Ava Pickett’s Tudor Drama ‘1536’ Gets Margot Robbie as Producer, BBC Adaptation
Playwright Ava Pickett’s ‘1536’, a hit at the Almeida in 2025, has transferred to the West End with Margot Robbie as a new producer and a BBC adaptation in the works. The play, directed by Lyndsey Turner, follows three young women in Tudor Essex during Anne Boleyn’s arrest and execution. Pickett, who started writing after a failed acting career, wrote the play in response to news of violence against women. The cast includes Tanya Reynolds, Siena Kelly, and Liv Hill. Pickett has also written Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming film ‘Joan of Arc’. The play runs at the Ambassadors Theatre until August 1.
Key facts
- ‘1536’ is set in Tudor England during Anne Boleyn’s arrest.
- The play had a sold-out run at the Almeida in 2025.
- Margot Robbie is now a producer of the play.
- The play has transferred to the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre.
- It runs until August 1.
- A BBC adaptation is planned.
- The play is written by Ava Pickett and directed by Lyndsey Turner.
- Pickett wrote the play after being affected by news of violence against women.
- The cast includes Tanya Reynolds, Siena Kelly, and Liv Hill.
- Pickett has written Baz Luhrmann’s next film ‘Joan of Arc’.
- Pickett started writing after failing as an actor and working in a cinema.
- She learned screenwriting by googling and using free software Celtx.
Entities
Artists
- Ava Pickett
- Margot Robbie
- Lyndsey Turner
- Tanya Reynolds
- Siena Kelly
- Liv Hill
- Baz Luhrmann
- Tony McNamara
- Anne Boleyn
Institutions
- Almeida Theatre
- Ambassadors Theatre
- BBC
- The Times
- The Guardian
- London Theatre
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Dublin
- Ireland
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Essex
- England
- West End