Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre Review
Mason Alexander Park (Mary Todd Lincoln) Photo: Manuel Harlan
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Actor and comedian Cole Escola’s debut was nominated for Best Play at the 2025 Tony Awards, with Escola winning Best Actor in a Play and Sam Pinkleton picking up the award for Best Direction. This dark comedy has now crossed the Pond for a limited London run, with Pinkleton once again on board as Director and the titular role taken by a former Cabaret Emcee, Mason Alexander Park.
This queer retelling of President Lincoln’s assassination puts his wife firmly at the centre of the action. Mary Todd Lincoln is presented as a bawdy drunk and a cabaret legend (at least in her own mind). She yearns to be on stage performing her “madcap medleys” instead of following more acceptable pursuits for America’s First Lady – pursuits that definitely don’t involve heavy drinking and pushing people downstairs “because it’s hilarious”.
Oh, Mary! Is a very difficult show to discuss without giving away spoilers (read on, this is a spoiler free review!) but suffice to say that when Escola and Pinkleton say in their programme notes that they intended to surprise people, it’s clear that they have easily achieved this objective. And then some! Each surprise was brilliantly timed, drawing gasps and howls of laughter from the audience. A combination of excellent writing and direction ensures that every joke lands in this 80 minute romp through a slice of American history.
The set (from design collective dots) is simple but very effective – we’re in the Oval Office (taking us back to a simpler time before a certain Donald J Trump plastered everything in gold) – with large double doors on each side of the President’s desk suggesting we are in for a classic farce. And while there certainly are some excellently played farcical elements to the performance, Oh, Mary! offers a lot more than the usual tropes of mistaken identity and misunderstandings. Its comedy is fast-paced, often absurd, very silly and very very funny.
The whole show is completely ridiculous, so it’s a credit to the direction and performances that the characters do not come across as one dimensional caricatures – everybody fully commits to the absurdity and chaos with every move and reaction, maximising the comedy potential.
There is not a weak link in the cast and everybody has a moment to shine in the chaotic spotlight. Stand out performances come from Dino Fetscher and Giles Terera. Their sparring and interactions with Mary are perfectly pitched - raucous, bawdy and utterly lacking in the stiff moral conventions of 19th Century society.
Taking on the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, Mason Alexander Park is exceptional – their comic timing is phenomenal and they give a physical performance that brings the house down. Whether they are whirling like a dervish or simply walking across the stage, every move has been considered and perfected so as to fully inhabit this most chaotic of characters. Wearing a huge hooped skirt, part of Holly Pierson’s brilliant costume design, Park is mesmerising and it’s hard to take your eyes off them. Every barbed comment or melodramatic over-reaction is a masterclass of a performance.
Oh, Mary! is like nothing else that you will see in the West End at the moment. It’s probably not for everybody as it is unashamedly stupid. But, if you enjoy your comedy loud and proud and more than a little bit bawdy, this bonkers reimagining of American history (actually, make that HERstory) is a must see show.
Oh, Mary! runs at the Trafalgar Theatre until Saturday 25th April 2026. Find out more and book here.
★★★★
