The complete casting has been announced for 1536, Ava Pickett’s Tudor-set play moving to the West End in May 2026. The production promises to build on the acclaim Pickett received following the play’s Almeida run and her recent awards.

The West End transfer of 1536 will open at the Ambassadors Theatre from 2 May to 1 August 2026, after a sold-out premiere at the Almeida last year. Directed by Lyndsey Turner, the play focuses on three women in Essex affected by court rumours during Henry VIII’s reign, particularly concerning Anne Boleyn’s fall.

Siena Kelly, Tanya Reynolds, and Liv Hill reprise their roles as Anna, Mariella, and Jane from the Almeida production. They will be joined by Oliver Johnstone as Richard and George Kemp, known for High Noon, as William. The company is further supplemented by Harry Bradley, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel, and Sydney Spencer in understudy roles.

Ava Pickett’s debut work has earned her the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and Best Writer at the Stage Debut Awards. She was also named one of WhatsOnStage’s theatre faces to watch in 2026, solidifying her growing reputation following the play’s initial critical success.

This month, Pickett premiered The Manningtree Witches at Mercury Theatre Colchester and has another play, Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, due at Stratford East later in the year. She is also developing a film about Joan of Arc with Baz Luhrmann.

The creative team includes Max Jones (set and costume design), Jack Knowles (lighting), Tingying Dong (sound), Anna Morrissey (movement and intimacy), Will Stuart (composer), Sam Lyon-Behan (fight director), and Edda Sharpe (dialect coach). Amy Ball is responsible for casting.

Produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap, Sonia Friedman Productions, Annapurna Theatre, and the Almeida Theatre, 1536 continues to highlight the interest in new voices reimagining historical narratives for contemporary audiences.