BLOODY MARY AND THE NINE DAY QUEEN
Union Theatre
★★★½
“a tantalising, often moving work”
In the shadow of the Tower, where Tudor ghosts still whisper, a new musical dares to tread familiar ground. Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen is a production of compelling contrasts—historically meticulous yet emotionally reserved, musically ambitious yet narratively cautious.
When it comes to the Tudor period—a historical gold mine that has been thoroughly excavated—any new production might answer one ultimate question: What fresh perspective does it bring? Here, the script wears its research like royal velvet. The portrayal of the “power-hungry Duke of Northumberland lurking in the background” captures the political sickness that infected England as Edward VI lay dying. History is not merely a backdrop but a character—one rendered with integrity, if not quite emotional depth.
Musically, the score is a rich tapestry. Under David Gibson’s spirited musical direction, the live band weaves soul, jazz, and rock into a soundscape that feels both timeless and urgent. Anna Unwin, who co-wrote the show and embodies Jane Grey, lends her a fragile grace. Her recurring theme, tenderly reprised at the close, serves as the show’s conscience—a soft, tragic lament for a queen who never wished to rule. Yet for all its melodic breadth, few tunes linger once the curtain falls.
Where the production truly falters, however, is in its promise of a dual portrait. This is, in truth, Jane’s story. Mary—Cezarah Bonner’s performance simmering with unspoken depth—is left waiting in the wings, her journey from disinherited princess to “Bloody Mary” sketched in shorthand. We hear of her pain, but we are never invited inside it. In a story of two women crushed by the same machine, we only fully witness one. In a dual role, Gareth Hides both writes and portrays Henry Grey, a pivotal contribution to this production
The balance between serious tragedy and comedic relief also feels unsteady. Constantine Andronikou, as Northumberland, impresses with his strong tenor voice. Though the fourth-wall breaks and tonal shifts sometimes clash with the gravity of the subject. The first half builds tension effectively around the political conspiracy, while the second struggles to sustain that momentum—a structural imbalance that leaves the narrative feeling top-heavy.
Visually, the early reveal of the execution block saps the story of suspense—a heavy-handed symbol in a plot that might have trusted its audience to trace the path to the scaffold. The costume design stands out as refined, especially considering the intimate scale of the theatre.
Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen is, ultimately, a show of quiet potential. It resurrects history with care but hesitates to reimagine it. It gives us Jane’s heart, but keeps Mary’s soul locked away—a tantalising, often moving work that feels one daring rewrite away from greatness.
BLOODY MARY AND THE NINE DAY QUEEN
Union Theatre
Reviewed on 25th October 2025
by Portia Yuran Li
Photography by Colin Perkins
Previously reviewed at this venue:
DEAD MOM PLAY | ★★★ | April 2025
DUDLEY ROAD | ★★ | January 2025
NOOK | ★★½ | August 2024
WET FEET | ★★★★ | June 2024
THE ESSENCE OF AUDREY | ★★★★ | February 2024
