Tickets were gifted by London Box Office in return for an honest review
Upon entering the Trafalgar Theatre for Oh, Mary!, it’s unclear exactly what the audience can expect, but the unhinged, absurd 80 minute masterpiece that’s on display here is certainly not what was on my radar. Oh, Mary! premiered on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on July 11, 2024, after a successful run Off-Broadway earlier that year. The dark comedy by Cole Escola went on to win multiple major theatre awards, taking home Best Lead Actor in a Play for Escola and Best Direction of a Play for Sam Pinkleton at the 2025 Tony Awards, also earning nominations including Best Play. The role of Mary is not played by a specific gender or actor, with replacements on Broadway including Jinkx Monsoon, Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, and this current London run is lead by Mason Alexander Park. It’s unclear if/how often the role will be recast in West End production, but if you do anything with urgency over the next few months, make it be booking tickets for this show.
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| Mason Alexander Park. Photo by Manuel Harlan. |
Mason Alexander Park is giving the performance of a lifetime here. I thought their Emcee in Cabaret was life-changing, but this is truly something else. Their wit and humour are spot on, gradually becoming more unhinged as the play goes on; earning bigger and bigger laughs thanks to their gloriously eccentric approach. They bounce off the rest of the cast with total ease, and although the script’s comedic beats come thick and fast, every single one lands because of Alexander Park’s razor sharp delivery.
Giles Terera plays Mary’s husband in a role I’ve not seen him tackle before, but he is so perfectly suited to the chaos of this production. His acting choices work marvellously opposite Mason Alexander Park with the two forming an unbelievably believable couple, albeit one steeped in a generous helping of madness.
The rest of the cast includes Kate O’Donnell as Mary’s Chaperone, Oliver Stockley as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, and Dino Fetscher as Mary’s Teacher. It’s telling that these aren’t even the characters’ real names in the play; everything here orbits around Mary, and each actor slots into the story seamlessly. The play veers off down so many unexpected routes that it simply wouldn’t work without such a strong ensemble holding it all together. The pacing and timing demanded of each performer must be absolutely spot on, and thankfully, there are no misses here.
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| Photo by Manuel Harlan |
The scenic design by Dots and the costume design by Holly Pierson beautifully capture the period without ever tipping into excess. The Trafalgar Theatre feels like the perfect home for a show like this too. Even from the back of the auditorium, there’s a real sense of intimacy with the stage. Every creative element works in harmony, coming together to create something genuinely wonderful, with each piece fitting the puzzle effortlessly.
I don’t think I’ve been taken aback by a show like that in a long time. Normally, you can sense where things are heading, but here my expectations were surpassed every single time those lights lifted. The writing by Cole Escola is so clever and, while I would pay a lot of money to see them in this production, I think it’s a marvellous feat to write something that can be portrayed and interpreted by such a wide variety of performers, and work each and every time. I can’t quite believe that the story isn’t 100% real because it’s baffling how someone can come up with such a ridiculous story that appears entirely true based on the electric depictions from these actors.
I sincerely hope this play enjoys a long, healthy life in the West End and earns every ounce of recognition it so richly deserves. At the very least, I’m already picturing Olivier nominations - and, frankly, wins don’t feel like a stretch. Oh, Mary! is currently playing at the Trafalgar Theatre until 25 April 2026, though one can only hope this is merely the beginning and that an extension is inevitable.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tickets for Oh, Mary! are available through London Box Office by visiting https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/oh-mary-tickets
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| Photo by Manuel Harlan |
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