Mrs President

Charing Cross Theatre

Mary Lincoln is a character with many layers, and each scene delves a little deeper into her story. Whilst this show is very stylised... It's a little too confusing to follow the plot.

Two brilliant actors have taken on a difficult piece and filled the shoes of historical figures. This play explores some heavy themes; the list of trigger warnings is long: suicide, racism, slavery, child loss and mental illness. If you are interested in this show, then ensure you are in the right headspace for this piece of theatre. There are some very dark moments. Keala Settle plays Mary Lincoln; she takes this character's story in her stride and delivers a very driven performance.

Mary Lincoln is a character who has experienced so much pain in her life. Losing her mother, losing her child, losing her husband and finding her feet in a society that looks down on females. This piece is all about exploring who Mary Lincoln is. The plot follows Lincoln going to Mathew Brady, a famous photographer, to capture the perfect picture that shows her for who she is. However, no photo is good enough for Mrs Lincoln, as it does not capture her character. It's a journey into her life, and trying to separate her from her tragedies. It's difficult to connect with the character, as the plot and story aren't very clear. Whilst spoonfeeding the audience taints the quality, this does not give away enough to form a connection with the characters, especially since the story being explored has such a heart-wrenching tone. This is not a show for people who are new to theatre. You can appreciate the artistic style of the show, but it's just too artistic to follow and connect.

Our main character is quite a massive role to take on, and casting Keala Settle was a strong casting choice. She has embodied Mrs Lincoln's pain, and her emotion is quite difficult to watch. It's rather a vulnerable performance, and putting yourself into the shoes of Mary Lincoln must be difficult to experience. Settle has created her own version and naturally jumps from area to area of Lincoln's background. There is a power struggle between Brady, played by Hal Fowler and Lincoln. They switch and change throughout the piece in a way that is a little too artsy. It's really interesting to use the camera as a lens into the two characters and their place in the show, but changing into other roles within the piece gets a little confusing. Is Fowler playing Brady pretending to be other characters, or is he multi-rolling? Whilst his ability to change from character to character is very impressive, it's just a bit unnecessary, because it gets so confusing. The actors do an incredible job with their performance; you can't fault them. The writing is just so much to take in for an hour and a half.

However, the staging is rather intriguing. One of the strongest areas is the lighting, designed by Derek Anderson. The moment when Mary Lincoln is speaking to ghosts, there is a figure created by the lighting that creates the shape of a child, and this gives the idea of a spirit in the room. Some really interesting projections and uses of lighting are very artsy, but very impressive! However, moments where Brady is moving at the same time as his projection out of time, and this dampens the stage magic. These stylistic choices get a little too much and make the show fragmented, because there's so much going on. The set is designed by Anna Kelsey. The camera and photo development room clearly give the idea of Lincoln being in Brady's space, and she takes it over. This is really interesting, as it shows the personality of her character. The design elements are the most interesting and impressive aspect of the show.

There is just so much packed into an hour and a half. As an audience member, there is so much to digest and understand. The story is so interesting, and the concept is different. It just needs to be broken down. It's so easy to get lost in the pace. Each scene lacks flow, and it's hard to tell when a scene has ended. This is such a huge subject to explore; with further exploration, this could be a moving piece of theatre. You do leave the theatre having learnt more about who Mary Lincoln was, which is the point of the piece. The actors give full commitment to their roles, and the Charing Cross Theatre is the perfect venue for this show. The sound of the trains adds to the tension and depth of the piece. It'll be interesting to see how this show develops. Keala Settle makes a brilliant Mary Lincoln.