Keala Settle & Hal Fowler to star in Mrs. President at Charing Cross Theatre in London

Stage and screen star Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman, Sister Act) is set to return to the West End next year, starring as Mary Lincoln, America’s First Lady, in Mrs. President.

The cast will also feature Hal Fowler (Les Misérables, Aspects of Love) as Mathew Brady.

Mrs. President is playing at the Charing Cross Theatre in London from 23 January to 8 March 2026.

Written by artist and playwright John Ransom Philips, Mrs. President is a psychological drama about the turbulent inner world, passions and ambitions of Mary Lincoln, America’s First Lady.

The play was first staged in London earlier this year, and has been rewritten and reinvented for this new production. Bronagh Lagan (Cruise, Flowers for Mrs Harris) returns to direct the play.

The new creative team also includes set and costume designer Anna Kelsey, lighting designer Derek Anderson, sound designer Eamonn O’Dwyer, video designer Matt Powell, movement and associate director Sam Rayner, production manager Dan Weager, and casting director Jane Deitch. The play is produced by Art Pond Foundation with General Management by Aria Entertainment.

The role of Mary Lincoln is a rare non-singing role for Keala Settle, who is starring in musical comedy Dracapella at the Park Theatre this Christmas. She is most famous for appearing in major movie The Greatest Showman, which is heading to the stage in 2026.

Hal Fowler, who was cast in The Who’s original rock musical Tommy and has starred in numerous West End shows, plays Mathew Brady – the forefather of photojournalism and also one of the earliest celebrity/portraiture photographers in American history.

Mrs. President is set in the aftermath of 1865 and following the assassination of her husband, Mary is a woman under siege, suffering from immense grief, struggling with her mental health, vilified by society and in the media. She seeks out Brady to help her redefine her public image, a mission which ultimately results in a journey of self-discovery.

The announcement of Mrs. President means there will be two plays about Mary Lincoln on the West End stage at the beginning of 2026, including Cole Escola’s Tony-winning dark comedy about America’s First Lady, Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre in London.

“Her story deserves to be told”

Actor Keala Settle said in a statement: “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 said: “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.”

Writer John Ransom Philips said: “History rarely grants women the right to define themselves — Mary Lincoln least of all. Her story deserves to be told not as rumour, spectacle, or judgment, but as the truth of a brilliant, wounded, and resilient woman who bore the human cost of a nation’s spotlight. Our collaboration with Bronagh, Keala, Hal, and the Aria Entertainment team finally gives Mary the truth and artistry she was denied.”