Theatre Gossip: Top Hat to close and be replaced by National Theatre's This House, followed by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Stephen Ward

According to the Daily Mail, Top Hat will close later this year and the National Theatre's "political powerhouse of a play" This House will replace the musical in September for a 16 week season. Top Hat won Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards and recently celebrated its first birthday in the West End. We would like to make it very clear that this news has not yet been confirmed by the show's producers.

Seventy seven years after its movie release which saw Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers playing the roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont, Matthew White's production arrived in the West End in April 2012 having completed a 20 week sell-out UK tour. 

The National Theatre's production of This House is about the phoney war between Labour and Tory whips in 1974 has been a huge hit. In James Graham’s play, both sides become bogged down in a war of attrition when they stop co-operating on major issues. 

Following This House's 16 week run it is rumoured that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical, Stephen Ward, will start previews at the Aldwych Theatre.

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