Tag Archives: Noël Coward Theatre

The Motive and the Cue

★★★★★

Noël Coward Theatre

THE MOTIVE AND THE CUE at the Noël Coward Theatre

★★★★★

“a stylish and stylised homage not just to a moment in time, but to theatre itself”

When Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole were filming the feature film ‘Becket’ in 1964, the two actors came to an agreement as a kind of joke. After the shoot was wrapped, they would each go on to play ‘Hamlet’ on the stage, either in London or New York. The London production would be directed by Laurence Olivier and the Broadway show by John Gielgud. To decide which, they tossed a coin. O’Toole won the toss and chose London and Olivier, leaving Burton to persuade Gielgud to fulfil his side of the wager. The production was a financial hit, achieving the longest running production of the play in Broadway history.

During rehearsals, the actor Richard L. Sterne decided to furtively record the conversations and the clashes as Burton (the modernist striving to be the classicist) squared up to Gielgud (the classicist striving to be the modernist). More than half a century later, the recordings of that ground-breaking moment in theatrical history were taken by Jack Thorne and moulded into an equally ground-breaking play; “The Motive and the Cue”. It is a stylish and stylised homage not just to a moment in time, but to theatre itself.

As the drama unfolds over a day-by-day account of the rehearsals, each scene is captioned with a surtitle lifted from Shakespeare’s text, some bearing a tenuous relevance to the action. The dynamic between Burton and Gielgud is established early on, simmering with electricity until later the sparks truly fly. In the middle ground is Elizabeth Taylor who foreshadows the confrontations, but also covertly and intricately smooths the way. Tuppence Middleton, as Taylor, wonderfully plays the outsider looking in, despite her own star status already. Johnny Flynn is the antagonist as a fiery yet vulnerable Burton. Often whisky-fuelled, he is forever on the verge of a fight, but in the verbal battles his mantle is torn to reveal hints of the fatherless boy seeking direction. Flynn harnesses the restless energy, while brilliantly capturing the rich tones of speech that still echo the valleys of South Wales.

“the overall feel is of a heartfelt tribute to a golden age of British Theatre”

It is Mark Gatiss, however, to whom the show truly belongs. We frequently catch ourselves believing the knight himself is up on the stage. Gatiss personifies Gielgud with a mix of intelligence, charm, pathos and acidity, coating his outstanding performance with mannerisms as detailed as they are emotionally revealing. Moments outside of the rehearsal room reveal the layers of self-doubt that plague these great players. One can assume that the original tape recordings were confined to the rehearsal room, so it is Thorne’s writing that powers these external, highly charged scenes. The power is beautiful and invariably moving, and Gatiss’ hold on the material is a master class in acting. Gielgud was in a fragile place at the time, aware that his position in the profession was precarious with a new kind of modern theatre creeping into the West End. He took the Broadway job because he wasn’t getting other offers.

There is much humour too in the piece, much of it aimed at theatre lovers (dare I use the term ‘luvvies’?). The ensemble cast supports the dominant trio tremendously. We often forget that these are actors in a play, playing actors playing roles in a play. Sarah Woodward as Eileen Herlie as Gertrude is particularly watchable, as is Luke Norris (playing William Redfield playing Guildenstern). Sam Mendes’ sophisticated production runs at close to three hours but not one moment is wasted, nor is our attention allowed to slip for one second. Excerpts from Shakespeare’s texts link the scenes on Es Devlin’s set that, with Jon Clark’s evocative lighting, switches from the harsh white light of the rehearsal room to the blood red hues of the Burton-Taylor lounge, to the cold blues of Gielgud’s hotel room.

The rehearsals are over, and the play reaches its conclusion as Burton prepares for opening night. The writers and performers alike are careful to avoid sentimentality. The result is an exceptionally moving finale. There is satire on the way, and some affectionate mocking of the key players, but the overall feel is of a heartfelt tribute to a golden age of British Theatre.

‘The Play is the Thing’. “The Motive and the Cue” is the thing: the play to see at the moment. Thoroughly modern. Instantly classic. No clash there at all.


THE MOTIVE AND THE CUE at the Noël Coward Theatre

Reviewed on 18th December 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Douet

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane | ★★★★★ | October 2023
The Great British Bake Off Musical | ★★★ | March 2023

The Motive and the Cue

The Motive and the Cue

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The Ocean at the end of the Lane

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

★★★★★

Noël Coward Theatre

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE at the Noël Coward Theatre

★★★★★

The Ocean at the end of the Lane

“In short it is simply captivating”

The past doesn’t feel far away. We all have moments when we are convinced of that. That it’s just a short walk away, waiting at the end of the lane for us. Neil Gaiman’s uncharacteristically emotional 2013 novel is a story about the past, about what happens when we try to follow that lane. A voyage of discovery. And of re-discovery. Finding memories that we had chosen to forget and discarding false ones we had held onto. With Gaiman, of course, this path is littered with nightmares, but also with moments of beauty and aching sadness, that are all thrillingly brought to life in Katy Rudd’s stage production, adapted by Joel Horwood.

Nearly every discipline is used to create this masterpiece of theatre. One in which the practical and technical realities of design, light, sound, puppetry, choreography all assemble to concoct an other-worldly realm of the imagination, which draws us right in. Even in a West End, proscenium arched theatre there is no divide between stage and auditorium; between fantasy and reality. The story also blurs the lines between fairy-tale and horror flick, fable and comic strip. In short it is simply captivating. There is nothing else simple about it though.

Revisiting his childhood home, an unnamed man finds himself at an old farmhouse where he used to play and is transported back to his twelve-year-old self. To say that we return to the present at the climax is no spoiler; it is what lies between the bookends that I shall endeavour to keep under wraps, perhaps unnecessarily. I seem to be in the minority by coming to the show for the first time. Four years on from its premiere at the National, followed by a hiatus during the pandemic and then its belated transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre; the return to the West End marks a repeat viewing for many people. And it is easy to see why.

Trevor Fox begins the narration before he is led back in time, where Fox also plays the dad to his younger self – known simply as Boy (Keir Ogilvy). Along with Boy’s sister – called Sis of course – the family unit is brittle. Are these memories of a happy childhood, or a lonely, miserable one? Is his father a bully or just grieving over the recent death of his mother? Whichever, Boy finds solace by escaping outside whenever possible where he meets Lettie (Millie Hikasa), a girl his own age who takes him back to her family’s farmhouse which borders a pond that Lettie refers to as the ocean. The ensuing adventures are triggered by a mix of personal tragedy and a belief in the make-believe. Cue the wicked stepmother figure, the call to arms, crossing the threshold, the monsters, the road back; pretty much all twelve steps of the ‘Hero’s Journey’. Except there is no ‘one hero’. And there is no one cast member who stands out – such is the brilliance of the performances.

“We are kept on the edge of our seats throughout”

Ogilvy’s ‘Boy’ has an innocent eccentricity offset by Hikasa’s more knowledgeable but equally eccentric Lettie. A gorgeous chemistry is struck between the two, glued together with hope and trust. Meanwhile, back at home, the sibling rivalry is stunningly and comically brought out thanks to the shining performance of Laurie Ogden as Sis. Charlie Brooks, as Ursula the witch-like new girlfriend of Dad, is a frightening presence. Sweet on the outside but barely concealing the bitter hard centre of menace. Kemi-Bo Jacobs and Finty Williams are the young Mrs Hempstock and Old Mrs Hempstock respectively – Lettie’s mother and grandmother. While we wonder whether the characters’ supernatural powers are real or not, there is no questioning the natural power of the performances.

The production could be described as magical realism. The stakes are high, the drama heightened. We are kept on the edge of our seats throughout. Ian Dickinson’s soundscape – with Jherek Bischoff’s high-powered music – is unsettling and thrilling, while Paule Constable’s lighting is just as atmospheric, moody and magical. Doors move, furniture floats in and out, and gnarled woodland flexes and pulses on Fly Davis’ set which is routinely transformed by a sinister ensemble in perfect time to Steven Hoggett’s inspired movement. The childhood fear, that we may have forgotten in adulthood, is scaringly reignited by Samuel Wyer’s puppets (for ‘puppet’ – read ‘monster’).

The finale is strikingly moving, especially having arrived there through the terror’s that are imagined and real. The stuff of nightmares are mirrored in the genuine feelings of grief, bereavement and the need to survive. Home truths are delivered to the heart with piercing accuracy. Memory lane is lined with thorns. Nothing really looks like what it is, and there is no such thing as a true memory. I partly disagree. This production will remain a true memory for a long while. Incredible – in every sense of the word.

 


THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE at the Noël Coward Theatre

Reviewed on 11th October 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg


 

 

 

Recently reviewed at this venue:

The Great British Bake Off Musical | ★★★ | March 2023

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

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