PREVIEW: Top Hat in Eastbourne

Top Hat is this summer’s must see musical at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne.

WITH music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and based on the RKO motion picture, West End hit Top Hat, winner of three Olivier Awards, for Best New Musical, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design and winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out, shuffles its way onto the Congress Theatre stage, Eastbourne from, July 21 – 25, for one week only!

Nominated for four Academy Awards, RKO’s Top Hat was the most successful motion picture of the nine movies Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together. It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in 1935 where it broke all box office records and within a few weeks, all five songs from the film occupied the top five places on the American Hit Parade. It is still widely regarded as one of the greatest dance musicals of all time.

Top Hat tells the story of Jerry Travers (played by Alan Burkitt, reprising his West End role), the famous American tap dancer, who arrives in London to appear in his first West End show. Travers meets the irresistible Dale Tremont (Charlotte Gooch, also reprising her West End role), the girl of his dreams, and follows her across Europe in an attempt to win her heart.

Stepping into the shoes of Astaire and Rogers, Alan Burkitt and Charlotte Gooch are joined by Clive Hayward who returns as Horace Hardwick, the role he also played in the West End, Rebecca Thornhill as Madge Hardwick, Sebastien Torkia as Alberto Beddini and John Conroy as Horace’s valet Bates.

Performed by a cast of 29 and accompanied by 11 live musicians, this multi award-winning musical comedy includes Irving Berlin classics from the movie such as Cheek to Cheek, Isn’t It a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain plus Top Hat, White Tie and Tails. In addition, from Berlin’s 1,200 strong back catalogue, a further ten numbers have been interpolated including well-loved favourites Let’s Face the Music and Dance and Puttin’ On the Ritz.