Top Hat
✭✭✭✭✩ Top that!
Festival Theatre Tues 7 – Sat 18 Oct 2014
For escapist enjoyment and immense spectacle, Top Hat would be hard to beat.
The big-budget touring production deserves every one of the awards it won in its previous West End incarnation. Although some of it may not stand up to close scrutiny, there can be no denying its infectious charm.
The 1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, with music by Irving Berlin, has been adapted for the stage by Howard Jacques and director Matthew White. Broadway hoofer Jerry Travers meets and falls for Dale Tremont while in London. However, Dale believes that Jerry is actually Horace Hardwick, the husband of her friend Madge and producer of Jerry’s show.
This mistaken-identity idea is really the sum total of the plot, but there is no shortage of entertainment. As well as songs from the film such as the title song or Cheek to Cheek, the addition of other Berlin compositions like Puttin’ On The Ritz and Let’s Face The Music and Dance means that there is a constant supply of big production numbers.
These routines are the evening’s highlight, with a large, superbly-drilled chorus, a fleet-footed orchestra, tremendous light, sound and scenery, and as many costume changes as you could wish for.
While the shadow of Fred and Ginger is bound to hang over the production, this is soon dispelled by the performances of the two leads, notably the excellent Alan Burkitt as Jerry. Aside from the odd Astaire-like vocal mannerism, he puts his own stamp on the role rather than providing an impersonation.
the sheer joy of his dancing
What is reminiscent of the original is the sheer joy of his dancing, gliding seemingly effortlessly across the floor as if it was the most natural thing in the world and there is nothing else he would rather be doing.
Charlotte Gooch’s Dale provides an excellent foil, and their song-and-dance duets on Cheek to Cheek and Let’s Face The Music display a real chemistry and are about as good as you are ever going to see. Their acting performances are also suitably winning and frothy, which means that the gaps between the dances speed by.
The standard of dancing throughout is frighteningly high, with Bill Deamer’s choreography ensuring there is always style and pizzazz to spare.
The production’s main drawback, however, is that this is really a dance revue with occasional bursts of acting rather than a fully realised musical. The plot is even flimsier than might be expected, while a lop-sided structure means that the second half outstays its welcome by a good quarter of an hour.
The revision of the book really should have done something about the dated attitudes on display – some sexist jokes should have been left unrevived, while one of the main roles depends for its impact on the notion that foreigners are intrinsically funny. As a result, the obviously gifted Sebastien Torkia is wasted as Beddini, investing the role with an energy and grace it frankly doesn’t deserve.
His spot-on timing is shared by the other performers, with Rebecca Thornhill a sparky Madge and Clive Hayward able to wring very last drop of humour from her husband Horace. John Conroy, as Horace’s valet Bates, is a delight, with his deadpan manner contrasting with his ludicrous attempts at disguise.
Despite the shortcomings of the storyline, and despite any reservations about having yet another musical that is drawn from an old film rather than displaying any originality, it would be churlish to deny the impact of this production. For simple entertainment value, it cannot be recommended highly enough. Whether you think you like musicals or not, for a great evening out this would be hard to top.
Running time 2 hours 45 minutes including interval
Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT
Run ends Saturday 18 October 2014
Evenings Tues – Fri 7.30 pm, Matinee Wed, Thurs, Sat 2.30 pm
Further details and tickets from: http://www.edtheatres.com/tophat
Top Hat on tour: | |||
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Tue 7 – Sat 18 Oct | Edinburgh Festival Theatre |
0131 529 6000 | Book online |
Tue 21 Oct – Sat 1 Nov | Wolverhampton Grand Theatre |
01902 429212 | Book online |
Tue 4 – Sat 15 Nov | Nottingham Theatre Royal |
0115 989 5555 | Book online |
Tue 18 – Sat 29 Nov | Bristol Hippodrome |
0844 871 3012 | Book online |
Tue 2 – Sat 13 Dec | Glasgow Theatre Royal |
0844 871 7647 | Book online |
23 Dec 2014 – Sun 11 Jan 2015 | Leeds Grand Theatre |
0844 848 2700 | Book online |
2015: | |||
Wed 14 – Sat 24 Jan 2015 | Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre |
029 2063 6464 | Book online |
Wed 28 Jan – Sat 7 Feb 2015 | Oxford New Theatre |
0844 871 3020 | Book online |
Tue 10 – Sat 21 Feb 2015 | Manchester Opera House |
0844 871 3018 | Book online |
Tue 24 Feb – Sat 7 Mar 2015 | Sheffield Lyceum Theatre |
0114 249 6000 | Book online |
Tue 10 – Sat 21 Mar 2015 | Birmingham Hippodrome |
0844 338 5000 | Book online |
Tue 31 Mar – Sat 11 Apr 2015 | Norwich Theatre Royal |
01603 63 00 00 | Book online |
Tue 14 – Sat 25 Apr 2015 | Canterbury The Marlowe Theatre |
01227 787787 | Book online |
Tue 28 Apr – Sat 9 May 2015 | Plymouth Theatre Royal |
01752 230440 | Book online |
Tue 12 – Sat 23 May 2015 | Southampton The Mayflower Theatre |
02380 711811 | Book online |
Tue 21 – Sat 25 Jul 2015 | Eastbourne Congress Theatre |
01323 412000 | Book online |
Wed 24 Jun – Sat 4 Jul 2015 | Sunderland Sunderland Empire |
0844 871 3022 | Book online |
Tue 7 – Sat 18 Jul 2015 | Woking New Victoria |
0844 871 7645 | Book online |
ENDS