National Theatre announces dates and details for 2026 shows including Cate Blanchett in Electra/Persona

The National Theatre has announced further casting, performance dates and on-sale details for a slate of productions opening across its Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres in 2026, with tickets for all shows released at midday on Thursday 21 May 2026.

In the Lyttelton Theatre, Electra/Persona will run from 19 August to 10 October 2026. Directed and adapted by Benedict Andrews, the production fuses Greek myth with Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, and stars Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss and Ella Lily Hyland. The creative team includes Magda Willi (set design), Merle Hensel (costume design), Hildur Guðnadóttir (composer), Jon Clark (lighting design), Ash J Woodward (video design), casting director Alastair Coomer CDG, associate director Danica Selem, music associate Deanna H. Choi and staff director Oliver Hurst.

Also in the Lyttelton, Cloud 9 will run over Christmas – we’re announcing casting for it here.   .

In the Dorfman Theatre, Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists will run for a limited engagement from 19 to 26 September 2026, with a press performance on 21 September. Written and directed by Tiago Rodrigues, the production marks his National Theatre debut and is performed in Portuguese with English surtitles. The cast includes Isabel Abreu, Romeu Costa, António Fonseca, Beatriz Maia, Marco Mendonça, António Afonso Parra, Carolina Passos Sousa and João Vicente.

The creative team includes artistic collaborator Magda Bizarro, set designer F. Ribeiro, lighting designer Nuno Meira, lighting adaptation by Rui Monteiro, costume designer José António Tenente, composer and sound designer Pedro Costa, choir conductor and vocal arranger João Henriques, choreographers Sofia Dias and Vítor Roriz, and English translation by Daniel Hahn.

Also in the Dorfman, Some Woman will run from 7 October to 21 November 2026, initial casting for that has also been revealed as including Anne-Marie Duff.

Finally, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will run in the Dorfman from 2 December 2026 to 23 January 2027, with a press performance on 10 December. Francesca Mills stars as Little Voice, reuniting with director Robert Hastie following their collaboration on Hamlet.

The creative team includes Janet Bird (set and costume design), Paul Pyant (lighting design), Mike Walker (sound design), composer and music director David Shrubsole, voice coach Shereen Ibrahim and casting director Alastair Coomer. The production is scheduled to tour following its London run, with further details to be announced.