Adelaide Festival Centre. Festival Theatre Stage. 17 June 2016
This is a playful and delightful show by British singer, pianist and songwriter, Joe Stilgoe. Looking sharp in a three piece suit, he opened on the piano with a jaunty medley of movie tunes - it was great fun to silently recall the names of the films - and there was immediate engagement as he even gave you clues. Joe's excellent bandsmen on the bass and drums then accompanied him on a jazzy version of the music from the dance contest scene in Pulp Fiction, followed by a medley of cartoon music, which also got the jazz treatment. They deftly and comically juggled a number of sound effect instruments.
Joe has been playing piano since the age of 5 and was schooled by his father, Richard, who apparently was a British national treasure for his satirical songs on a Sunday radio program, and his mother, Annabel Hunt, an opera singer. Even Hal David's and Burt Bacharach's Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid benefited from Joe's jazz treatment. Joe was the only one of the five kids who went into show business and he noted his strong recollection of the velvety seats of the local cinema that he so frequently attended.
A whacky medley of '80s movie music showed how a few bars - even a few notes - can open a floodgate of memories. Newly arranged songs from a few of his favourite movies were introduced with context on the film and an explanation of why Joe liked it. There was even a pretend contest of producers' theme songs, and The Advertiser's Patrick McDonald was the only one to get Warner Brothers'. Joe called him Warner Brothers after that.
The musicianship was impeccable and while so many of the songs were familiar, Joe and the band conveyed them in stimulating jazzy arrangements with high energy. Joe is a sweet personality and it was a pleasure to share with him, and the audience, his love of movies and their music.
David Grybowski
When: 17 to 19 June
Where: Festival Theatre Stage
Bookings: adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au
