The internationally recognised and nominated musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to be touring in the UK for the first time ever, spending a 9-week stint at The Festival Theatre.
Based on the book Alexander Hamilton which was written by Ron Chernow in 2004, Hamilton set itself on the stage originally in the US, but also came to the UK in 2017, being performed at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The musical follows the life of Hamilton, from birth to death, covering both his personal and political life, focusing on his involvement in the creation of the American Constitution.
The musical starts with the song Alexander Hamilton, setting the whole layout for the musical, creating an easy introduction even if you have not watched it before. My top five favourites of the songs would include ‘Satisfied.’ Angelica Schulyer sings about her love for Hamilton, even though her sister ends up marrying him. Angelica sings about how selfless her sister is, so she does not mention the love she has for Hamilton. Hamilton’s relationships are mentioned throughout the whole performance, whether directly or more underlying, with another particular favourite song being, ‘Say No To This.’
The musical ends with the song ‘Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story.’ The song is emotional and heart-wrenching; shivers ran up and down my spine hearing this live. The emotive song captures the changes that Hamilton made during his life, but also, how he will be remembered. Chernow’s book, along with the musical itself, have ensured that Hamilton’s name will not be lost within the history books.
Despite the musical’s three-hour run time, there was not a moment whilst watching that my eyes left the stage. The stage layout, which included a turning centre of the stage as well as a brick structure and scaffolding, allowed for constant movement. This movement allowed you to feel engaged with the performance at all times. This also meant that regardless of where you are sitting, you feel fully immersed into the performance.
With the tickets having been on sale for several weeks now, thousands of individuals are looking forward to the performance, even with the best part of twelve months between buying the tickets and when their performance date is.
Image by Capital Theatres provided via Press Release