Cate Blanchett took to the stage at London’s National Theatre on Friday to ask theatergoers to stop recording her performance in “Electra/Persona.” The appeal, captured in a video shared on Instagram, emphasized the importance of maintaining a present and uninterrupted environment for all attendees.
“There are few places on this planet where we can simply be together and be present,” Blanchett said. While she acknowledged that filming the curtain call was flattering, she urged the audience not to record the play itself. “It spoils it for the next group of people who come in and are present with us,” she explained, thanking the crowd for their cooperation.
Blanchett stars alongside Nina Hoss in the production, which is written and directed by Benedict Andrews. The duo alternates between the roles of Electra/Elisabeth and Clytemnestra/Alma each night based on a coin toss. The show, which merges Sophocles’ Greek tragedy “Electra” with Ingmar Bergman’s 1996 film “Persona,” runs at the Lyttelton Theatre through October 10.
Beginning her professional career at the Sydney Theatre Company, Blanchett previously revealed at the 2025 Rotterdam Film Festival that she never initially believed she could succeed in film. She cited industry perceptions regarding the “shelf life” of women and the limited types of roles available to them, stating she had happily resigned herself to a theater career.
In addition to her stage work, Variety confirmed earlier this year that Blanchett will star in an upcoming film from “The Brutalist” director Brady Corbet, alongside Selena Gomez and Michael Fassbender. Details remain scarce, but Corbet has described the project as an X-rated drama set in the 1970s.
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