Bloody Mary – and the Nine Day Queen by Gareth Hides and Anna Unwin. The Union Theatre, 229 Union Street, London SE1 to 29 October 2025, 1☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Stuart Leeds.

Bloody Mary – and the Nine Day Queen by Gareth Hides and Anna Unwin. The Union Theatre, 229 Union Street, London SE1 to 29 October 2025,

1☆. Review: William Russell.

“Bloody awful.”

If you do not hurry you will miss this musical about the hapless Lady Jane Grey and her fate at the hands of Mary Tudor known as Bloody Mary. The best advice one can give in the circumstances is to take your time before trying to see it as the chances are then you will be too late. Just why anybody thought the story of Jane Grey, a pawn in the hands of the Duke of Northumberland and her father Henry Grey, should be turned into a musical comedy is impossible to understand. There might be a television serial, a play or an opera in his story but a musical comedy – because Bloody Mary is played for laughs – is not the way.  One of Henry VIII's sisters had married the Duke of Suffolk and Jane was descended from her and as Mary's cousin had a claim to the throne which her Protestant and self-serving elders decided to exploit. Mary was, of course, a Catholic and, while popular in the country would instantly change everything that had happened during the Reformation if she succeeded Edward V1. Jane was a Protestant so the status quo, under which the likes of Northumberland were doing very nicely, would end. Edward was a Protestant, but he was a sickly boy and was persuaded – he died aged sixteen - to declare his heir should be Jane who for nine days was queen of England.

The cast work hard and do what they are asked to do well enough and the two queens, Mary played by Cezarah Bonner, Jane played by Anna Unwin, are well enough sung while Constantine Andronikou as Northumberland delivers a pantomime villain performance which should ensure he works regularly every winter for as long as he likes. Director Adam Stone keeps them all whirling about the stage, the costumes by Elisabeth Hindse are handsome although she could have given Guildford Dudley, Jane’s unlucky husband, a top with sleeves that reached his wrists, while musical director David Gibson ensures the score gets played by decent small band as well as it possibly can. The puppet playing Edward V1 is ghastly and the whole show, a travesty of history, can be summed up in two words – bloody awful.

Cast

Cezarah Bonner – Mary

Anna Unwin – Jane

Constantin Andronikou – Northumberland

Johnnie Benson – Guildford Dudley

Gareth Hides – Henry Grey/John Feckenham

Picture to Puppet – Edward V1

Creatives

Director – Adam Stone

Musical Director – David Gibson

Movement Director – Erena Bordon Sanchez

Costume Designer – Elisabeth Hindse

Set & Prop Designer – Ella Burrell

Lighting Designer – Leigh Mulpeter