Ipswich City Council

John Waters Looking Through A Glass Onion

Sunday 20 May 2012 7.30pm
All tickets $65.00 Group 8+ $60.00

In 1992, John Waters and Stewart D'Arrietta took to the small stage at the Tilbury Hotel, Woolloomooloo, Sydney with their debut production of "Looking Through A Glass Onion".  What was an initially a one week booking quickly sold out and extended into a six week, sell out season.  Thus the original seed of "Looking For A Glass Onion" was born.

Fast forward 20 years and after many successful and sold out Glass Onion tours, John and Stewart have decided to return to their ‘up close and personal' intimate 2 man show tour commencing in January 2012.

"It began its life as a small venue piece with just Stewart D'Arrietta and myself on stage at the Tilbury Hotel in Sydney.  I made my entrance from a kitchen and climbed over patron's laps to scramble onto a tiny raised platform in the corner of the room.  The audience and I were inescapably intimate with each other from the very start, and I kinda like that.  Not every venue we play this time around can be exactly like that, but it's the feeling I want to create - to take the show back to its roots" says John Waters. "This is a last chance opportunity for regional Australia to see this show as we'll be taking it to Broadway in New York in 2013 and are in discussion with Yoko Ono on aspects of the New York shows".

The National Tour of "Looking Through A Glass Onion" commenced in November 2010 at the Sydney Opera House, with a sell out 2 week season the production quickly extended throughout 2011 taking in over 30,000 ticket sales nationally to be the ‘highest selling Australian Artist tour thus far in 2011".

"It's been fantastic the response the show is receiving, especially from the younger audiences that are coming along, some of whom were not even born when Lennon and The Beatles were recording and releasing their music, it's a testament to the legacy of the man and his music that still excites and intrigues people to this day" says Waters.

"Although we've done two tours with the full band we were constantly inundated with requests from areas we had yet to tour to come and perform, so we've yielded to the call and decided to go back out on the road with the original 2 Man show" cites Waters.  A homage to the music, mystery and memory of John Lennon.

The show is not a cut-and-paste biography of Lennon or an emulation of the original recordings.  On stage, with shadows from the lighting arrangement fluttering over his face as he explores the essence of the man through song and spoken word.  Waters, becomes synonymous with Lennon.  He shies away from imitating the artist, but so emotive is his performance, it lulls the audience into believing anything is possible.  It's part concert and part biography, though it doesn't seek to tell the full story of Lennon's life.

"Rather than to impersonate, I wanted to evoke his honesty, bitter-sweet humour, self criticism and disdain for pretentiousness and pomposity", says Waters.  "The song Glass Onion was John Lennon's postscript to The Beatles.  It had such a strong image of crystal ball-gazing and peeling away the layers that it inspired the format for this show - a kaleidoscope collage of song, word, emotion and image", agrees D'Arrietta with Waters.

For the audience this is either an emotional trip down memory lane or a wonderful introduction to the life and times of one of the most fascinating icons of our time.

With 31 songs performed including to name a few, ‘A Day in the Life', ‘Strawberry Fields Forever', ‘Revolution', ‘Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds', ‘Woman', ‘Jealous Guy', ‘Imagine' and more, this is a show for all ages.

" a remarkable celebration of a unique talent... Waters does it brilliantly"
THE SPECTATOR, LONDON
"John Waters encapsulates the essence of Lennon." CAPITOL RADIO, LONDON
"The humour, the pace, the crisp intercuts of light and sound, the emotional texture of music and narrative, and the insights add up to a stirring celebration of genius." SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
"Part bio, part great concert, totally excellent." THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
 "Angry, wired and wiry.....a powerfully recalled lament." LONDON GUARDIAN

http://www.johnwaters.com.au/

Glass Onion Preshow Information:

Thank you for purchasing tickets and we look forward to seeing you at the Ipswich Civic Centre on Sunday 20 May 2012 for the performance of 

"Looking Through A Glass Onion" this promises to be another fantastic performance at the Ipswich Civic Centre. 

We thought the following information might come in handy when planning for your visit:

• The performance will be held in the George Hogg Auditorium (Main Level of the Civic Centre) starting at 7:30pm
• Stars Cafe Bar will be open on the Terrace from 6:30pm until the show start time (main level)
• Doors to the performance will open 30 mins prior to show start time.   
• Doors will open at 7:00pm (late arrivals may have to wait for an appropriate break in the performance to be seated)

Just so you can be prepared for how the performance is scheduled to unfold I have included a brief run sheet for you below:

• Performance Duration is scheduled for 130 Mins (please note approx times only)
• Act 1 - 50 Mins
• 20 Minute Interval
• Act 2 - 60 Mins 
• During the show there is no Photography, Flash Photography, Videoing or Recording of any sort allowed.

This show is presented in the Flat Seating Plan - each of your tickets is marked with either Stalls or Gallery seating, if you have a Stalls ticket then you will be ushered through the doors on the main level and if you have a Gallery ticket you will be ushered through the doors located upstairs, Please note that a new lift is now available to make your way around the Venue a little easier.

There will be 'Light Meals, Hot and Cold Beverages available from the Stars Cafe Bar from 6:30pm or enjoy Coffee and Cake after the show (EFTpos facilities available) 

There is full on street parking available on Limestone, Nicholas and South Streets Ipswich and after hours off-street parking is available at

45 Roderick Street, Ipswich (Council car park) and in Foote Lane (Council Car Park).  There is also a drop off zone locate just outside the entrance to the Civic Centre on Nicholas Street.

If you have any special requirements for your seating please ensure you liaise with the Box Office  staff upon arrival so we can offer you our outstanding service. 

Tickets available at the door from 6:30pm until 7:15pm.

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