Photos: The Motive and the Cue rehearsals at the National Theatre – in pictures

Rehearsal images have come in for the forthcoming world premiere of Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre.

Directed by Sam Mendes, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne’s new play will premiere at the National Theatre ‘s Lyttelton Theatre from 20 April 2023.

A starry cast includes Johnny Flynn (Emma, Hangmen) as Richard Burton, Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey) as Elizabeth Taylor, Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) as John Gielgud, and Olivier Award-winning actress Janie Dee as Scottish-American actress Eileen Hurlie.

Other cast in The Motive and the Cue include Aaron Anthony, Tom Babbage, Allan Corduner, Elena Delia, Ryan Ellsworth, Phoebe Horn, Aysha Kala, Luke Norris, Huw Parmenter, David Ricardo-Pearce, David Tarkenter, Kate Tydman, Laurence Ubong Williams and Michael Walters.

The production was first announced last July, and delves into the lives of British acting icons Richard Burton and John Gielgud, who collaborated on staging a performance of Hamlet on Broadway in 1964. During that period, Burton and Taylor had recently tied the knot after meeting on the set of Cleopatra, and were widely regarded as the most high-profile couple globally.

The creative team also includes production design by Es Devlin, costume design by Katrina Lindsay, lighting design by Jon Clark, composer Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, sound designer Paul Arditti, and video designer Luke Halls. The Associate director will be Zoe Ford Burnett.

The show is another joint production between the National and Sam Mendes’ Neal Street Productions; their co-production of The Lehman Trilogy is now playing at the West End’s Gillian Lynne Theatre, with Michael Balogun, Hadley Fraser and Nigel Lindsay.

Neal Street are also co-producing with the RSC on Hamnet, which opens tonight in Stratford and comes to the Garrick Theatre at the end of September.

The Motive and the Cue will run from 20 April 2023 until 15 July 2023 at the Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre.

More about The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre

Photos: Rehearsals of The Motive and the Cue

Allan-Corduner-Hume-Cronyn-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Janie-Dee-Eileen-Herlie-and-David-Tarkenter-Alfred-Drake-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Johnny-Flynn-Richard-Burton-and-Mark-Gatiss-Sir-John-Gielgud-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Johnny-Flynn-Richard-Burton-and-Sam-Mendes-Director-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Johnny-Flynn-Richard-Burton-and-Tuppence-Middleton-Elizabeth-Taylor-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet-_50A1694

Johnny-Flynn-Richard-Burton-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Kate-Tydman-Christine-Cooper-Huw-Parmenter-Frederick-Young-and-Ryan-Ellsworth-George-Voskovec-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Laurence-Ubong-Williams-Hugh-McHaffie-and-Aysha-Kala-Jessica-Levy-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Mark-Gatiss-Sir-John-Gielgud-and-Johnny-Flynn-Richard-Burton-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Sam-Mendes-Director-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Mark-Gatiss-Sir-John-Gielgud-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

The-Motive-and-the-Cue-cast-in-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Tuppence-Middleton-Elizabeth-Taylor-and-Johnny-Flynn-Richard-Burton-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

Tuppence-Middleton-Elizabeth-Taylor-in-The-Motive-and-the-Cue-rehearsals-at-the-National-Theatre.-Photo-by-Mark-Douet

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Tags: Jack Thorne, Janie Dee, Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, National Theatre, Sam Mendes, The Motive and the Cue, Tuppence Middleton

📷 Main photo: Mark Gatiss (Sir John Gielgud) and Johnny Flynn (Richard Burton) in The Motive and the Cue rehearsals at the National Theatre. Photo by Mark Douet