Theatre Reviews: 1536; Our Cosmic Dust

Sex, Stardust, and Storytelling

Jun 08, 2025

Death is in the air this week. My theatre trips took me from a muddy field in 16th-century Essex to the outer reaches of the universe via Finsbury Park. 1536 is a whip-smart period piece with a lot of soul, while Our Cosmic Dust is a magical-realist fable that blends puppetry, animation, and pathos.

But which one got a rare five-star review?

1536 - Almeida Theatre

By Ava Pickett

Directed by Lyndsey Turner

1 hour 5 minutes

Well fed by Morito, and gently soaked by the rainy walk from Exmouth Market, I headed to the Almeida Theatre for the final night of 1536. Inside the auditorium the theatre’s trademark brick backdrop was hidden and in place of a stage was a perfectly rendered scrap of English countryside framed by neon. With the performers’ entrances and exits obscured by tall grass it was as if a portal to 1536 Essex had opened up in a North London theatre in 2025.

Peering through that portal we watch as three young women meet, gossip, and plan their futures. The play sets its tone immediately as the lights come up on Anna (Sienna Kelly) having sex up against a tree. Her suitor dismissed, she is joined by her more innocent best friend Jane (Liv Hill), and overworked midwife Mariella (Tanya Reynolds). Jane has gossip from London; Queen Anne Boleyn had been arrested. And so from here 1536 explores sexual politics, the patriarchy, and the oppression of women - all within one small square of muddy grass.

As the three women discuss the fate of the Queen, the men they have loved, and those they must marry, the audience has no choice but to fall for the trio. Using modern language and a relaxed delivery - more Fatiha El-Ghorri than William Shakespeare - their gossip and banter felt relatable and current, not the concerns of a time long ago but vibrant, alive, and dangerous. Each of the three leads is distinct and vividly portrayed, their friendship breathing life into a barren landscape as laughter echoed around the theatre.

As the play progressed the reality of their era slowly came into focus. 1536 is set four years before the Witchcraft Act and during a time where men could exact justice against their wives for any perceived crime. The fate of the Queen is not merely an abstract news story but one that will change the morals by which the men in their town will judge their behaviours. The two male characters appear briefly but frequently, their roles initially offering sex and romance but ultimately offering violence when things do not go their way.

While all three leads deliver faultless performances, it is Siena Kelly as the free-spirited and universally desired Anna who acts as the show’s spine. She’s content to live in the moment, collecting gifts from admirers and sneaking off into the fields with those who catch her eye. As Anne Boleyn is accused of adultery, incest and treason, Anna finds society further turning against women enjoying their freedom.

By the play’s end, that same patch of land that hosted laughter and giggles is the setting for an intense climax as the past catches up with the three friends.

1536 is the perfect play. A beautiful set is transformed scene by scene with inventive lighting, and superb writing is honoured by actors who fully embodied their characters. With wit, warmth, lust, and love, the lives of three women from five hundred years ago were brought to life and made real. Pray for a transfer.

Seat: Circle, C11 - £42
Perfect view of 1536 Essex from here. The only watch out is that C11 and C12 come together at a slight angle so your knees will try to occupy the same space as your neighbour.
Show: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Seat: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

1536 has ended its run.

Our Cosmic Dust - Park Theatre, Park 200

Written and Directed by Michinari Ozawa

Translated and Adapted by Susan Momoko Hingley

1 hour 30 minutes

Earlier in the week I headed north to the Park Theatre, a small creative space a short walk from Finsbury Park station. The Park Theatre is a compact venue that dreams big and somehow contains two stages within its small footprint.

What drew me up north was Our Cosmic Dust, an English language adaptation of a hit Japanese play. At the centre of the story is Shotaro (Hiroki Berrecloth), a young boy hunting for his dead father after his mother Usami (Millie Hikasa) explains that his father’s soul has turned into a star in the night’s sky. Usami discovers Shotaro is missing and follows his trail, meeting a handful of colourful characters (Nina Bowers, Ian Hallard, and Hari MacKinnon) along the way.

Adding magic to the production is a blend of puppetry and animation. As the five cast members run around the tiny stage their performances are enhanced by a life-size puppet portraying Shotaro, and a floor to ceiling screen displaying hand-drawn animations. Add to that the fact that the show had the energy of children’s television, only with swearing, and the whole production was a lot to take in - especially from the front row.

Our Cosmic Dust unfolds like a fairy tale and the hand-drawn scenery and puppet lead character suggest a show for children. On the surface the performances match this ambition but as the show settles into its comedic rhythm the focus shifts from the puppet to the adults that surround it, and a level of cynicism creeps in that helps make the show easier to swallow.

I enjoyed the show but often found the experience overwhelming and hard to gel with. All the performers were strong but I was never unaware that they were performing, and my brain struggled to balance the pantomime energy with the show’s darker themes.

A beautiful and lively show about grief - take a look if that cocktail appeals to you.

Seat: Stalls, A19 - £32.50
At its deepest the Park 200 has five rows, with seating wrapping around three sides of the stage and a couple of rows in the circle above. Considering the amount of use of the screen behind the stage I would suggest sitting central like I did. I’d also suggest sitting a bit further back as in row A I felt a little too close for comfort.
Show: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Seat: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Our Cosmic Dust runs until 5th July 2025.