Matthew White and Howard Jacques are behind this adaptation, as we follow the attempts of charismatic Broadway star Jerry Travers to woo fashion model Dale Tremont after their serendipitous meeting in a New York hotel room. He irritates her with his tap dancing in the hotel room above hers, then we watch the action unfold with his attempts to win her over, despite various trials and tribulations along the way. Phillip Attmore and Amara Okereke take on the lead roles with gusto, with particular mention for Attmore’s undeniable tap dance talent and Okereke’s powerful singing voice, but their chemistry fails to sizzle in parts. 

Director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall, who was behind the über-successful 2021 revival of Anything Goes, takes the helm here too as she directs a sublime cast through a wonderful score of Irving Berlin crowd pleasers, including ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ and ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’. The ensemble numbers are where this show soars, as the sound of tap dance fills the auditorium and the exquisite dancers make my leg muscles ache just from watching them! What the show sometimes lacks in pace and flow, it makes up for in style and big dance numbers.

The glitz and glam of the action are complemented by Peter McKintosh’s gorgeous set and costume design, putting us firmly in the 1920s Hollywood golden era. Top hats and coattails come hand-in-hand with a variety of pastel looks and classic glitzy showgirl costumes, making the whole show look expensive. Scene changes happen swiftly and seamlessly, aided by a large clockface on a revolve, with backdrops of London or Venice imposed onto it to help set the scene. Lighting designer Tim Mitchell does a sterling job with the golden and blue hues adding the finishing touches to the picture-perfect set.  

Alongside the mesmerising choreography and lavish sets is a heapful of comedic and witty moments. James Clyde as butler Bates and Alex Gibson-Giorgio as fashion designer Alberto Beddini both provide some laugh-out-loud moments, heading almost into farcical slapstick territory in parts, which may divide the crowd and certainly jarred me in parts. The stars of many comedic moments, however, are undoubtedly Clive Carter and Sally Ann Triplett playing married couple Horace and Madge Hardwick. Particular mention must go to Triplett, who steals every scene with her dry one-liners.

Despite the beautiful choreography, winning score and sophisticated set design, its faltering narrative and underuse of a superbly talented ensemble failed to win me over completely. Top Hat exudes lavish Hollywood glamour and offers fun escapism over this winter period, but the pace and length of the show could benefit from some trimming to make it pack more of a punch.