Following a successful West End run at London’s Duchess Theatre earlier this year, acclaimed singer and comedienne Liza Pulman and virtuoso pianist and singer Joe Stilgoe bring their sparkling celebration of Hollywood’s greatest musical moments to Chichester and Wilton’s this Autumn.
From The Wizard of Oz to Wicked, West Side Story to La La Land, Hooray for Hollywood is a celebration of the songs that have defined musical theatre on film. We spoke to this talented duo to find out more.
If you could steal one song from any Hollywood musical and claim it as your own opening number forever, what are you choosing?
Joe: Make ‘Em Laugh from Singin in the Rain
Liza: Apart from touring the length and breadth of the land with Fascinating Aida and and revelling in the glory of the Hollywood musical with Joe, I have also spent many a wonderful night performing on stage with my own band celebrating the legend that is Barbra Streisand so I would probably have to say “Don’t rain on my parade” from Funny Girl. The perfect example of Hollywood putting a Broadway musical onto the screen and utilising all that the medium of film has to offer. Movement, glorious technicolour and wonderful locations and in the middle of it all, Barbra. Heaven.
You’re covering everything from The Wizard of Oz to Wicked and La La Land – what’s the one song you’d be devastated if the audience didn’t let you perform?
Joe: It would have to be the RKO Medley, dedicated to Fred Astaire. My era, completely, and also my favourite gag in the show which precedes it.
Liza: In the second half we sing Sunrise/Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof and it’s probably my favourite moment in the evening. Weirdly, when we were compiling the songlist for this show, this song came in and out of the set several times before we realised just before the first performance that there was no way we could leave it out. Hooray For Hollywood is full of joy and laughter and romance, but when Joe and I sing this together, late into the evening and in the closest of harmonies, I swear you can hear a pin drop.
Who is more likely to turn a perfectly rehearsed number into complete chaos – Liza or Joe?
Joe: Me!
Liza: Joe, with his capacity for misremembering what key we are supposed to be in, but realistically it’s probably me as I’m a terrible giggler and Joe makes me laugh far too much!
If you could teleport yourselves into any Hollywood musical for one night, which film are you jumping into, and what character are you playing?
Joe: White Christmas – I think I’d have to be Bing Crosby, so I could just watch Danny Kaye be magnificent. And share some eggnog with Rosemary Clooney.
Liza: Singin’ in the Rain and I’d like to be Donald O’Connor please.
Joe, you’re also writing Hooked, a new musical with Gary Barlow and Jason Manford. What’s it like going from performing some of the greatest musicals ever written to actually creating a brand-new one.
Joe: I have been beavering away over the last few years writing musicals and I have to say it’s the best thing I could have fallen into. I was not interested at all at first as I felt my Dad had covered that ground but also he’d not had the happiest experiences. It’s incredibly detailed work, hard to pull off but if you do it’s almost like magic – I love writing with Gary and Jason. They both have ideas coming out of their nostrils, and if all falls into place this could be quite something.
What’s the most ridiculous thing that has happened onstage during Hooray for Hollywood that the audience probably assumed was completely intentional?
Joe: Oh, almost certainly me starting People Will Say We’re In Love in completely the wrong key. Too low for Liza, too high for me. Managed to wriggle around and get to the right key, but I blame Elton John. He once told me to learn every song in every key and now I don’t know which key any song is in.
Liza: It happens every night and it is my complete inability to organise the audience into groups for the inevitable Doe A Deer sing-a-long. It is utter chaos every night but it’s enormous fun!
Chichester Festival Theatre – 29 October 2026 – for more info
Matinee: 2.30pm
Evening: 7.30pm
Wilton’s Music Hall, London – 3-7 November 2026
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