Learn about Catherine Tate's stage work ahead of 'Oh, Mary!'

The comedian and Doctor Who star takes over the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Cole Escola's comedy for a limited run.

Summary

• Catherine Tate made her stage debut in the 1990s and has performed at the National Theatre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company
• She and her Doctor Who co-star David Tennant led Much Ado About Nothing in the West End in 2011
• Tate's other stage credits include Assassins and The Enfield Haunting
• She now stars in Oh
• Mary! for a limited run

Are you bovvered about Cole Escola’s madcap comedy Oh, Mary!? Well, you should be! In a four-star review, LondonTheatre.co.uk’s critic commented that the play “takes historical revisionism to new heights. It really is unlike anything you’ve ever seen”. And, from 27 April to 18 July, actor and comedian Catherine Tate will play the title role, taking over from Mason Alexander Park.

Tate rose to fame with The Catherine Tate Show (2004-7), in which she introduced her most famous comic creations, the stroppy schoolgirl Lauren and her foul-mouthed Nan (who returned for two further specials and a feature film). Tate was rewarded with a British Comedy Award for Best Newcomer and earned seven BAFTA nominations and an International Emmy Award nod.

Tate is also known for her role as Donna Noble on Doctor Who, who was first introduced in the 2006 Christmas special before being promoted to companion for the fourth series in 2008. She returned for the 60th anniversary in 2023. She had a recurring role in the US version of The Office and she also created and starred in the sitcoms Hard Cell and Queen of Oz.

Tate has talked about how she turned to stand-up comedy in response to the closure of Britain’s repertory theatres in the 1980s and ‘90s. She has also carved out an eclectic selection of theatre credits. Read on to learn more about her theatre work ahead of her turn as the notorious American Civil War-era first lady.

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

Early work

As a teenager, Tate appeared in Lorca’s Blood Wedding with the National Youth Theatre alongside Daniel Craig and Jessica Hynes. After graduating from drama school, she made her professional theatre debut as Lydia in Oxford Stage Company’s production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons.

The Way of the World and The Prince’s Play

In 1995, Tate made her National Theatre debut in two plays with historical settings. Firstly, she played Peg in Phyllida Lloyd’s production of William Congreve’s 1700 comedy of manners The Way of the World. She was part of an illustrious cast that included Geraldine McEwan, Fiona Shaw, Roger Allam, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Secondly, she appeared in Tony Harrison’s adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Prince’s Play as Barmaid.

The Servant of Two Masters

In 2000, Tate made her debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell’arte-inspired farce The Servant of Two Masters as Smeraldina, the love interest of the protagonist Truffaldino (Jason Watkins). The production transferred from Stratford upon Avon to the West End following a tour.

Some Girl(s)

Following her rise to TV fame with the first series of The Catherine Tate Show in 2004, Tate returned to the West End the following year in the world premiere of Neil LaBute’s play about a man who, on the eve of his wedding, visits the ex-girlfriends he treated badly. Friends star David Schwimmer played “Guy”, and the cast also included Lesley Manville.

The Exonerated

The following year, Tate appeared at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios in Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s verbatim play based on the testimonies and legal records of six former death row inmates. Tate played Sunny Jacobs, who, with her partner, killed two police officers in 1976.

Under the Blue Sky

David Eldridge’s play, comprising three duologues, was first performed at the Royal Court in 2000 and was revived in the West End in 2008 with a cast that included Tate, Francesca Annis, and Chris O’Dowd. Tate played the sexually demanding Michelle, a maths teacher. LondonTheatre.co.uk’s reviewer commented that “Though Catherine Tate stands out because her character is louder and more up-front than the others, the rest of the cast all produce fine performances”.

Season’s Greetings

In 2011, Tate returned to the National Theatre as Belinda in Marianne Elliott’s revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s sour comedy about bad behaviour at Christmas. The cast also featured Neil Stuke’s as Belinda’s husband and Nicola Walker as her sister. LondonTheatre.co.uk’s reviewer commented that” Catherine Tate heads-up a hugely talented cast who, one feels, all have memories of the kind of scenes they are enacting for us.”

Much Ado About Nothing

In 2011, Tate and her former Doctor Who co-star David Tennant teamed up in Josie Rourke’s West End production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick. The production was a huge event for Doctor Who and Shakespeare fans. The action was transported to Gibraltar during the 1980s Falklands War.

LondonTheatre.co.uk’s reviewer was delighted by the way in which “Catherine Tate employs her brilliant comic timing to maximum effect, drawing out words as if speaking to an idiot when she's sparring with Benedick. And she shows that she's more than capable of dealing with other emotions too”.

Assassins

In 2014, Tate made her musical theatre debut in Jamie Lloyd’s production Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins at the intimate Menier Chocolate Factory. Tate was cast as the eccentric Sara Jane Moore who tried to kill Gerald Ford in 1975. The cast also included Aaron Tveit as John Wilkes Booth, Andy Nyman as Charles Guiteau, and Jamie Parker as the Balladeer.

LondonTheatre.co.uk’s reviewer had “never seen a production of such disquieting, disturbing brilliance” and praised the “outstanding individualised turns”.

The Catherine Tate Show Live

Tate brought Lauren, Nan, et al to the stage for a tour of the UK in 2016, alongside her collaborators Mathew Horne and Niky Wardley. In 2018, she took the show to Australia and New Zealand and played for a week in the West End in January 2019.

The Enfield Haunting

Paul Unwin’s play about a notorious 1970s poltergeist case involving single mother Peggy Hodgson (Tate) and her three children living in a north London council house opened in the West End in late 2023. David Threlfall co-starred as paranormal investigator Maurice Grosse.

Sleeping Beauty

Tate joined the London Palladium’s glitzy annual pantomime for the 2025 season as the wicked fairy Carabosse. All the Palladium panto regulars were present and correct, including Julian Clary, Nigel Havers, and Rob Madge.

Oh, Mary!

Oh, Catherine! Tate is set to storm the stage at the Trafalgar Theatre as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! by Cole Escola, which reimagines Abraham Lincoln’s wife as a frustrated cabaret artist and volatile alcoholic. We all know that Tate has form with obstreperous characters and we can’t wait to see her toss those bratty ringlets – your face will be well and truly bovvered with laughter!

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

Photo credit: Oh, Mary! artwork. (Courtesy of production)