A tribute to the musical genius of John Lennon, shows by Jimmy Barnes and The Church, and the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival will keep Adelaideans entertained this weekend.

Other picks include the premiere of a new work by Leigh Warren Dance artistic director Daniel Jaber, a gala concert at Elder Hall, the latest Adelaide Music Collective Sessions, and Windmill Theatre’s children’s show Bear With Me.

Lennon Through a Glass Onion

Created and performed by actor/musician John Waters and singer/pianist Stewart D’Arrietta, this touring show is described as part-concert and part-biography, celebrating the music of the late John Lennon. Having enjoyed a sold-out off-Broadway season in New York, it is now touring Australia, with shows at Her Majesty’s Theatre tonight (Friday) and Saturday. Lennon Through a Glass Onion features 31 songs, including “Imagine”, “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “All You Need is Love”.

Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival

Join Adelaide’s best barbecue chefs and beer and cider brewers at the Adelaide Showgrounds’ Brick Dairy Pavilion and lawns this weekend for the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival. The event will run across three days from today (Friday), with DJs and live music by acts including Timberwolf, Max Savage & His False Idols, and Jesse Davidson. A bar dedicated to the winning brews from the Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards will also be open for tastings.

Jimmy Barnes – Flesh & Wood Acoustic Tour

Rock legend Jimmy Barnes will be in acoustic mode for his show at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, with back-up from a nine-piece band augmented by a string section. They will perform a two-hour set comprising songs from Barnes’ 1993 acoustic album Flesh & Wood, which featured his own solo songs and Cold Chisel hits, as well as well-known covers.

A Dying Swan – Leigh Warren Dance

Choreographer Daniel Jaber is this weekend premiering his first work as artist director of Leigh Warren Dance. A solo piece titled A Dying Swan and danced by Kialea-Nadine Williams, it is inspired by a 1905 Fokine ballet and will comprise a series of vignettes exploring the themes of love and loneliness, alongside a soundtrack of popular and alternative music. A Dying Swan opens tonight (Friday) at the LWD studio, Lion Arts Centre, with performances continuing until July 18. Read InDaily’s interview with Jaber here.

Kialea-Nadine Williams in rehearsal. Photo: Chris Herzfeld, Camlight Productions

Adelaide Music Collective Sessions

Folk singer/songwriter Eric Bogle – best known for “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” and “No Man’s Land” – will headline the AMC Sessions tonight (Friday) at the Goodwood Institute.  Also performing will be Dave Blight, who started playing harmonica with Cold Chisel in 1974, bluegrass singer/songwriter Trev Warner, indie-pop singer Julia Henning and up-and-coming Adelaide singer-songwriter Tara Carragher.

Evenings at Elder Hall – Gala Concert

Violinists Adele Anthony and Niki Vasilakis, pianist Clemens Leske and other guest performers will play at this Saturday evening concert celebrating the contribution of violinist Beryl Kimber and pianist Clemens Leske (senior) to the Elder Conservatorium of Music. The program for the concert, beginning at 6.30pm at Elder Hall, will include music by Bach and Schumann. Bookings here.

Bear With Me – Windmill Theatre

Perfect school holiday entertainment, this show by Adelaide’s Windmill Theatre and Brisbane’s Metro Arts is a tribute to the teddy bear, featuring songs, laughter and plenty of audience participation. Kids are encouraged to bring along their favourite bear or stuffed toy. It’s recommended for ages three to six, with performances at the Festival Centre’s Space Theatre until July 19. Read review here.

The Church

ARIA Hall of Fame group The Church are celebrating their 35^th year in the music biz and the recent release of their 25^th studio album with a concert tour that lobs at The Gov on Saturday night. Titled Further Deeper – A Blurred Crusade, the gig will comprise two sets. The first will feature songs from the 30-year-old A Blurred Crusade album, while the second will be more contemporary, including tracks from latest release Further Deeper.

Treasure Ships: Art in the Age of Spices

Exploring the cultural and spiritual exchange between Europe and Asia during the era of the spice trade, this exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia comprises around 300 works including paintings, furniture, textiles, ceramics and engravings. It is imbued with stories of adventure, shipwrecks, piracy and treasure. Click here to read InDaily’s story about Treasures Ships, which will be at the gallery until August 30, and here for a list of associated gallery events this weekend.

One Night in Istanbul

A special premiere screening of football comedy One Night in Istanbul will be held at the Regal Theatre in Kensington tonight (Friday) as part of celebrations leading up to the Liverpool versus Adelaide United exhibition match at Adelaide Oval on July 20 (see film event details and trailer here).  For information about other events planned in the coming week, see the Official Liverpool Supporters Club website.

Freestyle football

Football of a different style is also on show in Adelaide this weekend. To celebrate the Australian Freestyle Football Titles, there will be free come-and-try sessions in Victoria Square from 12-2pm today (Friday). And from 12-2pm on Saturday, you can watch free freestyle football battles and entertainment in the main foyer of Adelaide Oval. More info on Splash Adelaide.

Cirque du Soleil’s Totem

This weekend is your last chance to catch Cirque du Soleil’s spectacle under the big top in the West Parklands, Totem traces the journey of humankind, combining imagery, set design and costumes with the slick acrobatics for which the company is renowned. See InDaily’s review here.

The Bald Prima Donna

Max’s Masters – who presented The Removalists at this year’s Adelaide Fringe – are back with a production of playwright Eugene  Ionesco’s The Bald Prima Donna. It’s the tale of one “exceptionally English couple” and their farcical dinner party, set against the backdrop of 1940s war-torn London. Performances continue at the Bakehouse Theatre until July 17.

Mary Poppins

The tale of magical nanny Mary Poppins is being brought to the Adelaide stage this month by Matt Byrne Media. Based on author PL Travers’ classic children’s books, Mary Poppins the musical is playing over five weeks, with a run at the Arts Theatre until July 18, and then at Elizabeth’s Shedley Theatre from July 23 until August 1. Read InDaily’s review here.

Science & Art: 12 Years of the Waterhouse Prize

This free retrospective exhibition at the South Australian Museum displays all the overall winners of the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize since it launched in 2002. Each work is paired with material from the museum’s own and other collections to further explore the science behind the art. Science & Art is open daily until July 19.

 On screen

See InDaily’s reviews of the latest films screening in Adelaide:

Madame Bovary
Amy
Terminator Genisys
Love and Mercy
Far From the Madding Crowd
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
The Emperor’s New Clothes
Jurassic World