We've announced our 2023 Christmas production

Sinatra: RAW

  • Saturday 4 November, 7.30pm
  • Tickets From £25
  • Main Theatre
  • No Future Dates
Sinatra RAW

Written and performed by Richard Shelton 


“Shelton sizzles As Sinatra. His mannerisms, his repartee with the audience, his velvety voice, are all incredible.”
Curtain Up 

The critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning show Sinatra: RAW stars actor and singer Richard Shelton, accompanied on piano. Wolverhampton-born, and fondly remembered from TV’s Emmerdale, Shelton is internationally acclaimed as one of the world’s best interpreters of Frank Sinatra’s music. Sinatra: RAW brings to life the man who defined an era, and whose musical legacy will never die.    

Palm Springs, 1971 - Frank Sinatra prepares for his last pre-retirement intimate show. But his blue eyes are red rimmed with memories and regret. He drinks ‘One For My Baby’ too many when things take an unexpected twist. This is the 2am Sinatra you dream of meeting - dangerous, unpredictable, brilliant!

Regrets? He’s had a few. Sinatra gathers a few friends together in the Purple Room, Palm Springs to sing a few songs around the piano, smoke a few cigarettes and reminisce. As the Jack Daniels goes down, the memories surface. He rails against the iniquities of Mafia allegations, a trail of broken love affairs, a life as the leader of the Rat Pack and a life in Hollywood littered with indiscretions and even a suicide attempt.

At the heart of it is the great love of his life, Ava Gardner – arguably the most beautiful actress in Hollywood and known as ‘The Body’. She’s no pushover and meets him drink for drink and punch for punch as he recalls the heartbreak of their doomed love affair and marriage.

Despite it all, Sinatra emerges triumphant in a belting rendition of That’s Life!, summing up the substance of the man, and we see what made him such an enduring icon. 

 

"Richard Shelton’s masterful take on Ol’ Blue Eyes is a must see. Pitched somewhere between concert and confessional, this modest show has greatness in it"  

The Times  

“This show packs a surprising emotional punch and Shelton delivers terrific versions of Sinatra’s greatest hits. No wonder the production sells out all over the world.”   

The Spectator

"Outstanding. Shelton is remarkable, completely transforming into the great man so you would believe he was back in the room with you!" 

LondonTheatre1.com 

“He absolutely inhabits Ol’ Blue Eyes’ persona… right down to every mannerism, facial tic and spoken inflection, nailing Sinatra’s distinctive phrasing and the rich timbre of his singing voice.” 

Adelaide Advertiser 
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