‘Welcome to Sha-hamilton!’ The slight opening stumble is amusing given the rapid-fire, perfectly times improvised lines and songs that unfold before our eyes. We all know the plot and the songs of Hamilton, but what about a Lin-Manuel Miranda-esque hip-hop musical that is completely improvised? Shamilton! conjures up a delightfully absurd and unpredictable musical with a celebrity or fictional character of the audience’s choice within an instant, with witty one-liners and infectiously catchy hip-hop tunes.

We are asked to shout out a few names of beloved or loathed characters or celebrities, to which the audience gladly obliges, calling out names from Jennifer Coolidge and Gemma Collins (met with the American cast’s very confused reaction), or Elon Musk to finally a resounding cheer for a very enthusiastic suggestion of Batman. What ensues is a musical based on Batman’s life, fight for justice and an epic battle with Superman, who he condescendingly calls ‘supes’.

The cast and band’s abilities to conjure a fully-fledged hip-hop song out of thin air is nothing short of phenomenal, and how they manage to create songs that all hold their own with insanely catchy choruses is a rare talent. Batman’s intro song ‘I am Batman’ is a gloriously unserious opener and superhero anthem. The jazzy joker theme is met with wild energy as Jennifer Coolidge duets. The best numbers of the night were ‘That’s What it Means to Be Super’ with Batman and Superman, and the chaotic frenzy of the rap battle between them near the end featuring savage burns (‘the S on your chest stands for Stop No Crime’). The cast segues into hip-hop bangers, adopts wacky choreography and delivers punchy one-liners within a split second, fighting their own laughter while playing off each other.

The other suggested characters pop up at random, somehow perfectly integrated into a story that only gets more bizarre as the clock ticks. Jennifer Coolidge becomes imprisoned by the joker and manages to sneak in the bend and snap and iconic lines from The White Lotus. Alongside a fabulously over-the-top impression of Gemma Collins and a few villainous interjections from Elon Musk, it is a Michael Caine impression that sends the crowd into a fit of laughter, after an audience member suggestion when asked about who could be Batman’s friend or foe. A night of endless laughter, catchy made-up tunes and improv taken to the next level, Shamilton! is a dream come true for musical lovers.

‘Shamilton! The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical‘ has finished its Fringe run