Review – Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre

Camp and irreverent Tony-winning play Oh, Mary! makes its West End debut after taking the USA by storm. But will UK audiences react as warmly to this dark comedy, about first lady Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to her husband’s Assassination, and its very American subject matter? We think, absolutely!

Oh, Mary! is created by Tony winner, comedian and self-described “idiot” Cole Escola, known for their work on Search Party, Big Mouth, and At Home with Amy Sedaris. The dark comedy first premiered off-Broadway in January 2024 at the Lucile Lortel Theatre, later transferring to Broadway that same year, with Escola playing the lead role for the initial run at both venues. The play was a critical success in the US, becoming a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and earning five nominations at the 2025 Tony Awards, winning two.

Oh, Mary! tells the story of Mary Todd Lincoln, first lady and wife of Abraham Lincoln, following her in the week running up to Lincoln’s infamous assassination. While that might sound like heavy subject matter, Oh, Mary! treats it as anything but, taking a liberal approach to historical accuracy and packing joke after joke into the play’s short runtime.

While Lincoln is celebrating the end of the American Civil War, Mary is longing for something to give her life meaning – whether that be a stiff drink, or a triumphant return to perform upon the cabaret stage where she and Abe first met. To distract Mary and keep her off the booze while he battles his ever-growing desire for his male assistant, Lincoln enlists an acting teacher to keep his wife busy, with explosive results… 

Oh, Mary: 5/5⭐

Oh, Mary! is rude, crude, darkly funny, deeply silly and full of outstanding performances from a phenomenal cast. It’s well worth a watch, though perhaps not for the easily offended or those who take issue with a less-than-accurate take on a beloved historical figure. The show is based on real people and while having a bit of knowledge about the Lincoln assasination will help some of the jokes, and one particular gasp-out-loud reveal, land better, it’s not necessary to be a history-buff to enjoy the play, as Escola’s script takes a fast and loose approach to the “true” story of the Lincoln’s, playing up some anachronistic phrasing to great effect. (Those searching for a more fact-based play about Mary Todd Lincoln may want to check out Mrs President at the Charing Cross Theatre.)

This show is certainly not for the faint-hearted, as there’s plenty of crude humour and sex jokes packed in (it may be for the best that there’s no interval, as you might never look at an ice-cream the same way again…). The production is also campy and joyfully queer both in terms of creative team – Escola, who wrote the script and originated the role of Mary, is non binary, as is Mason Alexander Park, who leads the UK cast – plot and content, giving several winking nods to the fact that the show is well aware that it’s audience is largely comprised of queer people and gay men. 

Sam Pinkleton directs, reprising his Tony-winning role from the US productions, wringing every last drop of humour out of Escola’s hilarious script, and keeping the production moving forward at a slick, quick pace.

Oh, Mary! has a small cast of five, with Mason Alexander Park (The Sandman, Jamie Lloyd’s The Tempest) playing Mary, Olivier winner Giles Terera (Avenue Q, Hamilton) playing Mary’s Husband, Kate O’Donnell (Big Girl’s Blouse, Sunset Boulevard) playing Mary’s Chaperone, Oliver Stockley (Cabaret, The Great Gatsby) playing Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, and Dino Fetscher (The Normal Heart, Torch Song) playing Mary’s Teacher.

You can tell the entire cast is having an enormous amount of fun. Terera plays the not-so-straight man to Mary’s chaos perfectly, oscillating between Lincoln’s stiff upper lip and his trembling desire for his assistant, while Fetscher veritably chews the scenery (in the best way) as the over-the-top, deeply earnest acting teacher, who Mary both simpers after and mocks. O’Donnell and Stockley have slightly less to do in their smaller parts, but both are equally as hilarious as their cast mates, nailing their jokes and helping to move the plot along nicely.  

The cast are all brilliant, but it’s Mason Alexander Park in the titular role who truly shines. Mary is callous and cruel, and yet Park somehow still makes you feel sorry for her. They command the stage, delivering a performance that switches from ditzy and naive (“The South of where?” Mary exasperatedly asks when told that the North have triumphed over the South in the Civil War) to manipulatively sweet, from hissing and half-feral, to troubled and genuinely moving.

Park’s control over their voice is deeply impressive, as they soar from outraged shrieking to a guttural rumble in a way that feels effortless, and (mild spoilers!) still manage to sing beautifully in the show’s final scene despite all the shouting. Their physicality, too, is spot on, as they prance around the stage in an enormous hoop skirt, tossing their “brat” curls, earning just as many laughs with the precision of their movements as they do with their line delivery. There are two truly sublime instances of physical comedy that had the audience laughing long past when it should have stopped being funny. Park was given a standing ovation the night we attended, and it felt well deserved.

The set is beautifully designed by Dots. Largely comprised of Lincoln’s office, with a large central desk, bookshelf and sofa, most of the action takes place in this one room, reinforcing how trapped both Mary and Abraham feel in their life and marriage, and utilising the furniture to hilarious effect. It’s both a surprise and a delight when this is later swapped out for other settings, as Mary’s world opens up a little more, with shocking consequences. 

Coming in at 80 minutes, with no interval, the tight script bounces along from scene to scene, separated by blackouts; this felt the exact right length for the production, which may have stretched its premise a little thin if it had carried on for too long.

The hilarious play might have had the audience in stitches, but there is also a dark undercurrent rippling beneath the laughter. Mary’s drinking problem and her dissatisfaction with her life stop the play from feeling like too much of a light touch take on a woman who, in real life, struggled deeply with grief and mental health issues. One moment, when Mary drank her own turpentine-infused vomit, had the audience gasping and groaning, and perfectly toed the line between gross-out humour and a harrowing glimpse under Mary’s cackling facade at a woman grappling with addiction.

Oh, Mary! may be over the top, irreverent and deeply silly, but both the script and the performances, particularly from Park, manage to ground the production so it never goes off the rails. While a queer, farcial, cabaret-infused, pitch-black take on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln won’t be for all audiences, those who are looking for an evening of hilarity, heart and historical inaccuracy are in for a treat.   

Where I Sat

I sat in the stalls Row H, Seat 7. This was a decent view, but the stalls at the Trafalgar Theatre aren’t particularly raked, and the way the seats are arranged meant that a tall person sitting in front of me did obscure the very centre of the stage, meaning I had to duck from side to side to see around them. The leg room was great, and the seat itself was very comfortable, but I’d maybe opt for a seat with a bit more rake next time – or hope that someone short sits in front!