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| Trevor Ashley as Liza Minnelli |
Written and Performed by Trevor Ashley
Musical
Direction – Bev Kennedy
Presented by
Strut & Fret ProductionsFortuna Spiegeltent, Canberra Theatre Centre forecourt, 10th May 2018
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Writer/Musical
Director/ Producer and performer, Trevor Ashley is one of Australia’s busiest
entertainers and theatre makers. Having
appeared in leading roles in a string of big budget musicals including
“Priscilla-Queen of the Desert” (Miss Understanding), “Les Miserables” (Thenardier),
“Hairspray” (Edna Turnblad), “The Producers” (Franz Leibkind) and “Jesus Christ
Superstar” (King Herod), and directed a very successful production of “The
Heathers – The Musical”.
He’s produced and performed a string of satirical
adult pantomimes including “Fat Swan”, “Little Orphan Trashly”, Diamonds are
for Trevor”, “I’m every Woman”, and two shows on Liza Minnelli, “Liza (on and
E)” and Liza’s Back (is Broken)” and is due to open in the Sydney Opera House
next week in his latest show, a send-up of “The Body Guard – The Musical”
entitled “The Bodybag”.
“Trash and
Trevor” which he gave a one-off performance in the Fortuna spiegeltent as part of the “Blanc de Blanc” Canberra
spiegeltent season proved an excellent sampler of Ashley’s unrivalled talent
for pricking the balloons of famous cabaret divas.
No diva was
left unscathed in a tight 60 minute performance for which Ashley was
accompanied by a tight three-piece combo of long-time collaborators, Bev
Kennedy on keyboards, Tina Harris on bass and Aggie Davis on percussion. A pile of wigs and clever costume changes, accomplished
seamlessly in front of the audience, saw Ashley seemingly miraculously transformed into Liza Minnelli,
Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner, most hilariously, Cher, and rather cruelly, Whitney
Houston.
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| Trevor Ashley as Shirley Bassey |
Unlike many
drag artists, Ashley sings in his own voice, a shattered instrument which
he drives mercilessly to produce,
sometimes to his own apparent surprise, recognisable approximations of the
divas he is skewering. Some of his songs
are clever parodies, while others like “I’ve Never Been to Me” and “People” are given heartfelt, reflective
performances which brought depth to his act. His connecting dialogue was clever
and funny, though some were confronted by some misjudged coarseness which tainted
the performance unnecessarily.
As he noted
during the performance, it has been more than twenty years since Ashley last
performed in Canberra. On the strength of the reception given this performance,
this uniquely talented performer seems assured of an enthusiastic audience
awaiting his next Canberra foray.
This review also appears in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au