Tender, truthful and tune-filled - Richard Shelton's Sinatra: Raw is a hit at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

As the title Sinatra RAW suggests this is a stripped back show about Old Blue Eyes, chairman of the Board, the voice of the 20th century – Mr Frances Albert Sinatra.
By Sue Wilkinson
Published 17th Nov 2023, 11:39 BST
Updated 17th Nov 2023, 12:55 BST
Richard Shelton as Sinatra in his show Sinatra: RAW which he toured to the Stephen Joseph TheatreRichard Shelton as Sinatra in his show Sinatra: RAW which he toured to the Stephen Joseph Theatre
Richard Shelton as Sinatra in his show Sinatra: RAW which he toured to the Stephen Joseph Theatre

Award-winning actor and singer Richard Shelton brought his multi-award-winning play to Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre.

We meet Sinatra as he prepares to retire for the first time in the Purple Room, Palm Springs, in 1971..

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Shelton is accompanied by only the piano – there is no Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Nelson Riddle or Count Basie. This is not a swinging affair. He shares the stage with his best friend Jack Daniels and often sings unaccompanied.

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    He sips the whiskey as he reminisces with increasing bitterness – where he had been a puppet (to Tommy Dorsey), a pauper, a pirate (setting up his own record company), a pawn and a king – he’d had the world on a string and hit rock bottom.

    Shelton’s flinty performance is pitch-perfect – his Sinatra is resentful, revengeful, remorseful, restless and resilient. 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 a suicide attempt.

    At the heart of the piece is the great love of Sinatra’s life, Ava Gardner – arguably the most beautiful actress in Hollywood and known as ‘the Body’. The couple slugged it out, smooched and smoldered – eventually she was too hot for Sinatra to handle and they split.

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    His most savage mauling of the night is reserved for Jack Kennedy, brother of the former President JFK, for whom Sinatra campaigned. He put the kybosh on Sinatra hosting a visit from JFK to Palm Springs.

    Shelton embodies Sinatra: he dresses like him and has all the mannerisms. To the most important bit – can he sing like the Guv’nor? You bet he can.

    He delivers All or Nothing at All, That’s Life, One for My Baby, Come Fly With Me, My Way, A Very Good Year, the Lady is a Tramp, I Get a Kick Out of You and My Foolish Heart with the phrasing and storytelling skills that stamped Sinatra as unique

    Shelton as Sinatra is mesmersing, tender and rawly real. I was with him all the way.

    Related topics:Stephen Joseph TheatreScarborough