It seems spectacularly unlikely that a musical about establishing the fledging United States’ financial system would become a worldwide hit – but somehow that is (sort of) the story of Hamilton.
Sure, there is the small matter of the American War of Independence, adultery, blackmail, and an astonishing number of ill-considered duels too, but it remains a surprising topic for a runaway Broadway success.
That is largely due to the phenomenal book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the show Alexander Hamilton is described as “writing as if he’s running out of time” and you get the feeling Miranda is in part talking about himself.
There are a phenomenal 20,000 words in this lyrically-intense show, delivered in just under two and a half hours thanks to fast-paced songs and very few breaks in performance. The cabinet meetings staged as rap battles help too; if only all politics was as snappy.
The pace demands a lot from the cast, and they rise to it splendidly. Marley Fenton is a contained tinderbox of energy, fizzing away as the impatient and ambitious Hamilton. As de facto narrator, Billy Nevers as Aaron Burr has a steady soul tone, providing some of the subtler moments of the piece, in heavy contrast to the flamboyance of Ashley J Daniels in the dual roles of Lafayette and Jefferson. The sheer variety of the music is a key part of the show’s success, with each number reflecting the characters’ personality in genre and delivery.
There is less differential between the female characters, though Chasity Crisp makes the most of her role as Angelica with an inscrutable appearance and strong vocals, and Casey Al-Shaqsy represents the emotional and moral chore as Eliza. (The show’s main structural weakness is that Eliza is left to provide a resolution at the end, despite being largely marginalised in the run-up – but Al-Shaqsy powers through Burn and the finale nonetheless.)
In the hype around the show – and there is a lot – there’s comparatively little mention of how funny it is. Louis Maskell’s King George III is the focus for much of the humour, and his micro-movements are a study in comic control, but the plenty of subtle gags dotted through the show.
It’s rich too in cultural references – from a nod to Gilbert and Sullivan to a namecheck for Norfolk’s very own Thomas Paine, the Thetford lad whose writings inspired both the American and French revolutions and was burned in effigy across England (if that’s not a spin-off musical waiting to happen I don’t know what is.)
It is a truly unique musical, combining musical styles in a way seldom seen, and with an on-stage busyness that is energising and intoxicating. The artistry makes it rise well above its potentially pedestrian subject matter. As Hamilton himself might have said, I can’t give it enough credit. Go see it if you can.
- Hamilton: An American Musical continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until 25 October 2025, tickets £25-95.
