About the Show

A political drama about Kate Chase, daughter of Lincoln’s treasury secretary, set in 1864.

Set amid the turbulence of the 1864 US presidential election, the play follows Kate Chase, daughter of Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury. At the heart of the drama is her conflict between ambition and personal loyalty, as she navigates a dangerous liaison with John Hay while balancing her father’s political aspirations.

Written by Thomas Klingenstein, the work delves into the lesser-known life of Kate Chase, who was widely celebrated by the press in her day but remains an overlooked figure in history.

Christopher McElroen directs the UK premiere for the american vicarious, the internationally acclaimed theatre company whose previous London work includes Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley and Fight for America!

Critic Reviews (5)

"This US Civil War-era debate play is compelling but politically unconvincing"
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"You might need a decent sleep the night before to deal with 100 minutes all-through of genuinely chewy material, but you need that for Ibsen or Strindberg too, and the rewards here are comparable."
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"While this production... raises interesting questions about female power, ambition and the psychological fallout of an emotionally distant father, it struggles to answer them fully or with enough heft."
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“Fans of political drama will be particularly drawn to Our American Queen as it features exactly the kind of intrigue you want from that genre”
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“Despite its layered script, the story often feels static.”
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