X Factor and Hollyoaks star Ray Quinn's All Singing, All Swinging on his way to The Kings Theatre, Southsea

Ray Quinn came second to Leona Lewis way back in 2006 when he was just 18 and the show was a TV ratings juggernaut, capturing the public’s affections with his swing-influenced versions of classic songs.

The teenager was quick to capitalise on this with a debut album, Doing It My Way. Packed with his takes on standards like Mack The Knife, Fly Me To The Moon, and naturally – My Way, it duly went to number one and went platinum.

After that his career took off in various directions – he won Dancing on Ice in 2009, and the All Stars version in 2014, appeared in numerous musicals including Grease, Aladdin, Legally Blonde and The Wedding Singer – and returned to TV acting (he’d been in Brookside for three years in his early teens) as the against-type right-wing extremist Jonny Baxter in Hollyoaks in 2018/19.

But he is now back on the stage, with a new show All Singing, All Swinging, which goes back to his musical roots.

It is billed as ‘featuring all the greatest hits of Sammy Davis Jnr, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and many more timeless classics from the stars of swing and rat pack… with a large dash of wit, charm and charisma thrown in for good measure!’

Speaking to The Guide from his home in Liverpool about the new show, Ray says: ‘It’s one of those shows that's not just in my comfort zone, but it's my passion and what I've loved my whole life.

‘Those types of songs and that era have always influenced me – ever since I was a teenager.

‘To be able to put it in a show – good old fashioned entertainment as it should be on stage, live, with a tight-knit group of people in a lovely theatre – it's like going back in time almost, but bringing it into the 21st century, and I love that aspect of it all.’

When Ray performed those smooth songs from the ’50s and ’60s earlier in his career, some felt he was too young to do them justice. Does he feel he’s grown into them over time?

‘Yeah, I guess I have. I was always influenced by my dad listening to those songs, and then performing them as I got a bit older. It's just what I grew up around. My dad was an older dad – you know what I mean? My mum had me when she was 40, I was like the mistake,’ he chuckles, ‘I was the last – there's 20 years between me and my eldest brother.

‘But I was more privileged in a way because I grew up with a man who was much wiser and strong-minded – and I fed off of that, and that's what influenced me to do those songs.

‘Now I'm a bit older, I've got more experience and a family of my own, so some of the words do resonate with me more now.

‘But the era itself, the slickness, the cool, the collective – I keep saying it, but it's that good old fashioned entertainment where a guy comes out with his friends, sings songs with a superb band behind them and are just themselves. We don't need any more than that – you don't need strobes or fireworks – it's just: “Welcome, do you want to listen to some great tunes? Well, let's go...”

‘It's so simple, yet so effective, and that's why I love it.’

It’s clear from talking to Ray how close he is to his family and particularly his dad, also called Ray. Sadly Ray Snr died last November just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.

‘There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss him, he was my best friend.

‘He wasn't just my dad – any time I needed someone or needed a bit of advice – I could just share my worries or fears, or anything like that, and he'd just tell me it straight. He was very straightforward, Irish-thinking, he’d tell me: “The best way around the problem, son, is to go through it, and you can always work your way out of it, just keep your mind focussed”.

‘All these things he taught me, I teach my kids too – well I try to,’ he laughs, ‘when they want to listen.

‘He's the reason why I get up there and sing these songs. I wouldn't have known them if he hadn't played them.

‘My mum loves watching me open a tin of beans – she'd come to me opening an envelope, but my dad, if I didn't do a great job, he wasn't afraid to tell me!’

If there was a small mercy, it was that Ray Snr’s illness coincided with the lifting of some Covid lockdown restrictions so the family were able to rally round.

‘My mum needed the help and we around there all the time when restrictions lifted slightly – we were part of a bubble where we could help with the care. When you're in that situation, if we're all really honest, you don't care what the restrictions are, you just think: “I want to be there for my dad and be there for my mum, and we will regardless”. But it was all fine because of the way the restrictions were.

‘It was hard with the funeral and the social distancing – that was tough, my dad knew everybody. Hundreds of people turned up outside his funeral.

‘I miss him very much, but I know he's always there with me.’

Last summer, Ray released his second album Undeniable, which mixed original songs with more new spins on old classics – backed by a full orchestra.

Some 13 years on from his debut, he says the timing just felt right: ‘I didn't know where I sat as far as my music was concerned – where does swing sit these days?

‘I just felt that now was as good a time as any. It was just fun getting back to what I did all those years ago, and it was a bit strange, a bit nerve-racking, but we came out of it with a fantastic album that I'm dead proud of.

‘The songs on there, and the choices that were made, it was a nice little journey to take.’

All Singing… also stars Shane Nolan and Nick James. All three are represented by agent Danny Lowry who pitched them the idea for the show.

‘Nick was in the West End when I was – he was in Thriller Live – he's a great singer, great lad, lovely fella, and I’ve known Shane for years, we're all a group of pals. Danny had this idea and we thought: “Yeah, let's run with it”.

‘Shane's been my mate for a very long time – his auntie was Bernie (Nolan) who played my mum in Brookside.

‘Then we met up again when I did Dancing on Ice and (Shane’s mum) Coleen was on there. We've grown closer as we've grown up.

‘It's just three lads getting on stage and celebrating an era that once was and bringing it into the 21st century – doing it our way – we're not trying to emulate or imitate anybody, we're just being ourselves. It's an era we all adore and are passionate about.’

During the pandemic Ray has been helping his brothers with the family carpet-laying business, but what plans does he have for after this tour?

‘I'm gigging, I'm always working, staying happy and staying healthy and that's it really – keep cracking on as I am.

‘There's plenty of work coming in and I'm happy with it.’

All Singing, All Swinging comes to The Kings Theatre, Southsea on Friday, September 3, 7.30pm. Adult tickets £25. Go to kingsportsmouth.co.uk.

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

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