The Motive and the Cue began performances at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End December 9, with opening night set for December 18. The limited engagement will continue through March 23, 2024.
Written by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and directed by Sam Mendes, the work originally opened at London's National Theatre in May. Read the reviews for the National engagement here.
Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, and Tuppence Middleton reprise their roles from the National run as Richard Burton, John Gielgud, and Elizabeth Taylor, respectively.
See photos from the production in the gallery below:
Tuppence Middleton
Tuppence Middleton and Mark Gatiss
Tuppence Middleton and Luke Norris
Company of The Motive and the Cue
Johnny Flynn and Tuppence Middleton
Company of The Motive and the Cue
Company of The Motive and the Cue
Sarah Woodward
Mark Gatiss, Johnny Flynn, and Ryan Ellsworth
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss and Johnny Flynn
Johnny Flynn
The cast is completed by Allan Corduner as Hume Cronyn, Sarah Woodward as Eileen Herlie, Rebecca Collingwood as Linda Marsh, Luke Norris as William Redfield, Laurence Ubong Williams as Hugh McHaffie, Elena Delia as Jessica Levy, Huw Parmenter as Clement Fowler, Shaun Yusuf McKee as Robert Milli, Adam Sina as Frederick Young, Ryan Ellsworth as George Voskovec, Daniel Krikler as Dillon Evans and Waiter, David Tarkenter as Alfred Drake, Kate Tydman as Christine Cooper, Mark Extance as Mick Burrows, and Stephanie Siadatan as Susannah Mason.
Inspired by the making of John Gielgud’s Hamlet, as well as Letters from an Actor by William Redfield and John Gielgud Directs Richard Burton in Hamlet by Richard L. Sterne, The Motive and the Cue focuses on Burton, who is newly married to Taylor and set to play the title role in an experimental new production of Hamlet under Gielgud’s direction. As rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.
The production also features set design by Es Devlin, costume design by Katrina Lindsay, lighting design by Jon Clark, music by composer Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, sound design by Paul Arditti, casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham, West End direction by Zoé Ford Burnett, and associate direction by Yasmin Hafesji.
Visit TheMotiveandtheCue.com.
