My Way, Frank Sinatra, a karaoke classic. And not one you'll hear Stephen Triffitt, aka Britain's top Sinatra performer, belting out in your local.

It turns out he's not too keen on the song that's launched a thousand coffins into the crem.

If you hear him down the Dog & Duck – and you might, he likes karaoke – expect Billy Joel or Neil Diamond.

"Even then, everyone still says I sound like Frank," he says with a warm laugh.

It's been 12 years since Triffitt appeared on Stars In Their Eyes. A week or so after he polled 400,000 votes, the former salesman was whisked over the Atlantic to perform.

"It was terrifying, initially," he admits. "I spent about 10 minutes looking at the stage before I could step on to it.

"The band had worked with Frank, the crew had worked with Frank, the maid who made my bed had met Frank, the barman had met Frank."

He knew he'd cracked it when midway through his first song, the band stopped playing, stood up and applauded him. "That's when I knew I was doing okay," he says.

He has since co-starred in Oliver Award-nominated The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas, which is coming to Curve.

It celebrates the talents of Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr and their famous appearance at The Sands Hotel.

You might think it would be hard to make every performance count, every song hit the right note. You would, he reckons cheerfully, be wrong.

"The audience is involved, we encourage that. It means that every audience is different, every show is different."

They like a bit of heckling, he says, audience interaction. And if you get up to go to the loo, expect them to get you when you come back in – like Sammy, Dean and Frank would have done.

"In the West End, a couple got amorous in one of the boxes. We turned the spotlight on them, made a few gags.

"They didn't," he chuckles, "stop."

That's not what Ol' Blue Eyes had in mind with Songs for Swingin' Lovers.

Triffitt's career has taken him to some unexpected places.

He has performed for Simon Cowell, and at his mum's 80th party, as well as for Posh and Becks.

"I'm grateful for the fact that when I do anything for Simon, I can talk to him and have a chat.

" It's the same thing with the Beckhams. If I see them in Claridge's I can walk up and say 'hello'.

"I saw Robert Powell (star of 39 Steps). I walked up to him and said, 'Robert Powell, I've always wanted to meet you'. He said, 'Stephen Triffitt, I've always wanted to meet you.'

The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas is at Curve from Monday, January 30 to Saturday, February 4. Tickets priced £26.50 to £15.50 (concessions available) are available by calling 0116 242 3595 or through the theatre website:

www.curveonline.co.uk