Details confirmed for Ava Pickett’s Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy world premiere

Dates and booking details have been announced for the world premiere of Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, a new play by Ava Pickett, which will be directed by Lisa Spirling in her directorial debut as artistic director of the venue.

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.

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 Best Writer at The Stage Debut Awards. The play is due to transfer to the Ambassadors Theatre from May 2026, and a television adaptation has been commissioned by the BBC.

Other stage credits include The Manningtree Witches at the Mercury Theatre and Emma at the Rose Theatre. Her screen credits include work on Brassic, The Buccaneers, The Great and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, and she is co-writing a film about Joan of Arc with Baz Luhrmann for Warner Bros.

Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy will run at Stratford East from 3 September to 3 October 2026, with a press night on 10 September. It is presented by Stratford East with support from Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Eilene Davidson Productions. Casting and further details are to be announced.

Priority booking opens today, with general booking opening on 7 March.