This summer, your nearest beach will transform into an international food market. And it doesn't matter where you live — be it near St Kilda, Bondi or Broadbeach. How? As of now, Deliveroo, the food delivery service that transports tasty meals from your favourite eateries directly to your door, can travel to the sand. And, more specifically, right to your beach towel. That's right, next time you're sprawled out on the beach catching some rays and hunger pangs, you won't have to go anywhere. Jump on your phone, make your order and, somehow or other, your faithful Deliveroo driver will be at your side. Yes, this is going to be very, very interesting to watch on Bondi Beach on a stinking hot day in January when beachgoers number in the thousands and thousands. The food delivery app is now delivering to 150 beaches around the country, having recently launched its services in Hobart, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Newcastle. Deliveroo is now delivering to 150 beaches around the country. To see if it delivers to you, check your app.
UPDATE: JULY 31, 2018 — You can stop bulk-buying chocolate bars, 50,000 more golden tickets to Charlie And the Chocolate Factory have just been released. And you can buy them right here. Two show dates have been added in January and the season has been extended to May 31, 2019. If you'd like to catch Willy Wonka and his orange-hued friends on the stage, we suggest moving quickly. Everyone's favourite 'candy man' is hitting Aussie shores next January, with the announcement that Sydney's Capitol Theatre will play host to the smash-hit musical production of Charlie And the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl's classic sugar-dusted tale is being brought to life in its Australian debut by a collaboration between theatre producers John Frost, Craig Donnell, Langley Park Productions, Neal Street Productions and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures. Following the worldwide popularity of both the original book and the 1971 Gene Wilder film of the same name, the musical has been confirmed a sweet success internationally, scoring rave reviews during its stint on Broadway last year. With original songs like The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket featured alongside new tunes from the songwriters of Hairspray, this confection of a show promises to lure audiences of all ages into, shall we say, a land of pure imagination. It's directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, with music by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Marc Shaiman, lyrics courtesy of Grammy and Tony Award winners Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Sydney season will kick off on January 8, 2019, with performances running on Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets for the first month of shows are now on sale at charliethemusical.com.au. Top image: Joan Marcus, the original Broadway cast 2017.
Pop on your ruby slippers, click your heels three times and prepare to defy gravity: Wicked is returning to Australia. When 2023 sweeps in, it will have been two decades since composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman took a book inspired by The Wizard of Oz, put it to music and turned it into one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century. And, it'll also mark Australian musical theatre fans' latest chance to see that very show right here at home — in Sydney from Friday, August 25. Even if you haven't seen the blockbuster show before, including on its past Aussie run from 2008–11, then you've likely heard of it. Following the Land of Oz's witches — telling their untold true tale is the musical's whole angle, in fact — Wicked has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Also huge: its worldwide footprint, playing in 16 countries around the world since its 2003 debut. And, when it makes its way to Sydney Lyric for its latest Aussie run, it'll do so after enchanting itself into fourth place in the list of longest-running Broadway shows ever — even surpassing Cats. [caption id="attachment_872890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wicked NY[/caption] Story-wise, Wicked starts before The Wizard of Oz and continues its narrative after Dorothy Gale lands, adapting Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The text itself has sold 5.5 million copies, including five million since the musical first opened. Here, before Dorothy blows in, two other women meet in the Land of Oz: Elphaba and Galinda. One will later be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, while the other will become Glinda the Good Witch. Exactly why that happens, and how, and the pair's relationship from rivals to unlikely friends to grappling with their new labels, fuels the show's tale. Wicked is being brought to Australia by John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia, Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B Platt and David Stone — and will also take to the stage again before the in-the-works two-part film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as Elphaba and Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Galinda, and directed by Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), is due to start reaching cinemas in 2024. Images: Joan Marcus.
In the year of the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday, the seventh annual Festival of Tibet returns to Brisbane. As one of the most educational, moving and finely curated events to be hosted in Brisbane, the festival is an enriching experience regardless of your level of knowledge about the country. From art to even more celestial experiences, this six-day celebration brings us so much of the beauty that defines Tibet. The Powerhouse will be transformed for the event, with a mix of free and ticketed events. Witness the creation of a superb sand mandala from millions of grains of coloured sand, learn to cook Tibetan dumplings, paint, meditate, contemplate and be swept up in beautiful music. The younger sister of the Dalai Lama, Jetsun Pema, lovingly known as ‘Ama la' (Tibetan for Mother), will be the celebrated guest of this year’s Festival of Tibet. UNESCO medal winner and first female Minister of the Tibetan Government in exile, Ama la will reflect on her experiences at a special forum and concert. All proceeds from the Festival of Tibet go to the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala, India.
Is there any such thing as bad gyoza? Wrapping tasty fillings in pastry is a rather straightforward concept, after all. Australia's Japanese chain Harajuku Gyoza does the basics well, as you'd expect with its dumpling-celebrating name — but it also knows that this simple dish is teeming with possibilities. Home to Nutella gyoza and salted caramel gyoza, Harajuku Gyoza clearly likes getting creative with its sweet treats. The brand is fond of trying out new things with its savouring dumpling range, too, as its experiment with mac 'n' cheese and pepperoni pizza versions showed. But, it obviously has a soft spot for the kind of desserts you won't find on any old menu — already whipping up lemon meringue gyoza and marshmallow gyoza so far in 2022, and now going with a Ferrero Rocher version. Don't like, can't eat or are allergic to hazelnuts? You'll already know that Ferrero Rocher aren't for you, and neither are these Ferrero Rocher dumplings, sadly. Otherwise, expect exactly what this food mashup sounds like. They come dipped in chocolate and topped with crushed hazelnuts, with an actual Ferrero Rocher inside. The home of raindrop cakes and Japanese air cheesecakes is doing three Ferrero Rocher gyoza for $12, if your stomach is already rumbling. And if you fancy tucking into the new dumplings after devouring two old favourites — cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt — that's up to you. Harajuku Gyoza's Ferrero Rocher gyoza are available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank and the CBD in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — from Tuesday, November 1.
Limes Hotel has been serving up some of Brisbane’s most luxurious culinary experiences for years, so it is hard not to be excited for the launch of its new dining venture, Alfred & Constance. Based around a food ethos of whole-animal cooking, sourced locally and raised ethically, this gastro pub is following a recipe for success. In addition to fine food, it incorporates a milk bar, dessert bar and four other bars, including a tiki bar, for what is likely to be the city’s chicest gluttonous venue. Although Albert & Constance is yet to open, it will be making an appearance at the Teneriffe Festival with a pop-up restaurant and bar aptly named Pork, Fork and Cork, to give the crowd a taste of what is yet to come. A mouth-watering selection of food and drink will be on offer, with Alfred & Constance Head Chef David Lindsey and Patron Chef Jocelyn Hancock on hand to provide insight into the new venture. Craft beers, cocktails from the Limes Hotel bartenders, wine and champagne will help fuel the festival fire alongside live music and DJ’s playing well into the evening.
Usually when you're at a bar choosing which kind of cocktail to sip, you're picking between multiple different styles. That's still the case at Sasso Italiano, the new Woolloongabba bar and trattoria in the inner east suburb's South City Square precinct — but selecting one of the 11 different negronis on the list is the most tempting option. Opening on Thursday, November 18, this Logan Road newcomer pours classic negronis, fig negronis, negroni sodas and negronis made with Campari and orange sorbet — and they're just some of the options. There's also the vintage birthday negroni, which features a different gin, vermouth and Campari from between the 60s and the 00s, depending on the year you were born. Sasso Italiano does more than drinks, of course — although its beverage lineup also spans a tiramisu martini made with mascarpone and amaretto foam, a G&T that features peach bitters, and the venue's own take on manhattans and margaritas. There's also three types of spritzes, three non-boozy cocktails (including a nogroni, of course), and a sizeable range of natural wines. And, beer-wise, it's serving a bespoke Birra Cazino from Aether Brewing that's made exclusively for the bar. With former Ovolo and QT Food and Beverage Directors Vincent Lombino and Jared Thibault behind the eatery, and Head Chef Gabriele Di Landri (ex-Dolphin Hotel, Chiswick Restaurant and Aria) leading the open-plan kitchen, Sasso Italiano's food menu is also a big drawcard. Think: 11 types of pizza, pastas including spaghetti cacio e pepe and linguine marinara, and bistecca alla fiorentina, Tuscan steak and Mediterranean-style half roast chicken among the mains. For those after a smaller bite, the starters selection includes gnocco fritto and arancini, while the crudo lineup features oysters, king salmon and and yellow fin tuna tartare. Or, opt for 50-gram charcuterie servings, house-pickled sardines, confit octopus and the trusty favourite that is burrata. Desserts span tiramisu — to pair with one of those aforementioned tiramisu martinis, perhaps — plus cannoli, bomboloni, a range of gelato and sorbet, and a cheese selection. And, if plenty of Sasso Italiano's dishes sound like classics, that's because the restaurant and bar is going for an old-school, neighbourhood-style, 70s-inspired feel. Dim lighting suits the mood, as does the warm-hued colour palette and wraparound seating. Sasso Italiano marks the first of Lombino and Thibault's planned eateries in South City Square, with more set to open by May 2022. Find Sasso Italiano at South City Square, 4/148 Logan Road, Woolloongabba, from Thursday, November 18 — open for lunch from 12–3pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and for dinner from 5–10.30pm from Tuesday–Saturday.
Back in January, it was announced that Patricia Piccinini's fantastical Skywhale, the 34-metre-long inflatable art piece that has repeatedly captured the attention and the hearts of Australians, would be joined by a new floating companion. Skywhalepapa, Piccinini's new other-worldly creation, stands as tall as a ten-storey building and was unveiled to the public in the early hours of Sunday, February 7. Both Skywhale and Skywhalepapa were scheduled to take off from the National Gallery of Australia on Saturday, February 6 as part of the Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition, however, that date was postponed to Sunday in hopes of better flying conditions. Unfortunately, come Sunday, weather conditions hadn't improved enough to allow the Skywhales to fly. Despite being unable to take off over Canberra, the pair of fantastical hot air balloons were inflated and able to float tethered in front of the gallery. The Skywhales will have future opportunity to fly in the sky on Monday, March 8 and Saturday, April 3, too, with free tickets to the second and third flights set to be released in coming weeks. These flights are running concurrently with a multimedia exhibition at the NGA that includes Piccinini's new children's book Every Heart Sings, which tells the story of the Skywhale family. Skywhale-inspired croissants made by Three Mills Bakery, an open-source Skywhale knitting pattern and a Skywhale song titled 'We Are the Skywhales' were also created alongside the exhibition. Following the March and April flights, the Skywhales are scheduled to go on tour, floating across the skies of Australia throughout 2021 and 22. The tour will kick off in Albury, NSW sometime in mid-April and will make it's way around to several states, providing more Australians with the opportunity to marvel at the enormous art projects. Skywhalepapa was created using 3.6 kilometres of fabric and features nine baby Skywhales, safely tucked beneath their father's fins. To learn more about the Skywhale family, you can purchase the book Every Heart Sings from the NGA website. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings will take place at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT on Monday, March 8 and Saturday, April 3. For more information on the exhibition, visit the NGA website and follow the NGA on Twitter for regular updates on the Skywhales and on tickets to future events. Images: Skywhale 2013, Skywhalepapa 2020, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Copyright the artist.
Usually when you visit Japan — something that's now back on the agenda thanks to the country's newly reopened borders — you can't also enjoy a meal from one of Copenhagen's most acclaimed restaurants. But for ten weeks between March and May 2023, you'll be able to soak in the sights of Kyoto and eat dishes from René Redzepi's Noma, all courtesy of the latter's latest residency. That timing also coincides with cherry blossom season, so add all those gorgeous pink flowers to your itinerary, too. Every now and then — more often prior to the pandemic, obviously — Redzepi's globally renowned, three-Michelin-starred, five-time World's Best list-topping eatery hops around the planet, temporarily setting up shop in another city. It's done just that in Japan before, just in Tokyo; in Sydney as well; and in Tulum, Mexico. Who doesn't want to head to Japan more than once, though? The Kyoto residency will take place at Ace Hotel Kyoto, another outpost of the hotel chain that just opened its first Australian venue in Sydney earlier in 2022. The dates to pop in your diary: Wednesday, March 15–Saturday, May 20, with services running four days a week for lunch and dinner, once per day, between Wednesday–Saturday. [caption id="attachment_874227" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yoshihiro Makino[/caption] "I believe Kyoto to be the birthplace of the western tasting menu, and it remains one of the most important cities through which to understand the fine dining scene today. Much of my own journey and inspiration can be boiled down to a handful of important moments, and going to Japan and Kyoto for the first time is one of them. We have always wanted to return and explore this region as a team," said Redzepi, announcing the pop-up. "We have been working on this specific project for the past two years, and we have had a team on the ground since late spring, foraging and researching what will form the foundation of our Kyoto menu. Our main inspiration comes from the very heart of Kyoto, the kaiseki cuisine, while not at all being a Japanese restaurant. We come to be inspired, to learn, to absorb new creative processes and to hopefully bring back new perspectives and a clearer vision for how to be Noma," Redzepi continued. In Ace Hotel Kyoto's 64-seat restaurant, Redzepi and his team will serve up a menu that highlights produce from the Kyoto region — and spring produce specifically, given that'll be the season in Japan at the time — with ingredients sourced from local farmers, hunters, fishmongers and foragers. Diners will pay €475 / around AU$745, for the menu — and there's an accompanying beverage option, with a choice of boozy and non-alcoholic drinks, for €300 / AU$ 470 per person. Then, there's a ten-percent service charge as well, and all costs have to be paid when you book. Yes, this is a true treat yo'self kind of experience. Reservations for meals only open at 11pm AEDT on Monday, November 7, and expect them to book out quick — Noma's pop-ups always do. Ace Hotel Kyoto is also doing meal-and-stay packages, so you don't have to travel far once you're finished feasting. They also aren't cheap, starting at ¥120,000 JPY / €846 / AU$1321 for two nights for two people. That price also includes a deluxe king room, free daily breakfast, an early check-in and late check-out, and two reservations at Noma's Kyoto residency — but the costs of the Noma meals and beverages will be separate. Wondering what else to do in Japan? Check out this Concrete Playground Trips package, which'll take you on a cultural tour from Kyoto to Tokyo. Noma's Kyoto residency will run from Wednesday, March 15–Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Ace Hotel Kyoto, 245-2 Kurumayacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8185, Japan. For more information, and to sign up to book reservations with room packages when they become available, head to the Ace Hotel Kyoto's website. For restaurant reservations only — which will become available from 11pm AEDT on Monday, November 7 — head to the Noma website to sign up for the restaurant's newsletter. René Redzepi / Noma images: Amy Tang. 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.
If you are feeling like your wardrobe needs a bit of an update, then you're in luck. Australian clothing brand Assembly Label is hosting an online warehouse sale for a limited time, so you can buy some new linen pants, simple tees and easy breezy button-ups without going too hard on the wallet. Known for its timeless, minimalist pieces, Assembly Label is a go-to for top-quality staples that'll take you from your morning coffee to working in your living room (aka the office), lounging around on weekends and going out for lunch with mates — really, you won't need much else. The online warehouse sale kicks off Monday, March 7 with a wide range of both men's and women's wear on offer. If you've not quite accepted that summer's over — or if you're planning ahead for a mid-year trip to the northern hemisphere — you can stock up on Assembly signature summery linen dresses, swimwear, skirts and shorts. Best of all, the selection will be on sale at up to 70 percent off for a limited time only with free shipping across Australia, too. Shipping to New Zealand costs $15. Assembly Label's online warehouse sale runs from March 7-9. To check what you can nab for up to 70 percent off, head here.
In these difficult economic times, it’s definitely getting harder to get much bang for your buck. Instead of rolling our eyes when an oldie gives us a lecture about how times have changed, we have all started spouting our own disgruntled thoughts on the cost of… well pretty much everything. Luckily the fine people from Judith Write Centre of Contemporary Arts are here to look out for us. They want to make sure that we can all have a thrilling night of music, art and hotdogs without breaking the bank. That’s why they have put together the brand spanking new all-ages series CHEAP THRILLS! For a mere $15, this all-ages licensed event will be showcasing some of the most exciting bands to emerge out of the East Coast. They’ve got Melbourne’s King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Newcastle’s Kira Puru & The Bruise as well as locals Gung Ho and The Well Alrights. There will also be free sets in the shopfront from DJ Black Amex and DJ Hot Flush as well as photographic projections by Dane Beesley. Another incredibly important note to make is that the first 100 pre-sale tickets sold will received a free Hellhound Hotdog! Get yourself a night of top-notch entertainment on a shoestring budget.
Two years ago, a pop-up bar made of Lego descended on Australia. Now, in a time of social distancing and self-isolation, the country's next kidult-friendly, Lego-inspired experience is, of course, a subscription service. The Brick Box, as it has fittingly been dubbed, delivers a new box of bricks and building challenges to your door each month. You can sign up for one ($20), three ($50), six ($100) or 12 ($200) months, with the price getting cheaper as you commit to a longer period of time. There's no word on exactly what blocks, challenges and designs you'll be sent each month, but it's promising that "each box will give you ideas and different challenges to build whilst you're stuck in the house". And, if you're not a huge fan of the challenges they've suggested, you can always set your own. YouTube is filled with endless inspiration and tutorials, after all. If Lego isn't your thing, the same company also offers subscription puzzle boxes, board game boxes and soap boxes. Check out all of the options over here. If you're sick of being on your screen — sliding down endless Twitter holes and glued to live streams — this may be the perfect antidote. If you can't get enough of your screen, however, check out our round up of the best virtual events. You can sign up to The Brick Box over here.
If you've seen director Joe Wright and Keira Knightley's subtle and affecting period dramas Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, you might think you know exactly what you're in for with Anna Karenina. And you could not be more wrong. This is an Anna Karenina full of risks. It's a melodrama with the zippy editing of a Guy Ritchie film, the Gallic filigree of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and, above all, the flourish and symbolism of a work of theatre. In fact, pretty much the whole film has been transplanted to within the confines of a theatre, a conceit that brilliantly suggests a society ruled by pretence and observation. In this world, society balls play out on stage, affairs unfold within the wings, and when a character visits the poorer part of town, he climbs three storeys into the shaky rafters. When the St Petersburg elite sit down to watch a piece of theatre, the curtain lifts on the next scene in their lives. Does it hammer you over the head with this metaphor? Absolutely. Are we bothered? No. Anna Karenina is knowing in its heavy-handedness, and all power to it for embracing the brashness of what is, after all, culture's most populist medium. It doesn't always succeed, but where it takes you is mostly great and always interesting — and that's the bigger achievement. It's kind of extraordinary to read that the whole world-within-a-theatre idea only came 12 weeks before the shoot, because it's a striking marriage of theme and methodology. Wright already had two names known mostly for their imposing stage work attached to the project — screenwriter Tom Stoppard (indeed, many of the scene changes call to mind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, whose expertise informed the smallest gestures as well as an expressive waltz — alongside ever-intense film composer Dario Marianelli, and they each play their part in taking the movie one bold step further away from the expectedly realist to the dizzyingly theatrical. Leo Tolstoy's famously vast novel has of course been whittled down, so that everything that happens on screen elucidates the central theme of infidelity and whether it is an impulse "of the animal or the soul". By the time Anna (Knightley) dives into the arms of besotted military officer Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), desire and repercussion has been examined from every angle, and we feel for both the lovers and Anna's betrayed, dispassionate husband, Karenin (Jude Law, who's excellent here). It's also still a tale of two cities (St Petersburg and Moscow, in a Sydney-Melbourne-type rivalry) and the country, with their contrasting characters and morality. It's easy to conclude that this Anna Karenina is a superficial portrait of a superficial society, but that would be to dismiss how emotionally powerful it is in key moments, particularly an intricately choreographed society scene that communicates the oppressiveness of gossip. At other times, mainly when the campiness loses its originality and grabs at cliche, the film goes off the rails, and it sadly detracts from Anna's fate. Wright and co. should be applauded for having the guts to do things differently and birth an Anna Karenina unlike any of its predecessors. It's worth watching, and more than once.
Have you ever sipped a daiquiri under the Barbie-head chandelier at Lychee Lounge? Check. Dined whilst sat cross-legged on a rug at Garuva? Check. Visited the gents' with a one-way mirror at the Regatta? Check. But have you had dinner in a shipping container? Well, every Friday and Saturday night from November 8, you can do just that. Brisbane's patron saint of markets, restaurants and cafes, Peter Hackworth, will transform Hamilton Wharf into a foodie's dream, creating a gastronomic spectacle never seen in Brisbane before. The team from Eat Street Markets, including Hackworth, John Stainton and Jacki MacDonald have worked together to deliver 60 shipping containers to the wharf, creating a street market with originality coming out the ears. The goal is to "recreate in Brisbane the hustle and bustle of the fabulous food markets of Asia" according to Hackworth, a goal that is set to be achieved by inviting local chefs to whip up their take on South-East Asian cuisine, complimented by boutique beers, cocktails and fine wines, all set to the unique aural offerings of local musicians. For the first two weeks, the markets will partner with Containerval music and arts festival, showcasing a vast array of Queensland's artists and musicians in various containers and tents along the riverside. To help create MacDonald's vision of a "magic space filled with long strings of lights, delicious food, flowers, fresh produce, art and music," Eat Street Markets will also coincide with the Brisbane International Film Festival's open-air cinema, spoiling moviegoers for choice when it comes to pre- or post-film snacks. The grand opening is November 8 and Eat Street will continue from 4-10pm every Friday and Saturday night. See their website for more details.
Cycling to work is fun. But turning up to the office in lyrca and fluoros? Not so much. Fortunately (for everyone involved) San Francisco-based designer Parker Dusseau has come up with a solution. It's a suit that's cool enough to ride and work in. That's cool, temperature- and style-wise. Similar to the Wear-More, Wash-Less T-shirt that caught our eye last week, the 'Commuter Suit' is made of merino. Australian 135 Performance Superwool, to be precise, with spandex throw in for flexibility, poly tricot mesh lining and a water-resistant finish. Not only is it breathable, it actually wicks away moisture, minimising temperatures while maximising comfort levels. The cut is form-fitting yet allows plenty of room for movement. According to Dusseau's site, the Commuter Suit embodies "the perfect intersection of cycle gear and men's fashion". Pretty much every conceivable detail seems to have been taken into consideration. A pleat in the back section of the jacket creates an 'Action Back', enabling extension and stretching without resistance. A three-button enclosure prevents the wind cutting through. Super-deep internal pockets provide safe storage. Elastic bands hidden in the pant cuffs mean they can be secured to avoid entanglement in the chain. Available in navy and charcoal grey, the Commuter Suit can be purchased online. Jackets are selling for US$485 and pants for US$245. There's also a dress shirt, which comes in ivory white or periwinkle blue, for US$145 and 'Commuter Cinos' for US$145. Via PSFK.
Do you remember making time capsules when you were younger? You'd fill a little shoebox with your most prized possessions like an Eiffel 65 CD, a daisy chain your friend made you, and a battered magazine cut-out of Titanic-era Leonardo DiCaprio, and then write a letter to your future self. Twenty years later when it came time to open it you'd either forgotten where it was entirely or found it and wished you hadn't. Well, legendary author Margaret Atwood is essentially doing that with her latest book. It may be housed in a more sophisticated version of your shoebox, but her current work-in-progress will be stowed away unread for the next 100 years. This will all take place because of a larger initiative started by Scottish artist Katie Paterson. The Future Library Project will see one author per year contribute to a collection of works to be published in 2114. This year organisers planted 1,000 trees in Norway that will be used to print the books in 100 years time. Atwood is the first author to take part, but she seems unfazed by the project and its absolutely crippling reminder of our collective mortality. "When you write any book you do not know who's going to read it, and you do not know when they're going to read it," she told The Guardian. "You don't know who they will be, you don't know their age, or gender, or nationality, or anything else about them. So books, anyway, really are like the message in the bottle." In fact, the project raises many questions about the nature of writing and reception. Will people still have books then? Will we speak exclusively in emojis and gifs? How will they convert the text into the direct brain waves they use to input information from their flying cars and jetpacks? In speaking about the project, Paterson stated the 100-year time span was very deliberate. "[It's] not vast in cosmic terms ... it is beyond many of our current lifespans, but close enough to come face to face with it, to comprehend and relativise," she said. It's a scary prospect, and an extremely daring project to take on as a writer. Where an author's job is usually to articulate and discuss life in historical and social context, this throws everything out of whack. The people who will read and review this upcoming work haven't even been born yet! Personally, we've got out fingers crossed we're going to make it. Modern science and all, right? Either that, or we'll just give our great, great grandkids the heads up. Via The Guardian.
Things are always better in miniature. Baby animals, bonsai trees and miniature adults (read: children) never fail to excite squeals of adoration and appreciation in normal human beings. So why don't we turn the shrink ray on other everyday items? Good question. Lea Redmond, 'Postmaster' of the World's Smallest Postal Service (WSPS) has therefore created a range of ridiculously tiny letters, packages and custom stationery. Submit a message on her website and your words will be transcribed into a little letter and sent directly to the recipient of your choice. You can also send packages containing buttons, little compasses or paper flowers, or order your own tiny custom stationery. Think of all the uses! You need to send a birthday card to your friend who lives on the island of Lilliput, but you know the average Hallmark missive will squish her tiny frame flat? Send her a tiny letter just the right size for her little lady paws! You want to break up with your boyfriend, but hate confrontation? Send him a tiny break-up letter that cannot be read by the naked eye! By the time he gets a magnifying glass and the heartbreaking disappointment sinks in, you'll be in Barbados lounging on the beach with his best friend! You need to send your own obituary to The Herald, because you've actually perished from a cute overdose? Signed, sealed, delivered. *If you order a package, you also get a tiny mailbox, as featured below.
While the weekend is still one day away, you can enjoy the taste of freedom on your Thursday night with the Wandering Cooks and their caravan of food trucks. Each week the "incubator for food entrepreneurs" invites the city's food trucks to park in their lot and cook alongside some of the organisation's own talent. Sweet tunes accompany the selection of cheap-as-chips dinner options, and different trucks roll up each week. Meet your buds after work, organise a casual midweek date night or head along on a whim for something a bit different. But get in early, before the food drives out. When they’re not parking their wares for roadside service, Wandering Cooks are catering events, lending commercial kitchens and showcasing their members' wares to grow their pretty fun community. Image: How We Rolls.
When a film or TV show is crafted with a deep-seated love for its chosen genre, it shows. When it wants to do more than just nod and wink at greats gone by like a big on-screen super fan — when its creators passionately hope that it might become a classic in its own right, rather than a mere imitation of better titles — that comes through, too. That's the case with Starstruck. Across the new sitcom's six-episode first season, it takes Notting Hill's premise, gives it a 22-years-later update and delivers a smart, sidesplittingly funny and all-round charming rom-com. It also features series creator and star Rose Matafeo enjoying a morning-after stride of pride to the sounds of 90s hit 'Return of the Mack', which is instantly as delightful as it sounds. When she last graced our screens, Matafeo took on pregnancy-centric rom-coms in 2020's similarly winsome Baby Done. There, she helped slice through the typical on-screen rhetoric that usually surrounds motherhood, playing a professional arborist who is so far from thrilled when she finds out she's expecting that she keeps living her tree-climbing life in complete denial. The New Zealand comedian wasn't just plucky and relatable in the film; she ensured that her character was always the sum of both clear strengths and overt struggles. The jump from that engaging and thoughtful performance to Starstruck's Jessie is an easy one, but that doesn't mean that the vibrant Matafeo is merely doing the same thing twice. A 28-year-old New Zealander in London who splits her time between working in a cinema and nannying, Jessie isn't expecting much when her best friend and roommate Kate (Emma Sidi, Pls Like) drags her out to a bar on New Year's Eve. And, for most of the evening, her lack of enthusiasm proves astute. Then she meets Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral). He overhears her rambling drunkenly to herself in the men's bathroom, they chat at the bar and, when sparks fly, she ends up back at his sprawling flat. It isn't until the next morning, however — when she sees a poster adorned with his face leaning against his living room wall — that she realises that he's actually one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Jessie is never just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her. While she likes Tom, she's also initially content that they've had their night together and now their lives will follow separate paths — "he can't take it back!" she tells Kate. But Jessie unexpectedly keeps bumping into Tom, and their attraction keeps bubbling. He's still ridiculously famous, she still isn't, and that places more than a few obstacles in their way. When she leaves after their first night together, the paparazzi mistake her for a cleaner. When he meets her friends, they all take the show's title as literally as anyone can. As the duo navigate all the baggage that comes with his job and her unwillingness to swoon over said job, Starstruck pairs the fairytale of hooking up with a celebrity with the all-too-relatable awkwardness that can come after spending a night with anyone — and it finds the perfect balance. With impeccable timing a given thanks to her stand-up background, Matafeo is a force of nature as Jessie; as in Baby Done, the comedian plays a strong, confident twentysomething who doesn't always know what she wants, and doesn't always make the best decisions, but owns her choices, emotions and mistakes because they're hers. Patel, jumping into Hugh Grant's back catalogue again after his aforementioned role in the recent Four Weddings and a Funeral TV remake, is just as engaging as Tom — who he plays with charm but never arrogance, and also with a healthy scepticism about the trappings of being a well-known actor. Also stellar: the constantly hilarious script by Matafeo and fellow comedian Alice Snedden, the light and buoyant direction by Obvious Child screenwriter and Yes, God, Yes writer/director Karen Maine, and the love of both cinema in general and rom-coms specifically that's baked into every frame. Indeed, it's no wonder that HBO Max, which funded and aired the series in the US, renewed the series for a second season on the day that it debuted in America. Whenever that new batch of episodes lands, they'll also feature Minnie Driver (with the About a Boy star first popping up in season one as Tom's agent) and Russell Tovey (Years and Years). For now, though, ABC iView in Australia also knows that viewers will want more Starstruck instantly, with the entire first season available to stream in one go. Check out the trailer for Starstruck below: Starstruck's first six-episode season is now available to stream via ABC iView. Images: Mark Johnson/HBO Max.
A certain snappable chocolate bar has told us to 'take a break' for years, but if you happen to find yourself craving creamy, coated wafer fingers in Japan, 'sell your first-born to hunt down every flavour you can' works just as well. Yes, the nation is well-known for its many weird and wonderful varieties, most of which you won't find elsewhere (we've tried). Think Australia's first Kit Kat chocolatory and those salted chocolate, cookies and cream, and choc mint whirl Kit Kats on Aussie supermarket shelves are special? Not even close. What's a chocolate lover to do when they find themselves in the country that ramps Kit Kat appreciation up to eleven? Try them all, of course. It's a tastier alternative to catching all the Pokémon. Here's our flavour-by-flavour guide to all the varieties you should try when in Japan. Prepare to have your tastebuds blown. GREEN TEA It's the Kit Kat you have when you don't have time for a cuppa — or when you want to combine one habit with the other. It's also the light green addition to the chocolate fold that you'll find absolutely everywhere in Japan. And yes, as it melts in your mouth, you'll enjoy the unmistakable flavour of green tea. A word of warning: these are sold in every convenience store on every corner for a reason. Pace yourself. PUMPKIN If you happen to be in Japan at the right time of year (aka October), prepare to find another kind of Kit Kat lining the shelves. The packaging is tinged with orange, features witches and ghosts, and contains a Halloween-themed pumpkin surprise. And yes, that sweet smell that reaches your nostrils when you open the packet is indicative of the flavour. It's more coconut-leaning than pumpkin, really, but given that it's also an acquired taste, maybe that's a good thing. SHINSHU APPLE If there was any justice in the world, dark chocolate Kit Kats would sit on every store shelf next to the regular milk chocolate varieties. They don't, but Japan's special Shinshu apple flavour offers the next best thing — as long as you're keen on rich fruit-laced chocolate that retains the taste of both. Unsurprisingly, they emit a powerful scent of fake apple, but we're happy to report the taste is much more subtle. WA-ICHIGO If the pink chocolate doesn't give it away, then the aroma and taste will: this is Japan's popular strawberry flavour. Reminiscent of an extra sweet, very strong serving of strawberries and cream, this is one sweet treat you really will want to savour/eat again and again. You can buy them at the airport by the 68-piece boxful — the decadent purchase is highly recommended. HOKKAIDO MELON Hokkaido melons (that is, yubari melons that are available on the island of Hokkaido) are considered a delicacy. In Kit Kat form, they smell and taste like rockmelons — and those sensations somehow happen to be both strong and refreshing. This chocolate has a secret though, and it's a good one: it's also flavoured with mascarpone cheese. Yum. WASABI They had to do it, didn't they? Wasabi Kit Kats are the things that curious eaters' dreams are made of — and the kind of food mashup even those that aren't fond of the plant-based nose-burning paste that's commonly eaten with sushi will probably ponder trying. The good news: it takes a while for the taste to kick in, but once it does, you'll know about. You mightn't want to eat too many of these morsels at once, but you'll be happy enough to give them a second try. SAKURA MATCHA Ever wanted to know what cherry blossoms and matcha tea would taste like if they were smashed together, mixed with chocolate and poured over wafers? Primarily available in Japan in spring, the sakura matcha Kit Kats have you covered. If you've already scoffed some matcha ones, these ones will taste similar — but it has a stronger, floral-like aftertaste. YOKOHAMA STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE Japan's Kit Kat powers that be clearly believe that you can make something great into something even better. Take the Yokohama strawberry cheesecake flavour, for example. If you want a creamier, slightly more subdued — but somehow even more mouthwatering — version of the wa-ichigo variety, this is the chocolate to stuff your suitcase full of. RUM RAISIN Everyone knows that one of the the best things about Christmas is rum balls. So how would you feel about savouring that delicious boozy taste all year-round in wafer-based chocolate form? Rum raisin Kit Kats are right up there with the best of them — and given that even the highly acquired tastes are delicious, that's high praise. It looks like a white chocolate Kit Kat, smells rummy, tastes rummy, and will make you think of many a drunken family get-together. SAKE How good is sake? It's great to drink, and it is so, so, so, so good as a Kit Kat flavour. The first thing you'll notice when you open your bottle-shaped box of chocolates is the uncanny aroma that really does trick your tastebuds into thinking that you're about to sip the real thing. If we could only eat one type of Kit Kat for the rest of our lives, we'd want it to be this one. Top image: Mira Pangkey via Flickr.
Whether you've been directly affected or have watched from afar, this summer's catastrophic bushfires have taken a physical and mental toll on many of us. With fires burning record amounts of land, and flooding making things worse in some spots, you might be looking for a way to help out as areas begin to recover. While there are plenty of charities and organisations to donate money to, you can also donate your time as a volunteer to help those in need. From caring for injured wildlife to answering the phones at evacuation centres, here are seven ways that you can use your time (and your skills) to lend a hand. GET OUT IN NATURE WITH YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE With more than ten percent of forest destroyed by bushfires in NSW's national parks alone this season, our national park services are going to need plenty of volunteers around the country to help with wildlife recovery. From caring for and spotting animals to conserving the bush and educating visitors, there's something for everyone. In NSW, you can register your interest with the National Parks and Wildlife Service here. Once you've done that, sit tight as NPWS will be contacting potential volunteers once bushfire recovery activities have been planned. Or, you can have a look through its current job opportunities and find something that tickles your fancy. In Melbourne, you can register to volunteer for Parks Victoria here and Brisbanites can check out Queensland National Parks. LEND A HAND TO BUSHFIRE-AFFECTED FAMILIES IN THE REBUILD If you're keen to get your hands dirty, volunteering with BlazeAid might be your cup of tea. As a BlazeAid volunteer, you'll head out to a basecamp in a bushfire-affected area and spend the day helping property owners rebuild damaged fences and other structures. You don't need any experience and all your meals and protective gear will be provided — all you need is some camping gear. Plus, you can volunteer for as little or long as you like. Sounds right up your alley? There are open BlazeAid basecamps in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, so find one near you here, and contact them a few days before you arrive. CARE FOR INJURED KOALAS, BIRDS AND CRITTERS One of the biggest impacts of the bushfires has been on our native animal populations — there are millions of creatures of all sizes in need of medical care, habitat relocation and food supplies. If you're passionate about helping animals, there are organisations all around the country where you can donate your time and skills to. Sydneysiders should check out WIRES. To get started, you'll need to become a licensed carer by completing a training course run by WIRES. At $125 per person, you'll learn how to handle, examine and immediately care for animals — you can find available training sessions here. There's also the Wildlife Volunteers Association on the Sunshine Coast and southeast Queensland's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Wildlife Victoria isn't currently accepting new volunteers (there have been so many people offering to help that the organisation doesn't have time to train everyone), but you can follow its Facebook to keep up to date on new opportunities as they pop up. You can also register with Conservation Volunteers Australia here to get more info, or get in touch with your state's RSPCA. [caption id="attachment_761222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Organic Regenerative Investment Co-operative[/caption] HELP ORGANIC FARMERS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET With bushfires putting even more pressure on already drought-affected farmers across the country, the Organic and Regenerative Investment Co-Operative (ORICoop) is looking for volunteers to help them get back on their feet. The company is aiding organic and biodynamic farmers across NSW, Victoria and SA with bushfire-recovery efforts and helping them maintain their organic status. ORICoop is looking for assistance of all kinds from volunteers with different skills. You can offer on-the-ground support or help out with logistics — think everything from tree planting to marketing and coordinating volunteers. There is plenty to do. If you want to find out more or sign up to volunteer in your state, head here. GET CRAFTY FOR A GOOD CAUSE For the crafty volunteer, you can use your skills to help rescued animals, too, even if you aren't located near a bushfire zone. Whether you sew, knit, crochet or quilt (or you've always wanted to learn), there's something you can do. If you're into knitting and sewing, why not make some pouches for joeys and other young animals rescued by WIRES, Wildlife Victoria or the Wildlife Volunteers Association? Before you do, though, check what each charity is looking for. You can also join the Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild, which shares patterns and guides for all sorts of items like knitted jumpers and crocheted bird nests. Interested in joining? Sign up with their Facebook group and start with this post. [caption id="attachment_761225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NSW State Emergency Service[/caption] DON THE BRIGHT ORANGE GET UP OF THE SES While responding to emergencies might seem daunting, there are a bunch of ways you can help your state's emergency services by becoming a volunteer. You can assist the SES by clearing debris, helping residents prepare for severe weather, answering phones and supporting teams in the field in a logistics role. Plus, NSW SES lets you sign up as a spontaneous volunteer, so can get involved without committing long term or having previous experience. To find out more about volunteering and to apply, head to the NSW, Victorian and Queensland SES websites. LEARN FIRST AID OR ANSWER PHONES WITH ST JOHN You might have seen St John volunteers at concerts, sporting events or local festivals, but they have also been supporting our firefighters and the police during the bushfires, too. And there are plenty of ways you can get involved. As well as providing first aid (which you'll need a first aid certificate for), St John volunteers can assist in communications and logistics roles. Currently, you can help at evacuation centres or answer phones at police-run emergency call centres. Along the way, you'll pick up even more skills, including how to use different medications and what to do during to life-threatening emergencies. To become a volunteer with your local division, fill in an application here.
Every September and October, Germany erupts with brews, food and lederhosen-wearing revellers for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. When that time rolls around Down Under, Australia follows suit. One such festivity is Oktoberfest in the Gardens, which has been throwing big Bavarian-themed celebrations around the country for 13 years — and is making its Brisbane debut in 2023. Oktoberfest in the Gardens will premiere in the Sunshine State capital at Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, October 14. If you're keen to head along, expect company; the event expects to welcome in over 70,000 people enjoying steins, schnitties and German shindigs across this year's seven-city run. Bribsane's fest will serve up the same kind of beer- and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans that Germany has become so famous for. So, if you have a hankering for doppelbock and dancing to polka, it's the next best thing to heading to Europe. Oktoberfest in the Gardens boasts a crucial attraction, too: as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it constructs huge beer halls to house the boozy merriment. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, a silent disco, rides and a sideshow alley are all on the agenda.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If 50 of the world's most renowned street artists transform a derelict, glamorous 19th-century bathhouse-turned-nightclub into a temporary gallery space but no-one sees it, does it even exist? Paris's historic Les Bains-Douches building is steeped in history — built in 1885 as a civic bathhouse where Marcel Proust reportedly enjoyed a morning dip, the grandiose space became a pumping discotheque in the late '70s, until some overzealous renovation attempts led to the iconic club's closure in 2010. It's set to reopen as a mystery venue in 2014, but for now owner Jean Pierre-Marois has invited a stable of prominent urban artists, commissioned by the Magda Danysz Gallery, to reimagine the soon-to-be demolished space. Les Bain's fleeting metamorphosis as a gallery space will never open to the public; instead it's memorialised exclusively in the online exhibition platform Un Artiste Un Jour ('One day one artist), as captured by photographers Stephane Bisseuil and Jerome Coton. Perhaps a throwback to the pleasure-seeking days of disco when Les Bains was a playground for the debauchery of Andy Warhol, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Grace Jones, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger and Johnny Depp, the beautifully decaying artwork is here for a good time, not a long time. Hedonistic? Perhaps, but what is art if not beauty for beauty's sake alone. Take a sneak peek below, no fake ID necessary. Lek and Sowat Thomas Canto Jeanne Susplugas Joachim Sauter Sten Lex Zeer Image credits: Sambre, Lek and Sowat, Thomas Canto, Jeanne Susplugas, Joachim Sauter, Sten Lex, Zeer by Jerome Coton and Stephane Bisseuil. See more images here.
Offering a copy of their new EP She’s A Riot at a discounted price atop of the ticket fee Triple J favourites The Jungle Giants bring their lustful, indie-pop rock to The Zoo. Roar. A sound defined by hand claps, stomping backbeats, catchy-as hooks and lyrics about the trials and tribulations of life and love, The Jungle Giants are known for their electrifying, hair raising live performances - a combination that has their fans head over heels. She’s A Riot has seen the band compared to The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club and Last Dinosaurs, and is packed with tongue tingling melodies that’ll set your world on fire, and raise the hairs on the back of your neck to the skies.
My my, how can you resist this? MAMMA MIA! The Musical is bringing its Greek-set onstage party back to Australia in 2023 — and if you're a musical fan, an ABBA devotee or perennially keen to indulge in 70s nostalgia, you'll want to be there. By now, the hit production is well-known around the world, including from previous Aussie runs. It has spawned not one but two movies, too. And, its tale of a young bride-to-be's quest to find her father before her wedding will liven up Sydney Lyric from next autumn. So far, only a Sydney season has been locked in for MAMMA MIA! The Musical's Australian return, starting in May 2023. For folks outside the Harbour City, cross your fingers that this restaging of the popular 2017 production will also take its romantic chaos and 22 ABBA tracks around the country — or, you'll need to take a chance on a Sydney trip. Here we go again with one of the biggest jukebox musical hits of the past quarter-century, as seen by over 65 million people worldwide so far. The story, as theatre audiences have enjoyed since 1999, follows 20-year-old Sophie, who is about to marry her fiancé Sky on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi. It's her dream for her dad to walk her down the aisle, but courtesy of her mother Donna's old diary, she learns that her father could be one of three men: Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin or Harry Bright. Calling all dancing queens, obviously — with that track, the titular number, and everything from 'Money, Money, Money', 'Thank You for the Music', 'Super Trouper' and 'The Name of the Game' to 'SOS', 'Does Your Mother Know', 'Waterloo' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' featuring (and 'Take a Chance on Me', 'The Winner Takes It All' and, of course, 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do', too). The new Australian run hails from producers Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick, plus Helpmann Award-winning director Gary Young, choreographer Tom Hodgson and musical supervisor Stephen Amos. Exactly who'll be playing Sophie, Donna, Sam, Bill and Harry hasn't yet been revealed — but if you already know and love the show and the soundtrack, that won't matter. MAMMA MIA! The Musical plays Sydney Lyric from May 2023, with tickets on sale from Thursday, November 24. For further details or to join the waitlist, head to the production's website. Images: James D Morgan.
Whether you're travelling for work, leisure or something in-between, if you're a Brisbanite who has been in New South Wales lately, you've probably been happy to venture further than your own city. But with four Local Government Areas in Sydney about to be placed under stay-at-home orders from 11.59pm tonight, Friday, June 25 — yes, that's another term for a lockdown — the Queensland Government now requires anyone who has visited the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick council areas since Friday, June 11 to also abide by the same conditions. Yes, you should be feeling a bit of deja vu. This type of thing now tends to happen when another city goes into lockdown, so it has indeed occurred before. Queensland has already closed its borders to the Greater Sydney area in response to the city's current COVID-19 outbreak, but the state has now put a new stay-at-home requirement in place for anyone currently in Queensland who has been to the four specified LGAs. As announced in a Queensland Health public health alert released today, if you fall into that category, you're required to follow the same conditions that would be in place if you were in those four Sydney areas at the moment. The rules are the same as during Brisbane's three lockdowns, which means that you're only allowed to leave the house for select reasons. So, you can only head out for work or education if you can't do that at home, for essential shopping, for outdoor exercise, and for health care or to provide support for a vulnerable person. The City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick LGAs will be under stay-at-home orders until at least 11.59pm on Friday, July 2. https://twitter.com/qldhealthnews/status/1408274632910655496 Queensland is giving folks who've been in the four LGAs a little bit of extra leeway, though — if you're in the Sunshine State, the lockdown requirement won't kick in until 1am on Saturday, June 26. That said, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young advised that "if you're one of these people, please don't rush off to another location on holiday — if you do, you'll still need to follow these rules wherever you are." And, although Greater Sydney has already been deemed a hotspot by Queensland, that declaration is being backdated for the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick LGAs as well. So, if you're a Sunshine State resident who returns home after 1am on Saturday, June 26, and you've been in the four LGAs since Friday, June 11 — even if that's not where you're arriving back from now — you'll need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. Dr Young is also advising Queenslanders to "reconsider their need to travel to New South Wales during this time." Residents of seven Sydney LGAs — not just the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick, but also Bayside, Canada Bay and Inner West — are not permitted to leave the metropolitan Sydney area. As always, the usual general advice regarding hygiene and social distancing applies in Queensland, as it has throughout the pandemic. For more information about Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
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.
Have you seen a perfect stranger perform a random act of kindness? A school kid give up their seat for a little old lady on the bus? Had some mystery Sydneysider, without expecting a word of thanks, paid for your flat white? Then the Kaldor Public Arts Projects wants to hear from you. For the last forty odd years, John Kaldor has been inviting international artists to bring their innovative ideas and public arts projects to our shores. Their most recent project was John Baldessari's Your Name In Lights, which gave Sydneysiders their chance to have their 15 seconds of fame, and quickly became the talking point of the 2011 Sydney Festival. Now, they have brought UK artist Michael Landy to Sydney to create his installation piece, Acts of Kindness. Landy's idea for the project is to collect everyday (and seemingly unnoticed) stories of random acts of kindness, then turn them into an artwork which will - both artistically and literally - return the stories to the busy Sydney streets from which they came. It may even inspire a few more. The work will be shown in the city centre for one month from September 23, 2011.
2023's working year might've only just begun, but it's already time to book in a big overseas holiday. Put in that leave request ASAP. Block out your calendar. Bust out your suitcase, too, and make sure your passport is up to date. Your destination: the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, because Coachella is back for 2023 with a characteristically impressive roster of acts. Mark April 14–16 and April 21–23 in your diaries — including if you you're just keen to check out the livestream. (Remember, Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic.) The full bill is a jaw-dropper, as usual, with Bad Bunny headlining the Friday nights, BLACKPINK doing the Saturday nights and Frank Ocean on Sunday nights. Also on the bill: a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, ROSALÍA and Blondie through to The Kid LAROI, Björk, Fisher, Charlie XCX, Porter Robinson and Idris Elba. Whether you're after new tunes, the biggest music names right now or dripping nostalgia, it's on offer at Coachella 2023. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) For music lovers planning to watch along from home, Coachella will once again team up with YouTube to livestream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend. For those eager to attend in-person, you can signup for access to tickets over at the festival's website — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 13 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 14). At the time of writing, the festival advises that there are very limited passes left for weekend one, so your best bet is the second weekend. COACHELLA 2023 LINEUP: $uicideboy$ ¿Téo? 070 Shake 1999.ODDS 2manydjs A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Adam Beyer AG Club Airrica Alex G Ali Sethi Angèle Ashnikko Bad Bunny Bakar Becky G BENEE Big Wild Björk BLACKPINK Blondie Boris Brejcha boygenius BRATTY Burna Boy Calvin Harris Camelphat Cannons Cassian Charli XCX Chloé Caillet Chris Stussy Christine and the Queens Chromeo Colyn Conexión Divina DannyLux Dennis Cruz + PAWSA Despacio Destroy Boys Diljit Dosanjh Dinner Party featuring Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper and Kamasi Washington DJ Tennis + Carlita Doechii Dombresky Domi & JD Beck Dominic Fike Donavan's Yard DPR LIVE + DPR IAN DRAMA EARTHGANG El Michels Affair Eladio Carrión Elderbrook Elyanna Eric Prydz presents HOLO Ethel Cain Fisher + Chris Lake FKJ Flo Milli Fousheé Francis Mercier Frank Ocean Gabriels GloRilla Gordo Gorillaz Hiatus Kaiyote Horsegirl Hot Since 82 IDK Idris Elba Jackson Wang Jai Paul Jai Wolf Jamie Jones Jan Blomqvist Joy Crookes Juliet Mendoza Jupiter & Okwess Kali Uchis Kaytranad Keinemusik Kenny Beats Knocked Loose Kyle Watson Labrinth Latto Lava La Rue Lewis OfMan Los Bitchos Los Fabulosos Cadillacs LP Giobbi Maceo Plex Magdalena Bay Malaa Marc Rebillet Mareux Mathame Metro Boomin Minus the Light MK Mochakk Momma Monolink MUNA Mura Masa NIA ARCHIVES Noname Nora En Pure Oliver Koletzki Overmono Paris Texas Pi'erre Bourne Porter Robinson Pusha T Rae Sremmurd Rebelution Remi Wolf Romy ROSALÍA Saba Sasha & John Digweed Sasha Alex Sloan Scowl SG Lewis Shenseea Sleaford Mods Snail Mail SOFI TUKKER Soul Glo Stick Figure Sudan Archives Sunset Rollercoaster Tale Of Us TESTPILOT The Blaze The Breeders The Chemical Brothers The Comet Is Coming The Garden The Kid LAROI The Linda Lindas The Murder Capital Tobe Nwigwe TSHA TV Girl Two Friends UMI Uncle Waffles Underworld Vintage Culture Wet Leg Weyes Blood WhoMadeWho Whyte Fang Willow Yaeji Yung Lean YUNGBLUD Yves Tumor Coachella runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Find out more information and register for tickets at coachella.com — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 13 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 14).
In a sultry city such as Brisbane, a place where winter weather lasts for approximately a week each year, letting everyone cool down in public pools for less than the cost of a coffee — less than the cost of almost everything — was always going to be a hit. Accordingly, after its first-ever run from December 2023–February 2024, Brisbane City Council's $2 Summer Dips scheme might return at the end of 2024. Announced in June 2023, and running for the entire three months of summer, $2 Summer Dips slashed entry fee at all 22 of Brisbane City Council's public pools around the River City. During its debut season, more than 660,000 Brisbanites took advantage of it, with over 88,000 of those folks heading to Newmarket's pool alone — increasing its summer attendance by 85 percent from 2022–23. [caption id="attachment_904760" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Love swimming laps? Prefer a leisurely soak as your favourite way to cool down? Does nothing could say summer to you quite like hanging out poolside? Whichever category fits, you may be able to live the pool life for cheap at Brisbane City Council's public venues — again — between Sunday, December 1, 2024–Friday, February 28, 2025. And yes, having a splash will only cost you $2, with that discounted price applying to everyone, adults and kids alike. The saving drops the adult entry price from $6.40 to $2. The reduced rate covers every single day across the period, too, which includes all of the Christmas and New Year public holidays. [caption id="attachment_741063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cieran Murphy[/caption] The return of the scheme has been promised by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner as part of Brisbane's local government elections. So, it may depend on who wins — or it could be the kind of initiative that returns no matter who emerges victorious. There's no other catches — including no limit on how many times you can take advantage of the deal. Fancy going for a swim at your local every day during summer? Working your way around Brisbane's public pools, diving into a different one daily? Both are options. Across the summer of 2023–24, Jindalee, Carole Park and the Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre also saw a doubling of attendance rates — and entry numbers across the full 22 overall doubled in the month of December alone. [caption id="attachment_904761" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Brisbane City Council's public pools include Centenary Pool, Spring Hill Baths and the Valley Pool, plus Musgrave Park Swimming Centre, the Colmslie Aquatic Centre in Morningside, Ithaca Pool in Paddington, Dunlop Park Memorial Swimming Pool in Corinda and Hibiscus Sports Complex Pool in Upper Mount Gravatt. Chermside Pool, Bellbowrie Pool and Manly Pool are all covered as well, as are Yeronga Park Memorial Swimming Pool, Mt Gravatt East Swimming Pool and Sandgate Aquatic Centre — and more. [caption id="attachment_621822" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council[/caption] [caption id="attachment_777650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] [caption id="attachment_777649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_777652" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] If Brisbane City Council's $2 Summer Dips program returns, it will run from Sunday, December 1, 2024–Friday, February 28, 2025. To find your closest public pool, head to the council website. Check out our list of the best outdoor swimming pools in Brisbane for 2024. Top image: Cieran Murphy.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants for 2013 have just been announced, and it seems the trend towards all things natural and sustainable is here to stay, along with a speckling of Australian culinary talent working here and abroad. The Acqua de Panna award for Australasia's best went to Attica in Melbourne, a Ripponlea gem helmed by Patrick Shewry. The New Zealand-born chef has brought a certain sensitivity to his kitchen and earned a reputation for sustainable practice that showcases natural flavours and textures. Breaking into the list at no. 21, Attica was also honoured with the highest placed new entry. Peter Gilmore's usual suspect, Quay, came in at no. 48 to secure its fifth consecutive year on the list and rounded out our national presence. The result of 900 food journalist, restaurateurs, gastronomes and chefs working across the planet, the World's 50 Best Restaurants named Catalonia's El Celler de Can Roca as this year's premier international culinary destination. Run by the three Roca brothers — Joan (chef), Jordi (pastry chef) and Josep (sommelier), pictured — it has sat at no.2 for the last two years behind Denmark's Noma, which left the number one ranking for the first time in three years to slip to no.2. The United States and France confirmed their ascendancy with six restaurants in the top 50 each, including the celebrity-magnet Per Se in New York. Homegrown talent working abroad also nabbed a few spots, with Brett Graham's Notting Hill restaurant, The Ledbury, finishing at no. 13 and ex-Sydneysider David Thompson coming in at no.32 with Nahm in Bangkok. Thompson became the Sydney authority on Thai cuisine during the '90s with his well-remembered Darley Street Thai.
Sydneysiders keen to visit the Sunshine State can start making plans for February, after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today, Thursday, January 28, that her state's borders will completely reopen to New South Wales. In response to NSW's most recent COVID-19 clusters, Queensland's borders closed down to folks from the Greater Sydney area over the Christmas period; however, come Monday, February 1, current restrictions on NSW residents heading north will lift. Premier Palaszczuk first revealed the news on The Today Show, before tweeting that "people have done a terrific job looking after each other through the pandemic and now Queensland is good to go". The news comes after the NSW Government yesterday, Wednesday, January 27, advised that gathering and venue restrictions would start easing within the state from Friday, January 29 — which was sparked by reaching ten days without any cases of local COVID-19 transmission. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1354532640729174019 The timing of Premier Palaszczuk's announcement isn't surprising — earlier in January, she had noted that the border situation would be reviewed again at the end of January, and that the state wouldn't reopen to NSW until the end of this month at the earliest. The latest statement regarding Queensland's borders comes as the state has 12 active COVID-19 cases — as last updated on Wednesday, January 27. For more information about Queensland's border restrictions and requirements, head to the Queensland Government website.
Plenty about the past couple of years has felt dystopian, but that isn't stopping one West End spot from indulging in an annual tradition. That'd be Archive Beer Boutique's signature event, its craft beer fest Armakeggon, which returns on Saturday, September 10. Obviously, the bar will still be around long after the shindig is over. It isn't the end times on Boundary Street. Head along, though, and you'll find a lineup extra-special beverages being poured through the establishment's taps until your beer-loving heart is content. Expect both new and rare brews, plus old favourites, too. For those after more than an out-of-the-ordinary drop of the yeasty good stuff, there'll also be games throughout the day, as well as live music providing a soundtrack. Entry is free from 11.30am, or you can nab a $25 VIP ticket to head in early at 10am and get sipping before the event opens to the general public. The paid option also includes a tasting paddle with four brews, plus a bacon and egg roll to line your stomach. Images: Archive Beer Boutique.
After first spooking out southeast Queensland residents back in 2018, the unnerving Séance installation is returning to the region. This time around, it's bringing its big, white container to HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast — from Wednesday–Sunday between Thursday, October 28–Sunday, November 14. Unlike most shipping containers in the city, this one isn't being used to transport furniture. And, given that the word 'séance' is written on the side in black, it's definitely more than a little ominous. Participants will be able to take a seat inside, and then put on a headset. You'll next be told to put both hands on the table. The lights go out, leaving the place in absolute darkness — and, for 20 uneasy minutes, you'll be taken on an immersive journey led only by touch and sounds. Expect to feel confused, repulsed and struck with temporary claustrophobia. According to organisers, numerous participants have bailed halfway through sittings in the past. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser says that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of both sensory deprivation and the dynamics of a group sitting together. It's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, disorientation and information overload to affect our judgement. (We're serious when we say Séance is not recommended for the claustrophobic, the easily frightened or those afraid of the dark.) Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath of Darkfield (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. And if need more of an idea of what you're in for, you might've listened to Darkfield's at-home experiences either last year or this year — such as Double, Visitors, Eternal and Knot — and experienced a few bumps and jumps. [caption id="attachment_804877" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Séance in Sydney in 2017[/caption]
Now in its 15th year of operation, the Spanish Film Festival has created many memorable cinematic experiences for cinephiles who flock through theatre doors every year across Australia. With a program always packed to the brim with dramas, comedies and animations from Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America, the 15th iteration of this vibrant celebration of film will be sure to match the revelry of previous years when it launches on July 11. The Spanish Film Festival crew are inviting Brisbanites to the opening night screening of As Luck Would Have It at the Palace Centro Cinemas. Not only will patrons be treated to the film, they are also being invited to stay and party afterwards. Ticket price includes entry to the screening, sangria on arrival and access to the after party, which will be amply supplied with Estrella Damm beer as well as wine courtesy of Torres Wines. Don't forget your dancing shoes either! https://youtube.com/watch?v=ov7PpY-I7Ko
When it was published in 2005, Dead Europe, the novel by Christos Tsiolkas, was pronounced both brilliant and completely unfilmable. Tony Krawitz, whose previous films include Jewboy and The Tall Man, took on the challenge and has produced what is at once a deeply beautiful and also one of the most viscerally disturbing films to have emerged from Australia in recent years. The film follows Isaac, played by Ewen Leslie, who returns to Greece after the death of his father to scatter his ashes. Isaac is gradually drawn deeper into the horror of the diseased underbelly of Europe, all the while pursued by the ghosts of family history. Very kindly, Tony Krawitz sat down one lovely afternoon to have a chat about what is a truly remarkable film with a girl who'd spent the past month writing on the novel. What was it that made you want to make Dead Europe into a film? Because some said it was unfilmable. Well, obviously I never felt that. The book, as it is, is unfilmable because it's so dense and beautiful and goes in so many directions. But it felt like the contemporary story had a road movie type of structure. I always knew it would be challenging but I didn't think it would be unfilmable. Did Tsiolkas have a lot of input or did he let you just run free with it? He was really free with us. He said, "I saw Jewboy, and I really like it, and I trust you. Go for it," which is freeing and also terrifying. I think he read the last two drafts, and was really encouraging, and then helped us through pre-production and acted almost as a consultant. And he's seen the finished film and he's really happy with it. I think it's because he loves film so much and he understands how different the adaptation needed to be. They're like companion pieces. The way he described it to me is that he kind of got lost in the film and forgot about the book, which is really nice to hear from the author. The film takes the curse of the book and gives it to the father's side of the family instead of the mother's, which reminded me of the connection between the absent father and the son in Jewboy. Why was it that you decided to place the family story at the centre of the film? The family curse is central to the book, and that's the main narrative. Folding them together helped to make it more streamlined. What it also did, which I really liked, is it made it more biblical — the sins of the father. The father was someone who said he was a rationalist, who didn't believe in religion, but felt that he was cursed, and Isaac is a rationalist who goes "I don't believe in any of that shit" but finds out that he does. Would I be right in saying that the protest scenes in the film were the real ones happening in Athens? Was that part of you wanting to try and engage with the reality of Europe, as a sort of documentary? Yes, that's what I loved about the book. It was such a prescient title. The stuff Christos was seeing seven years ago in the book have come to fruition now in difficult and unexpected ways. With the protests we were looking to update the book and ask, what are the issues now? The response some readers had to the book was almost one of possession, and I think the film has a similar effect. You feel possessed by it. It makes you feel before you can intellectualise anything. Was that your intention? Exactly. What we were trying to do as filmmakers was to get the audience past their intellect, to make it visceral. Some people will love that, some people will really hate that and come out going "but that isn't how I think about that, how dare you put that on screen." The reason we were doing that is because that's what happens to Isaac. He's saying, "I am in my intellect, I understand the world, I know what Europe is, I know what suffering is, I know what war is," but he's a sheltered boy from Melbourne. Did having to deal with such intense themes have an effect on the cast? Yeah it did. We filmed mostly in sequence, so especially for Ewen, as we got more tired and more run down we were getting to the more intense scenes. I think it was great for him as an actor to be able to go on that journey. What were your motivations in changing the ending? It's hard to talk about for people who haven't seen the film yet; I don't want to spoil it. But it changed. It took a lot of conversations to get to that hotel room scene. It does end with more hope than the book, and I like that because the story, for me, is about the forgotten people of Europe. It's about the victims of the past, whether they're Holocaust victims or victims in Yugoslavia or victims today in Syria. Christos is so passionate about human rights and it's like the book was a primal scream about those issues. The way it seemed to me was that there's this official version of history, which we're constantly curating, but the film is interested in exposing these other histories that we don't acknowledge, but which still exist and still haunt us. And what's so powerful about the film is it's putting up a mirror and saying, "you're implicated in this." Yes, because we're actually taught that it's other people who do that, and we have no agency or responsibility. And I think that's what's uncomfortable for people, because they want to go watch a film which says "everything's fine", while this is much more unsettling, which people will either really love, or hate. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XrNnofw8CQw Read our review of Dead Europe here. Image 1: Ewen Leslie as Isaac in Dead Europe. Image 2: Tony Krawitz with producer Liz Watts.
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.
Are you that person who's always singing along to the radio and secretly wishing you were Mariah Carey? Well, maybe it's time to find out what your vocal chords are made of by heading along to the Brunswick Hotel's Thursday night karaoke. Grab a few friends and head to this New Farm local early to grab a prime spot in the sports bar. Flag down the karaoke masters, make your request and wait your turn to flaunt your vibrato for all to hear. If you're truly stuck on which tune to choose, drag some friends up with you to take turns belting out verses from No Scrubs, or play it safe with basically anything by Queen.
Do you like horror films? Australian director Mark Hartley obviously does. His infectious, gleeful enthusiasm for his popular if sometimes critically reviled genre of horror makes this a blood-soaked treat for like-minded fans. Having previously explored the rich if somewhat forgotten back catalogues of Australian exploitation cinema horror in his excellent doco Not Quite Hollywood, he takes the next logical step here, remaking Richard Franklin's 1978 cult favourite B-movie. The tagline of the original also serves as a neat plot summary: 'He's in a coma…yet, he can kill!' He is Patrick, a patient who somehow maintains his excellent condition while those around him waste away in a vegetative state in a creepy, isolated hospital. When a young nurse makes a ghoulish discovery that leads to her grisly end, the bright young Kathy 'Jac' Jacquard (Sharni Vinson) is recruited to the facility, which is overseen by Dr. Roget (Charles Dance) and his dead-eyed daughter, Matron Cassidy (Rachel Griffiths). Patrick rattles through genre tropes (creaky elevator shafts, dirty-looking syringes, zombie-like patients wandering blackened corridors, moments of silence shattered by a pounding at the door) with an expert's assurance and a fan's relish. This is a film that knows exactly what it is, and that recognises that some things are cliches for a reason. Patrick is in cinemas on October 17. Thanks to Umbrella Entertainment, we have one Patrick prize pack to give away, including a double in-season pass to see the film and a DVD set containing the original 1978 version of Patrick (Richard Franklin), Child's Play (Tom Holland) and Stake Land (Jim Mickle). Ten runners up will receive double in-season passes. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au Read our full review here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0N5iCcPGqoY
We've hit peak 2017 — where virtual cocktails are a thing, there's a karaoke Ferris wheel and dogs have been invited to chow down on beautifully presented raw fish with chopsticks. A sushi bar for dogs is popping up in Auckland. Dog sushi has been a thing since the early 2000s as a way for owners to ensure their pup is enjoying a holistic, all raw, all natural, preservative-free diet. Auckland's version, the appropriately-titled Poochi Sushi, will take place at the December edition of Parnell's weekend market just for (very good) dogs. There will be three sittings of ten to 12 pups on the day. Small dogs have been recommended to register for the 11am sitting, and medium and large varieties for 11.30am and 12pm. The main course will be a platter of sushi, sashimi and Pawl Ale for $15. The way to any dog's heart is through food, so the platters will of course use premium king salmon direct from the Marlborough Sounds along with hoki from the Coromandel. None of that cabinet stuff. Seeing as Sydney has a bakery just for dogs and Melbourne has a cafe that exclusively serves up dog treats, we're sure that pooch sushi isn't far away.
Forests, riverbeds, floating mirrored spheres, a hefty collection of motorbikes: across recent summers, these have all filled Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. Every three years, so does a returning showcase dedicated not to a theme but to the area of the world that the River City is a part of. For more than three decades now, pre-dating GOMA's existence, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art has contemplated this corner of the globe, the experiences over its vast expanse and the region's talents. The 2024–25 iteration marks the exhibition's 11th run — and if the fact that there'll be more than 500 works doesn't already make it seem like a maze, a labyrinth-esque installation at Queensland Art Gallery will. Thailand's Mit Jai Inn is bringing a maze-like piece to the QAG Watermall, a space that's also seen its fair share of part works — including from Yayoi Kusama and at prior APTs — and featured on-screen in Apples Never Fall. This time, art lovers will spy tunnels, curtains and scrolls, all in an installation that you can step inside. There's your first must-see part of APT11. [caption id="attachment_969545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dawn Ng / Singapore b.1982 / WATERFALL VIII (still) 2023 / 4K video: 16:9 (landscape) and 9:16 (portrait), 27:06 minutes / Courtesy: The artist and Sullivan+Strumpf / © Dawn Ng.[/caption] Set to display from Saturday, November 30, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025 at both GOMA and QAG, the exhibition's full list of 500-plus works hails from over 70 artists and collectives, with more than 200 individuals making a contribution. Among the new commissions, Jasmine Togo-Brisby, Kawita Vatanajyankur, Trương Công Tùng, Paemanu Contemporary Art Collective, 'Aunofo Havea Funaki and the Lepamahanga Women's Group, Mele Kahalepuna Chun and Mai Nguyễn-Long will all provide pieces; however, the list of artists involved goes on from there. Courtesy of 28-artist collective Haus Yuriyal in Papua New Guinea, attendees will check out paintings on fighting shields, sculptures carved from tree ferns and a harvest garden in Queensland Art Gallery's sculpture courtyard. At GOMA, the Long Gallery will feature Tai Moana Tai Tangata, a combination of sculptures and video from Aotearoa's Brett Graham. Plus, Dana Awartani from Saudi Arabia and Palestine will present the floor-based Standing by the Ruins, which uses Islamic geometry and crafting, as well as Arabic ruin poetry, to ponder the impact of war. [caption id="attachment_969549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dana Awartani / Saudi Arabia / Palestine b.1987 / Standing by the ruins (installation view, 'Art Here: Icon. Iconic', Louvre, Abu Dhabi) 2022/ Courtesy: The artist / © Dana Awartani.[/caption] Dawn Ng's multi-channel video featuring frozen pigment melting; Yeung Tong Lung's portraits of daily Hong Kong life; Kikik Kollektive musing on a serpent deity; film programs exploring the careers of Tsai Ming-liang (Days), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (the Oscar-winning Drive My Car) and Kamila Andini (Yuni): they're all also on the lineup. Fingers crossed that the Tsai Ming-liang survey includes his stunning first virtual-reality effort The Deserted. The full roster of APT10 participants spans artists from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Iran, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Timor‑Leste, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hawaii, South Korea, Mongolia, Indonesia, Tonga, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Solomon Islands, The Philippines, Samoa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vanuatu, Cambodia, the US and more. [caption id="attachment_969551" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Graham / Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Tainui / Aotearoa New Zealand b.1967 / Maungārongo ki te Whenua, Maungārongo ki te Tangata 2020 / Wood, synthetic polymer paint and graphite / 320 x 800 x 320cm / Courtesy: The artist and Neil Pardington / © Brett Graham and Neil Pardington / Photograph: Neil Pardington.[/caption] "As we work towards presenting an exhibition of key works acquired by QAGOMA through the thirty-year Asia Pacific Triennial series at the V&A Museum, London in early 2026, we have reflected closely on the significant cultural impact of the Triennial regionally and globally," said QAGOMA Director Chris Saines, announcing this year's lineup. "As with previous Triennials, the 11th chapter will be presented throughout both QAG and GOMA and include works produced across vast geographies and cultural contexts, offering audiences a multiplicity of experiences, perspectives and diverse approaches to both contemporary and community-based customary art practices," Saines continued, "Over the past three years our specialist curatorial team, led by Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art Tarun Nagesh, have shown an unrelenting commitment to on-the ground, in-country research in order to select artists who reflect a diverse and authentic cross-section of the region's artistic production." [caption id="attachment_969550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kikik Kollektive artist Marrz Capanang paints a collaborative mural in IIoilo City, Central Philippines, 2022 / © Kikik Kollektive / Photograph: Kristine Buenavista[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarker Protick / Bangladesh b.1986 / 'লীন, Of River and Lost lands' (detail) 2011–ongoing / Inkjet print on paper / 50.8 x 76.2cm / Courtesy: The artist and Shrine Empire, Delhi / © Sarker Protick.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] D Harding / Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal people / Australia b.1982 / Wool blankets (installation view, 'We Breathe Together', Bergen Kunstall, Norway) 2021–22 / Wool felt, pigment, gum arabic / Courtesy: The artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane / © D Harding / Photograph: Thor Brødreskift.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969546" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rithika Merchant / India b.1986 / Temporal Structures 2023 / Gouache, watercolour and ink on paper / 105 x 150cm / Courtesy: The artist and TARQ, Mumbai / © Rithika Merchant[/caption] Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art's 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT11) will run from Saturday, November 30, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025. For more information, head to the GOMA website. Top image: United States b.1995 / The Machine Ghost in the Human Shell (from the 'Cyber Labour' series) 2024 / Performative hologram projections with AI / Installed dimensions variable / Commissioned for the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial / Courtesy: The artist and Nova Contemporary / © Kawita Vatanyankur.
As anyone who has booked a flight, had to suddenly change their trip and been stuck paying handsomely knows, travel and flexibility haven't always gone hand in hand. But with the entire idea of making firm and definite plans undergoing quite the shift over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Australia responded to the uncertain period by scrapping its change fees until January 2021 — and it has just announced that it's extending that plan until the end of June. Make a booking before March 31 for travel between now and June 30 and, if life gets in your way and you need to rearrange your trip before your travel date, you'll be able to make unlimited changes to your booking without being charged extra. It's worth noting, however, that this only applies to the usual change fee — that is, the amount travellers can be slugged with just for the act of altering their itinerary. If changing your flights involves a difference in fare, you will still have to pay any shortfall amount. Need to cancel your airfare completely? You can also do that — before either your travel date or June 30, whichever is earlier — and now receive a credit without getting charged for doing so, too. The motivation for the idea, unsurprisingly, is to continue to encourage Australians to get booking — even knowing that little is certain when it comes to leaving the house, restrictions, interstate borders or just life in general in these coronavirus-afflicted times. "We've seen many travellers' plans impacted by domestic border restrictions and so we're here to give them comfort when booking a Virgin Australia flight that they'll be able to change their travel date if they need to," said a Virgin Australia Group spokesman. When it first announced the fee-free plan last year, Virgin called the move its 'Passenger Promise', which spans a number of other measures designed to make travellers feel safer and more confident about taking to the skies. Also included: contactless check-in, pre-flight health screening questionnaires for all travellers when checking in, staggered boarding as part of social-distancing measures, distancing between passengers onboard where possible and minimising movement during the flight. Passengers will also receive free face masks and hand sanitiser kits, and be asked to scan their own boarding passes to limit their contact with crew, while increased cleaning protocols are also in place. To find out more about Virgin Australia's new change fee policy, visit the airline's website.
The festival retreat of 2013 continues, with the Big Day Out announcing that their second Sydney event on Monday, January 27, will be cancelled and merged with the show on January 26. "Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year’s Big Day Out," promotor Ken West said in a statement. The Big Day Out has held two Sydney shows in three previous years, depending on the pulling power of its headliners. Ticketholders for the Monday event are automatically able to use their ticket on Sunday. Alternatively, they can get a refund until October 30, 2013, or exchange it for a Big Day Out in any other city. It all comes just a week and a half after the cancellation of Harvest. At the time, promoter AJ Maddah put poor Harvest ticket sales down to the lure of the 2014 Big Day Out lineup, but in light of this new information, it seems the competing festival can't have pinched that many of Harvest's followers. The 2014 Big Day Out lineup sort of lived up to the hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. For more information or to exchange your ticket, visit the Big Day Out website. By the Concrete Playground team.
Since 2010, Sydney has been home to the Korean Film Festival in Australia. While 2025's main fest hits the Harbour City in August, you can also join in without leaving Queensland. Your destination: The Strand Cinemas in Toowoomba on Sunday, September 14. One pivotal difference between the regular festival and the regional KOFFIA Touring Program, other than the fact that it's making the trip to the Sunshine State: head to the latter and everything that you see from its four-title lineup is free. Catch About Family, a dramedy about a chef discovering that he might have grandchildren — and The Noisy Mansion focusing on a tenant and her neighbours trying to discover why their building is plagued by strange sounds. Toowoomba audiences can also watch Forbidden Fairytale, about a children's book author who starts ghostwriting online erotica. Plus, Hear Me: Our Summer is one of the highlights, with the romantic drama co-starring former Iz*One member Kim Minju, remaking Taiwan's Hear Me and seeing a love story blossom via Korean Sign Language.
Almost three decades ago, Spiderbait made Australian music history when they won Triple J's 1996 Hottest 100 with 'Buy Me a Pony'. They were the first local act to top the countdown. Now, that catchy track has a chance to again notch up a huge feat: taking out Triple J's new Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. Aussie tunes have emerged victorious in the station's annual countdown plenty of times since, of course. So, it isn't just 'Buy Me a Pony' that's in the running to be a two-time winner. That feat mightn't be achieved at all anyway — because there's no shortage of excellent Australian tracks that haven't topped a Hottest 100 before but might just come out in the number-one spot in the Aussie-only poll. Whichever song that you're certain should be named Australia's best, voting is open as at 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17. You've got a month to pick your favourites — until 5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The results will then be broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 on not only Triple J, but also Double J, Triple J Unearthed and its dedicated Triple J Hottest station. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact ties into one big caveat when you're voting, you do need to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. [caption id="attachment_854346" align="alignnone" width="1920"] M Drummond[/caption] The Triple J and Double J voices that'll be counting down your picks include Ash McGregor, Dave Woodhead, Dylan Lewis, Yumi Stynes, Abby Butler, Tyrone Pynor, Concetta Caristo, Luka Muller, Zan Rowe and Lucy Smith. And if you're curious about which other tunes, aside from 'Buy Me a Pony', could score the double win, 'No Aphrodisiac' by The Whitlams, 'These Days' and 'My Happiness' from Powderfinger, 'Amazing' by Alex Lloyd, 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl?' from Jet, 'Wish You Well' by Bernard Fanning, 'One Crowded Hour' from Augie March, and 'Big Jet Plane' by Angus and Julia Stone are also in the running, for starters. Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Vance Joy's 'Riptide', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Never Be Like You' and 'Say Nothing', Ocean Alley's 'Confidence' and The Wiggles' 'Elephant' have also all topped the yearly poll before. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' won the 2010s-centric countdown, while DMA's 'Believe' did the same for the Like a Version poll. Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs will broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 — with voting open between 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17–5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Head to the Triple J website for further details. Top image: Ocean Alley, Neegzistuoja via Wikimedia Commons.
When Secret Sounds, the crew behind Splendour in the Grass, gave Australia another massive multi-day music festival in 2022, it did so with a big aim: to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring. That event is Harvest Rock, and it keeps putting on travelworthy lineups. 2023's second spin already features Jamiroquai and Beck doing Australian-exclusive shows, plus everyone from Sparks to Bright Eyes — and it just scored a few new additions. Joining the bill at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, October 28–Sunday, October: Tash Sultana, Bernard Fanning doing his last Australian show for 2023 and Jade Bird making her first trip Down Under. And, Babe Rainbow, Charlie Collins, Floodlights and Surprise Chef are hopping onboard, too. So, festivalgoers can expect to hear everything from 'Jungle' and 'Wish You Well' to 'Houdini' and 'Juice of the Sun' in the South Australian capital. Harvest Rock II, as 2023's festival has been dubbed, already boasted Rodgers & Chic, Santigold, Chromeo and Ladyhawk as well, plus Flight Facilities, Baker Boy, Julia Jacklin, Chet Faker, Ocean Alley, Bad//Dreems, Thelma Plum and Vera Blue. Paul Kelly was also part of the first lineup announcement, as was The Rolling Stone Revue featuring Adalita of Magic Dirt, Tim Rogers of You Am I and Tex Perkins — yes, all teaming up to play The Rolling Stones' greatest hits. A two-day blend of music, food and wine — well, it is in SA — Harvest Rock instantly proved a success upon debut last year, attracting 15,000 attendees per day. In addition to live tunes, the fest spans Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up food at the Feastiville precinct, onsite eatery Wildwood led by arkhé's chef and co-owner Jake Kellie, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings. There's also a wellness centre doing tarot readings and massages, and mini festival Little Harvest for kids. HARVEST ROCK II LINEUP: Babe Rainbow Bad // Dreems Baker Boy Beck (Australian exclusive) Bernard Fanning Bright Eyes Built to Spill Charlie Collins Chet Faker Chromeo Flight Facilities — Decades DJ set Floodlights Jade Bird Jamiroquai (Australian exclusive) Julia Jacklin Ladyhawke Nile Rodgers & Chic Ocean Alley Paul Kelly Sam Barber Santigold Sparks Surprise Chef Tash Sultana The Lemon Twigs The Rolling Stone Revue Thelma Plum Vera Blue Warpaint Harvest Rock 2023 will take at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, October 28–Sunday, October 29, 2023 — with tickets on sale now.
A decadent dinner. One of Brisbane's newest, hottest restaurants. Parisian theming a plenty. Red velvet, dark lighting and a cruisy atmosphere galore. Combine all three, and you get the sit-down dinner to end all sit-down dinners — and all years, like this one. Madame Rouge might be a fresh addition to Fortitude Valley, but it's already pulling out all the stops. And their New Year's Eve dinner might just be their usual a la carte menu, with diners seated at two specific times (5.30pm and 8.30pm); however, once you've tried their cheese soufflé, steak frites, and creme caramel — and washed them all down with a few French sours — you won't want to spend your last night of 2016 anywhere else.
In Brisbane, back in 2017, a simple idea was born: gathering a heap of beer and music-loving folks in a pub, teaching them the lyrics to a well-known song over the course of one night, and then communally crooning the tune in question the same evening. It's karaoke, but in a group. It's your school choir, but boozy. And it's little wonder that Pub Choir soon became not just a local but a national and international success. Of course, as Australia responds to COVID-19, mass groups of folks can't all spend time together in one room — even if they are drinking and singing a tune. So, Pub Choir has evolved into Couch Choir. It's the same basic concept, except everyone is giving their vocal cords a workout from their own homes. Running across Tuesday, March 19–Thursday, March 21, here's how it works. Firstly, at 7pm AEST on Tuesday, three videos will be released on the event's Facebook page. They'll show Pub Choir's organisers singing three different harmonies, and then hand things over to you at home. Next, you'll have two days to watch, listen and learn everything you need to know about your chosen part — or all three if you want — and record yourself singing it. Submit your video by 7pm on Thursday, and they'll all be mixed into one big compilation that'll be released for everyone to enjoy. Beer is usually a big part of Pub Choir so if you need a dash of liquid courage at home, prepare accordingly.
Amongst the many large-scale events that've cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19, is perhaps the one we could all use the most right now — the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With the government banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people, and, today, indoor gatherings over 100, the huge annual laugh-fest was one of the first to be axed from the 2020 calendar. But if it's some chuckles you're after, fear not, because some of Australia's best-loved comedians, many of which were slated to perform at MICF, are coming soon to a streaming device near you. And even those bunkering down at home in a state of enforced self-isolation, or voluntary social-distancing, get to enjoy this little lineup as well. Hitting screens from next month is Amazon Prime's new special series of stand-up shows from ten big-name Aussie comics. Two specials will be released each week from Friday, April 10, including Tom Gleeson's sell-out show Joy, Zoë Coombs Marr with Bossy Bottom, Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds and Tommy Little. Lano & Woodley, Celia Pacquola, Tom Walker, Dilruk Jayasinha and Alice Fraser are also on the bill, promising to inject a bit of sunshine into your socially distanced life. The comedy specials were all filmed last year at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre and are set to stream worldwide. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3dmDUeydw The ten new comedy specials hit Amazon Prime Video from Friday, April 10.
