1536 and hotel packages by London Theatre Breaks
Kings don’t kill their queens…. right? 1536 is funny, bold and ballsy. Three women meet to gossip as the events in King Henry VIII’s court start to effect their own lives. Book a 1536 ticket and hotel break for this electrifying production in London this summer.
1536 The Production
Smart. Scrappy. Savage. 1536, the “electrifying” (The Standard) historical drama with a modern edge, transfers to the West End following a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre – don’t miss your chance to see this “effortlessly funny, bold and ballsy” (The Guardian) must-see new play.
Written by Ava Pickett, winner of the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, directed by Lyndsey Turner (Chimerica) with Liv Hill (Three Girls), Siena Kelly (Black Mirror)M and Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) reprising their original roles, this “razor-sharp, darkly comic and blisteringly relevant” (The Independent) new play explores the dynamics of female friendship in a world stacked against women.
What’s the Story of 1536?
Kings don’t kill their wives, right? Camera zooms to a field in the Essex of Tudor England where three women hurry to their childhood meeting place, thirsty for gossip from London.
Word spreads of a clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn. And closer to home, another rumour begins to catch fire
As these women begin to see echoes of the royal drama in their own rural lives and a rise in violence spreads throughout the land, the actions of a queen imprisoned in a tower threaten to cost them everything.
Playing for a strictly limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre with previews from 2 May 2026, don’t miss your chance to experience this “wonderfully vibrant, cracking debut” (The Guardian).
1536 Hotel Breaks
1536 is 2 hours long and doesn’t have an interval, so when you are planning your evening, a nice pre-theatre meal sharing a bottle of wine may not lead to the most comfortable next 2 hours. So I would grab a snack first and then you have plenty of time to enjoy a meal later… or maybe main course first, pudding later.
What does that mean for your choice of hotel? Probably not a lot, but it is good to know that when you come out of the theatre it will still be quite light!
May and June can be expensive months for hotels in Theatreland, so if you are going to see 1536 I would look the other side of Shaftesbury Avenue into stylish Bloomsbury, where there are usually some great deals for both three star and four star hotels. within a 10 minute walk. In July prices start to drop, so the first week in the summer hols is usually a great time to pick up deals.
Hotels close to the Ambassador’s Theatre in West Street, London just near Covent Garden and Leicester Square include the 4 star Radisson Blu Mercer Street and Montcalm Piccadilly that both get 5 star review from Theatre Breaks guests.
1536 Performance Details
Running time: 2hr. No Interval.
Booking from: 02 May 2026 to 01 Aug 2026 at the Ambassadors Theatre in West Street, London, WC2H 9ND
Evening performances Monday to Saturday 19:30
Matinees Thursday 14 May and Wednesdays from =2o May and all Saturdays at 14:30
