Classics in the Dome: Top Hat (1935)

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ most refined musical returns in a setting that does justice to its sound, movement, and design.

Top Hat is a landmark of classic Hollywood - a film that helped rescue RKO Studios, paired Astaire and Rogers at the height of their powers, and redefined how dance could be filmed for the screen.

This screening presents the film on a flat screen inside Market Hall Plymouth’s Immersive Dome, using its 5,000-speaker sound system to give real presence to Irving Berlin’s score and the precise rhythm of Astaire’s tap work. The clarity of the audio and the scale of the image bring renewed focus to the choreography, the Art Deco spaces, and the carefully designed costumes.

Screening details

• Thursday 13 March
• Film starts at 7:00pm
• Bar open from 6:00pm - arrive early for a drink before the screening
• Relaxed seating on bean bags inside the dome

Why this film works especially well here

Top Hat is built around movement, timing, and sound. Numbers such as Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat, White Tie and Tails, and The Piccolino rely on the relationship between music and body — something that benefits from immersive audio and a large, focused screen.

The film is also notable for its production scale: massive Art Deco sets, an ambitious Venice canal sequence spanning two sound stages, and a level of visual polish that defined Hollywood escapism during the 1930s. Though shot in black and white, the film’s textures, contrasts, and costume design create a visual richness that reads clearly on a large-format presentation.

Film notes

• First screenplay written specifically for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
• Features songs by Irving Berlin, including Cheek to Cheek and Isn’t This a Lovely Day?
• Premiered at Radio City Music Hall, breaking attendance records
• Directed by Mark Sandrich, known for his precise, architectural approach to staging
• Famous behind the scenes for Rogers’ feathered dress (problematic during filming) and Astaire’s perfectionism, including repeated takes and broken canes

This is a chance to revisit a classic musical not as background nostalgia, but as a carefully made piece of cinema — presented in a space designed for attentive, immersive viewing.

Why come?

Because sometimes you don’t want realism - you want romance, nostalgia, extravagance, and joy.

You want cinema that sparkles, dances, and reminds you why movies were once the most glamorous dream factory on earth.

Limited capacity. Advance booking recommended.