BLOODY MARY AND THE NINE DAY QUEEN at the Union Theatre, London

The last year or so has offered UK audiences an elixir of British history in theatres and on the screen. An absolute joy. Wolf Hall, Six, Hamnet to name but a few.  Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen takes us beyond the death of Henry VIII, to a time of political and economic upheaval, where the throne accession was in turmoil and religion was at odds.

Cezarah Bonner as Mary, Anna Unwin as Jane – photo Colin Perkins

Written by Gareth Hides with Anna Unwin and directed by Adam Stone, Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen tells of two queens of England: Mary and her 17 year old cousin, Lady Jane Grey. It is a story of power, of self-preservation against a back drop of betrayal and coercion. The tragedy is Jane’s but we might say that Mary’s childhood and adult years were likewise tragic. Tudor history is captivating and this lesser played tale of the daughter of Catherine of Aragon and niece of Anne Boleyn is one of intrigue and violence.

Presented as a musical, Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen recounts a chapter of history filled with conspiracy and scheming. It is the story of the Catholic daughter of the discarded Catherine of Aragon and her younger Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey. A period cloaked in darkness and, dare I say, much manipulation by those greedy for power, in this case the Duke of Northumberland, protector of the young King Edward VI portrayed here as a puppet with Northumberland his puppet master; a young King whose early demise left an opening for the throne of England. Determined to maintain the protestant faith the scheming Northumberland made plans for his daughter in law, Lady Jane Grey, to take the throne in Mary’s place; and so began the battle for rule and religious supremacy. A play of manipulation with both the young Edward and the innocent Jane having their strings pulled by the scheming Northumberland, played with high energy by Constantine Andronikou.

Constatine Andronikou as Northumberland, Anna Unwin and Gareth Hides: photo Colin Perkins

The young Jane, Queen for just 9 days, was no match for Bloody Mary, so called for her persecution of Protestants in a vain attempt to restore Catholicism in England. Despite Mary’s reluctance to punish her cousin at first, Lady Jane was too great a threat and so received the ultimate punishment, death. Protestant heroine, puppet or martyr? The jury is still out.

Who can forget  Paul Delaroche’s portrait  in London’s National Gallery which encapsulates the tragedy of the young teenage Queen. Would this production have a similar effect on this reviewer?

The portrait in the National Gallery is a lasting image of the death of this young girl. (The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (detail), by Paul Delaroche, © National Gallery London 2017

Featuring Cezarah Bonner as Mary and (writer) Anna Unwin as Jane, there is no denying the power of their performances, in both their dramatic portrayals and the quality of their voices to the accompaniment of  three-piece band (MD/piano, David Gibson; drums, Migdalla Van Der Hoven; violin, Yvonne Yo). Allowing for a few standout numbers in this exhausting score and with bold attempts at humour this production had heart and commitment. An enthusiastic cast, not least of whom were the titular leads, complemented by strong performances of Constantine Andronikou , Johnnie Benson as Jane’s love Guildford and Gareth Hides as Henry Grey.  

And yet! The distractions of the humour and the numerous songs of the score masked much of the more tender and emotional elements of this supremely sad chapter in history. Similarly there were nods to other productions and Mary’s appeal to the audience as her populace bore a striking similarity to Evita, but enough said. The references were not lost on the audience, ranging from Hamilton to Queen (the band) which offered some relief but shadowed the intensity.

Costumes were certainly effective and the ornate red velvet of Mary compared to the virginal cream simplicity of Jane marked the power differences. Ella Burrell’s simple but considered staging used the space well, with a throne to the left and the execution block at the front, reminders of what was to come.

The two hours passed swiftly and seamlessly but I can’t help feeling that Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen may need to go through a few phases to achieve its optimum. A shortening of the score and fewer (dare I say) corny moments of humour might save what could be an interesting production of a rarely presented piece of Tudor history.

Photos Colin Perkins

Running time 2 hours 25 minutes, including an interval.

 Union Theatre  Old Union Arches, 229 Union Street, London SE1 0LR Playing until 29 October 2025

Playing until 29 October 2025