Top Hat is a sparkling, fizzy cocktail of mistaken identity, tap-dance dazzle and old-Hollywood charm, poured with more froth than substance but still served with style.
Broadway star Jerry Travers breezes into London to headline a new show, only for his exuberant late-night tapping to disturb the elegant Dale Tremont in the room below. Sparks fly in the usual Hollywood fashion: He falls for her instantly; she, convinced he’s someone else entirely, resists. Cue a merry chase of mix-ups that shuttles us from London drizzle to Venetian sunshine, with a flamboyant fashion designer, meddling friends and a hapless valet stirring the comic pot.
The story is, as ever, secondary to the spectacle, serving to parade Irving Berlin’s timeless melodies. Numbers like “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” arrive with all the charm expected, accompanied by Kathleen Marshall’s glossy choreography. The polished ensemble taps crisply and the set, with its revolving Art Deco clock-like design, makes short time of well-paced scene changes from bedrooms to bars, hotels to aircraft. While these largely look effortless the stepped staging sometimes feels awkwardly cramped, limiting the full sweep of the ensemble and the otherwise exuberant choreography. Lighting adds a sheen of glamour, adding texture, sparkle, and cinematic atmosphere while the band energises every step.
Complementing the scenery, the wardrobe shimmers in bursts of colour and style - Dale’s feathered Cheek to Cheek gown winks knowingly at history - but some pieces feel less lavish, the tailoring feeling thin, failing to cut elegant silhouettes. You sense the budget stretched more toward the set than the wardrobe.
The production is, of course, based on the 1935 RKO motion picture where Astaire and Rogers set a legendary standard with impossible precision and effortless chemistry, magnetically blurring the line between acting and dancing: conversations turned seamlessly into movement, romance told through rhythm. Here that elusive blend is not quite captured. Attmore (Travers) is a gifted dancer, fleet and sharp, and the poised Okereke’s vocals carry both romance and subtle charm, but together they never quite ignite, lacking the ineffable playful spontaneity of their predecessors. They are at risk of being overshadowed by the more flamboyant comic characters: Clive Carter’s endearingly flustered producer, Sally Ann Triplett’s dryly hilarious Madge, James Clyde’s deadpan butler Bates and Alex Gibson-Giorgio’s gloriously over-the-top Beddini. It’s a production which leans into repeated farce, but the humour is affectionate, and the audience is rewarded with joyous tap numbers, romantic duets, and witty interludes in a joyous, stylish celebration of classic musical theatre.
Top Hat may not be flawless, but it’s fun, feathered and fabulous; nostalgic yet contemporary, elegant yet playful, with enough dazzle to keep toes tapping and spirits lifted.
Show Times: 30 September to 4 October 2025 at 7.30pm Matinees 1 and 4 October at 2.30pm. (Tour continues).
Tickets: £15 - £75 (packages and discounts available).
Suitability: 8+