Catherine Tate stepping into the role of Mary Todd Lincoln is the kind of casting that makes perfect sense the moment you hear it. The BAFTA-winning comic actress, best known for The Catherine Tate Show and her iconic run on Doctor Who, brings exactly the kind of heightened, fearless comedy that Cole Escola's Tony-winning play demands. Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre has been one of the West End's most talked-about comedies since its December 2025 opening, and this new chapter gives audiences an entirely fresh reason to book.

Tate takes over from Mason Alexander Park - whose final performance is Saturday 25 April 2026 - and plays Mary from 27 April through to the newly extended closing night of 18 July 2026. Joining her is Scott Karim as Mary's Husband from Monday 16 March, following Giles Terera's final performance on Saturday 14 March. Tickets start from £44 on tickadoo.

What Is Oh, Mary! About?

Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy that places Mary Todd Lincoln front and centre in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Written by comedian and performer Cole Escola, the play imagines Mary as a frustrated, booze-soaked cabaret dreamer suffocated by her public role as First Lady and her marriage to a man who has very different private interests. It runs 80 minutes with no interval - sharp, relentless, and genuinely hilarious.

Escola's script doesn't aim for historical accuracy and makes no apology for that. The play won two Tony Awards on Broadway - Best Leading Actor in a Play and Best Direction of a Play - and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The New York Times called it "one of the best comedies in years." That reputation preceded its West End transfer, and London audiences have confirmed it lives up to every word.

The full cast alongside Tate includes Kate O'Donnell as Mary's Chaperone, Oliver Stockley as Mary's Husband's Assistant, and Dino Fetscher as Mary's Teacher. Director Sam Pinkleton and the complete creative team from Broadway - including designer dots, costume designer Holly Pierson, and sound designer Daniel Kluger - remain intact for the London run.

Why Catherine Tate Changes Everything

If you saw Oh, Mary! with Mason Alexander Park and wondered whether a new lead could match that energy, the answer is: this is a different energy entirely, and that's the point. Park brought otherworldly, androgynous chaos to the role. Tate brings decades of expertly crafted comic performance, a gift for character work, and a very particular kind of British straight-faced absurdism that suits the material brilliantly.

Her West End track record is long and varied - from Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham's to The Enfield Haunting at the Ambassadors, from National Theatre productions to the Menier Chocolate Factory. She is a theatre performer of real range, and the role of Mary Todd Lincoln - petulant, grand, self-pitying, and secretly desperate - plays directly into her strengths. The character is essentially an extended comic sketch with genuine emotional undertow. That is Tate's home territory.

Scott Karim, joining as Mary's Husband from 16 March, brings his own impressive stage pedigree. His recent credits include the RSC's Wendy & Peter Pan at the Barbican and productions at the National Theatre, the Young Vic, and Shakespeare's Globe. The dynamic between Mary and her Husband is central to the play's comedy, and Karim's casting adds real theatrical weight to that relationship.

Insider Tips for Booking Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre

Book for the Thursday double-bill evenings if your schedule allows - the 5.30pm and 8.45pm slots on Thursdays are worth considering for back-to-back performances with friends, or if you want the earlier show as a pre-dinner option before eating out around Covent Garden or Whitehall.

Trafalgar Theatre is compact - around 630 seats across Stalls and Circle - which means there genuinely isn't a bad sightline in the house. That said, central Stalls from rows D to L put you right in the action, ideal for the close-up comedy timing this play relies on. The Dress Circle gives you a fuller picture of Sam Pinkleton's staging and the physical comedy choreography, which is worth seeing from above at least once.

Arrive 20-25 minutes before curtain. The theatre is on Whitehall and a short walk from both Charing Cross and Embankment stations. There is a bar in the foyer, and given the show runs 80 minutes without interval, you won't be ducking out mid-act for a drink. Pre-show is your window.

The show is recommended for ages 14 and above. It contains water-based haze and one gunshot effect - worth knowing if you're attending with anyone who is sensitive to those. The content is adult in tone throughout: sexual references, drinking, and absurdist takes on historical trauma are very much part of the package.

If you want to catch Mason Alexander Park's final weeks in the role, you have until Saturday 25 April. Catherine Tate opens on Monday 27 April and plays through 18 July. Both runs are worth seeing - and if you've already been once, this cast change is a genuine reason to return.

Book through tickadoo for e-tickets delivered instantly to your phone - no queuing at the box office, no printing required. Join the free tickadoo+ membership and you'll earn rewards on every booking, whether you're coming back for another West End show or planning a trip further afield.

Performance Schedule and Booking Details

Oh, Mary! plays Monday through Saturday at Trafalgar Theatre, 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY. Evening performances are at 7.30pm most nights, with Thursday split evenings at 5.30pm and 8.45pm, and Saturday matinees at 3.30pm. The booking period now runs until Saturday 18 July 2026.

Tickets start from £44. Browse dates and secure your seats for Oh, Mary! on tickadoo now - and if the Tony-winning comedy isn't quite your style, explore the full range of West End plays to find the right show for your night out.