Full cast set for Cloud 9 at the National Theatre

Full casting has been announced for Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9. 

Dominic Cooke directs the production, following his work on Game of Thrones: The Mad King and ahead of overseeing his first season as artistic director of the Almeida Theatre. First performed in 1979, Cloud 9 moves between Victorian Africa and 1970s London, examining gender, power and the legacy of empire.

Cooke said today: “Caryl Churchill has been an inspiration to me for decades. Her ability to bring complex current ideas to life in groundbreaking theatrical forms is second to none. Of her early plays, Cloud Nine is one of my favourites: by turns hilarious, insightful and astute. Its formally playful exploration of gender and sexuality was decades ahead of its time, and still feels as fresh and pertinent as ever.  I can’t wait to bring this brilliant cast onto the Lyttelton stage and share Caryl’s unique vision with National Theatre audiences.”

The previously announced cast features Rebecca Humphries as Ellen/Mrs Saunders/Lin, Eloka Ivo as Joshua/Gerry, Tom Mothersdale as Harry Bagley/Martin, Charlotte Ritchie as Maud/Victoria, Ellen Robertson as Edward/Betty, Stuart Thompson as Betty/Edward and Sam Troughton as Clive/Cathy.

They are joined by Tom Brace-Jenkins as understudy Betty/Edward, Izaak Cainer as understudy Clive/Cathy, Dan Furlonger as understudy Harry Bagley/Martin, Skye Hallam as understudy Maud/Victoria and Ellen/Mrs S/Lin, Meg Lewis as understudy Edward/Betty and Ola Teniola as understudy Joshua/Gerry

The creative team includes set designer Miriam Buether, costume designer Samuel Wyer, lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound designer Donato Wharton, composer Andy Roberts, music director Josh Sneesby, casting director Naomi Downham, dialect coach Penny Dyer, voice coach Shereen Ibrahim, associate set designer Luke Smith and staff director Max Harrison.

The show will run at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton theatre from 2 November 2026 to 13 January 2027.