Hamilton musical West End opening delayed

The West End opening of Hamilton has been put back a fortnight, due to delays in restoring its London home.

Previews will now begin on 6 December, with the musical's opening night now taking place on 21 December.

Co-producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh said "tight time constraints" and "unhelpful problems" had prompted the "pragmatic decision" to delay the show's opening.

The hit Broadway musical uses hip-hop and rap to tell the life story of one of America's founding fathers.

Thousands of ticketholders are likely to be affected. It was due to start running on 21 November.

"We are extremely sorry to disappoint patrons who we know expended time, effort and valuable resources to purchase tickets for our first performances," said producer Jeffrey Seller.

"They will be given immediate priority so that they can be re-seated as early as possible."

The musical will be housed in the revamped Victoria Palace Theatre, which is being developed amid a massive redevelopment in Victoria.

Sir Cameron said time constraints to access to land around the theatre have not been helped by the theatre being built over a huge, active sewer, the 200-year-old King's Scholars' Pond sewer.

"It has been an extraordinary undertaking, both thrilling and fraught, not only because of the complexity of putting what is practically a brand new building into the shell of a much-loved historical masterpiece, but because it was also the ideal theatre for the most eagerly awaited American musical in decades, Hamilton."

He thanked his team "working often around the clock to get the theatre ready", adding he looked forward to welcoming theatre-goers to the newly constructed theatre.

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