Sam Mendes will direct a new play about John Gielgud directing Hamlet with Richard Burton in the title role. The Motive and the Cue will be performed next year at the Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre.
Burton, recently married to Elizabeth Taylor, agrees to take part in Gilgood’s experimental production. But as rehearsals progress, two theatrical eras collide and the collaboration between actor and director is threatened.
Jack Thorne’s simultaneously brutal and funny play opens the door to the rehearsal room, offering audiences a glimpse into the theatre kitchen and the relationship between celebrities.
Johnny Flynn will play Burton, Mark Gatiss as Gielgud and Tuppence Middleton as Elizabeth Taylor.