NT LIVE: THE MOTIVE AND THE CUE

New play directed by Sam Mendes bringing Burton and Gielgud’s infamous Hamlet rehearsals to the big screen, with Johnny Flynn and Mark Gatiss, from the National Theatre's 2024 season of live recordings direct from the London stage. "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. "