Catherine Tate has abruptly stepped down from her run in the West End production of Oh, Mary! due to personal reasons.
The British actor, 56, had been scheduled to front the hit comedy show at London’s Trafalgar Theatre until 18 July, playing Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of the late US president Abraham Lincoln.
US actor Mason Alexander Park, who originated the role on the West End, will step in to replace Tate for the remainder of her performances. Cole Escola, who wrote Oh Mary! and starred in the original Broadway version, will take over the role from 20 July.
A statement shared on the show’s official social media pages reads: “Due to personal reasons, Catherine Tate is no longer able to complete her run as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre.”
The Independent has contacted a representative of Tate for further comment.
Oh, Mary!, which first debuted off-Broadway in 2024, is a ribald, ahistorical comedy spoofing the life of the former First Lady of the US.
A number of prominent actors – of various genders – have taken on the lead role before, including Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, Jinkx Monsoon, Jane Krakowski, John Cameron Mitchell, Maya Rudolph, and, most recently, Megan Stalter.
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Monsoon is set to take over on the West End after Escola’s stint finishes, having previously played Mary on Broadway.
Oh, Mary!’s Broadway run won Escola a Tony award for Best Actor, while the play was nominated for Best Play. When it transferred to the West End, it won an Olivier award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.
In a four-star review last year, The Independent’s chief theatre critic Alice Saville wrote: “It’s easy to see why Oh Mary! has delighted Broadway audiences. Escola’s play basically sits in a genre of its own, one that mixes the farcical humour of am-dram classics like Charley’s Aunt with the disturbing queer energy of early John Waters films.
“Its initial energy peters out, a little, towards the end of its short 80-minute runtime, with a glitzy finale that feels dangerously close to showboating. But isn’t that Mary’s prerogative? Like a drag queen milking her turn for every last drop of laughter, this fabulous confection has earned our attention.”