About the Show

Three women in Tudor England uncover dangerous truths as royal rumors mirror their own lives.

In Tudor England, three women rush to their old meeting spot in Essex, eager to share gossip from London. Rumors swirl about a conflict between King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn, while a more local rumor begins to spread, threatening their community. As the women realize how the royal drama mirrors their own rural lives, they must confront difficult choices, each leading to violence.

Critic Reviews (10)

"Anne Boleyn's fate is a strong catalyst for this colourfully anachronistic exploration of sexual politics"
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“1536 is a droll and perceptive period piece that’s also a searing and unsettling contemporary feminist drama.”
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“This is an original and exciting debut, given an exceptional production by director Lyndsey Turner and an outstanding cast.”
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“It’s a bold, idiosyncratic and disturbingly funny work that slightly overplays its hand towards the end.”
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“What you actually get is the kind of simplistic, feminist-lite drama about the evils of patriarchy that you normally encounter in a one-hour slot at the Edinburgh Fringe.”
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"extremely funny debut refreshes the tired story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn by filtering it through the perspective of three market village girls who look like Tudor peasants but speak like potty-mouthed Gen Zedders.”
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“The play’s greatest tragedy is the warping of their relationship by the patriarchal hierarchy in which they are forced to exist.”
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"1536 is an effortlessly funny, bold and ballsy play"
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Cast and creative team