Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts brings Mary Page Marlowe to UK audiences for the first time, in a bold new production at The Old Vic. The play explores the fragmented life of one woman, portrayed by five different actors across 11 scenes and 70 years.
Clare Hughes joins an exceptional cast that includes Susan Sarandon and Andrea Riseborough, playing Wendy Gilbert in this time-jumping mosaic of memory, identity, and resilience. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the production is staged in-the-round for an immersive experience.
Mary Page Marlowe runs at The Old Vic until 1 November 2025. Tickets are available here.
You’re starring in Mary Page Marlowe at The Old Vic, what can you tell us about the show?
Mary Page Marlowe is a non-chronological, one-act play that follows our titular character at 11 key points in her life. It’s a beautiful exploration of a seemingly ordinary woman, portrayed by different actors at different junctures.
To me, it creates a poignant dialogue around identity: how would you sum up your own life; what came before you and what will come after; how can we make friends with the past versions of ourselves? Mary is on a journey to make peace with her choices in life and the regrets and guilt she carries as a consequence.
To be privy to this feels deeply private, intimate and special. It’s “quietly Greek” as our director Matthew Warchus wonderfully put it. It’s slice-of-life theatre at its best; about a seemingly ordinary woman, an accountant from Dayton, Ohio, and the multitudes she contains.
Mary Page Marlowe unfolds across 70 years and 11 scenes, how does the structure of the play affect the storytelling?
The slow release of information about our protagonist hopefully allows the audience to lean in and engage in a way that feels quite active. You get to see directly how Mary’s past, present and future interact.
The audience becomes omniscient at certain points, possessing information that our characters in present-day scenes don’t know yet. There’s something very unique and tragic about watching events occur that feel inevitable, that can’t be stopped.
Every person’s experience of the play might be varied depending on where you’re seated, the details you pick up on or what connections can be made. It feels very emblematic of how we recall memories in our own lives—in pieces, out of sequence, not fully whole.
There are still new details in the script I pick up on every time I hear or read it. It’s been really cool chatting to people after the show who are desperately wanting to watch it again to know more.
The whole production has been built in such a way that the audience are simply voyeurs rather than being ‘performed’ to and for. Like in life, you don’t understand every decision someone makes. There is an air of mystery that comes as a consequence of the non-chronological storytelling, which is really beautiful. No one is being spoon-fed, that’s for sure.
You play Wendy Gilbert – what can you share about your character and their role in Mary’s life?
I play Mary’s only daughter. We meet her in 1986 when she’s 16 years old, in high school in Dayton, Ohio. We then meet her a few years later at age 20 in 1990, returning home from college to visit her mother in Kentucky.
We hear about Wendy in scenes throughout the play and how she continues to impact Mary later on in life. Wendy is extremely passionate, logical, and forthright—a fighter with a huge heart.
Mary and Wendy’s relationship is not without its challenges, and admittedly the scenes the audience are privy to may be the most challenging moments they ever have to face. I often like to imagine all their happy moments together that the audience doesn’t get to see! Hahahah!
Wendy hopefully becomes a symbol of hope for the line of women in Mary’s family, in that she breaks away from certain difficult cycles and carves a new life for herself. Or at least that’s what we can hope.
The production features a stellar cast including Susan Sarandon and Andrea Riseborough, what has it been like working alongside such a diverse and talented company?
It’s been such a brilliant experience. I’m learning SO much.
I’ve gotten to work more closely with Andrea as both my scenes are with her playing my mother, and she’s just wonderful. A complete force. She is present, kind, and generous.
Susan is hilarious and getting to watch her work has been such a joy. It’s been really cool to watch such talented people with these huge careers be so completely normal and ego-less. It’s massively inspiring and I’m trying to soak it all up as much as I can.
Susan and Andrea are our beautiful stars, but can I just say, the rest of our cast are beyond talented. I could watch this play forever and never get bored. The spontaneity, vulnerability, the laughter! It’s an utter joy.
This is a UK premiere and part of Matthew Warchus’ final season as Artistic Director, does that add a sense of significance to the production?
Certainly. It’s just a brilliant play and so I want to do it justice.
I know Matthew has loved and wanted to put on this play for many years now, so it feels very meaningful for this to be happening for his outgoing season. I had never worked with Matthew before, but he’s incredibly intelligent, sincere, and intentional with everything he does.
I feel very lucky to have been trusted and that this play has coincided with my move to London. This production marks my UK theatre debut, so it’s a massive privilege and I hope UK audiences resonate with the work.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Mary Page Marlowe?
I am only in 2 of the 11 scenes so I think I can confidently say without sounding completely conceited, the performances are just stellar. Across the board.
Tracy Letts’ writing is just beautiful. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, you’ll play a strong part in piecing it all together. It’s in the round so feels very intimate.
I think the show is deeply profound. When I first read it I so desperately wanted to be involved. It’s a celebration of life and not to be missed!
