Like theatre? Then you're going to love La Boite's latest offering. They're not just bringing a new show to the stage — they're presenting a snapshot of the current state of the city's performing arts, and thinking about how it'll evolve in the future. And just how is the Kelvin Grove-based company managing to do that? Just let us count the ways. Their La Boite HWY program is overflowing with works in progress, talks and forums that showcase fresh scripts, ideas and productions, ponder issues of relevance to today's theatre practitioners, and fine-tune essential skills. If you're an emerging theatre type, that means workshops on producing, directing and playwriting, plus plenty of chatter at panel sessions that'll help you broaden your thinking. And if you just like to watch the end result of someone else's creative endeavours, then you can check out various efforts in various stages of evolution, from readings to rehearsals to mini-showings.
True crime and Cluedo collide when CluedUpp comes to Brisbane. The interactive detective game is coming our way on Saturday, December 7, bringing the classic board game to life on the streets of the city — with a slight twist. The outdoor adventure will take you back to 1960s London to solve the double murder of the famous Kray twins. While the Kray twins were very real, very notorious British gangsters, they were not murdered IRL, just in this murder mystery. Forget Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the study — this event will bring you and your friends closer to reality and out onto the streets to solve the case. The game will kick off at a secret Brisbane location between 10am–1pm and, depending how good of a detective you are, will finish sometime before 5pm. The best news of all, however, is that the event is dog friendly — and there are prizes to be won by both human and canine detectives. All you need to play is some friends and your phone. Dressing up as 1960s gangsters is encouraged, so you can really get yourself into character. A ticket will set you back $67 per team of six, but you only need two humans to play. With only 100 teams available, get in quick for your chance to solve the mystery.
If you live your life a quarter-mile at a time, then you'll want to travel quite a few of them for Yatala Drive-In's latest movie marathon. In the kind of film frenzy that's tailor-made for their particular setting, the outdoor picture palace will be screening four flicks from the Fast & Furious franchise over one night. And yep, of course you'll be watching them in your car. From 7pm on February 3, prepare to rev your engines as the movie that started it all kicks things off, before the high-octane cinema spectacle jumps forward to the fifth, sixth and seventh instalments. If you've mixed up the franchise's many titles featuring the words 'fast' and/or 'furious', here's what you're in for: 2001's The Fast and the Furious (aka Point Break with vehicles), 2011's Fast Five (the one where The Rock joins the fun), 2013's Fast & Furious 6 (featuring a back-from-the-dead favourite) and 2015's Furious 7 (otherwise known as "hey, let's throw Jason Statham into the mix as well.") Bringing your family, whether they're related by blood or they're the friends you consider as close as kin, seems like a fitting thing to do. Tickets cost $69 per carload, and in good news for hungry viewers, the on-site diner will be open until midnight.
Does scouring the city for secondhand threads get you out of bed in the morning? If so, come March 22, you'd best stay up and shopping until well into the evening. That's when Never Ever Pay Retail is hosting its Late Night Thrifting session — and while hitting the racks between 5pm and 8pm isn't all that late in most circles, it is when it comes to the vintage and pre-loved game. In fact, the event's host — the ingeniously named Studio Thrifty 4 — is only normally open during the daytime on weekends, so this Thursday night shindig is special for them. The same applies to SWOP Clothing Exchange, the source of the evening's wares. They might boast two Brisbane stores, but they only usually stay open past 6pm on Friday nights. If that doesn't all sound great enough, in keeping with the venue's usual set-up, everything on offer costs $5. No more, no less. Trawl through clothing and accessories, nab a bargain, grab a caffeinated brew from She Bangs Coffee or something stronger at the bar — and, if you're keen to get a head start, jump on a VIP early entry ticket for $15, which gets you in the door before everyone else plus Champagnes on arrival. Even better: all proceeds will go to Pay A Sack Forward, meaning that more than your wardrobe will thank you.
Since Seoul Bistro opened its doors in Sunnybank back in 2013, it has served up plenty of Japanese and Korean-inspired wings. Thanks to its all-you-can-eat wing buffet, they're the eatery's main attraction. Available in eight flavours, they keep coming until your stomach protests that it simply can't handle any more, with fries, garlic bread and lemon iced tea also part of the buffet spread. To celebrate six years of slinging unlimited wings, the Turton Street spot is giving everyone what they want — a bottomless feast of wings, obviously, but at half price. You'll need to dine in between 5–10pm on Wednesday, December 4, and you'll nab the whole spread for $10.95 per person. You'll probably also need to arrive early, as Seoul Bistro isn't taking bookings for this special occasion. And, the wings are only available on the night until stocks last. Don't worry — last year, the eatery opened an expanded dining area, doubling its original space. Spanning both indoors and outdoors, it now seats more than 100 people. Now, to decide whether you want crispy fried, sweet 'n' spicy, honey soy, honey wasabi, peri peri, buffalo with blue cheese sauce, smokey barbecue or hot 'n' spicy wings — or, of course, all of them.
What do you do when wild weather hits, Brisbanites? Watch the radar to see just when and where it'll strike? Stay glued to your couch? Come up with a new festival of contemporary dance? The latter was Kate Usher and Glyn Roberts's answer in 2017, and after a successful first year, their venture is returning for 2018. Yes, things are about to get stormy on the stage instead of in the sky again (although, given that it's summer, the latter is still likely to happen as well). From February 10 to 18, SUPERCELL: Festival of Contemporary Dance Brisbane will take over the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts and Brisbane Powerhouse for a repeat bout of frenetic footsteps. Celebrating Queensland's place in the dance world, the festival brings together local and international artists, performances, workshops and conversations. Highlights include the blend of dance and comedy that is Prying Eye's The Inquisition of the Big Bad Wolf, choreography for a tired body in Everything Remains, a convergence of local and Singaporean talents, another three-day workshop with Gold Coast outfit The Farm, and an exploration of Indigenous identity in [Mis]Conceive, plus more to be announced. Image: Bernie Ng
Wake up Newstead, a soon-to-launch new supper club has something to say to you. Sharing its name with a Rod Stewart single from five decades back, and fittingly sporting a 70s vibe to match, Maggie May is set to join Longland Street in October. On the menu here: share plates, spanning both small and large bites; wine and cocktails, with a particularly hefty vino list; and a casual vibe that's playful and retro. That's the plan when the venue joins Hallmark Hospitality's growing list of southeast Queensland sites, and settles into The Defiant Duck's old stomping ground adjacent to the Newstead Gasometer. [caption id="attachment_868156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Exactly what dishes and drinks Maggie May will serve up hasn't been revealed — and neither has any 70s culinary gems that might be on offer, if indeed any will be — but, even though it's badged as a supper club, it'll be an all-day affair. So, you you'll be able to stop by for a coffee and breakfast, and also head back come cocktail hour. The venue's chosen era will definitely come through in its decor. Think: mustard, golden brown and deep teal hues, as well as paisley patterns aplenty, all in a location that opens up onto a leafy park. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maggie May (@maggiemaybne) When it starts welcoming in patrons, Maggie May will sit alongside Retro's Cocktail Lounge and Finn McCool's Irish Bar in both Fortitude Valley and Surfers Paradise, plus Asylum Nightclub, Lefty's Music Hall, Lost Kingdom Nightclub, The Cavill Hotel, The Spotted Cow, The Lord Alfred Hotel and Hey Chica! in Hallmark Hospitality's portfolio. "Maggie May has been purposefully fashioned for the Gasworks precinct," Hallmark Hospitality Director Joe Heanen, announcing the supper club. "The venue boats seventies nostalgia with a modern twist. Maggie May is a place where patrons can feel at home and ultimately know they're in for a good time — a place that brings friends, colleagues and loved ones together to enjoy great company, good food and even better wine." Find Maggie May at 3/84 Longland Street, Newstead, launching in October 2022 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when one is announced. Top image: Google Maps.
Ever wanted to see your favourite bands kick a few goals, and help support a good cause at the same time? For more than three decades, the Reclink Community Cup has been turning musos into footy players for an annual charity Aussie rules match. Before the pandemic, the Melbourne game would draw more than 10,000 people and raise over $100,000 each year. Sydney's match had been going strong for years too — and the cup finally came to Brisbane in 2016 (if you're wondering, the musos took it out). Now, for Brisbanites, the Reclink Community Cup is back again for another round. Come Sunday, July 28, 2024, the city's music community will descend upon Enoggera Memorial Park to put their sporting prowess to the test. Two teams will take to the field: The Rocking Horses, featuring players from an array of Brissie acts; and the Brisbane Lines, filled with a crew of journos, industry staff general music-related folks. Playing for the musos: members of Powderfinger, The Church, Birds of Tokyo, Tape/Off, Nice Biscuit, First Beige, Whalehouse, Flamingo Blonde, Shag Rock, Mitch, Please and more. Staff from 4ZZZ, ABC Sport, Rebel FM, Dew Process, Gyrostream, QMusic, The Princess Theatre and Incremental Records — among others — make up the opposition team. The Community Cup isn't just about getting another dose of the live AFL action, though (as ace as the prospect of more footy always is). Given that rock stars are involved, live music is part of the proceedings as well, with Full Flower Moon Band, Betty Taylor and S.A.B on the bill. And, food-wise, expect food trucks ready to fill your ravenous stomachs, plus bars to quench your thirst. Watching bands play both music and footy is hungry work, after all — and goes down well with a cold one. Every dollar raised from ticketing goes towards Reclink's efforts to improve the lives of Queenslanders suffering from disability, homelessness, substance abuse and economic hardship through participation in sport and the arts. Yep, whoever emerges victorious from the game, a heap of deserving folks will be the real winners. Images: NJA Photography, Allan Allport and Firemark Media. Updated Monday, July 22, 2024.
JLo once told us that love don't cost a thing, and she's right — but, neither does exercise. If you're keen to get your endorphins pumping by getting active, you needn't spend a cent, particularly if you're in the vicinity of South Bank. For years, the riverside spot has been hosting cost-free exercise sessions, and 2018 is no different. A completely free program of 45-minute group classes, Feel Good has something for every lazy sod, with their latest run kicking off on January 29 and showering the city in fitness until March 31. Classes are held on Mondays through to Thursdays, as well as on Saturdays, though times and activities vary each day. Head along at 5.30pm on Mondays for yoga, the same time on Tuesdays for pilates, Wednesday afternoons for energy sessions and Thursday arvos for dance — or drop by for some early-morning cardio at 6.45am on Wednesdays and Tai Chi at the same time on Thursdays. Come Saturday, yoga starts at 8am and aqua fun in the boat pool at 9.15am.
Brisbane's version of cooler weather is here for the year, which means you've probably been busting out your (slightly) warmer outfits. And if you're a fan of southeast Queensland's type of frostier climates, you might want to make the most of it with some mates — perhaps over a few beverages and a bite to eat while hanging out in your own private igloo at The Wickham. Dubbed 'Igloos in the Valley', this winter wonderland will take over the Fortitude Valley pub's garden bar between Thursday, July 23–Sunday, September 6. It's a way for you to hang out with your mates in the centre of the city, in your own space, while still being part of a socially distanced crowd. Each igloo can fit up to six people and comes with twinkly fairy lights. You can hire out the igloos for a 1.5-hour time slot, all for the reasonable price of $35 per person. That'll get your choice of drink on arrival (pick between house wine, draft beer, espresso martini, Aperol spritz, a 'snow-garita', soft drink or orange juice) and a Mexican-inspired share menu. On the latter: fried tortilla chips with guacamole and pico de gallo; fried cauliflower with dipping sauce; and either a mini shared pork platter or mushroom quesadillas. Pay an extra $12 per person (so $47 each) and you'l also score a choc whip affogato for dessert. So that you can not only enjoy a winter escape without having to mosey past the inner-city, but can do so safely, there'll be 30-minute cleaning breaks between each igloo booking. The pub's wintry lairs are available for dinner seven days a week, and for lunch from Friday–Sunday. If you're keen on some late-night fun on Friday or Saturday, a minimum spend will also apply. Igloos in the Valley pops up at The Wickham's garden bar from Thursday, July 23–Sunday, September 6. Top image: Cleveland Sands Hotel.
UPDATE, JULY 30, 2020: Sundays on the Law was due to run each week until Sunday, August 30; however it will no longer go ahead. This article has been updated accordingly. When the sun is shining in Brisbane, claiming a patch of grass, stretching out and enjoying a bite to eat is one of the best things that you can do. That's most of the time in this fair city of ours — and, if you're looking for a place to relax on a Sunday afternoon, Brisbane Powerhouse's Performance Lawn is awaiting. Combine the historic riverside spot with food trucks and live jazz, and you have Powerhouse's Sundays on the Lawn series. It takes over the venue's front turf from 1–4pm each Sunday. The laidback kind of afternoon hangout we all need every now and then (or maybe even more often), it's the type of event to bring your best picnic blanket to, plus your mates and some cash for something to eat and drink — and then let the event take care of the rest. Food-wise, expect an array of Brissie's best trucks serving the likes of wood-fired pizza, burgers, lemon meringue doughnuts and gelato. And, when it comes to the jazzy tunes, the folks from the Jazz Music Institute will be doing the honours. Sundays on the Lawn takes place on the Brisbane Powerhouse Performance Lawn each Sunday from 1–4pm. Top image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
Talk about bloomin' great events: in autumn in the Scenic Rim, golden petals await at the Kalbar Sunflower Festival. For three days each year, a southeast Queensland farm opens its gates to the public for a weekend filled with yellow hues, florals as far as the eye can see, a sunflower maze and other activities celebrating its chosen plant. In 2025, you'll want to make sure that you're free to head along across Friday, May 2–Sunday, May 4. Located just over an hour outside of Brisbane, the Kalbar Sunflowers farm couldn't be more vibrant when it hosts its fest. It's no wonder that the event has become a much-loved and hugely popular autumn mainstay, with 12,000-plus people attending annually. Tickets are a hot commodity, with 2025's going on sale at the end of March. While the complete program for this year won't drop until Saturday, March 1, those lucky enough to score entry will spy sunflowers all around them at the Jenner family farm no matter what's on the full itinerary. In its early years, more than 200,000 blooms reached up to the sky, which is a hefty number. In 2023, over one million sunflowers were planted across 24 acres — and the same number will bloom in 2025. All of those golden petals also help the fest play host to a highlight to get lost in, literally: the popular sunflower maze. Picking sunflowers is on the agenda, too, costing $2 per stem. As happened in 2024, taking florals home with you will support a supremely worthy cause. To pay tribute to her husband Russell, who battled oesophageal cancer for 18 months and passed away in July 2023, the event's organiser Jenny Jenner is donating the proceeds from flower sales to The Mater Foundation and the Ipswich Hospital Foundation. Attendees can also look forward to the event's first animal petting zoo, a Devonshire tea marquee, the return of the fest's special-event lunches and gala dinner, food trucks serving up other bites, sunflower-themed market stalls and the sensory garden. Two murals will be painted, with the proceeds for taking part in making art going to community organisations. Past years have also featured yoga sessions among the sea of gold, art classes amid the blooms, making flower crowns, helicopter rides over the fields, sound-healing meditation classes among the petals and photo sessions, of course. Fingers crossed that they'll all be back. The Kalbar Sunflower Festival came about after Russell and Jenny changed direction during Queensland's ongoing drought conditions. Previously, they farmed lucerne but, with water levels low, they opted to switch to a crop that doesn't require as much H2O. And, with all those sunflowers then looking rather striking, the couple wanted to let everyone else enjoy their golden petals.
It has been more than 60 years since Godzilla first rampaged through the streets of Tokyo, with the city enduring nearly 30 repeat visits in the decades since — across the giant monster's many on-screen excursions, that is. Until the end of January, he's not the only pop culture commodity striking the Japanese capital. Space Invaders, the game, is descending upon the city in the best possible way: in giant form, 52 stories above the ground, on the windows of the Tokyo City View observatory. As part of the Roppongi Hills spot's current interactive games exhibit, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the popular arcade title, visitors can participate in a ten-person sky-high game while looking out over the city. Called Space Invaders Gigamax, it really does follow through on all of those elements. The game is projected onto the observatory's seven-metre by 15-metre window surface, which means those pesky attackers look like they're raining down on the buildings below. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd5NGpXHmJc/?taken-by=tokyocityview One of the best spots in Tokyo to gaze out over its sprawling sights — and see its glistening lights — Tokyo City View is no stranger to adding pop culture fun to its scenic views, having hosted a Studio Ghibli exhibition that included an illuminated airship from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, as well as as a Gamera-focused showcase that served up burgers shaped like the famous kaiju and Godzilla competitor. Space Invaders Gigamax is accompanied by Bahamut Disco featuring Space Invaders, where participants shoot down invaders attacking to a beat, and NOBORINVADERS, which involves climbing up a wall to whack the attackers. For more information, visit the Tokyo City View website.
By now, it's an all-too-familiar story. Put the human ball of hilarity that is Kate McKinnon in a film and it instantly improves. It was true in Office Christmas Party, Rough Night and Masterminds, no matter how average, sometimes awful those movies ultimately were. It's true again in The Spy Who Dumped Me as well. Thankfully, however, the Saturday Night Live standout isn't a rare diamond this time around. McKinnon's latest action-comedy doesn't always hit the mark, but it entertains in both the action and comedy departments — complete with death by fondue, affairs with Edward Snowden and completely relatable gushing over Gillian Anderson. That said, even when she's declaring that Anderson's MI6 boss is "the Beyonce of the government", and delivering other one-liners and asides with gusto, McKinnon is only one half of The Spy Who Dumped Me's modest charms. Mila Kunis is the other, playing the straighter role against McKinnon's gloriously goofy energy. Together, they not only make an engaging comedic pair, but furnish a funny, mayhem-fuelled ode to female friendship. That's the film's secret weapon. Director Susanna Fogel doesn't just throw women into the usually male-dominated realm of big-screen espionage, and nor is she content to just laugh as ordinary folks get caught up in the spy world. Rather, she shows that her characters cope with their new outlandish life by relying on each other. It's a recognisable scenario, even when it isn't. Girl meets boy, they bond over beers and bad jukebox songs, and then settle into a comfortable relationship. A year later, grocery store cashier Audrey (Kunis) is suddenly dumped by text, and aspiring actress Morgan (McKinnon) is her trusty shoulder to cry on. What they don't know is that Audrey's ex, Drew (Justin Theroux), is a lethal CIA agent immersed in a globe-trotting plot. When they find out, it's courtesy of two fellow operatives (Sam Heughan and Hasan Minhaj), a hook-up gone wrong and a shower of gunfire — plus a promise to travel to Europe to finish Drew's mission. "Do you want to die having never been to Europe, or do you want to die having been to Europe?" Morgan asks. Hopping between Vienna, Prague, Paris and Berlin, Audrey and Morgan try to do what's right, work out who they can trust and, of course, not die even though they've now been to Europe. And they do it all amidst cafe shootouts, an eventful Uber ride, stealing from Australian tourists, chatting about Balzac and trying to outrun the icy Russian gymnast turned model turned assassin (Ivanna Sakhno) on their trail. Whether you're a seasoned spy flick fan or barely know your Bond from your Bourne, everything you expect to happen happens. Well, almost everything, with the Cirque du Soleil finale a zany surprise. But even when the film seems predictable (and stretches its material about 30 minutes too far), the hyper-violent set-pieces always come with a slice of humour, the gags always inspire at least giggles, and the movie knows it is wading through a sea of genre cliches. More than that, its love of its central duo remains. This might be Fogel's first foray into big, bouncy action, but it's telling that her only other film — 2014's Life Partners — spun a story of lifelong besties who find their relationship being tested. While espionage wasn't part of that flick, there's plenty that's universal about women grappling with life's challenges with a pal by their side. Here, co-writing the script with David Iserson (United States of Tara), Fogel never questions Audrey and Morgan's camaraderie. Rather, The Spy Who Dumped Me feeds off of the characters' connection, using it as a constant source of affection, affirmation and amusement throughout all of the chaos. There are the foreseeable high points and a few low points, and most of the movie falls firmly in the middle, but it always feels fitting: that's friendship, after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URUVhRYJsgA
With its massive deserts, wild seas and expanses of ancient forest, Australia offers space a-plenty for sculpture parks. Here, we take a look at eight of the most spectacular – from Mornington Peninsula's Pt. Leo Estate, set among vineyards and wildflowers, to Western Australia's Inside Australia, where metal figures appear on the surface of a gigantic salt-crusted lake. Next time you're in the mood for an arty road trip, pay a visit to one of these wonders. [caption id="attachment_641338" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] PT. LEO ESTATE, VICTORIA Set among vineyards, flowers and oceanic backdrops on the Mornington Peninsula, this 135-hectare park features epic works by local and international artists, all belonging to multibillionaires John and Pauline Gandel (owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre, FYI). Among the main attractions are the late Australian sculptor Anthony Pryor's Horizons (1988) — a spiral staircase that seems to disappear into the sky — and the late Israeli-American artist Boaz Vaadia's Ma'aseyahu. In between wandering, sample wines at Pt. Leo Estate's cellar door and feast at Laura, the stunning on-site restaurant, headed by ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill chef Phil Wood. Where? 3649 Frankston–Flinders Road, Merricks — about an hour south of Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_696465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] NGA SCULPTURE GARDEN, ACT While many sculptures are made with a particular site in mind, at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), things are topsy-turvy. The Sculpture Garden was landscaped to fit the artworks. Built in 1981, the grounds stretch between the NGA building and the sparkling waters of Lake Burley Griffin. There are 26 sculptures by Australian and international artists, including Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya's Foggy wake in a desert: An ecosphere, a cool, mist-filled forest through which you can wander, and a collection of Pukamani burial poles from the Tiwi Islands. Where? Parkes Place, Canberra — about three hours southwest of Sydney and seven hours' northeast of Melbourne. BROKEN HILL LIVING DESERT RESERVE, NSW The best time to visit Living Desert Reserve is sunset. This is when the sculptures look their most dramatic, backdropped by endless plains, flooded with the last rays of the day. There are 12 sculptures in total, created in 1993 by artists from all over the world during a sculpture symposium led by Australian artist Lawrence Beck. Each artwork has its own story, told through an accompanying plaque. While you're there, take a stroll through the Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, where you'll find stunning displays of Sturt's Desert Peas and learn about the site's significance to the area's Aboriginal people. For more tips in and around Broken Hill, check out our weekender's guide. Where? Living Desert Reserve, Broken Hill — a hefty 13 hours west of Sydney. MCCLELLAND SCULPTURE PARK AND GALLERY, VICTORIA Also on the Mornington Peninsula is McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery. Its origins lie back in the 1920s, when artist Harry McClelland and his poet sister, Annie May, moved to Long Island, Frankston, where they surrounded themselves with arty, bohemian types. Harry built his studio on the current site of the gallery, which was designed by modern architects Munro and Sargent and opened in 1971. Dotted among open fields and pretty lakes are more than 100 sculptures by well-known Australian artists, including Inge King, Lenton Parr, Clement Meadmore, George Baldessin, Robert Owen, Norma Redpath, Rick Amor, Lisa Roet and Ken Unsworth. Where? 390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin — about 45 minutes southeast of Melbourne. GLENORCHY ART AND SCULPTURE PARK, TASMANIA Located one kilometre from the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), this extraordinary space is a fusion of art and nature. It occupies nine hectares along the shores of Elwick Bay, accessible by a boardwalk that passes through parklands and wetlands. The artworks respond to the site – often through their watery or amphibious qualities. James Guests' Refraction Principle, for example, launched in October this year, is a piece made of marine grade aluminium that marks the spot in the River Derwent where fresh and salt water meet. Where? Brooker Highway, Elwick Bay, Glenorchy — about 15 minutes' drive north of Hobart. HEIDE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, VICTORIA Like McClelland, Heide Museum of Modern Art began its life at the centre of a bohemian community. Philanthropists John and Sunday Reed bought 15 acres 16 kilometres northeast of the Melbourne CBD and it wasn't long before artists, writers and intellectuals were dropping by, such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester (who is soon to have an exhibition at TarraWarra). In 1950, the duo established the Gallery of Contemporary Art on the property, which, in 1958, became the Museum of Modern Art of Australia and went public in 1981. The program focuses on temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary works, including major surveys. Among previous shows are Modern Times: The Untold Story of Modernism in Australia (2009), Cubism & Australian Art (2009–10) and Less is More: Minimalism and Post Minimalism in Australia (2012). Where? 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen — about 20 minutes northeast of Melbourne. GALERIA ANIELA, NSW Surrounded by the rugged Kangaroo Valley escarpment, Galeria Aniela's sculpture park gives you 7.9 acres of green, landscaped gardens to explore. In between perusing works by Australian and international artists, rest beneath cherry blossom trees and among herb gardens. If you're lucky, you might meet a wombat or wallaby. Indoors are three gallery rooms dedicated to temporary exhibitions. While you're in the area, stop by Southern Pies for a cheeseburger pie and swing by Fitzroy Falls. You'll find more Kangaroo Valley ideas over here. Where? 261A Mount Scanzi Road, Kangaroo Valley — about two hours southwest of Sydney. [caption id="attachment_696466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] INSIDE AUSTRALIA, WA Inside Australia, created by one artist, is the biggest outdoor art gallery in Australia. Its setting is Lake Ballard, a completely flat expanse that lies 11 hours' drive northeast of Perth, in the Western Australian goldfields. The artist is Antony Gormley, a Turner Award winner, who made the sculpture series in 2003, to celebrate the Perth International Arts Festival's 50th anniversary. He has scattered 51 metal figures across the lake, which stand out vividly against its dazzling, salt-crusted surface. Where? Lake Ballard, Menzies — about 11 hours northeast of Perth.
If you thought the concept of Christmas gin was cool, you might be pretty excited about this: a Melbourne-born small-batch gin infused with cannabis has just hit the shelves. Distilled in Healesville by The Cannabis Co, local makers of all things cannabis-infused, The Myrcene Hemp Gin is made using one of the main essential oils, or 'terpenes', found in cannabis plants, called myrcene. It's supposedly the world's first cannabis gin made with tyrene. Also found in hops, this little guy can apparently help ease symptoms of inflammation and chronic pain, and is responsible for producing some of those joyful and euphoric effects associated with cannabis. All Cannabis Co products are currently free of psychoactive substances, but, as the company pushes for the legalisation of recreational marijuana use in Australia, it hopes to release products — like gin — with CBD and THC (cannabinoids) in the future. Terpenes, like myrcene, are also known for their specific aromas and flavours, and, in The Myrcene, works a little bit like the botanicals in regular gin. The result is a sip that balances the earthy and the fruity. According to the makers, it has aromas of bubblegum, pine forest, lavender and sage, with hints of cloves and woody spice flavours on the tongue. And it works a treat alongside some tonic and fresh lemon, or a sprig of rosemary. The creators of The Myrcene stepped back in time for their inspiration, looking to the gin-makers of 17th century Britain. Word is, small distillers would often flavour their creations by distilling resins from terpenes they found in the forest. All of The Cannabis Co's hemp products are certified organic and grown here in Australia. The first batch (aptly named batch 420) has already sold out, but if you're keen to get some cannabis gin in your life, you can sign up for pre-sales of the next batch through Alchemy. First image: Letícia Almeida
Sometimes, he's played by an over-the-top Robert Downey Jr. As TV fans know, sometimes a curmudgeonly Benedict Cumberbatch does the honours. Ian McKellen has even taken the job, as has Will Ferrell. In fact, on the big and small screens for over a century, a lengthy list of actors have stepped into Sherlock Holmes' shoes and worn his deerstalker cap. But Netflix's new film isn't really about the famed sleuth — instead, it's about his sister. As brought to the screen by Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes is the family's youngest sibling. Naturally, she has a mystery to solve — she is a Holmes, after all. When her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) goes missing on the morning of Enola's 16th birthday, it's up to the teenager to find out where she has gone and why. Her brothers, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), aren't too pleased, though. They're not very happy with her demeanour either, and would rather send her to a finishing school to learn how to become a 'proper' young lady. As the just-dropped full trailer for Enola Holmes shows, yes, Enola does say "the game is afoot". She also becomes caught up in quite the adventure, as based on Nancy Springer's young adult book series. This is a period-set version of the Holmes story, too, not a modernised one — so expect to see Enola flit around 1880s England when the movie hits Netflix on September 23. In addition to Brown, The Crown's Bonham Carter, The Witcher's Cavill and The Nightingale's Claflin, the film also stars Medici's Louis Partridge as a young runaway Lord who crosses Enola's path. Behind the camera, Fleabag and Ramy's Harry Bradbeer directs — with the filmmaker earning an Emmy in 2019 for the former. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0Zf9sXlHk Enola Holmes hits Netflix on September 23. Image: Alex Bailey.
Some folks just know how to rock a moustache. When Kenneth Branagh (Tenet) stepped into super-sleuth Hercule Poirot's shoes in 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, he clearly considered himself to be one of them. The actor and filmmaker didn't simply play Agatha Christie's famously moustachioed Belgian detective, but also directed the movie — and he didn't miss a chance to showcase his own performance, as well as that hair adorning his top lip. You don't need to be a world-renowned investigator to deduce that Branagh was always going to repeat the same tricks with sequel Death on the Nile, or to pick that stressing the character's distinctive look and accompanying bundle of personality quirks would again take centre stage. But giving Poirot's 'stache its own black-and-white origin story to start the new movie truly is the height of indulgence. Branagh has previously covered a superhero's beginnings in the initial Thor flick, and also stepped into his own childhood in Belfast, so explaining why Poirot sports his elaborately styled mo — how it came to be, and what it means to him emotionally, too — is just another example of the director doing something he obviously loves. That early hirsute focus sets the tone for Death on the Nile, though, and not as Branagh and returning screenwriter Michael Green (Jungle Cruise) must've intended. Viewers are supposed to get a glimpse at what lies beneath Poirot's smarts and deductive savvy by literally peering beneath his brush-like under-nostril bristles, but all that emerges is routine and formulaic filler. That's the film from its hairy opening to its entire trip through Egypt. At least the moustache looks more convincing than the sets and CGI that are passed off as the pyramids, Abu Simbel and cruising the titular waterway. It's 1937, three years after the events of Murder on the Orient Express, and Poirot is holidaying in Egypt. While drinking tea with a vantage out over the country's unconvincingly computer-generated towering wonders, he chances across his old pal Bouc (Tom Bateman, Behind Her Eyes) and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening, Hope Gap), who invite him to join their own trip — which doubles as a honeymoon for just-married heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot, Red Notice) and her new husband Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer, Crisis). Poirot obliges, but he's also surprised by the happy couple. Six weeks earlier, he saw them get introduced by Linnet's now-former friend and Simon's now ex-fiancée Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey, Sex Education). That awkward history isn't easily forgotten by the central duo, either, given that Jackie has followed them with a view to winning Simon back. Boating down the Nile is initially an escape plan, whisking the newlyweds away from their obsessive stalker. But even as the group — which includes jazz singer Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo, Wild Rose), her niece and Linnet's school friend Rosalie (Letitia Wright, Black Panther), the bride's own ex-fiancé Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand, Four Kids and It), her lawyer Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal, Victoria and Abdul), her assistant Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones), her godmother Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie) and the latter's nurse Mrs Bowers (Dawn French, The Vicar of Dibley) — adjust to the change of schedule, two things were always going to happen. The pouty Jacqueline can't be thwarted that easily, of course. Also, the fact that there'll soon be a murder for Poirot to solve is right there in the movie's moniker. Something that doesn't occur: evoking much in the way of interest in any of the film's characters, their fates and — seeing that the killer lurks among them — their motivations. This absence of intrigue springs from the same problem that plagued Murder on the Orient Express, because Branagh is still too enamoured with himself as Poirot to give his co-stars anything substantial to do. Almost anyone could've played the S.S. Karnak's passengers, aka a Christie-standard motley crew, as that's how little a splash this cast makes. Gadot does declare that the steamboat has "enough champagne to fill the Nile" like she's in a camp farce, which definitely stands out, but mostly Death on the Nile is an exercise in squandering talent. Bening is woefully underused, and Saunders and French's on-screen reunion is a wasted comic opportunity. It speaks volumes that an on-autopilot Hammer, aka the one star Branagh might now wish faded into the background, is so prominent. It also helps remind viewers that the flick is stale in multiple ways: shot in 2019, it was originally slated to release that December. Production delays, COVID-19 and just general release-schedule tinkering mean that Death on the Nile now arrives after Belfast, which Branagh made during the pandemic — and the films' close proximity to each other doesn't help this whodunnit. The man behind the two movies has always liked on-screen excess, even if he's not in the centre of the frame, but here all of his visual bombast plays like meaningless gloss. The swooping camerawork doesn't quite sell the extravagant setting as much as it exposes Branagh's style-first approach, and demonstrates a lack of care about whether he's drawing the audience into the story. Cameras circle, the score soars and the feature is fashioned like an epic, but like the cruise's victims, there's no sign of a pulse. The inconsistent pacing, dragging through the setup and then speeding through Poirot's crucial sleuthing like it couldn't be over fast enough, also lands a fatal blow. It doesn't help that the film's also-lacking predecessor already felt like it was stretching its setup, and jumping on a trend that'd seen plenty of other brilliant masterminds reach screens lately (at the time, Sherlock Holmes adaptations were everywhere, or so it seemed). Now, Death on the Nile sails into a world where Knives Out did the eccentric detective bit far smarter and better, that delightful hit is similarly getting a sequel this year, and the likes of Only Murders in the Building and The Afterparty have been unfurling immensely entertaining murder-mystery antics in streaming queues, too. Mostly, though, Branagh's second Poirot outing suffers from being so infatuated with what Murder on the Orient Express did to box-office success — and what the filmmaker himself did as its star — that it's largely happy to merely repeat the feat. There's more moustache here, and an evident effort to spin the plot's threads around love's tangled webs, but neither was ever going to keep this bogged-down slog afloat.
A visit to Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast doesn't usually involve frolicking through giant dandelions as they sway in the sea breeze, watching huge coins glisten by the shore, walking through a towering plastic archway or spying an old truck on the sand. For ten days across Friday, September 6–Sunday, September 15, 2024, however, it will. Each year for 22 years now, Swell Sculpture Festival fills a one-kilometre stretch of the coastline with massive artworks — and the aforementioned pieces are just some of this year's highlights. Hit the beach and you'll also spot a tribute to jellyfish, an interactive cube that's inspired by mix-and-match picture books and features Australian native species, multicoloured scarves, fungi furniture and even the GC itself (well, a likeness of it) buried under sand. The list of works goes on, including a large sweet myrtle flower, Aussie blowflies, a sea dragon, breathing exhaust pipes and a sandstone sphere. Some pay tribute to southeast Queensland history. Many explore humanity's impact on the earth. Others honour Australia's First Peoples. There'll be more than 60 pieces in total, all dotted along the sand — with each one putting the regular sandcastles that you might spot on any beach to shame. If this seems like the kind of event that not only engages the crowds of people who hit up Currumbin each spring, but also inspires them, that's because it is. 2024's Swell Sculpture Festival has broken its own record for the most artists involved, eclipsing 350 — with 250 local, interstate and international talents contributing to the sculptures. When they craft the fest's eye-catching sights, Swell's roster of artists use everything from concrete, stainless steel, copper, bronze, wood, glass, plastic and natural fibres to fibreglass, bamboo, wire, silk, stone and aluminium — and plenty of other materials. The many ways that different folks can fashion these substances into new pieces of arts is also among the event's takeaway musings. 2024's festival wants to get patrons engaging more than just their eyes, too, starting with a kayak listening experience on Currumbin Creek. Swell also spans a beachside fringe fest, guided walks, a bar, yoga among the sculptures, tai chi, pilates, drawing sessions, other art and craft classes, a silent disco under the stars, a sing-along and more. Images: Leximagery.
They call it Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, oh Tina — The Tina Turner Musical — and, while it finally arrived in Australia in May 2023, premiering in Sydney, it's now playing Brisbane. After debuting in London in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades is touring Down Under, making a date with Queensland Performing Arts Centre's Lyric Theatre from Saturday, June 29, 2024. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have the QPAC crowd enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. For its Aussie run, The Lion King, We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ragtime and Moulin Rouge! The Musical star Ruva Ngwenya plays Tina, with In the Heights, Fame: The Musical and fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alumni Tim Omaji as Ike Turner. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike and her huge solo success. If you're a fan, Turner herself summed it up — yes, it's simply the best. Images: Daniel Boud. Updated Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Whoever decided it was perfectly acceptable to roll out of bed, hit up your favourite watering hole and start your weekend with boozy brunch has changed more than a few lives. But not every alcohol-fuelled mid-morning meal comes with drag queen bingo — aka a way to make sipping bubbles with your first bites of the day even better. That said, Drag Queen Bingo, Bubbles and Bites — Sleigh at The Osbourne doesn't actually kick off till 12pm on Sunday, December 18 — but hey, if it's before 1pm, it still counts. The event is taking place during festive season, so it basically doubles as a Christmas party, complete with plenty of theming to suit the occasion. Hosts Lady Saint Diva and Miss Synthetique will oversee the proceedings, with help from special guest Queen Taylor Ette. Expect drag performances and bingo, obviously, plus plenty of banter and even stocking stuffers Those bubbles will keep flowing from 12–2pm, all as part of your $63.07 ticket, and you'll be snacking on a Christmas spin on charcuterie that'l feature roast meats, breads and condiments. Fancy making a whole afternoon of it? Live tunes will start from 3.30pm, too.
If you live in Brisbane, you've heard all about the city's connections with Asia; we're the home of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, which is currently gracing Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery or Modern Art for the tenth time, and we've also hosted the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, after all. Since 2013, the BrisAsia Festival has been on that list as well, paying homage to the many cultures that originated from the continent. Timed around Lunar New Year — and running from Tuesday, February 1–Sunday, February 20 this year — the 2022 program features yet another mix of traditional and contemporary Asian arts, channelled into events across Brisbane. And while some of the unmistakable highlights will treat your stomach — a brand-new laneway tea festival in South Brisbane's Fish Lane, plus a Southside by Night event at Willawong that'll combine street food with a car meet (yes, think Fast and Furious vibes) — that's just the beginning of the fun. Overall, there's 50-plus events taking place in ten Brisbane suburbs, so you won't be lacking in things to do. The fest will sneakily start a few days early, on Friday, January 28 and Saturday, January 29, to celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year, before starting its music program at venues around town — QPAC's Melbourne Street Green, The Zoo and Queen Street Mall included — and hosting a big (and free) launch party at Fortitude Music Hall. Elsewhere, you can attend an Asian-pop celebration and get decked out in bright hues at the returning Holi – Festival of Colours — or scope out the new BrisAsia Fashion Festival, which'll focus on labels and designers with Asian, Indigenous and international heritages. Plus, Brissie's Asian Australian comedians will also take to the stage for a night of standup comedy, the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens will host a night of love songs from around the globe in the lead up to Valentine's Day, and digital storytelling initiative Mother's Table will showcase local restaurant owners Maggie Nguyen, Mie Mie Wing Kee and Taro Akimoto chatting about their eateries and signature dishes. [caption id="attachment_798255" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kim Borg, Ozwide Photography[/caption]
It's the end of the working week, you're itching for a night out and there's only one person you want to channel: Kevin Bacon. As he demonstrated in the 80s wonder that is Footloose, there's no better way to blow off steam than with an epic boogie. However, we recommend one-upping good ol' Kevin. To 'kick off the Sunday shoes' is not enough — kick off Friday's and Saturday's shoes, too. To help you find the right place to make shapes, we've teamed up with Heineken to bring you Brisbane's best spots for a weekend boogie. They're the kind of joints where you can grab a beer, hit the dance floor, strut your stuff and forget about your worries. And cut loose, footloose, obviously.
Brisbane is already home to a mini-golf bar, multiple arcade bars, several axe-throwing bars and a digital ping pong bar — and soon it'll welcome a huge new two-storey darts hangout, too. Usually the domain of old-school pubs, the projectile-flinging sport will be the main attraction at Oche Brisbane, though, it'll get a thoroughly 21st-century update. With its OG location in Oslo, Norway, Oche (pronounced ockey) is set to open its first Australian digs in Fortitude Valley on Friday, December 6. It'll feature dart boards that look exactly how you remember — but they'll have an electronic component. Each board comes with dozens of games built in, so you can pick between the knockout-style Killer, high-scoring High Striker and points-accumulating 201, among other options. The boards also keep score, so there's no need for a pencil and paper (and no room for arguments). And, for unknown reasons, some of them will chat to you as well. Setting up shop within the brick walls of the 115-year-old Old Flour Mill Building on Constance Street, Oche's darts sessions run for 85 minutes, and are designed to get patrons to do something that's definitely not common these days: put down your phone. The idea is that you'll head along with your mates, get drinking, throw a heap of darts, and forget about your emails, Insta feed, DMs and the like. (You'll probably keep picking up your phone to take and post snaps, but hey, getting folks to switch off is a noble aim). [caption id="attachment_749136" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oche Oslo[/caption] Inside the 700-square-metre, heritage-listed spot, Oche will also feature an outdoor terrace, plus two separate bars, with one dedicated to local beverages. It'll spotlight different local breweries, distillers and winemakers each month, starting with Green Beacon in December. Or, you can sip your way through the regular beer and wine list, or opt for cocktails that'll pay tribute to Brisbane. Food-wise, Ben Williamson (Gerard's Bar) is overseeing the menu — and, so you can hurl darts and eat simultaneously, everything will be designed to be eaten with one hand. In fact, Oche won't be stocking cutlery. The food lineup hasn't been revealed, but there is talk of cheesecake on a stick, and vegan and vegetarian options will also feature. Expect to have plenty of company while you're throwing darts at boards for bragging rights — Oche will be able to accommodate 360 people. Once Oche Brisbane is open, the company plans to expand to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Find Oche Brisbane at 111 Constance Street, Fortitude Valley, from Friday, December 6.
A delicious sandwich is a lunchtime classic for a lot of us — and when it provides you with that cosy sense of nostalgia, it somehow tastes even better. We're talking about the old-school familiarity of an egg and lettuce sanga stuffed into your lunchbox, or a steaming cheese toastie made as an after-school snack. To relive the golden years when the humble sanga was your daily midday go-to — before we moved to salads and last night's stir-fry — we've hunted down five delicious sandwiches that tick all the boxes for comfort food. Plus, as well as being delicious, all of these sambos are stuffed with an egg for extra flavour and nutrients. Australian Eggs recommends opting for whole eggs (each one has 11 different vitamins in 300 kilojoules), which is what you'll get here — but with honey-roasted bacon, kimchi and multiple types of cheese.
If you've got a hard earned thirst for some spiffy new beer merch, the folks at Victoria Bitter have you covered — again. Last year, the famed Carlton & United Breweries beer released a range of branded VB gear, going old school with their designs. This year, it has teamed up with menswear label Mr Simple and visual artist, director and animator Lee McConnell on a line of pop art-inspired pieces for your wardrobe, your feet and your head. There's still a definite retro edge to the new collection, with the folks behind the Aussie brew always keen to nod to its lengthy history quenching the thirst of hardworking folks. This time around, you can kit yourself out in clothing that nods to summer, Australian-style — so, as well as VB bottles, cans and logos, there are also cockatoos and melted palm trees. These elements are splashed across a collared 'BBQ shirt', resort-style shorts and socks. If you're keen on a vintage-style t-shirt, four different styles are available, including an Andy Warhol-inspired print, and recreations of old VB logos from beer trays and draught bottles. And yep, these threads are sure to get a serious workout over the upcoming festival season. Alongside the clothes, you'll find vintage-inspired stickers and coasters, a VB stubby cooler and a VB cap. Designing the pop art -influenced pieces, McConnell adds to his hefty resume. He nabbed an ARIA nomination for Best Cover Art for Dune Rats' The Kids Will Know It's Bullshit, and is known for his work both with the band, and with Jack River — as well as for Mambo. The VB x Mr Simple range is available for purchase online. Images: Mr Simple.
The first rule of making a movie about a high-school lesbian fight club is that there are no rules, other than embracing the concept and giving it your all. So punches Bottoms, a film where the gleefully cartoonish energy is always as important as the plot, and a feature that knows it's entering a big-screen ring that wouldn't even exist if Heathers, Clueless, Bring It On, Mean Girls, But I'm a Cheerleader, Easy A and Booksmart hadn't hopped over the ropes first. Three years after Shiva Baby, writer/director Emma Seligman and actor Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies) reunite, with the pair collaborating on the script this time around. Also crucial: bringing in The Bear's Ayo Edebiri, a friend from the duo's student days, to co-star. In a picture that values being stronger together, Seligman, Sennott and Edebiri make a knockout team. Bottoms' vibe could only spring from IRL pals, too, playing it loose and ridiculous like this crew is simply hanging out. The setup: Sennott and Edebiri are PJ and Josie, who return to Rockbridge Falls High School after summer break keen to finally turn their love for popular cheerleaders Isabel (Havana Rose Liu, No Exit) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber, Babylon) into sex and romance. The best friends know that their social standing is anything but high — "gay, untalented and ugly" is how they describe themselves — but two queer girls can dream that this is their moment, then do their utmost to make their fantasies a reality. So, when the semester starts with PJ and Josie still stuck as outcasts, they conjure up a plan. Their gymnasium-based group is officially known as a women's self-defense class and is sold to their teachers as an act of female solidarity; however, no matter what they tell the principal (Wayne Pére, Your Honor), as well as the history teacher (Marshawn Lynch, Westworld) that they convince to be their advisor, there's really only one aim: not feminism and support, but getting laid. The initial mission of PJ and Josie's new extra-curricular obsession is scoring Isabel and Brittany's attention, then. The second: keeping up its founders' new tough rep. In that desperate-to-impress way that every awkward, anxious teen has, Bottoms' protagonists aren't above saying whatever they think will make them look cooler to the objects of their affection. So, PJ and Josie have a rumour that they went to juvie to uphold as long as they think that Isabel and Brittany care. Thanks to an accidental carpark altercation with star quarterback Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine, Red, White & Royal Blue), they also have form throwing around their might — or so they're happy to let their classmates think. Two things neither counts on, though: their gambit proving a hit with other campus outsiders such as Hazel (Ruby Cruz, Mare of Easttown) and, blow by blow, the group actually bringing its members together. Bottoms' premise is pure inspiration, switching out the usual Can't Hardly Wait-, American Pie- and Superbad-esque pining boys lovesick over long-term crushes or just yearning losing their virginity in general, taking Fight Club to high school, and getting sillier and more surreal than teen comedies normally dare. Bottoms as a movie also demonstrates Seligman's knack for her chosen genre at opposite ends of the spectrum — because the filmmaker's sharp and layered cringe-inducing debut feature is in a whole other comic clique to her sophomore effort. Cue subversion with plenty to say and off-kilter absurdity combined, especially in interrogating allyship. Cue a willingness to go for broke with weird, warped and wild swings as well. And, cue a film that's always doing what PJ and Josie themselves are to score their dream dates: relentlessly trying. The characters go with throwdowns in an endeavour to aid their horny hopes, while the flick itself opts for an everything-it-can-throw-in audacity. Tonal ducks, bobs and weaves are part of the Bottoms experience, unsurprisingly — and not every gag, line, goof, throwaway, swerve and drop of Wet Hot American Summer-style energy works. Accordingly, rivalries within Rockbridge Falls High and with another school, plus attempts to get serious, aren't always a bullseye. But Seligman and Sennott's devotion to their first rule means that a flat joke, piece of dialogue, idea or moment doesn't last long, then something else enters the comedic fray with gusto. The ping-ponging from Avril Lavigne's 'Complicated' to Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' amid a score co-composed by Charli XCX illustrates much about that bouncing-around relish. So does the script's contentedness to keep most of its on-screen figures as stock types not out of laziness, but to heighten the idiosyncrasies splashed around, insecurities examined and impact of the chaos around them. There's nothing standard about Sennott and Edebiri, not that Bottoms tells viewers anything that they don't already know from each actor's past work. The respective The Idol and Theater Camp talents previously collaborated on 2020's three-episode Comedy Central miniseries Ayo and Rachel Are Single, also pondering affairs of the heart — modern dating, to be specific, and also hilariously. The lived-in air that they bring to PJ and Josie's friendship isn't just an act, then. In fact, it's what every bit, jab, OTT jump and heartfelt emotion relies on. Sennott does charmingly forceful and unconstrained like she's breathing for it, while Edebiri has already shown how stellar she is at reacting on The Bear. Together, whether taking turns monologuing or diving into a bloodbath, they're unhinged magic. Also excellent: the supporting cast, from Gerber and Galitzine to Cruz and Lynch. The first makes good on casting a supermodel — and daughter of a supermodel, thanks to mum Cindy Crawford, who she couldn't more resemble — as the epitome of hotness, and makes her part shrewdly amusing. The second does the vain and overly dramatic himbo role to perfection. Cruz screams to be cast alongside Aubrey Plaza (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) in a future project, and Lynch is progressing well on the Carl Weathers (The Mandalorian)- and Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)-led path of NFL players who've become actors. If one of the key tenets of any association, fists flying or not, is to have the best members, then Bottoms rises to the top while having a helluva raucously entertaining time.
New years and treating yo'self go hand in hand, including on lunar new year. So, for an indulgent way to welcome the year of the tiger, CBD fine diner Donna Chang is putting on a feast — and you have six days to head along and make the most of it. From Tuesday, February 1–Sunday, February 6, the eatery is whipping up a special banquet for both lunch and dinner. Donna Chang is known for its Sichuan and Cantonese-style cuisine, and it'll be serving up Sichuan pickles, snapper sashimi, sweet 'n' sour noodles, tea-smoked duck, lobster dumplings, red braised pork, mandarin tarts and more as part of this LNY feast. Arrive hungry, obviously. This isn't a cheap meal, setting hungry folks back $128 per person — and an extra $50 if you'd like your food paired with matched wines. There'll also be lion dances livening up the inner-city restaurant on Friday, February 4 and Saturday, February 5.
After the work-week marathon, holing up at home all weekend can be mighty tempting. And while technology has gifted us with the amazing ability to get both food and entertainment without changing out of our PJs, it's no replacement for sunshine and socialising. So once a month, swap the hermit life for an outside hangout. The City Sounds, a music program that has been filling Brisbane streets with free live music since 2000, is launching The Sound Society. Across the first weekend of each month, artists will head for the hills or, rather, the parks for this new music initiative. It all kicks off at South Bank Parklands on Saturday, March 3, with indie artist Joe Mungovan at 2pm followed by The Fergies at 4.45pm. The tunes will continue on the first Saturday of each month — running from 2–7pm — so expect to see a range of acts including indie-folk bad My Nightingale, guitarist Van Larkin and rocker duo Shag Rock take the stage at Rainforest Green. There'll also be food stalls converging, too, with options such as hot dogs and wings. If a slow Sunday morning is more your style, meander down to Roma Street Parkland on March 4 — picnic blanket in hand. The vibe is more soulful here, with jazz artists including Shannon Marshall Trio, Charlotte McLean Quartet and SCAT scheduled to perform the first Sunday of each month from 9am–12pm. Food vendors will also be available at both locations to sort out your sustenance — everything from green juices to cheese toasties will be on offer. So, embrace the outdoors this autumn. The Netflix marathon can wait for winter.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we take you to Hanging Gardens of Bali where guests stay in luxury villas overlooking some of Indonesia's untamed jungle. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This Balinese resort sits far away from the crowds, up in the lush rainforest surrounded by local wildlife and charming rice terraces. Hanging Gardens of Bali has also won so many international accommodation awards thanks to the breathtaking views, super luxurious villas and gracious service. THE ROOMS This high-end resort is made up of 44 private villas, each perched high atop wooden pillars overlooking the valley below. Wake up and enjoy this view from your extra-large canopy bed before rolling out into your own private plunge pool — it's paradise on stilts. And each villa is full of character. The villas combine contemporary and Balinese décor with signature hand-crafted furniture, exotic fabrics, open-air dining areas and epic master bathrooms. We see no reason why you'd ever need to leave your villa. FOOD AND DRINK Keeping with the 'never leave your villa' life, these guys will make and deliver an enormous breakfast to your room, made to be eaten in your private pool. It's all served in a bespoke wooden boat that sits out in the water with you. A dining experience that, due to your location, is quite literally next-level. But, if you do want to get out of your villa for dining, they have stacks of other options available. Either head to the main pool area for cocktails and snacks or dine in their Three Elements Restaurant. The restaurant has won separate awards for their cuisine and dining experience so shouldn't be missed. And that's just the start. Hanging Gardens of Bali also offers a wide range of other dining experiences. Spread throughout the valley are a series of cosy private dining spaces. Have a gourmet picnic on their riverside Bale, be served a romantic dinner within an ancient temple and eat some traditional afternoon tea around the rice fields. [caption id="attachment_872752" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Niklas Weiss (Unsplash)[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA This luxury resort is located near Payangan, a small village north of Ubud. Zip around the winding roads of the area on a quad bike (or just get a taxi if you dare not undertake this feat) to explore the nearby temples, holistic centres, yoga studios, rice fields and stacks of local markets. Explore this area to see why Bali is still on the top of so many people's travel bucket list destinations. You can also visit Canggu and Uluwatu to find the best surf or temporarily leave the serenity and hit Kuta and Seminyak for those famous Bali party vibes. Choose your own Bali adventure — it's all pretty easy to do from this location. THE EXTRAS Now we've already mentioned all of the extra dining options available at Hanging Gardens of Bali, but these guys don't stop there. The team here has created an impressive smorgasbord of additional pampering activities. First off, there is the spa — yes, this has won a handful of awards too. It's truly luxurious treatments combine natural, local ingredients and ancient techniques, to create beauty therapies and treatments that soothe the mind, rejuvenate the body and energise that poor old soul of yours. Of course, these treatments also come with a view of the Balinese jungle so you'll feel surrounded by nature even when you're technically inside. We are also big fans of their guided morning walks. Take off on a journey through the local villages, led by their resort guide before reaching one of the local rice fields. Here, the guide will serve a few refreshing drinks while talking a little bit about rural life in this part of Indonesia. It's a really delightful way to start the day. Get 30% off your stay at The Hanging Gardens of Bali here (with daily breakfast, sunset yoga and a couple's massage included). 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.
One of Brisbane's venues is going green this autumn, celebrating a big pop-culture phenomenon that's still getting plenty of affection two decades after it first hit. Yes, after all this time, everyone still loves animated favourite Shrek. So, Kickons is hosting the ultimate Shrek party for adults: another Shrek Rave. Missed out on 2022's version? Here's your second chance to rediscover why it really isn't easy being an ogre — all while listening to a Shrek DJ set, and joining in on a Smash Mouth sing-along. Still remember the words to the band's version of 'I'm a Believer'? Of course you do, and you have the song stuck in your head right now. Also part of the fun: Shrek-themed drink specials including Shrek Juice, Donkey Drank and Farquaad Fizz; free green glow sticks; an all-green dress code (obviously); a free green glitter bar; and a prize for best Shrek-inspired outfit. Here, all that glitters is indeed gold — and green — with the party happening from 9pm on Friday, March 24. Tickets start from $21.75 per person.
This just in: giant wads of neon sugary goo are bad for you. Following concerns over the portion size of Allen's Killer Pythons, confectionery manufacturer Nestle have decided to halve the size of the much-loved treat. Where they once weighed in at 47 grams (32.5cm) — big enough to wrap around your neck like the fierce jungle creature they really were — Pythons will now be a mere 24 grams (21cm). No word yet on whether they're changing the name to Killer Penny Lizards. Of course, this move is pretty sensible. Any parent or babysitter can attest to the fact you don't want a kid devouring this much sugar, and any move to improve their nutrition can hardly be a bad thing. "Controlling portion size is an effective, simple and reliable tool that is used in maintaining a balanced diet," dietitian Melanie McGrice said in a statement released today. "A ten year old can now run off a Killer Python in around 30 minutes. With the previous size, it would have taken almost an hour." But this doesn't account for the adults who knowingly want to ingest this much delicious, heavenly sugar. If we can buy steins of beer and slabs of duty-free ciggies, surely we should be allowed full-size Pythons. Let us live with our poor life choices. The new slimline candies will be in stores this month. Understandably, the price for individual sales will halve, and the number of those sold in packs will increase. This isn't enough to appease the masses though. Complaints are going off the hook on the Allen's Facebook page, but this could be temporary. Outrage will probably ease off once everyone eventually comes down off their sugar highs.
Attention country music lovers, we have big news we know you'll like. CMC Rocks 2023 is adding a 16th year to its reign as the biggest and most popular country music festival in the southern hemisphere. From Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19, Willowbank Raceway (just a 50-minute drive from Brisbane's CBD) will play host to a roll call of country legends and their sweet tunes. Which legends? Zac Brown Band, Morgan Wallen, Kip Moore, Ashley McBryde and Mitchell Tenpenny, to name just a handful from the jam-packed roster. With twin stages and a fully booked program, the tunes won't stop until Monday comes. Camping and glamping options are currently sold out, but there'll be a resale facility opening before the festival in 2023 where you can get your hands on any pre-loved tickets. You could also stay in one of Ipswich's many lovely overnighters and get the festival bus in. [caption id="attachment_878012" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] For one absolute showstopper of a weekend, you can sing and dance the night away to the pipes of 28 of the world's biggest and best country singers. All in sunny Ipswich, which has sights and experiences aplenty: think Breaking Bad-themed restaurants, helicopter tours and more. So clear your calendar and make a proper trip out of it. CMC Rocks takes over Ipswich from Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19. Tickets are sold out, but head to the website to join the waitlist and be the first to know when the official resale opens.
The Good Place might've just finished its third season, but Netflix isn't done serving up smart existential laughs just yet. The streaming platform's latest series once again tasks its protagonist with wondering what this whole life business is all about — however, in Russian Doll, New Yorker Nadia (Natasha Lyonne — who you'll most likely recognise from Orange Is the New Black) is forced to relive her 36th birthday shindig over and over again. While getting stuck at a celebration in your own honour will sound like a literal party to most folks, that's not Nadia's path. Co-created and co-written by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and filmmaker Leslye Headland (Bachelorette, Sleeping with Other People), this eight-episode show takes its acerbic, misanthropic lead character through the kinds of twists and turns that are really best discovered by watching. Her closest pals (Greta Lee and Rebecca Henderson), friendly ex (Yul Vazquez), wise aunt (Elizabeth Ashley) and cute roaming cat all feature, and so does a determined but neurotic guy (Charlie Barnett) who lives around the corner. If you're getting strong Groundhog Day vibes, then you're on the right track. Netflix is even launching Russian Doll on Friday, February 1 — aka the day before this year's real-life Groundhog Day, which will be celebrated on February 2. That said, this isn't just a rehash of a movie about rehashing the same events, even if the series does have plenty of fun with its concept. Examining fate, logic, life's loops and wading through limbo in a clever and compelling way, Russian Doll is dark, heartfelt, hilarious and inventive all at once. And, although the do-over premise has become a well-established trope on both the big and small screens, the series never feels like it's relying on a gimmick. Like its name, this is a layered effort that keeps revealing new charms, as does Orange is the New Black's Lyonne. Of course, Netflix has played with branching narratives already this year, all thanks to Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. While Russian Doll lets Nadia choose her own way through her repeated days, it isn't a choose-your-own-adventure affair for viewers — but, in a nice little coincidence, Nadia is a computer game programmer. While you're waiting for the show to drop its entire first season, check out Russian Doll's two trailers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcKoAMGGvY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPELCYFK-Wg Russian Doll hits Netflix at 6pm AEDT / 5pm AEST on Friday, February 1. Image: Netflix.
Starting with an ode to Dolly Parton is always a smart move — and it's exactly the 2022 Brisbane International Film Festival is doing. Taking the opening-night honours: Australian comedy Seriously Red, which sees writer/star Krew Boylan (A Place to Call Home) play a Parton impersonator striving to take Dolly's wisdom to heart. This year's festival marks BIFF's 28th over three decades, as well as the second spin under Film Fantastic, who also organise the Gold Coast Film Festival. On offer is a massive 120-film program, comprised of 79 features — including 21 from Australia — and 41 shorts, and covering films hailing from 34 countries. Also, Brisbane cinephiles will watch eight world premieres and 23 Aussie premieres between Thursday, October 27–Sunday, November 6, including a range of big-name festival-circuit favourites arriving Down Under fresh from debuting at fests such as Venice and Toronto. Among those highlights: the Cate Blanchett-starring Tár, which saw the Australian Nightmare Alley and Don't Look Up actor pick up the Venice International Film Festival's Best Actress award for playing a classical composer; fellow Venice-winner The Banshees of Inisherin, an Irish-set drama that nabbed filmmaker Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) the best screenplay gong and lead Colin Farrell (After Yang) the Best Actor award; and She Said, with Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) and Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) as the two New York Times reporters who brought Harvey Weinstein's abusive history to public attention. Or, there's 80s-set coming-of-age story Armageddon Time, featuring Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Anne Hathaway (Locked Down) and Jeremy Strong (Succession), and written and directed by Ad Astra and The Lost City of Z's James Gray; this year's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner Triangle of Sadness, directed by Force Majeure's Ruben Östlund and his second Palme winner after The Square; and Broker, the latest from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, who received the Palme d'Or back in 2018 with the sublime Shoplifters. Belgian drama Close, which follows two 13-year-old boys and shared Cannes' Grand Prix prize, comes to BIFF after also winning the 2022 Sydney Film Festival Prize — and Afrofuturist musical Neptune Frost does the same after taking out the Melbourne International Film Festival's inaugural $140,000 Bright Horizons Award. Also on the bill sits Aftersun, led by Normal People's Paul Mescal; New York-focused music documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom; the Berlinale Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize-winning The Novelist's Film by South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo (The Woman Who Ran, On the Beach at Night Alone); Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the stop-motion comedy based on Jenny Slate's shorts and books of the same name; and Mister Organ, David Farrier's (Tickled) new doco. Plus, from the fest's weird and wonderful choices, there's Something in the Dirt, the latest mind-twister directed by and starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (The Endless); wild Filipino genre-bender Leonor Will Never Die; Spanish horror Piggy, a Sundance hit; the Rebecca Hall (The Night House)-starring Resurrection; Rubber and Deerskin director Quentin Dupieux's Incredible but True; and Final Cut, a French remake of Japanese cult hit zombie comedy One Cut of the Dead from The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius. Back to the local contingent, BIFF attendees can check out closing night's Sweet As, an outback-set coming-of-age story written and directed by Indigenous filmmaker Jub Clerc (The Heights) that just won an award in Toronto — as well as Greenhouse by Joost, a documentary about zero-waste pioneer Joost Bakker and chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett making a self-sufficient, eco-friendly residence; and the Queensland-shot Black Site, starring Michelle Monaghan (The Craft: Legacy), Jason Clarke (Pet Sematary) and Jai Courtney (The Suicide Squad). Venue-wise, BIFF 2022 returns to a heap of its 2021 locations, screening at New Farm Cinemas, The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Reading Newmarket, Dendy Coorparoo and GOMA's Australian Cinémathèque — with the latter hosting a 'Flying Fists of Joyce Godenzi' Hong Kong cinema retrospective, as well as a 90th-anniversary live music-backed session of Carl Theodor Dreyer's Vampyr — as well as Dendy Portside and Brisbane Powerhouse.
The force is strong with this idea — and we've definitely got a good feeling about it. From 2019, Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will both boast dedicated Star Wars-themed zones, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Exact dates are yet to be announced, but Disney has just revealed that fans will be travelling to a galaxy far, far away by the middle of next year at Disneyland — and towards the end of the year at Disney World. Galaxy's Edge was first made public back in 2015, will span 14 acres at each site and will prove the biggest single-themed expansion the respective parks have ever seen. And, they'll be designed to "transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life." To be specific, fans will be able wander around the outpost of Batuu, which is a hive for smugglers and rogues (naturally); drink blue milk at a cantina; and hop onto a star destroyer. Most importantly, visitors will be able to fly the Millennium Falcon. Yep, prepare to say "punch it" a whole heap — and hopefully become best buddies with a loveable wookiee. The full details are yet to be unveiled, but expect Galaxy's Edge to tie into all ten Star Wars movies to date and feature an array of beloved characters roaming around. Expect to be able to buy plenty of merchandise at the gift shop as well. Eventually, visitors to Disney World will also be able to stay in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel too, although construction hasn't started yet and an opening date hasn't been announced either. Of course, Galaxy's Edge will be open just in time for Star Wars: Episode IX, which is due in cinemas in December 2019. Given that we now get a new Star Wars flick each year — including spin-offs such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is set to be followed by a Boba Fett movie — you'd think it's probably only a matter of time before Disney also opens a Star Wars stadium to match its forthcoming Marvel one. Via Disney Theme Parks Blog.
Your favourite afternoon of ladies, literature and endless love for Marieke Hardy is back. Women of Letters is back at the Powerhouse launching Between Us, a special new collection of letters from Australia's most eloquent ladies. If you haven't yet been, Women of Letters is a regular event co-curated by writers Marike Hardy and Michaela McGuire that attempts to drag the long lost art of letter-writing back into popular usage. Asking a host of successful ladies to the stage, Women of Letters is all about sharing stories and the celebrating the indomitable spirit of girl power. This instalment will be hosted by much-loved Brissie local Krissy Kneen. She will then be joined on stage by writer Kristina Olsson, journalist Susan Johnson and media superstar Madonna King. Grab tickets via Brisbane Powerhouse or at the door, if still available.
Since the mid-90s, Paul Rudd has been a constant presence on both big and small screens. First, he won over Beverly Hills' coolest teen in Clueless, joined horror royalty in Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers and somehow became the unattractive romantic alternative in Romeo + Juliet. Then, he helped deliver San Diego's news in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, ran for office against Leslie Knope in Parks & Recreation and became the world's smallest superhero in Ant-Man. The list goes on, spanning a trip to camp in Wet Hot American Summer, plus appearances on Friends and Veronica Mars. But it's Netflix's new series Living With Yourself that's finally giving the world all the Paul Rudd that anyone could ever ask for. Both asking and answering the question we've all been pondering for decades — aka why have one Paul Rudd when you can have two? — Living With Yourself is yet another existential comedy. That said, as written by Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show producer Timothy Greenberg, and directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Battle of the Sexes, Ruby Sparks, Little Miss Sunshine), the show finds its own charming niche amongst this growing genre. While the likes of The Good Place, Forever, Russian Doll, Miracle Workers, Maniac and Undone have each contemplated existence and our place in it, they haven't pondered whether we're all actually our own worst enemies in this comic but insightful fashion. Twice the Paul Rudd is twice as nice, obviously; however the two versions of his character cause quite the chaos in Living With Yourself, especially given that the double-up is a wholly unintended development. Everyone's favourite ageless star plays Miles, a burnt-out writer turned advertising agency employee struggling through an average life, until he discovers an unusual solution. Heading to a day spa recommended by a colleague, he's looking to come out relaxed and refreshed. That happens, but only because he's replaced by a clone and left for dead. Although the new and improved version of Miles couldn't be happier, the old version is still hanging around. So, the original Miles and the new Miles have to work out how to co-exist — and if they even can. How the pair handle their shared life, wife Kate (Irish actor and comedian Aisling Bea), career and identity fuels the show's eight-episode first season, as do plenty of weighty matters — including the quest to try to be a better version of ourselves. That's a notion that Living With Yourself's fellow existential comedies all deal with in different ways, and it's one that never stops being relevant. Here, in a series that comes layered with a heft dose of melancholy, that tussle not only gets a literal spin, but fuels an engaging, thoughtful and amusing show that does much more than just duplicate one of entertainment's beloved talents. Before binging the whole first series, check out the trailer for Living With Yourself below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w54yW2Ur50 All eight episodes of Living With Yourself's first season are available on Netflix now. Images: Netflix.
Following a teaser on their Facebook page last month LA alt-rock legends Weezer announced that they would be touring Australia for the first time in sixteen years, much to the delight of fans, and the dismay of those previously thriving on the idea that the band hate the nation. Despite a career spanning twenty years Weezer have only been here once before when, back in 1996, they promoted their cult record Pinkerton. Stopping off in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, the tour will see the band play their greatest hits and rarities plus the full length of The Blue Album, in just the same way as their US concept tours do. For Weezer fans in Australia this is a must not miss opportunity, and one that many never occur again. Tickets go on sale first thing July 26th; be quick or you'll miss out. Weezer Australian Tour Dates: Sunday 13th January, Entertainment Centre, Brisbanehttp://www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 Wednesday 16th January, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbournehttp://www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100 Saturday 19th January, Entertainment Centre, Sydneyhttp://www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100 Wednesday 23rd January, Perth Arena, Perthhttp://www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 https://youtube.com/watch?v=_9BGLtqqkVI
It's a scenario familiar to many. You're loitering in the Valley with an hour or so to kill before a gig and want something quick, not too flashy, not too pricey but tasty to keep you going. If you've much sense your first thought will be of the Chinatown Mall – many a restaurant there to suit your needs. Of these, Thai Wi Rat should be a pretty solid contender. Very few restaurants in Brisbane declare themselves to serve Laotian food, which Thai Wi Rat does. It's a nice point of difference to be sure, however the main focus is Thai food. Brisbanites, and Australians for that matter have long proved their love for this South East Asian cuisine – though Thai Wi Rat doesn't necessarily offer anything new on this front, when it comes to cheap and cheerful convenience, they're hard to beat. Curries, stir fried dishes with rice, soup noodles and salads abound, but the stir-fried noodles are the way to go. First select from vermicelli, egg noodles, thin rice noodles or fat rice noodles, then choose from a catalogue of sauces including guay teaw pad kee maw (spicy sauce), guay teaw pad thai (tamarind sauce) and guay teaw pad ce ew (dark sweet soy sauce), available vegetarian, with a variety of seafood, beef, pork or chicken. For a safe bet, order the guay teaw lard na (Thai-style gravy sauce) with combination seafood ($14.90). Its prime position makes it ideal for a quick bite before a night out but Thai Wi Rat takes reservations and on our early Saturday night visit, the vast majority of the outdoor tables had been booked. Not a problem, as seating is surprisingly ample given the number of Asian restaurants vying for space in the area. Thai Wi Rat is extra fortunate in its location, with the Mall's water feature running adjacent to the restaurant's main outdoor seating area. The drinks list offers a range of Thai style iced drinks, enough wines and beers to keep you occupied, as well as a shot of Thai Whiskey. Images: Hennessytrill
Been spending the first few months of 2020 pondering the future? Given the current state of affairs, that's only natural. This week, however, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight. For folks located Down Under, Wednesday, April 8 is when you'll want to be peering upwards. That's when you'll see the second of 2020's super full moons, with this one named the 'super pink moon'. And while super full moons aren't particularly rare — two usually happen each year — after this, the next one isn't due to occur until April 2021. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — but because April 2020's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), that's why it's called a super full moon. It's also a pink moon, too, which doesn't refer to its colour but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, April and spring go hand-in-hand — which means the April full moon usually arrives with the onset of the year's floral blooms, and with the first flowers from the pink-hued wild ground phlox specifically. Of course, it's currently autumn in the southern hemisphere, and the wild ground phlox are native to North America — but the name still sticks. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Wednesday, April 8 — and while timeanddate.com notes that the super pink moon is expected to be at its peak at 12.35pm that day in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, it's still worth looking up for. If you're eager to take some pictures — and see if you can outdo previous supermoon snaps — the ABC recommends directing your eyeballs upwards at around 11pm that night, which is when the super pink moon will be highest in the sky. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? Usually, when a spectacular moon beams down from above, we'd advise city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. That's not possible given the current COVID-19 restrictions in place, so you'd best take a gander from your backyard or balcony. Typically, clouds and showers are predicted for Wednesday along the east coast, which could present problems in terms of visibility. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live streaming the moon online from Rome on Wednesday, April 8, starting at 3am AEST, too. Via timeanddate.com / space.com / ABC. Image: Andrew C.
What if, when the DeLorean speedometer reaches 88 miles per hour, Marty McFly bursts into song? Surely every time Doc Brown exclaims "great Scott!", he should bust out some dance moves. And it's honestly just hard to believe that Biff Tannen doesn't have his own Biff bop. In news that'll make you believe in the power of love — because it's a curious thing — some of the above might happen at the Brisbane Arts Theatre between February 11 and March 27. And if they're not part of That '80s Time Travel Movie: A Back to the Future Musical Parody, we'll choose to believe that someone travelled back and erased them from our timeline. Just look for the anyone calling themselves Calvin Klein and hanging around the clocktower. Either way, a whole lot of singing, dancing and laughing is bound to occur when the inventive, wholly unofficial satire arrives in Brisbane — not to be confused with the official musical version, which was slated for a 2015 London premiere but hasn't yet come to fruition. And, it'll be the Australian premiere season, running Sundays to Tuesdays on alternating weeks. BYO puffy vest and pink hoverboard, obviously.
If you're not familiar with FOMO, it's Australia's clash-free one-day summer festival. When it announced it was coming back for a fourth year in January 2019 — with Nicki Minaj headlining, no less — tickets were snapped up at a fast pace. As such, the Brisbane leg of the daytime festival has already sold out. But not to worry. The festival organisers have tacked on an all-ages Friday night spin-off, which will hit Brisbane Showgrounds the night before the main event. FOMO by Night will feature a condensed selection of FOMO's full lineup — but it doesn't leave off the headliner. Leading the program is famed American-Trinidadian rapper Minaj, who released her high-energy, highly acclaimed fourth album Queen just last month — which features everyone from The Weeknd to Ariana Grande, Eminem and Lil Wayne. Hot on her heels is Florida's Lil Pump is heading Down Under for the first time, bringing hits 'Gucci Gang', 'Esskeetit' and songs from his yet-to-be released album Harvard Dropout, and electro music producer Mura Masa will break up the hip hop and rap with his disco tunes. Also on the schedule is Dutch experimental artist San Holo and Brisbane's own Miss Blanks among others. After the Brisbane show, FOMO by Night will head to Adelaide and Perth. Tickets go on sale on October 16. FOMO BY NIGHT 2019 LINEUP Nicki Minaj Lil Pump Mura Masa San Holo MIMI Miss Blanks Eljae Image: Mitch Lowe.
Come February 14, every eatery in Brisbane is rolling out their most romantic menu. On Bakery Lane, however, eating a delicious dinner for two is just the start of the fun. The Valley laneway's restaurants will have plenty of culinary treats — Le Petit Paris' Nutella crepes and Jonny's Pizzeria's $20 pizza and wine deal, for example. They'll also be pairing it with a night of free outdoor movies. Forget Love Actually — it's Love Animated when Bakery Lane turns its tiny stretch of pavement into an openair cinema for the occasion. In conjunction with the Animation Alliance Australia Inc, 11 animated shorts about romance will grace the big screen. The first 20 folks to arrive will also receive an I Heart Brownies treat, because if there's any dessert that's tailor-made for the day in question, it's this one. And sure, the whole evening might just offer dinner and a movie, but it's a far cry from your average night at the multiplex with some popcorn and choc tops.
Like karaoke? Fond of singing in public in general, whether you're solo or in a group? Then it's time to up your crooning game. Pub Choir is exactly what it sounds like — aka a gathering of folks belting out a tune, together, in a bar. It's basically what happens whenever someone puts 'Wonderwall' or 'Weather With You' on the jukebox, but in a more organised fashion. Specifically, each session features a particular song, which attendees learn in three-part harmonies. Talented professionals are there to show you the ropes and lead the way, and if you're wondering what you'll be singing, it's announced on Facebook 24-hours beforehand. Doing the rounds of Brisbane venues since early 2017, Pub Choir has become mighty popular, with tickets getting snapped up very quickly for each monthly show. As a result, it's heading to new digs from January 2019, making The Tivoli its new home. That means that the Valley will be alive with the sound of music on Wednesday, January 30 — and the sound of plenty of folks singing and sipping, because both go hand-in-hand here. And, if you're not usually the type of person to unleash their inner Beyonce in front of the masses, don't worry. The great thing about choirs is that everyone is singing, so you are literally a voice in the crowd. In fact, you might just find joining in the fun cathartic. If you can't feel free when you're crooning along with hundreds of others, when can you? Tickets for Pub Choir's January 30 session go on sale at 5pm on Friday, December 7.
The big screen is going green at the seventh annual Transitions Film Festival, Australia's leading showcase of socially-conscious cinema. In Brisbane from March 23 to 25, this year's festival lineup is once again jam-packed with deep-diving documentaries about some of the biggest social, environmental and geopolitical issues facing the world today. While the full Brisbane lineup hasn't yet been revealed, the fest's national program is full of interesting selections. Standout films include Food Fighter, about the battle against food waste in Australia; Chasing Coral, a look at the disastrous effects of bleaching on our reefs; and Guardians of The Earth, which glimpses behind closed doors during the negotiations for the Paris Climate Agreement. Other highlights include personal Kenyan farming doco Thank You For the Rain; Albatross, the latest film to explore the impact of plastics in our oceans; and Big Dream, about seven young women pursuing their passions in science, technology, engineering and maths. For the full Transitions Film Festival lineup, visit transitionsfilmfestival.com.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Brisbane. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, eat pasta served from a giant cheese wheel, cheap pho and steak overlooking the river. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Since opening its doors a few year back, Morningside's Southside Tea Room has proven a hub of unique activities. Not only does the cafe serve up great food and drink, but it also hosts special events pop up regularly — the kind where people can indulge their creative side and take part in something different. Reviving an old favourite, SSTR is bringing back its beloved Plaster Fun House nights — an evening where patrons can get crafty and make something they can treasure. Pick from a statue on offer, get into the arty spirit and see what you can whip up! You'll have your own multi-coloured owl, skull, zombie, mermaid, Batman or bulldog in no time. Not just a one-off affair, the new series will take place monthly on Friday nights. The first gets underway from 6pm on December 8, but it has already sold out. Thankfully another will be held on January 5 and the first Friday of every month after that, so keep your eyes on the SSTR Facebook page for tickets. By James Frostick and Sarah Ward.
They've given you all the chicken you can handle, both in a poultry-packed menu and in a one-off all-you-can-eat wings day. Next on The Coop's agenda: cheap tacos. When Thursdays roll around, that's your lunch and dinner plans sorted thanks to Bueno Bueno. When it was first announced back in January, Bueno Bueno was an evening affair — but thanks to popular demand, it's now happening all day and all night every single Thursday. Each week, seven types of taco will be on offer for $3 each. And it's not just a few spoonfuls of mince in a crunchy shell, aka the kind of thing you could make at home, either. Their menu includes the Demonio Blanco (24 -hour pulled cola pork with beans, pickled red cabbage and chipotle mayo) and The Generalisimo (BBQ pulled beef taco with caramelised onion, pickles and parmesan cheese). Or, have some karaage in your tortilla with the Gallo Fantástico (chicken, diced pickled onions, blue cheese and chipotle BBQ sauce), or opt for a beetroot-filled meat-free option with the Verde Delicioso (beetroot patty, pearl couscous, diced tomato and onion, parsley, smoked ketchup and tahini dressing). Wash it all down with an appropriate beverage — Dos Equis stubbies, sangria, margaritas and tequila shots — and call it a prelude to your weekend.
