In our profile series, Tell Us In Ten, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions. From how they got their start in the industry to their favourite shows, we want to know everything.
This time we’re chatting to Hal Fowler (Cats, Les Misérables, Dear Evan Hansen) who is starring as Mathew Brady, the world’s first celebrity photographer in the brand-new re-imagining of Mrs. President at the Charing Cross Theatre. This London production brings to life an intimate and politically charged portrait of America’s most misunderstood First Lady, played by Broadway legend Keala Settle.
1. My route into theatre was…
Not planned. I went to drama school because I didn’t get the grades to go anywhere else – then followed a series of fortunate mistakes. I still wonder what I’ll be when I grow up.
2. My West End idol is…
All the understudies. The hardest job in the building – and the one that sharpened my skills more than anything else.
3. My colleagues would describe me as…
Calm, prepared, and occasionally the grown-up in the room with the faintest trace of disco damage.
4. My favourite show (that isn’t one I star in/work on) is…
Sweeney Todd. Dark, funny, and beautifully brutal. (Furiously manifesting that role.)
5. The career moment I’m most proud of is…
Finally getting Gillian Lynne’s choreography right when I played Gus in Cats. I just wish it had coincided with opening night.
6. The hardest part about my job is…
It’s a gift of a job. But difficulty matters – if it isn’t difficult, it’s probably not worth doing.
7. If I wasn’t an actor, I would be…
Working with plants. I spent ten years as Chair of Directors at Waste Not Want Not: Nurturing Plants and People, and growing things from seed teaches you a great deal about patience – and about life.
8. Something people don’t know about me is…
I’ve spent a fair bit of time chainsaw carving. It’s very good for the nerves.
9. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
In life: be present. In acting: say the lines and don’t bump into the furniture.
10. The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Be attentive (and buy Bitcoin).
Don’t miss your chance to see Hal in this gripping psychological drama about the turbulent life of Mary Lincoln at Charing Cross Theatre from 23 January to 8 March 2026.
