The much-hyped Broadway transfer 'Oh, Mary!' has opened in London's West End to a blistering one-star review, branded an 'infantile spoof' and a 'fatuous travesty' of American history. The production, which was a major hit in New York, is now playing at the Trafalgar Theatre with a new lead.
A Controversial Transfer from Broadway
Having taken New York by storm, winning Tony Awards for its author Cole Escola and director Sam Pinkleton, the comedy now features a significant recasting for its London run. Transgender actor Mason Alexander Park (who uses she/they pronouns) takes on the title role, previously played on Broadway by Jane Krakowski of '30 Rock' fame.
The play presents a wildly anachronistic and glib farce based on the life of 19th Century First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The review condemns the show for turning the historical figure—a woman who witnessed her husband's murder, battled depression, and outlived three of her four sons—into a shallow caricature of a cabaret artist wannabe.
Performance and Content Criticised
The critique describes Park's performance as akin to a 'spoilt brat at a birthday party', dressed in a large black hoop dress. The show's attempt at humour is said to rely on crude gags, including a profane blow-job joke and the exposure of polka dot bloomers. Park's vocal delivery is noted to veer between impressions of John Wayne and Liza Minnelli, while the script's jokes are reportedly signposted simply by being shouted louder.
Giles Terera MBE is singled out as giving a better performance in the role of Mary's long-suffering husband, Abraham Lincoln. The plot sees his character hiring an acting tutor, played by Dino Fetscher, for Mary, admiring his 'pretty face, and big ass'—a move that only worsens her behaviour.
A West End Flop?
Despite the show's Broadway success and celebrity attendance at its London opening night—including Sir Ian McKellen, James Norton, and Richard E. Grant—the review suggests the comedy fails to land. The critic notes that neither they nor their 21-year-old daughter, a fan of cabaret, laughed once during the 80-minute performance.
The central question posed is what the real Mary Todd Lincoln has done to deserve this treatment. The verdict is stark: not all that glitters on Broadway translates to gold in the West End. The production stands accused of being 'fake entertainment' that mocks a tragic historical figure for cheap, ineffective laughs.
