Michelle Dockery Returns to London Stage in 'Bloodsport'
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- Michelle Dockery returns to the London stage after a seven-year absence to star as Helen of Troy in Ava Pickett's Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy
- The world premiere runs September 3 to October 10 at Stratford East, where co-star Laura Aikman — best known for Gavin & Stacey — makes her stage debut as Cee
- Director Lisa Spirling, Stratford East's new Artistic Director, is making her directorial debut at the venue with this production
- Dockery's last London stage appearance was the Olivier Award-nominated production of Network at the National Theatre; her previous stage credits include Burnt by the Sun, Pygmalion, Dying For It and His Dark Materials
- Playwright Ava Pickett won the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for her debut play 1536 and received a 2026 Olivier Award nomination, with screen credits on Brassic, The Buccaneers, The Great and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Why it matters: Dockery's first London stage role since Network gives Stratford East's new Artistic Director a high-profile launch for her tenure, pairing a marquee TV name with a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning playwright in a five-week world premiere designed to put the venue on the cultural map under fresh leadership.
