1536 to transfer to the West End

Exclusive: Ava Pickett’s hit play 1536, directed by Lyndsey Turner, will transfer to the West End next spring.

The play, set in Tudor England, centres on three women in Essex whose lives are disrupted by rumours spreading from the court of Henry VIII concerning the fall of Anne Boleyn.

Pickett said that “it’s hard to put into words how much this whole process has meant to me so I’m going to resort to cliché and say it’s beyond my wildest dreams – which still feels a bit like I’m downplaying it.” 

She explained that “1536 was written in response to the never-ending stories in the news about violence against women. It asks the question if a King can kill his wife in a palace, how does that impact three working class women in Essex? Because the world we live in has not changed as much as we are made to believe, because what happens in the corridors of power still bleeds down, as it always has.” 

It will now open at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End for a strictly limited run from 2 May to 1 August 2026.

The West End production follows a sold-out engagement at the Almeida Theatre, where it premiered earlier this year, being described as “an impressive, involving evening marking Pickett as a real talent to watch.” Casting for the West End run will be announced at a later date.

The news rounds off a wildly successful year for the playwright and screenwriter, whose five-star adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma was widely lauded following its run at the Rose Theatre in Kingston. In 2026, she will also premiere two new shows – The Manningtree Witches at Mercury Theatre in Colchester and Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, opening at Stratford East. On the film side, she’s also cooking up a big-screen version based on the life of Joan of Arc with Baz Luhrmann.

You can listen to her discuss all of these projects on the WhatsOnStage Podcast:

Pickett’s debut script has won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the award for Best Writer at the Stage Debut Awards.

The production’s creative team includes Turner as director, Max Jones as set and costume designer, Jack Knowles as lighting designer, Tingying Dong as sound designer, Anna Morrissey as movement and intimacy director, and Will Stuart as composer and arranger. Casting is by Amy Ball.

The show is produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Annapurna Theatre and the Almeida Theatre.

Tickets start at £20 (on sale from later today) and the running time is approximately two hours without an interval.