Smart. Scrappy. Savage. 1536, the “electrifying” (The Standard) historical drama with a modern edge, transfers to the West End following a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre – don’t miss your chance to see this “effortlessly funny, bold and ballsy” (The Guardian) must-see new play.
Written by Ava Pickett, winner of the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and directed by Lyndsey Turner (Chimerica), this “razor-sharp, darkly comic and blisteringly relevant” (The Independent) new play explores the dynamics of female friendship in a world stacked against women.
Kings don’t kill their wives, right?
Tudor England.
A field in Essex.
Three women hurry to their childhood meeting place, thirsty for gossip from London.
Word spreads of a clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn. And closer to home, another rumour begins to catch fire.
As these women begin to see echoes of the royal drama in their own rural lives and a rise in violence spreads throughout the land, the actions of a queen imprisoned in a tower threaten to cost them everything.
Playing for a strictly limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre with previews from 2 May 2026, don’t miss your chance to experience this “wonderfully vibrant, cracking debut” (The Guardian).
BSL Interpreted:
Captioned:
Important Information
Contains strong language, violence and explicit scenes.Age Restrictions
Ages 14+.Now taking bookings for performances from Sat 2nd May 2026 until Sat 1st August 2026.
Show times for each day are below.
Mon
7.30pm
Tue
7.30pm
Wed
7.30pm
Thu
-
Fri
7.30pm
Sat
2.30pm
7.30pm
Sun
-
Bus routes: (Charing Cross Road) 14, 19, 38, 24, 29, 176
Night buses: (Charing Cross Road) 14, 24, 176, N5, N19, N29, N38, N41, N279
Nearest rail: Charing Cross
Tube lines: Piccadilly, Northern
Nearest tube: Leicester Square
Directions
from Leicester Square :
(5mins) Take Cranbourn Street away from Leicester Square until St Martin’s Lane, where you head left up to West Street. The theatre’s on your left past St Martin’s Theatre.
Car park: Chinatown (5mins)
In congestion zone?: Yes
Air conditioned
Bar
Infrared hearing loop
Toilets
Please note: The location shown on the map is an approximate location of the theatre. In the majority of cases the theatre will be marked on the map so please make sure you locate the exact location yourself. If the theatre is not shown on the map please make sure you locate the correct road name and take account of the directions.
1536
Ambassadors Theatre, London
Running until: Sat 1st August 2026
Running time: 2hr. No Interval.