Hamilton

Hamilton is playing in London on Friday 13 November, and if you've never seen it, it's a good time to catch up. The show tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers—an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the foundations of the United States. It's based on Ron Chernow's biography of the man, and it's a long, detailed look at a life that started far from the halls of power he eventually helped build.

What sets it apart is the score. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the book, music and lyrics, and he pulls from hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway, blending them into a single show. It's a lot of ground to cover in one evening, and the music carries a good deal of the storytelling. The production is a proper team effort: Thomas Kail directed, Andy Blankenbuehler handled the choreography, and Alex Lacamoire took care of musical supervision and orchestrations. The visual side comes from David Korins on scenic design, Paul Tazewell on costumes, Howell Binkley on lighting and Nevin Steinberg on sound.

It's a show that's collected a fair few awards along the way. It took home 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and 7 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. On top of that, it won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. It's a production that's been recognised across theatre, music and writing, which gives you a sense of the scale it's working on.

Tickets start from £23, and the age guidance is 10+, so it's one you can take younger ones to if you're planning a family outing. It runs on Friday 13 November, in the heart of London.