NEWS: Premiered in Manchester, Tao Of Glass travels to Australia!

PHILIP GLASS AND PHELIM MCDERMOTT’S UNIQUE COLLABORATION ‘TAO OF GLASS’ TRAVELS TO AUSTRALIA FOLLOWING SUCCESS AT MIF19

THE SHOW CONTINUES MIF’S TOURING REPUTATION FOR TAKING WORK MADE IN MANCHESTER ACROSS THE WORLD

Following its world premiere at Manchester International Festival (MIF) this summer, the critically acclaimed Tao of Glass will travel to Perth Festival, Australia in February 2020.

Created by world renowned composer Philip Glass and Obie and Olivier-Award winning performer-director Phelim McDermott, this exploration of life, loss and inspiration opened at Manchester International Festival to a raft of five-star reviews and plaudits from critics and the general public alike.

“A truly magical journey” Whatsonstage – 5 stars

“A golden odyssey through Philip Glass’s music” The Guardian – 5 Stars

“Marvellously entertaining and deeply touching.” The Times - 5 Stars

Having previously worked together on acclaimed productions Akhnaten, Satyagraha and The Perfect American – the artists reunited to embark on a playful creative journey, investigating big questions in an intimate conversation with music, poetry and puppetry.

Part-concert, part-performance, Tao of Glass is a storytelling tapestry, soundtracked by Glass’s mesmerising music and bursting with Improbable’s trademark theatricality.

“It is exactly the kind of work that MIF should be commissioning; big names writing about big ideas, producing work which is challenging but, ultimately, universal.” Manchester Evening News

During some of the Manchester performances, Philip Glass unexpectedly played in person, with audiences experiencing what The Observer called "an electric moment and a reverie in real time".

John McGrath, MIF Artistic Director and Chief Executive said “We are thrilled to be taking Phillip and Phelim’s Tao of Glass to Perth Festival to tell this personal and emotive story. We are truly grateful to Perth Festival for their support in the creation of this production and we very much look forward to sharing this beautiful show with Australian audiences.”

Tao of Glass will be the third MIF19 presentation in Australia this year alongside Invisible Cities at Brisbane Festival and The Nico Project at Melbourne Arts Festival, for which 11 students from Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music who performed in the show’s original Manchester inception, travelled with Maxine Peake to Melbourne.

Manchester International Festival presents work that is made in the city and shares it with the world, with at least nine MIF19 commissions being presented across the globe in partners festivals and venues over the next three years. Some will go onto tour further afield beyond this time, widening the reach of work made in Manchester – MIF commissions have been witnessed by over 1.35 million people in over 30 countries.