Lucy St Louis and Phillip Attmore in Top Hat at Chichester Festival Theatre. Picture: Johan Persson
Top Hat continues at Chichester Festival Theatre until 6 September 2025.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
From the moment the curtain rises at Chichester Festival Theatre, Top Hat transports audiences into a world of effervescent glamour, toe-tapping rhythms and timeless romance. Directed and choreographed by the masterful Kathleen Marshall, this sparkling production, a love letter to classic musical theatre, brims with Irving Berlin’s iconic score and a cast radiating star power – a heady cocktail of wit, elegance and sheer joy that leaves audiences grinning ear to ear.
This is actually the best version of Top Hat so far, as the first West End production, directed by Michael White, was somehow a bit too lacklustre to transfer to Broadway despite a respectable run and an Olivier for Best Musical. The Steven Mear helmed and choreographed version at Kilworth House, starring Dan Burton, was already an improvement. But strangely the best versions were actually on the Fringe or in smaller venues, namely at Upstairs at the Gatehouse and The Mill at Sonning, where it ran for two consecutive holiday seasons.
The story follows Broadway star Jerry Travers (Phillip Attmore), whose exuberant tap dancing in a London hotel suite, where he’s arrived to perform in a new show produced by his friend Horace Hardwick (Clive Carter), inadvertently disrupts the sleep of radiant model Dale Tremont (Lucy St Louis).
What begins as a comedic clash, sparked by mistaken identities and romantic misunderstandings, blossoms into a delightful love story as Dale mistakenly believes Jerry is married to her friend Madge Hardwick, played by the irrepressible Sally Ann Triplett, prompting her to flee to Venice, pursued by Jerry and complicated by the flamboyant Italian fashion designer Alberto Beddini (Alex Gibson-Giorgio).
With the aid of Horace’s quick-witted valet Bates (James Clyde), the lovers navigate a whirlwind of confusion to find their happily-ever-after. Adapted from the 1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film, the feather-light plot, rich with nostalgic charm, perfectly complements Berlin’s unforgettable melodies, including ‘Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails’ and ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’.
Marshall’s spellbinding direction weaves seamless transitions between uproarious comedy and breathtaking dance sequences, transforming the Festival Theatre stage into a dazzling showcase of tap, ballroom and ensemble numbers pulsing with energy. Peter McKintosh’s lavish sets evoke the opulent Art Deco glamour of 1930s London and Venice, while Tim Mitchell’s dreamy lighting enhances the romantic allure, and the spectacular costumes by Yvonne Milnes and McKintosh capture Hollywood’s Golden Age with shimmering gowns and tailored tuxedos.
The cast, a constellation of talent, is led by Attmore’s charismatic Jerry Travers, whose electrifying tap dancing, a testament to his Fred and Adele Astaire Award-winning prowess, combines with boyish charm and vocal finesse to make him an irresistible leading man.
St Louis, a revelation as Dale Tremont, infuses every scene with grace and fire through her luminous presence and velvety vocals; their chemistry in numbers like ‘Cheek to Cheek’ evokes the effortless elegance of Astaire and Rogers while carving out a unique spark.
Triplett’s sophisticated yet sassy Madge delivers razor-sharp comedic timing, blending seamlessly with Carter’s pun-laden Horace, whose bumbling delivery elicits roars of laughter. Gibson-Giorgio’s riotous Alberto Beddini steals scenes with exaggerated bravado, particularly in his energetic Act II solo, while Clyde’s slyly humorous Bates ties the ensemble together beautifully.
The production’s technical brilliance is matched by its heart, with Irving Berlin’s score, orchestrated with lush precision by Chris Walker, feeling as fresh today as in 1935; each song is a jewel in this musical masterpiece. From the exuberant ‘Puttin’ On the Ritz’ to the tender ‘Isn’t This a Lovely Day’, the music sweeps audiences into a world where love and dance conquer all, performed by a powerhouse ensemble of triple threat performers who execute Marshall’s choreography with jaw-dropping precision and infectious energy.
However, the pacing occasionally falters, with scenes that transition swiftly in the film feeling choppy on stage, and the traverse stage can feel restrictive for the grand choreography, particularly in numbers like ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails’, where the ensemble’s talent deserves a larger canvas.
There’s also a lack of balance between Act I, with all its big dance numbers, and Act II, which leans more to comedy, thanks again to the great Triplett, absent from Act I. But with all her talents as a West End performer, Triplett should be given more singing and dancing, outside of a few lines from the ‘The Piccolino’ and her duet with Carter to ‘Outside of That, I Love You’ at the end of the show.
Even though it lacks the fast-paced brilliance of Crazy For You, Top Hat is an exhilarating, elegant escape, celebrating the enduring magic of musical theatre, reminding us why we flock to the stage: to be swept away by stories that make us laugh, love and dance in our seats – a nice vintage champagne for summer sipping.
An extensive tour of the UK is to follow until February 2026, along with an engagement at Châtelet in Paris in April 2026, which will give French audiences a chance to celebrate Fred Astaire, after having celebrated Gene Kelly in An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain.
Patrick Honoré
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