Theatre

Hamilton at the Palace Theatre, Manchester – a revolutionary musical that will stay with you for a lifetime

Lin-Maniel Miranda has taken politics, a pen, and a piano, and struck gold. This article contains affiliate links...

Daisy Jackson - 22nd November 2023

Hamilton is a masterpiece. Its creator – Lin-Manuel Miranda – a genius. This review could simply stop at ‘10/10, no notes’. 

But there is so much more to say about this revolutionary, record-breaking musical, which has secured shelves full of awards and dazzled tens of millions of audience members across the globe.

The smash-hit theatre production has just hit Manchester on its first-ever UK tour, already selling out dates through to the end of February. 

It follows the life of Alexander Hamilton and his fellow Founding Fathers, through the American Revolutionary War to the creation of America’s economic system (there’s a reason his face is on the $10 bill).

Lin-Manuel Miranda has taken politics, a pen, and a piano, and struck gold.

This is a stage experience with very few frills – the set barely changes, and most of the cast members wear the same beige costumes throughout – and yet the talent on stage, and the fast-paced sung-spoken script will whisk you through three decades in a little under three hours and in what feels like the blink of an eye. 

Despite earning its place as arguably the biggest musical in the world, I walk into Hamilton a complete novice. I’ve completely avoided spoilers (although can we really call them ‘spoilers’ when the production is centred on events that happened literal centuries ago). I’ve dodged the Disney+ streams, swerved the Spotify soundtrack, swiped past any Hamilton TikToks, and gone into the Palace Theatre blind. I wanted to experience the whole thing for the first time in the way that Miranda intended – in the room where it happens. 

People warned me that I should have done my homework, and while a loose understanding of America’s founding fathers is useful, and you’ll need to have your wits about you to keep up with the ferociously fast pace of the spoken word dialogue, it’s impossible not to be swept away by Hamilton even if the plot does slip away from you. 

These are songs – ‘My Shot’, ‘Helpless’, ‘Say No To This’ – so brilliant you actually want to listen to them away from the theatre, songs which weave back throughout the story of Hamilton so that by the second act they feel like familiar friends. 

Of the touring cast in Manchester, Shaq Taylor is astonishing in the lead role of Hamilton, while Billy Nevers nails his split role between Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson through charisma and comic timing. 

Maya Britto as Eliza Hamilton is another star, who whips from sweet, hopeful bride to fierce independent woman, the transformation brought to life in a staggering rendition of ‘Burn’. 

I can’t help but wonder if we’d all be a little more engaged with modern-day politics if there was an element of hip-hop to it – if parliamentary debates took place as rap battles. Although, we’ve all seen Theresa May’s sense of rhythm, so maybe not… 

Hamilton has arrived in Manchester in a cloud of the largest hype I can remember in decades, and let it be known – it’s here to Blow Us All Away. 

Hamilton is at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 24 February 2024 – you can book tickets here.

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This article contains affiliate links….

Featured image: Danny Kaan