Hamilton at the Wales Millennium Centre: A stupendous telling of one of the stories that created our world

Hamilton the musical has blasted on to the party scene with a show-stopping, slick, majestic birthday present for the Wales Millennium Centre. The magnificent Cardiff Bay venue opened its doors 20 years ago this month and since then has welcomed millions of visitors to revel in everything from smash-hit musicals to their own innovative productions, festivals and creative courses.

But this is the first time that Lin-Manuel Miranda's award-winning musical Hamilton has been performed in Wales - and, for me, it was really worth the wait.

I am one of those people who doesn't like to look up the menu online before going out for a meal or read the last page of a book before reading the first. I like the surprise of seeing it for the first time in the surrounding of the restaurant, or being surprised by the twist at the end of a novel. The hype has been difficult to avoid, but when it was announced as the WMC's Christmas show for 2024 and a friend urged me to go, I actively avoided reading anything about the show.

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That view was in the minority as many people in the audience appeared to have seen this show multiple times already (the man beside me had already seen it earlier in the week at WMC). They know all the songs, they know all their favourite moments, and I can now see why.

What I know now is that Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton who was one of America's founding fathers. It is a twist on what actually happened with the story of how an immigrant from the West Indies became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War, and was the nation's first Treasury Secretary. A story with a modern twist in that it is told in the form of hip-hop and rapping, and stunning dance moves.

It doesn't sound like it should work - a historical look at how the American Constitution was created explained through the genre of hip-hop. Some say the rap-style can be hard to make out, others complain that it is not accessible and hard to follow. The majority disagree. You do have to concentrate and it can take you time to catch up, especially in the scenes where they are debating the Constitution, but for me it worked.

The pace is set high from the start and as the ensemble sing more than 20,000 words it is performed with clarity, strength and just the right amount of humour. Daniel Boys should be singled out for his cheeky and brilliantly funny portrayal of a spoilt King George, and Shaq Taylor as Hamilton put his own stamp on the character.

It is not just all about the singing and the dancing. The staging compliments the verse. There are no big set changes, it is all performed against the background of what a New York harbour might have looked like at the time with rigging, barrels and crates. A revolving part of the stage in the centre helps the audience to understand the passages of time and changes of venue. Simple and effective.

I have read about some people leaving at the interval, but by doing so they missed the best part. I wasn't quite prepared for the emotion as the musical was brought to a close in the second half. It doesn't matter if you have questions about the historical plot holes, the sentiment still resonates today. Especially with what is happening in America at the moment.

One of the lines that struck me was the repetition of the line "history has its eyes on you". The eyes were on the decision makers back in the 1700s, and they are still on the ones of today. I am sorry for the spoiler, but as Alexander Hamilton meets his end and they sing "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" it brought the show to a spectacular finish. Lin-Manuel Miranda has created a fitting story of our time.

I clearly remember being given a tour of the WMC just before it opened 20 years ago, standing in the empty Donald Gordon theatre and imagining a production like this being performed on the stage. It is the perfect setting for a huge production like Hamilton.

The standing ovation at the end was justified. There did not appear to be a word or move that was out of step. A fitting spectacle to mark a special anniversary for Cardiff's spectacular venue. Happy birthday WMC!

* Hamilton is being performed at the WMC until January 25, 2025. Tickets details are here.