First look rehearsal images have been released for Mrs. President ahead of its opening at Charing Cross Theatre.
The psychological drama, which reimagines the story of Mary Lincoln, returns to London following its original staging in January 2025. This new production runs from 23 January to 8 March 2026, with press night on 27 January.
Keala Settle, best known for The Greatest Showman, Waitress and Sister Act, stars in a rare non-musical role as Mary Lincoln. Hal Fowler, whose credits include Les Misérables and Flowers for Mrs Harris, plays Mathew Brady, the pioneering photographer.
Set in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the play explores Mary Lincoln’s grief, mental health struggles and her attempt to redefine her public image through Brady’s lens.
Keala Settle 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.”
Playwright John Ransom Phillips commented: “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.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
