01
Secrets & Lies
Why this pick
Leigh’s same patient, actor-led observation turns family tensions into vivid comedy and ache, with the layered social detail and emotional generosity that make Topsy-Turvy feel so alive.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE1999 2h 40m GBR
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
Topsy-Turvy
ComedyDrama
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved Topsy-Turvy, try these.
01
02
The Last Metro
Why this pick
A richly textured backstage drama about a theatre surviving under pressure, balancing rehearsal-room craft, ensemble interplay and period atmosphere with affectionate precision.
03
The Dresser
Why this pick
For the intimate, workmanlike side of theatre: an affectionate yet unsentimental portrait of performers and backstage loyalty, built around dialogue, ritual and beautifully observed character dynamics.
04
Mrs Henderson Presents
Why this pick
This lovingly designed wartime theatre story offers similar delight in show-business logistics, ensemble eccentricity and the stubborn determination to stage entertainment against the odds.
05
The Young Victoria
Why this pick
Its meticulous Victorian world and restrained emotional intelligence echo the visual richness of Topsy-Turvy, while focusing on personalities negotiating duty, creativity and public performance.
Finding the atmosphere, tension and little details that made this one stay with you.
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01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
On the opening night of ''Princess Ida'' at the Savoy Theatre in January 1884, composer Sir Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner), who is ill from kidney disease, is barely able to make it to the theatre to conduct. He goes on a holiday to Continental Europe hoping that the rest will improve his health. While he is away, ticket sales and audiences at the Savoy Theatre wilt in the hot summer weather. Producer Richard D'Oyly Carte (Ron Cook) has called on Sullivan and the playwright W. S. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) to create a new piece for the Savoy, but it is not ready when ''Ida'' closes. Until a new piece can be prepared, Carte revives an earlier Gilbert and Sullivan work, ''The Sorcerer''.
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02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Jim Broadbent
W. S. Gilbert
Timothy Spall
Richard Temple (The Mikado)
Shirley Henderson
Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum)
Wendy Nottingham
Helen Lenoir
Kevin McKidd
Durward Lely (Nanki-Poo)
Nicholas Woodeson
Mr. Seymour
Eleanor David
Fanny Ronalds
Kenneth Hadley
Pidgeon