Review: 1536 (Ambassadors Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When it comes to unrivalled quality, one of the most consistent places in London is the Almeida Theatre, whose output has gone from strength to strength in recent years with multiple shows transferring to the West End and New York, not to mention an array of acclaimed four and five-star reviews. Among their highlights of the last year was the first play by Ava Pickett, 1536, a must-see, unmissable production that I somehow missed. Upon hearing of its West End transfer, I knew I had to right that wrong and see the show that has had everyone talking, and earned itself some awards and an Olivier nomination in the process. Would I be as blown away as others had been, or was this one history lesson that should have been left in the past?

1536 is set in Tudor England in the year, well, you can guess. Three women gather in a field in Essex to share the gossip they have heard from London - there has been an almighty clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn, and she is now being held in the Tower of London on charges of treason. As the women lose their heads (not literally) discussing her supposed crime, parallels start to emerge in their own lives closer to home. With news of other women meeting a grisly end over their own indiscretions, what will happen to them when their own rumours start to catch fire?

In her debut play, Ava Pickett has positioned herself as a fresh and refreshing voice in theatre. Pickett’s approach to writing is incredibly exciting, using modern language to blur the lines between the present day and the events of this play nearly 500 years ago. It is no wonder that her work has been met with so much excitement and earned her an award for “Most Promising Playwright”. There is a danger that the hype may lead people’s expectations to be too high, but the sky really is the limit for 1536, as these expectations will be assuredly met.

The strength in Pickett’s writing is in how different themes and tones are woven throughout the narrative. What starts as a largely comedic piece is deceptive in its tone, slowly ebbing away to reveal the severity behind the story and a serious danger that plagues the women of 1536. Beholden to the men in their lives, they lack any freedom in themselves and are trapped by the fear of what might happen if they do attempt to stand up for themselves. While, thankfully, much has changed in these attitudes some 500 years later, elements of the story still ring true. Misogyny, abuse, and not believing the victims are still issues women face, making Pickett’s writing all the more poignant and powerful when drawing comparisons to modern-day problems. The parallels are signposted everywhere in 1536, even in the name of Anna and her obvious comparisons to Anne Boleyn (with Jane named after who would succeed her to be Henry’s third Queen). The slow transition of this tonal change leads to a real gut-punch moment, with the climactic scenes in the play among the most dramatic and unsettling I have witnessed in a theatre in some time. You could hear a pin drop as everything tied together, and I can’t be certain I even remembered to breathe during these incredible scenes.

Pickett’s exceptional writing is matched with striking direction from Lyndsey Turner, finding creative ways to tell the story without any risk of it ever becoming boring. That is a tall order, given 1536 runs at 1 hour 50 minutes straight through, but Turner’s pacing never falters, with each scene change giving the audience a matter of seconds to gather themselves and catch their breath before being catapulted back in time to Pickett’s world. It was in some of the more intimate moments that the subtlety of Turner’s direction truly came into its own, leading to a jaw-dropping series of events that marries Pickett’s vision with Turner’s flawlessly.

Equally impressive is Max Jones’ set design, bringing the Essex field to life in style. This comes alive thanks to Jack Knowles’ lighting design, particularly effective when lighting up a large, blank screen behind the set, transforming the action in a moment to remarkable effect. Tingying Dong’s sound design provides an atmospheric setting, ramping up the tension in some of the more heated moments and allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the story.

Though all the creative elements impress in their own right, it is the phenomenal cast that takes 1536 to another level entirely. Oliver Johnstone is a dominating force in his appearances as Richard, with George Kemp demonstrating a softer, albeit conflicted portrait as William. However, this play belongs to the women - and what a remarkable trio they are. Liv Hill is wonderfully sweet and innocent, perhaps even naive, as Jane, but her transformation provides one of the more astonishing moments of the play, and is handled expertly in a testament to her strengths as an actor. There is a slow-burning approach to Tanya Reynolds’ Mariella, who opts for a more nuanced approach in contrast to the wider choices of the two other women, but does this perfectly, knowing when to go big and how to land the smaller moments with maximum impact.

There is one undoubted standout in 1536, however, and that belongs to the sensational Siena Kelly. Her characterisation of Anna is nothing short of extraordinary, breathtakingly good in her approach, and full of charisma to create a captivating watch. The confidence pours out of her, both as the character and the real person behind it - Anna is the catalyst to the story, and there is the sense it is in safe hands with Kelly, who takes the lion’s share of stage time and is impossible to take your eyes off whenever she is there. Where Jane and Mariella are closer to their own period of time, Anna has a sense of being ahead of her time, almost as if she has time-travelled there for the future, attempting to right the wrongs of the past and give women the voice they were so cruelly silenced from using. Kelly plays this perfectly, with an urgency and formidable force that ranks among the best performances I have seen this year in an absolute star turn.

You might think the West End doesn’t need another story featuring Henry VIII and his wives, but you would be very wrong. What 1536 does brilliantly well is shine a light on how these big stories from the seemingly untouchable royals can affect the everyday person, drawing parallels between these supposedly wildly different lives, most notably done here with Anna and Anne Boleyn. Though it may not be filled with catchy tunes, what 1536 has instead is a great deal of intelligence. Giving a voice to these women and drawing contrasts to the modern-day, where things seem to be going backwards, and some women’s rights have been taken away, it might seem odd to call a play set 490 years ago timely, but that is exactly what this is. Though it is worth seeing for the incredible cast alone, it is the promise of Ava Pickett’s incredible writing that makes 1536 an absolute must-see.

1536 plays at Ambassadors Theatre until 1st August. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/1536-tickets

Photos by Helen Murray