Dame Helen Mirren plays Phedre, a woman consumed by an uncontrollable passion for her young stepson. Believing Theseus, her absent husband, to be dead, Phedre confesses her darkest desires and enters the world of nightmare. When Theseus returns alive and well, Phedre fearing exposure, accuses her stepson of rape. The result is carnage.
Mirren’s previous appearances at the National Theatre include Mourning Becomes Electra and Antony And Cleopatra, though she is best known for her work on screen, which includes films The Queen and Calendar Girls, and TV drama Prime Suspect.
Mirren is joined in the cast of Phedre by Margaret Tyzack, who recently won both the Critics’ Cirlce and Evening Standard Awards for Best Actress for her performance in the Donmar Warehouse production of The Chalk Garden. Tyzack previously appeared in National Theatre productions of Southwark Fair, His Girl Friday, Tartuffe and Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
Phedre also stars Dominic Cooper, who previously appeared at the South Bank venue in The History Boys and His Dark Materials. He recently appeared in the hugely successful film adaptation of Mamma Mia!
National Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner, whose productions include The History Boys, Stuff Happens, The Man Of Mode, Major Barbara and England People Very Nice, directs Phedre.
For more about Phedre at the National Theatre Lyttelton, read the First Night Feature.