The Chichester Festival Theatre production of Irving Berlin’s Top Hat will bring glitz, glamour and toe-tapping tunes to Theatre Royal Nottingham from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 October 2025 as part of its eagerly anticipated UK tour.
Reprising their roles from Chichester, Phillip Attmore (So You Think You Can Dance) makes his UK debut as Jerry Travers, Sally Ann Triplett (Cabaret) continues as Madge Hardwick, James Clyde (Matilda the Musical) returns as Bates, and Alex Gibson-Giorgio (Mamma Mia!) plays Alberto Beddini. Amara Okereke (My Fair Lady) joins the company as Dale Tremont, with James Hume (Kiss Me Kate) as Horace Hardwick.
Based on the beloved 1935 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Top Hat won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out. Overflowing with charm and romance, the show combines dazzling choreography, lavish sets, glamorous costumes and sparkling wit with Irving Berlin’s timeless score, including Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Top Hat White Tie and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
The story follows Broadway star Jerry Travers, who falls for model Dale Tremont after an ill-timed late-night tap routine interrupts her beauty sleep in the hotel room below. Determined to win her heart, Jerry’s pursuit of love becomes tangled in a whirlwind of mistaken identities, fiery tempers and a dash of Venetian glamour.
The 2025–26 UK and Ireland tour opens at Woking’s New Victoria Theatre before visiting major cities including Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, Sunderland and Manchester, ahead of a five-week Christmas season at London’s South Bank Centre. In 2026 the tour continues to Sheffield, Dublin, Glasgow, Birmingham, Norwich, Salford and Southampton, among others.
Phillip Attmore, an award-winning Broadway performer, brings his celebrated dance talent to the UK for the first time. Amara Okereke, winner of the Stage Debut Award, joins fresh from acclaimed roles in My Fair Lady and Oklahoma!. They join a stellar cast including James Hume, Sally Ann Triplett, James Clyde and Alex Gibson-Giorgio, alongside an ensemble of outstanding performers.
Acclaimed American director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall leads this new staging. A three-time Tony Award-winner with nine nominations, she is celebrated for Broadway hits including Anything Goes and The Pajama Game, and her recent UK revival of Anything Goes which won nine Olivier Award nominations.
With music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and adapted for the stage by Matthew White and Howard Jacques, the production boasts an award-winning creative team including set and costume designer Peter McKintosh, musical supervisor Gareth Valentine, musical director Stephen Ridley and orchestrator Chris Walker.
Produced by Kenny Wax and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, this UK tour promises to be a sparkling celebration of one of Hollywood’s most iconic musicals, offering audiences a night of elegance, wit and breathtaking dance.
Posted on 17 September 2025
