to stage the play after reading Richard L. Sterne's John Gielgud Directs Richard Burton and William Redfield's Letters from an Actor, with Thorne joining to write the script. Mendes previously collaborated with production designer Es Devlin on The Lehman Trilogy. The production runs for two hours and 40 minutes.
Plot
The play revolves around the dynamic and tense relationship between a young, enthusiastic Richard Burton and an aging John Gielgud during the 1964 modern-dress Broadway production of Hamlet.
Roles and cast
| Role | National Theatre — Lyttelton[4] / Noël Coward Theatre[5] 2023 |
|---|---|
| Richard Burton | Johnny Flynn |
| John Gielgud | Mark Gatiss |
| Elizabeth Taylor | Tuppence Middleton |
| Hume Cronyn | Allan Corduner |
| George Voskovec | Ryan Ellsworth |
| William Redfield | Luke Norris |
| Jessica Levy | Aysha Kala / Elena Delia |
Production
The play originated at the National Theatre, written by Jack Thorne, and directed by Sam Mendes, with previews opening on 21 April 2023.
Following the play's success at the National Theatre, the production transferred to the Noël Coward Theatre in London's West End from 9 December 2023 for a limited run until 23 March 2024. Flynn, Gatiss and Middleton reprised their roles as Burton, Gielgud and Taylor.[6]
The play was broadcast on National Theatre Live in March/April 2024.
Reception and accolades
Critical reception for the play has been mostly positive, in particular for the leading performance of John Gielgud by Mark Gatiss. In The Independent, theatre critic Jessie Thompson declared: "It's Gatiss, as Gielgud, who owns this show. He deserves all the superlatives for a performance of restrained, quiet dignity, laced with sharp wit."[7] The Standard described the production as "elegant" and "a love letter to theatre".[8] The Telegraph's Dominic Cavendish hailed the play as "a witty, deft, touching evocation of a fascinating, fraught encounter that captures the mood of those times".[9] Arifa Akbar of The Guardian gave a mixed review, praising the performances but noting that "ultimately, this play-about-the-play leaves us wishing we had been there to see Burton in the real thing".[10]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | WhatsOnStage Awards[11] | Best New Play | Nominated | |
| Best Direction | Sam Mendes | Nominated | ||
| Best Casting Direction | Alastair Coomer & Naomi Downham | Nominated | ||
| Laurence Olivier Awards[12] | Best New Play | Jack Thorne | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Mark Gatiss | Won | ||
| Best Director | Sam Mendes | Nominated | ||