On the first of February, Teddy Thompson, with support from Roseanne Reid, performed at the Richmond Theatre, which sits adjacent to Richmond Green. The Victorian theatre is one of the most well-preserved examples of architect Frank Matcham's work. Its picturesque crimson and gold interior created the perfect enchanting atmosphere for the pair of folk musicians and their guitars. As the theatre seats became occupied, the sense of anticipation and excitement for the show grew stronger and the gentle buzz of chatter from the audience grew louder.

Once the audience were settled, Roseanne Reid took to the stage to open the show. Her opening melody, 'all I need', could have been mistaken for a lullaby and the soft ambient lighting that shone from the ceiling above only added to the sense of peace and stillness. The previous light mutterings from the audience turned into silence as they looked upwards at Roseanne in wonder and admiration. The gentle fingerpicking of her acoustic guitar, although soft and delicate, abundantly filled the room with a little bit of magic. The subtlety of the smoke which washed over the stage created a spectacular scene reminiscent of a misty late evening forest. The second track played in the set 'Sweet Annie' is featured on Roseanne's debut album Trails, produced by Teddy Thompson himself. It is a bittersweet love song with poetically beautiful lyrics such as "I searched your eyes girl / I just can't see, why an angel such as you would say yes to me." With plenteous references to the heavens and the songs pure and tender sound, angelic is the most fitting word to describe 'Sweet Annie'.

Another romantic song played during her set was a new track titled 'Made Just For You.' Its sweet, dreamy, and starry-eyed lyricism would make for the perfect wedding song. The whimsical and heart-warming lyrics "I could go to the ends of the earth my love, but I think I was made just for you" are particularly touching. The addition of the harmonica sent shivers down the audiences' spines and added to the track's honeyed sound. The song to close Roseanne's set was an equally romantic song written for her wife titled 'I love her so.' The track is soulful and mellow and her low-key husky vocals were drenched in passion and love. It was evident how special this track is to her and was the perfect end to a gentle and joyous set.

As Rosanne departed from the stage, the safety curtain slowly cascaded to the floor for the interval, which is not often seen at music gigs. Also unusual but quaint for live music, the theatre staff were selling ice cream to the audience as they would for a play or musical. After a short break for ice cream, the safety curtain rose once more and Teddy Thompson made his way onto the stage, accompanied by a backup singer and electric guitar player, Zak Hobbs.

The very second Teddy arrived at the microphone, placed centre stage, he began to play the soulful and mournful 'Delilah', which tells the story of lost love. His remarkable talent was made evident from the get-go and his mellow voice and intricately rich guitar playing orbited around the theatre. Teddy and Zac were perfectly in sync with each other, forming a satisfying and impactful sound. Despite being small compared to the vastness of the dark stage behind them, the stage did not overwhelm them and Teddy's powerful voice was made for a venue of such size and splendour. Another track played in his set was the upbeat romantic ballad 'Don't Know What I Was Thinking,' which sounded like pure sunshine in a song. It tells the tale of coming to the realisation you're in love with someone. The yellow and orange beams of light added to the uplifting atmosphere and the audience swayed along to the optimistic and rosy beat.

In between songs, Teddy's sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek sense of humour became evident with lines such as "Can't say the same, I can't see your face!" in response to an audience member chiming in with "lovely to see you Teddy" and "give me a good review on Google Maps, Trip Advisor, Deliveroo." Another song in the setlist was a cover of country track 'you finally said something good when you said goodbye' by Charlie Louvin. Teddy put his own fresh spin on the track whilst paying homage to the original writer. His performance allowed this classic and well-loved song to be heard by new ears. The set also featured more melancholic and solemn sounding tracks such as 'no idea,' 'heartbreaker please', and 'turning the gun on myself.'

After an encore, Teddy returned to the stage for a solo performance of mournful ballad 'Brand New' from his latest album Heartbreaker Please. The song is an emotionally fragile, raw and honest tale of an attempt to move on from a disintegrated relationship that the record centres around. His vocals were melodic and vulnerable and being alone with the accompaniment of his guitar intensified the power of his voice. For the final song of the evening, 'Record Player' also from Heartbreaker Please, Zak returned to the stage. The track was light and joyful sounding which disguised the darker lyrics but was the perfect song to end the set. The crowd erupted into applause as Teddy and Zak took one last bow before the lights went dark and they exited the stage.

TEDDY THOMPSON: LONDON UK - 01.02.22