Genesis of a hit
It may still be in preview, but The Motive and the Cue at the Lyttleton is already looking polished.
This dramatization of the preparation work for Richard Burton’s hugely successful North American Hamlet, directed by John Gielgud, during the run of which he married Elizabeth Taylor – for the first time - and which then partly substituted for a honeymoon with her (the play wrongly suggests he was married for the full run), is drawn from two key sources - Gielgud’s own account as recorded by Richard Stern and that from the actor playing Guildenstern in the cast.
Burton wanted Gielgud to direct a very modern take on the Dane, with the performance purporting to be the last full rehearsal before the Dress (and hence in rehearsal clothes), to contrast with earlier of Burton’s Hamlet appearances, and to focus more on the characters not the history.
The play starts, I think, too slow and low key (accurate for early rehearsals and read throughs, but not engaging) and only picks up several scenes in, as Burton resists Gielgud’s influence.
Mark Gattiss nails Gielgud from the start (without imitating his accent, but channelling his musicality); Johnny Flynn takes longer to inhabit Burton, getting the gravel in his voice but not the Welshness.
Gielgud’s point is that every great Hamlet may be unique, but each great Hamlet actor must discover his own Prince, in order for the character to appear consistent and with his own (or her own) internal logic. So, in many ways, a Method approach.
Running parallel to this is the influence (generally benign), of Elizabeth Taylor (an excellent Tuppence Middleton) on Burton, Gielgud and the cast. This turns out not to be a gratuitous insertion.
One of the play's problems is that, as much of it is Hamlet rehearsals, many of the lines are written by Shakespeare, and that’s quite a star for the author, Jack Thorne, to be batting against.
And Sam Mendes, as director, is directing a play all about direction, with one of the great director’s speeches (Hamlet to the Players) in the script already. But Thorne and Mendes in the end deliver (with the help of the cast) and in spades, with many standing to show their appreciation.
It may develop over later previews and my early (minor) concerns may be addressed. It opens on 2nd May.
16th June: Just reported that following generally good review, this will transfer to the Noel Coward Theatre opening on 9th December this year and running till end March 2024.