Ava Pickett’s Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy with Michelle Dockery and Laura Aikman – first look at rehearsals

Take a look at the rehearsal room for the world premiere of Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, a new play by Ava Pickett.

It will be helmed by Lisa Spirling in her directorial debut as artistic director of Stratford East.

The play follows Helen as she returns home years after leaving her family for a war fought in her name. Over the course of a single night, she reunites with her husband and her childhood friend, as tensions resurface and the impact of her departure becomes clear.

Michelle Dockery and Laura Aikman lead the cast of the world premiere, playing the roles of Helen and Cee. Joining them are Olivier Award winner Maimuna Memon as Dani, Gerard Monaco as Mario, Ethan Moorhouse as Messenger, Emma Monnickendam as Hermione, Jay Taylor as Marcus, Ellie Turner as Woman and Joshua-Alexander Williams as Luke.

The creative team includes costume supervisor Sophie Fuller, fight and intimacy coordinator Enric Ortuño, voice and dialect by Claudette Williams, and assistant director Ariana Xeno, alongside the previously announced set and costume designer Polly Sullivan, lighting designer Zeynep Kepekli, sound designer and composer Nicola T Chang, movement director Kloé Dean, casting director Juliet Horsley and dramaturg Ed Madden.

Pickett’s debut play 1536 won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2024 and received a special commendation at the George Devine Award. The production premiered at the Almeida Theatre and later won Pickett the Best Writer award at The Stage Debut Awards, before a sold-out run at the Ambassadors Theatre from May 2026. A television adaptation has been commissioned by the BBC.

Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy will run at Stratford East from 3 September to 10 October 2026, with a press night on 10 September.

This production is supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions, Mark Gordon Pictures and Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.