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
A 20-year-old man from Bradford has been sentenced to time in prison this week after admitting to numerous child sex offences.
Following an investigation initially by West Mercia and Lancashire Police, Kasey Fitton, aged 20 of Amundsen Avenue in Bradford, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with four children residing outside of West Yorkshire Police force area.
An investigation was then launched by Bradford Safeguarding Unit, who went on to uncover large-scale sexual offending against children.
In February 2026, Fitton was charged with 16 counts of sexual communication with a child and 20 counts of making/possession of indecent images of children - with police confirming that five child victims have been identified.
At Bradford Crown Court, Fitton admitted to all 36 counts, and then earlier this week (7 September), he was jailed for seven and a half years, plus a five year extension on licence. He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life, and he has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.
Speaking following the sentencing this week, Detective Superintendent Alan Weekes of Bradford District Police, described Fitton as a 'very dangerous individual to children'.
"There are further investigations ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who may have been a victim to come forward to us," DSI Weekes said.
"We are keen to speak to anyone who interacted with the Snapchat accounts Kaseyfitton23, Kaseyfitton24 and MyCroft110.
"We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and they are treated with sensitivity. We have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process and do everything we can to get justice."
Featured Image - West Yorkshire Police
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History has never been this fun – Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House | Review
Declan Kelly
Don’t judge a book by its cover... or in this case, a musical by its posters.
Going in completely blind, I really didn’t know what to expect from Operation Mincemeat. In fact, after the first number, I found myself thinking, I’m not sure this is quite my cup of tea.
How wrong I was.
Watching Tuesday night’s performance at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, I was quickly proven wrong about what I thought a musical needed to be. There are no huge sets, endless costume changes, or hundreds of performers filling the stage. Instead, Operation Mincemeat delivers a genuinely funny, surprisingly heart-warming story with just five performers, while somehow teaching you a bit of history along the way.
If I had to sum this show up in two words? Belly laughter.
Based on the real-life British intelligence operation during the Second World War, the musical follows the unlikely group tasked with convincing Hitler that the Allies were planning to invade Greece rather than Sicily.
And honestly, if you didn’t already know it actually happened, you’d probably think someone had made it up. That ridiculousness is exactly what makes the show work. The comedy comes thick and fast, with characters, accents, and personalities constantly changing as the five-strong cast jump between roles.
And this is where the production really impressed me.The multi-roling is incredibly slick. A pair of glasses, a change in voice or a small shift in posture can completely transform a character, and somehow it never feels like a gimmick. Instead, it becomes part of the magic of the production. It’s a brilliant example of how much can be achieved on stage without throwing money at elaborate sets or costumes.
Credit: Matt CrockettCredit: Matt Crockett
But underneath all the comedy is where Operation Mincemeat really surprised me.
One of the standout performances for me came from Christian Andrews as Hester Leggatt. During ‘Roses’, Andrews completely captivates the audience while portraying an older woman writing about the experience of wives waiting for their loved ones away at war.
What makes the moment so effective is its simplicity. With little more than a pair of glasses, Andrews transforms into Hester, but there is never any sense that the character is being played for laughs. Instead, there is real care and respect in the performance.
Andrews captures the loneliness, vulnerability, and uncertainty of a woman whose life has been put on hold while her partner is away fighting. After so much laughter, the sudden change in tone really lands. For me, it was one of the clearest examples of the craftsmanship behind the show. Both the writing and performance manage to find genuine emotion without losing the production’s personality.
The music follows the same balance, moving between big, energetic numbers and quieter moments that give the characters room to breathe. It never feels like songs have been added simply because this happens to be a musical; they actually help tell the story.
And despite being based on a historical event, it never feels like a history lesson.
Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House / Credit: Matt Crockett
In fact, I left the theatre wanting to find out more about the real Operation Mincemeat, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give it and definitely will be watching the film very soon.
If you’re heading to the theatre expecting huge dance numbers, powerhouse ballads and elaborate sets, then this might not be the show for you. But if you want something different, something that will have you laughing at one of the strangest stories in British history while leaving you amazed at just how slick a production can be with only five cast members, then this is absolutely worth seeing.
What I initially thought wasn’t my cup of tea ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the evening.
Funny, clever, completely bonkers at times and unexpectedly moving, Operation Mincemeat proves you don’t need a massive production to make a big impression. I have seen a lot of theatre productions in my life, but I have never seen anything as slick as this production, and that is pure talent at its finest.
Sometimes, all you need is a ridiculous true story, five brilliant performers and a whole lot of belly laughs.
Sophie Smith -
19th April 2023 
