Review at a glance
It’s nearly twenty years since Mitch Sebastian’s tribute show began life (at the Beck Theatre in Hayes), and while it now feels a bit creaky it still succeeds as a nostalgia trip for fans of Frank Sinatra and his musical friends. This seasonal outing adds some Christmas staples — such as Jingle Bells and Silent Night — to a repertoire of hits that includes Fly Me to the Moon and King of the Road.
A total of seven actors share the three main roles. Last night’s line-up was led by Garrett Phillips, who has Sinatra’s flexible voice and wry phrasing. Alongside him Nigel Casey catches the charismatic casualness of Dean Martin — though he lacks his cool facility for self-parody — and David Hayes brings the right degree of wide-eyed exuberance to Sammy Davis Jr, even if he doesn’t have his abilities as an all-round entertainer.
The show captures not just the hell-raising trio’s sound, but also their camaraderie and risqué humour. At times the dialogue is clunky, and some of their attitudes might politely be called outmoded. Yet Matthew Freeman’s 12-piece band has a nice sense of swing and plenty of brassy gusto, and despite an unadventurous structure and a few tepid gags this is an upbeat production that does what it sets out to do.
Until Jan 6