Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen – Union Theatre

Cezarah Bonner and Anna Unwin in Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen at the Union Theatre, London. Picture: Colin Perkins

Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen continues at the Union Theatre, London until 29 October 2025.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

The annals of our country’s history are rich with stories. So rich in fact that our schools rarely give us the opportunity to appreciate them. Whole sagas and battles are compressed into lists and reigns of monarchs become yet more dates and names to memorise. Under these conditions, it is too easy to forget the humanity of the real people involved, and this is too often the case with Lady Jane Grey – the “nine day queen”.

This teenage girl was by all accounts well educated and respected, but nonetheless was used by powerful nobles to keep control of England’s throne from her cousin Mary, whose Catholicism was a threat to the emergent Reformation. Despite Jane becoming Queen of England after Edward VI’s death, Mary had significant support across the nation from myriad groups galvanised in their opposition to the Protestant nobility. After just nine days in power, Mary took the crown from Jane and her brutal punishment of those who had stood in her way earned her the nickname that titles this play.

Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen takes its time telling this story over two acts and 26 songs, dwelling on the highs and the horrors of these extraordinary events. Written by Gareth Hides with Anna Unwin – who also star in this production – the piece feels deeply personal in a way some shows based on real events do not. For all the interesting historical factoids, it is the ruminations on faith that stand out and make the most emotional impact on even the non-religious in the audience – myself included. Hides and Unwin do not shy away from highlighting the numerous political factors that also influenced the decisions depicted in the play, yet even so they express their characters’ religious convictions movingly and with great compassion.

Of course, this isn’t two hours of intense theological rumination. We are also treated to plenty of comedy, dance, and even a fantastic puppet portraying Edward VI (made by Picture to Puppet). The shifts from tragedy to silliness and back again occasionally risk jarring and some of the humour verges on retrograde. For example, perhaps the extended segment featuring a very 1970s Spaniard caricature to represent Prince Phillip II of Spain is a clever nod to the bigoted furore England saw when Mary I married this foreigner, but we are still left laughing nervously at a whole lot of stereotypes and the biggest false moustache you will ever see. Ultimately however, Hides and Unwin have made a smart decision in keeping the tone a hypnotically moving target over the course of the evening.

Unwin plays Jane with a perfect balance of dewy-eyed optimism and room-silencing emotional vulnerability. It is a superb performance of a fascinating character, and her singing voice shines throughout the show. The only thing missing from the character is any darkness; she is almost too perfect to be a relatable protagonist.

Hides plays a variety of roles throughout the piece, but most striking is the intensity he brings to the complicated moral journey of Jane’s father Henry Grey. His act two showstopper ‘The Man I Ought to Be’ is one of the show’s many musical highlights.

The role of Mary is a difficult one, but it is played to perfection by Cezarah Bonner. She makes human this “bloody” royal, bringing genuine pathos to this woman who saw her promised future snatched away from her by the powers-that-be. When she is revelling in her riches and power she has impressive Chenoweth-esque comic energy, and her voice is stunning when nailing her stratospheric soprano lines. It is slightly disappointing that she doesn’t get to express her Catholic convictions as eloquently as Jane and Henry proselytise their Protestantism, as this leaves the show feeling theologically one-sided and a major part of Mary’s motivations opaque.

Rounding out the cast, we have Constantine Andronikou playing conniving noble Northumberland (among other roles) who delivers high-octane comedy and puppetry while still finding space for a touching display of faith in the face of the executioner’s axe. Johnnie Benson brings floppy-haired charm to the nice-but-dim husband of Jane, Guildford Dudley. His duets with Unwin are spectacular and evidence an impressive vocal range.

Perhaps my favourite part of this show is the music. Hides and Unwin do not skimp when it comes to both quality and quantity of strong songs. Though not quite entirely sung-through, the evening does verge on the operatic, especially when Bonner is allowed to let rip with her fantastic voice. Hides is gospel singer-songwriter, and though there is evidence of this throughout the score, there is an impressive variety of genres on display. Though many songs are poppy and catchy, the score also strays into more harmonically complex territory, never afraid of a tritone substitution where other composers might settle for a dominant seventh.

The music sounds fantastic thanks to musical director David Gibson on keys, Migdalia van der Hoven on drums and Yvonne Yo on violin. It is a testament to the quality of both the songwriting and arranging that such an epic feel is conveyed with such a small band. Director Adam Stone expertly marshals Erena Bordon Sanchez’s dynamic choreography, Ella Burrell’s adaptable and tasteful set design, and Leigh Mulpeter’s elegant lighting to force the story directly into the heart. Sometimes choices are a little obvious (the spotlight on the executioner’s block gets a lot of work), but they get the job done nonetheless.

Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen is fantastically self-assured and accomplished for a brand-new musical. With such a strong set of songs and a superb cast, you should absolutely catch this Union Theatre production during its short run. Soon, it will be played on larger stages and the earworm that is ‘Turn This Around’ will be inescapable at musical theatre karaoke nights. I can’t wait to see more from this show, and more from Hides and Unwin too. Bloody good writing and a brilliant execution.

Ian Bowkett