Kathleen Marshall to direct TOP HAT at Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre’s eagerly anticipated summer musical for 2025 will be a brand-new production of Irving Berlin’s classic tap extravaganza Top Hat, running from 14 July-6 September, directed and choreographed by the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winner Kathleen Marshall.
Based on the classic 1935 film which starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the stage adaptation’s original West End production won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out.
There may be trouble ahead,
But while there’s moonlight, and music, and love, and romance…
Let’s face the music and dance.
You’re invited to the musical equivalent of a finest vintage champagne. Effervescent, elegant and exhilarating, Top Hat is a heady romantic cocktail laced with sparklingly witty dialogue, stunning choreography, lavish sets and gorgeous costumes. Irving Berlin’s irresistible score includes some of Hollywood’s greatest songs: the immortal ‘Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’, ‘Top Hat White Tie and Tails, and ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’.
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…
The creative team also includes set designer Peter McKintosh, musical supervisor Gareth Valentine, orchestrator & arranger Chris Walker, lighting designer Tim Mitchell, sound designer Paul Groothuis, and casting director Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting.