Olivier, Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical production is coming to Yorkshire for the first time.
We'll finally get to be in the room where it happens.
One of the most successful musicals of the 21st century is heading out on its first-ever UK tour, and it's stopping off in Bradford.
After taking Broadway and the West End - and the world - the multi-award winning musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda that has been captivating and engaging audiences like no other for close to a decade is about to head out on a tour of the UK for the first time ever later this year.
And Bradford's Alhambra Theatre has been chosen as one of the lucky destinations.
First premiering Off-Broadway back in February 2015, the Olivier, Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical production opened at the newly re-built and restored Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017 - where it continues to play to sell-out audiences.
The smash-hit production is also still drawing in record-breaking crowds on Broadway, as well as on stage in Toronto, Australia, and Germany - with an international tour also planned.
Unfamiliar with the cultural phenomenon that is Hamilton?
Well, to put it simply - "Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now."
Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre - going on to become a musical that's had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography, Hamilton has a book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.
An original Broadway cast recording of the show also became a hit movie on Disney+ in 2020.
Smash-hit musical Hamilton to stop off in Manchester on first-ever UK tour / Credit: Hamilton West End
"Since the day the show opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London has embraced Hamilton with an enthusiasm we could never have imagined," explained Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller.
Producer Cameron Mackintosh added: "Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is indisputably the most brilliant, ground-breaking, contemporary musical of modern times. I feel extraordinarily fortunate that Lin and my friend Jeffrey Seller, the show’s original producer, have entrusted me with their wonderful musical in the UK and Ireland.
"The London production opened in 2017 at the Victoria Palace, a theatre I completely rebuilt to house Hamilton, where it continues to play and has proved to be as big a success as the Broadway original.
"So, I am thrilled that it is time to put together a second British national touring company to bring this great show to our leading cities."
The Hamilton UK tour will open at Manchester Palace Theatre on Saturday 11 November 2023 for a 15-week season until Saturday 24 February 2024, before it heads off to the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh from Wednesday 28 February - Saturday 27 April 2024. Tickets are now on sale for both these venues, but the rest are yet to be released.
The full tour dates are as followed:
Manchester Palace Theatre - Saturday 11 November - Saturday 24 February 2024
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh - Wednesday 28 February 28 - Saturday 27 April 2024
Bristol Hippodrome - Tuesday 30 April - Saturday 22 June 2024
Birmingham Hippodrome - Tuesday 25 June - Saturday 31 August 2024
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin - Tuesday 17 September - Saturday 16 November 2024
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff - Thursday 26 November - Saturday 25 January 2025
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford - Tuesday 28 January - Saturday 15 March 2025
Mayflower, Southampton - Tuesday 18 March - Saturday 26 April 2025
Liverpool Empire - Tuesday 6 May - Saturday 7 June 2025
Sunderland Empire - Tuesday 17 July - Saturday 26 July 2025
Theatre Royal, Plymouth - Wednesday 30 July - Saturday 6 September 2025
Norwich Theatre Royal - Wednesday 17 September - Saturday 25 October 2025
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Sophie Smith -
19th April 2023 
