Review: TOP HAT, Southbank Centre
Photo credit: Johan Persson
Top Hat at the Southbank Centre is very good at what it sets out to do. It looks beautiful, sounds great, and moves well, and it doesn’t try to be clever about being old-fashioned. It just is.
This is the full musical, properly staged, with tap, tails, ball gowns and a lot of movement. The story is slight and everyone knows it – a misunderstanding, a romance, a few crossed wires... None of that matters much, because the dancing is doing the work, and under Kathleen Marshall’s direction and choreography, scenes flow into each other through movement rather than dialogue, and people tap their way into trouble and out again.
Phillip Attmore is an excellent Jerry Travers. He dances easily, sings clearly, and never looks like he’s trying to impress anyone, and that relaxed quality makes a big difference in a role like this. Amara Okereke gives Dale Tremont warmth and presence – she feels real, which stops the character drifting into decoration. Together, they make the romance feel easy, which is exactly what this show needs.
The supporting cast are strong across the board. Clive Carter and Sally Ann Triplett handle the comedy cleanly, without dragging moments out or leaning on jokes, and the ensemble work is sharp, especially in the bigger numbers, where the stage fills up without becoming messy.
The production looks great – the costumes move properly because they’re made (by Yvonne Milnes and Peter McKintosh) for dancing, not standing still. Tim Mitchell’s lighting does what it needs to do and doesn’t distract from the performers. Nothing feels overworked.
The music is Irving Berlin, and it’s treated simply – songs arrive, are sung well, and move the evening along. ‘Cheek to Cheek’ is beautiful, ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’ does exactly that, and there’s no sense of these numbers being wheeled out for applause – they belong where they are.
What this Top Hat gets right is tone. It doesn’t push emotion or strain for meaning, it trusts that good dancing, good music and good performers are enough, and that confidence carries the show.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Lisamarie Lamb
Top Hat plays at London’s Southbank Centre until 17 Jan, with tickets available here.
