The Fabulist

THE FABULIST -- named after the term many top-tier magicians use to describe themselves -- is a romantic musical comedy set in a movie studio in Tuscany in 1929. A wandering fabulist, Agrofontido, is smitten with the eccentric screenwriter Clarice and seeks her hand. Unfortunately, the characters find that romance can get complicated in a hurry. James Farwell wrote the book and lyrics, which are based on Antonio Paisiello's opera THE IMAGINARY ASTROLOGER. Written for Catherine the Great, it was her favorite opera. Paisiello, who heavily influenced Rossini but has a lighter tone, was the favourite composer of both her and Napoleon, for whom he composed the coronation music. His style is joyous and uplifting.

Cast:
Julian - Dan Smith
Count Petronius - James Paterson
Cardinal Bandini - Stuart Pendred
Pupuppini - Constantine Andronikou
Clarice - Reka Jonas
Cassandra - Lily De La Haye
Alternate Julian - Jack Holton
Alternate: Cassandra and Clarice - Marienella Phillips

Creatives: 
Book & Lyrics: James P. Farwell
Music: Giovanni Paisello
Director: John Walton
Musical Director & Orchestrator: Bobby Goulder
Set & Costume Designer: David Shields
Lighting Designer: Fridthjofur Thorsteinsson
Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson
Movement Director: Sean Kempton
Magic Consultant: Harry De Cruz
Casting Director: Debbie O’Brien
Producer: Steven M Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions

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Mrs President

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Mrs President
Art Pond Foundation presents
MRS PRESIDENT
Written by John Ransom Phillips
Directed by Bronagh Lagan

Keala Settle is Mrs President.

Mary Lincoln is 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 Mathew Brady, the world’s first celebrity photographer — played by Hal Fowler (Les Miserables, Aspects of Love, Flowers for Mrs Harris) — 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 — the result of deep dramaturgical development and a creative workshop period in New York that uncovered bold new layers within the piece.

This is not a remount, but a reinvention — richer in scope, sharper in focus, and more hauntingly human.

Re-envisioned under the direction of Bronagh Lagan (Cruise, Broken Wings) and written by artist, playwright, and historian John Ransom Phillips, the production features Broadway musical theatre star Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman, Waitress, Les Miserables) in a rare non-singing dramatic role that showcases her extraordinary depth and power.

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