Joe Stilgoe is an internationally acclaimed singer, pianist and songwriter.
This March, he's coming to Ireland for a pair of dates in Dublin and Limerick with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, for what can only be described as a night of pure entertainment – an orchestral journey through the greatest films of the last 100 years.
We asked Joe for his choice cultural picks...
FILM
With small children dictating our cinema visits, I'd love to say I’ve recently been enjoying a retrospective of Werner Herzog’s work. But no — it’s not that. It’s Zootropolis 2. We loved the first one in our family; my eldest daughter laughed for the first time at a film during the joke about the sloths processing vehicle licences. The new one is actually an improvement - very funny (particularly the Zebros, a pair of narcissistic zebras), and the score is by one of my absolute favourites: Michael Giacchino.
MUSIC
I bought my wife Olivia Dean’s new album The Art Of Loving on vinyl for her birthday. This wasn’t a hint. It’s an amazing record - she’s here to stay. So is my wife, hopefully.I also recently found an album by an American singer-songwriter signed to Blue Note Records called Maya Delilah. She has a beautifully soft, classy vocal delivery, and the songs are great.In preparation for this show, and my tour with Liza Pulman, I’ve been diving into the great film songs - lots of early Streisand: Funny Girl, Hello, Dolly! She really was incredible.
BOOK
I love Alan Bennett, and his little novella about a nursing home during the pandemic is absolute gold. It’s called Killing Time. He’s known for his observations and withering turns of phrase, but it’s the humanity that always cuts through for me. Very funny and very thoughtful.
THEATRE
My friend Hadley Fraser is about to star in a new play in the UK called Magic, written by the excellent David Haig, coming this spring to Chichester Festival Theatre. It’s about Houdini and his friendship with Arthur Conan Doyle, and I know it will be terrific. Hadley conquered musical theatre but is now making his mark as a brilliant and charismatic dramatic actor.
TV
Like everyone else on the planet, I watched - and sobbed through - Adolescence. Anything with Stephen Graham is always a must‑watch for me. Normally, though, I’m watching Here We Go with my wife and eldest daughter, or enjoying the latest episode of Mackenzie Crook’s excellent new series Small Prophets.
GIG
I’ve been working with Gary Barlow on a new musical, and he’s promised us Take That tickets for the new Circus tour. They were a huge part of my childhood (or maybe my sister’s, but I absorbed it through the walls), and knowing Gary now - especially after that documentary - I am here to shout from the rooftops that Take That are to be celebrated, championed and, most importantly, screamed at in concert.
ART
My friend Ele Grafton is a fine artist working from her home studio in Somerset, South West England. She has recently pivoted to creating intricate house models in the form of light boxes - beautiful in their conception and detail. She takes commissions, so you can have your house made as a model, but the twist is that they’re made out of books. You choose the book; she makes the model. So clever and so unique in an age when everyone seems to have the same things.
RADIO
I’m a huge radio fan — podcasts are fine, but I love the accidental nature of radio and the incredible programmes you sometimes stumble across just by having it on while driving. Of course, I love the programming on RTÉ Lyric too - Aedín Gormley is particularly up my alley. I’ve also recently discovered a brilliant new comedian, Pierre Novellie, who has a very good series on Radio 4.
TECH
I just found an app that deletes all my apps. What does that say about me? Yes, I’d rather we go backwards on this one…
THE NEXT BIG THING...
My friend Joe Webb, recently Mercury‑nominated, is a Welsh jazz pianist who, when I can get him, plays in my band. I suspect I’ll soon have to wave goodbye to him, as his career is quite rightly going stratospheric. It’s wonderful seeing this happen to the right people.
Joe Stilgoe presents A Night At The Movies with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, Dublin on 12th March and University Concert Hall, Limerick on 14th March – find out more here.
