Stunning Sinatra: Richard Shelton brings his acclaimed production to East Sussex

Frank Sinatra will live again in Brighton and Eastbourne thanks to stage and screen star Richard Shelton and his masterful solo show Sinatra: Raw.
Richard Shelton. Picture by Betty ZapataRichard Shelton. Picture by Betty Zapata
Richard Shelton. Picture by Betty Zapata

That’s the message of the show’s promoters ahead of its appearances at Devonshire Park Theatre on Tuesday, October 8, and Theatre Royal Brighton on Thursday, October 10.

The acclaimed theatrical production doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of Sinatra’s life.

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Tickets cost £19 for the Eastbourne show. Call the box office on 01323 412 000 or visit www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk.

Tickets start at £18 for the Brighton show. Visit www.atgtickets.com.

A spokesperson for the show said: “Solo powerhouse Sinatra: Raw is a show that is gripping theatre as much as stunning music. Richard Shelton will convince you that Frank Sinatra is actually in the room.

“You are invited to Palm Springs, California, 1971. Frank Sinatra faces retirement. The air is electric and the crowd jockey for position at Sinatra’s last intimate show. But times are changing as the Rolling Stones and David Bowie dominate the charts. Sinatra’s blue eyes are bloodshot and his face craggy with booze, cigarettes and memories. Things take an unexpected turn when he drinks ‘One for My Baby’ too many. This is the 2am Sinatra you dream of meeting. Dangerous. Unpredictable. Brilliant.”

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Richard Shelton, who wrote and performs in the production, is one of the world’s best Sinatra interpreters. He starred as Ol’ Blue Eyes in the gritty West End drama Rat Pack Confidential and his portrayal earned him a ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ nomination from the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards, as well as international acclaim.

Since then, Richard has performed for British and European royalty and for Sir Elton John. He has also performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra, and starred in movies and TV shows. In America he’s known to TV audiences as Arnaud in Jane the Virgin, but British soap opera fans will know him as the villainous Dr Adam Forsythe in Emmerdale.

When he turned 50, Richard moved to LA where he worked with Sinatra’s musicians to produce and star in A Very Good Year, a concert celebrating Sinatra’s centenary. These musicians also joined Richard to record his debut US album, Lost and Found.

Not only does Richard bear a striking physical similarity to the legendary singer, he’s also the proud owner of one of Frank Sinatra’s original suits. This fact was confirmed by Sir Roger Moore during a shared appearance on the Alan Titchmarsh TV show.

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Sinatra: Raw is produced by James Seabright by arrangement with Mike Leigh for MLA Talent. The show has received an Offie Award nomination for Best Male Performance.

Find out more at http://richardshelton.co.uk.

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