Packed with some of Irving Berlin’s finest songs, a fluffy romantic comedy storyline, and the opportunity for more sequins and dance than you can shake a black cane at Top Hat should be a sparkling affair.
But for the most part this Chichester Festival Theatre touring version of the show lacks magic.
At a surface level it’s all there: the sets and costumes have ambition, the performers clearly have talent, and we get the increasingly rare treat of a live band – but there’s trouble ahead.
Leads Phillip Attmore and Nicole-Lily Baisden lack chemistry, and Kathleen Marshall’s direction doesn’t make enough of their love-hate affair. Isn’t This a Lovely Day should be a teasing coquettish dalliance, but there’s little tension here.
Several songs feel rushed, with the lyrics tripped over and lead and ensemble dance moves feeling forced rather than fluid. The set constrains the space available, with unnecessary stepped levels and foreground tables and chairs sometimes blocking movement.
The saving grace is a strong set of supporting actors, amping up the comic elements. James Hume and Emma Williams as the battling Hardwick’s are effortlessly fun to watch, and their Outside Of That, I Love You is the outstanding scene of the piece. While they don’t have the complex choreography of the leads, they do deliver oodles more character.
The same is true of James Clyde as the increasingly unhinged valet Bates, and Alex Gibson-Gorgio as Beddini. His exaggerated Italian stereotype pushes the limits of acceptability but his Latins Know How is performed with such joyous conviction that you can overlook that.
The production has received some great reviews during its run, so much so it’s hard to believe this is the same show. Perhaps it’s the end of a long tour, or we caught a bad night. Either way, Better Luck Next Time was sadly the most fitting number.
- Top Hat continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday 28 March 2026, tickets £18-60. Touring nationally.
