We round up the reviews for Ava Pickett’s play running at the Islington based theatre until the 7th June.
The Guardian: **** “Directed with wit and vigour by Lyndsey Turner, 1536 is both an easy and a deeply unsettling watch. The contemporary parallels sometimes feel slightly overplayed and, dare I say it, I could have seen more of the men. When they do appear, the scenes glimmer with menace and we are plunged into a world where even the slightest gesture – the refusal to eat a sweet, say – feels fraught with an all-too recognisable danger.”
West End Best Friend: **** “1536 is a compelling and accomplished debut by Ava Pickett, a fresh and timeless story of womanhood told by a fantastic cast through a unique historical lens.”
Time Out: **** “1536 is a droll and perceptive period piece that’s also a searing and unsettling contemporary feminist drama. I suspect that like the Almeida’s recent smash The Years, women may identify with 1536 a little more strongly than men – it’s ultimately about the female experience, not the male one, who don’t come out in a great light. But we should all listen.”
Everything Theatre: ***** “This political message transcends the setting to make the show urgent for today’s politics. By using the early modern setting to explore the issue of the radicalisation of men to extremist patriarchalanger, 1536 effectively interrogates modern gender dynamics.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** “1536 is a phenomenal piece of theatre – with imaginative staging, great pace and excellent performances from the five cast members. The use of contemporary language makes it feel very relevant to modern society – highlighting the devastating consequences of violent misogyny. By using Anne Boleyn, surely one of British history’s most maligned women, as a hook it issues an important warning that resonates across the ages.”
The Telegraph: *** “This effervescent debut refreshes the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn by filtering it through the perspective of three village girls.”
The Independent: **** “The themes of female friendships, misogyny and the trickle-down effects of patriarchy are as present today as they are in this play set 500 years ago.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “Towards the end, Pickett’s grasp of her narrative slips and too many things happen at once. But the performances never waver, even when submerged with plot. Reynolds combines pin-sharp comic timing with a heartbreaking ability to let her smile fade from her face; Hill brings great pathos to Jane, determined to be good, to keep her eyes down, while Kelly’s wire-cracker vitality makes Anna’s trajectory all the more convincing. As representatives of the men who repress and oppress them, Angus Cooper and Adam Hugill both play their part.”
The Reviews Hub: **** “There is more than enough meat to sustain the drama for its 110-minute running time, and performing it without an interval helps greatly in building up intensity. Under the assured direction of Lindsey Turner, 1536 moves effortlessly from inconsequential comedy to high drama, leading up to a climax that is memorably powerful.”
London Theatre 1: **** “There’s some flair and humour in the dialogue, which stops this from being as dark and depressing as, say, The Duchess of Malfi. For a debut play, this is extremely promising stuff from Ava Pickett. Even if there are so many f-words that they quickly lose whatever dramatic emphasis they were supposed to have.”
North West End UK: **** “With all the hallmarks of a modern classic, and a powerhouse of creative brilliance behind it, Ava Pickett’s 1536 is exactly what the industry needs. If you can get a ticket, don’t you dare miss it. This is the next big thing.”
Broadway World: **** Pickett marks herself as a skilled writer, with perfectly pitched pacing and controlled tone: this is the kind of objectively engaging, well-written play the Almeida is known for.”
The Stage: **** “Debut play about female friendship and male power by TV dramatist Ava Pickett is vividly engaging.”
The Arts Desk: **** “Ava Pickett’s award-winning début play, 1536, is a foul-mouthed, furious, frenetically funny ride through the lives of three young women living in Henry VIII’s England in the year of Anne Boleyn’s execution.”
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