Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Johnny Flynn (Emma) feature in The National Theatre Live’s fierce and funny new play, The Motive and the Cue, which brings Richard Burton and John Gielgud’s infamous Hamlet rehearsals to the big screen.
Synopsis:
It’s New York, 1964 and Richard Burton is at the peak of his career. Having recently starred in Cleopatra with his now wife Elizabeth Taylor, Burton is cast in the latest reincarnation of Hamlet, directed by notable stage and screen actor John Gielgud. With Gielgud turning his career to theatre direction, his stardom has begun to wane.
Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes (Skyfall) directs Jack Thorne’s new play, with Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey) starring as Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor in the supporting cast.
Filmed live from the National Theatre in London. From Neal Street Productions and National Theatre.
Watch the trailer for The Motive and the Cue.