Trevor Ashley Channels The Best Of The Divas in I’m Every Woman – Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review

Space Theatre, Thu 18 Jun Trevor Ashley has shaved, preened and tucked to return to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in between performing as the dirty villain Thénardier in the Sydney season of Les Misérables. Ashley is a brilliant impersonator who transitions in and out of his favourite divas with ease, although with some help from stage hands undressing and dressing him for the 27 dresses and 14 wigs in the show; he has a fantastic ability to portray all the lovable quirks in each of these divas, including their voice, gestures and stage presence. Ashley ensures the audience get huge laughs out of each persona, but it is his ability to then withdraw back to reveal the struggles and pain behind some of them, which makes I’m Every Woman truly brilliant. Trevor Ashley has previously appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival with Liza (on an E), a show which has taken him around Australia and the world, but Liza Minnelli and her mother, Judy Garland, play only a very small role in this show with the audience being treated to some of the expected divas like, Cher, Bette Midler, Whitney Houston, Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner as well as some really unexpected surprises. There were highlights galore, including Cher randomly singing John Farnham’s You’re The Voice, Shirley Bassey’s glamorous Diamonds Are Forever and Bette Midler’s From A Distance, which was taken literally being performed at the back of the stage and balcony section of the Space Theatre. Supporting Ashley was a four-piece band, led by Musical Director Andrew Worboys, who sounded fantastic playing all the iconic songs, but occasionally drowned out Ashley, which meant that many of the jokes were completely lost below the volume of the music. I’m Every Women is fantastic late night fun with great iconic songs and performed by a wonderful Australian talent. Bobby Goudie Trevor Ashley performs I’m Every Woman at Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, from 10pm until Sat Jun 20. Book at BASS on 131 246 and bass.net.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.