If you like your musicals edgy and contemporary, with a mix of hip-hop, funk and soul, multiple dance styles and some seriously impressive physicality, you’re in for a treat with the award-winning Sylvia.

Kate Prince’s lyrics, choreography and direction combine to create a confident, assured touring production of the show. It tells the story of one of the most important campaigns in British history through rap, song and highly stylised choreography. It brings a remarkable group of women vividly to life.

The central story is the fight for women’s right to vote, but at its heart is the stormy relationship between Emmeline Pankhurst, played by Beverley Knight, and her passionate, headstrong daughter Sylvia, played by Naomi Katiyo.

The show opens in 1903, when the Pankhurst family is united in its campaign for women’s suffrage and Emmeline establishes the Women’s Social and Political Union. Politicians and the public, and not just men, are openly hostile to the idea of women having the vote. Over the next 25 years, we see the devastating physical and emotional impact of the campaign on the Pankhurst family.

Comparisons with Hamilton are inevitable and, as with that show, Sylvia takes historical events and makes them immediate, accessible and thrilling. It shines a light on women’s history, revealing the often-violent detail behind a story many of us know only in broad brushstrokes.

But this isn’t a straightforward tale of sisterhood and solidarity. Sylvia’s politics are increasingly shaped by her relationship with Keir Hardie, played by Tachia Newall, the leader of the Labour Party. His socialist views don’t always sit comfortably alongside the demands of the suffrage movement. The growing political differences between mother and daughter, particularly over the use of violent protest, ultimately drive a wedge through the family.

It’s not an easy story to tell, but the combination of music and movement makes it compelling. Rap battles and MC-style exchanges become weapons in the ongoing battle between the suffragettes and their male detractors. The lyrics are often witty and always passionate, while the relentless rhythms are impossible to resist.

Suffrajitsu, which kicks off Act II, is one of the funkiest and most rousing numbers in the show, combining music and choreography to spectacular effect. There are moments when the sheer physicality of the cast is almost as striking as the singing.

And this is very much a show with women at its heart. Knight’s powerhouse performance is at the centre of it, but she is more than ably matched by Katiyo and Ellena Vincent as Christabel, and Kirstie Skivington as Adela, the other Pankhurst daughters. Along with Collette Guitart as Clementine Churchill, they dominate the stage. And just when you think Knight can’t possibly raise the vocal stakes any further, she pulls another astonishing piece of vocal power out of the bag.

The entire cast is fabulous, men and women alike. Their vocals are impressive and, together, they bring a richness to the show. Many play several roles to bring this complex story to life.

There’s humour too, particularly in the portrayal of the pompous politicians and doctors who regard women as inferior and are determined to keep them away from the ballot box. The satire gives the show room to breathe amid some of its darker moments.

Visually, the production is striking without being cluttered. Set and costumes are largely monochromatic, allowing the singing and dancing to provide much of the colour. Lighting and projection are used cleverly to establish different places and moments in time, while the accomplished live band tucked away at the back of the stage provides the musical muscle, appearing only occasionally behind the action.

One of the best things about Sylvia is that the performers look as though they’re having as much fun as the audience. There’s a real sense of passion and commitment radiating from the stage. That sheer enjoyment is infectious.

This is a story of remarkable women who changed history, told in a way that feels anything but historical. Sylvia is bold, physical, funny and musically exhilarating, while never losing sight of the personal cost of the fight for equality.

If you loved Hamilton, you’re very likely to love Sylvia. More importantly, this is a story that deserves to be told, and this production tells it with plenty of style, soul and swagger.