Top Hat And Tails In Sheffield

There maybe moonlight, music, love and romance, but there’s also a brilliant cast, superb costumes, amazing rotating sets and clever lighting designs, and to pull everything together to make a wonderful show, there is Irving Berlin’s iconic musical score, which includes such well-known songs as Putting on my White Tie, Top Hat and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz. Although based on the Fred and Ginger 1935 film of the same name, the stage musical only dates from 2011 when Tom Chambers, fresh from his Strictly success, took the tap-dancing romantic lead role of Jerry Travers.

When Broadway star Jerry Travers arrives in London to open a new show, his path crosses with the model Dale Tremont, whose beauty sleep is rudely interrupted by him tap dancing in the hotel suite above hers. For Jerry, it is love at first sight, and he immediately sets out on a mission to win her to be his one love, but as you may anticipate, the course of true love never runs smoothly. Complications on his road to true love arise as Dale mistakes Jerry for his ill-fated producer Horace, who in turn is trying to avoid the wrath of his formidable wife Madge, whilst Dale’s passionate Italian admirer is planning to whisk her to Venice for her to model his couture gowns and perhaps more.

While Phillip Attmore (Jerry) is a brilliant dancer and has a very likeable stage presence, his vocals aren’t as strong as they might be, but when partnered with Lindsay Atherton, who presents as a lively and sensible Dale Tremont, they together create stage magic.

The appearance of the wonderful Madge Hardwick (Kirsty Sparks) with her talent for comedic timing really brings laugh-out-loud humour to the show. Her sharp one-liners are timed to perfection, whilst her duet, Outside of That, I Love You, with her equally humorous husband, the disaster-prone Horace Hardwick (James Hume), was, for me, one of the many standout moments of the show of the second act.

There are also some very funny cameos from James Clyde as Horace’s inscrutable manservant Bates, along with Alex Gibson-Giorgio (Alberto Beddini), the highly strung Italian fashion designer, who both made tonight’s audience repeatedly chuckle.

The choreography by Richard Pitt is stunning, with both couple and ensemble numbers being full of joy, style and energy. The orchestra led by Luke Holman were superb, maintaining a perfect balance between themselves and the vocalists, and what a lovely change to have a show with live music!

Kathleen Marshall, the director and choreographer, has produced a wonderful theatrical evening's entertainment, ably supported by Peter McKintosh's sets and lighting design by Tim Mitchell.

All in all, a feel-good musical to brighten a wet and dreary January evening.

Sheffield Lyceum Until 24th January