From the silver screen to the stage, the acclaimed character actor John C Reilly is now captivating London audiences with a uniquely personal cabaret show. Mister Romantic sees the Oscar-nominated performer trading cinematic roles for a trunk, a tailcoat, and the direct gaze of a live audience.
From Cellophane to Romantic
Two decades after his poignant performance of Mister Cellophane in the film Chicago, a number sung to an empty theatre, Reilly returns to music with a full house. His new persona, Mister Romantic, is a heartfelt endeavour to spread love and empathy in what he describes as a weary world.
The show is currently enjoying a short run at the Soho Theatre Walthamstow, a venue whose beautifully restored music hall interior provides the perfect backdrop. The run continues until 19 November.
The Magic of the Performance
The evening begins with a touch of theatrical magic. Reilly's four-piece band, featuring Charles De Castro on accordion and cornet, winds through the auditorium before the man himself is dragged on stage concealed within a trunk.
Emerging with dishevelled hair, he professes confusion about his whereabouts, but his mission is clear: he is there to be loved. Backed by his superb band, Reilly delivers a 90-minute set of jazz standards, popular songs, and the occasional comic verse.
The performance is a masterful blend of wide-eyed innocence and seasoned artistry. His silent clowning evokes memories of his role as Oliver Hardy in Stan & Ollie, while his sincere vocal delivery on tracks like Nat King Cole's Pretend and Irving Berlin's Blue Skies creates an intimate connection.
A Musical Journey and a Broken Heart
While the music is mostly performed straight, Reilly expertly weaves in audience interaction, using a red rose microphone to search for someone to love him. This crowd work is carefully managed and forms a clever narrative arc: the singer of soul-baring songs has his heart broken, night after night, by his own audience.
This theatrical concept gives deeper meaning to songs like You Don't Know Me, transforming them from simple ballads into the scorned pleas of a spurned suitor. It’s a show that explores all shades of love—pining, enduring, and hopeless—yet insists that none of it is to be regretted.
John C Reilly's Mister Romantic is more than a cabaret; it is a genuine, enchanting encounter with a performer of unquestionable sincerity, proving that the melody, and the memory, truly does linger on.
