New Casting Announced for HAMILTON at the Victoria Palace Theatre
by Best of Theatre Staff on Tuesday 25 April 2023, 10:55 am in Cast Changes and Announcements
Jeffrey Seller and Cameron Mackintosh, producers of the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON, are delighted to announce new casting for the show who will have their first performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre on 19 June 2023 where tickets are currently on sale to 2 March 2024.
Joining the cast will be Declan Spaine in the title role of Alexander Hamilton, Ava Brennan as Angelica Schuyler, Simbi Akande as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Dom Hartley-Harris as George Washington and Lemuel Knights as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson.
Joining the ensemble will be Gabriela Acosta, Elizabeth Armstrong, Alishia-Marie Blake, Aimie Hibbert, Sam Holden, Christian Knight, Nathan Louis-Fernand, Stacey McGuire, Lewis Newton, Hassun Sharif, Alex Tranter and Maddison Tyson.
Continuing in the show will be Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Aaron Burr, Shan Ako as Eliza Hamilton, Emile Ruddock as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, Jake Halsey-Jones as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton and Joel Montague asKing George III. At certain performances the role of Alexander Hamilton will be played by Alex Sawyer. Continuing in the company will be Matthew Elliot-Campbell, Manaia Glassey-Ohlson, Maya Britto, Barney Hudson, Nicolais-Andre Kerry, Ella Kora, Aaron Lee Lambert, Kerri Norville, Samuel Sarpong-Broni, Lindsey Tierney and Brandon Williams.
A second National Company of HAMILTON will be touring the UK and Ireland opening this November at the Manchester Palace Theatre, followed by a season at Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Many performances in these venues are already sold out with both theatres seeing unprecedented levels of ticket sales. Further dates have just been announced at the Bristol Hippodrome (30 April – 22 June 2024; on sale 15 May 2023), Birmingham Hippodrome (25 June – 31 August 2024; on sale 10 May 2023) and Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin (17 September – 16 November 2024; on sale 28 April 2023).
The show will go on to play at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (26 November 2024 – 25 January 2025), Alhambra, Bradford (28 January – 15 March 2025), Mayflower, Southampton (18 March – 26 April 2025), Liverpool Empire (6 May – 7 June 2025), Sunderland Empire (17 – 26 July 2025), Plymouth Theatre Royal (30 July - 6 September 2015) and Norwich Theatre Royal (16 September – 25 October 2025) with tickets for these venues on sale soon.
Declan Spaine (Alexander Hamilton) trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and graduated in 2019. Histheatre credits include: Get Up, Stand Up! (Lyric, West End), Red Dust Road (National Theatre Scotland), Four Play (Above the Stag). Short film includes: The Gossip (Tanktop Films)
Simon-Anthony Rhoden’s (Aaron Burr) theatre credits include: The Color Purple for Birmingham Hippodrome and Leicester Curve, Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre for which he won the Broadway World UK Award for Best Long-Running West End Show Performer, If I Should Stay for Soho Theatre and Parade at the Edinburgh Fringe. His screen credits include a bold and beautiful new digital streamed version of the WhatsOnStage Award-winning production of ColorPurple, Temple for Sky TV, Feel Good for Channel 4 & Netflix, Let It Snow for Sky TV and Blue a short film.
Ava Brennan (Angelica Schuyler) theatre credits include: June in The Secret Life of Bees for the Almeida Theatre, Fantine in Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, Alline Bullock in Tina The Tina Turner Musical, Mrs Cratchit in A Christmas Carol for the Old Vic, Nala in Disney’s The Lion King for the UK tour, Hamburg and West End, Luisa Vampa in The Count of Monte Cristo Gallen and Dynamite/Ensemble in Hairspray both for Theater St Gallen; Nehebka/Cover Aida in Aida German Tour.Film credits include: Hellboy, Rocketman, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Beauty and the Beast. Television Credits include: Vee in Top Boy Season 4 for Netflix.
Shan Ako (Eliza Hamilton) trained at the Brit School and her theatre credits include Eponine in the All Star Staged Concert of Les Misérables before going on to recreate the role in the full production of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre for which she won Best Performer in a Musical at The Stage Debut Awards. Her other performance credits include the London Jazz Festival at the Barbican, touring the UK and Europe playing the lead role in Whitney Queen of the Night, and being seen on the live finals of X Factor and the subsequent 2019 X Factor National Arena Tour. Her television credits include Reasons to Be Cheerful with Matt Lucas and she was also the recipient of the Project Aloft Star for emerging artists.
Dom Hartley-Harris (George Washington) theatre credits include: Preacher in Bonnie & Clyde (Garrick Theatre), Curtis Taylor Jr in Dreamgirls (UK Tour), Collins in RENT (Hope Mill Theatre), George Washington in Hamilton (Victoria Palace), Ratsey in Moonfleet (Salisbury Playhouse), The Emperor in Aladdin (Royal and Derngate), Jagwire in Bat Out of Hell (Manchester Opera House & London Coliseum), Drifter in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Vince in Accidental Brummie (Birmingham Rep), Malcolm in Macbeth and Hugo Daniels in Billy Young: A Life on Death Row (The Old Joint Stock). TV and Film credits include: Alex Verney in Doctors (BBC) and Ben in The Waiting Room (Short Film).
Lemuel Knights (Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) theatre credits include: Barman in Choir of Man (West End, US Tour); David Letterman in 42 Balloons (Vaudeville Theatre); Dewey Finn in School of Rock (International tour); Mike In But I’m a Cheerleader (Turbine Theatre); Big Mickey in What’s New Pussycat (The Rep); Bob in Billionaire Boy (Nuffield Southampton Theatre/UK Tour); Miss Understanding in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Queens Theatre); The Hundred and One Dalmatians (The Rep); One Love: The Bob Marley Musical (The Rep); Ragtime (Charing Cross Theatre) Screen credits include: JoJo in Cells: a Musical Film (Metta productions); Ben in Hapless (Magnet Films).
Emile Ruddock’s (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison) previous theatre credits include Me and My Girl at the Chichester Festival Theatre; Five Guys Named Moe at the Marble Arch Theatre; Crazy for You at the Watermill Theatre; Kiss Me Kate on UK Tour and The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic and at the Garrick Theatre.
Jake Halsey-Jones (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton) is currently playing John Laurens/Philip Hamilton and cover Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre. His previous credits include Lady Chatterley's Lover at the Shaftesbury Theatre; Spring Awakening and West Side Story at the Frogmore Papermill and West Side Story for the BBC Proms 2018, Royal Albert Hall. His recording credits include the musical 42 Balloons for Perfect Pitch and stream.theatre and the indie-rock musical For Tonight UK Concept Album. His concert credits include Soft Sessions 2020, The Industry Minds Awards 2019 and Live at the Zedel at the Brasserie Zedel.
Simbi Akande (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds) theatre credits include: 'Jill' in Mother Goose (Duke of York and UK Tour) The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre) A Christmas Carol (Dominion Theatre); The Light in the Piazza (Royal Festival Hall and LA Opera); ‘Lula Buffington’ and ‘Almeta’ in Violet (Charing Cross Theatre); Putting It Together (Hope Mill Theatre); ‘Marta’ in Company (Aberdeen Arts Centre); ‘Tzeitel’ in Fiddler on the Roof (Chichester Festival Theatre); ‘Clara Brown’ in Ghost (UK Tour) and Show Boat (Gillian Lynne Theatre).
Joel Montague’s (King George III)theatre credits include Amos Hart in Chicago on tour in the UK and internationally; Ogie in Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre; Mendel in Falsettos at The Other Palace; Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls at the Théâtre Marigny, Paris; Kiss Me Kate for Sheffield Crucible; Kevin in Fat Friends on UK Tour; alternate Dewey Finn in The School of Rock at the New London Theatre; Eddie in Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre/Menier Chocolate Factory; Urinetown at the Apollo Theatre/St James Theatre; The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Producers and Sister Act all on UK Tour and Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre. His screen credits include Kay Mellor's Girlfriends.
Alex Sawyer’s (Alexander Hamilton) theatre credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead for the Old Vic, Girl from the North Country at the Noël Coward Theatre, Pride and Prejudice for Nottingham Playhouse, ROOM for Theatre Royal Stratford East and Alice in Wonderland for Bolton Octagon. His television credits include Get Shorty, The End of the F**king World, Harlots, House of Anubis, Father Brown, Eve and The White Princess. In 2021 he released his debut solo EP The Illusion of Perfect as a singer/songwriter and rapper.
HAMILTON has book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe.
The Olivier, Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winning production opened at the newly re-built and restored Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017 and continued to play there until the start of lockdown in March 2020. The production resumed performances in August 2021.
HAMILTON is produced in London by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Cameron Mackintosh.