The “love letter to theater” of Academy Award, Tony Award, and Golden Globe winner Sam Mendes, The Motive and The Cue, has been dispatched to the Philippine cinema through the CCP National Theatre Live program.
Screening on August 27, 2024, 6pm, at Greenbelt 3 cinema, The Motive and The Cue was an idea born out of the pandemic, motivated by Mendes’ thinking about why theater mattered and what went into creating great performances.
Inspired by “Letters from an Actor” by William Redfield and “John Gielgud Directs Richard Burton in Hamlet” by Richard L. Sterne, The Motive and The Cue follows Richard Burton, who is newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, as he plays the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet under the exacting direction of John Gielgud. But as the rehearsals progress, two ages of theater collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.
Actor Johnny Flynn portrays Richard Burton, while Mark Gatiss plays John Gielgud and Tuppence Middleton as Elizabeth Taylor.
In this fierce and funny new play by Jack Thorne, the theater piece offers a glimpse into the politics of a rehearsal room and the relationship between art and celebrity.
The Motive and The Cue premiered at the National Theatre, with a highly acclaimed, sold-out run. Following the clamor, the theater play moved to the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End for a limited run. 
On the same date, August 27, CCP NTL will have a re-run of King Lear at Ayala Vertis North and Vanya at Ayala Center Cebu.
Set in modern Britain, King Lear centers on two aging fathers – one is a King, and the other, is his courtier. Rejecting the children who truly love them, their blindness unleashes tragic events, filled with pitiless ambitions and treacherous schemes. As the scenes unfold, the family and state are plunged into bitter ends.
Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in Vanya, a one-man adaptation that explores the complexities of human emotion. BAFTA Television Award and two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner Andrew Scott brings multiple characters to life in Chekhov’s Uncle masterpiece, filmed live in West End, London.
Witness the best of London theater right at your local cinema through CCP National Theatre Live program. In partnership with the UK’s National Theater, this film program features world-class stage plays all digitally filmed in high definition quality.
First launched in June 2009, the National Theater Live is a groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theater live from the London stage to cinemas across the United Kingdom, around the world, and now in the Philippines. NTL films their plays in front of live theater audiences, but optimized for the big screen and made accessible to theater fans across the globe.
For its second season, CCP NTL has expanded to Ayala Malls in Vertis North in Quezon City and at the Ayala Center in Cebu.
Regular ticket price is at Php300.00 in Makati and Cebu, and Php350 in Vertis North, while special ticket price for students is at Php150.00. Tickets can be purchased at sureseats.com.
Exciting bundles and subscriptions also await dedicated NTL fans. Audiences in groups can avail the Barkada Pass for Php1200 which includes five tickets at the price of four, while students can avail the Barkada Pass Student bundle at Php600. Subscriptions for the full season cost Php2500 and Php1500 for the half season.
To get the latest updates on CCP National Theatre Live, follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
