Ava Pickett’s Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy opened at Theatre Royal Stratford East on 10 September, and the reviews are in. Ten of them so far, and six give it four stars. Pickett moves Helen’s homecoming to a cream-carpeted Essex living room after a civil war fought in her name, with Michelle Dockery as Helen, Laura Aikman as the best friend she walked out on and Maimuna Memon as the cleaner Dani. The critics agree on Pickett’s ear for a joke, and several stop to praise Ethan Moorhouse’s Messenger. Where they part company is the Essex setting itself, and an ending more than one of them found abrupt. Lisa Spirling directs — her first production on her own stage since taking over the theatre.
The verdict: ten reviews so far — six four-star notices, two three-star, one two-star and one outlet that publishes no rating. The nine that score it average 3.6 out of 5. Every one of them credits Ava Pickett with an ear for comic dialogue. What splits them is the Essex setting itself — whether it sharpens the myth or shrinks it — and an ending more than one of them found abrupt.
What are critics saying about Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy?
The Standard
“Ava Pickett’s urgent riposte to toxic masculinity”
Reviewer: Nick Curtis
“Pickett’s flair for rich, heightened dialogue, and for puncturing high drama with sudden humour, are already thrillingly present. Like 1536, Bloodsport is built around three strong and complex female roles, embraced with relish in Lisa Spirling’s punchy production by Downton’s Michelle Dockery, Gavin and Stacy star Laura Aikman and the always-watchable Maimuna Memon.”
WhatsOnStage
“Michelle Dockery and Laura Aikman in a play that takes on the world”
Reviewer: Sarah Crompton
“Written before 1536, this play which sees Helen return from the war to contemporary Essex, is full of spit, fire and brilliance. It’s like Sarah Kane crossed with The Only Way is Essex – devastatingly funny but utterly furious about the state of the world and the way that women within it are treated.”
Time Out
“Ava Pickett’s superb new play is a rip-roaring dark comedy set in the aftermath of a British Trojan War”
Reviewer: Andrzej Lukowski
“I have mixed feelings about the ending, a sardonic comment on white feminism that’s momentarily satisfying but also feels more like an arch observation than a proper end to the various character arcs. But this is a minor quibble. New-ish Stratford East boss Lisa Spirling has left it a while to helm a play on her own stage, but her pacey, emphatic direction is spot on. And there are some tremendous performances: in what is virtually her professional stage debut, TV veteran Aikman is particularly great as Cee, a woman who has tried to outsource her worldview to her husband, but who is undergoing a painfully perceptive awakening. And rising star Maimuna Memon is a great get as Dani, the cheerily incompetent cleaner who may be a lot more than she appears.”
LondonTheatre.co.uk
“Ava Pickett’s fierce contemporary adaptation mercilessly dissects the patriarchy”
Reviewer: Emily Godwin
“Much like Pickett’s celebrated debut play 1536, the patriarchy is mercilessly and brilliantly dissected in Bloodsport. There is no simple judgement of either Helen, who chose love over a miserable marriage, or Cee, who chose her family. An emotional scene with Helen’s daughter Hermione (Emma Monnickendam) demonstrates the very real price of mothers prioritising freedom, while Cee is reluctant to admit her husband’s role in the conflict.”
West End Best Friend
Reviewer: Sophie Luck
“Laura Aikman and Michelle Dockery expertly lead this production. They are two sides of the same coin, ying and yang, and are dressed in a gorgeous sparkly white dress with hot pink heels and black combat gear to emote this. Aikman’s Cee brings much of the comedy, her endearing naivety leads her to think that champagne and mozzarella sticks are the perfect way to celebrate the end of ten years of civil war and unknown casualties. Dockery is dry and calculated, a hardened woman set on taking revenge. Gerard Monaco and Jay Taylor play Mario and Marcus who embody different types of weak men. Both should be applauded for their drunk acting and their portrayal of the repulsive but recognisable conviction that women were the cause of their horrific actions. Maimuna Memon is excellent as no nonsense Dani, epitomising a younger generation of women who reject traditional values and protect their agency at all costs.”
BroadwayWorld
Reviewer: Cindy Marcolina
“Is a woman ever really allowed to leave her family? How do we come to terms with the compromises we have to make in order to survive? Why do we allow men to have ownership of women? There are so many nuggets of gold in Bloodsport. From the socio-political debate to the universality of mythological themes, it’s undeniable that this is a thought-provoking and incendiary piece of theatre. It’s a real pity that its analyses remain simplistic and sometimes illogical. Though conceptually provocative, it tries a little too hard to be edgy and cool. The reality is that it’s as splashy as it is shallow.”
All That Dazzles
“The latest play from Ava Pickett is full of potential but fails to explode as it should”
Reviewer: Daz Gale
“Ava Pickett is an incredibly gifted writer, and there are moments where her talent shines through, though it isn’t always clear to see in Bloodsport. There are many laugh-out-loud moments where Pickett’s witty writing thrills, but it proves less successful in its attempt to convey the serious message at the heart of the story. Contemporarising Helen of Troy and making her story a universal one that could essentially be any woman who has left and returns is a bold and admirable choice, but one that feels slightly underbaked. It becomes a bit confusing and inconsistent with a wandering tone and a narrative that felt as if it needed more time in development before being presented to an audience in this production. I also struggled to connect with the narrative style with the action of that one night interspersed by a character known as “Messenger” acting as narrator, through some overlong, awkward and inconsistent speeches. Quite jarring in comparison to the action taking place in the Essex home in the story, Bloodsport may have benefited from losing these moments altogether.”
Everything Theatre
“A modernisation of Helen of Troy set in Essex, offering sharp ideas but unfocused writing and uneven impact”
Reviewer: Grace Ward
“There is no doubt that Pickett is committed to exploring the treatment of women, the state of the world and the complexities of how we relate to one another, themes that consistently shape her work. However, in Blood Sport, the writing itself often undermines those intentions. The reliance on throwaway jokes and broad comedy dilutes the seriousness of the ideas at play, blurring the central message long before it has the chance to land. The piece aims to examine Helen’s return and how she is received by those around her, but the script never quite musters the dramatic weight or clarity that such a story demands, resulting in a retelling that feels far lighter and far less incisive than it should.”
Theatre Weekly
“There is wit, intelligence and genuine dramatic tension”
Reviewer: Greg Stewart
“For all its flaws, Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy remains compelling theatre. Pickett has an undeniable gift for dialogue, and Spirling keeps the production moving with confidence and pace. There is wit, intelligence and genuine dramatic tension throughout. Yet while its ideas are timely and urgent, the play too often sacrifices nuance for certainty. The result is an engaging and thought-provoking drama that never quite trusts its audience enough, but one that nevertheless confirms Ava Pickett as a playwright of considerable talent.”
Production photographs by Tristram Kenton and Pamela Raith.
Also reviewed by: The Stage (Sam Marlowe, four stars, “Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy review at Stratford East: electrifyingly vital”), whose review sits behind a paywall.
For more of what the critics made of this month’s openings, read our Review Roundup for Kimberly Akimbo at Hampstead Theatre and our Review Roundup for You’re So Special at Soho Theatre. We also published the first trailer for this production last month.
Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East until Saturday 10 October 2026.
