Everything you need to know about 'Oh, Mary!' in the West End

Cole Escola's Tony-winning comedy crosses the Atlantic for a run at the Trafalgar Theatre starring Mason Alexander Park.

Summary

• Cole Escola's dark comedy begins performances at the Trafalgar Theatre in December 2025
• The show is a revisionist imagining of an episode in the life of first lady Mary Todd Lincoln
• Mason Alexander Park and Giles Terera lead the cast
• The show was nominated for five Tony Awards and won two

Oh, theatregoers! What a treat you have in store. Cole Escola’s Tony-winning dark comedy Oh, Mary!, self-billed as “The Greatest Play of the Generation" – what’s the point of false modesty? – makes its London debut this winter.

It’s a far-from-conventional piece of biographical theatre that reimagines the oft-maligned first lady as a frustrated cabaret diva desperate to resume her career. Being the wife of the president during the American Civil War would be enough to fray anyone’s nerves and poor Mary’s are stretched to the limit.

Filled with fake ringlets, mutton-chop whiskers, and expansive crinolines, this unashamedly vulgar and chaotically queer romp comes to the West End’s Trafalgar Theatre from December, starring Mason Alexander Park and Giles Terera. Perhaps best known in popular culture for allegedly being asked “And how did you enjoy the play, Mrs Lincoln?” after her husband was assassinated by failed actor John Wilkes Booth during a performance of the farce Our American Cousin, this play makes Mary herself the heroine of her own drama – and there’s a lot of it.

Wear those bratty curls with pride and book Oh, Mary tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is Oh Mary! about?

Oh, Mary! is about Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln and imagines her as a former cabaret performer who longs to return to the stage but she’s stuck in loveless marriage to a gay man during a time of huge political turbulence. As New York Theatre Guide’s reviewer put it, “None of this is based in truth, but it’s not not based in truth either”. In real life, Mary suffered from migraines and mental health problems and was largely unpopular with the public due to her erratic behaviour and compulsive spending. The show is set in the weeks leading up to her husband’s assassination, when all sorts of emotions and resentments come to a head.

Who wrote Oh, Mary!?

Oh, Mary! is written by Cole Escola, an American actor, singer, comedian, and playwright. Born in Clatskanie, Oregon in 1986, Escola began their professional career on the New York cabaret and alternative comedy scene. Their television credits include the regular role of Matthew in the Hulu comedy series Difficult People and Chassie Tucker / Chassie / Singer No. 1 in At Home with Amy Sedaris.

Escola made their professional theatre debut in Present Laughter at Two River Theater in New Jersey. They made their Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts as writer and star of Oh, Mary!. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won two, including Best Actor in a Play for Escola. In October 2024, Escola was featured in the TIME 100 Next list of the world's most influential rising leaders.

When was Oh, Mary! first performed?

Oh, Mary! opened Off Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in February 2024 starring Escola in the title role and was extended twice. It then transferred to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre, starring Escola and the rest of the company, in July 2024. It was intended to be a limited engagement but such is its popularity that it continues to run. Escola was succeeded by Betty Gilpin, followed by Titus Burgess, Jinkx Monsoon, and currently Jane Krakowski (it’s a role that lends itself to gender fluid casting). Hannah Solow has understudied the role.

The London production of Oh, Mary! marks the play’s first production outside New York.

What awards has Oh, Mary! won?

Oh, Mary! was nominated for five Tony Awards and won two: Best Actor (Cole Escola) and Best Direction of a Play (Sam Pinkleton). The play was also a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and received a Special Citation at the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards.

Who are the characters in Oh, Mary!?

Oh, Mary! is led by the title character but it isn’t a one-person show. The play features the following cast of real-life and imagined characters:

• Mary Todd Lincoln: First Lady of the United States and a frustrated former cabaret artiste and alcoholic with mental health problems.
• Mary’s Husband: aka Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who’s attempting to run the country during the American Civil War – and a closeted gay man.
• Mary’s Companion: a woman called Louise who acts as Mary’s confidante.
• Mary’s Teacher: Mary’s handsome acting instructor.
• Mary’s Husband’s Assistant: Lincoln’s put-upon aide.

Where is Oh, Mary! being performed?

Oh, Mary! will be performed at the Trafalgar Theatre, Whitehall. Formerly known as Trafalgar Studios and comprising two auditoriums, this art deco venue was converted back into a single performance space with a seating capacity of 630 in 2021. Recent productions at the Trafalgar Theatre include Clueless, People, Places and Things, and The Duchess (of Malfi).

When is Oh, Mary! being performed?

Oh, Mary! begins previews on 3 December 2025 and is currently booking until 25 April 2026. Performances take place Monday to Saturday, with shows at 7:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; at 5:30pm and 8:45pm on Thursdays, and at 3:30pm and 7:30pm on Saturdays.

How long is Oh, Mary!?

Oh, Mary! runs for 80 minutes with no interval.

Who is in the Oh, Mary! cast?

The London production of Oh, Mary! is led by Mason Alexander Park in the title role. Park is known for their roles as Gren in Captain BeBop and Desire in Sandman, both for Netflix. They made their West End debut as the Emcee in Cabaret and they played Ariel in The Tempest and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, both directed by Jamie Lloyd.

“Our American cousin” Park is joined by a British supporting cast comprising Olivier winner Giles Terera (Hamilton, Othello) as Mary’s Husband, with Kate O’Donnell (Big Girl’s Blouse) as Mary’s Chaperone, Dino Fetscher (The Normal Heart) as Mary’s Teacher, and Oliver Stockley (Cabaret) as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant.

Who is in the Oh, Mary! creative team?

Oh, Mary! is helmed by Sam Pinkleton, who won a Tony for his direction. Pinkleton’s previously choreographed Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 and Here We Are on Broadway. The production also features Tony-nominated set design by dots (An Enemy of the People), and costume design by Holly Pierson.

What are some fun facts about Oh, Mary!?

• “Mary” and “Oh, Mary” are slang terms used in the queer community for an effeminate gay man and as an expression of disbelief.
• Costume designer Holly Pierson, who comes from a historical re-enactment and television background, made her Broadway debut with her Tony-nominated work on Oh, Mary! The hoop skirts were specially constructed for all the acrobatics Mary engages in – their design required quite a bit of trial and error.
• Oh, Mary! is the second play about Mary Todd Lincoln to be performed in London within a year – John Ransom Phillips play Mrs Lincoln, about Mary’s relationship with the photographer Matthew Brady, played at the Charing Cross Theatre in spring 2025.
• Abraham Lincoln’s sexuality has been the subject of speculation as he shared a room and a bed with his friend Joshua Fry Speed for four years and they exchanged some emotionally intense letters. However, bed-sharing between men was a fairly common practice at the time and can’t be taken as proof that their relationship was sexual.

Book *Oh, Mary!* tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: artwork for Oh, Mary! Inset: production images from Cole Escola's run in Oh, Mary! on Broadway. (Courtesy of production)