Hilariously wild or wildly unfunny

Trafalgar Theatre

A huge success on Broadway, this totally fictional portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln and her President husband Abraham had some critics in  stitches and others scratching their heads. The show is written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, who was responsible for the Broadway production. Non-binary actor Mason  Alexander Park stars with Giles Terera.

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4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Independent’s Alice Saville loved it: ‘This imaginary version of Mary is a captivating creation – melodramatic, childish, and monstrously self-absorbed…non-binary actor Mason Alexander Park plays the part with the dark energy of a crinolined poltergeist, their black ringlets bobbing as they smash up Lincoln’s presidential office in search of forbidden gin.’ She explained: ‘Escola’s play basically sits in a genre of its own, one that mixes the farcical humour of am-dram classics like Charley’s Aunt with the disturbing queer energy of early John Waters films.’

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish was a fan: ‘this knowingly bogus portrait of the First Lady as a dipsomaniac and frustrated cabaret star is a riot, laced with a truth about the necessity of self-expression, in which American actor Mason Alexander Park gives the funniest performance in town (…) in a bullet-fast 80 minutes, it delivers a transgressive charge, and finishes the West End year on a screamingly silly high.’

LondonTheatre‘s Marianka Swain praised the ‘tour-de-force turn from Mason Alexander Park, who tears into the material like a ravenous tiger. Park hits every note with absolute comic precision: Mary’s infantile narcissism, crippling boredom, devilish humour, and, when presented with a hunky new acting teacher in tight breeches, all-consuming lust.’

‘It’s an absolute hoot’ said The Standard‘s Nick Curtis. ‘This show can’t see a top without going over it. Park’s performance is the polar opposite of subtle but it is exactingly precise and finely detailed. Their attempts to get down from a desk in Mary’s Husband’s office … is a masterpiece of physical comedy. Their timing and delivery is impeccable.’

Holly O’Mahony for The Stage was another fan of the lead: ‘Park’s Mary is riveting, and just as watchable during fiery exchanges with her husband (a no-nonsense Giles Terera), as in giddy lessons with her acting teacher (Dino Fetscher) and when bullying her chaperone (Kate O’Donnell).’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Time Out’s Andrjez Lukowski was confused: ‘I didn’t hate this lurid cabaret about Abraham Lincoln’s wife. But after the slew of American critics describing the life-changing injuries they’d suffered from laughing so hard at Sam Pinkleton’s production, the whole thing just felt a bit… ’70s? A little bit Airplane!, a little bit Benny Hill, maybe even a touch of Mr Bean… Really it’s broad, dated humour salvaged by a tremendous cast headed by Jamie Lloyd veteran Mason Alexander Park as Mary and the redoubtable Giles Terera as ‘Mary’s husband’ (ie Abe).’

Aliya Al-Hussan for BroadwayWorld couldn’t get on board: ‘There are some funny moments and the energy never flags, but the overall feeling is that you are watching an 80-minute-long comedy sketch.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar didn’t get it: ‘Escola’s show left US audiences in stitches with its camp chaos but contains the kind of low-hanging fruit that Kenny Everett’s team might have rejected.’ She pulled it apart: ‘I felt cheated of story, character, wit or wonder’. Unlike the Telegraph critic who felt it was about’the necessity of self-expression’, she was left puzzled: ‘Satire and black comedy as genres are built to accommodate social observation and acid critique, but there is none of that here.’

The Times’ Clive Davis was at his most acid: ‘What’s the most positive thing I can say about this much-trumpeted ultra-camp import from New York, hailed as one of the hottest tickets of the year? Well, thank heavens it’s only 80 minutes long.’ He couldn’t understand some of the audience’s ‘maniacal cackling’ at what ‘is really a Saturday Night Live sketch stretched to improbable lengths.’ It left him in a thoughtful mood: ‘We are living in a strange world. A clown is in the White House, and this show is riding high on Broadway. Can things get any madder?’

Critics’average rating: 3.3⭑

Value rating 37 (Value rating is the Average Rating divided by the most common weekend ticket price)

Oh, Mary! can be seen at the Trafalgar Theatre until 18 July 2026. Buy tickets directly.

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