Ava Pickett’s gripping new drama is genuinely nail-biting theatre
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What’s it about?
Playwright Ava Pickett has quickly established herself as one of Britain’s most exciting new theatrical voices. Her debut play, 1536, enjoyed a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre and won both the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and The Stage Debut Award for Best Writer, ahead of its West End transfer in 2026 (we gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). Ava is now back with her new play Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy which has premiered at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Ava Pickett’s Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy offers a contemporary reimagining of the aftermath of the Trojan War. Years after walking out on her family, Helen returns home following a war fought in her name. While her husband celebrates her return, her childhood friend Cee is far less welcoming.
Over the course of the first fragile night of peace, old wounds reopen, loyalties begin to fracture and uncomfortable questions emerge about Helen’s decision to leave—and the consequences borne by those she left behind.
What I loved
The play’s writer Ava Pickett has a wonderful way with words. She draws you in, taking a subject or period and making it feel immediately relatable and relevant to today—and Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy is no exception.
One of the real strengths of Pickett’s writing is the way she peppers the drama with humour without undermining its more serious moments. The comedy feels particularly natural because it emerges through the characters and the ways they relate to one another.
The friendship between Cee and Helen is beautifully written and performed. Laura Aikman and Michelle Dockery are powerhouses individually, but together they have wonderful chemistry. I genuinely believed these were two women who had known each other all their lives. They are particularly convincing when alone together: the shorthand, familiarity and rhythms of their conversations perfectly capture how real, long-standing friends speak.
One of the production’s real standouts is Ethan Moorhouse as the Messenger. It is an extraordinary performance. The Messenger exists almost independently of the other characters, speaking directly to the audience and never interacting with any other characters throughout the show. This means Moorhouse must carry the full dramatic weight of the character alone—and he absolutely commands the space. Moorhouse is a natural storyteller, creating an ominous presence that hangs over the production and whenever he spoke, I was hanging on his every word. I could have listened to him all night.
Maimuna Memon is also wonderful as Dani, bringing a compelling mixture of strength and confusion to the role, alongside some brilliantly judged dry humour.
Then comes the second act, when Bloodsport really tightens its grip. The suspense builds beautifully and, at times, this is genuinely nail-biting theatre. The humour and relative comfort of the earlier scenes give way to an increasingly ominous atmosphere, as the production capitalises on the tension it has been quietly building.
The set is also gorgeous. Most of the action unfolds in Cee’s immaculate living room. The all-white carpet and sofas create an almost unnervingly pristine environment, but it is the architecture surrounding them that really comes into its own. Multiple doors, staircases, entrances and exits give the actors numerous ways to appear and disappear—particularly effective as the threat of an attack begins to loom. Suddenly, every entrance becomes a potential source of danger.
Anything I’d change
While the twists keep the story intriguing, I found some elements of the plot a little difficult to follow. There were moments when greater clarity might have helped me understand exactly what was happening without sacrificing the intrigue or suspense.
Who Created It
Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy is a new play by award-winning writer Ava Pickett, directed by Stratford East Artistic Director Lisa Spirling. The production is designed by Polly Sullivan, with lighting by Zeynep Kepekli, sound and original composition by Nicola T. Chang, and movement direction by Kloé Dean.
Verdict
A highly recommended piece of new writing, wonderfully—and suspensefully—told. Ava Pickett combines humour, drama and contemporary relevance with characters and relationships that feel strikingly real. When the second act takes hold, Bloodsport becomes genuinely nail-biting theatre.
Laura Aikman and Michelle Dockery bring wholly convincing chemistry to the central friendship and Ethan Moorhouse delivers an extraordinary performance as the Messenger.