Hooray for Hollywood - Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
All I want is a room somewhere I can listen to this music, all day, every day. Oh, wouldn’t that be loverly?
Every theatre lover understands the deep affection for cinema — and more specifically, for movie musicals. From Bernstein’s iconic West Side Story to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, or even Pasek and Paul’s La La Land, these are the stories where characters burst into song not out of realism, but out of emotional necessity. There is, one might argue, no feeling quite like it. For this reviewer, watching The Sound of Music as a young child in her grandparents’ living room brought some of the purest joy she had ever known. So, spending an evening at the Yvonne Arnaud to see this duo perform some of Hollywood’s greatest hits felt less like a choice and more like an inevitability.
As the pair note at the start of the show, selecting only a handful of songs from a catalogue of hundreds is no easy feat. Yet their choices not only stood confidently on their own, but also wove together seamlessly to form a beautifully cohesive whole. This reviewer’s favourite passage came in the blending of Oklahoma!’s “People Will Say We’re in Love” with Carousel’s “If I Loved You.” As a lifelong admirer of Rodgers and Hammerstein, hearing these two monumental works entwined was genuinely moving — it was impossible not to shed a tear or ten. Crucially, the programme resists simply offering the most obvious crowd-pleasers. A playful rendition of “If I Only Had a Brain” from The Wizard of Oz, delivered with a surprising twist, demonstrated a refreshing willingness to reimagine the familiar.
The evening is steered musically by Joe Stilgoe, primarily at the piano, with a brief but effective passage on the cello. He is joined by the superb Liza Pulman, whose voice complements his with warmth and clarity. Together they form an effortlessly engaging partnership; their chemistry feels organic rather than manufactured, and the blend of their voices seems entirely natural. By turns witty, charming, and intimate, the show celebrates the golden age of Hollywood musicals with both reverence and personality. It sends its audience out into the night with little more than smiles and fond memories — and, perhaps, a renewed desire for that room where the music never stops. Honestly, who could ask for anything more?
Production Value: 90%
Value For Money: 90%
Personal Enjoyment: 95%
Overall Score: 92% - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
(AD | Ticket gifted in exchange for an honest review)
Show Information
Venue: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Playing until: one-night only concerts throughout the country.
Run Time: Approximately 2h - including a 20-minute interval
Tickets for this venue can be found at this link.
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