National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue 

Directed by Sam Mendes

Running Time: 3 hours 

Cast Includes: Mark Gatiss, Johnny Flynn, Tuppence Middleton

Tickets: Adult £18. Under 18 £13. All tickets include a £1 booking fee.

The electrifying play directed by Sam Mendes returns as Richard Burton and John Gielgud’s infamous Hamlet rehearsals play out on the big screen.

Sam Mendes (The Lehman Trilogy) directs Mark Gatiss in an Olivier Award-winning performance as John Gielgud. 1964: Richard Burton (Johnny Flynn), newly married to Elizabeth Taylor (Tuppence Middleton), is set to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet under Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel. From multi-award-winning writer Jack Thorne (Adolescence), this acclaimed production was filmed live during its sold-out run at the National Theatre in 2023.

Phil Beer is the multi-instrumental half of the west country’s award-winning acoustic duo, Show of Hands. With a professional career of over 36 years, Phil has a great deal of material to draw on for his solo appearances, which are an eclectic mix of traditional tunes, covers of Springsteen or The Hollies, together with his own compositions and songs from his contemporaries. 

All are songs and music of memory and significance sung in the subtle and melodic Phil Beer style and interjected with musings and amusings to an almost personal audience. It is a treat of past and current favourites from one of the most popular musicians on the acoustic circuit.