Catherine Tate, 56, has unexpectedly withdrawn from her West End production of "Oh, Mary!" citing "personal reasons." The announcement, made on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, has prompted concern among fans.
Tate had been portraying Mary Todd Lincoln in the play at the Trafalgar Theatre since April. She is scheduled to be replaced by American actor Mason Alexander Park, who will reprise the role from July 20. Cole Escola will also take over the part at a later date.
A statement posted on Instagram confirmed Tate's departure: "Due to personal reasons, Catherine Tate will no longer perform in Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre." The post indicated that Mason Alexander Park would return to the role of Mary Todd Lincoln until July 18, with Cole Escola taking over from July 20.
Fans expressed their well wishes and concern for Tate in the comments section of the announcement. Many shared hopes for her well-being and recalled positive experiences seeing her perform, with one commenter noting she performed even with a knee injury during a previous showing.
"Oh, Mary!" chronicles the life of Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the assassination of her husband, Abraham Lincoln. Tate, known for her roles in "The Catherine Tate Show" and "Doctor Who," had relocated to the U.S. for a role in the sitcom "Going Dutch," which premiered last month. She also reprised her role as Donna Noble in "Doctor Who's" 60th Anniversary special in 2023.
Representatives for Tate have been contacted for comment by the Daily Mail. Tate, a mother of one, has a daughter named Erin with stage manager Twig Clark. Her past relationships include brief links to Take That member Jason Orange and broadcaster Adrian Chiles, and she was engaged to screenwriter Jeff Ghutheim in 2019.