Greatest Showman actress and theatre royalty Keala Settle is set to star in a re-imaging of Mrs President at London’s Charing Cross Theatre early next year.
Keala stars as Mary in one of her most dramatic roles yet. She will be joined by Hal Fowler (Les Miserables) who plays Matthew Brady, the world’s first celebrity photographer who helped shape America’s visual history.
The play focuses on Mary Lincoln, a woman under siege with her grief, her detractors, and herself. In the shadow of her late husband, President Abraham Lincoln, she battles a world eager to define her and a conscience that will not rest. Accused of treason and shunned by society, she turns to Matthew Brady to help her reclaim her story. But as the lens turns between them, the power shifts, and their collaboration spirals into a fierce struggle for authorship, truth, and control.
Following its original staging in 2025, Mrs President opens at the Charing Cross Theatre in a newly reimagined version. This is the result of deep dramaturgical development and a creative workshop period in New York that uncovered bold new layers within the piece.
Keala said: “I was so struck by Mary’s story and by the profound human cost she endured. She was a woman whose identity for centuries was put in a box and whose legacy continues to be defined by other people’s ideologies. I’m excited by this opportunity to tell her story and connect with London audiences. I hope they will see both myself and Mary in a brand-new light.”
Director Bronagh Lagan added: “In today’s polarised political climate, Mary Lincoln’s journey — navigating intense public scrutiny while balancing her roles as wife, mother, and political figure — feels profoundly resonant. Through her strength and vulnerability, Mrs. President invites us to reconsider how society and media portray women, revealing the human cost of leadership and the resilience required to endure it.”
The creative team includes designer Anna Kelsey, lighting designer Derek Anderson, and sound designer Eamonn O’Dwyer. Mrs. President is produced by Art Pond Foundation with general management by Aria Entertainment.
Mrs President runs from January 23 to March 8, 2026, with press night on January 27. More information can be found here.
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