HISTORY BUFFS WILL BE CAPTIVATED BY THIS UNIQUE AND POWERFUL NARRATIVE

By Katie Shaw | @katieeshaaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Jacob Truax brings the life and lore of Abraham Lincoln to centre stage at the Greenwich Theatre in his performance An Audience with Abraham Lincoln. Truax is incredibly impressive in this one-man show that is part theatrical performance, part historical reflection, and all-consuming storytelling. He embodies the 16th President’s imposing stature as he takes the audience from Lincoln’s humble beginnings in a farming family in Kentucky, to his work as a postmaster and surveyor in New Salem, through to his years spent working as a lawyer, and his eventual arrival at the White House.

Perhaps I’m biased because I studied American History at university and have a particular interest in the period that Lincoln served, but this play is fascinating and Truax’s performance as Lincoln is utterly compelling. Regardless of whether you have studied him, I think most people know Lincoln for his dual legacy: abolishing slavery and his assassination at a Washington theatre. What Truax does so brilliantly here is paint a picture of a man whose life and character extend far beyond these two events. Truax, much like Lincoln, is an impressive orator. He commands control and attention from his audience through captivating storytelling with powerful political speeches, moving reflections on slavery – including Lincoln’s infamous House Divided speech – amusing anecdotes and a bold narrative. I am in awe of Truax’s ability to memorise political speeches and lines in addition to the more personal timeline and storytelling of Lincoln’s life. He is an extraordinary performer who displays a rich depth of historical context at a measured pace, keeping the performance easy to follow, even for those who are less familiar with Lincoln.

The research that has gone into this project is remarkable, and enables Truax to capture who Lincoln was beyond the imposing figure we remember him as today. An Audience with Abraham Lincoln is peppered with anecdotes that are unfamiliar to me, but serve to humanise this great historical figure. Truax as Lincoln reflects on the gingerbread men he reluctantly shared with a neighbour as a young boy; of how his father left him and his sister aged 12 and 14 after their mother died, to travel out of state to ask another woman for her hand in marriage; of his sail down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to set up a store; his first love, Anne, who died of Typhoid before Abe could ask for her hand in marriage; and his eventual courting and marriage to Mary Ann Todd Lincoln, who would remain by his side until his death in 1865. The anecdotes add a quiet and gentle humour to this performance which can otherwise feel a little historically and politically heavy, but if you’re a history buff like me, you’ll be captivated by this unique and powerful narrative.

If you’re a fan of the Night at the Museum trilogy, or simply interested in learning about one of the most influential American Presidents in history, then get yourself a ticket to Truax’s remarkable one-man show playing at Greenwich Theatre until Saturday 6 June.

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