The Greatest Showman's Keala Settle leads Mrs. President at Charing Cross Theatre
Published on 12 November 2025
Tony-nominated Broadway powerhouse Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman, Waitress) joins Hal Fowler (Les Misérables, Flowers for Mrs Harris) in a bold new reimagining of Mrs. President, a gripping psychological drama exploring the turbulent inner world of Mary Lincoln, America’s First Lady.
Following its acclaimed 2025 debut, this reinvented production runs at London’s Charing Cross Theatre from 23 January to 8 March 2026. Not a remount but a complete reinvention, it promises a richer, more hauntingly human portrait of one of history’s most misunderstood women.
Settle takes on the rare dramatic, non-singing role of Mary Lincoln, while Fowler portrays Mathew Brady, the pioneering photographer who helped shape public perception in post-Civil War America. Set after President Lincoln’s assassination, the play follows Mary’s descent into grief and her desperate quest to reclaim her identity through Brady’s lens.
Keala says: “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.”
Keala Settle stars in Mrs. President at Charing Cross Theatre from 23 January - 8 March 2026.
