‘Just having this incredible musical in Plymouth for almost six weeks is a coup in itself’

They’re not the sort of subjects you would think could make a smash-hit musical: essays on the fledgling US Constitution; taxation of whiskey; and political candidacy. Yet the lyrical melodies, rhythmic fluency and rap battle style of Hamilton has turned the bedrock of American politics into a theatrical diamond.

No wonder that the previously untold story of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton – an orphaned immigrant – has broken as many box office records as it has theatrical conventions. Few could have missed the way it has already dominated Plymouth’s cultural scene this summer; between the adverts emblazoned on the sides of buses and the gold wrapping on Theatre Royal Plymouth itself, just having this incredible musical in the city for almost six weeks is a coup in itself.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterful musical catapulted him into that spotlight as much as it revealed the story of Hamilton himself, despite its unwieldy topics.

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It is pure musical fluency which prevents those subjects from being too dry; instead, rhymic rap and sharp choreography mean it is slick to the point of being irresistible.

But it’s not all political history, as the personal story of Hamilton himself takes place against a backdrop of the American War of Independence as well as the French Revolution; it is not hard to draw comparisons with Les Miserables in the heady power of mutiny and rebellion.

Hamilton too was something of a renegade as much of a visionary, his ambition and drive makes him as many enemies as friends, including Thomas Jefferson, as well as leading him into a love affair which destroys any personal political possibilities.

All those threads are pulled taut through an almost non-stop playlist of mellifluous mastery, delivered at TRP by Marley Fenton as Hamilton and Billy Nevers as his confidante, Aaron Burr.

Such energy is certainly reliant on the additional skills of a talented cast, including KM Drew Boateng as James Madison, Ashley J Daniels as both Marquis de Lafayette and Jefferson.

Casey Al-Shaqsy as Eliza Hamilton and Chasity Crisp as Angelica Schulyer provide some light, while the comical interjections of Louis Maskell as King George will be a highlight for many – and a reminder of the historical significance of the events taking place.

That backdrop is fully illustrated in Act One, where the US gains its independence and forms the foundations of the modern superpower with Hamilton’s expertise beside first President George Washington.

It is then left to Act Two for the story of Hamilton to be fleshed out with intrigue and, untimately, an untimely downfall.

But the subject matter is just the basis on which the real excellence of Hamilton is laid on top of; a musical ride which has seen it not just become a theatrical phenomenon but transcend the traditional lines to appeal to a new generation of theatre-goers in those who will re-listen to the tracks as if they are hit songs.

Hamilton is more than just a great musical; it is a moment in theatrical history, a fault line in the plates on which genres sit. It is almost a cultural continent by itself.

The fact it is at TRP for such a lengthy run this summer is a huge filip for the city as a whole and its place in the cultural scene, and the way it has been welcomed – and the way in which the cast have been welcomed – will hopefully lead to more hit shows coming here.

In the meantime, see it, if you possibly can; if only to say, in the future, that you were there.