The original hip-hop musical Hamilton has begun its UK tour in Manchester and is running until 24 February at the Palace Theatre. But how is it if you have a visual impairment?
For me as a person with a visual impairment, attending shows like this can be quite daunting and difficult to navigate which can deter you from seeing the shows you love – so I wanted to see how accommodating the Palace Theatre was.
Even before you arrive for your show, an email is sent out where you can order food – which is especially useful for someone with a visual impairment. Sometimes menus can be hard to access so a virtual copy is always useful.
The theatre also add a link to its accessibility page, which is great for people to be aware of arrangements before they get there, to avoid the anxiety of not knowing if your disability will be accommodated.
Upon entry into the building you are met by staff who will instantly direct you into the right place to find your seats and were extremely approachable.
However, I found that if you were in the grand tier, it was quite difficult to navigate alone – but the staff were very helpful upon request.
Once you sit you are able to order refreshments through your phone which are brought to you – an accessibility-friendly way of ordering snacks and refreshments.
The show also did not disappoint: I found I was able to enjoy it fully. Though there were some scenes where the lighting made it so I couldn’t see what was happening clearly, I still enjoyed every minute of it and was able to follow through the music.
Overall I found the experience to be extremely enjoyable even with a visual impairment and I would definitely feel comfortable watching another show at the palace theatre.
The award-winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda tells the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and follows his life as he tries to make a name for himself in America.
I enjoyed watching Shaq Taylor, who plays Hamilton, make the character his own and he did an amazing job brining history to life and making the forgotten founding fathers story one we won’t forget.
Hamilton’s cast is very diverse, with many people of colour, which I love to see. It’s very meaningful including music styles such as rap, hip-hop, soul and jazz to represent their actor’s backgrounds instead of the characters’.
The songs in the musical are very powerful and full of emotion, making it a great experience. The fact that there are no special effects and simply a revolving section of a stage and a few walkways made all the swift movements and performances quite impressive.
Maya Britto who played Eliza Hamilton was one who strongly stood out to me, and her performance of ‘Burn’ was very emotive and really made the audience feel all the emotions she went through after finding out what her husband did.
Another actor who stood out for me was Charles Simmons as George Washington: he played the strong figure who took Hamilton under his wing so well.
His version of ‘One Last Time’, performed when Washington announces he won’t be running for president, filled the whole theatre with energy.
Overall the performance was amazing and certainly worth a visit.
