New rehearsal photography has been released for Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, giving the first look at Ava Pickett’s world premiere ahead of its opening at Stratford East from 3 September to 10 October 2026.
The images capture Michelle Dockery as Helen and Laura Aikman as Cee alongside Ellie Turner as Chloe, deep in rehearsal for a play that reimagines the aftermath of the Trojan War from the perspective of the woman at its centre.
Years after walking out on her family, Helen has returned home following a war fought in her name. Her husband celebrates her return; her childhood friend Cee does not. Over the course of one fragile first night of peacetime, old wounds reopen, loyalties fracture, and the true cost of a woman’s choice to leave becomes clear.
Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy in Photos
The production is directed by Stratford East Artistic Director Lisa Spirling, with a company that also includes Olivier Award winner Maimuna Memon as Dani, Gerard Monaco as Mario, Ethan Moorhouse as the Messenger, Emma Monnickendam as Hermione, Jay Taylor as Marcus and Joshua-Alexander Williams as Luke.
Dockery, best known for playing Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey, brings a rare stage return to a formidable West End and screen career, having previously appeared at the National Theatre in Network and Burnt by the Sun. Aikman, fresh from Gavin & Stacey: The Finale and the upcoming new series of Line of Duty, plays her estranged childhood friend Cee.
It marks a hotly anticipated new play from Ava Pickett, one of the most garlanded emerging voices in British theatre. Her debut, 1536, was nominated for the 2026 Olivier Award for Best New Play and won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, having recently completed its West End transfer at the Ambassadors Theatre following an acclaimed run at the Almeida.
Plan your visit to Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy
- Theatre: Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN
- Booking dates: 3 September – 10 October 2026
- Age guidance: 14+
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