THE PRODUCERS

Garrick Theatre

★★★★★

“Naughty throughout, the production embraces its sparkly bad taste with debauched chutzpa”

Some shows come round at just the right moment. At a time when everyone is avoiding the political cracks in the pavement for fear of causing offence, along bounces Mel Brooks’ delightfully unrestrained The Producers gatecrashing the zeitgeist and reminding us that laughter can be the most subversive act of all.

Seems like a relief to be able to guffaw without checking the taste-o-meter.

Patrick Marber’s revival, first seen at the Menier Chocolate Factory, has now graduated to the Garrick, bringing with it the same riotous mix of bad taste, Broadway pizazz, spectacle and sheer joy.

The premise is still a comic marvel. Max Bialystock, a washed-up producer, has found a way to bankroll his flops by seducing elderly widows. Enter Leo Bloom, a neurotic accountant who spots a loophole: with creative accounting, more money could be made from a disaster than a hit.

Together they hatch a plan to stage the worst musical ever written. Unfortunately for them, that play – Springtime for Hitler – is embraced as satirical genius.

Andy Nyman’s Max is an inspired mix of sleaze and clowning, hustling with the air of a man who might sell his own mother if it kept the lights on. Nyman delivers – always.

Marc Antolin makes a marvellously twitchy Leo, a tangle of nerves and Broadway dreams. Together, they are a comic odd couple whose energy drives the show. Their routines – whether sparring, scheming, or tentatively finding a kind of friendship – are delivered with sparkling timing.

The supporting company maintain the standard – this is an ensemble of comic genius.

Joanna Woodward belts gloriously as Ulla, the secretary who offers romance as well as vocal fireworks. Harry Morrison’s Franz Liebkind is a delicious caricature of the deranged Nazi playwright, his lederhosen-clad lurching matched only by his chorus of puppet pigeons. Best of all, Trevor Ashley brings the house down as Roger de Bris, the flamboyant director pressed into service as the Führer, a vision in spangles and satin who manages to be both ridiculous and weirdly lovable.

Marber and choreographer Lorin Latarro work wonders in giving this the sweep of a Broadway blockbuster. Old ladies tap-dance on Zimmer frames, accountants break into showbiz numbers, and stormtroopers goose-step in perfectly drilled formation. Scott Pask’s lightbulb-framed set and Paul Farnsworth’s ever-more glittering and outré costumes heighten the delirium, while Brooks’ songs – “I Wanna Be a Producer”, “Betrayed” – still land with deadpan brilliance.

The show-within-a-show, Springtime for Hitler is the most bad taste, gloriously over-the-top sequence you will see anywhere in London. It deserves, and nearly receives, its own giddy standing ovation.

The satire has softened a little with time, but it is genuinely funny. Not funny as in light-entertainment-knowing-chuckles but the real thing, and slightly febrile. It is Mel Brooks after all.

What lifts this production above mere lark is its unencumbered freedom of spirit. Naughty throughout, the production embraces its sparkly bad taste with debauched chutzpah. It is like a big guilty secret we all share in a tucked-away speak-easy from where the social media stormtroopers are barred.

For all the lechery, fraud and outrageous parody, there is genuine affection in the bond between Max and Leo, and a sense that Brooks’ ultimate subject is not fascism but the lunacy of showbusiness itself. It is both love-letter and send-up, celebrating the power of theatre even as it mocks its excesses.

The Garrick now houses the most joyously tasteless evening in town. It is the ultimate antidote to All That Horrible Stuff Out There. It may be shocking, outrageous and insulting, but you will surrender. You vill surrendah.

THE PRODUCERS

Garrick Theatre

Reviewed on 15th September 2025

by Giles Broadbent

Photography by Manuel Harlan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION | ★★★★★ | May 2025

UNICORN | ★★★★ | February 2025

WHY AM I SO SINGLE? | ★★★★ | September 2024

BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF | ★★★ | June 2024

FOR BLACK BOYS … | ★★★★ | March 2024

HAMNET | ★★★ | October 2023

THE CROWN JEWELS | ★★★ | August 2023

ORLANDO | ★★★★ | December 2022

THE PRODUCERS

TOP HAT

Chichester Festival Theatre

★★★★

“polished, good-looking, and filled with tap, tails and timeless tunes”

There’s a certain magic to old-school glamour and Chichester’s revival of Top Hat taps into it with style and affection. Adapted from the beloved 1935 RKO movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, this stage version is a well-turned tribute to the golden age of musicals – immaculately dressed, packed with theatrical flair and brimming with toe-tapping, tap-tap-tapping delight.

Broadway star Jerry Travers arrives in London to open a new show, only to fall head-over-heels for fashion model Dale Tremont. A classic case of mistaken identity leads Dale to mistake him for Horace Hardwick – her friend Madge’s husband – setting off a flurry of misunderstandings, flirtations and fancy footwork, from London to Venice.

Musically, it’s a feast. Drawing from Irving Berlin’s rich songbook, Gareth Valentine (musical supervisor) and Stephen Ridley (musical director) bring warmth and wit to every number – from the suave syncopation of Puttin’ on the Ritz to the dreamlike sway of Cheek to Cheek and, of course, the iconic Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.

Phillip Attmore steps into Jerry’s top hat and tails, bringing precision and considerable dance finesse. A seasoned Broadway performer, he’s at his best when in motion, whether gliding through ballroom routines or tapping with crisp, stylish flair. Vocally, he’s less commanding, and while his performance is confident and capable, he doesn’t quite radiate the charisma needed to make Jerry truly magnetic. Still, his polished technique and assured presence anchor the role with poise. Opposite him, Lucy St. Louis brings a graceful strength to the role of Dale Tremont, the fashion model who finds herself swept up in Jerry’s chaotic orbit. With credits spanning both London and New York, St. Louis gives Dale both sophistication and steel. Her voice is velvety and assured, her movement elegant, and her presence compelling.

There’s excellent support throughout the ensemble, who keep the world of the show buoyant and bright, but it’s the quartet of comic sidekicks who provide some of the most memorable moments. Clive Carter is enjoyably flustered as Horace, the increasingly frazzled producer caught in the crossfire. Sally Ann Triplett’s Madge, arriving in Act Two, delivers deadpan bite and terrific timing, arching an eyebrow with expert precision and adding sharp wit to every droll aside. Their duet Outside of That, I Love You is a particular highlight. James Clyde, as Horace’s solemnly inventive butler Bates, and Alex Gibson-Giorgio, as the exuberantly ridiculous designer Alberto Beddini, lean fully – and delightfully – into their comic types. Their performances don’t just flirt with over-the-top – they leap right over it, yet remain infectious and full of fun. Between them, it’s a toss-up who steals more scenes, though Gibson-Giorgio’s Latins Know How may just tip the balance.

Kathleen Marshall directs and choreographs with clarity and style. Her routines – from sweeping ballroom numbers to crisp ensemble tap – are stylish and deftly handled, if occasionally hemmed in by the physical limits of the stage. The pacing keeps the farce buoyant and the storytelling is clear, even if some of the romantic ideas feel a little dusty by today’s standards.

The production looks stunning. Peter McKintosh’s set is framed by a sweeping illuminated Art Deco arch and anchored by a semi-circular revolve that shifts locations smoothly – from sleek hotel lobbies to the canals of Venice. It’s a smart, fluid design that keeps the action moving and always gives the eye something pleasing to settle on. Tim Mitchell’s lighting adds lustre and atmosphere throughout.

Costumes, also by McKintosh with Yvonne Milnes, are a triumph. The daywear is chic and sharply tailored, capturing the elegance of the era. Dale’s “designed by Beddini” gowns shimmer with 1930s fantasy, while the revue costumes for Jerry’s show add a burst of colour and pizzazz, nodding to vintage showbiz spectacle with theatrical flair.

In the end, Top Hat doesn’t quite dazzle from start to finish, but it’s polished, good-looking, and filled with tap, tails and timeless tunes — a thoroughly enjoyable evening of nostalgic escapism.

Tag Archives: PAUL GROOTHUIS

THE PRODUCERS

★★★★★

Garrick Theatre

THE PRODUCERS

Garrick Theatre

★★★★★

“Naughty throughout, the production embraces its sparkly bad taste with debauched chutzpa”