No longer booking
  • Venue Ambassadors Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 1 August 2026
  • Running time 1 hour 50 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 15+

1536 London Tickets

Direct from its acclaimed sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre, Ava Pickett’s ★★★★★ “Funny, saucy, and totally gripping” (Daily Mail) new play 1536, transfers to London’s Ambassadors Theatre for a strictly limited West End season.

Nominated for Best New Play at the 2026 Olivier Awards, 1536 – winner of the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and directed by Lyndsey Turner (Chimerica) – is a sharp, bold, and darkly funny drama set against the turbulence of Tudor England.

Reprising their acclaimed performances from the Almeida Theatre are Liv Hill (Film Club, Miss Austen) as Jane, Siena Kelly (Adult Material, A Doll’s House) as Anna, and Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education, The Seagull) as Mariella.

Be transported to Tudor England

In a quiet field in rural Essex, three young women – Mariella, Jane and Anna – meet in secret to talk, tease and trade rumours from London. But as whispers about Queen Anne Boleyn’s fate grow louder, their conversations turn uneasy. Friendships shift and crack, exposing ambition, fear and resilience in a world shaped by danger and silence.

At once intimate and gripping, 1536 is a new stage play set during the reign of Henry VIII, exploring how monumental events ripple into ordinary lives — and how female friendship becomes both refuge and battleground.

What’s 1536 about?

Kings don’t kill their wives alright? It’s not – it just don’t happen. It doesn’t.

Tudor England. A field in Essex.

As news spreads of the growing conflict between Henry VIII and his queen, Anne Boleyn, three women gather to make sense of events far beyond their control. But as rumours intensify and suspicion creeps closer to home, they begin to see unsettling echoes of the royal court in their own lives.

As fear and violence rise across the country, the fate of a queen imprisoned in the Tower of London threatens to cost them everything.

1536 is a powerful new theatre production about power, paranoia and survival in Tudor England – and the fragile bonds that hold women together in dangerous times.

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★★★★★
“Some of the freshest, funniest writing around to some of the most devastating, with nuanced performances to match.”
The Telegraph (West End)
★★★★★
“Director Lyndsey Turner again expertly navigates the script’s blend of sweary modern and archaic language.”
The Standard (West End)
★★★★★
“Director Lyndsey Turner has crafted a heady, sensory experience, one that is jolted forward by faultless performances from the female leads.”
TimeOut (West End)

Photos

Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of 1536?

  • Mariella: Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education)
  • Jane: Liv Hill (Three Girls)
  • Anna: Sienna Kelly (Adult Material)
  • Richard: Oliver Johnstone (Romans: A Novel)
  • William: George Kemp (Bridgerton)

The company is completed by understudies Harry Bradley (Richard/William), Saroja-Lily Ratnavel (Jane/Mariella), and Sydney Spencer (Anna).

Who are the creative team of 1536?

  • Written by Ava Pickett
  • Director: Lyndsey Turner
  • Set and Costume Designer: Max Jones
  • Lighting Designer: Tim Lutkin
  • Sound Designer: Tingying Dong
  • Movement and Intimacy Director: Anna Morrissey
  • Casting Director: Amy Ball CDG
  • Produced in the West End by the Almeida Theatre, Sonia Friedman Productions, Annapurna Theatre and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap

Important Notes

Content warnings: This production includes strong language, depictions of violence and sexual assault and discussion of miscarriage, rape, domestic violence and traumatic childbirth. This production includes the use of blood, flashing lights and haze.

Photos: From Almeida Theatre production.

Venue Information

Ambassadors Theatre , West Street, London, WC2H 9ND

Nearest Tube or Train: Leicester Square (Northern line, Piccadilly line)

Nearest Buses: 14, 19, 22, 24, 29, 38, 40, 176

Directions

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Critics' reviews of 1536

★★★★★ “Some of the freshest, funniest writing around to some of the most devastating, with nuanced performances to match.” The Telegraph (West End)

★★★★★ “Director Lyndsey Turner again expertly navigates the script’s blend of sweary modern and archaic language.” The Standard (West End)

★★★★★ “Director Lyndsey Turner has crafted a heady, sensory experience, one that is jolted forward by faultless performances from the female leads.” TimeOut (West End)

★★★★★ “Turner does magnificent work teasing out the genial face of everyday cruelty.” What's On Stage (West End)

★★★★★ “Funny, saucy, and totally gripping.” Daily Mail (Almeida)

★★★★★ “As relevant now as in 1536.” Everything Theatre (Almeida)

★★★★★ “1536 is a phenomenal piece of theatre.” Theatre & Tonic (Almeida)

★★★★★ “Ava Pickett’s stunning new play at the Almeida.” The Arts Dispatch (Almeida)

★★★★ “Ava Pickett's debut play is electrifying.” The Standard (Almeida)

★★★★ “Savagely witty new drama.” TimeOut (Almeida)

★★★★ “Directed with wit and vigour by Lyndsey Turner.” The Guardian (Almeida)

★★★★ “An impressive, involving evening.” What's On Stage (Almeida)

★★★★ “Vividly engaging.” The Stage (Almeida)

★★★★ “A cracking new play.” Financial Times (Almeida)

★★★★ “A witty, wrenching parable of girlhood.” The Independent (Almeida)

★★★★ “Three outstanding central performances in a visually arresting production.” London Theatre (Almeida)

★★★★ “A superbly well-written, well-acted piece of theatre.” Broadway World (Almeida)

★★★★ “A compelling and accomplished debut by Ava Pickett.” West End Best Friend (Almeida)

★★★★ “This wild, intelligent play is a tour de force.” The Arts Desk (Almeida)

★★★ “Gen Z does Tudor England – and it’s startlingly effective.” The Telegraph (Almeida)

★ “Would struggle to fill an hour-long slot at the Edinburgh Fringe.” The Times (Almeida)

Average Critics' Review Score: 4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ (21)

Frequently Asked Questions

1536 is playing at the Ambassadors Theatre in London
The running time of 1536 is 1 hour 50 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for 1536 are: 15+
Yes, 1536 has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday
No, sorry, 1536 has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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