Self proclaimed national treasure ‘Australia’s John O’Hara’ heads to Daylesford this weekend with #VAL at The Circus Tent – Lush Land for one performance only on Friday 6 March as part of the 2020 ChillOut Festival.
Inspired by his own mum Val, John explores the role mothers play to children who are a little bit different, often before they know it themselves. Directed by Shaun Rennie, with musical direction and arrangements by Andrew Kroenert, #VAL is set against the pop-tastic hits of his own childhood, John will encourage his audience to relax, drink and kiki with him around the ‘camp’ fire – shining a spotlight on the wonderful women we call mum.
“My incredible collaborators and I have celebrated my relationship with Val, we’ve delved deep into what being a mother to a queer child means on a broader scale and we’ve highlighted some moments in queer history that mothers were at the forefront of,” says John.
“At its heart, #VAL is a celebration… a fun, colourful and fabulous celebration of love,” he adds. “It’s cabaret in its truest form; big, bold and a little bit loose… and when Val is involved it’s always going to be a riot! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll probably leave with some glitter in your undies,” he adds.
A graduate of both WAAPA and John Curtin College of Arts, John is well known to audiences for his work in the theatre, particularly in the musical juggernauts: Cats, Rock of Ages, The Rocky Horror Show, Priscilla – Queen of the Desert and Wicked. He is currently playing the role of Ned Schneebly in the Australian production of School of Rock.
“In a suit of indescribable colour, tall, bald and a touch cracked, O’Hara is a generous ringmaster and grand performer” – The West Australian
#VAL – A camp-fire kiki with mother
The Circus Tent – Lush Land, 1 Vincent Street, Daylesford
Performance: Friday 6 March 2020 – 8.00pm
Bookings: www.eventbrite.com.au
For more information, visit: www.chilloutfestival.com.au or www.johnjamesohara.com for details.
Image: John O’Hara (supplied)