‘BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING
ROLE’
(Manchester Evening News
Theatre Awards) AND CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ACTOR & SINGER
RICHARD SHELTON PRESENTS:
‘SINATRA AND ME…AGAIN’
FRANKENSTEIN PUB (VENUE NO: 304)
4-28 August
What
happens to your dreams when you turn 50?
Already
a household name on British TV, Richard Shelton turned 50 and decided to
‘up-sticks’, follow his heart and move to L.A., where he knew precisely no one to
pursue a dream. Call it serendipity or
synchronicity, the events that unfurled all connected with his hero, Frank
Sinatra, have been astonishing! Including recording his own album – ‘An
Englishman in Love in LA’ in Sinatra’s studio B at Capitol Records with
Sinatra’s band mates.
What was the inspiration for this performance?
I have a life long synchronicity with Frank Sinatra which keeps unfurling throughout my life. Having been nominated as ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ for playing Sinatra in ‘Rat Pack Confidential’ in the West End, I decided to move to LA and try my hand in music and acting there. I’ve had some incredible serendipity with Sinatra including his very own tuxedo walking into my life and being one of the last people inside Sinatra’s last home when it was being demolished. I’ve also recorded in his studio B at Capitol Studios with his band mates and at East West Studios, where he recorded ‘My Way’.
Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?
I think performance can be so stimulating. It’s a great way of
expressing ideas, bringing them to life, presenting them to an audience which
then allows them to interpret what they’re seeing and ponder it. It’s circular.
How did you become interested in making performance?
I’ve always enjoyed performing. I enjoy being able to express the full
range of emotions, happy and sad, playing dangerous and unpleasant
characters as well as the more appealing within the context of performance. In
music, I love being able to influence the mood of an audience. Sinatra was
supreme at this and I’ve learned a lot from him.
Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?
This is a combination of my story, my life and the synchronicity I share
with an icon. I’ve been careful to select music which tells the story and bring
moments of Sinatra’s complex character to life in tandem with my own.
Does the show fit with your usual productions?
I perform jazz. The title track to my swing
album, ‘An Englishman in Love in LA’ by the same name, is original and I
also feature a new song by a British composer/lyricist called Martin Byatt called ‘Over Like the Roses’. There are pop classics in jazz as well
as standards. I also act and had a 2-year run in Emmerdale on British TV
and recently co-starred in ‘House of Lies’ and ‘Jane the Virgin’
on American TV. I made a WW2 Japanese movie called ‘Joker Game’ and I
was nominated as ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in the short British
thriller, ‘Do not Disturb’, shot in LA, at the London and Chicago Horror
Film Awards.
What do you hope that the audience will experience?
I hope they’ll be moved and enjoy a rare glimpse into Sinatra’s prowess
and vulnerability. I bring Sinatra’s actual tuxedo with me and change
into it to sing, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ and ‘My Way’. It’s
the closest thing you might get to spending an hour with Frank Sinatra.
What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
Honesty. My only strategy is to tell the truth.
Nominated as ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ (Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards) for playing Frank Sinatra in ‘Rat Pack
Confidential’ in London’s West End, Shelton returns to the fringe following
last year’s sell-out with his show, ‘Sinatra and Me – Again,’ which looks
behind the iconic blue eyes of - whilst knocking you dead with - Sinatra’s
timeless repertoire, and charts the course of their extraordinary life linking
synchronicity.
‘Fairy Tales do come
true it can happen to you, if you’re young at heart.’
– Frank Sinatra,
Young at Heart’.
In this show, hear about the unseen guiding
hand which has led Shelton to truly remarkable moments, including the day
Ol’Blue Eyes very own tuxedo literally walked into Shelton’s life and which is
a perfect fit – verified by the late Sir Roger Moore and witness for yourself
when Shelton don’s the icon’s tux and gets truly Sinatra ‘Under My Skin’,
singing ‘My Way’ – an anthem which takes on a new meaning.
Comprising Sinatra’s timeless hits
and a life of truly amazing synchronicity with the icon, Shelton reveals
insights into the life of Sinatra and how their lives are intertwined, as he
recreates and literally embodies Frank Sinatra on stage.
More importantly – this is a show about hope - what
can happen if you dare to dream! Shelton abandoned a secure career to pursue
his dreams and now counts awards for embodying Sinatra.
Bearing a striking resemblance to
Sinatra, hear about British born Shelton’s fascination with Sinatra from a
young age, to portraying him on the London and international stages including
for British and European royalty and Sir Elton John. Listen as he shares tales
of how he was one of the last people to be inside Sinatra’s final home prior to
its demolition; how he discovered that his hands and feet fitted identically
into Sinatra’s imprints cast ‘From Here
to Eternity’ on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ on Shelton’s own birthday; how
Sinatra’s own tuxedo literally walked into to his life in LA; how when
appearing on TV’s Alan Titchmarsh show.
Aside from Shelton’s physical
similarities, it is impossible not to be astounded by the uncanny likeness of
his voice to Sinatra’s magical tones. His performance on the London Stage as
Frank Sinatra in the award winning drama ‘RAT PACK CONFIDENTIAL’ earned him a
‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ nomination and has seen him invited to perform
live for Prince Charles and Sir Elton John. He has also recently recorded his
latest album ‘An Englishman in Love in
LA’ with Sinatra’s own band mates inside Capitol studios in LA using
Sinatra’s own microphone.
Born in Wolverhampton, Richard now
resides in LA. He has a long diverse acting career with roles on stage,
television and movies. He is well known in the UK for his TV appearances on ‘EASTENDERS’ and for his longstanding
role on EMMERDALE’ as the evil Dr
Adam Forsythe. More recently he has been seen on American TV playing Mr. Benson
in ‘HOUSE OF LIES’ alongside Don
Cheadle and Kristen Bell and Arnaud in ‘JANE
THE VIRGIN’. On the big screen his credits include, ‘MY WEEK WITH MARILYN’, the Japanese cult movie ‘JOKER GAME’, ‘I CAPTURE THE
CASTLE’ with Bill Nighy and David in the movie ‘SPACEMAN’ starring Josh Duhamel.
LISTINGS
INFORMATION:
‘SINATRA AND ME…AGAIN’
Venue:
FRANKENSTEIN
PUB (VENUE NO: 304)
26 GEORGE IV BRIDGE,
OLD TOWN EDINBURGH EH1 1EN
Dates:
4-28
June
Tickets:
Free Fringe
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