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.

A big dance scene from Top Hat

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.

Alan Burkitt and Charlotte Gooch. Photo: Production

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.

A scene from Top Hat

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

ENDS

Tags: Alan Burkitt, Charlotte Gooch, Clive Hayward, Festival Theatre, Hugh Simpson, John Conroy, Musicals, Rebecca Thornhill, Sebastien Torkia, Top Hat