Top Hat at New Wimbledon Theatre
16th October 2025
A group from the theatre group ventured to Wimbledon to see the Chichester Production of Top Hat on tour. They were in for a treat as Irving Berlin’s score came to life on the stage. Numbers like Let’s face the music and dance, Top Hat, White tie and tails, Cheek to cheek were performed and tap danced to our delight.
The show, based on the 1935 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, won the Olivier Award in 2013 for best new musical and the theatre group went to a production at The Churchill Theatre in June 2015.
The story is as always quite thin but the spectacle and singing and dancing and energy of the cast was great.
When Broadway star Jerry Travers played by Phillip Attmore, crosses paths with model Dale Tremont, played by Lindsay Atherton, whose beauty sleep is rudely interrupted by Jerry tap dancing in the hotel room above hers. Jerry vows to abandon his batchelor life to win her. But with true love things never go smoothly as the scene changes to Venice and mistaken identities continue until the inevitable happy ending.
We all enjoyed the show and came out singing along with tunes that had stayed in our heads.
Contributed by Mary Garside
