Oh, Mary!
Absolute chaos were the first words out of my mouth after seeing “Oh Mary!”, it’s the best kind of chaos though! This play from Cole Escola is delightfully witty, hilariously unhinged and beautifully camp. It re-writes history in the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and focuses on his wife Mary who is a bored, drunk, retired cabaret performer looking for a way out of her mundane life as First Lady. There is next to zero historical accuracy here but there is lots of wicked humour.
Catherine Tate has come into the production taking on the title role and she is marvellous; leading with a fearless attitude, perfect comedic energy and fully leaning into the chaos. Catherine pushes the material to it’s absolute limits with every drunken look and bratty tone perfectly placed to get the biggest laugh. There is a brilliant showcase of Catherine’s true knowledge of the craft and this truly is the role of a lifetime for her.
The entire cast are just as committed to the entire farce, bringing the camp twisted history to life before us, Scott Karim brings a quietly understated energy to the role of Abraham, playing the ironically straight man to the chaos of Tate’s Mary. Dino Fetscher excels as Mary’s Teacher, his descent into unhinged behaviour is quite frankly exhausting and hilarious to watch. Oliver Stockley is delightfully coy as Mary’s Husbands Assistant and gets some of the biggest laughs through his acting choices. Georgie Lagden is hilarious as Mary’s Chaperone – her light and airy attitude is a brilliant contrast to Tate’s wild energy.
Direction from Sam Pinkleton ensures the production moves along quickly, at no point does it feel lost and every scene has it’s purpose. A piece like this runs the risk of feeling messy or out of control and yet this never does. The writing is clever, knowing and powerful with a delightful defiant queer energy.
Politics does not always make for a fun night at the theatre but this play turns everything on it’s head and instead tells the story of art and creative energy and how important it is for people to feel seen and heard.
This show was reviewed on the 15th May 2026 at Trafalgar Theatre, London where it runs until the 18th July 2026. You can get your tickets for this and many more incredible shows over on SeatPlan : SeatPlan | Book the Best Theatre Tickets by Seat View
Review written by Rosie Browne
AD/Gifted
Check out other reviews from Curtain Call Reviews and get in touch to have our reviewers head to your show