‘You could hear their smiles even with your eyes shut’ – Hooray for Hollywood
Lichfield classics, Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe, returned to the Festival last week and Young Critic Amy snagged a front row seat to tell us all about it.
Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe’s performance of ‘Hooray for Hollywood’ on Wednesday evening at Lichfield Cathedral was both a moving and uplifting experience. Having seen Liza and Joe the year prior, I had high expectations, and they were not only fulfilled but exceeded, as I was again impressed by not only their musical talent, but their rapport as both a pair, and with their audience, especially in such a large venue.
The show opened with a, though unfamiliar, particularly appropriate song with lyrics eliciting nostalgia for the Golden Age of cinema, and acknowledging a host of its stars, blended with some familiar movie-musical melodies to tease the show’s content. Following a warm welcome from Lichfield Festival attendees, the duo began to explain the inspiration behind, and their personal connection to, the show and film itself. It was immediately clear to me that this performance would be a more emotional one than previous, due to Pulman’s familial links to film, and Stilgoe’s love of the medium.
I was personally moved by the first two movie-musicals they covered as ‘La La Land’ was one I grew up with, while my grandmother, with whom I attended, was more familiar with its symbolic predecessor, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. Stilgoe’s rendition of ‘City of Stars’ was impressive as those opening notes were immediately recognisable, although, in typical Liza and Joe fashion, he played with the rhythm, creating a jazzier, fresh version of the familiar tune. While playing with the accompaniment he sang quietly, as if to himself, capturing the intimate feel of the song. Liza Pulman’s ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ physical comedy (umberella-ography) contrasted with her vocal ability, while Stilgoe’s ease in whistling sections was undeniably impressive and added to the humorous, uplifting nature of the titular theme. Humour continued into Joe Stilgoe’s piano medley of many other recognisable themes, particularly due to his witty ad-libs, varying the show’s pacing.
Another favourite from the first act, as a younger attendee, was their cover of ‘For Good’ from Wicked, within a wider mashup. The anthem featuring Stilgoe’s male voice made the song feel new, but it remained emotional as the performer’s genuine friendship is apparent from watching them together, so their performance of such a duet, complete with plenty of shared looks, felt very authentic. Liza’s covers of ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ and ‘Maybe This Time’ (originally by another Liza, Minelli) were standouts from the first half; her voice was distinctly old-timey, but she left her personal mark on both huge showtunes. Pulman added a wistful and desperate quality to the usually amusing ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ and, of course, nostalgia for where we first heard these showtunes is the purpose of this show, so these changes allowed a crowd favourite to fit with the pair’s shared vision.
It was during ‘Maybe This Time’, which Pulman humorously dedicated to the England team, that her talent became most apparent to me. As she tackled the number in a restrained, effortless way, from my front-row view, I observed how she created vibrato through subtle lip movements, allowing her to hold onto notes and sound so timeless. Pulman and Stilgoe clearly recognised without the musical’s built-up narrative, a more held-back and jazzy version was more appropriate and consistent with the show’s vision. It was a much-discussed conclusion to Act One.
The excitement continued into the second act, the opening of which featured a Fred Astaire medley, including ‘Cheek to Cheek’ and ‘Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off’, performed in a faithfully playful way, again displaying the two performers’ rapport. This was also evident during ‘If I Only Had a Brain’, arguably a strange choice for a show otherwise full of movie-musicals’ flagship numbers, as its use of a double bass and kazoos, both for comedic effect and an acoustic feel, showed off their range and provided a song in which the two could play around more, suggesting their genuine connection. As they later joked about, Stilgoe is able to follow Pulman’s lead and feels musically attuned to her sometimes unconventional, sometimes unpredictable style.
Speaking of unconventional, the second act featured the strange combination of ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Into the Woods’ in a mashup of songs about children. This worked surprisingly well; it was especially moving as Stilgoe discussed his children’s influence on the show throughout. A returning favourite from their ‘A Couple of Swells’ set was ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’, an amusing duet that suited the pair’s voices and dynamic perfectly, featuring beautiful harmonies and in which you could hear their smiles even with your eyes shut. Nearing the end of the performance, the two finally reached the moment I had been waiting for; a piece from the only permissible movie musical to Stilgoe’s operatic mother, the legendary ‘West Side Story’. Liza and Joe’s ‘Somewhere’ duet was one of the most touching of the night and the ease with which they covered such a well-known and challenging duet, partially acapella, was incredible.
Following some hilarious audience interaction, the two closed the show with the iconic ‘All That Jazz’. Pulman’s improvisation took centre-stage this time, with some hilarious alternative lines about the England match and addressing the audience with gratitude. By the end of the number, audience members were on their feet, successfully overwhelmed with nostalgia and appreciation for the movie-musical. Hip, hip, hooray for Hollywood!
By Amy S
Amy is a Year 13 student with plans to study English Literature after finishing school, and to eventually work in journalism. She is a huge Shakespeare fan, as is evident from her glowing review of Twelfth Night 2025, but her been recently obsessing over Arthur Miller, as another huge influence on tragic drama. As you can tell from her interest in playwrights, Amy’s interests within literature stems from her love of performance. She has participated in dance and youth theatre for as long as she can remember and find most live performances extremely moving due to the nostalgia they bring her. However, certain performances are unexpectedly moving and her interest in being a Young Critic, and reviewer in general, comes from a need to unpick why this is; putting words to the theatrical ‘magic’ of the arts.
If you’re aged 11-18 and would like to be a festival reviewer, applications will open soon for Young Critics – find out more on our website https://lichfieldfestival.org/aspire/young-critics/