1536, the “electrifying” (The Standard) historical drama with a modern edge will run from 02 May to 01 August 2026 at the Ambassadors Theatre.
With her recent wins for Most Promising Playwright at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award and The Standard Theatre Awards, Ava Pickett’s play was also nominated for Best New Play at the 2026 Olivier Awards with Lyndsey Turner also nominated for Best Director.
1536 is produced in the West End by the Almeida Theatre, Sonia Friedman Productions, Annapurna Theatre and LuckyChap.
The cast of 1536 includes, Liv Hill as Jane (Three Girls – BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), Siena Kelly as Anna (Black Mirror, Adult Material – BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), and Tanya Reynolds as Mariella (Sex Education, A Mirror – Olivier Award nomination Best Actress In A Supporting Role), who are all reprising their previous roles. They are joined by Oliver Johnstone as Richard (Retrograde; All My Sons) and George Kemp as William (High Noon; Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?).
Harry Bradley (The Play That Goes Wrong; The Mousetrap) will understudy the roles of Richard and William, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel (81 (Life); Chasing Hares) will understudy the roles of Jane and Mariella and Sydney Spencer (Hamilton; The Wizard of Oz) will understudy the role of Anna.
Kings don’t kill their wives, right?
Tudor England.
A field in Essex.
Three women hurry to their childhood meeting place, thirsty for gossip from London.
Word spreads of a clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn. And closer to home, another rumour begins to catch fire.
As these women begin to see echoes of the royal drama in their own rural lives, a tide of violence threatens their very existence, and they realise the royal scandal could cost them everything.
