The Tony Award- and Olivier Award-winning play “OH, MARY!” is headed to HBO in 2027, bringing Cole Escola’s acclaimed dark comedy to a wider audience. The filmed production will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
Written by and starring Tony Award winner Cole Escola, “OH, MARY! will feature the production’s West End cast, including Giles Terera, Bianca Leigh, Tony Macht and Emmy nominee Michael Urie. Escola plays Mary Todd Lincoln, while Terera portrays Mary’s husband, Leigh plays Mary’s chaperone, Macht appears as Mary’s husband’s assistant and Urie plays Mary’s teacher.
Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, who directed the original Broadway production, will direct the filmed version for the stage and screen. The HBO special captures the July 28, 2026 performance at London’s Trafalgar Theatre.
“OH, MARY!” is an 80-minute, one-act dark comedy set in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The play offers an irreverent fictionalized look at Mary Todd Lincoln, focusing on her frustrations, ambitions, desires and struggles as she attempts to find a sense of purpose and independence.
The production blends historical figures with Escola’s distinctive comedic style, creating a theatrical portrait that is intentionally far removed from a traditional examination of the Lincoln family.
Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, Late Night and Specials, praised the production for its originality and comedic energy.
“Some shows stay with you long after you’ve seen them. “OH, MARY!” is one of them. It’s 80 minutes of meticulously choreographed chaos…so wildly original that everyone who sees it immediately needs someone else to see it too,” Rosenstein said.
Escola also welcomed the opportunity to bring the production to viewers beyond the theater.
“I’m so happy to share this show with a wider audience and spread ‘OH, MARY!’ awareness. Knowing about OH, MARY! is the first step in getting rid of it,” Escola said.
Since opening Off Broadway in January 2024, “OH, MARY!” has become a major success on Broadway. The production transferred to the Lyceum Theatre in July 2024 and became the first production in the theater’s 121-year history to gross more than $1 million in a single week. It subsequently broke its own box-office record 15 times and became the first show of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its investment.
The production made its West End debut in December 2025 and is also scheduled for a North American tour.
For Pinkleton, bringing the production to HBO represents another chapter in the show’s journey.
“I fell in love with theater as a kid by absolutely wearing out the VHS tapes of ‘Cats’ and ‘Into The Woods’ and I am honored to continue that legacy with ‘OH, MARY!’ on HBO,” Pinkleton said.
The HBO debut will give audiences who may not have had the opportunity to see “OH, MARY!” onstage a chance to experience the acclaimed production from home when it arrives in 2027.