Industry News

Hamilton outcry continues after 16 West End shows are cancelled

Hamilton fanatics have been taking aim at the show’s producers and ticket agents after more than a dozen West End performances were cancelled just weeks before its scheduled opening in London.

Musical enthusiasts in the UK snapped up tickets back in January for the hit show that has taken the US by storm.

However, it was announced on Friday that the Victoria Palace Theatre, which has been undergoing a massive redevelopment, will not be ready in time for the planned November 21 opening.

The show will now start on December 6, with those who were due to attend one of the 16 cancelled shows told they will have priority to book for an alternative performance.

A large number of seats were held in reserve to be released at the time the building was nearing completion, which will hopefully allow affected patrons to be re-seated early in the run with what the theatre has called a “minimum of inconvenience”.

Producer Jeffrey Sellers said: “We are extremely sorry to disappoint patrons who we know expended time, effort, and valuable resources to purchase tickets for our first performances. But they will be given immediate priority so that they can be re-seated as early as possible.”

However, fans whose plans have been disrupted have taken to social media to broadcast their disappointment.

Some have accused agent Ticketmaster of failing to satisfactorily respond to their queries.

Rochelle Bisson tweeted: “Well @TicketmasterCS are handling #HamiltonLDN so badly. No remorse, saying ‘it’s not our fault’, well whose is it then @HamiltonWestEnd?! They are involved in the process so hold some responsibility, even if it’s passing complaints on to whoever is responsible!”

However, others feel blame should be directed at the organisers of the show.

Zarina tweeted: “The fault lies with the Hamilton team for miscalculating renovation times, not the ticket distributor.”

Even those whose shows have not been cancelled are unhappy with developments.

Jewlee007 tweeted: “I now have preview tickets (ugh) instead of tickets to the real show. How do I get my refund?”