Trevor Ashley#Television

Ashley grew up in the south of Sydney and studied at the Shopfront a contemporary theatre. There he worked with Errol Bray, John Du Feu and playwright Hilary Bell. He appeared in Alice with Paul Capsis, and in Peter Pan with screen actor Bryan Brown.

Ashley attended Sydney Technical High School, where he studied music and drama, played in the school bands, and began writing orchestrations and arrangements. He was then chosen to be part of the Schools Spectacular, and the Talent Development Project under the direction of Mary Lopez. He graduated from high school in 1997.https://sydneytech-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/s/sydneytech-h/landing-pages/ASHLEY,_TREVOR_1997.pdf

Ashley made his professional debut in the Sydney Cabaret Convention 1998. His performance impressed both the critics and judges with the Cabaret Hotline calling him "A knockout performer… the clear crowd favourite and the only one to emulate a 'cabaret sensibility'". He then toured his show Trevor The Arena Mega Musical to New York City's Don't Tell Mama and The Talk of London, in England.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

On return to Australia, he created the show Pop Princess with Phil Scott. He soon became "Mardi Gras Royalty"{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/17/1045330537545.html |title=Mardi Gras royalty |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=18 February 2003 |accessdate=2 October 2013}} and followed up this with Pop Princess 2, two years later in 2005.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Priscilla film director Stephan Elliott then chose Ashley to sing the theme song to his 2008 film Easy Virtue, "Let's Misbehave". The film stars Colin Firth, Jessica Biel and Kristin Scott Thomas.{{cite web|url=http://www.starobserver.com.au/entertainment/2009/03/25/trevors-turn-to-misbehave/5071 |title=Trevor's turn to misbehave |publisher=Star Observer |date=25 March 2009 |accessdate=2 October 2013}} After this, Ashley created and continued to host Showqueen, a weekly cabaret night at the Supper Club in Sydney. Showqueen featured special guests and notable cabaret performers, and also had a successful season in Melbourne. Previous guests have included Toni Lamond, iOTA, Virginia Gay, Genevieve Lemon and Matthew Robinson.{{cite web |url=http://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/melbourne/showqueen--trevor-ashley-2178.html |title=Showqueen | Trevor Ashley |publisher=Australian Stage Online |last=Mattarelli |first=Vito |date=19 January 2009 |accessdate=2 October 2013 |archive-date=22 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322130905/http://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/melbourne/showqueen--trevor-ashley-2178.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/come-to-the-cabaret/2008/12/09/1228584833201.html |title=Come to the cabaret |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=10 December 2008 |accessdate=2 October 2013}}{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/music/your-tables-waiting--cabaret-is-back/2009/10/09/1255019613360.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Your table's waiting - cabaret is back | date=10 October 2009}}

For Mardi Gras 2009, Ashley teamed with drag star Courtney Act to great acclaim in Gentlemen Prefer Blokes, a bawdy revue style show that ran in Sydney twice, and also played the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and a season at His Majesty's Theatre, Perth.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/double-trouble/2009/02/05/1233423373130.html |title=Double trouble |last=Dow |first=Steve |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date= 6 February 2009|accessdate=2 October 2013}} Gentlemen Prefer Blokes had to be rewritten two weeks prior to the Sydney run after Courtney Act suffered a broken leg while skiing in Canada. Soap star Virginia Gay from Channel 7's All Saints joined the cast to play Courtney's body double.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

I'm Every Woman, commissioned by the Sydney Opera House, paid tribute to Ashley's favourite divas living and dead.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/sydney-opera-house/trevor-ashley-20100705-zwk0.html |title=Trevor Ashley |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 July 2010 |accessdate=2 October 2013}} The show was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Cabaret.{{cite web|url=http://www.aussietheatre.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1226:sydney-theatre-award-nominees&catid=44:general&Itemid=67 |title=The home of Australian Theatre |publisher=AussieTheatre |accessdate=2 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313225454/http://www.aussietheatre.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1226:sydney-theatre-award-nominees&catid=44:general&Itemid=67 |archivedate=13 March 2011 }}

He has nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Cabaret Performer for Diamonds are for Trevor in 2012, in which Ashley appeared as Shirley Bassey.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Liza (on a E), featuring his impersonation of Liza Minnelli, had seasons in Australian and the UK.{{cite news|last1=Shenton|first1=Mark|title=Trevor Ashley to Reprise Liza (on An E) for Short U.K. Tour Including West End Date|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/trevor-ashley-to-reprise-liza-on-an-e-for-short-uk-tour-including-west-end-date-com-208967|accessdate=26 March 2016|work=Playbill|date=29 August 2013}} In 2015, he announced a new cabaret show, entitled Liza's Back! (is broken), debuting at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne from 21–31 January 2016.{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/whats-on-melbourne/trevor-ashley-drags-liza-minnelli-back-to-broadway-20151020-gkdm05.html |title=Trevor Ashley drags Liza Minnelli back to Broadway |last=Cooke |first=Dewi |date=20 October 2015 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=25 October 2015 }}

He played Natalie Portly in his adult pantomime Fat Swan in 2012, a Black Swan parody written with longtime collaborator Phil Scott. His 2013 musical comedy Little Orphan trAshley starred Rhonda Burchmore and Gary Sweet.{{cite web |url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/stage/adultsonly-panto-too-funny-for-sweet-to-miss-out-20130710-2pq41.html |title=Adults-only panto too funny for Sweet to miss out |last=Bochenski |first=Natalie |date=11 July 2013 |work=Brisbane Times |access-date=21 July 2013 }}

Ashley created the role of Miss Understanding in the original cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/priscillas-new-adventures/2006/10/01/1159641211194.html |title=Priscilla heads for new adventures|work=The Age|date=2 October 2006|accessdate=2 October 2013|location=Melbourne|first=Bryce|last=Hallett}} He performed the role over 600 times in Sydney and Melbourne, and is featured on the original cast recording, singing "What's Love Got To Do With It?".{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

He performed in Jerry Springer: The Opera under the direction of Gale Edwards at the Sydney Opera House in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.stagenoise.com/review/1349 |title=jerry springer - the opera |last=Simmonds |first=Diana |publisher=Stage Noise |date=24 April 2009 |accessdate=2 October 2013}}

In 2010–2011, Ashley played the role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray in Melbourne and Sydney.{{cite web |url=http://sxnews.gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/trevor-ashley-to-star-in-hairspray-007466.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706202623/http://sxnews.gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/trevor-ashley-to-star-in-hairspray-007466.html |archive-date=6 July 2010 |title=Trevor Ashley to star in Hairspray |last=Bithell |first=Garrett |date=28 June 2010 |publisher=SX News |access-date=2 February 2016 }}

In July 2012, Ashley appeared as Franz Leibkind in The Producers for The Production Company in Melbourne.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Ashley played Thenadier in the Australian 2014–2015 tour of Les Misérables, opposite Lara Mulcahy as Madame Thenadier. For this role, he was nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and received a Best Supporting Performer in Music Theatre (male) Award at Sydney's 2015 Glugs Awards.{{cite web|title=2015 Glugs Theatre Awards Winners|url=http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/2015-glugs-theatre-awards-winners|website=Stage Whispers|accessdate=2 February 2016|date=2 February 2016}}

In 2015, Ashley directed the Australian premiere of Heathers: The Musical.{{Cite web|url=http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/trevor-ashley-working-girl|title = Trevor Ashley: Working Girl}} The production was first staged at Hayes Theatre in Sydney for a 19-day run, and then was transferred the following year for short seasons in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (with the latter being an encore production staged at the Sydney Opera House).{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/heathers-the-musical-review-impressive-calculating-and-anything-but-coy-20150723-giiuzi.html|title = Heathers the Musical review: Impressive, calculating and anything but coy|date = 23 July 2015}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/stage-briefs/heathers-musical-brisbane|title = Stage Briefs | Stage Whispers}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/arts/original-mean-girls-return-with-a-few-changes-of-cast-in-opera-house-run-of-heathers-the-musical/news-story/6f8aae3602be4cdc4154d56aff6730c1|title=Original mean girls return in Heathers|date=8 June 2016}}

2017 saw Ashley play King Herod in the Australian revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, starring alongside Rob Mills as Christ. The production ran from 29 July to 13 August at Arts Centre Melbourne.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theatrepeople.com.au/cast-jesus-christ-superstar/|title=Full cast of Jesus Christ Superstar - Theatre People|date=3 June 2017|access-date=17 June 2017|archive-date=12 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612142235/http://www.theatrepeople.com.au/cast-jesus-christ-superstar/|url-status=dead}}

He is scheduled to play Roger De Bris in the Menier Chocolate Factory revival of The Producers, opening December 2024 in London.{{cite news |last1=Gans |first1=Andrew |title=Cast Complete for London Revival of Mel Brooks' The Producers, Starring Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin |url=https://playbill.com/article/cast-complete-for-london-revival-of-mel-brooks-the-producers-starring-andy-nyman-and-marc-antolin |access-date=3 October 2024 |work=Playbill |date=2 October 2024}}

In 2012, Australian network SBS announced it had commissioned a pilot called The Very Trevor Ashley Show.{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/04/trevor-ashley-pilot-for-sbs.html |title=Trevor Ashley pilot for SBS |last=Knox |first=David |date=23 April 2012 |website=TV Tonight |access-date=2 February 2016 }} It was shown as a one-night-only program in May 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/05/airdate-the-very-trevor-ashley-show-pilot.html |title=Airdate: The Very Trevor Ashley Show (pilot) |last=Knox |first=David |date=20 May 2013 |website=TV Tonight |access-date=21 July 2013 }}

Ashley stars in a recurring role as drag queen Dolly Hardon in Australian medical drama RFDS

In 2023, Ashley competed on the second season of Queen of the Universe and placed as the runner-up when the finale aired on 23 June 2023.{{cite episode|title=The Winner Is…|series=Queen of the Universe|series-link=Queen of the Universe (TV series)|air-date=June 22, 2023|season=2|number=8|network=Paramount+}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline|Trevor Ashley}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashley, Trevor}}

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Australian drag queens

Category:People educated at Sydney Technical High School

Category:Australian LGBTQ singers

Category:LGBTQ cabaret performers