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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.
"Effervescent and extremely funny."
—Telegraph
"Astonishing…1536 is a once-in-a-blue-moon theatrical experience. I laughed. I cried. I probably could have screamed too…a tour de force."
—Time Out (2026)
"A love letter to female friendship and a sharp dissection of how systemic misogyny deforms even the most intimate bonds…1536 isn't just a period piece; it's a call to arms, dressed up as a comedy."
—Independent
"Electrifying…bold, idiosyncratic and disturbingly funny."
—Evening Standard
"A simple yet super-smart concept, a wonderfully vibrant script and a host of resonant themes…What a joy it is to be at the birth of a really good play."
—Financial Times
"Pickett's dialogue nails her protagonists' teasing intimacies and friendly rivalries from the off, then slowly but surely tightens the noose…The hype is justified."
—The Times
"Effortlessly funny, bold and ballsy."
—Guardian
"Blistering and brilliant…It's a bold, essential piece of theatre, the perfect play for the present day."
—WhatsOnStage
"Masterly—and haunting…an astonishingly accomplished, fiery debut."
—The Stage
"A phenomenal piece of theatre…it issues an important warning that resonates across the ages."
—Theatre & Tonic
"Compelling and accomplished…a fresh and timeless story told through a unique historical lens."
—West End Best Friend
"Bold, unsettling and darkly funny…This is a provocative and accomplished work that marks Pickett as a distinctive new voice in British theatre. Smart, savage and strikingly relevant theatre."
—Theatre Weekly
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).