As abolitionist Frederick Douglass would declare, “What to the slave is the fourth of July?” Figures like John Laurens, portrayed by Antony Ramos, did critique slavery and strove to establish the first 3,000-man Black regiment to join the fight for freedom. Historic context is also worthy of consideration that Black and Indigenous voices were indeed choked. Furthermore, the global BLM movement has laudably shifted the goalposts, and what was groundbreaking then has scope to go further now. There is something to be said for the challenge of concentrating decades of complex history into a two-and-a-half-hour piece. And while the narrative of Black oppression is inadequate, the history of Indigenous genocide is entirely non-existent. While the Founding Fathers are celebrated, their slave-owning is touched on lightly. While slavery and abolition is mentioned, no slave is given a voice. While an all-BAME cast furthers the cause of a more representative theatre and breaks ground for artists and art alike, colour-blindness does not tackle the harsh realities of history and oppression. In a world in which the Black Lives Matter movement has finally brought to our collective consciousness the scale of brutality and oppression which campaigners have spent centuries raising, Hamilton is viewed in a renewed – and crucial – light. Notwithstanding its impressive credentials, however, Hamilton undeniably has its failings on the story of race in America. One is left astonished at the realisation that this production broke new ground – that this richness has not been the norm in musical theatre this whole time, and that we have not demanded it. From hip hop to traditional show tunes, this production seamlessly traverses genres and pushes the socio-culturally imposed boundaries of musical theatre in a manner that holds a mirror up to the shortsightedness of our expectations. There can be no denying that Miranda is a musical polymath. And if all else were laid aside, the music, to take Hamilton’s own words, will be enough. History intertwined with art in a manner that melds politics with pleasure, tragedy with talent, democracy with dance and power with all people. The talent – broad, breathtaking – makes one believe again. An overwhelmingly BAME cast, makes theatre a space visibly and viscerally for all. More than anything, theatre entertained – in a narrowly defined frame for that term. The printed programmes would often describe a higher purpose that on stage would be buried in the muddle of art. Of the productions themselves, the music would be melodious but not game-changing. My brown visibly Muslim presence an insertion provoking frequent sideways glances as I brought discomfort to the white privilege of these spaces. Almost without exception I would be one of a handful (if that) of BAME people present on and off the stage. From musicals to opera and everything in between, the West End has been an unquestionably enjoyable but stuffy experience. Shakespeare’s Globe and the West End have been personal haunts, and in early postgraduate years I reviewed theatre for a number of outlets. Rarely have I experienced anything on or off screen which has gripped me so.Īs a researcher in English literature, theatre lies at the heart of my work. The groundbreaking and multi-award-winning creation by Lin-Manuel Miranda, that has recently graced screens on Disney+, is a production that is not only watchable, but immediately rewatchable. There is a life before and a life after Hamilton. Despite narrative imperfections, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s renowned stage production is in a creative league of its own.
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