The Palace Theatre: ‘The Grand Old Lady of Oxford Street’, was dressed in her finest bib and tucker last night with a host of Northern glitterati present for the opening night of the much anticipated inaugural UK Tour of Hamilton. Anyone who has already booked their seats for a performance over the next sixteen weeks of its residency here is in for an absolute treat, this production brings the beauty and complexity of the West End and Broadway productions, whilst the cast to add their own unique interpretation of the characters combining to demonstrate musical theatre in its finest modern form.
For those who are unaware of the cultural phenomenon that is ‘Hamilton’, it tells the story of Alexander Hamilton (Shaq Taylor) and his rise from Caribbean poverty to become one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. At first glance this tale would not appear to be the most fertile ground for a hit musical, but in the hands of Lin-Manuel Miranda the story leaps from the dry pages of history in the form of a sung through, blank verse, rap musical with an immensely layered book, referencing everything from Grandmaster Flash to Macbeth throughout its nearly three-hour runtime. The show was an instant hit on Broadway and transferred to the West End in December 2018, and this year sees it embark on a mammoth two-year tour of the UK.
Having been fortunate enough to see the original London production six years ago, I was interested to see if any concessions had been made to the aesthetics of the staging for a touring production and how the new young cast would approach their interpretation of the characters compared with their London and New York counterparts. Any fears I had were quickly allayed, the Set Design (David Korins) of a bare wooden stage with gantry walkways to the rear forming a flexible space in which everything from a Caribbean hurricane to an 18th Century drawing room were conjured with stylised detail and minimal props. The bareness – combined with the revolve at the centre – allowed room for the Choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler to flourish and its balletic beauty given breathing space and the creation of character by each member of the ensemble constantly catching the attention. The Lighting Design by Howard Binkley emphasised mood, switching between stark spotlights and broader colour, perfectly meshing with the Orchestration of Alex Lacamoire to complement the needs of the complex storyline.
For the rigours of such an extended tour, Director Thomas Kail has assembled a cast that has an impressive musical theatre pedigree despite its youth, with each member bringing their own unique interpretation to their respective roles. The clarity and confidence that was displayed in projecting complex lyrics was hugely impressive in its own right, but the cast managed to inject comedy into the mix in a way that was fresh and new. Billy Nevers in the dual role of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson shone in both parts, ‘Washington on Your Side’ being a particularly delicious interpretation.
King George (Daniel Boys) wins an award for stealing every scene he is in, his delightfully arch interpretation of George III teetering on the brink of pantomime villain as he delights in the turmoil of the young Republic (You’ll be Back).
The role of Angelica Schuyler is given a startling reinterpretation by Aisha Jawando, channelling the anger and tension inherent in the character rather than the slightly submissive version of previous productions, her superb vocal range was best displayed during ‘Helpless’ and the sexual frisson between her and Hamilton was palpable throughout. Juxtaposed against this fire, Eliza (Maya Britto) was more ice, her understated nature bursting into passionate life during ‘Burn’ and her heartbreaking scenes following the death of her son Philip (DeAngelo Jones) had this reviewer reaching for the tissues.
Taylor as the eponymous Hamilton develops the characters arc with pace, humour, pathos and style; from the gauche and overenthusiastic student (My Shot) to war hero and statesman (Yorktown), bearing disgrace (Say No To This) and unimaginable loss (It’s Quiet Uptown) along the way before reaching the shattering conclusion. The differing phases are all delineated beautifully by Taylor, by turns funny, desperate and angry. Matching Taylor in every way is Sam Oladeinde as Aaron Burr, ‘the villain in our history’ having a more nuanced story to tell, and his motives are much clearer in this powerful interpretation. When Burr sings ‘The Room Where It Happens’ you understand his desire to wield power and almost sympathise with his frustration at being constantly blocked and thwarted by Hamilton. The strength of both these leading performances gives much needed balance to a show that could stray towards being dominated by the title character.
This is a production of the highest quality, the cast and creative team have combined to produce a wonderful show that never sags and held the press night audience rapt with attention throughout. The raucous and prolonged standing ovation from the Manchester audience at the conclusion was deserved, with the tearful reaction from the cast demonstrating their camaraderie and appreciation.
The Palace Theatre is ‘The Room Where It Happens’ between now and February. Do not miss out! https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester/
Reviewer: Paul Wilcox
Reviewed: 21st November 2023
North West End UK Rating:
Photography: Danny Kaan