1536
30 May 2025
Almeida Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Another fantastic production at the Almeida theatre, 1536 runs until Saturday only and is almost completely sold out. If you can grab a ticket before the run finishes, run to see this stunning show!
It is 1536, three young women in Essex grapple with their place in the world and changing attitudes towards women. Anne Boleyn has been arrested by her husband and rumour has it she is to be put to death for treason. Surely a king cannot kill his queen. But as the seemingly far away drama unfolds and news from London trickle in bit by bit, while Anna, Jane, and Mariella have to make difficult decisions that will change their lives forever.
The young women are faced with their lack of agency in a world where others decide women’s professions, husbands, social standing and more. While some try to submit to a cruel world that doesn’t let them be who they are, others rebel and try to find a way to enact some power within the boundaries of their little lives. But when the news of the adulterous queen spreads through the countryside, women are under more scrutiny than ever and violence seems to loom around every corner.
There is an oppressive tension throughout the 110 minute production, with a moody background soundscape that occasionally swells to song. The characterisation of the three young women is very thorough, portraying three entirely different women who struggle with the status quo in their very own way while trying to support their contrasting friends. From Mariella who has been forced to follow her aunt’s footsteps to becoming a midwife, over plain Jane who just wants to be a good wife to a husband chosen by her family, to wilful Anna who doesn’t know where she could possibly belong while dreaming of moving to the big city and starting a new life. The three couldn’t be more different, and yet they feel like real women you have definitely met at some point in your life.
1536 is a stunning show that leave a bitter aftertaste as audiences grapple with how little has really changed in the last five centuries for women. A gorgeous show with a dark tone and wonderfully rounded characters, excellent pacing and a heartbreaking story to tell.
