In 1536 Anne Boleyn, then married to Henry VIII, was accused of treason, locked up in the Tower of London and subsequently executed. Her only real crime, not providing an heir. From the publicity material surrounding this play you would think that that is what it is going to be about. It is not.
The setting is a village in Essex, in a small clearing with a large tree stump and tall grasses. Here three village women, Anna, Jane and Mariella, live out their intertwined lives in a highly patrimonial society where women’s status and lives count for little. They hear the stories of the arrest and fate of the Queen which they can scarcely credit, but it has little relevance to their lives. Or does it? In their rural microcosm they are subjected to the same misogyny and arbitrary male decisions which led Anne Bolyen to her fate.
Anna, played by Siena Kelly, is the most lively and dominant of the three, and has apparently had a succession of lovers, including the husband-to-be of her friend Jane (Liv Hill). Mariella, the third of the trio is a midwife (Tanya Reynolds), who in the past seems to have had a relationship with one of the dominant men in the village.
The play is essentially about the subservient position of women, but I did not understand why it was set in this period or location. Women have been subjugated by men throughout history all over the world and still are. Even in the UK today misogyny and domestic violence are far too prevalent. Although the setting and costumes were Tudor, the dialogue was extremely modern and littered with an excessive number of swear words. The juxtaposition was uncomfortable.
The play consists of many short scenes, punctuated by blackouts, the proscenium arch illuminated by a large neon light border, and very loud modern music. The action always went back to the same country scene, although at times it seemed to be a secluded location where Anna and Jane’s fiancé engaged in frequent and lively sex. In other scenes it became the garden of a house where Jane’s wedding was taking place and then a pub where the village men were apparently celebrating the death of Anne Boleyn.
For most of the one hour 50 minutes playing time without an interval very little actually happened, notwithstanding the dramatic ending, which I found contrived. The conversations between the girls became repetitive. The acting was good and the pace was sustained, but I found the characters one-dimensional and unconvincing, and the actors struggled to make them engaging. Ava Pickett, whose debut play this is, is clearly a playwright with great promise but I think she would be advised to choose a story with a more powerful narrative for her next venture.
1536 is playing at the Ambassadors Theatre until 1st August 2026. Tickets are available from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/1536/ambassadors-theatre
Reviewer: Paul Ackroyd
Reviewed: 13th April 2026
North West End UK Rating: