Tops

Here is a vintage Tops of the Town programme from the local final of 1973 where Waterford Crystal with “Cheaper by the Dozen and a Half’ took on the Teachers with ‘Here Today – Gone Tonight’. Click below for a browse. 1973 – Tops Local Final Programme – Waterford Glass Vs Teachers

Back to the day when Waterford Glass took on Henry Ford Ltd from Cork in the national quarter finals of the Tops. Click below to browse the Show Programme. 1979 – National Quarter Finals – Waterford Glass Vs Ford – Show Programme

Here is a classic from Bryan Flynns 1992 Tramore Tops show. It’s worth noting what an amazing wig Brian Collins is wearing! 🙂

Here is a great little scene from the 1980 Tops of The Town Banks & Finance show featuring the legendary Des Manahan on guitar with a host of performers singing and playing with him.

Here is another blast back forty odd years to the 1979 local final of Tops with Waterford Glass taking on Banks & Finance. Click below for a browse. 1979 – Tops Local Final Programme – Waterford Glass vs Banks & Finance

Here is the show programme from the 1992 Tops – Tramore vs the Port And Docks 1992 – Tramore vs Port And Docks – Show Programme

These documents are always popular – handwritten adjudication from the 1981 tops – Waterford Crystal. Click below for a read. 1981 – Tops Adjudication – Waterford Crystal

Here is the Tops Of The Town Local Rounds programme from 1990. Click below to have a read 1990 – Tops Of The Town Local Rounds Show Programme

Here is the 1994 National Final Programme from the last time that Waterford won the national Tops title. It was of course Waterford Crystal vs Woodville. Click below for a read! 1994 – Tops Of The Town – National Final Programme

Ever wonder what the casts and crew were treated to after a national Tops of the Town final by John Player? Here you are – from 1994, the menu from the Burlington for the banquet immediately after the show. Click below for a look ! 1994 – John Player Tops Final banquet menu

From the 1990 Tops here is Waterford Crystals Dance scene. This was recorded at the national quarter final stage.

Here’s another one of those classic Tops programmes. This time it’s from 1989 and the national quarter finals in Dundalk where Tramore travelled to compete with Clara on the night. It was the end of Tramore’s adventure that year. 1989 – National Quarter Finals – Tramore vs Clara

Here is the legendary ‘Just Say No’ scene from the 1986 Tops with Paul Corcoran in full hip swinging form…

From the Tramore Tops 1992 here is the Applause / Broadway Baby scene featuring Vicki Graham and Carrie Crowley.

Here is the show stopping Skid Row / American Dream from the 1993 Tramore Tops produced by Bryan Flynn. This one is fronted by Liam Butler.

Here is the show programme from the 1990 Tops Quarter Finals that took place in the Theatre Royal in Waterford featuring ‘A Scoop for NTV’ from Nokia. 1990 – National Quarter Finals – Nokia

The legendary Dermot Power with a showstopper from the 1990 Waterford Crystal Tops – ‘The Spirit Of Man’ – mixed in with some War Of The Worlds for good measure.

Here is the show programme from the national final of the 1993 Tops – from the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. 1993 – John Player Tops National Final Programme – Tramore vs Dunnes Stores

Here is the opening of the Nokia Tops from 1987.

Here is the finale from the 1983 Waterford Glass Tops show fronted by a host of familiar faces…

Here is the opening from the 1989 Nokia Tops entry.

Here is the Java Jive quartet from the 1984 Clover Meats Tops show.

This from the final of the 1987 Nokia ‘Tops’ show produced by Denny Corcoran featuring Enda Jackman and John Corcoran.

Some photos from a different angle of the 1993 and 1994 John Player Tops entry from Tramore and Waterford Crystal. All taken from an audience perspective. Thanks to Jane Kennedy (Fraher) for these! Click on the link below to view 1993 / 1994 Photos from John Player Tops

This is the opening from the Tramore Tops 1992 production produced by the late great Bryan Flynn. This show got to the national quarter finals. The opening featuring songs from Company and Godspell was fronted by Carrie Crowley and Keith Dunphy.

Another legend from Tops days and Waterford Theatre in general is one Patsy Sheridan. Here he is from the 1992 Port And Docks tops show with his team of tap dancers performing ‘Song and Dance Man’. This scene was notable because Patsy was conducting the show in the pit and every night in the blackout climbed up onto the stage …

This is the 4 part history of the John Player Tops, first broadcast on WLRFM in October / November 2008. Produced and edited by Wayne Brown with Narration by Jim Nolan it covers 30 years of one of Ireland’s most beloved theatrical competitions that started in Waterford all those years ago. The 4 Parts are below.