Additional information
by Ava Pickett (Author)
Winner of the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize
Tudor England. A field in Essex. Three women hurry to their childhood meeting place, thirsty for gossip from London. Word spreads of a clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn. Closer to home, another rumour threatens to catch fire.
As these women realise the parallels between their ordinary, rural lives and the royal drama taking place at a distance, they are faced with several choices, all of which end in violence.
Ava Pickett's 1536 is a fiendishly smart and funny new play which asks whether female solidarity can survive in a world where barbarism and misogyny are state sanctioned.
Author Biography
Ava Pickett is a writer for theatre, film, and television. Her plays include Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy (Stratford East, 2026); an adaptation of A. K. Blakemore's The Manningtree Witches (Mercury Theatre Colchester & Frantic Assembly, 2026); an adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma (Rose Theatre, Kingston, 2025) and 1536 (Almeida Theatre, London, 2025; winner of the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize). She was named Most Promising Playwright at both the 2025 London Standard Theatre Awards and the 2026 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for her play 1536, which also won the 2024 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her work for television includes co-writing on The Great (Hulu/Channel 4), Brassic (Sky), and Ten Pound Poms (BBC One).
