Review: Top Hat (Chichester Festival Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chichester Festival Theatre have struck gold with their big summer musical in recent years with last year's Oliver and 2023's Crazy For You both enjoying West End transfers. Further life is guaranteed for this summer's offering as their revival of Top Hat debuts with a summer season ahead of a UK tour. Would this production continue Chichesters tradition of puttin’ on the Ritz?

Based on the classic 1935 movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the stage adaptation of Top Hat debuted in the UK in 2011, hitting the West End the following year. It tells the story of Broadway star Jerry Travers who arrives in London to open a new show but gets distracted when he falls in love with model Dale Tremont. Though she is less than flattered by his attention at first, she eventually begins to fall for him… only to think he is married to a friend of hers in a case of mistaken identity. With another suitor in tow, a hasty flight to Venice and a warring couple, would the lovers be able to put aside all their confusion and live happily ever after?

It may not be the most substantial of plots in the world, but it is utterly charming in its execution. Not too taxing for the brain and nothing we haven’t seen before, but it is rich with a sweet nostalgia that shines through no matter how familiar you are with the original movie or story. Adapted for the stage by Matthew White and Howard Jacques, Top Hat is peppered with humour and all the classic tropes of both a love story and one of mistaken identity, carefully navigating the fine balance to keep the story seeming timeless and certainly of its era while not coming across too dated.

The real charm in Top Hat is Irving Berlin’s classic songbook. Packed full of iconic numbers such as ‘Puttin’ On The Ritz’, ‘Cheek To Cheek’,  and ‘Let’s Face The Music And Dance’, it is a real joy to see these timeless songs performed in the context of the story by a wonderfully talented cast (more on them shortly). A show like Top Hat really speaks to the transformative nature of music, and watching the audience’s reaction to these recognisable songs that many of them would hold dear provided another joyous aspect to the show.

For this production, the legendary Broadway director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall has come on board, hoping to repeat the success of her astonishing production of Anything Goes several years ago. Her choreography once again wows throughout Top Hat, particularly thrilling on the Act One closer ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails’. The attention to detail and intricacy in every choice was clearer to see than ever before after a press night mishap involving an unexpectedly slippery stage resulting in a show stop moments after the show begun. After a quick clean up, Marshall followed her cast around the stage as they did, what I can only refer to as, a “test tap” making sure they were safe and her true vision could come to life. It was a beautiful example of why there is nothing like live theatre, and a great representation of her care as a choreographer.

The direction wasn’t quite as clear this time around, unfortunately. Issues with pacing and a show that seemed to struggle to connect initially left me perplexed at some of the choices. The grand and glorious stage at Chichester Festival Theatre was not used to its full potential, rarely filling all of the space and confining itself to the smaller centre part of the stage. When the cast did come out to the surrounding parts of the stage, the magic was closer to being realised, but never quite landed with the desired impact, proving inconsistent and far smaller than I would have expected. I wondered if the direction had been designed for the proscenium style theatres Top Hat will be moving to following the conclusion of this Chichester run, but it was disappointing to not have made unique choices to allow this particular run to reach its full potential.

There were other issues to be found in the design aspects of the show. The sound design felt oddly quiet throughout, though this did pick up slightly in the second Act - this was another aspect that contributed to the production feeling smaller than it should have. Similarly, the lighting design didn’t do Top Hat any favours. A gorgeous set design from Peter McKintosh was reminiscent of the theatre’s production of Crazy For You in some ways, with elements of opulence working in its favour. Though there was a great use of a revolving set to switch scenes, the bulk of the stage remained static and failed to reach the excitement or promise the initial opening had suggested, with some particularly underwhelming projections not feeling of the standard you would have hoped for.

One design aspect that can’t be faulted is in Yvinne Milnes and Peter McKintosh’s stunning and striking costume designs, featuring some truly gorgeous ensembles, particularly in the case of Dale Tremont and her magnificent gowns. This raised the bar significantly when it came to design elements in the show, though this also highlighted other aspects that didn’t quite reach this level.

Stepping into the tap shoes of Jerry Travers is Phillip Attmore in a decent performance that impressses most with his dance numbers. Perhaps he doesn't quite manage to step into the role as effortlessly as expected, with something preventing this being a well-rounded performance, despite his abundance of charisma. Lucy St Louis shines as Dale Tremont in a playful and eye-catching performance that especially wows on her musical numbers, with 'Better Luck Next Time' a massive highlight.

It is the other couple that steal the show here, however, with Clive Carter on top form as Horace Hardwick. Though his wife, Madge, is absent for the entirety of the first Act, she makes up for it in Act Two, with Sally Ann Triplett on scene-stealing form in one of the two standout performances. Demonstrating vocals, acting and comic timing, she is a force to be reckoned with - both as a character and an actress in one of this accomplished actors best roles yet.

Another standout goes to James Clyde for their small but mighty role as the hilariously written Bates. Every eccentricity of the character is played to perfection in a masterclass performance from Clyde. A special mention must also go to Alex Gibson-Giorgio for his wonderfully eccentric and entertaining take on Alberto Beddini. Though Top Hat boasts a strong ensemble cast, they are drastically underused, only appearing for the odd big dance number and then waiting in the wings for far too long. This is one factor that stopped Top Hat appearing as grand as I had hoped for.

You can’t beat a classic, and Top Hat is feelgood theatre at its best. Though it is far from perfect, watching these iconic musical numbers performed with Kathleen Marshall’s choreography is reason enough to give this show a whirl. While my main criticism is with the use of Chichester’s rather unique stage, I would be interested to see how this transfers to other proscenium theatres when it tours the UK later this year, as I imagine it may fill those stages with more ease. A slow start picks up pace in a much stronger second act, but this production still needs a bit of tightening up. Perhaps not quite up there with Anything Goes, but it still offers plenty to put a smile on your face. If you are debating whether Top Hat is worth a visit on one of its many stops around the country, I’d recommend you put all your eggs in one basket (other theatre snacks are available) and let yourself go. 

Top Hat plays at Chichester Festival Theatre until 6th September. Tickets from https://www.cft.org.uk/events/top-hat 

It then tours around the UK until February 2026. Dates and tickets here 

Photos by Johan Persson