Show Rating:

Abi Roberts is a 21st Century gay icon. Presenting herself as Shirley Bassey mixed with Aretha Franklin, this diva-in-waiting also has a healthy dose of humour.

This show is the story of her life, from the private school which placed her in the choir to keep her in line, to her stint studying opera at the Russian Conservatoire, to her attempts at getting, and keeping the men in her life. She uses a mixture of song and comedy, making for a fast-paced, entertaining hour.

At times the comedy was strained with jokes coming across as formulaic and predictable. If you look past this, though, you see the consummate entertainer, she has a huge personality, bucketloads of charisma, a great singing voice and a cheeky sense of humour. This is all encapsulated in her rendition of All That Jazz in Russian.

From time to time a wicked, dirty sense of humour would strain to break out and bowl this mid-afternoon crowd over. But it was quickly contained by Roberts with comments about the appropriate time of day. I wish someone had had the presence of mind to give her a later slot, I suspect that this is when we may really see her comedy shine.

Reviewed by: Rosie Carnahan