The National Theatre's new production "Elektra/Persona" fuses Sophocles' "Elektra" with Ingmar Bergman's "Persona", and its director Benedict Andrews says the project was born out of friendship rather than a concept devised after casting. Andrews spoke alongside stars Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss at a BFI Southbank event ahead of the play's opening, moderated by Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw following a screening of a restored print of Bergman's 1966 film. The piece matters as a rare high-profile stage pairing of two acclaimed actresses built around a shared history of collaboration rather than a director imposing roles on new cast members.

The production runs at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre from 19 August to 10 October, staging "Elektra" in its first half and "Persona" in its second, with Blanchett and Hoss swapping nightly between the roles of Elektra/Clytemnestra and Alma/Elisabet, alongside co-star Ella Lily Hyland. Andrews explained the swapping is deliberate, embodying the theme of doubling and mirroring central to both source texts rather than fixed casting choices. He also noted his long-standing working relationship with both actresses, saying the show grew from their shared enjoyment of experimentation in the rehearsal room.