Production images have been released for Caryl Churchill’s landmark play Cloud 9, which is currently running at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton theatre until 13 January 2027.
Director Dominic Cooke has reunited with the multi-award-winning playwright to helm a bold new staging of the daring, satirical classic. First performed in 1979, Cloud 9 uses razor-sharp wit and audacious theatricality to challenge conventional ideas around gender, power dynamics, and the lasting legacies of empire.
The narrative opens in Victorian Africa, where colonial administrator and patriarch Clive presides over a family struggling to conform to rigid societal expectations. In a startling shift, the family reappears a century later in 1970s London, forced to navigate identity and self-discovery in a rapidly changing world where traditional structures crumble and freedom calls.
The cast features Rebecca Humphries (The Crown) as Ellen, Mrs Saunders, and Lin; Eloka Ivo (Black Superhero) as Joshua and Gerry; Tom Mothersdale (Bodies) as Harry Bagley and Martin; Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts) as Maud and Victoria; Ellen Robertson (Vladimir) as Edward and Betty; Stuart Thompson (Romans: A Novel) as Betty and Edward; and Sam Troughton (Chernobyl) as Clive and Cathy.
Cooke’s creative team includes set designer Miriam Buether, costume designer Samuel Wyer, lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound designer Donato Wharton, composer Andy Roberts, and music director Josh Sneesby. Casting is by Naomi Downham.
Official press night takes place on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Cloud 9 plays Monday through Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm. The run includes accessible performances, featuring BSL interpretation, captions, audio description, and a relaxed performance scheduled throughout December and January.
Tickets are available via the National Theatre box office.
Photo credit: Johan Persson
