The West End's funniest revolving door keeps spinning. Jinkx Monsoon, the two-time RuPaul's Drag Race champion and a bona fide Broadway star, will join the London company of Oh, Mary! as Mary Todd Lincoln, playing a strictly limited six-week engagement at the Trafalgar Theatre from 17 August to 26 September 2026. It is the latest twist in one of the cleverest casting relays in town: Catherine Tate hands the bonnet to the show's creator Cole Escola in July, and Escola hands it to Monsoon in August. Tickets for the whole run are on sale now through tickadoo from £36.59 (price verified 12 June 2026). tickadoo is built by the founders of London Theatre Direct, and we have rarely seen a comedy turn casting announcements into events quite like this one. Here is everything you need to know.
At a glance (live price verified 12 June 2026)
- The news: Jinkx Monsoon plays Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! for six weeks, 17 August to 26 September 2026.
- The relay: Catherine Tate plays Mary until 18 July; writer and Broadway originator Cole Escola takes over from 20 July to 15 August; Monsoon follows.
- Where: the Trafalgar Theatre, London, with the production now booking through 2 January 2027 after three extensions.
- The pedigree: a Tony and Olivier Award-winning comedy, and Monsoon has already played Mary twice on Broadway.
- Tickets: Oh, Mary! tickets from £36.59.
Jinkx Monsoon's Mary: Broadway-tested, West End-bound
This is not stunt casting; it is a homecoming of sorts. Monsoon has already played Mary Todd Lincoln twice at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, first in a sold-out eight-week run in the summer of 2025 and again in a return engagement in early 2026, and the performance was greeted as one of the funniest takes on a role that has become a playground for great comic actors. The West End engagement is Monsoon's London theatre debut, which makes those six weeks a genuine event for anyone who has followed the Drag Race winner's improbable, irresistible conquest of the New York stage, from Chicago to Little Shop of Horrors to this.
The role rewards big swings. Each star who picks up Mary brings a completely different reading, and the production leans into it, which is why the show has turned its cast changes into box-office moments rather than footnotes.
What is Oh, Mary! about?
Cole Escola's comedy is a gleefully unhinged retelling of the days before Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seen through the eyes of his wife Mary, reimagined here as a frustrated, hard-drinking would-be cabaret star who dreams of escaping the White House for the stage. It is gloriously silly, surprisingly sharp and completely uninterested in historical accuracy, which is precisely the point. The play began life off-Broadway, transferred to Broadway's Lyceum Theatre in 2024 as a word-of-mouth phenomenon, collected Tony Awards including for Escola's own performance, and arrived in London to the same rapturous reception, adding Olivier recognition to the haul.
At around 80 minutes with no interval, it is the West End's most efficient night of laughter: in by eight, helpless by twenty past, out in time for dinner.
The Mary relay: who plays her and when
The Trafalgar Theatre production has turned the title role into a relay of comic heavyweights, and the summer schedule now looks like this:
- Until 18 July 2026: Catherine Tate continues her acclaimed run as Mary.
- 20 July to 15 August 2026: Cole Escola, the show's writer and original Broadway Mary, plays the role they created.
- 17 August to 26 September 2026: Jinkx Monsoon, in a strictly limited six-week engagement.
The production is currently booking through 2 January 2027 after extending three times, and further casting beyond September is yet to be announced. If you have a preferred Mary, book for her weeks specifically; if you cannot choose, there are worse problems than seeing it twice.
How to book Oh, Mary! tickets for Jinkx Monsoon's run
Oh, Mary! tickets are on sale through tickadoo from £36.59, verified on 12 June 2026. Monsoon's Broadway runs sold out fast, the London engagement is just six weeks, and the Trafalgar is one of the West End's more intimate houses, so the arithmetic is simple: book early, especially for weekends. Members of tickadoo+ save across West End bookings, which softens the blow if this announcement has just added a second visit to your calendar.
More comedy worth booking while you are at it
If 80 minutes of Oh, Mary! leaves you wanting more laughter, London's comedy bench is deep. All on sale through tickadoo with live prices verified on 12 June 2026.
- The Book of Mormon, from £25. Still the sharpest, naughtiest musical comedy in town, from the South Park creators.
- The Play That Goes Wrong, from £25. A masterclass in escalating chaos and the best pure farce on the West End.
- Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, from £42.69. For when you want your showstoppers with a darker edge, in an auditorium transformed into 1930s Berlin.
Frequently asked questions
When does Jinkx Monsoon star in Oh, Mary! in London?
Jinkx Monsoon plays Mary Todd Lincoln at the Trafalgar Theatre for a strictly limited six-week engagement from 17 August to 26 September 2026.
Who plays Mary Todd Lincoln before Jinkx Monsoon?
Catherine Tate plays Mary until 18 July 2026, and the show's writer Cole Escola, who originated the role on Broadway, plays it from 20 July to 15 August 2026, with Monsoon taking over from 17 August.
Has Jinkx Monsoon played Mary Todd Lincoln before?
Yes, twice on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre: a sold-out eight-week run in summer 2025 and a return engagement in early 2026. The London run marks Monsoon's West End debut.
What is Oh, Mary! about and how long is it?
It is Cole Escola's Tony and Olivier Award-winning comedy reimagining Mary Todd Lincoln as a hard-drinking would-be cabaret star in the days before Lincoln's assassination. It runs around 80 minutes with no interval.
How long is Oh, Mary! booking in the West End?
After three extensions driven by demand, the production at the Trafalgar Theatre is currently booking through 2 January 2027. Casting beyond September 2026 is still to be announced.
How much are Oh, Mary! tickets?
Tickets start from £36.59 through tickadoo, verified on 12 June 2026. Monsoon's six-week run is expected to be among the most in-demand of the year, so booking ahead is strongly advised.
Make a night of it
An 80-minute comedy is the perfect anchor for a proper evening out: dinner before, drinks after, no interval maths. Our guide to the perfect West End night out in 2026 has the playbook, our West End this week roundup tracks every opening, closing and cast change, and you can browse and book hundreds of London shows on the tickadoo London hub.
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