Oh, Mary!

Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy at the Trafalgar Theatre in London, presented as a stand-up and comedy show. It follows Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks before the assassination of her husband, Abraham Lincoln.

The show is a one-act play written by Cole Escola, and it turns the historical story around Abraham Lincoln's assassination towards the life of his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. The production looks at her unhappiness, her feeling of being hemmed in, and the wishes she kept to herself, with the humour built on sharp, short lines and a strongly comic central character.

The material describes the piece as an 80-minute play, so it is a single continuous performance without an interval. Its tone is darkly comic, with themes of unrequited longing, alcoholism and repressed desire running through the story, so it suits audiences who enjoy irreverent comedy about historical figures rather than a conventional account of the period.

The Trafalgar Theatre, where the show is staged, presents concerts and shows in the centre of London. Oh, Mary! is aimed at theatregoers who want a comic, character-led evening with a fresh angle on a familiar period of American history.