THEATRE REVIEWS - Top Hat

In a surreal way, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire have waltzed into Manchester in the shape of magnificent dancers Charlotte Gooch and Alan Burkett.

So Top Hat is back. And oh so welcome. The original script has been dusted off to great effect. The story’s old and nostalgic, this musical demonstrates all that’s best in a high-cost revival.

In a word – it’s magic.

Some say the old musicals are the best. And this is certainly true of Top Hat which took the film world by storm way back in the 30s.

Rogers and Astaire have gone down in musical history as they danced cheek to cheek.

Decades have gone by, but this magnificent show has, without doubt, stood the test of time. With bags of glitz and unadulterated glamour, the story unfolds in a fantasy world first in New York, then in London.

A brilliant cast of almost 30, combined with a richly delicious set, extravagant costumes and love and humour aplenty, this show bursts with style from start to finish.

It’s a light story of mistaken identity and follows this trial until minutes before the final curtain when the final “reveal” is sensational.

The amazing set comprising of stage-sized sliding doors works magnificently well.

The whole cast works well, but mention must be made of “Bates” the attendant in the posh club who goes on to play at least half a dozen different and lip-curling parts. A treat.

Top Hat plays at Manchester Opera House until February 31.