Melbourne triple threat Ashy Rose’s show Confetti (Pretty, but a bit of a mess) had more pop than a freshly opened Pringles packet. She took an extensive back catalogue of nineties and noughties pop hits and re-lyricised them to fit her own trials and tribulations in her quest to follow her dream of being an artist.

Adapting the songs of iconic bands such as Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls and N’Sync, as well as Aussie favourites, such as Savage Garden and Bachelor Girl, Rose took her audience back to the days of singing in their bedrooms with a hairbrush as a microphone.

Rose begins by reflecting on her childhood battles with bullies, the bulge and a low self-esteem. She credits a healthy obsession with drag queens as her awakening to all things fabulous. In one number, she sheds her white bathrobe for a taffeta-tastic gown; emerging from her chrysalis in a haze of glitter and confetti.

There is no doubt that Rose has a great voice, but at times, her need to squeeze in too many lyrics to otherwise well-known songs was to her detriment. The venue, too, might have limited her from completely connecting with us, which she attempted to overcome by venturing into the audience from time to time.

Ashy Rose was at her best when she was storytelling. Perhaps in Confetti (Pretty but a bit of a mess), she underestimated her ability to immerse her audience in a personal anecdote; the songs were the focal point, when her monologues should have been. The highlight was definitely her tale of heartbreak, followed by a searing rendition of Brandi Carlile’s ‘The Joke’ – a moment in which Rose was truly able to soar.

Confetti (Pretty but a bit of a mess) delivered a message of self-love, showered in all things that sparkle!

3 Stars

By Rachel Gould