Oh, Mary! ★★★ Trafalgar Theatre | Dec 3, 2025 - Apr 25, 2026


Riffing on the long-standing rumours that Mary Todd Lincoln was an alcoholic and that her husband harboured homosexual tendencies, Oh, Mary! is a drag extravaganza with a sharp ahistorical and satirical edge. Its humour relies heavily on standard drag tropes. There is abundant mugging, snide asides, sexual puns, and what was once considered blue language. Much of this feels familiar, and the shocked laughter that taboo sexual references once provoked has been dulled by overuse. Indeed, anyone acquainted with the drag genre will see most of the jokes coming well in advance. That said, the production values are notably higher here than those of the average drag show. The set is handsomely appointed, and the use of music to underscore scenes is effective. Cole Escola’s script presents Mary as a bored housewife yearning to become a cabaret star. In an effort to keep Mary away from the bottle, her husband hires a teacher to give her acting lessons. The funniest moments actually emerge from these encounters when Mason Alexander Park as Mary and Dino Fetscher as her teacher parody the excesses and pretensions of the actor’s craft. Park’s Mary is a woman possessed by showtunes and relentless energy, and this is a deliberately unnuanced performance which merits the many laughs it generates. The piece leans heavily on slapstick, and many of the plot twists are predictable, but Director Sam Pinkleton paces the scene-skits well enough that they manage to hold the audience's interest. Fans of drag who enjoy its familiar conventions will find much to delight in here. Those for whom this is not the heel they would die in may prefer to sashay away.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Manuel Harlan

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY, UK

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