We're officially less than two months out from December 25, so, like it or not, you can prepare to be inundated with an assortment of new-release festive goodies. In a similar vein to Four Pillars' annual Christmas concoction, the latest edition of which has just hit the shelves, South Australian distillery Prohibition Liquor Co. has unveiled its own Yuletide-inspired gin for 2018. As always, this year's seasonal small-batch release sets out to bottle the essence of a true-blue Aussie Christmas, blending flavours of star anise, cherry, cinnamon, fig and orange to create a drink that's spicy, syrupy and unmistakably festive. Longtime fans of Prohibition's Christmas Gin will notice a few changes with this latest batch, which is slightly boozier to previous years (at 40 percent) and rocks a new pale blush colour. As with other Prohibition products like the Shiraz Barrel Gin and the Bathtub Cut Gin, this one's all packaged up in a square, Prohibition Era-style bottle — perfect for bootlegging some booze to your family Christmas lunch. Prohibition Liquor Co.'s 2018 Christmas gin is on sale now for $105 online and at select retailers.
When you have so many huge musicals to your name, as Andrew Lloyd Webber does, one is always likely to be playing a stage somewhere. That includes in Australia, where the acclaimed composer's The Phantom of the Opera will start its latest stint Down Under in August — to be swiftly followed by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. While the latest version of Phantom heads our way fresh from proving a huge hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States, this iteration Joseph makes the leap straight from London's West End. It also marks the first time that it's being staged outside of the UK, with seasons in Melbourne and Sydney locked in. Hailing from not only Lloyd Webber, but from lyricist Tim Rice as well, Joseph will enjoy its Australian premiere run at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 11, 2022, before heading to Sydney's Capitol Theatre from Saturday, February 11, 2023. If you live elsewhere in the country, cross your fingers that it adds shows in other capitals to its Aussie run. (No matter where you reside, perhaps cross your fingers that Cats isn't the next big Lloyd Webber musical to prowl across local stages.) Joseph's Aussie seasons will feature all the expected songs, of course — so 'Any Dream Will Do', 'Close Every Door To Me', 'Jacob and Sons', 'There's One More Angel in Heaven' and 'Go Go Go Joseph' will all get a whirl. Leading the cast: Euan Fistrovic Doidge (Saturday Night Fever, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Les Misérables and Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) as Joseph, plus Australian Idol contestant and singer Paulini as the Narrator. And if you're new to this particular sing-through show — and didn't catch the streamed 2000 adaptation back at the beginning of the pandemic, when Lloyd Webber was screening his hits via YouTube — it does indeed focus on the biblical figure, and was actually the first of Lloyd Webber and Rice's musicals to be performed publicly. That happened back in 1968 at a school concert, of all places, before it started getting more attention after Jesus Chris Superstar became such a success. JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 2022–23 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: From Friday, November 11, 2022 — Melbourne's Regent Theatre From Saturday, February 11, 2023 — Sydney's Capitol Theatre Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will hit Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 11, 2022, before playing Sydney's Capitol Theatre from Saturday, February 11, 2023. For more information or to buy tickets — with the Sydney season on-sale from Friday, July 15 — head to the musical's website.
The two-kilometre coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama is always a stunning Sydney sight no matter when you mosey along it, but it's especially impressive during Sculpture by the Sea. Once a year since 1997 — except during the pandemic's early days — the outdoor art event displays large-scale pieces with the ocean as a backdrop. Understandably, it isn't just one of the annual highlights of Sydney's cultural calendar, but of Australia's. That excuse to soak up the great outdoors in the Harbour City returns again in 2023, from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. On the agenda once more: 100-plus artworks by Australian and international sculptors, all along a two-kilometre walk. But this is the 25th Sculpture by the Sea, so it's celebrating notching up that milestone with pieces by artists who displayed at the event back at its beginning. Paul Bacon, Stephen King, Michael Le Grand, John Petrie, James Rogers and Margarita Sampson earn those honours, bookending a quarter-century run. Sculpture by the Sea 2023 will also feature works by Philip Spelman and Ron Gomboc, who reach double decades displaying at the event; Lucy Barker and Ayako Saito, who hit a decade; and Chinese artist Chen Wenling. Discovering exactly who'll be showing what and where is part of the fun of taking the spring stroll, but this year's event won't be short on talent. As always, the exhibition is set to draw a crowd. Each year, Sculpture by the Sea attracts approximately 450,000 visitors over 18 days, with the same number of art lovers expected this time around. The past few years have been particularly eventful for the exhibition, which had to sit out 2020 like oh-so-many festivities around the world, then tried to make a comeback in October 2021 but also had to scrap those plans due to the pandemic. It did successfully stage a CBD spinoff, Sculpture Rocks, in autumn 2021, however. Even before the current global health situation interrupted its annual plans, organisers were also at loggerheads with the Council over the construction of a new path back in mid-2019, and were scoping out alternative locations for the long-running art exhibition. In fact, it was only early in 2021 that the parties came to an agreement to remain in Bondi until 2030, with the organisers and Council agreeing to a ten-year deal. Amid all of the above, the Sculpture by the Sea team also branched in 2022, opening the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. It's a permanent 100-kilometre collection of outdoor art along the Snowy Valleys Way, passing through the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba, the hamlet of Tooma, plus the Tumbarumba wine region's cellar doors. Sculpture by the Sea will return to the Bondi–Tamarama coastal walk for 2023 from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. For more information, head to sculpturebythesea.com. Images: Charlotte Curd, Reni Indrawan, Clyde Yee, Jack Bett, Jarrad Seng, W Patino, G Carr and Samantha Burns.
"The people who come here, they come to heal," says Nicole Kidman in the latest trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers. There's a disconcerting tone to her words, however. She plays Masha Dmitrichenko, the wellness guru in charge of a high-priced retreat in a super-scenic spot, and she definitely isn't making anyone feel relaxed with her presence. Whether you're checking into a nearby spa for the day or heading further afield for a lengthier stint of bliss, visiting these kinds of venues is supposed to be calming. But that really doesn't seem to be the case in this upcoming miniseries. The star-studded Nine Perfect Strangers was shot in Byron Bay, which is why it looks the striking part — but the nine guests who turn up in search of a new lease on life all appear set to get much more than they've bargained for. That's how the show's trailers have been unfolding, at least, with the latest sneak peek offering the biggest glimpse at the series yet. Given the cast involved — including not just Kidman (The Undoing), but also Melissa McCarthy (Thunder Force), Michael Shannon (Knives Out), Luke Evans (Crisis) and Asher Keddie (Rams) — Nine Perfect Strangers is easily one of the big streaming releases of the year, and that long list of famous faces will be navigating quite the eerie and creepy situation. Also part of the show: Bobby Cannavale (Superintelligence), Regina Hall (Little), Samara Weaving (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Melvin Gregg (The United States vs Billie Holiday), Asher Keddie (Rams), Grace Van Patten (Under the Silver Lake), Tiffany Boone (The Midnight Sky) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), who'll all navigate a ten-day retreat overseen by Kidman's Masha throughout the drama's eight episodes. The latter oversees the resort that promises to transform nine stressed city-dwellers — but, clearly, things aren't going to turn out as planned for the show's titular figures. As with Kidman's last two miniseries — Big Little Lies, which like Nine Perfect Strangers, was also based on a book by Liane Moriarty; and The Undoing — David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, Mr Mercedes) is leading the charge behind the scenes. He's the show's co-writer and co-showrunner, with Long Shot's Jonathan Levine directing every episode. And if you're wondering where and when you'll be able to see the results, Nine Perfect Strangers will stream Down Under via Amazon Prime Video, with the series set to debut on Friday, August 20. Check out the full trailer below: Nine Perfect Strangers will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, August 20 via Amazon Prime Video — starting with its first three episodes, with new episodes then dropping weekly afterwards. Top image: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.
Last week, rapper Kanye West came out with a music video for 'Bound 2', featuring his baby momma, Kim Kardashian. The (unintentionally) hilarious video, which features a nude Kimmy K straddling Kanye on a motorcycle, was too weird to go unnoticed. Thankfully Hollywood prank boys, Seth Rogan and James Franco, came to our satirical rescue with their parody in 'Bound 3'. As the story goes, the duo had some time to kill on the set of their new flick, The Interview. So what did the duo do when they were bored? Recreate a music video by the most ridiculous celebrity couple in the world. A shot-for-shot re-enactment, their version is a little too accurate. In the video, Franco becomes the multi-flannel wearing Kanye and Rogan embodies Kim, in all her over-the-top sexuality. Just like in the original, an au natural Rogan straddles Franco, wind in his (chest) hair and all. After the two-minute mark, yes, is the big kiss. Get ready for the most hysterically awkward love scene ever. Via The Daily Beast.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Sony has announced that Ghostbusters: Afterlife will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, July 2, 2020, with the film now hitting cinemas on March 25, 2021. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. There's something strange in the town of Summerville and a group of kids are calling upon themselves to bust it. That's the premise of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which swaps New York for Oklahoma and grown men (and women) for children — and jumps firmly on the Stranger Things-led 80s nostalgia bandwagon. Whether siblings Phoebe (Annabelle Comes Home's McKenna Grace) and Trevor (Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard) are seeing things runnin' through their heads or they'll catch an invisible man sleepin' in their beds is yet to be seen, but the film's first trailer does lay out the basics of this threequel's plot. The central duo has moved to the isolated locale with their mother (Widows' Carrie Coon), and into a rundown old house they've inherited from their grandfather. It's filled with ghost traps, containers of spores, mould and fungus, beige jumpsuits emblazoned with the name 'Spengler' and a very familiar car — which might come in handy when the ground starts shaking for no reason and a mysterious green light starts glowing. Paul Rudd also stars as teacher Mr Grooberson, who schools the kids in Ghostbusters lore — because this is a direct sequel to the original 1984 Ghostbusters and its 1989 follow-up Ghostbusters II. In the just-dropped sneak peek, the original characters appear in news footage, and Bill Murray's voice is heard; however, Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts are all set to reprise their roles in the film. (Harold Ramis, aka Spengler, passed away in 2014). Because bustin' makes everyone feel good, the Afterlife trailer is filled with other nods to the first two films, with writer/director Jason Reitman (Tully, The Front Runner) making both obvious and subtle references to the movies originally directed by his dad Ivan Reitman. Still, let's not forget that a great recent Ghostbusters film already exists, thanks to Paul Feig's wrongly maligned all-female version from 2016 — although Afterlife seems to be glossing over that. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZFCF--uRY After being delayed from its original release date of July 2, 2020, Ghostbusters: Afterlife will now open in Australian cinemas on March 25, 2021.
He's been a presence on comedy stages and screens large and small for decades. He has three Grammys to his name, four Emmys as well, and once made a loveable TV sitcom about his childhood. He's popped up in everything from Beverly Hills Cop II, the Madagascar flicks and Spiral: From the Book of Saw to Saturday Night Live and Fargo. And, he'll be now forever synonymous with the 2022 Oscars — as the entire world won't stop talking about. The performer in question? Chris Rock, of course. And if you're keen to see him bust out his comedic best without Will Smith in the room, he's coming to Australia and New Zealand in August. This'll mark his first tour in five years, with his latest show playing seven big arena gigs Down Under. Rock heads our way in-between a long run of US dates — and while his Australian and NZ tour was announced before the Academy Awards it is unsurprisingly getting more attention now. Wondering if he'll mention the obvious? Taking to the stage in America just days after the Oscars to kick off the tour, he didn't work it into his set. "I don't have a bunch of shit about what happened," he said, according to reviews. "So if you came to hear that... I've got a whole show I wrote before this weekend. And I'm still kind of processing what happened." AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND! After 5 years, I'm returning with my Ego Death World Tour 2022 this August. I can't wait. Tickets on sale Fri 18 March: https://t.co/H0deIjBRKR pic.twitter.com/BDYlxnqqhf — Chris Rock (@chrisrock) March 9, 2022 CHRIS ROCK 'EGO DEATH' TOUR DATES: August 7 — Spark Arena, Auckland August 8 — Christchurch Arena, Christchurch August 10 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne August 15 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney August 17 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide August 20 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane August 23 — Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Chris Rock's 'Ego Death' tour will hit Australia and New Zealand in August 2022. For further details, and to buy tickets, head to the tour's website. Top image: Andy Witchger via Wikimedia Commons.
British artist Ben Turnbull's most recent collection of work, Supermen - An Exhibition of Heroes, is an exploration of idealised superheroes within pop culture comics and the real, heroic acts of everyday citizens. Turnbull's exhibition was inspired by the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, and commemorates all the firemen and policemen that served during this event. His creations are based on the visual vocabulary of an entire generation of superhero lovers. This time, however, the heroes are based on real American citizens rather than fictional characters. The works serve as a bridge between collective fantasy and harsh home truths. Turnbull delves into the idea that superheros echo the idea of a better world, but in reality this world is so far removed from the society we actually live in. Each piece has been created from cut-outs of an enormous personal collection of pre-1990 comics, including fictional superheroes like Captain America, Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, Batman, Spiderman and the Hulk. There's certainly a take-a-second-look appeal about Turnbull's works that has a nostalga-meets-pop-culture charm, while, at the same time, working as a thought-starter. [via yatzer]
After first setting up shop in Brisbane last year, and then announcing plans to launch 50 more Australian stores over the next three years, Taco Bell's second Australian outpost is set to swing into operation — at Robina on the Gold Coast. In great news for southeast Queensland fans of Tex-Mex fare, the US chain is headed to 130 Robina Town Centre Drive. With the store's arrival first revealed back in August, it'll fling open the doors at 9am on Saturday, November 3. And, marking the fact that the eatery first started slinging its wares in California in 1962, it'll give free gifts to the first 62 people through the doors. Menu-wise, the usual Taco Bell range will be on offer, complete with burritos, quesadillas, nachos and, of course, tacos. For those dining in, frozen margaritas and a range of craft beers will also be available. Taco Bell's Queensland expansion should come as no surprise to anyone who's seen the lines at the company's existing Annerley store, and the company isn't done with the region yet. New stores for Cleveland and North Lakes have also been announced, with both slated to open at yet-to-be-announced dates this summer. It's safe to assume that some of the chain's other forthcoming spots will also be in Queensland. Find Taco Bell at 130 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina from 9am on Saturday, November 3. Images: Hugo Nobay.
In the era of stacked work calendars and social plans that feel like a game of Tetris, there's nothing better than a free weekend, an open road, and somewhere great booked on the other end. It's easy to wish away the kilometres and think the fun only starts once you get there, but we're firm believers that with a little bit of planning (and the right wheels), your next road trip can feel just as special as the getaway itself. So, to mark the release of BYD's SEALION 7, a premium electric SUV with luxury features baked in, we've pulled together a few simple hacks to help you make the most of the journey. Whether you're heading along the coast outside Sydney, inland into regional NSW, or somewhere in between, here's how to do it right. Plan Pit Stops Around Scenic EV Charging Spots If you're driving an EV, planning your route around convenient charging stops is a no-brainer. But it doesn't have to mean stopping somewhere dull. The trick is picking places you'd actually want to spend an hour or two. If you're going north from Sydney, Hunter Valley Gardens in Pokolbin makes an ideal stop. Stretch your legs in the gorgeous gardens or sample local wines while your car charges at the EV stations nearby. Heading south? Pull into Bowral to grab a coffee, stretch your legs, and maybe even pick up a treat for the weekend. Your car can recharge while you do the same. Bring The Comforts of Home with V2L Tech Why settle for convenience store snacks and lukewarm drinks when you can bring all your favourite treats with you? The SEALION 7's Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology lets you power anything from your mini fridge (hello, ice-cold bevs) to a sandwich press for on-road toasties or even a set of fairy lights to set the mood. Turns out a picnic doesn't need a table when you've got your whole car and all the comforts of home to play with. Tee Off at a Golf Club with Charging Stations If golf is your thing, it'd be rude not to make it part of the road trip plan. Luckily, some of the best golf courses around NSW are also great stopovers for EV drivers. Try Riverside Oaks in Cattai, a proper championship course with a bushland backdrop, Pacific Dunes in Port Stephens, or Cypress Lakes Resort Golf & Country Club in the Hunter Valley, where you can squeeze in nine holes while your car gets a top-up at the EV charging stations. Bonus: all courses are close enough to the city for a doable day trip. Treat Yourself at EV-Friendly Restaurants We're all for a cheeky roadtrip Macca's stop, but if you've got time and are near a charger, why not go for a proper meal? Thirroul's BÓVEDA does excellent Mexican and sits just a short stroll from local charging stations. Or if you're heading further north, Rick Stein at Bannisters in Port Stephens is a seafood classic worth timing your charge stop around. Settle in for a Luxe Movie Night at a Charging Stop If you've been staring at freeway lines for hours, sometimes you just need to stop and chill. The SEALION 7's 15.6-inch rotating infotainment screen, heated seats and ambient lighting are basically begging to be turned into a portable cosy cinema. Park up in Berry, Kiama or any of NSW's many scenic charging spots, throw on a movie and settle in. Who said charging breaks had to be boring? It turns out the road trip itself can be the best part of the holiday, especially when you've got the right setup. From golf clubs and dining spots and roadside cinemas, a bit of planning and modern convenience at its finest can help you make the most of the ride. With a driving range of up to 482 kilometres (which, for context, is over two weeks' worth of driving for the average Aussie) and going from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just four and a half seconds, the SEALION 7 is built for weekend adventures. All that's left to do is choose a route. The all-electric BYD SEALION 7 provides power, performance and planet-friendly driving. With cutting-edge EV tech, a spacious interior and the ultra-safe Blade Battery, it's ready for school runs, road trips and everything in between. Want to see how it feels behind the wheel? Book a test drive to take the SEALION 7 for a spin on the BYD website. By Jacque Kennedy
Music lovers, here's news you've been waiting for for quite some time: pilgrimages to the Supernatural Amphitheatre for Golden Plains are back on. Keen? Oh-so-eager to make the trip after a few Golden Plains-free years? Then mark Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023 in your diaries and go enter the just-opened ticket ballot right this second. "The space-time continuum wobbles our way once again. A panoramic long weekend in the greatest of outdoors. Afternoon all day, sun like honey on the trees, back in the Amphitheatre Supernaturale. Night falls, and giant spikes of excitement send everything everywhere," the Aunty team advised, announcing the news to its email list. The online ballot for Golden Plains XV will remain open until 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 17, which means that clicking ASAP is recommended. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, the fest has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. And, like Meredith Music Festival, its sibling, Golden Plains is also known for the Aunty crew's star-studded bills. There's no signs of that lineup just yet, but watch this space — in past years, it has been announced in October. Back in 2021, Golden Plains revealed that it wouldn't return in 2022, shifting focus to 2023 instead; however, now those big comeback dates are locked in. Meredith is also returning, as announced in August, with Caribou, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett leading the lineup from Friday, December 9–Sunday, December 11, 2022. Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Ampitheatre from Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 17. Images: Steve Benn / Theresa Harrison
Stopping Godzilla isn't easy. Within the Monsterverse, the American movie and TV universe that's sprung up around the iconic kaiju, that lesson has been well and truly learned. On-screen, the giant critter is no longer seen as a foe, as 2024 film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire embraced — and for Legendary Entertainment, the company producing the franchise, there's no such thing as too much of the towering behemoth. Cinemas have seen 2014's Godzilla, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters and 2021's Godzilla vs Kong before this year's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. In 2023, Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters brought Zilly to streaming as well. The latter starred none other than Kurt Russell (Fast and Furious 9) and Wyatt Russell (Night Swim), with the father-son duo sharing the same part in a time-hopping narrative. Understandably paying more attention to humans given its two leads, it proved an excellent addition to the franchise, so it comes as no surprise that Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has been renewed for a second season. Exactly when the series will return hasn't been revealed, but Apple TV+ is going big with its part of the saga, also announcing that multiple spinoffs are also on the way. What they'll entail, who'll be in them and when they will arrive hasn't been locked in, either, but get ready for plenty more Godzilla-related television viewing. "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has left an indelible imprint on the hearts, minds and imaginations of audiences around the world," said Apple TV+'s Head of International Development Morgan Wandell. "We couldn't be more excited for viewers to not only have the chance to experience even more thrills in season two, but to embark on epic, new journeys in the franchise as we expand Legendary's Monsterverse." With Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the Monsterverse went the episodic route via a story set across generations and 50 years. The Russells play army officer Lee Shaw — while a couple of siblings attempting to keep up their dad's work after events between Godzilla and the Titans in San Francisco in the aforementioned 2014 film, as well as their family history, also proves pivotal. So, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters involves unpacking links to clandestine outfit Monarch, activities back in the 50s and how what Shaw knows threatens the organisation. Yes, monsters and rampages were part of the first season, but so were secrets, lies, revelations and mysteries. Also appearing on-screen: Anna Sawai (Shōgun), Kiersey Clemons (The Flash), Ren Watabe (461 Days of Bento), Mari Yamamoto (Pachinko), Anders Holm (Inventing Anna), Joe Tippett (The Morning Show), Elisa Lasowski (Hill of Vision) and Takehiro Hira (Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story). Behind the scenes, Chris Black (Severance) and Matt Fraction (Da Vinci's Demons) co-developed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, while Matt Shakman (The Consultant, Welcome to Chippendales) helmed the opening pair of episodes for season one. All three were among the series' executive producers, and will return for season two. Check out the trailer for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season one below: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streams via Apple TV+ — we'll update you with a release date for season two when it's announced. Read our review of season one, and our interview with Kurt and Wyatt Russell.
Fancy pairing your next gluten-free doughnut with a mid-morning tipple? Nodo Donuts has you covered, with its Newstead cafe now serving up cocktails, boutique beers and ciders. Designed with boozy brunches in mind, the brand new drinks menu spans acai spritzes, mandarin mimosas, native gin and tonics and cuba libres. There's also an incredibly apt beverage, and one that's likely to be rather popular: doughnut martinis. Ingredient-wise, the drinks range continues Nodo's gluten-free, natural, local-focused and organic ethos. You'll be sipping on fair trade cacao liqueur from Peru, native spiced butterfly pea flower gin and collaborative farming champagne from South Australia. Or, if you opt for something other than a cocktail, you'll be tucking into gluten-free, organic and fair-trade spirits, boutique beers and ciders. As for the food side of the brunch equation, that's up to you to decide from the seasonal menu. There are doughnuts, obviously; however the current cafe lineup also includes crab benedict on house-baked brioche, bacon and eggs on a pretzel bun, sourdough hotcakes and kimchi cheeseburgers. At present, the drinks menu is only on offer at Nodo's Newstead eatery, so you won't find the beverages in the CBD or Camp Hill. Those stopping by the inner north will be able to enjoy a tipple from 10am–3pm daily, with the menu launching on Thursday, July 25. Find Nodo Donuts at 1 Ella St, Newstead, open daily from 7am–3pm, with its boozy brunch menu on offer from 10am–3pm.
Imagine a world in which, instead of slogging away for an unappreciative boss, you've set your own path and turned your passion into a mighty big paycheck. Jessica Wilson, co-founder and CEO of shopping app STASHD, has done just this. Launching her own business at just 22, Wilson's was nominated for Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2015 and her million-dollar company has broken into the emerging Chinese market . Our friends at Christie Spaces, a group of dynamic co-working spaces located across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, put us in touch — so we could ask Wilson exactly how to take our side hustles to the big time. If you want to hear more from Wilson, she'll also be holding a series of mini-talks at Christie Spaces, North Sydney about women in the tech space — keep an eye on the website for more info on dates and times. But first up, let's find out how we turn that aforementioned dream world into a reality. [caption id="attachment_678820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christie Spaces by Katje Ford[/caption] THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT Any great business venture starts with an idea. Whether it be making Justin Bieber voodoo dolls or launching the next Snapchat, you need a solid foundation to launch from. Wilson says she noticed an opportunity for her startup while working in the fashion industry. 'Before STASHD, I was working throughout Australia, New York and Paris fashion weeks with brands on everything from model castings, model fittings and strategy," says Wilson. "And working so closely with brands gave me an insight into their pain points.' "The idea for the app came from working on seating plans and noticing that digital was largely outgrowing bricks-and-mortar shops, and the knowledge that retailers needed more data from their customers in relation to their products.' From there, the STASHD app was born. Using a Tinder-like swipe mechanism, shoppers are able to connect with brands and items, then save them to a digital wardrobe. TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH To make stacks of pineapples from your side hustle, you have to back yourself from the start. Even if others may not yet see the brilliance in your plan, it's your job to sell the idea — it's no time to be a wallflower. Wilson remembers the early days of getting her business up and running — it was all about the push. "I was blissfully naive when I started STASHD at 22, I had zero tech experience but would simply not take no for an answer. I wouldn't let the feelings of doubt or being hesitant enter my mind, I was on a mission — and I knocked on every door I could and met with everyone who would give me 15 minutes of their time to get the app off the ground," Wilson says. [caption id="attachment_678828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jessica Wilson by Katje Ford[/caption] PERSISTENCE IS KEY It takes a lot of legwork and even more grit to get a new idea from infancy to reality. Wilson says it's important to throw yourself into the experience and keep persisting. "Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions, everyone starts somewhere and you need to check your ego at the door," Wilson says. After you've done that, the next step is to identify leaders or experts in your field and reach out to them. Wilson says there is a right way and wrong way to go about making the connections you need. "Don't do this via email and LinkedIn, people are busy and unless you impress them from the get-go your email will likely slip down their priority list." Wilson suggests sending "helium balloons tied to a bottle of champagne requesting a 15-minute chat or coffee". Let's face it: everybody loves bubbles and balloons. Once you have an in, demonstrate that you have done your research and come prepared. Then, Wilson says, it's time to "learn and implement". CO-WORKING CONNECTIONS When starting out on the side-hustle-to-main-hustle journey, it's important to have a network of like-minded people around. This is where co-working spaces come in. "The networking with and knowledge of people around you, you cannot buy. Especially when you're just starting and you need to learn, learn, learn," says Wilson. "The community aspect is a positive through every stage of a business. Growing a business is hard, so it's important to have people around you who are also on the entrepreneur path." And, you never know who you might meet at a co-working space. Wilson joined forces with her original business partner after they sat opposite each other. He had the tech smarts to complement her fashion knowledge. Wilson explains that it was a matter of "being in the right place at the right time and taking hold of that opportunity". [caption id="attachment_678811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption] WOMEN ON TOP Since coming up with the original idea for STASHD, Wilson's company has gone from strength to strength. After pitching her startup on the Chinese equivalent of Shark Tank, The Next Unicorn, she turned her focus to the lucrative and growing millennial market there. As a testament to her achievements, Wilson has garnered many accolades and her success echoes the rise of women in the previously male-dominated tech-startup world. "When I started it was very black and white. People either would mistake me for an intern or think my idea was 'cute'," Wilson says. Over time, this perception has changed and Wilson hopes to help the next generation of female founders to rise to the top. "It's an exciting time for women in tech, there is an incredibly supportive community of us and these women are absolutely incredible." Christie Spaces is located in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To find your office space and start hustlin' head to christiespaces.com.au.
Janet Jackson might've told us that the best things in life are free and Jennifer Lopez might've told us that love don't cost a thing, but sometimes, a loved-up, magical evening needs a little cash to make it extra special. That doesn't mean every date needs to be expensive. You can watch your bank account and have plenty of Sia-style cheap thrills, after all. But, if you're celebrating with that someone special, it can be nice to go all out and treat yourselves once in a while. To help you plan, we've pulled together some epic money-can-buy date experiences, while our mates at CommBank have the money tips to help you live money smart when dating or coupled up. Celebrate more big (or little) life moments together. Learn to budget as a couple and save for those special dates with these helpful tips from CommBank. SIP SKY-HIGH DRINKS WITH A KILLER VIEW There are few things more romantic than sipping sparkling while a gorgeous view glitters before your eyes. And, whether you're looking out over Brisbane or enjoying the luxe surroundings at this new rooftop bar, The Terrace at South Bank's Emporium Hotel has everything taken care of. It also doubles as a restaurant, so you can eat, drink and peer over the city simultaneously. What's more, The Terrace is an all-day venue which means breakfast, brunch and lunch dates are also on the menu should you be tempted by that warm daylight. Two retractable roofs ensure you're catered for in all weather conditions, but we'd recommend booking in advance no matter what the forecast is — since this spot only opened in early October and boasts one of the best views in the inner city, it's certain to be popular. GO ON A GAMING CRAWL First, there was Holey Moley, turning mini-golf into a night of club-swinging fun. Then, came Netherworld, the arcade bar which offered a ton of mashing-button fun. And now, B. Lucky & Sons has stepped up as well, with its take on over-the-top arcade antics. And the best part? They're all located within blocks of each other in Fortitude Valley. So, if you're feeling flush, they make for one wild kidulting crawl. There's no wrong way to go about it, but we'd recommend starting with board games at Netherworld, where you can quietly ease into the raucousness. You can also grab a bite in the Hellmouth Diner while you're there to give yourselves some sustenance for the journey ahead. Next, mosey on over to Holey Moley for either nine or 18 holes of pop culture-themed golfing and some good chats between tap, tap, taps. And we're suggesting ending at B. Lucky & Sons purely for one reason: to unleash your prowess at the machines and show off your Dance Dance Revolution skills in order to win yourself a few super-huge stuffed toys from the prize counter. GLAMP IN A WINERY Wine and dinner — a classic date night idea. It's always a good option, but perhaps it's starting to feel a bit stale. Up your dating game and plan a night away that involves this classic date and then some. Look to glamping in a winery; it instantly takes the concept of a romantic getaway up several levels. Enter Sirromet Winery, located at Mount Cotton. Starting at $280 a night, each tent features a king bed, indoor day chairs, outdoor tables and seating, bathrooms with a shower and toilet, plus reverse cycle air-conditioning (a must if you're heading out while the weather is warm). You'll also find a breakfast hamper filled with croissants, bagels, smoked salmon and coffee, as well as plenty of Sirromet wine and, obviously, a whole vineyard to explore. TAKE A ROMANTIC GONDOLA CRUISE Who hasn't dreamed about spending a gorgeous day gliding around in a gondola? Well, don't worry, you won't have to take your date to Venice to tick this off your list — this time. Instead, you simply need to head to Bribie Island, where you can take a cruise through Pumicestone Passage via gondola and admire the Glasshouse Mountains. The experience is available every day of the week — at sunrise, sunset or even under the stars. And the choices keep on coming, just like the eye-catching scenery. You can opt for a 60 or 90-minute session at your chosen time of day and decide whether you'd like to snack on strawberries, cheese and crackers, indulge in some oysters or enjoy a whole seafood feast. Cruises start at $180 for two people and food at $20 for two. GO THROW AN AXE The concept of flinging weaponry mightn't sound particularly romantic, but it does sound like a fine way to release some tension. And the couple that hurls hatchets together, stays together, right? Wander into Brisbane's new Lumber Punks in West End, sign the necessary paperwork and get throwing. You don't need any experience and you'll be in a safe, indoor environment — just you, your person and your axes. The ins and outs are simple: chuck an axe at a target and try to score points — it's basically like playing a bigger, sharper version of darts. Sessions run for 90 minutes and cost $45 per person. If a splashy date just isn't on the cards, not to worry. Enter our comp and let us pick up the bill instead.
Good news hasn't been easy to find in Sydney of late. Being in lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic — and having those stay-at-home conditions expanded, extended and tightened as case numbers rise — will do that. But one infectiously adorable bundle of joy has just entered the world, and it's the heartwarmingly cute kind of sight that we all definitely need right now. If you're reading this from elsewhere in the country, trust us — you need this, too. Taronga Zoo has announced the arrival of a southern hairy-nosed wombat joey that was born in October last year. Yes, that's more than a few months back now, but the as-yet-unnamed baby critter has only just started to emerge from her mother's pouch in recent weeks — so she's still big news. The joey was born to experienced mum Jetta. Wombat joeys are the size of a jellybean when they first enter the world, and then they remain in their mother's pouch for between seven and nine months as they grow. "The little joey has just reached the size where she no longer fits in the Jetta's pouch; we have seen her try to get back into the pouch a couple of times, but Jetta just won't allow it — she is just too big!" advises keeper Rebecca Russell-Cook. "At the moment the joey is out and about quite regularly exploring both the burrow and outside areas, on her own as well as with mum and sister Wanyi," she continued. "In the next few weeks, the joey will become even more active — so once Taronga starts welcoming guests back, they will definitely get the chance to spot the little joey at Taronga's wombat burrow at our Backyard to Bush precinct." That's enough words about this loveable little critter, because we all know that you're here to get a glimpse — and Taronga Zoo has helpfully released a video that shows the joey just doing super-cute joey things. Check it out below: [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://cdn.concreteplayground.com/content/uploads/2021/07/Taronga-zoo-ES-edit-09072021-78.mp4"][/video] If you're after further information, you can also watch keeper Rebecca Russell-Cook chat about the joey — if you can hear her above all the "awwwwwwwwwws" you'll be exclaiming, that is. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://cdn.concreteplayground.com/content/uploads/2021/07/Wombat-Joey_VNR_P2C.mp4"][/video] Taronga Zoo is currently closed during Sydney's lockdown, but you can check out more videos of its cute animals via its online Taronga TV channel.
In 2025, World Margarita Day has been and gone. February 22 might be the official date to say cheers to 'ritas each year, but it isn't the only time to celebrate the beloved drink in Brisbane. Fish Lane decided the extend the fun in 2024, starting its March Into Margarita festivities to dedicate an entire month to margs — on menus in general, as well as at events focusing on the cocktail. This year, from Saturday, March 1–Monday, March 31, the 'rita-fuelled fun is returning. Venues taking part include Bar Brutus, Chu the Phat, Julius, Kiki's, Midtown, Next Episode and Southside, all with special margs available across the month — and some with pop-ups as well. If you're most excited about trying different takes on a classic, your options include a fruit tingle variety at Midtown, a Tommy's yuzu margarita at Chu the Phat, a spicy mango tipple at Julius, and both watermelon and passionfruit at Next Episode. And yes, the OG marg is on offer at a heap of joints. If you're looking for a specific day to head along rather than simply dropping in whenever suits your diary, take inspiration from shindigs such as the Fish Lane March into Margarita Trail on Saturday, March 1. You'll stroll, you'll try different margs — classic and Tommy's — at different bars, and you'll take in the precinct's public artwork and greenery, too. Or, hit up the Margs-a-Million festival. Taking place on Sunday, March 23 (postponed from the week earlier due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred) across two sessions, it'll again see Southside serve up margaritas — ten types this year — and host a mezcal and tequila tasting station. Also, the folks from Baja are joining in to take care of the snacks, and mariachi music will set the mood. Southside and Baja are teaming twice, actually, the second time on Sunday, March 23 for three-course set-menu lunch that'll pair Mexican and Asian-fusion flavours, and also feature a range of agave-based drinks. A few days earlier, on Thursday, March 20, Chu the Phat is hosting The Phat Fiesta, complete with margs given Asian-inspired twists. The Margarita Edit is back at Midtown on Wednesday, March 26, with margs instead of its usual martini spread in the spotlight, plus small plates to line the stomach. Or, each Friday and Saturday in March from 3–5pm, you can head to Hello Please for margs, tacos and ceviche. It was true in 2024 and it remains the same in 2025: with all of this marg-centric fun, if you claim that you don't know what to drink to kick off autumn in Fish Lane, no one will believe you. Images: Pixel Punk.
If you're watching a film in a darkened theatre without some sort of snack in your hand, are you really at the cinema? Lovers of popcorn and choc tops certainly don't think so. And while whipping up a bowl of popped corn kernels in the microwave is a rather easy way to help recreate that movie magic at home at the moment, enjoying a choc top — a proper cinema-quality choc top, not just your own attempt — isn't quite that simple while Australian picture palaces are temporarily closed. To help satisfy Australia's choc top cravings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoyts has been delivering them (and popcorn and other movie snacks as well). Other cinemas have been selling the desserts, too, such as Melbourne's Cinema Nova and Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar. But if you'd just like to grab a few from the supermarket, you'll now find Bulla's choc tops in Coles' freezer aisle for a limited period. It's the first time that Bulla's choc tops have been available outside of movie theatres, with different flavours on offer in different states. Ice cream fiends in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania can lick their way through mint, vanilla, salted caramel, and cookies and cream varieties, while Queenslanders, Western Australians and South Australians can opt for mint, vanilla, choc fudge and boysenberry. https://www.instagram.com/p/CArIHWhgWUg/ Bulla and Coles haven't revealed just how long the choc tops will be on the freezer shelves; however the fact that the majority of cinemas aren't aiming to reopen in Australia until mid-July might be a good guide. Find Bulla's choc tops in the Coles freezer aisle for a limited time. For further details, visit the Bulla or Coles websites.
Hanging out at the beach, then grabbing a beer: it's one of life's simple pleasures. Even Australian surfing legends such as Mick Fanning agree — so much so, that the three-time world champ is opening his own brewery on the Gold Coast. If you're keen on knocking back a beverage with a wave-riding pedigree, Balter Brewing Company is the name to look out for. The boutique operation is already making their first batches of XPA, ready to hit local bars in March before their grand opening in April. Plus, Fanning will apparently be jumping behind the bar to pull a few. Given that Fanning only recently announced that he'd be taking a (truly deserved) year off, it sounds like he has quite the solid plan for his spare time. He's not the only famous surfing name switching seawater for amber ales, however. Joining the quest for the kind of endless summer you can probably only have on the Gold Coast, fellow pros Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr are also among Balter's shareholders. Balter Brewing Company will open in Currumbin on the Gold Coast in April. For more information, keep an eye on their website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.
Founded in 1998, the National Young Writers' Festival is this year celebrating its sweet sixteenth. Of course this doesn't mean they'll be spending the whole festival talking about blogs and feelings while chugging cheap champagne. Although, come to think of it, there is this panel on blogging and this thing all about feelings. And okay, sure, this fake formal is bound to have some Passion Pop on hand. But contrary to the testimony of anyone who's actually met a 16-year-old, being around for that long does give you a bit of wisdom. NYWF consistently delivers an appealing free program and offers amazing insight, advice and assistance to young creatives from all over the country. Like migration, hundreds of wide-eyed literary types descend on Newcastle for it each year — Moleskines in hand. From October 3-6, this year's festival will host 75 free events featuring over 100 young artists including the likes of Tom Ballard, Lorelei Vashti, Benjamin Law and Anna Krien. Over just three days, this can all be a bit overwhelming. NYWF offers frank and honest discussions with the best and most relatable voices in Australian writing, but how can we take it in with everybody talking at once? With the program just released and our fingers poised over Jetstar's 'confirm' button, here's a little of what you can expect from the blossoming festival — Passion Pop and all. Workshops and Panels First and foremost, NYWF is a time for the country's up-and-comers to get together and hone their craft. Ever feel like the lit nerd or the outsider? Don't worry. Everyone sitting next to you at this festival fawned over Vonnegut in high school; for these three days no one's going to give you shit for doing an arts degree. Writing can often be an arduous process so the best events are the ones that force you to put pen to paper. Get each morning started with the Everyday Flash Fiction workshop — breeze down from the seaside, pick up a coffee, and let Scum, The Lifted Brow, and Seizure put a (metaphorical) gun to your head to get you writing. You'll feel productive for the rest of the day, I promise. Plus, if you pen a really touching love poem you can head along to the Speed Writing event and share it. That's right, it's a mix between speed dating and writing — it should be fun because writers are really outgoing and not awkward at all. For the shier amongst us, there will also be a series of more introspective workshops: why do we write, why do we want awards — hell, why do we even go to these festivals? If those are a bit too Inception for you, there's also a handy session called How to not be a douche. Once that's covered, there's not too much else you'll need to know. Parties All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and the same goes for writers. Just look at Jack Kerouac. That's not a great example, but you get the idea. As much as NYWF is a great place to learn, it's also an excellent place to get loose. This isn't class. The panellists won't care if you slur a question over your pint of beer. Actually, I wouldn't take the chance of that at the douche workshop — you'd really be asking for it. But hey, it's spring, you're by the sea, and most events are held in licensed venues — you should take advantage of it. At last year's launch, The Lifted Brow put a naked man on the stage to welcome in their new edition; there was a big party at the Great Northern themed 'Hip Hop Safari'; and it was very much encouraged to bring longnecks and bottles of tequila to the Late Night Read. This year will offer similar opportunities with another mixed bag launch, a session of oddly specific '90s literary trivia, and the most excellent idea of all, a Paranormal Formal. Even with all the civilised panels and writing workshops, I promise the best chances you have of wooing your favourite writer or editor will be as they're dressed as a magician drinking goon punch out of a plastic cup. Readings What would a writers festival be without hearing some of these much-praised words spoken aloud? My highlight of last year's festival was the Late Night Read — an intimate event where writers came together to share their work with midnight beers and mayhem. Lawrence Leung read a story about touching his housemate's underwear, Ben Law talked about old penises, and Tom Walker told an animated story about time travel — it was pretty great. This year, the event is back, with each night having a designated theme: Closer Each Day, Home and Away, Hi, Heartbreak, and Everybody Needs Good Neighbours. I can't say for sure that all the works will be about primetime Australian drama, but I also can't say they won't be. Sydney group Penguin Plays Rough will also be bringing their readings event to the festival, taking a select audience into the tunnels of Fort Scratchley. Underground, you can hear seven writers tell stories of Australia's military history. If you like your entertainment a bit lighter, there will also be readings about first times, trolls and a three-part exploration of memory. The Great Unknown Most things at writers festivals are pretty straight forward. The panels usually oscillate somewhere between 'Who Even Are We?' and 'Where Are We Going?', and the parties often turn into cringe-worthy soirees designed for 'networking' — the single worst word in the world, perhaps only with the exception of 'moist'. NYWF is different. Maybe it's just the sea-air, but things are a little more weird and a lot more fun. The element of the unknown or unexpected is what makes the festival so great. There's the Paranormal Formal and the Speed Writing — there's the 90s literary trivia. But there's a whole host of odd things to look out for over your three-day stay. To start with, there's a real-life sleepover. Yep, you actually have the opportunity to don a onesie and play truth or dare with your favourite writers. You can even sleep alongside them if they're cool with it — seriously, please get their consent. If that's not weird enough, Freya Wright Brough is going to be making you feel guilty about your lack of productivity by writing for 24 hours straight, and there's a workshop dedicated to scribbling all over Gina Rinehart's biography. After all this, you'll find the best events by meeting some new friends and stumbling into something unexpected. NYWF is only one element of the This is Not Art Festival after all, so hold tight, you haven't even heard the half of it. Photographs: Lucien Alperstein and Lucy Parakhina
Stuff. I know I have too much of it. And storage? Far too little. This weekend I just finished reading What's Mine Is Yours, a book by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers advocating collaborative consumption. Basically, it talks about all the avenues through which people swap, share, barter, trade and rent on a massive scale with the help of communication technologies like the interwebs. I was left staggered by the sheer amount of stuff I own which spends most of its time in my possession gathering dust. How exciting, then, to stumble upon a solution to my problem both local and nation-wide in its reach. The Garage Sale Trail will be held on Sunday, April 10 this year in backyards, front yards and garages right across Australia. You can register your garage sale on the website, and on the day people can hop between garage sales in their local area. Pop in your post-code to check out what's near you. The pilot project held in Bondi last year attracted droves of people, emptied ATMs in the area and saw the equivalent of 15 shipping containers of goods exchanging hands. Sounds like a pretty sweet way to get sustainable. https://youtube.com/watch?v=AuOBz7FF7z4
It's about to get a whole lot harder for any Queensland driver to get away with using their mobile phone while driving, or for a driver or front seat passenger to fail to wear a seatbelt for that matter — and it's thanks to new state-of-the art safety cameras being installed to detect the illegal behaviour. Starting today, Monday, July 27, the Queensland Government is launching a trial of the phone and seatbelt detection cameras. The test phase will run until Christmas and then, if successful, the cameras could be rolled out across the state permanently. So, how do they work? Well, the cameras will take high-resolution images of the front seat of the car, and those images are then scanned by artificial intelligence to detect folks either using their phones while they're behind the wheel, or not wearing seatbelts if they're driving or sitting in the front passenger seat. The cameras can apparently operate in all conditions, day and night, and regardless of the weather — and they can watch vehicles across multi-traffic lanes, whether installed on overpasses and bridges, or operating from trailers by the roadside. The new technology will be tested across several metro and regional locations, according to the government, with the trial following the launch of similar world-first cameras in NSW. Victoria has just announced that it'll be testing mobile phone detection cameras as well; however only Queensland's cameras will also capture folks who don't wear a seatbelt. During Sydney's six-month trial of the cameras in early 2019 — before they were rolled out permanently in late 2019 — the cameras spied more than 100,000 drivers illegally using their phones. [caption id="attachment_742763" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A photo taken during the NSW camera trial[/caption] Earlier this year, Queensland implemented new penalties for using your mobile phone while driving — with those caught with their device in their hands and being used for any reason, even when stopped at traffic lights or in congested traffic, facing $1000 fines and the loss of four demerit points. That said, the state government will not be handing out any fines to those captured by the new cameras during the trial, or sending photographs to those involved. Rather, they'll be evaluating the effectiveness of the cameras. Still, if you're wondering about privacy concerns, images will only be used to identify mobile phone use and the wearing of seatbelts, and to check the registration status of the vehicle. "Images that do not contain any illegal mobile phone use or failure to wear a seatbelt will be deleted by the system in a short timeframe," the government advises. Queensland's six-month trial of safety cameras starts on Monday, July 27. To find out more, head to the Queensland Government website.
So no one told us that the 2020s were going to be this way. Nearly three decades have passed since Friends first introduced the world to its close-knit bunch of New York pals, but nostalgia for the show is still in full swing. And, after a replica of the series' couch toured Australia last year, the program's 25th anniversary sparked cinema screenings and rumours about a reunion special just keep buzzing, a bottomless boozy Friends-themed brunch and viewing party is your next excuse to worship at the altar of Monica, Chandler, Joey, Rachel, Ross and Phoebe. Called The One Where They All Went For Brunch (naturally), this Friends-loving get-together is coming to secret locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland in April and May. The latest event by the folks behind 2019's roller disco brunch, it'll combine two hours of bottomless drinks and a selection of appetisers with Friends trivia, Friends-themed charades, a Friends costume competition and episodes of Friends playing on a big screen. As tends to be the case with these kinds of pop-up events, few other specifics have been revealed as yet — although each city's brunch will take place at a venue within ten minutes of the CBD. Drinks-wise, mimosas will feature. And, word is that Ross' 'moist maker' sandwiches might just grace the food menu. Tickets aren't on sale at present, but you can register to be notified when they become available. Obviously, if you've still been cutting your hair like Jennifer Aniston, have been known to bust out your best Matt LeBlanc-style "how you doin'?" or just like singing 'Smelly Cat', you'll be in your element. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIPSwnHMmNE The One Where They All Went For Brunch will pop up at secret locations in Sydney on Sunday, April 12, in Melbourne on Sunday, April 19, in Brisbane on Sunday, April 26 and in Auckland on Sunday, May 3. To register for further information, and to be notified when tickets go on sale, visit the event pages for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.
In what resembles a scene from a high-end gangster rap video, guests at London's Cadogan Hotel will be able to bathe in 122 hand-poured bottles of Dom Pérignon. Since cleaning yourself with water is for plebs and commoners, a range of champagnes will be avaliable for guests to bathe in. These include Louis de Custine Brut, Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, and other alcoholic beverages with extravagantly opulent European titles. This bathing option will be available from Valentine's Day, and will run for a year at the Cadogan. Purchasing this cleansing experience will also give you the benefit of a butler to serve you complimentary champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Customers may also choose to have the champagne set at whatever temperature they prefer. The Dom Pérignon bath will set you back a mere £25,000 for two people. Lee Jones, the sales and marketing director for the Cadogan, states that one customer has already placed a deposit for this super-expensive soak. Slightly less rich people can opt for a bath as cheap as £4,000. Chump change. Replacing water with champagne in traditional cleaning rituals is a definitive sign that you have officially achieved ultimate baller status. If you grab a bath for two for Valentine's Day, you better be sure that she's the one. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XK-KFfYA2Vk [via PSFK]
Brisbane's Night Feast is back, featuring a star-studded lineup of culinary icons paired with art interventions and live performances. In 2025, Layla — Shane Delia's first Queensland restaurant — is set to make an attention-grabbing debut at the event, serving a mix of signature Middle Eastern-inspired favourites and festival bites alongside a special Night Feast exclusive. Transporting some of the restaurant's most-loved dishes from its home at the Thomas Dixon Centre to the festival's month-long home at Brisbane Powerhouse, diners can expect Layla's Moroccan-spiced habibi butter chicken, and Turkish-style beef manti dumplings with yoghurt, burnt-butter mushroom XO and spiced sausage. Meanwhile, smaller options span butter chicken loaded fries, smoked hummus with chermoula and chickpeas, grilled flatbread, and baby cos lettuce salad with carrots, harissa and tomato slaw. On the drinks front, sip on curated cocktails like the Mango Spice Crush or the Moroccan Bubble Mojito, alongside by-the-glass local and international wines. Yet, if you're keen for something with a little more heat, Layla has a new creation that embodies the restaurant's culinary ethos and inspiration — gunpowder fried calamari with cashew and curry leaves. "We're excited to bring Layla to Brisbane's Night Feast for the first time and share bold, vibrant flavours of the exotic spice trail," says Delia.
For 13 years, marking International Women's Day with talks, panels, workshops and performances about gender, equality and justice has been as easy as attending All About Women. The annual festival arrives each March with a packed lineup — and it's the kind of event where riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill can be on the same bill as child actor-turned-I'm Glad My Mom Died author Jennette McCurdy, as happened in 2023; and where Yellowface author Rebecca F Kuang and Roman Empire scholar Mary Beard can also headline the program, as 2024 delivered. In 2025, Kate Berlant and Gina Chick are two of All About Women's big names — and two of the festival's first-announced talents. The full lineup won't release until January, but the event has dropped a few details in advance. Also included now: the fact that the Feminist Roast will return when the fest runs across Saturday, March 8–Sunday, March 9. Berlant is making her first trip Down Under, with the comedian and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Don't Worry Darling and A League of Their Own actor set to debut a new stand-up show. Alone Australia's first-season winner Chick is on the bill fresh from releasing her memoir We Are the Stars in October, and will chat about following your own path, grief and resourcefulness. Overseeing the program this time: the Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas team, as led by Chip Rolley, alongside 10 News First's Narelda Jacobs and actor and writer Michelle Law. Their festival will open with the Feminist Roast, complete with past All About Women co-curator Nakkiah Lui, All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot debut author Lucinda 'Froomes' Price, comedian Steph Tisdell and Aunty Donna collaborator Michelle Brasier taking part. More international and Australian artists, thinkers and storytellers will join the lineup when the full details are unveiled — and there'll be room for plenty given that Sydney Opera House's key feminist festival is back to a two-day run, after expanding to the same length in 2022 and then to three in 2023, before returning to a one-day stint in 2024. "Everyone is in for a treat with never-before-seen comedy from Kate Berlant, an opportunity to plant our bare feet firmly on the ground and find peace of mind with Gina Chick, and the return of crowd favourite Feminist Roast — where much-loved comedians and writers celebrate, and take the piss out of, the movement we love. There's plenty more to come in the new year too, including enriching and challenging events spearheaded by our formidable co-curators," said Rolley. "There is so much power in women and non-binary folks coming together to talk about the issues we are facing, whether that's in our workplaces and homes, throughout our country or the world," added Jacobs. "The events I've co-curated are inspired by hot topics that dominate conversations with the women in my life — from the transformations women undergo at pivotal points in their lives, to the ways modern culture rejigs and repeats old stereotypes. We'll be having some cracker discussions that I'm sure will continue beyond the steps of the Opera House!" noted Law. All About Women 2025 will take place on Saturday, March 8–Sunday, March 9 at the Sydney Opera House. The full program will release in January 2025 — check back here then for further details. Tickets for the just-announced first sessions go on sale at 9am on Thursday, November 28, with pre sales from 9am on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. Head to the event's website for more details. All About Women images: Jaimi Joy, Jacquie Manning and Prudence Upton.
Every concert-goer has had that sinking feeling. That gut-wrenching moment when you realise that the artist you forked out the big bucks to see isn't going to play your favourite song at their concert. It's about mid-set, they are starting to wind down through their songbook of classic hits and and you realise — with that awful mix of regret and sheer pissed-off-ness — that the little-known dirge from their underrated third album you love so much just ain't going to make the cut. That's set to change at this year's SXSW, however. Doritos is sponsoring a giant vending machine stage that will host an interactive concert where audience members and fans from around the world can choose rap superstar LL Cool J's encore number. All they need to do is tweet in their favourite song using the hashtag #BoldStage. The six-storey vending machine includes an LCD screen collating, calculating and encouraging your tweets (through the incredible Mass Relevance software, which can process up to 400,000 tweets a minute), allowing you to help control the performances of such hip hop royalty as Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Doug E. Fresh. But organisers are taking the concept of an "interactive" concert one step further. Not only can you help select the songs but fans also control what photos appear on the LCD screen; when smoke, lasers, confetti, beach balls and other special effects are used; and even choose the concert's opening act. Prior to the concert, three of hip hop's rising stars — Devin Miles, Snow Tha Product and Aussie Seth Sentry — will battle it out for the chance to perform one song at the opening the concert, with the song that receives the most #BoldStage votes getting the gig. The iconic SXSW features a whole host of conferences, events, panels and products showcasing and celebrating the way new technologies are shaping the arts and the way we interact with world around us. The BoldStage also made an appearance last year's festival. The interactive element was less low-tech then, though you could search the town for giant quarters with which to purchase the giant bags of (giant) chips in the vending machine. Via Mashable.
Brisbanites, if you're ready to laugh this autumn, the River City has just the festival for it. Now taking place in late April and all throughout May each year, Brisbane Comedy Festival is the Sunshine State capital's excuse to get giggling. On the 2023 lineup: 350-plus gigs by more than 110 comedians across five weeks. BCF revealed a heap of its bill for this year late in 2022, but that was just the beginning of its roster of chuckle-inducing talent. Now, the full program is here, complete with over 70 more comedians joining the fun from Friday, April 28 till Sunday, May 29, 2023. Across both announcements, the Brisbane Powerhouse-hosted event isn't short on big names, including returning favourites and first-timers alike. David O'Doherty, Danny Bhoy, Micky Bartlett, Ed Byrne, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe, Chris Parker and Ivan Aristeguieta sit on the bill alongside Ross Noble, Jason Manford, Jason Leong, Daniel Kitson and Alfie Brown. Fans of homegrown comedy talent can also look forward to Tripod, Nat's What I Reckon, Rhys Nicholson, Akmal, Mel Buttle, The Umbilical Brothers, Wil Anderson, Dave Hughes, Peter Helliar, Rove McManus, Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford, as well as Tom Ballard, Tommy Little, Michael Hing, Andrew Hansen, Dilruk Jayasinha, Claire Hooper and Geraldine Hickey. And these days, we basically count Irish comedian Jimeoin as a local, don't we? Other highlights include Karen From Finance, Reuben Kaye, Lizzy Hoo, the cabaret-style Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club, the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, the Multicultural Comedy Gala and Queerstories. Or, there's the return of Two-Man Tarantino, the Sunday Roast and Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare — the latter doing Romeo and Juliet. BCF attendees can check out comedy cabaret Brisbaret, magic circus stunt show Flabbergasters!, free after-work Friday knockoff sessions and Agatha Christie-inspired improvised whodunnit Murder Village as well, plus James Schloeffel from The Shovel and Charles Firth from The Chaser teaming up for Wankernomics. [caption id="attachment_850754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] Updated February 16, 2023.
Catch iiiiiiiiit! If summer for you was all about hitting the crease and making sure you yelled "out" as loudly as possible, you'll want to stop hitting refresh on your email and take a little break to reminisce over the good times. Together with TikTok, who ran a summer-long activation called #ClassicCatch in Australia, we've picked out five TikTok videos that have us wishing we'd spent more time perfecting our bowl. Here are five legends who did just that, showing us how to land the perfect catch on the sand to hitting a six in the sweltering Aussie heat. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@fairmoodz/video/6785779214101630214?lang=en[/embed] According to TikTok maker and photographer Joel (@fairmoodz), old mate Doug here has never played cricket before, yet he smashes it — only to be caught out. What a catch. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@harlsmalone/video/6745028181704625413?lang=en[/embed] What can we say? Harley has clearly been smashing the Weet-Bix for brekkie. No, you didn't just flip the dial to Channel Nine, @harlsmalone has only gone and given his beach cricket match an upgrade to professional level with a little audio. And why the hell not? Did you see that catch? Right between his teeth. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@kaybawa/video/6716017780166102277[/embed] Melbourne-based TikToker Kaybawa has opted for some truly inspired slo-mo action to show off his sweet bowling skills. He's also paired it with R Nait's beats, a stormy looking sky and the facial expression of a master. What a ledge. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@cricketdistrict/video/6900918387866619138[/embed] Hear that encouraging clap? These cricktokkers are not messing around. Cricket District posts hours of spins, bowls and LOLs on its page. This mid-air catch is a classic. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@bigmads/video/6813258573473238277[/embed] One of our personal faves, AFLW player Maddi Newman isn't just an all-rounder on the sports field but she's also a fan of Lizzo. Here, she brings three loves together in one clip (her dad, cricket and Lizzo) to show it ain't just the fellas hitting it out of the backyard this summer. Onya, Maddi. Download TikTok to watch more #ClassicCatch videos and look for TikTok's cricket themed activations in your city. Top image: Lochie Blanch; Unsplash
As Good Food Month kicks off in Brisbane, one of the top events we're looking forward to is the Night Noodle Market in South Bank. But after consuming your weight in noodles, dumplings and other Asian-inspired fare, we're guessing you'll be looking for something to quench that soy sauce-induced thirst. Cue the pop-up Tanqueray Gin Garden, where Night Noodlers can sit back amid the interactive light installation and sample some of the brand's world-class gin. Not much of a gin connoisseur? With the spirit having experienced a dramatic resurgence over the past five years (and so finally broken out of its stereotype as a mature-aged lady's drink of choice), now is the time to make its acquaintance. And how better to do so than with a selection of Tanqueray Gin? Each gift pack we're giving away will include two Tanqueray drinking glasses, one bottle of Tanqueray No. 10 (700ml) and a bottle of the original Tanqueray London Gin (700ml) — the one with the 180-year-old recipe that's still kept a closely guarded secret. To be in the running for one of three Tanqueray gift packs, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address at win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au.
If you're looking for a way to extend your summer this year, there is no better place to escape to than the Great Barrier Reef. From first-time snorkellers to diehard divers, everyone will find an experience off the shores of Tropical North Queensland to get pumped about. You can meet green turtles and manta rays, peep an abundance of mesmerising coral and give a little wave to Nemo in his natural habitat. So, consider this your sign to finally tick off this bucket list trip to witness the magic of the reef this autumn. [caption id="attachment_830381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] GO DEEP INTO THE SEA WITH FIRST NATIONS GUIDES If your idea of a perfect day in the ocean is seeing beautiful reefs and getting an insightful connection to the sea, put Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel on your itinerary. Offering a unique experience, this local team will invite you to step into the Great Barrier Reef's Dreamtime. Visiting an array of reefs unique to Tropical North Queensland, you'll be accompanied by First Nations sea rangers who are passionate marine lovers, prioritising reef preservation and sustainable tourism. With Dreamtime, you'll spend the day snorkelling in some of the world's best reefs and learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island traditions and cultural connections to the region. [caption id="attachment_829681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] BLAST OFF TO VLASOFF CAY FOR AN EXCLUSIVE REEF ENCOUNTER An exclusive experience awaits with this lush trip to Vlasoff Cay — a jewel in the crown of the Great Barrier Reef. This sandy cay, with 360-degree views of the world famous reef, is also accessible via boat, but the luxe experience is from the air. To see the sights from above, book a full-day return helicopter trip with eco-certified reef lovers Nautilus Aviation. You'll get to spend hours with the sand between your toes, snorkelling and indulging in a gourmet picnic hamper as you drip-dry in the balmy tropical air. The cay is a popular destination, so take advantage of the off-peak months and beat the crowds. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE WITH AROONA LUXURY BOAT CHARTERS Grab eight of your closest mates and jump aboard Aroona for a totally luxurious reef experience. Whether you're exploring the reef on a day trip, or escaping the mainland for a seven-day soiree, Aroona Luxury Boat Charters is the choose-your-own-adventure experience of your dreams. Want a jam-packed escape featuring fishing and kite-surfing, or a calmer pace with snorkelling and sipping cocktails on the top deck? Thankfully, Aroona boasts flexibility and an abundance of options that is synonymous with the area. And there's no better way to watch tropical rainfall over the rainforest than from the deck as you cruise towards Fitzroy Island. [caption id="attachment_830344" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SET SAIL TO GREEN ISLAND Green Island is the quintessential destination for the rainforest and ocean combo for which Tropical North Queensland is famous. As the name suggests, it's the only cay in the Great Barrier Reef that boasts a rainforest as well as pristine sands. Plus, Ocean Free is the only tour operator in Cairns that offers a personal sailing reef and island tour. Ocean Free provide a tour with an exclusive reef mooring at the island. Taking a highly personalised approach, Ocean Free lets you decide how to spend your day. Snorkel straight off the boat, try your hand at an introductory dive or spend the day exploring the island's rainforest. Then, return aboard Ocean Free to relax and marvel at Green Island over a smorgasbord lunch. EXPLORE THE REEF FROM TROPICAL ISLAND SHORES A day tour on the Frankland Islands Reef Cruises will take you to more places in one day than you could visit in a week anywhere else in the world. And, its tour features the shortest open water crossing to the reef in Cairns — ideal for those who are prone to seasickness. Start the day with a quick coach trip from Cairns through UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest mountains to the Mulgrave River. Here, the luxurious riverboat will carry you downriver and across the sea to your base at Normanby Island. Then the day is yours to explore this secluded National Park island. You can snorkel right off the beach or explore the reef and marine life a little further afield on a guided snorkel safari experience. Be sure to take a walk around the island with the tour's marine biologist who'll help you discover the diverse wildlife that flourishes in the island's rainforest and rock pools. [caption id="attachment_829683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] STAY DRY AT CAIRNS AQUARIUM If it's childhood wonder and extensive marine knowledge you're after, then the Cairns Aquarium is ideal. Home to more than 16,000 specimens and ten different ecosystems, the aquarium is a window into the flora and fauna that call the Great Barrier Reef home — and it's only a stroll from the bustling Cairns Esplanade. Get inspired by daily ecosystem talks, animal presentations, live diver feeds and marine touch 'n' talk shows. Or, if a day of underwater wonder sets your stomach rumbling, head to the aquarium's Dundee's Restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal on the Daintree Deck and watch the warm tropical rain fall in an afternoon shower. [caption id="attachment_830353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] CATCH COLOURFUL SEA CREATURES OFF THE COAST OF PORT DOUGLAS If you're a diehard snorkelling fan, jump onboard Calypso Reef Cruises for an unforgettable and environmentally friendly experience off the coast of Port Douglas. Relax on Calypso's dedicated snorkelling vessel, offering comfortable day beds and spacious decks, before popping on your gear and meeting some of the most exquisite marine life in the world. The vibrant coral gardens and diverse marine life at Opal Reef are visible within a couple of metres from the water surface making it accessible for most levels of swimming skill. The trickiest part will be keeping count of how many giant clams, stingrays, green turtles and clownfish you'll spot. SPLURGE ON A MULTI-DAY DIVING TRIP This multi-day live-aboard experience is the ideal ocean getaway for accredited open water divers. Offering three-, four- and seven-day trips, Spirit of Freedom will whisk you away to Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef — some of the most impressive dive destinations in the world. Experience shark dives, sheer walls laced with soft corals, manta rays, and bright, abundant tropical reefs rich with biodiversity paired with hotel quality amenities and first-class meals on this lush escape. And, did we mention the boat's three decks you can relax on? They're perfect for an afternoon kip before heading out for a twilight dive. Ready to dive deep into the reef? For more information and to discover more about a holiday in Tropical North Queensland this autumn, visit the website. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Make a trip to the Sunshine Coast for Yundina's annual Ginger Flower and Food Festival, taking place from Friday, January 17, to Sunday, January 19, 2020. The festival is three days of food, garden walks, floral displays, cooking demonstrations, talks, entertainment, market stalls and more, held each year among the sub-tropical gardens of the Ginger Factory. Rides, honey tastings, a boutique shopping village, a Buderim Ginger shop, play areas — and that's just the Ginger Factory on a normal day. Things are kicked up a gear for the festival, where you can learn about garden design, making honey, regrowing food from kitchen scraps, and how to keep that balcony garden of yours alive. It goes without saying that you'll also get to try a variety of sweet and savoury ginger-based creations, including a gingerbread parfait from the ice creamery.
When Bros turns its attention to Hollywood's past with queer stories, and with gay men on-screen specifically, it doesn't hold back. A film starring and co-written by Billy on the Street, Parks and Recreation and Difficult People's Billy Eichner isn't going to bite its tongue, including about the poor record of LGBTQIA+ inclusion and representation in mainstream cinema. First, Eichner's character Bobby Lieber reflects on being asked to pen exactly the kind of feature that Bros is — a studio-made rom-com with two gay men as its leads, that's honest about queer life and love, and also broad in its appeal — with acerbic and hilarious results. Later, Bros digs into Hollywood's penchant for tragic queer tales, and for Oscar-bait performances by straight actors playing gay. The movie laughs, but it also hits its targets. Blazing a trail, yet being hyperaware that this'd be a better world if it wasn't: that's one aspect of Bros. The first-ever Hollywood rom-com about and starring two openly gay men, it's a film that does what nothing else has before and knows it. That feat is worth celebrating. So is the fact that Bros features an all-LGBTQ chief cast, another mainstream milestone. Just as worthy of praise and affection: that Bros is warmly and candidly entertaining and engaging, while still remaining unflinchingly authentic about the characters and culture it depicts, and clearly knowing that making viewers laugh and cheer is a rom-com's number one aim. It was filmmaker Nicholas Stoller, a veteran of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement and the Bad Neighbours franchise, that actually set Bros in motion — and approached Eichner to be involved. The pair had worked together on Bad Neighbours 2 and TV series Friends From College, but Eichner was still skeptical that a movie like this could and would ever happen. Thankfully for audiences, it has. In the process, it also adds a big-screen star turn and a nicely layered performance to Eichner's resume. He doesn't run around the New York City streets yelling about pop culture at people, but he does get opinionated on his character's podcast, and the feature is set in NYC. He does have Debra Messing pop up as well. Plus, Eichner gets to fall for — and also work through a swathe of conflicting feelings about — Luke Macfarlane's Aaron Shepard. The Brothers and Sisters and frequent Hallmark network star is another key part of Bros, and he's no one's mere hunky love interest. This is a pioneering film not just because it's about two gay men and hails from the big end of town in filmmaking circles, but also because it heroes complex gay characters living complicated gay lives. Visiting Down Under for Bros' Australian premiere, Eichner and Macfarlane chatted with Concrete Playground about making gay rom-com dreams come true, never thinking a movie like this could happen, and the rewards of genuinely reflecting their own experiences and community on the silver screen. ON GETTING THE CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY — AND HAVING A STORY TO TELL Billy: "I was shocked that he [Nicholas Stoller, Bros' director and co-writer] wanted to do it with me, and very flattered. And I said yes knowing that it was a huge and very rare opportunity, but also not having any idea if I had the skills to do it, or a story that was worth telling. But as it turned out, once I sat down at my laptop, 20-plus years of being an openly gay man and navigating the world of dating and relationships and all that, I had a lot to say. I didn't even realise it at the time, but I guess I had a lot bottled up that I wanted to get out — and this movie gave me the opportunity to do that in a funny and entertaining way, I hope." Luke: "I was sent a script — and part of the job of being an actor is reading scripts, and sometimes that's a challenge. But reading Bros was a total delight. I really remember laughing out loud, and being a little bit nervous because comedies have not been something I've done a lot of. But also just underneath all the comedy and the jokes, I really understood and responded and connected to this character of Aaron." ON NEVER EVEN THINKING THAT A MOVIE LIKE BROS COULD EXIST Billy: "It wasn't something that I was thinking about. I honestly think I wasn't sure if something like this could happen even. I thought maybe it could happen as an indie film, because historically that's where we were allowed to make movies like this, as independent films. And many of those are great, and we are very lucky to have them — and Bros wouldn't exist without decades of queer indie cinema paving the way for more mainstream queer content. But even so, when Nick [Stoller] and Judd Apatow, who produced it, when they said that they thought that Universal, a major studio, would want to make it, I honestly didn't believe them. I didn't think they were right. I was pleasantly surprised — really shocked — when Universal both wanted to make it and felt strongly that we do it as authentically as possible and with an all-LGBTQ cast. I was really, really surprised by that. And so, it's not really something I thought about because I didn't really think it was possible to produce at this scale." ON SEIZING AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY Luke: "The approach to every job as an actor is that you have to do your absolute best because they will take away the opportunity if you don't. So I can speak simply as an actor, I always try to give the best, but rarely do I connect as deeply with a character." Billy: "I think for all of us, we understood what a rare and unique experience it was, and we all wanted to bring our A game and do the best we can. Nick Stoller, who's directed many movies over the years and has been involved in many TV projects successfully, said he's never been with a cast that showed up to set and was more prepared. You don't sit there and think 'let's shoot a historic scene' or 'oh god, this scene has to be good because, you know, it's the first LGBTQ this or that'. But at the same time, we just all wanted to do a good job because we realised what a rare opportunity it was. And we wanted to give the LGBTQ community a movie that felt authentic to their experience, and give every audience — straight, gay or whatever it was — a movie that would make them laugh out loud a lot, and feel good about life." ON ENSURING THAT BROS IS AUTHENTIC ABOUT GAY LIFE, LOVE AND CULTURE Billy: "It just came down to wanting the movie to be an honest reflection of my life, and the lives of the gay and queer people that I know. Again, we didn't sit down and say 'let's write a historic movie'. You don't even sit down and say 'let's write a gay movie'. We just said 'let's write an honest movie, and a funny movie, and let the chips fall where they may, and hope that regardless of how familiar they might be with the inner workings of gay male dating and relationship culture in 2022, that the honesty would be impactful for all audiences'. And, that you could feel this when you're watching the movie. I think you can tell when a movie is lying to you. And, we wanted to give people something that was uplifting, and feel-good but still grounded and truthful. Honestly, our goal was just to make a laugh-out-loud funny movie. We didn't want to make a gentle dramedy about the gay male experience, and we didn't want it to be sad or tragic. We wanted it to be honest but ultimately a feel-good movie. We wanted it to be laugh-out-loud funny start to finish, and we also wanted to make sure that both of the central characters were multi-dimensional people — that they were both more than meets the eye. When you meet Bobby, when you meet Aaron, you might think they're a certain type of person or a certain type of gay man, but as the movie unfolds you realise there's a lot more for both of them going on underneath the surface — that they both have their moments where they're wrong, they both have moments where they're right, they have moments when they are flawed and hypocritical, they have moments when they are hilarious and triumphant and joyful. I think that reflects real life — that was our goal for the movie, to make sure that it was very rich and complicated and not one-dimensional or two-dimensional. Even if that made it a bit more of a complicated experience for the audience, we weren't just going to give them this kind of easy breezy rom-com that floats by without anything real going on. We wanted to give people a very rich experience." ON THE REWARDS OF MAKING BROS Luke: "You always want to play characters that are complex and multidimensional and have an arc. Just purely from an actor, and being rewarded and challenged by your part, that's exactly what you want — especially when the character is so close to who you are and the life that you live. So, I'm incredibly grateful that this script that was written, that is also very funny, was also very smart and kind of meant for smart audiences." Billy: "There's so much of it that's been so rewarding. We want the movie to be as relatable as possible to all audiences — straight and gay. That said, there hasn't been a tonne of representation in mainstream films for queer characters, for gay men, especially in comedies, and again movies that aren't tragedies, movies that aren't about the suffering of being gay historically, that are about modern gay people and the way we live our lives. And it's been really gratifying to hear and to be getting messages from people, especially queer men, and who in addition to thinking this movie is funny and entertaining, are having a real emotional response to it. It's just very impactful and very moving to see your life, or a version of your life that's at least a little closer than the ones you usually get — and certainly more than a movie about a straight couple might make you feel. As much as we love those movies, there is something unique and powerful about seeing someone from your community, someone that is dealing with the same types of things that you're dealing with on a day-to-day basis, when it comes to love and your own insecurities and vulnerability, seeing that reflected on a big screen especially. I think that's an experience we don't get a lot as gay men, especially in contemporary storytelling. And getting the messages I've received from gay men who've seen it, who've had a really emotional response to it, who said it really moved them in a way that was surprising and they weren't expecting that, has been really gratifying." Bros released in cinemas Down Under on October 27. Read our full review.
Here's a lesson that no one in horror movies and television shows ever seems to learn: don't mess around with the dead. Whether they're zombies or vampires, or ghosts haunting various abodes, or spirits possessing people or dolls, little good ever seems to come of this. But if folks did heed this advice, we wouldn't have anywhere near as many scary flicks to watch — including the next big eerie film heading to cinemas from A24. The independent film and TV company has found its latest frightfest Down Under: Talk to Me, which stems from Adelaide-born twins Danny and Michael Philippou. They're also known as RackaRacka, which you might know from the YouTube channel, and this is their feature debut. A word of warning: if you're not a horror person — and, generally, you either are or you aren't — even the just-dropped trailer isn't for you. Based on a concept by Bluey producer Daley Pearson, Talk to Me's premise is horror 101, but it never feels like that for a second in the first sneak peek. This nerve-shredder is all about conjuring up spirits using an embalmed hand — because what else would you use a mummified appendage for? It starts as a game between friends, another scary-movie staple, then opens the door to the spirit world. Starring Sophie Wilde (The Portable Door), Miranda Otto (Wellmania), Zoe Terakes (Nine Perfect Strangers), Otis Dhanji (June Again), Chris Alosio (Millie Lies Low) and Alexandra Jensen (Joe vs Carole), Talk to Me enjoyed its world premiere at the 2022 Adelaide Film Festival, and has kept doing the rounds from there. Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Overlook: it's scared them all since. General cinemagoers in Australia and New Zealand will get the chance to get spooked out themselves come July 27. The film's soundtrack is a drawcard, too, including New Zealand hip-hop collective SWIDIT — plus tracks from Lucianblomkamp, IJAE, Sia, Takara, ONEFOUR and The Kid Laroi. Composer Cornel Wilczek (Clickbait) takes care of the score. And yes, A24 has a mighty fine track record with on-screen nightmares, including The Witch, Hereditary, Midsommar, In Fabric, X, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Pearl, putting Talk to Me in immensely impressive company. Check out the trailer for Talk to Me below: Talk to Me opens in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on July 27, 2023.
If dropping by your local car wash makes you want to unleash your inner kidult, then you'd better get yourself to the National Gallery of Victoria's Grollo Equiset Garden from October 14. That's when M@ STUDIO Architects will be setting up a pretend car wash, which you'll be welcome to treat as one giant playground. Their brilliant idea is called Haven't you always wanted...?, it's the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission — and it's free to check out. You'll be able to find your fun easily — just look out for the old-school, glittering sign. Head inside to discover a true-to-size car wash replica, based on an actual existing one in Blackburn. But you can forget your run-of-the-mill cement and nasty fluoro lights. Instead, you'll be surrounded by walls of cricket netting, looking up at a pretty translucent ceiling, frolicking in bright pink AstroTurf and kicking back on rubber speed bumps. There'll be five 'bays' altogether, two hung with red plastic curtains and one equipped with a mist diffuser. So, though you probably won't be able to go for an all-out water fight, you won't escape totally dry (should that be your car wash wish). Plus, at night, the whole scene will light up, letting you have nocturnal adventures galore. To celebrate this epic creation, the NGV is organising a slew of events. In what seems similar to the Queen Victoria Gardens' MPavilion, this outdoor structure will host talks, live music and performances over both spring and summer. But, if you're not in the mood for shows, you can head along to hang out with friends anytime. "We are thrilled to be selected as the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission," said M@ STUDIO Architects. "Open competitions such as this provide a vital platform for architects to experiment and facilitate public discourse around the broader ideas that motivate the specific design explorations." The annual NGV Architecture Commission invites architects to come up with clever, clever installation ideas for the Grollo Equiset Garden. Entries are judged for their originality, their new ideas concerning architecture and design, and their innovation in material use, fabrication, sustainability and recyclability. Find Haven't you always wanted...? in the NGV Garden at NGV International from 14 October 2016 to April 2017. For more information, visit the NGV website.
It isn't called the big screen for nothing — and, when you head to the pictures, that's typically what you spend a couple of hours peering at. But you won't just be staring at a giant rectangle at Wonderdome, Australia's new pop-up cinema experience. In a blend of film, music and art that takes its cues from planetariums, you'll be sat in a dome watching movies that've been specifically designed to take up the whole 360-degree space that's towering above you. Melbourne Planetarium's regular fulldome sessions, the Melbourne International Film Festival's own fulldome programming and the Brisbane International Film Festival's foray into the same space a decade back have all served up this same kind of immersive view, if the overall concept sounds familiar. But when Wonderdome hits Sydney's Entertainment Quarter between Saturday, December 4–Sunday, January 30, it'll also be following in the footsteps of Coachella and Burning Man by creating a dedicated fulldome space that's all about this type of cinema-going. It'll also offer Australia's largest-ever 360-degree projection cinema. The structure itself is a geodesic steel dome that spans 21 metres in diameter, and is filled with multiple projectors, as well as a 7.2 surround sound system. To watch, you'll recline on throne-style beanbags and stare up at the movie. Given that the projection sprawls all around you, it's been likened to virtual reality — but without the goggles. During Wonderdome's debut run in Sydney, it'll screen a lineup of 22 films — including the dazzling Coral Rekindling Venus, about fluorescent coral reefs, bioluminescent sea creatures and rare marine life, from Emmy Award-wining Australian filmmaker Lynette Wallworth. Other highlights include National Geographic's Flying Monsters, about flying dinosaurs, which is narrated by the one and only David Attenborough; the climate-focused Dynamic Earth, which benefits from Liam Neeson's vocal work; and Carriberrie, which focuses on Indigenous Australian dance and song. Fulldome cinema is also known for its psychedelic and eye-popping visual displays, which is where Samskara, from artist Android Jones, comes in — plus Labyrinth, which is filled with squares, streets, passages, corridors and rooms; and Luminokaya, which lets you explore Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat. The rest of the program also features the architecture-focused Urban Levitation; Distant Life: Alien Worlds, about whether humanity is alone in the universe; Flight of Fancy, which recreates a space jump at 120,000 feet; and other space-centric titles such as From Earth to the Universe and Journey to the Centre of the Milky Way. There's a lineup of fulldome movies for kids, too, because this is an all-ages space. Snacks-wise, you'll be able to grab something to eat and drink either before or after each Wonderdome session, with the menu including jaffles, chips, slushies, chocolates and ice creams. Plus, there'll be a gin bar, as well as a lineup of craft beers. Wonderdome's Entertainment Quarter season will also accept New South Wales' Dine & Discover vouchers, if you have some left — or you're eager to get your hands on more when two extra vouchers become available for NSW residents over the age of 18 sometime this summer. And if you won't be in Sydney this summer, cross your fingers that Wonderdome will plan stops in other cities. The fact that it's is pop-up dome obviously makes that easier. Wonderdome will pop-up at Sydney's Entertainment Quarter from Saturday, December 4 –Sunday, January 30. For more information, or for tickets from 11am AEST on Wednesday, November 17, head to the Wonderdome website.
"Something takes over once I'm on stage. The whole point of it, for me, is to transcend my conscious brain; which is sometimes not the most pleasant place to be... There's nothing more in the moment than being on stage. Things can fail. The stakes are high. I mean, the stakes aren't high like cancer high, but it is do or die. You're reacting to how the crowd is feeling and that kind of energy I find very effervescent and fun. I thrive off it." Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent — a stage name taken from a Nick Cave song referencing the hospital where the poet Dylan Thomas died — talks to me from Melbourne about performance nerves. "I think I have some nerves; I think it's healthy. It seems that the stakes wouldn't be very high, if you felt just as comfortable in your living room as you did on stage. But it's also energy, rather than a lack of it; so you could also call it adrenaline or excitement. It's two ways of looking at the same energy." After making her first guitar out of cardboard at the age of five, Clark got her fingers around some real fret boards at twelve and went on to study at the Berklee College of Music. After three years of "grading and measurement" she dropped out to start making music. Since then, she's found her way to The Polyphonic Spree, toured with Sufjan Stevens and David Byrne, and created four solo albums — the most recent of which, St Vincent, was released on February 24. After selling out Melbourne's The Howler two nights in a row, she's heading to Sydney for Vivid. "I've thought a lot about what it means to go up on stage and ask people to listen to you and look at you for an hour and a half," she says, explaining how her approach to performance has changed over time. "I don't take it lightly, in the sense that I think (especially in this day and age) we are a distractable lot. When we have everything at our finger tips — at the internet or whatever — it means even more to say, 'Hey, everybody, let's be in this moment together. Let's go some place together'. "I've tried to make the performance aspect more elevated — to acknowledge what it actually is, which is a strange and unnatural act — and to dig into that, lean into it, believe in it and try to make it take us all some place else." At the same time, Clark's been dealing with what she describes as her own "delusions". "At various points, I've been delusional enough to think that someday I would tour less, that I was living one life — not that I wasn't meant to — but that there was a parallel life that I was supposed to be leading. Yet I was doing this other thing. But I've come to realise the silliness of that idea. I'm living the life that I want to be living and enjoying being in the ether and the constant change and undulation and stimulation. I need it, now." These days, she spends months and months on the road. "Sometimes, I get confused with which season it is," she says. "The other day, I could have sworn it was September and I was planning my life as if it was, and then I realised, no, it's May, where am I?" So where does she go to hide and reorient herself, if and when there is a break in the schedule? In keeping with her commitment to life as it is, she wants to talk about where she is. Right now. "I know this sounds really corny and cloying," she laughs, "but I love coming to Australia, because no matter how many shows you play, it feels like a vacation. Everything is pleasant here. People are attractive, coffee's amazing, food's amazing, wine's amazing, there's great galleries,there's great art... I usually end up with a lot of free time in Australia. This particular trip is basically run and gun, feels cosy and fun — like fun, sexy, cool time." https://youtube.com/watch?v=Itt0rALeHE8 When there is a moment to spare, she spends it releasing her own signature coffee blend, collecting outsider art, reading books and "hanging out". "What everybody does," she explains. "The only thing I don't do is cook and be domestic — you know knit a sweater or some bullshit [laughs]. I don't have any patience for that. I wish I could live in a hotel." Having just finished Karen Joy Walker's page-turner We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, she's currently into "a book about Sigmund Freud and his being a big proponent of cocaine as a panacea — a cure-all drug. It sounds like something someone on cocaine would say," she laughs. "I'm trying to enjoy Evelyn Waugh, too. I picked it up because my dad was a big Anglophile and he's all about Kingsley Amis and Martin Amis and all that. I tried to read that stuff when I was younger but what is a 13-year-old going to do with Vile Bodies? They have no context for that and you don't understand the satire because you haven't lived." St Vincent plays at Sydney Opera House for Vivid LIVE tonight. Details and tickets over here.
When Quibi launched in Australia and New Zealand back in April, it added yet another streaming platform to the already lengthy list of services competing for your eyeballs, especially in this stay-at-home, pandemic-afflicted year. This newcomer came with a few twists — serving up its content in small chunks of up to ten minutes in length, designing it all for viewing on your phone, and eventually letting folks watch for free and allowing streaming from users' phones to their TVs, too — but it's now completely pulling the plug. Less than eight months after it kicked off, Quibi will close down, informing customers that it'll end "on or about December 1, 2020". In mid-October, it was revealed that the service would shutter after failing to both attract a big subscriber based and, once the company's powers-that-be realised that it was struggling, to attract a buyer. It shouldn't really come as a surprise that, when we're all spending more time at home during a global health crisis, folks didn't just want to view things by themselves on a tiny phone screen — and that by the time Quibi added Airplay and Chromecast capabilities, the world had largely dismissed the platform. There's also the fact that viewers have a seemingly never-ending array of new streaming services to choose from, so one dedicated to movies and TV shows in bite-sized pieces was probably never going to stand out. Quibi had big aims, both when it launched and in the years beforehand — including hitting 175 different shows and 7000 episodes in its first year. Boasting a name that's been shortened from 'quick bites', it was created by ex-Disney chairman and DreamWorks cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg, and is led by former eBay president and CEO Meg Whitman. Before it launched, it had been in the works since 2018. And, it had earned ample attention thanks to its huge stash of cash (reportedly raising $1.75 billion to spend on content), as well as its hefty array of stars and shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96mETd0NIIE If you still have a subscription and you're keen to check out Quibi's slate of shows over the next month — including new version of Punk'd hosted by Chance the Rapper, Chrissy Teigen presiding over small claims cases in the Judge Judy-style Chrissy's Court and a Reese Witherspoon-narrated documentary series about females in natural history — you can still do so. Your access won't be renewed once your bill period ends, though. So, for now, you still have a short amount of time left to watch Anna Kendrick befriend a sex doll, follow the twists of horror-thriller The Stranger or work your way through a new version of The Fugitive. Some of Quibi's other highlights include mockumentary Nikki Fre$h, which follows Nicole Richie's efforts to become a wellness-focused rapper; cooking competition show Dishmantled, where host and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess shoots food at two culinary industry figures, then forces them to try to recreate the dish in question; and Lena Waithe-hosted documentary series You Ain't Got These, about sneaker culture. There's also Flipped, starring Will Forte and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson as a down-on-their-luck couple desperate to host their own TV renovation series; Most Dangerous Game, the latest twist on the humans-hunting-humans idea, this time with Christoph Waltz and Liam Hemsworth; and Survive, which casts Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner as a suicidal patient suddenly forced to fight for her life after a plane crash. Or, you can watch luxury dog houses come to life in Barkitecture. Quibi will shut down on December 1, 2020. For further details, visit the Quibi website.
Tacos slathered with salsa. Chips dipped in hot sauce. A sliver of cheese accompanied by a zesty relish. Whatever your favourite food happens to be, it probably tastes better with a condiment — and, like everything from artisanal gin to plants to cocktail ingredients, there's now a curated delivery service dedicated to flavour-adding substances. Meet Condimental, which bundles a heap of pickles, preserves, sauces, seasonings and relishes into a box and brings it to your door. If an image of a boring Christmas hamper just popped into your head, then this service will wipe it away. On the menu is a changing range of limited-release and seasonal items from Australian suppliers, aka the types of condiments that you won't find in any old supermarket. [caption id="attachment_707077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Condimental's launch box.[/caption] Condimental also leans into the concept of exclusivity — not just via its selection, but courtesy of its limited-run editions. Only 100 boxes are available with each release, and while you can't subscribe to receive a box every time the service starts shipping a new batch, you can sign up to be notified when a new edition becomes available. In other words, if you're keen on watermelon pickle, habañero and oak hot sauce, umami seasoning, fermented tomatillo salsa picante, or bread and butter pickle, then you'll need to get in quick. They're the items on offer in the first delivery, with the launch release costing $65 plus a $15 delivery fee. For more information, visit the Condimental website.
Get ready for "the Super Bowl of stripping", Channing Tatum's latest excuse to get shirtless and the culmination of a franchise about male dancers chasing the American dream — and endeavouring to bring women pleasure — one scantily clad routine at a time. Magic Mike is back for another ride, and another stint onstage, too, courtesy of the the series' third and final flick Magic Mike's Last Dance. Initially confirmed back in November 2021, this threequel brings Tatum (The Lost City) as Mike Lane, the saga's consistent source of smooth, sultry and sweaty moves while wearing very little. As the just-dropped first trailer shows, this time around he's bartending to get by, and hiding that six-pack under the required garb, until he shows his latest love interest (Salma Hayek, House of Gucci) what he's really good at — and she convinces him to get back to what he loves. No, Ginuwine's 90s banger 'Pony' doesn't get another workout in Magic Mike's Last Dance's first sneak peek. Yes, there's another dose of art imitating life here, which has always been the Magic Mike franchise's remit. The initial 2012 hit took its cues from Tatum's own time stripping in Tampa, Florida before becoming a famous actor, and this flick nods to the fact that that movie and its 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL spawned their own Tatum-produced live show. If you somehow missed the first movie a decade ago, it became one of 2012's most perceptive flicks. The Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Alex Pettyfer-starring film unsurprisingly became a box-office success, too, with its combination of blue collar struggles and gyrating on-stage antics striking a chord to the tune of $167.2 million in takings. It was then followed by Magic Mike XXL, which did indeed manage to live up to its name — not merely by doubling down on what made the first movie such a success, but by also shrewdly recognising the power of the female gaze. Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Kimi, No Sudden Move) directed, shot and edited the initial movie, then just shot and edited the second; however, he's sitting back in the helmer's chair for Magic Mike's Last Dance. Also returning is screenwriter Reid Carolin, who has done the honours all the entire franchise so far. As for when you can see the Magic Mike series' last go-around, the bumping and grinding will arrive in cinemas Down Under in February. Savvily, it's timed just before Valentine's Day. Check out the first trailer for Magic Mike's Last Dance below: Magic Mike's Last Dance will release in cinemas Down Under on February 9, 2023.
Immersive and Instagrammable art is all the rage right now in Australia. Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room has taken up permanent residence in Canberra, Sugar Republic's "dessert museum" toured the country in 2019 and an extremely photogenic pop-up "museum" for pets is set to hit later this year. Next on the must-photograph list: Happy Place. Dubbed the "world's most Instagrammable exhibit", the multi-room installation has already travelled across the US and Canada and is now heading to the rooftop of Sydney's Broadway Shopping Centre from Friday, March 6–Sunday, May 3. Once inside the exhibition, you'll find many OTT rooms to explore, including a rubber ducky bathtub room, a cookie room that actually smells like freshly baked cookies, a room filled with 40,000 golden handmade flowers and a giant rainbow with a golden ball pit (no leprechauns though, sorry). If that doesn't have you reaching for your smartphone, there's also a mind-bending upside-down room and the "world's largest confetti dome". As well as the rooms, the exhibition has a lemonade stand — with all money from the Sydney one going to Red Cross Australia — a retail store and a cafe. One million snap-happy folks have already visited Happy Place in the northern hemisphere — including, supposedly, celebs such as Adele, Hilary Duff and Kourtney Kardashian — and we're guessing it's going to be equally popular Down Under. While the exhibition is "on a mission to spread happiness around the world", let's hope it's not actually like The Good Place — or, speaking of Kardashians, as nightmare-inducing as Kylie Jenner's Stormi World. Either way, it's going to sell out — fast. Tickets are on sale now for $39 a pop, so go get 'em if you're keen. Find Happy Place on the rooftop of Broadway Sydney, 1 Bay Street, Ultimo from Friday, March 6–Sunday, May 3. It's open from 3–9pm Monday–Tuesday, 12–9pm Wednesday–Thursday and 10am–8pm Friday–Sunday. Tickets will set you back $39 and are available now via Moshtix.
There's going to be another murder in the building. That's the only way to interpret the news that Only Murders in the Building, the murder-mystery comedy series that's been a delight not once but twice now, is officially coming back for a third season. Clearly, New York City's deadliest fictional apartment block will strike again — and residents turned true-crime podcasters Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) will have something else to chat about. Is there a more chaotic place to live in NYC at the moment, at least on the small screen? It doesn't appear so. As for exactly who'll be killed this time, and what the Arconia complex's resident sleuths have to say about it, that hasn't yet been revealed. (Neither has whether season three of Only Murders in the Building will indeed revolve around another murder in the building — but hey, the expected answer is right there in the show's title.) If you're still yet to experience the series' charms, it follows the odd trio of Charles-Haden, Oliver and the much-younger Mabel after they bond over two things: listening to a Serial-style podcast hosted by the show's own version of Sarah Koenig, aka Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva); and a death in their luxe abode. Of course, they did what everyone that's jumped on the true-crime bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation, starting their own audio series that's also called Only Murders in the Building. That's how season one kicked off — and continued, proving a warm, funny, smart and savvy series at every step along the way, as well as one of 2021's best small-screen newcomers. Now, in the show's second go-around, which is currently streaming week-to-week Down Under via Star on Disney+, Charles-Haden, Oliver and Mabel have another death to investigate. This time, it's someone they're all known not to be that fond of, so suspicions keep pointing in their direction. Again, no further details about season three have been revealed as yet — sorry, armchair detectives — including when it'll return. Considering that there was less than a year between seasons one and two, though, cross your fingers that the show keeps up the same schedule. Similarly yet to be announced: which high-profile names will join the wonderful Martin, Short and Gomez in the next batch of episodes. Both Sting and Amy Schumer have played themselves so far — and Cara Delevingne (Carnival Row) also pops up. Until more information about season three is unveiled, check out the trailer for Only Murders in the Building season two below: Only Murders in the Building's second season is streaming Down Under via Star on Disney+. Read our full review. You can also read our full review of the show's first season, too. Images: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
Musicals don't get much bigger than Les Misérables. That's been evident on the stage for more than four decades. When the production has been adapted for the screen, too, it's also been clear. In Australia, next comes Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular, which is putting on a show set in 19th-century France from May 2025 in the River City. Do you hear the people sing? Audiences in Brisbane will when the production gets the music of the people, plus the songs of angry men, echoing. From Wednesday, May 28–Sunday, June 1, a stacked cast and a 65-plus-piece orchestra is bringing Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular to life at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, with the format heading Down Under after playing the UK and across Europe. What makes this an arena spectacular, other than the venues that it's playing (including in Sydney and Melbourne, too)? The production isn't just taking the stage iteration of Les Misérables as is to sizeable sites — as a concert, it has been specifically created and designed for such locations. Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular was born to celebrate a hefty milestone for the song-filled theatre take on Victor Hugo's famous 1862 novel: the London production of Les Misérables reaching its 40th year in 2025. Yes, it's West End's longest-running musical. But the arena spectacular's origins hail back earlier, to not long after Les Mis debuted on the stage in 1980 — and also have ties to Australia. In Australia, Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular stars Tony-winner Alfie Boe and British talent Killian Donnelly sharing the role of Jean Valjean, with Michael Ball — who featured in the original London 1985 production — plus Bradley Jaden doing the same with Javert. Marina Prior plays Madame Thénardier, as part of an international cast that also includes Little Britain's Matt Lucas as Thénardier, Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, Jac Yarrow as Marius and Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette. Images: Danny Kaan.
The popularity of Harry Potter has proven as enduring as comparable world-beating IP like Star Wars, for which the audience's appetite for newness and further exploration of the world has no apparent ceiling. Case in point: the epic two-part production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has enjoyed a huge run in Melbourne's Princess Theatre since debuting in February 2019. The production estimated 326,500 theatre-goers experienced the show in the first year alone — not bad for a play with a five-and-a-half hour run time. The two-parter finally wraps up its run this month with the final show on March 27. But, fortunately for theatre lovers and Potter stans alike: as one Cursed Child closes, another one opens! Tickets are now on sale for the new, condensed version of the play opening at the Princess Theatre from May 4, 2022 — a one-part iteration that's currently in the midst of a hugely successful Broadway run. The run time for the reimagined version comes in at far more manageable three-and-a-half hours (including one interval) and, while a third of the length has been removed, none of the magic has. It's the same story, just streamlined. And the brilliant Australian cast from the two-parter is almost entirely the same. So, what exactly is The Cursed Child about? The story picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry is now a Ministry of Magic employee, married to Ginny Weasley and the play focuses on his youngest son Albus Severus Potter coming of age at Hogwarts in the shadow of his famous father, as both father and son grapple with the past and the future. It's a fantastic production with plenty of heart, humour and incredibly well-executed magic, which is a credit to those pulling the literal and figurative strings (ropes?) behind the scenes. The new shorter format will mean a much wider audience can experience what is destination theatre-going. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is playing at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in its two-part form, running until Sunday, March 27, 2022. It switches to a one-session production from May 4, 2022, with tickets for the latter on sale now. For more information, head to the play's website. Top image: Tim Carrafa. Cast images by Dan Boud.
Resembling vintage photos from a bygone era, these time-aged Postcards from Above are actually aerial images taken from Google Maps and reworked by Hungarian art director, Akos Papp, ad agency at BBDO New York. Instead of just using Google Maps as a directory tool, Papp takes snaps of businesses, schools, shipping yards, airports and more, retouching them to look of a 1950s postcard. Papp was inspired by the idea of being able to show loved ones the various foreign places he has travelled using mesmerising aerial imagery, and creates a pleasant reminder of a way we once communicated. Here are 12 examples from Akos Papp's collection.
If you've been following Dark Mofo's 2023 lineup announcements, you'll have spotted that the Tasmanian winter festival knows how to serve up multiple courses. First, it announced Florentina Holzinger's dance theatre performance A Divine Comedy back in January. Then, it followed up with the full boundary-pushing lineup in March; however, there was still more to come. So, the fest added a few fresh events in mid-April, and unveiled the huge roster of talent for this year's Night Mass as well. Next on the menu: announcing that Ana Roš is hitting the Apple Isle to headline Dark Mofo's annual Winter Feast. For Dark Mofo newcomers, Winter Feast is all about tucking into local produce by the fire while listening to tunes and just generally enjoying an evening of revelry. It's one of the Hobart-based festival's annual highlights, returning for the 2023 event across eight nights — from Thursday, June 8–Sunday, June 11, then again from Thursday, June 15–Sunday, June 18. [caption id="attachment_898569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ana Roš | Dark Mofo 2023.[/caption] Attendees will head to Salamanca Lawns and Princes Wharf Shed 1, where 90 stallholders will set up by the feast's blazes. (Concrete Playground Trips' Dark Mofo accommodation package might come in handy — it helpfully includes Winter Feast tickets.) Roš, who folks might know from Netflix documentary Chef's Table, heads to Australia with plenty of well-deserved fanfare. She's the owner of Slovenia's two Michelin-starred restaurant Hiša Franko in Kobarid, and was named the world's best female chef by The World's 50 Best Restaurants academy in 2017. The World Tourism Organisation have also given her the title Ambassador of Gastronomic Tourism. [caption id="attachment_898571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo and City of Hobart Winter Feast. Photo Credit: Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Dark Mofo 2018.[/caption] At Dark Mofo, she'll get cooking in a newly built 50-seat structure just for cooking and dining, and she'll have company: Stephen Peak and Rodney Dunn, both from New Norfolk's The Agrarian Kitchen. Peak is the eatery's Head Chef, Dunn is its co-founder, and together they're a key part of a spot that was named Regional Restaurant of the Year at the National Good Food Guide Awards — and also earned two hats in the process. They're particularly passionate about supporting local producers, as well as about ethical and sustainable farming, which will come through on the Winter Feast menu. That spread is set to span four courses, taking its cues from the dishes that that Roš and Peak whip up in their own kitchens. So, expect Slovenian-inspired fare, but made with Tasmania's top seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_898570" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stephen Peak | Dark Mofo 2023.[/caption] "Both Ana Roš and The Agrarian Kitchen have elevated regional dining in their respective countries by taking a bold and innovative approach to their food. We're thrilled to be able to highlight such incredible artists of the culinary world," said Winter Feast Food Curator Amanda Vallis. As for who'll be taking care Winter Feast's stalls — and what'll be on their menus, and which installations will surround them — that's all still to be unveiled. Expect more details mid-May, ahead of Dark Mofo 2023's Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 dates. [caption id="attachment_898572" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo Winter Feast. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Dark Mofo 2023 runs from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania, with tickets on sale now. Top image: Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2022. Photo credit: Jesse Hunniford, 2022. Image courtesy of Dark Mofo 2022. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world — including our Dark Mofo tickets and accommodation package.
UPDATE, March 12, 2021: She Dies Tomorrow is also now available to stream via Stan. When She Dies Tomorrow splashes Kate Lyn Sheil's face across the screen, then bathes it in neon flashes of pink, blue, red and purple, it isn't easily forgotten. It's a vivid, visceral, even psychedelic sight, which filmmaker Amy Seimetz lingers on, forcing her audience to do the same as well. Viewers aren't just soaking in trippy lights and colours, though. They're staring at the expression beneath the multi-hued glow, which seethes with harrowing levels of shock, fright, distress and anxiety. That's understandable; this is the look of someone who has just had the most unnerving realisation there is: that she is going to die tomorrow. In her second stint directing a feature after 2012's Sun Don't Shine, Pet Sematary, Lean on Pete and Alien: Covenant actor Seimetz does indeed serve up a straightforward concept that's all there in the title. In She Dies Tomorrow, her protagonist — who is also called Amy (Kate Plays Christine's Sheil) — believes that her life will end the next day, plain and simple. But it's how the on-screen Amy copes with the apocalyptic news, and how it also spreads virally from person to person, that fuels the movie. Initially, she responds by searching for urns, researching how leather jackets are made and roaming aimlessly around the new home she has recently purchased, and by brushing off her worried but sceptical friend Jane (Twin Peaks' Jane Adams). If Amy is merely being paranoid, that persecution-driven delusion soon proves contagious, with the feature's cast also including Katie Aselton (Bombshell), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)), Josh Lucas (Ford vs Ferrari), Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story) and Jennifer Kim (Mozart in the Jungle). Among of the joys of She Dies Tomorrow is that it's never one for obvious or easy answers, or for explaining any more than it needs to. Indeed, how it morphs from exploring one woman's fears to cataloguing a shared nightmare that spreads like a pandemic is best discovered by watching; however Seimetz crafts a gloriously smart and unsettling thriller that toys with surreal Lynchian moments yet always feels disarmingly astute. The film was made prior to COVID-19 and was originally slated to premiere at this year's cancelled SXSW, so it pre-dates our coronavirus-afflicted world — but it's hard not to think of the real-life parallels. Earning ample buzz when it surfaced in the US in July, currently available to stream in Australia until Sunday, August 23 as a late addition to this year's online Melbourne International Film Festival, and hitting local video-on-demand platforms on Wednesday, September 2, She Dies Tomorrow isn't afraid to think big, tackle a difficult topic or do so in a thoroughly disquieting manner. Interrogating the messy horror that comes with knowing you'll die isn't easy, after all, and the film evocatively conveys that sensation. This is a movie that doesn't just want its audience to passively peer on as characters grapple with the possibility that their life is about to be cut short, but one determined to ensure that viewers feel as uncertain, anguished and chaotic as everyone on-screen. With her tension-dripping images, and a score by Mondo Boys that's equally bold, operatic and needling, Seimetz wholeheartedly achieves that aim. In the process, the writer/director ponders humanity's reaction to life-shattering news both on an individual and collective basis, the way that panic and doubt spreads oh-so-quickly, and how one idea can soon overtake entire communities. They're all very relevant notions at present, as is the idea of living every day as if there is no future, which the feature overtly, cleverly and even humorously toys with. But most perceptive here is how She Dies Tomorrow reflects the recognisable reality of passing each and every second with the knowledge that one day you'll no longer be alive. That's a situation we're all in, and that we all generally do our best to overlook as much as we can — and it's downright impossible to ignore here. She Dies Tomorrow also doubles as a moving exploration of confronting your mortality on a tangible and immediate level, too; forget the weepy schmaltz of stereotypical terminal illnesses dramas, because this haunting film couldn't be steeped any deeper in existential terror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNZQ2GG833o She Dies Tomorrow is currently available to stream online in Australia as part of MIFF 68 1/2, the Melbourne International Film Festival's 2020 online festival, until Sunday, August 23. It'll also be available to watch digitally via iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon and other video-on-demand platforms from Wednesday, September 2, and via DVD then as well.
Have you ever really looked at your keyboard? Are there some key placements that actually make no sense to you at all? We all learn the key positions by rote when we learn how to Internet, but Apple — along with a lil Aussie company — are about to potentially change that forever. The tech giant (who just launched their new MacBook Pro yesterday) have been working with Sydney-based startup Sonder Design to incorporate their dynamic keyboard technology into the laptops you know and love. They announced that, from 2018, their laptops will feature dynamic e-ink keyboards. What the heck is an e-ink keyboard, you ask? It's a keyboard that changes the content on its keys according to what you're doing on your device. It's designed to customise your shortcuts, allow you to type in multiple languages, prioritise the peach emoji for lightning-quick butt references and generally make the keyboard work for you (as it should — c'mon people, its 2016). Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? Well, QWERTY currently has a stranglehold on the marketplace. There's a lot of conflicting stories regarding the QWERTY keyboard's rise to prominence. Some people believe Christopher Sholes designed it to slow keyboard typists down so their typewriters wouldn't jam (they say it's designed to alternate letter between each hand). Others claim it was designed with the help of telegram transcribers and has only once since been challenged in efficiency, by the Dvorak keyboard. Most likely however, it's a perfect example of a human invention that was in the right place at the right time. QWERTY was popular at the time Remington and Sons began to mass produce typewriters. And once typists knew one system, retraining them was a big waste of time. But this preamble about the history of keyboard is to give some context to what Sonder are doing with their new keyboard. Thanks to ~technology~ we've moved way beyond the restrictions of the typewriter — theirs is supposedly the "world's first" keyboard to use e-ink to make it dynamic. It's a big win for the Aussie tech company and, frankly, any technology that brings us closer to emojis is a win for us. Via The Wall Street Journal.
Have you heard the word kicking about town regarding a new Brisbane-based creative mag? Lovely local magazine Seam is a new independent press fostering the creative and covering all the important content - art, craft, music, fashion, design, photography, travel, and food, plus heaps of pretty bits and pieces. Too long has there been a gap in Brisbane's arts scene for a creative little indie magazine that lives and breathes the culture and imagination that exists in our little city. Now we’ve got a new publication to call our very own that we can get excited about. Seam are celebrating the launch of their first issue this Sunday at the city’s favourite coffee stop Brew, and it's expected to be an afternoon of tea, coffee, cocktails and cupcakes. The Start-Ups issue includes everything Seam has become renown online for: their sense of style, inspirational writing, stimulating imagery and their support of emerging creatives. Get in early to grab your copy before they’re all snapped up, and enjoy a cuppa and a little something sweet while you're at it.
It's bright, lively, neon-lit, and wholly unapologetic about blending colour, cocktails and Tex-Mex cuisine — and now, the fast-growing El Camino Cantina has doubled its Brisbane footprint. After setting up shop in Bowen Hills last year, the chain has launched a second joint in Westfield Chermside. It's the latest expansion for the brand, which also operates in Sydney and Melbourne, all under the guidance of Rockpool Dining Group (Sake, Burger Project and, of course, Rockpool Bar & Grill). For its first venue in Brissie's north, El Camino's new site seats 220, taking over the space formerly inhabited by Hermosa. If you've already been to the existing local eatery, then you'll know this casual dining venue takes its vibe seriously. Think loud and over-the-top, complete with giant margaritas, rock 'n' roll jukeboxes, fluorescent signage and a heap of Tex-Mex staples. Menu-wise, all of the chain's favourites make the jump to the new spot. Slushie machines serve up brain freezes in margarita form, with El Camino's coming in multiple sizes and many renditions, including a tropical Red Bull flavour. Other options span a host of beers from near and far, and a sizeable collection of mezcals and tequilas. The food lineup remains fun and casual, like the drinks. Think fiery buffalo wings, sizzling fajitas, plump burritos, soft shell tacos loaded with punchy flavour combinations, and unlimited complimentary corn chips and salsas. The brand's Bowen Hills specials are available at Chermside, too — including $2 tacos on Tuesdays, ten-cent wings on Wednesdays and half-price fajitas on Thursdays.
