Luke Sheppard and Southwark Playhouse’s exciting production of the Tony award winning musical In the Heights has found a new home at the King’s Cross Theatre, a new space, at present being used to share performances with The Railway Children.   In the Heights is set in New York’s Washington Heights, an area north of Harlem and west of the Bronx. Workshopped from 2005.  In the Heights was set in a neighbourhood dominated by Dominican-Americans which has since been subject to the woes of gentrification like many inner city areas.

Drew McOnie’s energetically choreographed ensemble dance is outstanding with the cast dancing with coffee cups that later light up as if full of radio active coffee or cell phones which become torches.  The music uses many of the Latin American rhythms as well as street music like hip hop.

You will fall in love with the romantic leads, Nina (Lily Frazer) the beautiful, bright girl who won a place at Stanford University in California and Benny (New Yorker Joe Aaron Reid) who works as the radio controller at Nina’s father’s taxi firm.  Nina’s father, Kevin, is played by the great David Bedella whose West End musical credentials speak for themselves. Nina and Benny’s duets are out of this world.

Sam Mackay is Usnavi the bodega owner who is love with the beautiful Vanessa (Jade Ewen).   A heavily pregnant Victoria Hamilton-Barritt is Daniela the sassy beauty salon owner whose likeable performance provides much of the show’s comedy.  Eve Polycarpou is Abuela Claudia, the grandmother from Havana, Cuba who personifies “Paciencia Y Fe”, Patience and Faith, the show’s anthem.

The difficulties and realities are there: Nina’s struggle to pay her fees and living costs, holding down three jobs and not finding enough time for study and Kevin’s choice between supporting his daughter, selling out or keeping the employment going for his drivers and staff. These are real issues we can identify with.

With the audience staged either side of the set, every seat has a good view and the sound balance has been well refined.  The costumes are bright and fun and the set has the shops and cab firm at either end.

The cast are immensely vocally and dance talented and a wonderful advertisement for the excellence performers available on London’s Off West End. With the same composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton currently wowing New Yorkers, I wonder if an Off West End theatre will be allowed to stage that show?

Be aware that at the moment In the Heights doesn’t play Wednesday and Saturdays when The Railway Children takes over. I have visions of the graffiti artist Pete (Antoine Murray-Straughan) from In the Heights decorating the ancient steam train from the play of E Nesbit’s book in a futuristic fantasy!

So that makes two American born musicals you have to see in London this year, In the Heights and Kinky Boots!