The Motive and the Cue: (West End edition)

by Jack Thorne

1964: Richard Burton, the firebrand Welsh actor, newly married to movie star Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new production of Hamlet under the exacting direction of John Gielgud.

But as rehearsals progress, the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel. One of them is the most famous movie star in the world; the other, a patrician from an earlier age of theatre. The stage is set for two titans to collide.

Jack Thorne's The Motive and the Cue is a fierce, funny play which offers a glimpse into the politics of a rehearsal room and the relationship between art and celebrity. This edition was published alongside the West End transfer in 2023, following its world premiere at the National Theatre, London, earlier that year. Originally commissioned and co-produced by Neal Street Productions, it was directed by Sam Mendes, and starred Johnny Flynn as Burton, Mark Gatiss as Gielgud and Tuppence Middleton as Taylor. It was named Best Play at the 2023 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and Best New Play at the 2024 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards.

Genres: Plays

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2023

About the author

Jack Thorne (born 6 December 1978) is an English screenwriter and playwright.

Born in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England '86, This Is England '88, This Is England '90, The Fades, The Last Panthers and the feature film The Scouting Book for Boys. He currently lives in London.

Reviews

[Helena]

Not gonna lie this was so good. Such an intriguing concept, but also such good writing. And I usually don’t love reading a play I haven’t seen because there’s such a lack of visuals. But this was nice.

[Hazel]

"But I know what it is to have people dance around me and, for once, I was happy to dance around you."
This is what it is to love live theatre, to love acting, and of course to love Elizabeth Taylor. I love this play. Reading it makes me feel the same emotional weight and windedness I felt when I watched it

[Nash]

sir john, I love you. my shayla.

[sam honour]

I really enjoyed this in the end. It set up the story well. Covered the time frame clearly and well. The characters were clearly written and I enjoyed the intricacies of the relationship between Gielgud and Burton and the arguments and resolutions were really interesting and the look at a great actor maybe struggling with directing. A fascinating look into the play creating process. The only thing I could maybe do with at the end which may have been in the programme instead is how the play ended up being received and the post show events.

[Theo Chen]

Absolutely beautiful ! Stunning portrayal of the rehearsal room - I must read the books which inspired it. Loved the two characters who round out the cast; Elizabeth Taylor “a world away”, and Hugh McAfee “even further away” - such a lovely way to describe the centrifugal force of the rehearsal room to an actor’s life when putting a show on, and allows for much needed breathing room. Fab.

[Chris Leonard]

Ahhh the ghost of hamlet haunts every theatre maker!!! This script is great but as a play so much better, a point which seems to be emphasised by the playwright. This made me miss theatre and Shakespeare but also reminded me of the awful and frustrating parts too. May i never have to direct a Shakespeare play again, least of all have to direct Richard burton as he bullies me

[O]

A brilliant play. Saw it three times.

[Paul Lancaster]

Fantastic. Loved this and it reads so well

[Lynda]

For anyone who loves Hamlet and theatrecraft. I didn't know a lot of the actors in the play (the people not their characters), but I knew the main ones.

[Joshua Quiñones]

A love letter to theatre, to rehearsal, to the process. Brilliantly written and even more brilliantly performed by Mark Gatiss and Johnny Flynn on the West End in 2024.