Sinatra

Aldwych Theatre

Frank Sinatra isn't flying you to the moon; he's flying you to the glamorous US movie/music scene, whilst showing you his bumpy journey to stardom. Bringing Sinatra back into the audience's hearts.

Even if you don't know much about Sinatra, you will by the end of the show, and you'll surprise yourself with how many songs you recognise. Don't think this show is for you? You'll love him by the end. Frank Sinatra is played by Joel Harper-Jackson, and he is a vessel bringing Sinatra's music and character back to the lovers, whilst igniting new lovers of his art.

You are transported to America for a couple of hours, and don't worry, whilst you're escaping the heat of London, you're walking into a heated section of Sinatra's career and personal life. Be ready for drama, heartache and great music. He didn't make his most emotive pieces of music without feeling the emotions he sings about, did he? It brings back other Hollywood stars such as the tapping master Gene Kelly, the beautiful Ava Gardner, the incredible Judy Garland and many more Hollywood stars. If you didn't know much about the era or live it, you feel like you have by the end of the show. There's something quite magical about this piece of theatre; it really feels like you're back in time and those people are right in front of you. It's a musical time capsule that you and your whole family will adore.

'Sinatra' feels like a taste of Broadway on the West End; the technical elements create this Broadway feel. The glitzy set is created by Peter McKintosh, lighting by Bruno Poet and sound by Johnathan Deans. There's so much glamour in every inch of this show; costumes by Jon Morrell just keep on delivering this beautiful Hollywood fashion. Each scene is like a brand new picture film. It shows how fast-paced Sinatra's career and lifestyle was. One of the most visually impressive moments was the newspaper drop at the end of Act One, where Joel Harper-Jackson sings 'That's Life' and he's placed on stage where it looks like his picture is on a newspaper, and it changes multiple times to show how his life is always spread all over the papers. This section was one of the most emotive and beautiful moments of the show. 'That's life' didn't feel forced, unnatural or cringeworthy; it was the perfect song to explain what was going on at this point in his life. It wasn't presented in a way that was overperformative; it was heartbreaking.

Stepping into the shoes of the music legend Frank Sinatra is not an easy job. Joel Harper - Jackson has found an interesting way to mimic his voice, but also give the selection of Sinatra’s songs a deeper meaning, in terms of where he was in his life when he created them. He has embodied these feelings and moved the audience with his journey. His arc is so clear. Another character whose arc is beautiful is Phoebe Panaretos; she perfectly shows life outside of Hollywood, how she lives in the world outside of Hollywood and tries to pull Sinatra back to her; she's on the outside looking in. How she begins to accept him and his failures as a husband is heartbreaking, but also empowering. Her character knew it was going to happen, and she shows how/when Nancy decides to make peace with it. She’s not this glitzy Hollywood star; she was his wife and has to look after the children. Their voices show how the two worlds are different, but they align! They’re such different voices working to make a sound that works. A character that just is so lovable and brilliant is Dolly Sinatra. Jenna Russell has such a strong character presence, and her beautiful moments on stage and hilarious one-liners are brilliant. Comic timing is 10/10, I could go on for years analysing each character.

'Sinatra' is warmly, if not too warmly in this heatwave, welcomed to London's theatre scene, and whilst it feels very Broadway, it translates well to British audiences, because so many people loved Frank Sinatra; he was a music legend. Of course, he also had his place in the musical scene, so it isn't like he is unrelated to the theatre space. It makes you dislike him for his errors, appreciate how they built him and helped craft his music, and you learn to love him again by the end of it. Theatre always has a message as well; it feels like there is an embedded message about how hard times can come tumbling down on you, but they are what build us and help us grow. Sinatra found a way to be unapologetically himself, and we all need to remember that we all have our own voices that deserve to be heard. It's not all glitz and glamour; there are some very difficult hard times shown in this show, and TRIGGER warning, there are some dark themes, such as suicide. It builds the audience back up by the end. So what do you say? Will you fly to the Aldwych Theatre for 'Sinatra'?