Cameron Mackintosh wants everyone to get a shot at seeing red-hot revolutionary musical Hamilton when it opens in London in just over a year's time.

The show — which is a solid-gold hit in New York — uses music from the late 20th-century (hip-hop) to tell the story of 18th-century U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton.

And it's likely to be as big a phenomenon here as it has been in America, where it has become a cultural and social touchstone: championed by President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The show, about the womanising Hamilton, was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (centre) who originated the role of 18th-century U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton

Impresario Mackintosh is producing the London version, along with American producer Jeffrey Seller, and putting it into the Victoria Palace, which he controls and which is undergoing top-to-bottom renovation.

He told me he is 'spreading the Hamilton ticket love'. People who have signed up to the priority list (you can add your name until October 31) have first option to purchase seats on January 16 — ahead of the general sale on January 30.

However, Mackintosh promised: 'I am going to keep a proportion of the house for general sale as well. So it's not like the first few months get filled up with priority ticket holders.'

He said: 'People who have signed up for the priority list are first to be guaranteed to get tickets. But I will have seats for every performance for general customers.'

Mackintosh and his ticket-operations team will be doing a daily lottery. 'Twenty seats for £20 will be raffled on the day, at the theatre,' he told me.

The show is likely to be as big a phenomenon here as it has been in America, where it has become a cultural and social touchstone: championed by President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton

A second lottery will be held a week in advance — online — so that people living outside of London have an opportunity to bid for another 20 seats at £20. Details of how the weekly lottery is going to work will be unveiled later next year.

More than a third of the Victoria Palace's 1,500 seats will be priced at £55 or less; and 20 per cent of the house will be £35 or less.

Top, regular-priced seats will be £85; although there will be higher-priced premium seats. Mackintosh argued that those super-expensive seats help to 'keep that proportion of the house under £35'.

The show, about the womanising Hamilton, was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda — who also wrote In The Heights, currently packing them in at the King's Cross Theatre.

Miranda, who originated the role of Hamilton (the man whose face adorns the U.S. $10 dollar bill) off-Broadway at the Public Theater, and on Broadway, too; was in London recently to sit in on closed auditions for featured roles. He was also house hunting.

He will begin filming Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Ben Whishaw, Colin Firth and Emily Mortimer, over here later this year. However, he will not be in Hamilton when preview performances start at the Victoria Palace next November.

Cameron Mackintosh wants everyone to get a shot at seeing red-hot revolutionary musical Hamilton when it opens in London in just over a year's time

I'm told that the actor, who has become the unlikeliest of heartthrobs, will definitely do performances in 2018. But discussions about when won't happen until he has finished shooting the Poppins picture.

Mackintosh, meanwhile, insisted that the casting for London would be as diverse as on Broadway. 'Probably more so, actually,' he said.

Go to hamiltonthemusical.co.uk to get on the priority list by October 31. Next year, the site will carry info about the daily and weekly lotteries.

Mackintosh threw himself a splendidly lavish 70th birthday party on Monday (Christopher Biggins burst out of a pink- and-white cake!) in Bedford Square Gardens.

In honour of the occasion, his staff had shot a spoof video — Camilton! — which featured them singing a number from the show.

Those with stamina were led from the garden square at 1am for further refreshments at the impresario's offices across the street. Mackintosh told me he got home at 4.30am.

Robert Harris's Cicero trilogy, set in ancient Rome, is being workshopped by the RSC.

The three books — Imperium, Conspirata and Dictator — tell of Roman consul Marcus Tullius Cicero, ducking and diving his way through the treacherous world of politics; his exploits recounted by his slave, Tiro.

Look at the U.S. presidential election and the bloodsport that is Brexit for modern examples. RSC artistic chief Greg Doran may direct if a decision is made to proceed with a full production.

A spokesperson said if the RSC goes ahead with the project, it will be announced in January.

A wartime battle of sexuality

Vanessa Redgrave and Joanna Vanderham are playing the same role — across a divide of nearly seven decades.

The actresses star in novelist Patrick Gale’s original television film Man In An Orange Shirt.

The drama in two parts started filming last week and is a love story that begins in 1944, when an Army captain Michael Berryman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) develops an intimate friendship with a war artist (James McArdle — so good in the Chekhov trilogy, seen first at Chichester and again this summer at the National).

Joanna Vanderham and Vanessa Redgrave are playing the same role — across a divide of nearly seven decades. The actresses star in novelist Patrick Gale’s original television film Man In An Orange Shirt

Vanderham plays Flora, the young woman Berryman is engaged to marry.

Redgrave is Flora in present-day Britain. Her grandson, played by Julian Morris, is beginning an affair with a man (played by David Gyasi).

Patrick Gale’s drama explores the differing attitudes towards sexuality, from the Forties to the modern day.

Man In An Orange Shirt is being directed for BBC1 by Michael Samuels. It’s made by the Kudos production company: the people behind Grantchester, Life On Mars and Spooks (which, though it has been off the air for years, remains my favourite TV spy show).