First look images of Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss in 'Electra/Persona'

Blanchett, who recently appeared on the London stage in The Seagull, reunites with Hoss following their work in the film Tár.

Summary

• 'Electra/Persona' plays at the National's Lyttelton Theatre until 10 October
• 'Electra/Persona' reunites Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss following their work together in the film 'Tár'
• 'Electra/Persona' has been written and directed by Benedict Andrews

Production images have been released of Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss in Electra/Persona at the National Theatre.

Electra/Persona is a play that combines two stories about women pushed to their limits. The first comes from Sophocles’ Electra, a story about a daughter consumed by her father's murder who waits for her brother Orestes to return so they can seek revenge against their mother, Clytemnestra.

The show then moves into the world of Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film Persona. An actress named Elisabeth stops speaking during a performance and withdraws from working. Alma, the woman assigned to care for her, becomes caught up in a complex relationship with the patient, and the lines between the two women begin to blur considerably.

Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss lead the production, but their roles are not fixed, as the actors alternate roles throughout the run. They each take turns playing Electra and Elisabeth or Clytemnestra and Alma. This unique casting reflects the production’s interest in highlighting themes of doubles and how people can change dramatically in the face of grief.

Electra/Persona plays at the National's Lyttelton Theatre until 10 October.

Photo credit: Electra/Persona at the National Theatre, Lyttelton. (Photos by Monika Rittershaus)