Cole Escola’s Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End comedy Oh, Mary!
is heading to HBO and Max in 2027. The platform announced that the special will capture the July 28, 2026 performance recorded live at London’s Trafalgar Theatre.
The screen adaptation brings Escola’s critically praised historical farce directly to television audiences. Written by and starring Escola as a deeply unhinged reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln, the 80-minute, one-act dark comedy examines the former first lady’s frustrations and ambitions in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination according to the official logline.
London Stage Capture Headed to HBO and Max in 2027
Filmed during a July 28, 2026 performance at the Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End, the special features the stage production’s principal cast. Escola reprises the title role alongside Giles Terera as Mary’s Husband, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, and Michael Urie as Mary’s Teacher, the outlet reported.
Sam Pinkleton, who won a Tony Award for directing the original stage run, directed the live capture for the screen. Nina Rosenstein, executive vice president of HBO programming for late night and specials, praised the production’s singular energy in a statement carried by The Wrap.
“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.”
Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Late Night and Specials
Escola celebrated the streaming announcement with a characteristically irreverent statement. I’m so happy to share this show with a wider audience and spread Oh, Mary! awareness,
Escola said in a statement. Knowing about Oh, Mary! is the first step in getting rid of it.
From Off-Broadway Phenomenon to Global Screen Release
The path to HBO marks a rise for a production that initially opened Off-Broadway in January 2024 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Following an extended run, the play transferred in July 2024 to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. There, it made history by becoming the first show in the 121-year existence of the venue to gross over $1 million in a single week.
Escola earned the Tony Award for Lead Actor in a Play, while Pinkleton took home the prize for Director of a Play. Following its Broadway success, the production crossed the Atlantic, opening in the West End in December 2025 and subsequently winning an Olivier Award.
Cast Transitions and Upcoming North American Tour
While the HBO special preserves Escola’s definitive original performance, the stage iterations continue to cycle through high-profile talent. On Broadway, where Meg Stalter currently stars in the title role, Bowen Yang is scheduled to take over beginning September 15, according to published reports. Meanwhile, the West End engagement recently featured Jinkx Monsoon through September 26, with BAFTA-winning Ghosts star Lolly Adefope slated to succeed Monsoon beginning September 28.
Additionally, a separate North American tour launches this month. Production for the HBO special is handled by executive producers Escola, Alex Bach, and Daniel Powell for Irony Point, alongside Carlee Briglia and Mike Lavoie for Mike & Carlee Productions, and Kevin McCollum and Lucas McMahon for Alchemation.
Worth a look