Image courtesy of Ashleigh Kreveld

I sat down with Ashleigh to have a chat about her cabaret based on the great Amy Winehouse.

TAT: Hi Ashleigh, first off, where are you from?

Ashleigh Kreveld: Melbourne, I grew up in Mount Waverly and now live in Fitzroy.

TAT: How would you describe yourself in three words?

AK: Let me think- witty, effervescent and passionate.

TAT: How did you get into performing? Did you study?

AK: I studied for two years at Showfit Brunswick- musical theatre. I’ve always sung and mucked around with characters.

TAT: How do you spend your time?

AK: Between projects- this cabaret, a short film at the moment, working in hospitality and balancing a social life.

TAT: What inspires you?

AK: The stories that people tell, that everyone has a different journey.

TAT: What inspires you in the creative process?

AK: Wanting to tell these stories through performance. The beauty of performing is to step into someone else shoes, and empathise with them.

TAT: When did you start performing?

AK: I always did dancing when I was little, school productions things like that.

TAT: Tell us about the show, what’s it about?

AK: Pretty much a portrait of Amy Winehouse, showing her own spin. If you don’t know Amy Winehouse you’ll get to know her. It paints her spiral down, but also her lightness, because she was such a funny girl.

TAT: What made you decide to do an Amy Winehouse show?

AK: I’ve always loved Amy Winehouse, and felt a connection to her music ad her lyrics. When she passed I was really quite sad. On a whim I decided to write an Amy Winehouse show.

TAT: How long have you been developing it?

AK: I did the first 30 minute show last April, then last September I did the Melbourne Fringe.

TAT: Did you have a director?

AK: No. I love Amy so much I could kind of direct myself.

TAT: Why do you love Amy Winehouse?

AK: Because she feels so much, and so much in her music. Most performers feel a lot, including me. Her heartbreak and her spirit, she’s funny and cheeky. True to herself.

TAT: What do you want the audience to know about her?

AK: I want them to realise that she was misunderstood to some degree. The media took photos of her drunk in the streets, people didn’t realise that she hadn’t taken drugs the last two years before she died. The biography of Amy was spun by her Dads words, my cabaret is unique in the sense it’s her own voice and not spun by anyone else.

TAT: Do you get nervous before shows?

AK: Yes, but if I try and stay in the Amy character it helps me a lot.

TAT: What are your goals for the future?

AK: To take the show to Edinburgh, have it picked up by a big producing place.

TAT: What’s your favourite Amy Winehouse song?

AK: Wake up alone.

TAT: What has been your greatest accomplishment?

AK: This show, which I did straight after I finishing studying. It was scary playing someone that people know, but super fans have been super lovely to me.

TAT: What’s been your favourite performance moment?

AK: There’s a bit of audience interaction at times. There was a woman on her phone so I started joking about her being on Tinder, and if there was a tinder in heaven I’d hope to match with David Bowie.

TAT: Why should people see the show?

AK: Because its a cabaret experience that is funny, witty, tragic and heartbreaking, celebrating a legend in today’s music industry that was lost too soon.

You can see the raved about cabaret:

When: August 3-7, 6:30pm

Where: Whole Lotta Love Bar, 520 Lygon St, Brunswick

Tickets: $25

Links: www.moshtix.com.au/v2/frankly-winehouse

www.franklywinehouse.com

https://www.facebook.com/events/1561037750857919/

Instagram: Franklywinehouse