NT: The Motive and the Cue

The Motive and the Cue comes to the Connaught Theatre on Sunday 21 February, a National Theatre production that's being shown on the big screen. It's a fierce and funny five-star play that follows Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, as he prepares to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet under John Gielgud's exacting direction, while two ages of theatre collide.

It was written by the multi-award-winning Jack Thorne, who also wrote Adolescence, and filmed live during the show's sold-out London run in 2023. On screen, Sam Mendes directs Mark Gatiss as John Gielgud and Johnny Flynn as Richard Burton. The two lead the cast, and the whole thing is presented as a cinema screening rather than a live stage performance.

There are a couple of practical things to keep in mind before you book. The screening is certified 15 for very strong language, and you'll need to bring photo ID with you. It's a long one, too, running 185 minutes, so you're looking at over three hours in the cinema.

Tickets start from £15.50 plus a £0.75 transaction fee, and the screening starts at 2:00pm on Sunday 21 February at the Connaught Theatre.