National Theatre stages Electra/Persona starring Cate Blanchett

Benedict Andrews’ new production, ‘Electra/Persona’, is currently playing at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton. The play is a hybrid work that fuses Sophocles’ Greek tragedy ‘Electra’ with Ingmar Bergman’s avant-garde psychodrama ‘Persona’.

In a unique staging conceit, lead actors Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss alternate roles. The production begins by asking an audience member to flip a coin to determine which actress plays which character. The performance explores themes of duality, identity, and role-playing, utilizing a monumental wooden staircase as a central set piece.

The play is structured in two distinct halves: a Greek tragedy focusing on the relationship between Electra and her mother, Clytemnestra, and a psychological exploration inspired by Bergman’s film. Critics have noted the stellar performances from Blanchett and Hoss as they navigate the complex, often traumatic, mother-daughter dynamics and the pursuit of revenge.