Electra/Persona at the National Theatre
Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss starred in Benedict Andrews' new play after Sophocles and Bergman, swapping roles nightly on a coin toss. Below: the play, the latecomer rule, the cast and the reviews.
About 2 hours, no interval
At the Lyttelton Theatre, near Waterloo
This show has closed
This run at Lyttelton Theatre has finished.
Who's Electra/Persona For?
- Anyone who wanted to see Cate Blanchett on stage, in a role she swapped nightly with Nina Hoss.
- Fans of the two of them together after the film Tár.
- People who like a big idea in the theatre: a Greek tragedy and a Bergman film run together as one evening.
- It was harder going if you wanted a straightforward story told from start to finish.
About Electra/Persona at the Lyttelton
Benedict Andrews, who directed A Streetcar Named Desire, wrote this new play and directed it. It was built from two older works. The first part was Sophocles' Electra. The second was Bergman's 1966 film Persona, turned into theatre.
The coin toss
Blanchett and Hoss were both billed for the same pair of roles. One played Electra and then Elisabeth, the actress. The other played Clytemnestra, Electra's mother, and then Alma, the nurse. A coin tossed by an audience member at the start decided who did which, so each audience saw one version and nobody could book a particular one.
The latecomer rule
Latecomers weren't let in until 50 minutes into the performance, and after that there was no way in at all. On a two-hour play with no interval, a late train cost you close to half of it.
What's Electra/Persona About?
Electra waits in the ruins of her family for her brother to come home and avenge their father, Agamemnon, murdered by her mother Clytemnestra and Clytemnestra's lover, Aegisthus. Her sister Chrysothemis wants her to keep her head down, and Electra refuses.
Then the play turns. An actress playing Electra goes silent on stage and won't speak again. She's sent away to recover with a nurse, Alma, who talks and talks to fill the silence, and the line between the two women starts to give way.
Performance Schedule
The run played evenings and matinees from 19 August, and the last performance was on Saturday 10 October 2026. It ran about two hours, played straight through.
Cast and Creative Team
| Role | Performer |
|---|---|
| Electra / Elisabeth or Clytemnestra / Alma | Cate Blanchett |
| Electra / Elisabeth or Clytemnestra / Alma | Nina Hoss |
| Chrysothemis / Anna | Ella Lily Hyland |
| Aegisthus / Husband | Patrick Robinson |
Written and directed by Benedict Andrews, with music by Hildur Guðnadóttir.
Where to See Something Like Electra/Persona Next
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You might also like
- Some Woman, at the National's Dorfman to 21 November 2026. Anne-Marie Duff in Helen Edmundson's new play, also played straight through with no interval.
- The Cherry Orchard, at the Harold Pinter Theatre to 9 January 2027. Kristin Scott Thomas and Stephen Mangan in Chekhov, in a new version by Conor McPherson.
- Suddenly Last Summer, at the National's Olivier from 19 February 2027. Emma Corrin and Harriet Walter in Tennessee Williams, directed by Michael Grandage.
Electra/Persona FAQs
Either Electra, then Elisabeth, or Clytemnestra, then Alma. A coin toss at the start of each performance decided, so it couldn't be booked in advance.
About two hours, with no interval.
You weren't let in until 50 minutes into the performance, and not at all after that.
No. The play told you what you needed, though knowing either added to it.
The National set no age guidance for this production. It contained sexual content, violence and murder, and references to suicide, stillbirth and abortion, so it was one for adults and older teenagers. Under-4s aren't admitted to any of the National's theatres.
On Saturday 10 October 2026. There was no extension, and there's no word of a transfer yet.
Where to Sit at the Lyttelton
The Lyttelton has two levels, the Stalls and the Circle, and no pillars on either. For this production the set was a steep staircase, with the stars entering through the auditorium and live camera close-ups projected above, so the seats that showed the full height of the stage were the ones to have: the centre of the Stalls at rows G and H, and the front of the Circle, rows A to C in the middle.
For whatever plays here next, the Lyttelton seating plan goes row by row.
Seating plan
Dates & tickets
Getting to the Lyttelton
The Lyttelton is one of three theatres inside the National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX. Waterloo is the nearest tube, five to seven minutes' walk. Buses 1, 59, 68, 76, 139, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341 and SL6 stop on Waterloo Bridge, two minutes from the door. Full directions are in our guide to getting to the National.
There were four access performances in the run: captioned, BSL, relaxed, and audio described with a touch tour. The building itself is covered in our access guide to the Lyttelton.
Address
National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
Nearest Tube
Waterloo
Electra/Persona Cast
Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss alternated between the two lead pairs of roles. Blanchett's stage credits include The Seagull, and Hoss's The Cherry Orchard. They played a couple in the film Tár.
Ella Lily Hyland, from Black Doves, played Chrysothemis and Anna. Patrick Robinson played Aegisthus and the Husband.
Understudies: Natalie Thomas (Electra / Elisabeth), Celia Nelson (Clytemnestra / Alma), Frankie Lipman (Chrysothemis / Anna) and Peter Eastland (Aegisthus / Husband).
Creative Team
Writer and director Benedict Andrews. Set by Magda Willi, costumes by Merle Hensel, music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, lighting by Jon Clark, sound by Brendan Aanes and video by Ash J Woodward. Casting by Alastair Coomer.
Electra/Persona Reviews
The critics agreed on the stars. Blanchett and Hoss are the reason to go, and the praise for both was wide. Where they split was on the play itself: some thought the join between Sophocles and Bergman worked, and others found one half stronger than the other.
