National Theatre Live has announced two major cinema releases for 2027, with Noël Coward’s Hay Fever and Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue set to reach audiences worldwide.
The new production of Hay Fever, currently playing in the West End, will be captured live from Wyndham’s Theatre and released in cinemas from 14 January 2027.
Meanwhile, audiences will also have another opportunity to see the acclaimed The Motive and the Cue, which returns to cinemas from 18 February 2027 following its sold-out National Theatre run, West End transfer and previous National Theatre Live release.
Hay Fever marks Christine Baranski’s West End debut as the flamboyant Judith Bliss, opposite Richard E. Grant as David Bliss. Directed by Emily Burns, the comedy follows the eccentric Bliss family as a quiet weekend in the country descends into chaos when each family member secretly invites a guest to stay.
Baranski and Grant lead a cast that includes Nancy Carroll, Will Close, Charles Edwards, Ophelia Lovibond, Ash Hunter, Lucy Karczewski and Jo McInnes.
The production has been warmly received by critics during its current West End run, with praise for both its comic energy and its star performances.
The second release sees the return of The Motive and the Cue, Jack Thorne’s acclaimed drama inspired by the making of Richard Burton and John Gielgud’s legendary 1964 Broadway production of Hamlet.
Directed by Sam Mendes, the production stars Mark Gatiss in his Olivier Award-winning performance as John Gielgud, alongside Johnny Flynn as Richard Burton and Tuppence Middleton as Elizabeth Taylor.
Set during rehearsals for the groundbreaking Broadway staging, the play explores the tensions between actor and director as two generations of theatre collide in pursuit of artistic greatness.
Across its National Theatre run, West End transfer and original cinema release, The Motive and the Cue has been seen by more than 240,000 people worldwide.
Mark Gatiss said: “I’m delighted that the National Theatre Live of The Motive and the Cue is being reissued. Without doubt one of the most rewarding, joyous and fulfilling experiences of my career. ‘Performances writ in water’ no more.”
Johnny Flynn said: “I’m delighted that people will have another chance to see this special play in cinemas. It was such a wonderful thing to be a part of, and I have the happiest memories from that time. There were clichés written in reviews about it being ‘a love letter to theatre’; which is true, but… it’s so much more than that. It’s about the universal power of ‘Story’. The deeply important role that story plays in our society and for all of us as individuals – the healing and the understanding that ‘Story’ can grace us with, and even more so when we bring along our own stories.”
National Theatre Live productions are filmed in front of live audiences and screened at more than 1,000 venues across the UK as well as cinemas around the world.
More information can be found here.
