Cast Announced for WHAT THE HEART WANTS at Edinburgh Fringe

Casting has been announced for Bert Tyler-Moore's What The Heart Wants, which receives its world premiere at The Edinburgh Fringe this August. The role of Frank Sinatra will be taken by Richard Shelton, whilst Simon Schatzberger will play Woody Allen. The production is directed by Matt Peover.

1992. New York City - Mia Farrow accuses Woody Allen of child abuse. Former husband Frank Sinatra pays Woody a visit. And takes his baseball bat...

Old Blue Eyes is furious with Woody's treatment of Mia Farrow; but he's also in the twilight of his career and bullies Woody into writing a comeback movie. But as the evening draws to an end, the story they have created forces Woody to consider the morality of his own behaviour.

Will the script get them to the Oscars?

Will Frank get to sing New York, New York?

Or will he pass judgement with his baseball bat?

Bert Tyler-Moore, with his partner George Jeffrie, is behind some of the most memorable comedy hits of the last 25 years. Together, Bert and George created Star Stories (Channel Four 2006 - 2008) which won a British Comedy Award; Pete Versus Life starring Rafe Spall (Channel Four 2010-11); and The Windsors, which began on Channel Four in 2016 and has had three series, two specials and a West End stage version, The Windsors Endgame (Prince of Wales theatre 2021). Since George's death in 2020, Bert has produced and written the reboot of Spitting Image (Britbox and ITV 2020-2).

Simon Schatzberger has a long association with Woody Allen having recreated his stand-up routines at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015 and on a subsequent nationwide tour. As an actor Simon has appeared in EastEnders, Father Brown and Band of Brothers.

Richard Shelton's career is similarly entwined with Frank Sinatra's, having played him on stage in Rat Pack Confidential at the Nottingham Playhouse and in Sinatra: Raw at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and 2019. As an actor Richard has appeared in the film My Week With Marilyn and House of Lies on TV. His new album An Englishman in Love in LA is out now.

Matt Poever has worked with many of the best comedians in the business including Jayde Adams, Nick Helm and Nick Mohammed with whom he created the fringe hit Mr Swallow shows Houdini! and Dracula: The Musical'

Fringe Management are celebrating 21 years at the Fringe and have produced over 80 shows under the stewardship of Michael Blaha and Nigel Miles-Thomas. Michael and Nigel first met in 1990 when they planned and produced the first Hollywood pantomime Cinderella starring Zsa Zsa Gabor. They were the founder producers of The Pajama Men and also won a Fringe First in 2002 with Runt.

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