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Stepping into Fred Astaire's shoes at Chichester Festival Theatre
SussexWorld
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3 months ago
In Top Hat this summer, Phillip Attmore is playing an American who comes to England and falls in love with an English girl – which is precisely what he did in real life.
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00:00
Good afternoon. My name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Really
00:06
lovely to speak to Philip Atman this afternoon. Now, Philip, you are taking the lead in Top
00:11
Hat, but just plus the theatre, the big summer musical. And it's so appropriate in so many
00:15
ways. This is a role that you've dreamed of for years. And goodness, this is art aping
00:21
life, isn't it? Because you're an American coming to England, playing someone who falls
00:26
in love with an Englishwoman, which is precisely what you've done, isn't it?
00:30
A story. That's right. Yes, I'm from Los Angeles originally, and also New York. And yes, my
00:39
wife is English. We met randomly in Stoke-on-Trent, England. And yeah, and we'll be celebrating
00:47
our 10-year anniversary right after opening night for Top Hat. So, you know, talk about
00:53
an American coming to England, falling in love and celebrating the story of that, you
00:57
know.
00:58
How wonderful. Now, so this is a show that's been on your horizon, basically, since the
01:03
age of seven. Why is this one that really tickles your fancy?
01:08
You know, it's being able to step into the shoes of one of my idols, step into the shoes
01:17
of Mr. Astaire. And it's both scary and exciting and charging, if that makes sense. Because it's
01:29
something that I have dreamt of, you know, I've grown up watching Fred Astaire, I've grown
01:34
up watching Gene Kelly and Gregory Hines and some of these great song and dance men who are
01:41
also tap dancers. And I so love the art form. I so appreciate what goes into playing a role
01:53
that requires singing and dancing and acting. I'm more excited than I am fearful because
01:59
I think the idea of, I'm prepared to step into this role. And at the same time, it's a group,
02:10
it's recognized that the great challenge that it is.
02:15
Well, do you allow yourself to think what it was that Fred Astaire had that no one else
02:20
had? And then think just a bit of that. What do you take from him?
02:23
Yes. Well, I think Mr. Astaire, especially when you come, when you look at like movie musical stars
02:32
and you think Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, I think they're two sides of the same coin. Fred Astaire
02:38
is white collar and Gene Kelly is blue collar. Fred Astaire is up, Gene Kelly is down and both
02:47
are smooth. And, um, and yet with great feet, you know, buttery voices and debonair. And so, um,
02:58
I think, you know, with, when, when it comes to playing Fred Astaire, it's just, there's no greater
03:04
gift than, you know, in this show, we open with putting on the wrist to have a big band opening
03:09
and to know the first few bars is all an introduction to you becoming that role. And,
03:18
you know, in a way with that kind of setup, um, it is, it's like taken off, you know? And, um,
03:30
yeah. And so it, it, it, in a way, because, you know, I've put in the work and praying my whole
03:35
life for this, um, the other element is the live, is the, the gift of the music that is
03:42
Irving Berlin and live music that sort of kicks into gear, this becoming that type of role,
03:51
if that makes sense. Well, I'm sure you're going to serve up an absolutely fantastic summer for us.
03:57
Oh, I'm so excited. And Philip, lovely to speak to you. Thank you so much.
04:02
I'll definitely speak to you as well, Phil. Yeah.
04:04
What's going on?
04:05
What's going on?
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