Top Hat
The Mill at Sonning
Until December 30
0118 969 8000
The audience at The Mill were in for a treat on the opening night of Top Hat.
The show opened with a dazzle of lights and energy as the cast tapped their way through the famous Puttin’ on the Ritz.
There then followed romance, scandal, humour, and a case of mistaken identity, accompanied or interspersed with a vast array of dance styles.
Featuring other well-known numbers as Dancing Cheek to Cheek and Let’s Face the Music and Dance, many an audience toes were tapping – and it was hard not to sing along.
The show tells the story of the charismatic dancer Jerry Travers, played by former EastEnders star Jonny Labey, who travels to London to perform a show.
He falls in love with the lady from the hotel room below – the very lady whose sleep he disturbs as he practices his tap routines.
A variety of other larger-than-life characters appear in succession, from the exuberant Italian designer Beddini (Andy Rees), with his superb comic timing and facial expressions, to the hilarious Bates the butler (Brendan Cull), who wouldn’t have been out of place in a pantomime.
As the action moved to Venice, cue a more Latin style of dancing and some most amusing Italian accents as the plot moves from scandal to farce, then a very satisfying Happily-Ever-After.
The tap numbers definitely stole the show: the lightning-quick feet of Jonny Labey left the audience breathless, and the whole-ensemble numbers with feet moving in perfect synchronicity. This was a festive feast for the eyes and ears.
Costume, lighting, staging and music all contributed to a fantastically uplifting evening.
JUDITH CREIGHTON
