Hailed as one of the great voices on the British stage today, Straker has entertained audiences on stage and screen for over the last four decades. Peter first shot to fame in 1968 when he starred and stripped as ‘Hud’ in the London Production of the seminal musical ‘Hair.” He went on to appear in The Who’s ‘Tommy’, the legendary ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, ‘The Wiz’, ‘Blues In the Night, and began a long association as The Phantom, with Ken Hill’s ‘The Original Phantom of the Opera’

His outstanding vocal abilities are well known, documented, and admired. From his collaborations on the Alan Parson’s Project ‘I Robot’, to his solo albums and recordings with Freddie Mercury, actively promoted on tour with his own band, and his critically acclaimed one man shows and concert appearances.

Early in 2020 Straker performed in Simon Callow’s new translation of La Cage aux Folles [The Play] in London at the Park Theatre. Back in 2019 Straker performed with Gabriele Baldocci at The Stables in Milton Keynes, showcasing the SHEER PIANO ATTACK: QUEEN PIANO TRIBUTE Album launch, and with the Dutch Queen Tribute Band Miracle, as well as with long time friend and collaborator, Mike Moran at the Czech Queen Fan Club Convention.

Follow Straker on Social Media:

Tales of the Unexpected!

🤩 A spur of the moment request from Peter, with photos taken earlier today as he was raising a (customary) glass. 🍷
“In celebration of the late iconic music legend John Lennon’s 80th birthday, here’s a little something I recorded from the incredible Double Fantasy album, “(Just Like) Starting Over”
Happy heavenly birthday Mr Lennon.
Enjoy, Straker x” 😘

Press

West End star [Peter Straker] unveils green plaque to honour the Windrush generation

Recent Performances

Adventures of Straker

15-20 August 2022

54 years on from his West End debut in the controversial musical Hair in 1968, Peter Straker is still regularly appearing on stage and in the recording studio. He had a great success on the Fringe and elsewhere with his terrific show based on songs of Jacques Brel a few years ago, and now, at the age of 78, is trying something new: a compilation show of songs from musicals he has been in, and a few that “they never asked me to be in”.

He welcomes us, appropriately, with “Wilkommen” from Cabaret followed by that show’s title song, which neatly segues into “Hey Big Spender” from Sweet Charity. He gives us songs from, amongst others, Wicked and Rent, then moves into the rock and pop arena with numbers from jukebox, rock and rap musicals such as We Will Rock You, Hamilton, Hot Stuff and The Who’s Tommy.

He pays brief tribute to a couple of his old friends, Freddie Mercury and Lionel Bart, with “Killer Queen” from We Will Rock You and “Where Is Love” from Oliver!.

He sits on a stool with a microphone stand and his words in a ring binder; for the numbers where he is referring to the lyrics more, he doesn’t sound quite as confident yet, but when he gets to a number he knows well, his voice is as strong and compelling as it has ever been, such as in the consistently eye-waveringly high “Many Rivers to Cross” by Jimmy Cliff.

Highlights for me include a wonderful version of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”, “Jackie” by his beloved Brel and “Acid Queen” from Tommy, a part he played just five years ago at Stratford East.

Of course the finale is from Hair, still a great score, with “The Age of Aquarius” and “The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)”, and had us all joining in with the refrain in the latter.

He is backed by the virtuoso pianist Gabriele Baldocci, also his musical arranger, a very physical player who is as interesting to watch as Straker himself.

He’s only doing a short run in Edinburgh, so catch this fifty minutes in the company of a musical theatre great while you can.

Reviewer: David Chadderton

♦♦ ♥ ♦♦

Listen to Peter Straker in Interview with Tery Sullivan on Tuesday 1st October on SG1 Radio/ Smart Radio GY in Stevenage where he discussed his upcoming show :

https://www.mixcloud.com/THESTICKS/sticks-show-with-valerie-of-the-three-degrees-crissy-rock-and-peter-straker/

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY…

“Straker is blessed with a fine voice and a theatrical delivery that, at times, brings to mind Freddie Mercury, David Bowie or Mick Jagger. In fact, he has been referred to as The Black Bowie due to his career straddling rock music, the screen and theatre. He shot to fame in the original London stage version of Hair in 1968 (playing Hud) and many notable West End roles followed including Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show and The Acid Queen in Pete Townshend’s Tommy. He also starred in the pioneering LGBT film Girl Stroke Boy alongside Michael Horden and Joan Greenwood. Although Peter Straker has had an undeniably incredible stage & screen career, it’s something of a mystery why he never became one of our biggest rock stars.” (David Geldard)

“To brighten up the faces of those who had a good Valentine’s hangover, whether accompanied or at the hotel of broken hearts, nothing better than listening to ‘Heart Be Still’, a dark song from the seventies of singer Peter Straker…” (Ignacio Reyo)

“Straker oozes style, echoing greats like Tom Jones, Freddie Mercury and even Jagger and Bowie. He runs round the stage, gyrates his hips, jumps around and sings in a beautiful tenor tone.” (Dave House)

‘PETER STRAKER IS A UNIQUE ARTIST, BLESSED WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY AND
BEAUTIFUL SINGING VOICE’ (Michael Coveney)

‘CATCH STRAKER WHILST HE’S STILL ON THIS EARTH’ (BBC)

‘FOR FANS OF BREL, FANS OF STRAKER AND FANS OF MUSIC, THIS SHOW SHOULD NOT BE MISSED’ (BroadwayBaby)

‘STRAKER’S ENERGETIC PERFORMANCE COULD FILL A ROOM TWICE THE SIZE. IT’S EXCITING, INVIGORATING AND LIFE-AFFIRMING!’ (British Theatre Guide)

‘ONE OF THE MUST-SEE SHOWS OF THE FRINGE’ (Scotsman)