Three young women living in a village in Essex discuss the news from London following the arrest of Anne Boleyn, prior to which the most exciting thing that had happened was finding a frog! Protagonist Anna boldly claims that the death of the village baker would have more impact on her life, than the death of the King, little knowing that the misogyny of Henry VIII's court would soon be mirrored in her own life.
As the trial of Anne Boleyn proceeds and the allegations against her become known, attitudes towards women start to change in the village and we watch this play out in the developing relationships. Anna is exciting, sexy and beautiful, but poor and unsuitable for a wife. Jane is plain quiet and good – perfect wife material. However, marriage doesn't turn out to be a bed of roses for her. Mariella is still hurt from the love of her life marrying someone else. She is kept busy as the village midwife. These women have little power but are magnetic in the energy they share, as forces begin to swell against them.
It is fast-paced, witty and tragic. It uses modern-day language to enliven the action, making the characters very relatable. We like these women! They are feisty and funny, they tease, they argue and snipe, but love each other. All three women are masterfully portrayed by Tanya Reynolds, Siena Kelly and Liv Hill, each showing huge range and talent. The male actors are superb too, in particular Oliver Johnstone is absolutely horrid, and yet very recognisable! This resulted in spontaneous audience applause at one act of retribution.
The play is set on a hill outside the village. The scene is expertly created and lit by Max Jones and Jack Knowles; whilst never changing location, we experience a blazing summer day, eerie nightfall, fiery sunsets and a blustery storm. This is supported by impressive sound design so that the set accurately reflects the emotion of each scene, giving us an eerie yet beautiful forewarning of things to come.
Lyndsey Turner's direction is crystal clear. She draws out the emotional trauma of the play through her players without resorting to stereotypes or preaching. What starts as a comedy is slowly stripped away and we experience how terrifying it must have been to be a woman at that point in history. The writing is very clever and extremely funny, which stops the play from becoming unbearably dark and worrying.
The friendship between the three women is so familiar that we are invested in the action throughout, never siding with one against the other. You want all these women to survive and are rooting for them throughout.
The underlying themes of the play resonate in today's world of Andrew Tate and his followers. It is no wonder that Ava Pickett won the Critics' Circle Theatre Award and the Standard Theatre Award for most promising playwright.
This is theatre at its very best. Go see it if you can!
1536 is at the Ambassadors Theatre until 1st August
It runs until 1 August. Tickets: here.
Review: Emma Foxhall Photos Helen Murray