National Theatre announces new shows with Cate Blanchett to star in ELECTRA/PERSONA

Electra/Persona

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Benedict Andrews’ (A Streetcar Named Desire) thrilling production blends ancient myth and modern psychology in this fusion of the Greek myth of Electra with Ingmar Bergman's Persona, in which an actress suddenly falls silent during a performance of Electra, leading to an unsettling, intense encounter between two women. Cate Blanchett (The Seagull), Nina Hoss (The Cherry Orchard), and Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves) star in this powerful exploration of identity. 10 August to 10 October 2026.

Cloud 9

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Dominic Cooke (Mrs Warren’s Profession) directs a bold new production of Caryl Churchill’s (Top Girls) landmark work in which Clive, a colonial administrator in Victorian Africa, and his family end up in 1970s London, where they're forced to confront a world where empire lingers and freedom calls. This daring and satirical classic explores gender, power and the legacies of empire with audacious theatricality and razor-sharp wit. It stars Rebecca Humphries, Eloka Ivo, Tom Mothersdale, Charlotte Ritchie, Ellen Robertson, Stuart Thompson and Sam Troughton. 2 November 2026 to 13 January 2027.

Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists

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For a limited, one-week run, acclaimed Portuguese playwright and director Tiago Rodrigues (Director of Festival d’Avignon) brings his compelling play to the National Theatre for its UK premiere. In South Portugal, 2028, Catarina is about to undergo a rite of passage steeped in tradition and family lore: killing her first fascist. But when she refuses to kill the hostage, it drives a wedge between her family, forcing them to question the price of democracy and whether there's room for violence in the fight for a better world. This confronting, politically-charged production will be performed in its native Portuguese with English surtitles. 19 to 26 September 2026.

Some Woman

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In this provocative new play from Helen Edmundson (Small Island), directed by Blanche McIntyre (Tartuffe), Anne-Marie Duff (Bad Sisters) plays Julie Robson, a woman used to being overlooked at work and at home. But when an encounter on a station platform goes wrong and all eyes are suddenly on Julie, something shifts within her and she feels compelled to make a stand, pitting herself against the forces that shape the world. 7 October to 21 November 2026.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice

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Francesca Mills (Silent Witness) stars in this new production of Jim Cartwright’s modern classic, directed by National Theatre Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge). Little Voice sings in the sanctuary of her small bedroom, performing enchanting renditions of her late father's prized record collection, but when her mother's new fling Ray hears her sing, he forces her into a spotlight she never asked for. 2 December 2026 to 23 January 2023.

The National Theatre's new 2026/27 season will begin from August. Tickets will go on sale this month.