Review: AN EVENING WITH JOE STILGOE, Hippodrome Casino

With his latest album's Theatre dropping on the musical theatre scene a few months ago, Joe Stilgoe brought to the attention of all his listeners the figure of Frank Matcham, the turn-of-the-century English architect who specialised in theatres and music halls.

A frankly unknown personality to the general public, he designed and refurbished a total of over one hundred buildings up and down the United Kingdom. Of these, only 21 remain - but that's a story for another time.

It's to him that we owe the looks of the Hippodrome, Coliseum, and Palladium to name a few. Chances are, you've seen a show at a Matcham venue at some point in your life. It's at the Hippodrome itself that Stilgoe decided to perform a heartwarming tribute to the architect while launching Theatre.

An Evening with Joe Stilgoe was hosted by beloved showman Jason Manford and saw the multi-talented friends interact in an exciting Q&A replete with bona fide musical theatre extravaganza. His song "Mr Matcham" was the crown of the night, with a music video filmed at the Hackney Empire also receiving its world premiere.

Manford kicked off the show with some easy banter, reminiscing their times together. From "corporate gigs in the middle of nowhere" to Stephen Mear's Guys and Dolls in concert at the Royal Albert Hall, they've been through stagey thick and thin.

Stilgoe's record Theatre came about in January 2021 after the instant success of Stilgoe in the Shed, the series of online livestreams that kept company and brought joy to people across the UK and beyond during the height of lockdown.

With Manford acting as facilitator, they discussed his song choices and inspiration and Stilgoe revealed that he wanted to find a dramatic arc for the album in order to welcome audiences back into theatres. So, he wrote a few lyrics himself and an overture to accompany great classics old and new from Cabaret and Dear Evan Hansen among others.

The track-list includes one of his father's famous songs from Cats, "Jellicles Songs for Jellicle Cats" (where Manford features as a cat) and while it might seem at odds with the vibe, it's a full circle moment for the artist.

After straying from the family business for so long in the jazz genre, it was very personal for Stilgoe to be able to include his dad's legacy in his own album dedicated to theatre.

The humorous sparring between the old mates gave space to a few numbers performed at the piano, starting with a rendition of "Cabaret". It's always astounding to see how Stilgoe makes it feel as if there are at least four hands playing the keys rather than only his own two.

Right after the premiere of the music video, he was joined on stage by Tom Richards, another friend of 20 years or more. The multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and general musical virtuoso explained the magical process of creating the arrangements for the album.

He uncovered the solitary nature of much of his work, spending ten months writing over Stilgoe's demos to prepare for two days of recording. In Theatre's case, these two days happened on the 20th and 21st of December last year in the Netherlands.

Stilgoe is accompanied by the Metropole Orkest, one of the few orchestras with a big band component already in it. While the singer was meant to record his parts on site conducted by Richards, a sudden positive Covid test prevented him from flying over and the plan nearly collapsed.

A deep faith in technology saved the day - or, rather, days - and he was there in spirit projected onto a screen while 86 musicians made his pieces come alive.

The night concluded with a proper Q&A led once more by Manford and his effortless jokes followed by a few songs and a further chance for the audience to join in when Stilgoe prepared a medley after the crowd's suggestions. It was hilarious, Monthy Python's "Penis Song" featured alongside a condensed spoof of "Send in the Clowns". One of those you-had-to-be-there times.

One thing is certain. Stilgoe is a great showman. He doesn't cower when met with other talent and shines in genuineness and unpretentiousness, which had previously been established at the Barbican in May when he performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Finally, he revealed plans to tour soon, so this is far from the end. We have plenty to look forward to when it comes to Joe Stilgoe.

You can listen to Theatre on Spotify here.

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