Theatre News

Top Hat confirms October closure at Aldwych

After much speculation the Olivier Award-winning musical has confirmed it will shutter in the West End in October

Award-winning musical Top Hat has confirmed it will close at the Aldwych Theatre on 26 October 2013 ahead of plans for “an extensive UK tour in 2014-15”.

The screen-to-stage show opened at the Aldwych Theatre on 9 May 2012 following its UK tour in 2011. A recent winner of three Olivier Awards, the production will have played over 600 performances in the West End during its 19-month run.

Producer Kenny Wax said today: “It has been such a great privilege to have produced the first ever stage adaptation of Top Hat. We look forward to taking the production out on an 18 month national and international tour and over the years to come, I have no doubt that the stage musical will be performed by both professional and amateur companies all over the world. I hope they have as much fun as we’re having.”

The show, adapted from the classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film, is directed by Matthew White and choreographed by Bill Deamer, with set design by Hildegard Bechtler, costume by Jon Morrell, lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Gareth Owen, new orchestrations by Chris Walker, musical supervision by Richard Balcombe and musical direction by Daniel Jackson.

Gavin Lee and Kristen Beth Williams currently lead the cast in the roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont, previously played by Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen.

They are joined in the principal cast by Alex Gaumond as Alberto Beddini, Clive Hayward as Horace Hardwick, Vivien Parry as Madge Hardwick and Stephen Boswell as Horace’s valet Bates.

Ensemble and swing members are Michelle Andrews, Caroline Bateson, Jeremy Batt, Charlie Bull, Alan Burkitt, Matthew Cheney, Louise Davidson, Russell-Leighton Dixon, Matt Gillett, Jonny Godbold, Ian Goss, Fenton Gray, Alyn Hawke, Lauren Jade, Paul Kemble, Jenny Legg, Martin McCarthy, Grace McKee, Debbie Paul, Holly Rostron, Callum Train, Lois Urwin, Graham Vick, Alexandra Waite-Roberts and Aron Wild.

The story centres on Jerry Travers (Gavin Lee), a famous American tap dancer, who arrives in London to appear in his first West End show. Travers meets the irresistible Dale Tremont (Kristen Beth Williams), the girl of his dreams, and follows her across Europe in an attempt to win her heart.

With music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and based on the RKO motion picture, the screenplay by Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott has been adapted for the stage by Matthew White and Howard Jacques and is presented by arrangement with RKO Pictures LLC, Warner Bros Theatre Ventures Inc. and the Irving Berlin Music Company.

No further shows have been announced for the Aldwych, though Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s new musical Stephen Ward, based on the Profumo affair, is widely believed to be premiering there later in the year.