AT a time when theatres remain closed and concern is growing as to their future, the worldwide phenomenon of Hamilton is offering a light in the darkness, with a new film coming to streaming, offering an opportunity for audiences to reflect on the past as time marches forward.

Hamilton?

Premiering on Broadway in 2015, Hamilton tells the story of America's founding father, Alexander Hamilton, and since the curtain came up, it has become a global phenomenon.

Written by?

Lin-Manuel Miranda is the composer and lyricist, who also starred in the main role, having already written and starred in a previous musical of his creation, In the Heights. Miranda, 40, who also worked on the Moana movie soundtrack, is something of a polymath and already, his awards include three Tonys, three Grammys, an Emmy and also a Pulitzer for drama in honour of Hamilton.

A global hit?

Prior to lockdown, Hamilton was still pulling them in on Broadway, with a production in Chicago and a touring show across North America. Sir Cameron Mackintosh produced a London show that began in 2017, but it was halted due to the pandemic, as were planned productions in Hamburg and Sydney.

Now?

Theatre impresario Sir Cameron announced earlier this month that all of his West End shows, including Hamilton, were cancelled until next year and he pointed to an absence of help from the government, saying there had been "no tangible practical support beyond offers to go into debt which I don't want to do”.

Hamilton the movie?

Originally intended to screen in cinemas in October next year, Hamilton the movie has been brought forward by 15 months to fill the gap for bereft theatre fans. It is the filmed version of the original Broadway production, shot over several days in the week before the main principal cast members began to leave in 2016.

Cast?

Miranda plays Hamilton, with other stars including Jonathan Groff, who plays Kristoff in the Frozen movies and Holden Ford in the Netflix series, Mindhunter, as King George III.

Alexander Hamilton?

Born in the British West Indies, Hamilton , who features on the $10 bill, had Scottish roots - his father, James Hamilton, was the fourth son of the Laird of Grange in Ayrshire, before moving abroad. The American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, banker and economist was best known for helping to ratify the American constitution. 

Timing?

The film will stream at a time when racism and inequality are are at the forefront of global discourse and in the UK and US, statues of monuments of people with links to slavery are being toppled.

Criticised?

The musical has been criticised by historians who feel it does not portray the founding father’s attitude to slavery correctly. Alexander Hamilton is not known to have owned slaves, but historian Annette Gordon-Reed, the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School, said Hamilton "was not an abolitionist", adding: "He bought and sold slaves for his in-laws, and opposing slavery was never at the forefront of his agenda”. although Miranda has always said the show is a work of “historical fiction”.

When does it air?

Hamilton begins streaming on Disney Plus on July 3. The first trailer was released on Sunday and has already racked up millions of views.