Lennon: Through A Glass Onion – A Musical Exploration Honouring the Life and Songs of John Lennon – Review

Her Majesty’s Theatre, Fri Jul 10 John Waters and Stewart D’Arrietta have been performing Lennon: Through A Glass Onion in one form or another since 1992, including over 120 performances off-Broadway in its recent American run. This is an astonishing record for any kind of theatrical performance and is no doubt a reflection of the love that audiences still feel for the late John Lennon. That Waters and D’Arrietta can honour that legacy in a way that fans continue to adore is a huge achievement alone. In Lennon: Through A Glass Onion Waters portrays Lennon, performing a selection from his vast catalogue and delivering monologues between songs in a convincing Liverpudlian accent. Many of the super-hits are included, such as You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, Strawberry Fields Forever, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Norwegian Wood, All You Need Is Love, Jealous Guy, Woman and Come Together. And hard core Lennon fans will be satisfied with some of the lesser known songs such as the titular Glass Onion, Crippled Inside and Julia. Julia provided an emotional moment as Waters briefly explored Lennon’s relationship with his mother and its crippling effect on him, but these truly emotional moments were few and far between. Aside from Julia and the final moments before closing with Imagine, the words were delivered with an impassive, presumably Liverpudlian energy that emoted the Lennon we are familiar with through the media, but ignored the deep running passions – fierce rage and tender love – that surely were also part of Lennon’s personality. Musically Lennon was outstanding. D’Arrietta on piano, vocal and interjecting with occasional character portraits was superb and the arrangements were excellent. Waters’ delivery was confident, if occasionally missing the depth of emotional complexity that audience members may have been expecting. Waters and D’Arrietta’s voices combined beautifully on harmonies to replicate that gorgeous Beatles sound that is so familiar and so appealing. Lennon: Through A Glass Onion continues at Her Majesty’s Theatre at various times until Sat 11 Jul. Lynette Washington Book at BASS on 131 246 and bass.net.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.