Date: 19 August – 10 October 2026
Venue: Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, London
Electra/Persona brings together Sophocles’ Electra and Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film Persona in one production, written and directed by Benedict Andrews for the National Theatre.
The first half is the ancient tragedy: Electra, consumed by grief and anger, holding on to her idea of justice. The second half follows an actress who has been playing Electra and suddenly stops speaking, until the line between the woman and the role starts to fall apart.
The two leads are Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss, who each play two roles: Electra and Elisabeth, Clytemnestra and Alma. The music is by Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
It is one of the most talked-about productions of the London season, and a rare chance to see a Greek tragedy with two of the world’s leading actors on the same stage.
The performance runs for about two hours with no interval. Content warnings include violence, suicide, sexual content, flashing lights and haze.
Event details
