Singing IS OUR LIFE
THE MUSICAL SENSATION
‘Every night feels as amazing as the first’
‘Hamilton portrays people of colour in status roles and it’s an honour to be part of it’
ALLYSON AVA-BROWN, 37, lives in south London with her partner, Mark. She plays Angelica Schuyler in the hit West End musical, Hamilton .
It has taken me a long time to believe in my voice. My mum used to playfully tease that she could pick me out of a group by my distinctly husky voice. Other girls were high-pitched, but I thought I sounded like a broken piano with a few keys missing.
I loved to sing, but I didn’t think of myself as a singer. I started going to youth theatre in my teens, then secured a place at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. I’ve since performed in productions including and . Last year, I was. Angelica Schuyler was the only character I wanted to play. She was witty, intelligent and comfortable in her own skin. For two months, I auditioned for the producers every two weeks, and with each callback, I was closer to getting the role. I knew I could do Angelica justice, but it meant so much to me that I felt overwhelmed. The penultimate and final auditions took place over consecutive days in August 2018 and I knew I’d given my everything. When my agent called and told me I’d got the part, I burst into the happiest of tears. Mark bought me flowers and my colleagues at the salon cried too.
