Chichester Festival Theatre has announced that their Summer 2025 season will feature a brand new staging of the Irving Berlin musical Top Hat.
Top Hat is scheduled to run from 14th July to 6th September 2025 at Chichester Festival Theatre.
What is Top Hat?
Top Hat is a musical, with music composed by Irving Berlin, originally produced as a film in 1935. Produced by RKO Pictures, the film starred Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Edward Everett Horton. It features such well-known musical numbers as Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Top Hat White Tie and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
Astaire and Rogers were paired in ten films, nine of which were musicals produced by RKO. Irving Berlin was a prolific composer. Many of the songs and films he composed for are still consumed today, especially at festive times, such as the film and song of the same name, White Christmas.
A synopsis by Chichester Festival Theatre…
When Broadway star Jerry Travers arrives in London to open a new show, he crosses paths with model Dale Tremont, whose beauty sleep is rudely interrupted by Jerry tap dancing in the hotel suite above hers. Instantly smitten, Jerry vows to abandon his bachelor life to win her – but the path of true love never does run smooth. Especially since Dale has mistaken Jerry for his hapless producer Horace, who’s trying to avoid the wrath of his formidable wife Madge, and Dale’s own fiery Italian admirer is planning a trip to Venice for her to showcase his couture gowns…
Jamie’s Reaction
An iconic film from the 30s is adapted for the stage, utterly marvellous! I’m a huge fan of Fred Astaire and his work, and this sounds right up my alley. Berlin’s timeless score is sure to delight as always, but it’ll be interesting to see how the choreography is adapted from the source material.
The Chichester Festival Theatre is my local theatre, so I’m glad to not have to travel far to see what I’m sure will be a spectacle!
Top Hat begins its run at Chichester Festival Theatre on 14th July 2025. Tickets will be available to book soon. For more information on this production, please see Chichester Festival Theatre‘s website.
What do you think about the new production of Top Hat coming to Chichester Festival Theatre? Let us know in the comments below! Alternatively, you can tweet @OldTimeReview on X, comment on Facebook.com/OldTimeReview or email Jamie@OldTimeReview.co.uk.