Director Benedict Andrews pairs Sophocles’ Electra with Ingmar Bergman’s Persona in a new National Theatre production featuring Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss.

The National Theatre is staging a new production titled Electra/Persona, directed by Benedict Andrews. The performance combines Sophocles’ ancient Greek tragedy Electra with Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film Persona. Actors Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss alternate the lead roles of Electra and Clytemnestra in the first half, and Elisabeth and Alma in the second, with the specific casting for each performance remaining undisclosed to the audience until the show begins.

Conceptualizing the Production

Andrews designed the production as a single, hinged work rather than a traditional double-bill, linking the two dramas with a theatrical transition at the interval. He chose to pair the works because of his interest in why Bergman’s character, Elisabeth, suffers a breakdown while playing Electra. The production explores themes of grief, the nature of performance, and the masks individuals wear in their daily lives.

Rehearsal and Performance Dynamics

The production requires the cast to rehearse both plays daily to manage the various permutations of the roles. Because Blanchett and Hoss interpret the characters differently, Andrews encourages them to play the logic of each scene rather than adhering to a fixed performance. This approach aligns with the director’s history of radical reinterpretations of classics, such as his 2024 production of The Cherry Orchard at the Donmar Warehouse.

Thematic Context

Andrews views the return to Greek tragedy as a response to contemporary political and moral crises, noting that these plays were created during the rise and fall of an imperial power. He suggests that the current production serves to interrogate concepts of law, justice, and power relationships, drawing parallels between the ancient world and the current state of American influence.