An internationally acclaimed Frank Sinatra act is bringing his show to the region.

Set for Sunderland's Fire Station on Sunday (November 5), the show emulates Sinatra's final pre-retirement performance at The Purple Room in Palm Springs, in 1971.

Richard Shelton, lauded as a top-notch Sinatra interpreter, is well-known to British TV fans as murderous Dr Adam Forsythe on Emmerdale, and to American audiences for roles in Jane The Virgin and House of Lies.

The Northern Echo: Richard Shelton, as Frank Sinatra, is bringing his show to SunderlandRichard Shelton, as Frank Sinatra, is bringing his show to Sunderland (Image: SUNDERLAND CULTURE)

His experience extends beyond acting, recording albums at London’s renowned Abbey Road Studios and LA's Capitol Studios, and performing at prominent venues like Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and with orchestras like the Royal Philharmonic.

'Sinatra: RAW', a play-cum-cabaret show, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018.

The concept materialised during Shelton’s own gig at The Purple Lounge.

The content of the show explores how Sinatra must have felt facing retirement and his own mortality.

The Northern Echo: Richard Shelton, as Frank Sinatra, is bringing his show to SunderlandRichard Shelton, as Frank Sinatra, is bringing his show to Sunderland (Image: SUNDERLAND CULTURE)

Mr Shelton said: "What’s it like for an icon to face their own mortality, what’s it like for someone like Frank Sinatra to be in the 1970s and see the world changing, hate rock‘n’roll, how does that impact his psyche?

"So that’s what the play is about,"

The show is structured as a dialogue-driven drama, with songs are interlaid into the narrative rather than leading it.

Recommended reading:

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. With out latest deal you can pay £3 for three months, or get 40 per cent off a 12-month subscription. Click here.

Mr Shelton delves into critical issues such as press allegations, Sinatra's associations with the mob, notorious womanising, and drinking habits.

Faithful to the character's wardrobe, Mr Shelton will be donning one of Sinatra’s own tuxedos for the performance.

Tickets for 'Sinatra: RAW' can be booked at https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/events/sinatra-raw/.