The National Theatre has released first look rehearsal images for its forthcoming production of Cloud 9, Caryl Churchill’s landmark play exploring gender, power and the lingering effects of empire.
Directed by Dominic Cooke, the new staging will run in the Lyttelton Theatre from 2 November 2026 to 13 January 2027. First performed in 1979, Cloud 9 remains one of Churchill’s most celebrated works, known for its audacious theatricality, sharp humour and pioneering examination of sexuality and identity.
Cooke reunites with the multi-award-winning playwright for the production, bringing together a cast that includes Rebecca Humphries, Eloka Ivo, Tom Mothersdale, Charlotte Ritchie, Ellen Robertson, Stuart Thompson and Sam Troughton.
Set across two distinct periods, the play begins in Victorian Africa, where a colonial administrator’s family struggles to conform to the expectations placed upon them. A century later, they reappear in 1970s London, navigating a world in which old power structures remain while new freedoms emerge.
Speaking about the production, director Dominic Cooke said: “Caryl Churchill has been an inspiration to me for decades. Her ability to bring complex current ideas to life in groundbreaking theatrical forms is second to none. Of her early plays, Cloud Nine is one of my favourites: by turns hilarious, insightful and astute. Its formally playful exploration of gender and sexuality was decades ahead of its time and still feels as fresh and pertinent as ever. I can’t wait to bring this brilliant cast onto the Lyttelton stage and share Caryl’s unique vision with National Theatre audiences.”
The creative team includes set designer Miriam Buether, costume designer Samuel Wyer, lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound designer Donato Wharton, composer Andy Roberts, music director Josh Sneesby, casting director Naomi Downham, dialect coach Penny Dyer, voice coach Shereen Ibrahim, associate set designer Luke Smith and staff director Max Harrison.
Rehearsal images by Johan Persson offer audiences an early glimpse of the production ahead of its opening in November.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
