National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue

NT Live: The Motive and the Cue

2024 | 180 min. | Sam Mendes

April 6 - 8, 2024

Stage to Screen

Sam Mendes ("The Lehman Trilogy") directs Mark Gatiss as John Gielgud and Johnny Flynn as Richard Burton in this fierce and funny new play.

OPEN CAPTION SCREENINGS - all Tuesday and Sunday showtimes

SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for these screenings.

1964: Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway 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.
 
Written by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and designed by Es Devlin ("The Crucible"), the Evening Standard award-winning best new play was filmed live during a sold-out run at the National Theatre. 

  • Director: Sam Mendes
  • Principal Cast: Mark Gatiss, Johnny Flynn
  • Year: 2024
  • Running Time: 180 min.
  • Screenplay: Jack Thorne
  • Language: English