The National Theatre has released first-look rehearsal images for Electra/Persona, a new play written and directed by Benedict Andrews that will receive its world premiere in the Lyttelton theatre this September.
Fusing Sophocles’ ancient myth Electra with Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, the production explores identity and the fragile line between who we are and who we play.
Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss will swap the roles of Electra/Elisabeth and Clytemnestra/Alma throughout the run.
They are joined by Ella Lily Hyland as Chrysothemis/Reader and Patrick Robinson as Aegisthus/Husband.
The production asks: “Which role undid you in the end?”
The story follows Electra, a daughter consumed by grief and rage who clings to the idea of justice as her world falls apart. During a performance of Electra, an actress suddenly falls silent, leading to an intense and unsettling encounter where speech breaks down and the boundaries between self and role begin to dissolve.
Joining writer and director Benedict Andrews on the creative team are set designer Magda Willi, costume designer Merle Hensel, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, lighting designer Jon Clark, sound designer Brendan Aanes and video designer Ash J Woodward.
Fight and intimacy direction is by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie Ltd, with casting by Alastair Coomer CDG and voice coaching by Cathleen McCarron.
Electra/Persona runs in the Lyttelton theatre at the National Theatre from 19 August to 10 October 2026, with a press performance on Tuesday 1 September 2026.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
