If you've caught more than one or two shows at South Bank's Queensland Performing Arts Centre in your time, as every Brisbanite has, then you've likely watched a thing or two at its Cremorne Theatre. But you've probably never seen the space like it will be at The Kaye Hole, the new performance by cabaret star Reuben Kaye — which is turning the venue into a cocktail-slinging speakeasy. Those libations will pair well with the show's blend of circus, comedy, burlesque and drag — and cabaret, of course — which is firmly an adults-only affair. While sipping, you can say cheers to a performer who's nabbed the Best Cabaret Awards at Fringe World Perth and Adelaide Fringe Festival 2021, and also earned a nomination for the most outstanding show at last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Kaye will unleash his cabaret variety act with a little help from his friends, which include fellow cabaret star Tina Del Twist, dance and fire artist Jacqueline Furey, aerialist and contortionist Ashleigh Roper, pole dancer Charlie Love, beat box artist Hope One, performance artist Leah Shelton and the THICC shake crew's drag artists and dancers. You can check out their delights from Thursday–Sunday until Saturday, February 12, with 8pm shows every night except Sunday and 4pm gigs each weekend as well. Images: Joel Devereaux.
These days we have access to unprecedented amounts of information in a multitude of mediums. Gone are the days when organisations could just rely on a good story or startling statistics to get their message across. In our increasingly visual culture, a story just ain't a story and information just isn't newsworthy unless it's accompanied by some darn good imagery. The 2020 VISION project takes all of this into account. The multi-media conservation project, the most ambitious of its kind to date, has gotten together 20 of the UK's best professional wildlife photographers and assigned them an area of conservation to document using visual media. The photographers have been assigned areas all over the isles — sustainable fishing on the border between England and Scotland, restoring the wetlands at Somerset Levels and even an attempt to 'rewild' the River Thames. The work of these photographs will be assembled into a outdoor audio-visual multi roadshow at the end of this year. The project hopes to capture the visual imagination of the British public, making an emotional rather than a scientific argument for conservation, and to get the message across that the health of the natural environment has a significant impact on the health of the individual. Information worth remembering.
Since 2016, Sydneysiders keen on a decadent French fine-dining experience have had an easy go-to: Restaurant Hubert. Taking its cues from post-war Paris, the hatted venue goes big on ruby hues, wood panelling and ruffled curtains; seats couples at candlelit tables for two; serves up French brasserie dishes and hefty drinks list; and features daily live jazz. It's one of the Harbour City's absolute best, in fact — and for one night only, it's coming to Brisbane. Keen to experience one of Sydney's top eateries but don't have a trip south in your future? All hail the latest restaurant pop-up, which is bringing Hubert's dining experience Brissie's way. Australia is a hotbed for such residencies and one-offs at the moment, including Britain's acclaimed L'Enclume and France's Mirazur heading to Sydney. Hubert mightn't be travelling as far, but its Brisbane stint is just as exciting. [caption id="attachment_673758" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts[/caption] On Thursday, March 30, across sittings at 6pm and 8.30pm, Hubert's Head Chef Alexis Besseau will take over Woolloongabba's C'est Bon with a 'French on French' menu featuring four snacks and four courses. Costing $185 per person, consider it the meeting of two standout Gallic restaurants over one impressive evening. Expect tickets to sell out quickly, too, when they go on sale on Friday, February 24. Besseau leads Hubert after quite the culinary history, including enrolling in culinary school at the age of 13, working at l'Arpege in Paris four years later, and getting further kitchen experience in London, Switzerland and Brazil. His time in Australia has seen him work under chef Peter Doyle, become Head Chef at Bathers Pavilion, then move to Franca in Potts Point before settling in at Restaurant Hubert. During Besseau's Brisbane visit, C'est Bon diners can look forward to a French menu heroing Queensland produce; think pâté en croûte made with Brisbane Valley quail, for instance, plus duck a l'orange. C'est Bon's Andy Ashby will be joining in, which is why patrons will also tuck into sweetcorn brulee with scampi and French caviar with buckwheat and saltbush. And, to wash down all of the above, C'est Bon's sommelier Sebastian Langkamer will be picking vino in big-bottle formats from the Stanley Street spot's cellar. [caption id="attachment_837435" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] The Hubert x C'est Bon Dinner takes place at 6pm and 8.30pm on Thursday, March 30 at C'est Bon, 609/611 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba — costing $185 per person. For more information and to buy tickets from Friday, February 24, head to the C'est Bon website. Top image: Daniel Boud.
This Is Spinal Tap set the benchmark for mockumentaries way back in 1984 and has reigned supreme ever since. Now it may finally have an equal with What We Do In The Shadows, a collaboration between writer/directors Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement. Billed as "a couple of interviews with a couple of vampires", it's a fly on the wall 'documentary' about four vampires sharing a flat in present-day New Zealand and is, quite simply, hilarious. Key to its appeal is the way What We Do In The Shadows presents the needs, problems and activities of vampires as entirely commonplace. The flatmates cruise the clubs of Wellington seeking victims like others seek a one night stand, they jeer each other on when a back-alley argument descends into a 'bat fight', and they projectile vomit blood when they absentmindedly eat actual food. Yes, they've their share of 'vampire' problems (sunlight, vampire hunters, etc), but also more normal ones, like having to tell your best friend you're the undead and suppressing the unceasing desire to kill him. What We Do in the Shadows is in cinemas on September 4. Thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have a What We Do in the Shadows prize pack to give away, with a double in-season pass and DVDs of Submarine, Bernie and Prince Avalanche. Eight runners up will also get double in-season passes to see the film. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Read our full review of the movie here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cv568AzZ-i8
The space at 22 Wyandra Street in Newstead was never going to stay closed for long. While Carl's Bar and Bistro shut its doors at the address back in September 2022, the City Winery crew has been busy filling the venue with new ventures. First came a seasonal bar and bottle shop over the holiday period, and now Ardo's is making the spot its own for the long haul. City Winery is behind Carl's, too, which initially opened to give the team an outlet before its Wandoo Street flagship in Fortitude Valley launched. When it was announced that Carl's was moving to a yet-to-be-revealed new location, it company also advised that something different would make the most of the popular Wyandra Street berth — and now Brisbanites can check out the end result. Ardo's is a neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop, so patrons can peruse its curated range of vino while getting sipping onsite over pintxos, cheese and charcuterie — or pick up their favourite tipple or a new discovery to take away. Offering a selection that you wouldn't just find at any bottle-o is a big source of pride, with Ardo's staff on-hand to chat you through its drops, help you make a pick and impart their expert knowledge. "Our wine selection showcases the rising stars and pioneers of the minimal-intervention wine movement in Australia plus a small selection of European options to showcase the benchmarks," says Ardo's Operations Manager and Wine Guide Luke Reimers. "It's a really bespoke offering that we think brings something unique to the community," he continued. [caption id="attachment_883133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] City Winery's seasonal pop-up at Wyandra Street.[/caption] Open for after-work drinks Tuesday–Friday and from lunch onwards on weekends, the venue does wines by the glass and the bottle to enjoy while you're settling in. The lineup rotates, but everything you see on the shelf can be drunk onsite or taken away. As you're getting cosy, you'll be surrounded by vino all across the walls, a wine tap that looks like an altar, and neutral colours aplenty amid feature pink stone. The food menu is all about being communal, with bar snacks inspired by pintxos — so bites to be washed down with a glass or several. Currently available, although this lineup also rotates based on availability and the seasons: baby beet and goat's cheese tartlets, blue cheese mousse with baby fig on sourdough, smoked salmon mousse with crispy capers and salmon skin on brioche, and both mini lemon meringue and Mississippi mud pies. "It's that classic afternoon session — you get a glass of wine and there's a selection of food at the bar and you pay per piece. It's all very relaxed, and then you have takeaways available to take home or out to dinner afterwards," says General Manager Doug Gilmour. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ardo's (@ardoswine) Find Ardo's Wine Bar at 22 Wyandra Street, Newstead — open from 3pm Tuesday–Friday and from 12pm Saturday–Sunday. Head to the venue's booking page for reservations.
The last two years might have been a little lighter on travel adventures than we're used to, but if you're keen to make up for lost time, Visit Victoria has come up with a beaut excuse to escape the city and hit the road again. It's just unveiled its latest touring off-grid accommodation experience championing the regions — a tiny home stay for two by the name of Stella the Stargazer. Similarly to Visit Victoria's Wine Down Pop-Up Hotel, which launched in mid 2019, Stella won't be tying herself down to just one location. Rather, she'll move between three idyllic regional settings for eight weeks at a time, starting with a sojourn at Maffra's Blue Gables vineyard from Friday, October 14. [caption id="attachment_869901" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blue Gables Vineyard, Maffra[/caption] After its Gippsland stint, the environmentally sensitive pop-up will relocate to a spot along the Great Ocean Road for a couple of months, before seeing out its last leg nestled against the mountainous backdrop of the Grampians in April and May, 2023. The accommodation itself is a study in simple luxury, the off-grid tiny home the work of Port Fairy-based design and manufacture crew Ample. Inviting you to switch off, unplug and recharge, without forgoing comfort, it's kitted out with a queen-sized bed, complete with threads from Weave Home Australia, Society of Wanderers and Grampians Goods Co. There's a roll-out sleeping platform that's primed for stargazing, an indulgent shower surrounded by adjustable glass louvres designed to envelop you in the natural surroundings, and a central wood fire that doubles as a hotplate for cooking. Glass sliding doors open onto the modular deck and fire pit, and you'll find plenty of local wares featured throughout; from crockery, to Dindi Naturals toiletries. Meanwhile, famed chef Alejandro Saravia (Farmer's Daughters, Victoria by Farmer's Daughters) will ensure you're dining like royalty, with guests enjoying a curated welcome hamper, a bottle of wine and breakfast provisions showcasing top local produce. A dinner experience is also available to add on to your stay. Stella the Stargazer will make her home in Maffra, Gippsland, from October 14–December 15, 2022. She'll then stop in a new location along the Great Ocean Road from February 3–April 6, 2023, before moving to the Grampians from April 17–June 18, 2023. Rates are $330 per night Monday–Thursday, and $390 per night Friday–Sunday.
In 2022, scam culture was here to stay, as drawn-from-reality hits such as Inventing Anna and The Dropout repeatedly promised. In 2023, playing fast and loose with the truth sits at the heart of Apple TV+'s new Hello Tomorrow!, too, which tells a fictional tale about the deceptions people spin to chase their dreams. The show's beaming face: travelling salesman Jack Billings (Billy Crudup, The Morning Show), the regional manager for BrightSide Lunar Residences, and a passionate pusher of timeshares on the moon. He's this intriguing dramedy's version of Don Draper, but with Mad Men's 60s surroundings swapped for The Jetsons-style robot help and hovering vehicles. Streaming from Friday, February 17, the look of Hello Tomorrow! is retro-futuristic, steeped in 50s-era visions of what might come. The time and place is an alternative version of that decade, in a suburban enclave called Vistaville, where one of Jack's biggest fibs has its origins. He's summoned back with his crew of hawkers — the gambling-addicted Eddie (Hank Azaria, The Simpsons), promotion-coveting Herb (Dewshane Williams, In the Dark) and resident righthand-woman Shirley (Haneefah Wood, Truth Be Told) — by his mother Barbara (Jacki Weaver, Penguin Bloom) after his wife Marie (Annie McNamara, Severance) is injured by a self-driving delivery van. His son Joey (Nicholas Podany, Archive 81) is struggling to cope, a task made all the more difficult by Jack's absence from his family's lives for decades. He's skilled at sharing stories about his domestic bliss on the moon to customers, but being a happy head of a lunar household is merely one of his go-to falsehoods. One such spiel opens Hello Tomorrow's ten-part first season — an attention-grabber of a launchpad with a universe's worth of details about Jack, BrightSide, how both operate and what each trades in from the get-go. In a diner that's the picture of nostalgic Americana except for the android server behind the counter, Jack gets comfortable beside a fellow patron, then gets selling, selling, selling. In his line of work, Jack can pinpoint people's wishes. There's no preternatural talent involved — this isn't Poker Face, another 2023 newcomer — but he knows how to lock in what his potential customers yearn for. So, he packages up an underdome home on the earth's only natural satellite as a way of repairing a fractured father-daughter relationship. Throwing in faux tidbits about his own wife and kids to close the deal, a sale swiftly follows. When Jack is seen spruiking back in Vistaville, after decamping with his team to the Vista Motor Lodge, his inspirational rhetoric wavers. Rather, amid a mass presentation that features celebrity spokesman Buck Manzell (Frankie Faison, Till), TV's Space Sheriff, calling in from up above, his talk turns dark and the room's excitement plateaus. Joey is in the audience, however, and the earnest twenty-something is quickly sold. He also can't remember anything about his father, so doesn't spot the connection. Jack's solution: stopping his boy's purchase and giving him a job instead, still without revealing the bonds of blood. Of course, Joey joins the BrightSide fold just as aggrieved customer Myrtle Mayburn (Alison Pill, Star Trek: Picard) starts kicking up a fuss, her complaints falling on rule-touting bureaucrat Lester Costopoulos' (Matthew Maher, Our Flag Means Death) listening ears. There's a The Twilight Zone-meets-Leave It to Beaver feel to Hello Tomorrow! as its characters seek the same thing we all do: a better life. Creators Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen (both Bloodline alumni), also co-writers and showrunners with You're the Worst's Stephen Falk, zoom in further, focusing on the reasons anyone holds onto to hope their lot will improve. Jack hit the road to discover something more when he farewelled Marie and Joey all those years ago, but it's clear amid the poise, polish and patter that he hasn't found it. Still, he hasn't stopped striving, either. Eddie needs a big payday because he's bought into the BrightSide promise, aiming to turn his romance with the married Shirley into a new lunar existence — and escape his mounting gambling debts. And Herb's wife Betty (Susan Heyward, Orange Is the New Black) is expecting twins, hence his persistent push for advancement. Amid constantly whirling dialogue and a playful score by Mark Mothersbaugh (What We Do in the Shadows), selling the American dream — and buying into it — literally means shooting for the moon. As Hello Tomorrow! speedily establishes, both are frequently out of reach. Questing after something that never eventuates is one of the oldest stories under the sun, after all, and imagining a brighter future to make today's doldrums go down smoother is an ancient fact of life on this very earth. None of these notions are revelations in Hello Tomorrow!, but they are thoughtfully and stylishly unpacked. Take the show's pitch-perfect aesthetics, for instance; they're as shiny as can be, for the series' characters to interact with and its viewers to watch, but that gloss is never the be all and end all. Hello Tomorrow!'s colourful, curved, tailfin-heavy production design (by Maya Sigel, I Am Not Okay with This), art direction (Katie Citti, The Peripheral), costume design (Anna Terrazas, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) and set decoration (George DeTitta Jr, Succession) are equally sublime and stunning — instantly transporting as well — but they wouldn't gleam as blazingly if its story and themes didn't hit home. The lies keep building, then being exposed, as Jack is forced to confront the fallout of vowing to deliver everyone their best lives. Crudup won an Emmy for his last Apple TV+ role and is in stellar form again, all intuition, optimism and persuasion on the outside, and regrets and loneliness within. "What's life without a dream to make it go down easy?" Jack opines, with Crudup saying it like every character in Hello Tomorrow! believes it. That sentiment also oozes from the fantastic Azaria as Eddie, the most forceful of the show's figures personality-wise and its most devoted to lusting after the BrightSide life. He makes an excellent duo with Wood as the canny Shirley, who puts her faith in people over easy promises — and both help sell a dramedy that's glorious in its world-building, with mobile phones absent but residing in the Sea of Serenity a normal possibility. Apple TV+ knows this high-concept, highly stylised, deeply engaging and resonant space, of course. With 2022's Severance, it traversed similar terrain in a wholly different way. Here's another dream that Hello Tomorrow! peddles, plus embodies: that our idylls borrow from everything we've seen and experienced, but we always make them our own. Check out the trailer for Hello Tomorrow! below: Hello Tomorrow! streams via Apple TV+.
What's better than Ability Fest, Australia's most-inclusive music festival, returning for another year? The fully accessible event, which launched in 2018 as the brainchild of 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, taking its setup and live tunes to two spots around the country. The fest started in Melbourne, which is the only place that it has called home since — but in October 2024 it'll play both the Victorian capital and its Queensland counterpart. Melburnians, you have a date for your calendar. Brisbanites, so do you, for a music festival that's arriving in the River City for the first time ever. And for folks everywhere else, you have two locations to choose from if you're keen to book a weekend away to head along. [caption id="attachment_963996" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] Ability Fest will first unleash its 2024 lineup — which hasn't yet been revealed — on Saturday, October 19 at Alexandra Gardens/Birrarung Marr in Melbourne. Then, the following week on Saturday, October 26, it'll make its Sunshine State debut at Victoria Park/Barrambin in Brisbane. "First and foremost, Ability Fest is a ripper festival at its core, but with the added plus that it can bring people of all abilities together," said Alcott about bringing the event north. [caption id="attachment_963997" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Glenn Hunt[/caption] "We'll have a completely accessible venue with elevated viewing platforms, pathways, quiet zones and sensory areas, ensuring that everyone has the ability to have an unreal day." "Gaining the support of the Queensland Government means we get to share our passion for great music and good vibes with the Sunshine State, and offer an inclusive and incredible festival experience for every single person," Alcott continued. [caption id="attachment_963992" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] The Brisbane festival will cater to around 5000 people, and Ability Fest is committed to being financially accessible during the current cost-of-living crisis in both of its stops. Accordingly, tickets will only cost $60 plus booking fee, and carers will receive complimentary entry. The fest is also lowering the age of admission to 16 so more folks can head along. "For many Australians, the cost-of-living crisis has created significant financial strain. We believe that music has the power to unite communities, bring people together and lift our spirits, especially during challenging times," said Alcott. [caption id="attachment_963990" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] From the get-go, Ability Fest has been carefully designed to be completely accessible and as inclusive as they come. It features ramps and pathways for easy access, Auslan interpreters working alongside the artists, and elevated platforms to give everyone a shot at seeing the stage. Plus, there's also quiet zones, dedicated sensory areas and accessible toilets. While dishing up primo live tunes and music experiences to Aussies of all abilities, the not-for-profit fest also raises money for the Dylan Alcott Foundation, with 100-percent of its ticket proceeds going to the organisation. Ability Fest 2024 Dates and Venues: Saturday, October 19 — Alexandra Gardens/Birrarung Marr, Melbourne Saturday, October 26 — Victoria Park/Barrambin, Brisbane [caption id="attachment_963995" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963991" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] Ability Fest 2024 will hit Melbourne and Brisbane in October 2024. Pre-sale tickets will be available from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, July 10 (register online), with general tickets selling online from 12pm on Thursday, July 11. Head to the festival website for more details.
If the insanely beautiful Field of Light installation had you ready to blow two months' wages on flights to Alice Springs, the latest addition of light-focused cultural events in the outback might just nudge you over the line. For the first time, Parrtyeme - a Festival in Light will illuminate Alice Springs for ten nights this September. Announced by the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Adam Giles this week, Parrtyeme — which comes from the Arrernte word parrtma meaning 'light up' or 'lighting up' — will be the first Indigenous festival of its kind. Featuring both contemporary and traditional indigenous artworks, the festival will also be Australia's biggest light installation, covering 2.5 kilometres of the MacDonnell Ranges. Among the works, you can expect to see a series of large illuminated 1950s-style circle skirts based on the watercolour artwork of Lenie Namatjira, who's the granddaughter of artist Albert Namatjira. Vivid eat your heart out. The festival will run for ten nights later this year in the Alice Springs Desert Park (about a ten minute drive from the centre of Alice Springs), from September 23 till October 2. It's a collaboration between the NT Government, AGB Events (who are known for their work on Vivid) and local Aboriginal artists. And if all goes well, they hope that the Parrtyeme will become an annual event. Parrtyeme will take place from September 23 until October 2, 2016. To register your attendance, visit parrtyemeaustralia.com.au.
When you're deciding how to spend your next brunch — and where to spend it, more importantly — perhaps it's a case of what you'd like to drink. Tired of mimosas? Fancy something stronger with your first Sunday meal? Or, maybe you just really love gin. West End gin joint Covent Garden has been in the bottomless brunch game for a while now, and shows no signs of stopping. Here, you can tuck into gin cocktails for two hours, or opt for a few Pimm's cups. Pimm's is based on gin, after all. For $49 per person, you'll also sip red or white wine sangria, and munch on a shareboard spread — featuring charcuterie, cheeses, pickled vegetables and crackers, plus that breakfast and brunch staple, aka bread, too. The food and drink feast goes down from 11am each week and, while bookings aren't essential, it's recommended that you secure your spot in advance anyway.
It's been almost four years since all things Yayoi Kusama took over Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art and left everyone with colourful, dot-filled and pumpkin-shaped memories. But Brisbanites can actually spy one of her artworks, Eyes are Singing Out, whenever they want to — and by simply going for a walk in the city. If you weren't aware of that handy local tidbit, now you've just learned something. This town of ours boasts more than a few pieces of standout outdoor art, in fact, but it can be easy to mosey past it all and not pay these works enough attention. That's where Museum of Brisbane's new Public Art Walking Tour comes in — and it'll have you seeing and appreciating Brissie in a whole new way. Starting at City Hall at 2.30pm every Friday and Saturday, this tour will take you to a range of eye-catching pieces sitting in plain view. Expect to see works from more than a century ago, far more recent installations and everything in-between. Don't just walk around looking at your phone like so many of us usually do, obviously. [caption id="attachment_804862" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Robert McPherson via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]
He's the horror and thriller author responsible for bloody proms, haunted hotels, possessed cars, sewer-dwelling clowns and spooky animal resting grounds, not to mention literary stalkers, depression-era death row prisoners, a town plagued by unexplained fogginess and another trapped under a dome. Indeed, since coming to fame with Carrie back in the 70s, Stephen King has never proven unpopular — but the world sure loves the writer's work right now. The viewing world in particular seems to adore King at the moment, with page-to-screen adaptations of his books popping up thick and fast. In 2019 alone, a new version of Pet Sematary hit cinemas, as did IT: Chapter Two and The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep — while In the Tall Grass recently arrived on Netflix. On the small screen, Mr Mercedes is up to its third season, Castle Rock unfurled its second and Creepshow's first recently landed. Next year will see three more TV shows join them, too, all based on King's books — and if you like the author in murder-mystery mode, you might want to add The Outsider to your viewing list. HBO's addition to the fold is a ten-part mini-series taking inspiration from King's 2018 novel of the same name, which focuses on the gruesome death of an 11-year-boy. Little League coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) is suspected of the shocking murder, with his fingerprints all over the scene; however, video footage places him 60 miles across town at the time the crime went down. Unravelling just what happened is a task for police detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn), who's also mourning the death of his own son. When nothing seems to add up, he brings in unconventional private investigator Holly Gibney (Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale's Cynthia Erivo) to help, despite him professing to have "no tolerance for the unexplainable". In case you're thinking that this all sounds like one of King's more straightforward tales, "an insidious supernatural force" is also involved according to the official HBO synopsis — it is called The Outsider, after all. And, while the show's first teaser focused on the murder case, its just-dropped full trailer plays up the creepiness, coincidences and the fact that something beyond the bounds of normal logic just might be going on. Mendo, Australia's favourite current acting export, also produces the show, as well as seemingly getting a rare chance to play something other than a blockbuster baddie of late (see Rogue One, Ready Player One and Robin Hood, for example). As for recent Emmy directing winner Bateman, he executive produces and jumps behind the lens on the series' first two episodes. Check out the new trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNDKWr3Xmjk The Outsider starts airing on Sunday, January 12 in America — we'll update you once viewing details for Down Under have been announced.
Brisbane isn't a seaside city, but it knows how do seafood well. From fine-diners to neighbourhood fish 'n' chipperies, finding a top-notch serving of the ocean's finest isn't hard around town. Add New Farm Seafood to the list of eateries plating up fish, prawns, bugs, oysters, calamari, Japanese sea scallops, mussels and more — to dine in, for takeaway and also to cook at home from its market. Open six days a week, this Merthyr Village spot does double duty as a seafood-focused diner and a spot to pick up fresh catches. Whichever you choose, you'll be getting something sourced from Australian and New Zealand waters by owner Michael Hatzifotis. The eatery's fish is line-caught, while its market is stocked with wares fresh from the trawler. Both for eating on the premises while sitting in the venue's outdoor seating and taking cooked dishes home, options include oysters with rosemary and lemon granita, fish croquettes with saffron aioli, lemon pepper calamari, bug rolls, focaccia baked in-house with taramasalata, caviar and blinis, and fish burgers. The menu also spans a few meals that you can only enjoy if you're dining in, such as the aforementioned Japanese sea scallops (which come with cauliflower cream, macadamia and basil oil), one-kilogram servings of mussels (steamed, and paired with chilli, tomato, feta and garlic) and whole baked fish. Packs and platters are also on offer, such as takeaway-only family and one-person feasts, plus both cooked and fresh platters that come stacked with seafood. Opt for your choice of cod, snapper of flathead crumbed or battered in tempura, and it comes paired with fries. Go with grilled barramundi, ocean trout or blue-eye trevalla instead, and you'll get fennel puree and orange salad as sides. You can also select from non-seafood dishes, some of which reflect Hatzifotis' Greek heritage — which is where the one-kilogram Greek lamb shoulder, Greek beef hamburgers and traditional Greek salad comes in. Among the other choices: rib fillet steak on the bone with onion rings and salsa verde, and creme brûlée for dessert. And to drink? The beverage list features a small lineup of sparkling, rosé, red and white wines, plus beers. Feel like going all out? This is also the kind of place that pours Cristal for $490 a bottle if you're particularly flush with cash. Among the takeaway range, you'll also find heat-and-eat meals and items to stock your pantry, including marinades, sauces and stocks.
When the news dropped earlier this year that Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck was coming to Melbourne, every local foodie quite rightly lost their mind. Packing up a three-Michelin starred restaurant and transporting it to the other side of the world for six months is no small feat. And, while Melbourne is treated to a great spectrum of culinary talent, the food wizardry of this sound-cooking, bacon ice cream-making legend really is next level. But, the question remained: how to secure a seat? After the announcement came in March this year, Crown received upwards of 40,000 requests to book a table. We'll give you a minute to let that number sink in. With a proposed service of 50 diners per night, and the space in operation for a mere six months, The Fat Duck would only be able to accommodate a third of those that enquired nearly a full year in advance. That's huge. "We were totally overwhelmed with the response, it's been unbelievable ... [it shows] just the complete, utter food obsession that has happened over here," Blumenthal said in a press conference this morning. Now, to cope with the astronomical interest (and to save the receptionists at Crown a world of trouble), a booking system has been decided. To eat at The Fat Duck, you will have to enter a ballot. Open from October 8 until October 26, the ballot will be run in a similar way to Meredith Music Festival (though we really can't say it will have the same no dickheads policy). Punters can register their ravenous interest, an independent third party will randomly select the successful diners, then both confirmations and rejections will be sent out on November 10. It's not yet clear whether you can pick the date and time of your reservation. Honestly, it seems unlikely. Unsurprisingly, the seat also won't come cheap. Dinner will be served as a set menu of 12–15 courses and will set you back a cool $525 (before drinks). This may well be the only lottery where the prize is a huge bill, but when we think about that bacon ice cream we can't help but feel it's worth it. The Fat Duck opens on February 3, 2015, but more importantly the ballot opens on October 8 at 9am. Via Good Food.
The Sunshine State's latest of lockdowns is coming to an end, after multiple parts of Queensland were put under stay-at-home conditions for three days this week, and folks in in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay Local Government Areas were locked down for four days. From 6pm today, Saturday, July 3, there'll be no stay-at-home conditions in place statewide. New restrictions are coming into effect, however, and will apply until 6pm on Friday, July 16 — including mandatory mask-wearing. In the Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Logan, Redlands, Ipswich, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, the Lockyer Valley and Somerset LGAs in southeast Queensland, plus Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island, covering up is compulsory for the next fortnight. So, if you're spending any time anywhere other than in your own house, you'll be masking up. This isn't a new development, with the latest mask mandate first coming into effect on Tuesday, June 29. It was originally meant to run for two weeks from that date, but that has now been extended. Accordingly, you'll still need to keep covering up whenever you leave home — which includes places such as shopping centres, public transport, hospitals, aged care facilities and churches. And, you'll need to mask up in workplaces where you can't maintain physical distancing and it's safe to wear a mask. You'll need them outdoors, too, unless you're doing vigorous exercise. You'll also need to always carry a mask with you when you aren't at home, obviously. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1411147986931896324 Announcing the end of lockdown for Brisbane and Moreton Bay and the new restrictions coming into effect at a press conference today, Saturday, July 3, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that it's "really important to wear your mask. These masks are mandatory. Now, there could be some other community cases out there, so we really need people to wear their masks." In the past 24 hours, Queensland reported five new locally acquired cases, with 47 cases currently active in the Sunshine State at the time of writing. As always, Queenslanders are asked to keep social distancing, and maintaining the hygiene practices that have been in place since March 2020. You're also requested to keep checking the state's list of exposure sites — and to get tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms. Face masks will be mandatory in the Greater Brisbane area until 6pm on Friday, July 16. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. More details about the lockdown, masks and associated restrictions can also be found on the Queensland Health website.
End your 2018 with a bender — a cheese-filled bender, that is. After serving up raclette on the regular throughout the past 12 months, Fromage the Cow is ending the year as it has happily spent it. And how it wishes to go on into 2019, we're assuming. NYE Raclette sees the dedicated Milton dairy spot set up its raclette stations once again, with staff on hand to manage them as usual. All you need to do is mosey on up, fill your plate with potatoes, charcuterie meats, roasted onion, baguette and pickles, and then get the gooey, oozing cheese slathered on top. For $85 per person, you'll also receive a canapé-style entree and a yet-to-be-revealed dessert. Odds are, they'll feature cheese. And, you'll also get a glass of Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs when you walk in the door. Anything else you'd like to drink, you'll need to pay for. Fromage the Cow's usual raclette nights book out rather quickly, and this one is likely to be no different, so reserving your spot early is recommended. It kicks off at 6pm for 6.30pm on Monday, December 31 — and if you're getting boozy afterwards, you'll have a cheese-lined stomach. Image: Fromage the Cow.
December might be the month of constant Christmas carols, getting Mariah Carey stuck in your head every day and rediscovering that NSYNC made a festive album, but that's not the only music-related fun to be had. As well as celebrating the season, we're all celebrating the year that was. The standout records, the tunes that became instant faves, the tracks you streamed non-stop for days and days and days — you know the ones. Need some help? You're in luck — and it's a two-step process. First, pick your ten best albums of the year and email jetblackcatmusic@gmail.com. Next, head along to Jet Black Cat Music from 6pm on December 21, and get ready to hear the top ten of the year as voted by the West End store's customers. Actually, there's also a third step: pick up some booze and take it along with you. Entry is free, and will also include a second countdown of the ten best-selling albums of 2017, as well as Christmas cheer and munching on JBCM's own homemade rocky road Xmas trees.
Australia is teeming with ace things to do every single week, which won't be news to Concrete Playground readers. It's also filled with stellar and stunning places to head, which won't be a revelation either. Still, every year, the Australian Interior Design Awards names and celebrates the best of the best when it comes to indoor spaces to hang out, live and work in. And, 2022's dazzling crop of winners have just been announced. Back in April, AIDA unveiled its 2022 shortlist, which was filled with impressive spaces in hospitality, residential, workplace, retail and public settings. Whittling down those contenders to a list of winners must've been a tough gig, but it's one that the judges clearly relished. Their picks are spectacular, naturally. [caption id="attachment_858619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Troy Sivian's house. Image: Anson Smart.[/caption] Nabbing the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design: Clare Cousins Architects for Stable and Cart House in North Melbourne, which the jury said was "sublime in every way". Located within a 1920s brick warehouse, the home also took out the Residential Design category, and was singled out for the way it "beautifully balances the retention of an existing building with very bold and practical new insertions". If that's not enough home inspo for you, the 2022 Residential Decoration Award went to Flack Studio for Troye Sivan's house, also in Melbourne. Yes, you'll want to live there. Indeed, making sure that the tri-level abode, which has big London vibes and was originally a 19th-century hardball court, reflects its famous occupant was a big reason why it scored a gong. The home boasts a "strong sense of the client's character through a beautiful curation of art, furniture, lighting and objects in a way that doesn't feel forced or contrived," the jury said. [caption id="attachment_858637" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arkhé. Image: Timothy Kaye[/caption] Announced at a dinner the Hyatt Regency Sydney on Friday, June 17, AIDA's 2022 winners also include Studio Edwards for Finesse Shoe Store — still in Melbourne, this time in Collingwood — which took out the Retail Design field. As well as displaying and selling rare and limited-edition kicks, the sneaker store is clearly quite the covetable space itself. Up in Sydney, YSG Studio nabbed the Interior Design Impact gong for Edition Roasters in Haymarket, while Adelaide's Arkhé claimed the Hospitality Design Award for Studio Gram. [caption id="attachment_828028" align="alignnone" width="1920"] View of Eucalyptusdom showing commissioned work Pyriscence: After Fireby Anna May Kirk. Image: Zan Wimberley.[/caption] Back in Melbourne, the Monash Robotics Lab scored the Public Design prize, with Studio Bright doing the honours. Meanwhile, Sydney's Powerhouse Museum took out the Installation Design category for exhibition Eucalyptusdom, a win for SJB in collaboration with Richard Leplastrier and Vania Contreras. In that same field, one of the most luminous new additions to the Australian art scene also picked up a commendation: digital-only, multi-sensory art gallery The Lume, with Decibel Architecture behind its stunning design. [caption id="attachment_858618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Lume.[/caption] For the full Australian Interior Design Awards 2022 winners list, head to the AIDA website. Top image: The Lume, Decibel Architecture.
In the quarter-century since Pokémon first burst into the world, its slogan has gotten quite the workout. The entire franchise is about catching 'em all, but that sentiment has proven rather adaptable. When it comes to Pokémon video games, you've gotta play 'em all. Love the cards and merchandise? You've gotta collect 'em all. Adore seeing pocket monsters on-screen? You've gotta watch 'em all. Like Pokémon-themed doughnuts? You need to devour 'em all. Hang on, Pokémon-themed doughnuts? Yes, they're a real thing that you can indeed munch your way through now, all thanks to Krispy Kreme. And, in the spirit of the franchise, you really do need to catch them separately if you're eager to get your fix in-store, with a different variety of doughy goodness dropping every fortnight from Tuesday, September 7. On the menu: Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle and Poké Ball doughnuts, with each type decked out in the appropriate colours and decorations. Obviously, if you're saying "I choose you" to a Pikachu doughnut, you're tucking into yellow icing — atop a doughnut that's filled with choc crème, then dipped in white truffle, and then decked out with a Pikachu white chocolate plaque. If you're grabbing a Poké Ball variety, you'll find it covered in white icing and red sprinkles, and also with an appropriate white choc plaque. The Bulbasaur type features green apple icing, sand sugar and a crème swirl, while the Charmander kind is orange-hued and filled with vanilla custard. And, when it comes to the light blue-toned Squirtle, it's jammed with strawberry filling. You'll find the Pokémon doughnuts at Krispy Kreme stores across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Auckland — or, if you fancy catching 'em all in once, you can grab a 12-pack (featuring one Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle and Poké Ball doughnut, two Pikachu doughnuts and six original glazed doughnuts) online. And if you're wondering why you're now able to eat 'em all, that's because Krispy Kreme is celebrating Pokémon's 25th anniversary. If you want to bust out Pokémon Go while you're snacking, or watch Detective Pikachu, that's perfectly understandable. Krispy Kreme's Pokémon range is available from Tuesday, September 7 — with a different doughnut on offer in-store every fortnight (for $3.75 each) and the full collection available online (in dozen packs for $29.95).
Pairing hot dumplings with cold beer is one of life's simple pleasures, and it's one of the reasons that Harajuku Gyoza has become one of Brisbane and Sydney's go-to Japanese joints. When their sixth venue joins the fold in May, it won't just be bringing gyoza and brews to a 150-seat space in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — it'll be setting up a microbrewery. Given the name Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium, it's the first restaurant of its type for the chain, and Australia's first Japanese microbrewery as well. And, it'll be offering plenty of tempting tipples for booze-loving dumpling fiends. Say hello to four 1200-litre red, black, silver and gold beer tanks pumping out six core Japanese craft beers from the Yoyogi Japanese Craft Beer range. Harajuku Gyoza has been brewing its own craft Yoyogi Pale Ale since 2015, but now they'll do so on-site at Broadbeach — and add five others to their regular menu. In addition to quenching Gold Coast diners' thirsts with their year-round selection and special seasonal releases, the new microbrewery will serve up yeasty brews that'll be sent to other stores, and sold wholesale. For anyone wanting more than just a pint, Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium will feature an entertaining table that comes with its own ten-litre keg, allowing you to fill up your own drinks as you sit and eat. And while the focus might be on beer, glorious beer, whiskey fans will find a range of rare Japanese varieties, available to purchase by the nip or individual bottle. If that's not enough booze and dumpling fun, the Broadbeach restaurant will also be Harajuku Gyoza's first to have a breakfast menu. Sounds smart — if you've been drinking fresh-made Japanese brews all night, you might want to head back the next morning for a gyoza pick-me-up. Find Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium at The Oasis Centre, Broadbeach from later in May. Head to their website and Facebook page for more information.
Bright lights aren't hard to find in Tokyo, and neither are gorgeous patches of greenery. And yet, the city's best blend of both sits inside a warehouse on an artificial island. Lengthy lines (another Tokyo hallmark) snake outside the seemingly average building from mid-morning until early evening, with the eager masses queuing beneath a giant ferris wheel. They've ventured over the famous Rainbow Bridge to get there, and possibly spied both a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a towering Gundam monument on their travels; however what awaits inside eclipses it all. Welcome to Tokyo's Borderless Digital Art Museum. Open since June 2018 in Odaiba, and run by interdisciplinary art collective Teamlab, it's an immersive playground teeming with kaleidoscopic digital works that move, shift, evolve and interact with each other. And we do mean teeming — this hefty collection of digital art spreads across more than 10,000 square metres, using 520 computers and 470 projectors for more than 50 works. Indeed, from the moment that patrons step through the museum's black curtains, the entire space is alive with pieces begging them to look and touch. And to sit in wonder and stare at as well. As you'll see if you scroll through the #borderless Instagram feed, it also invites audiences to take many, many, many photos. If some of them look familiar, it might be because Teamlab ran an exhibition at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum earlier year. Given the astonishing digital art on display, dropping your jaw and capturing the art on camera are completely understandable reactions. There's just so much going on. One instant, you're frolicking in a field of flowers. The next, you might be relaxing on a suspended net while watching fish swim, or wandering through a sea of glowing lamps, or feasting your eyes and ears on an astonishing concert of light and music. You could be relaxing as the ocean's waves come towards you, or spying flowers bloom from your cup of tea. It just might be the most vibrant place in a city filled with more stunning sights than anyone could see in a lifetime, and it's an absolute must-see on any trip to Tokyo, with more than a million people doing just that in the museum's first seven months. For those making the journey, we've run through seven of the dazzling delights that await in this digital art wonderland. WANDER THROUGH AN EVER-CHANGING FOREST OF FLOWERS If The Forest of Flowers and People was all that the Borderless Digital Art Museum had to offer, it'd still be a stunning achievement. The space's main section is a labyrinthine assemblage of halls, corridors and open voids where animated flowers grow, bud and blossom — and weave and wind their way around the huge room. Each bloom also withers, sheds its petals and decays, and responds to both the other works in the space (think butterflies, stampeding animals, waterfalls and more), and the museum's visitors. It's never the same work twice, with its cherry blossom hues proving equally calming and energising. You could walk around all day, never be bored and never see the exact same thing, although you will want to find your way to the cavernous Rock Where People Gather at the heart of it all. WATCH LIGHT BEAMS TURN INTO A SYMPHONY OF SCULPTURE It looks so straightforward: a darkened square room, with lights mounted on all four walls, as well as along the floor and across the ceiling. You scamper inside and find a spot to sit on the ground, and then look up. But what happens next is far from straightforward. Across ten pieces with names like The Haze, Light Vortex and Descent of the Gods, beams of light erupt through the space, building both monochromatic and colourful sculptures out of nothing more than their luminous rays. Each work is also set to a mesmerising soundtrack that's played loud to truly immerse you in the moment. While the entirety of the Borderless Digital Art Museum feels futuristic, this feels like being steeped in a sci-fi film in the very best way. LET THE OCEAN WASH OVER YOU Whether rushing towards the shore in stormy weather or lapping gently under the glistening sun, the ocean is an ongoing natural artwork. It's also a soothing sight, especially at a time when we all spend our days staring at screens rather than at the planet around us. Black Waves combines the best of both worlds, turning walls into a canvas and projecting a constant barrage of digital water across it. Unsurprisingly, people don't just sit here — they recline upon the island in the room's centre and simply let the waves wash over them. Prepare to feel vey calm — you'll want to get cosy and stay here for hours. WALK THROUGH A HYPNOTIC FOREST OF COLOURFUL LAMPS To enter the Borderless Digital Art Museum, there's a line. To then enter The Forest of Resonating Lamps, there's another — but both are worth it. Specifically, this walk-through installation lets you mosey through a mirrored room where suspended lanterns made of Venetian glass and hung at different heights are the main attraction. As you get close to a lamp, the colour changes, and then the whole space starts to cycle through a palette of eye-catching pastel views. Only a select number of people are allowed inside at a time, and you won't spend more than two minutes within the forest; however you will want to queue up for a second wander immediately afterwards. JOURNEY THROUGH A MOUNTAINOUS RICE FIELD First, you'll feel small. Then, you'll feel tall. Yes, playing with size and scale are what this piece is all about. You'll enter a room that resembles a mountainous rice field, wandering beneath a sea of plant sculptures and then towering above them, and you'll feel the enormity of the landscape. That said, that's just the structural part of the artwork. The Memory of Topography is located in a digital art museum, after all. While the main projection evokes life in a real field, complete with insects and flowers and changing seasons, another fish-fuelled effort flows across the space's varying elevations, painting with colour in reaction to whoever's in the room. BOUNCE BETWEEN BULBOUS FLOATING SCULPTURES Sometimes, the simplest things are the most thrilling, which is true in this interactive installation in Borderless Digital Art Museum's more active Athletics Forest. In The Weightless Forest of Resonating Life, bulbous sculptures float through a room as you — and plenty of other folks — roam between them. Some are weighed to the floor, and tip and sway when you walk past. Others rise into the air, heading towards the ceiling. Their colours change when someone touches them, which in turn influences all of the other 3D sculptures around them. If it's busy in here, which it always is, expect a rainbow of hues and a cavalcade of movement. ENJOY AN EXTRAORDINARY CUP OF TEA Walking around the Borderless Digital Art Museum is exciting and exhilarating. Given that you can spend hours inside, it's also a little exhausting. That's where the EN Tea House comes in, and it doesn't just serve up different flavours of both hot and cold green tea. While you're sitting at long benches in a dimly lit room, your cuppa will come to life thanks to Flowers Boom in an Infinite Universe Inside a Teacup. It all starts with a flower on top of your tea, then moves with your drink. When you've finished sipping, this gorgeous piece finishes as well. Find teamLab Borderless Tokyo: MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Odaiba Palette Town, 1-3-8 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan. It's open seven days a week — for more information, visit the museum's website. Images: Sarah Ward.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch did it. Kimmy vs The Reverend, You vs Wild and Cat Burglar, too. With these four titles and more, Netflix has actively embraced interactive content in recent years. Choose Your Own Adventure books have a lot to answer for, clearly, with being able to select your way through streaming picks — making choices about what happens next within a movie or show, that is, rather than simply deciding what to watch — popping up often enough that it's now just another viewing option. But only the streaming platform's new heist thriller series Kaleidoscope boasts 40,320 different ways to dive in. Here, that vast array of choices is indeed a gimmick, giving a familiar robbery narrative shiny packaging. Picking a route through Kaleidoscope's eight instalments is also automated, at least if you do what Netflix tells you. When each subscriber presses play on the series for the first time, they're given one of seven colour-coded instalments at random. From there, viewers move onto one of six chapters, any of which could roll next, and so on. The only inbuilt rule: White: The Heist, as the episode that shows the heist itself is called, always screens last. That whittles down the options to 5040, which is still a hefty number. Created by author and screenwriter Eric Garcia, whose novel Matchstick Men previously slipped him into the world of grifters — and was turned into a Nicolas Cage-starring film — Kaleidoscope also allows Netflix customers to make their episode choices manually. Whether you stick to the random order the platform throws your way or genuinely choose your own adventure, however, the result is identical. One narrative, eight chapters, thousands of outcomes: that's the show from a storytelling standpoint, with the plot itself remaining unchanged. Does one's interpretation of Kaleidoscope and perspective on its characters differ depending on which order you see its instalments? That's the aim, but the playful series proves ridiculously easy to binge no matter how you move through its Green, Blue, Violet, Red, Pink, Orange and Yellow chapters. Wherever viewers hop in, a crew of thieves awaits, all attempting to bust into an underground vault packed with $7 billion in bonds in the middle of a massive hurricane. Doing the pilfering: veteran criminal Leo Pap (Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul), his lawyer and longtime friend Ava Mercer (Paz Vega, 13 Minutes) and smuggler Stan Loomis (Peter Mark Kendall, Top Gun: Maverick), plus chemistry wiz Judy Goodwin (Rosaline Elbay, Ramy), her safe-cracker husband Bob (Jai Courtney, The Suicide Squad) and driver RJ Acosta Jr (Jordan Mendoza, ZIWE). Their target: SLS, a New York corporate security outfit run by Roger Salas (Rufus Sewell, Old). Kaleidoscope also throws SLS employee Hannah Kim (Tati Gabrielle, Uncharted), her sister and roommate Liz (Soojeong Son, Servant), and FBI agents Nazan Abbasi (Niousha Noor, The Accidental Wolf) and Samuel Toby (Bubba Weiler, Dopesick) into the mix — because family ties and law enforcement are heist genre staples. Anyone who has ever seen a film or show about stealing a big score already knows the drill, and Garcia and his team of fellow writers know it. Accordingly, of course the safe is ultra-secure, and extremely difficult to both get to and break into. Of course the job is also tied to an act of revenge, too. Also, of course Kaleidoscope slots into the eat-the-rich fold that Netflix also worked so well with Squid Game. And, while he doesn't play a fast-food shop owner who's secretly a drug kingpin, of course thinking about Esposito's time on both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul comes quickly as well. Past secrets, new rivalries, love triangles, close calls with pursuing cops, everything that can go wrong definitely going wrong: they all have a part, predictably so even amid all the shuffling. The just-keep-pressing-play hook comes from the overall puzzle, though, which is what Kaleidoscope's delivery gimmick serves up. Non-linear storytelling always involves sleuthing for clues and putting together pieces, which is why the heist genre loves it. It's also why, in these whodunnit-saturated times — Netflix did just gift the world Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, after all, and has another on its way) — this series goes all in. Consequently, Kaleidoscope's audience is instantly keen to know how everything fits together, sifting through each episode for clues and details alike as the show flits between timeframes. With the entire narrative spanning a quarter-century, chapters jump between 24 years, seven years, six weeks, three weeks and five days before the heist, plus the morning after and six months later. Although each instalment is tied to a hue, only Green — which perhaps makes the best entry point — lets its eponymous colour shine visually. That's disappointing albeit unsurprising; Kaleidoscope is slickly shot, but happy sticking to an aesthetic formula. The scrambled storytelling and Esposito do plenty of heavy lifting, and overtly; thankfully, the latter alone always makes for engaging viewing. Playing determined, authoritative but also vulnerable, it's hardly astonishing that the five-time Emmy-nominee is the standout among the cast. Similarly expected: that Courtney comes across as gratingly cartoonish. That said, that's just how one of Kaleidoscope's rotations pans out. Perhaps the other 40,319 (or 5039) treat the bluster-fuelled Bob more kindly — shifting perceptions on heroes and villains, and mysteries and revelations, is all part of the gimmick. That makes an interesting thought experiment, but maybe don't go thinking about how Netflix's algorithm is dictating each viewing path through Kaleidoscope, likely to keep everyone hooked based on their past watchlist, even if it works. Check out the trailer for Kaleidoscope below: Kaleidoscope streams via Netflix. Images: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
No one likes it when their phone rings from an unknown number, whether "no caller ID" or digits that you don't recognise flash up on your mobile's screen. Telemarketers isn't going to change that response. It won't dampen the collective ire that the world holds towards the pushy people on the other end of the line, either. HBO's thrilling three-part docuseries doesn't just reinforce what viewers already feel about the nuisance industry that thinks it can interrupt your day and life with a spiel that no one wants, and impact your bank balance in the process. In addition, it spins a true tale that demonstrates why a deep-seated dislike of telemarketing is so well-founded, and also why cold-calling operations can be so insidious. This true-crime story about the New Jersey-based Civic Development Group surpasses even the most call centre-despising audience member's low expectations of the field — and it's gripping, can't-look-away, has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed stuff. "Every other telemarketer who drives you crazy in the whole world is because of CDG," advises one of the series' interviewees. That might seem like a big claim, but co-directors Sam Lipman-Stern (Live From the Streets) and Adam Bhala Lough (The New Radical) step through its truth. The former knows the outfit's approach from experience, working there for seven years from the age of 14 after dropping out of high school, while the latter is the filmmaker cousin he wasn't aware of. Lipman-Stern is Telemarketers' on-screen guiding hand, too, but his ex-colleague Patrick J Pespas is its heart and soul. As seen early — with the show streaming its trio of chapters weekly via Binge since Monday, August 14 — Pespas is called a "telemarketing legend". Although he's happy snorting heroin on-camera in 2000s-era footage, he's switched on to CDG's shonkiness; more than that, he's determined to expose it even if it takes two decades. When Lipman-Stern began earning $10 an hour convincing ordinary Americans to donate to charities represented by CDG, he found himself at a place where anyone could get hired with few questions asked. The only requirement: bringing in funds while hitting the phone. As long as the company's employees kept making money, anything went. Those workers are a motley crew of vulnerable misfits in Lipman-Stern's low-res fly-on-the-wall footage, spanning not just dropouts and addicts but also ex-cons recruited directly from halfway houses and folks who didn't fit the usual nine-to-five grind. And their work environment? It "was like you was just going to a big-ass cookout every fucking day," one past staff member notes. Drinking, drugs, sex, nodding off on the phone, getting tattoos in the office, baby turtles crawling over keyboards, general seediness and raucousness that even telemarketing sitcom Workaholics didn't dream up: that was all a part of cashing a CDG cheque, as Lipman-Stern captured at the time, then uploaded to YouTube. Telemarketers' main pair and their boiler-room colleagues were paid to ring their way through the organisation's sales lists, rustling up financial support for police officers, their widows, veterans, firemen, dying children and cancer survivors. When it's the cops they're touting — typically under the Fraternal Order of Police, which is akin to a law-enforcement union — they also send out stickers emblazoned with the particularl lodge's logo. It usually goes unspoken, but those decals come with shifty promise: if you display them on your car, house or shop because you've slung some funds towards the police, you might get favourable treatment if an officer ever has cause to cross your path. Yes, that's dodgy. If only it was the most dubious aspect of CDG's gambit. Everywhere that Lipman-Stern and Pespas look, this tale gets worse. It's no wonder that Uncut Gems and Good Time filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie are among Telemarketers' executive producers, plus Eastbound & Down's Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green. Barely giving any of the money raised to any of the charities represented? Tick. Using underhanded and forceful tactics, flat-out lying and adopting voices resembling a "cartoon caricature of police officer", all to con people into donating? Check there, too. Unsurprisingly attracting legal attention across several states, and multiple levels of government, yet managing to keep operating? Tick again. Slippery founders — two sets of brothers, one of which includes the member of a Christian rock band — who aren't fussed about CDG's ongoing legal troubles? Check once more. Turning nonprofit fundraising into a complete sham? Keep on ticking. Constantly devolving, whether by letting fear-inducing convicted murderers loose on the phones, using artificial intelligence to keep calls going without needing staff or capitalising upon America's increasingly polarised political landscape? That's all part of this story as well. Making for jaw-on-the-floor viewing, Telemarketers is a wild portrait of greed, exploitation and corruption — and while screens aren't short of those of late, this isn't a Succession or Squid Game-style eat-the-rich effort. There's nothing luxurious or stylish here. All that's on display is pure predatory behaviour from CDG's owners and their cronies towards everyone below them, employees and folks picking up the phone alike alike. Lipman-Stern and Pespas are as much scam victims as the people they called. But, when a disguised player in the industry notes that "it's not the telemarketers you should be worried about", Telemarketers gets even more sinister. When the strikes end, expect Hollywood to pounce on a dramatised remake. The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach could easily slip into Lipman-Stern's shoes, and Saturday Night Live and Mr Mayor's Bobby Moynihan into Pespas'. Fantasy casting aside, any future retelling of CDG's exploits needs Lipman-Stern and Pespas at its centre — because Telemarketers wouldn't be what it is without them, or even exist. As much as HBO's series is a takedown of a horrific swindle, it's also an ode to guerrilla journalism by a couple of average guys fighting back, and a character study of the pair as well. As the show jumps across 20 years, it surveys who Lipman-Stern and Pespas are, what changes in their lives, their evolving friendship, their commitment to exposing their old workplace and why they took up this battle. It also doesn't shy away from the fact that they're plucky amateurs doing what they feel compelled to. The Safdies were approached to direct Telemarketers, only to glean what audiences can now see: that authenticity couldn't be more crucial. When 2022 became a banner year for true-crime deceptions on-screen, unravelling real-life stories through Inventing Anna, The Dropout and more, polish reigned supreme. Getting an inside view from everyday sleuths taking on the crooks who gave them a gig, as chronicled through rough-around-the-edges footage and scrappy chats — that's a raw, like-you're-there experience, and it's both powerful and electrifying. So too is Lipman-Stern and Pespas' transformation as they get immersed in their investigation over the years. Initially, Lipman-Stern just wants to film office pranks, while the ever-earnest Pespas has his own personal tussles. Before our eyes, they become the tenacious duo revealing a billion-dollar fraud and bringing this stunning whistleblower documentary to the world. Check out the trailer for Telemarketers below: Telemarketers streams via Binge from Monday, August 14.
Last month, McDonald's spread some lockdown cheer for a few days, offering burger-loving customers free delivery for an entire weekend. From now until the end of June, it's doing the same. Sharing the fast food love, the huge chain is doing free home delivery on orders over $25 via UberEats — every single weekend. If you're craving a Quarter Pounder or a box of chicken McNuggets and you don't fancy leaving the house, that's obviously great news. To get your hands on a burg, some fries, a Happy Meal, McFlurry or a hot fudge sundae — or anything else on the chain's regular menu — with no extra delivery cost, head to UberEats' website or use the UberEats app and enter the weekly code. This week's code, valid until Sunday, May 11, is MACCAS2U; however it will change each week. To get the new details every Friday, you'll need to head to Macca's Facebook page. The entire transaction will be contact-free, including when it hits your doorstep. And, if you're after a few household staples, Macca's is also delivering milk, plus six-packs of English muffins and its gourmet buns. Or, of course, you can ignore whatever time of day it is and go straight for a McMuffin, hash brown and some hot cakes. McDonalds is offering free delivery across Australia on orders over $25 made via UberEats, with the special available every weekend until the end of June. To order, head here and use the weekly code. Until Sunday, May 11, the code is MACCAS2U, with new codes announced every Friday via the Macca's Facebook page. Images: McDonald's.
Most people don't imagine themselves making a career out of voicing Disney villains — but, of course, Jemaine Clement isn't most people. So did he see a Disney villain in his destiny? "If I was honest, I'd probably say yes," the comedian, actor and one half of Flight of the Conchords offers. And, lending his distinctive tones to the singing, scurrying character of Tamatoa in Disney's new film Moana, he has well and truly fulfilled that prophecy. Dwelling deep under the sea in the realm of monsters, Tamatoa is a swift-talking 50-foot crab with a fondness for treasure and a David Bowie-esque musical number in which he somewhat joyfully, somewhat menacingly declares: "I'd rather be shiny". He's also one of the formidable forces standing in the way of Moana's titular heroine (newcomer Auli'i Cravalho) as she explores the ocean to save her island-dwelling people, all with a shapeshifting demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) reluctantly by her side. Yes, Clement voicing a cheeky character and singing a glam rock track is the stuff that dreams are made of, and with his frequent collaborator and What We Do in the Shadows co-scribe and co-director Taika Waititi taking a first pass at Moana's screenplay — along with former Flight of the Conchords opening act and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda co-writing the film's original music — it just gets better. With Moana now in Australian cinemas, we spoke with Clement about working on Disney's Polynesian musical, voicing giant characters and channelling his inner Bowie. ON GETTING INVOLVED WITH MOANA Concrete Playground: How did you get involved with Moana? Jemaine Clement: A friend of mine, Taika Waititi, who I work with a lot, was one of the writers. And when he was doing his draft of the film, he told me that Disney, who I've worked with a couple of times before, wanted me to do something in it. It's a Polynesian story and they've gone for a mostly Polynesian cast — and I'm part Maori, so I think it was pretty natural. And I also, I've played a lot of animated villains. So who else would you get? ON PLAYING A LIGHT-FINGERED, SELF-ABSORBED, 50-FOOT CRAB CP: How did you go getting into character for the role of 50-foot crab Tamatoa? JC: Well, I guess I'm not 50 foot — I'm only just approximately six foot, just over. So I had to work on that. It's the second 50-foot character I've played this year. In The BFG, I was also 50-foot. So I guess I must sound pretty big. CP: People are obviously getting that idea from listening to you. JC: "How this big is this guy? He sounds huge." CP: And then they meet you in person, and they realise… JC: "Oh no, he's only about six foot." ON FILLING HIS RESUME WITH ANIMATED VILLAINS CP: You recently played Fleshlumpeater in The BFG — you've got quite the CV when it comes to playing animated villains now. JC: I hope I can get some use out of that. Maybe just telling my son it's bedtime. I'll do the voice. I always was interested in animation, that was the first job I ever wanted to do. When I was five, I remember seeing a thing on The Wonderful World of Disney about the animation process and I wanted to do that as a first job — I aspired to be an animator. And I imagined that I'd do all the parts, you know, like write it, voice it, animate it, — but I haven't gotten to the other two. ON CHANNELLING DAVID BOWIE — AGAIN CP: Between Flight of the Conchords and Moana, your Bowie impression is getting a good workout too. JC: I don't even think my impression's that good. But it stuck with people. In the TV show [Flight of the Conchords]...my comedy partner is having dreams about David Bowie, so I play David Bowie. But I wasn't supposed to play him. It was very last minute that I ended up playing that character, and I've been asked to do it a few times now. CP: You originally tried to get David Bowie to play himself? JC: We did, yeah. But I think that would've been nerve-wracking. I mean, it would've been amazing as well, but, you know. ON REUNITING WITH LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA CP: How was it working with Moana songwriter and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda again? JC: I'd remembered Freestyle Love Supreme [Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip hop comedy troupe], and I'd even seen them again not that long ago — and I hadn't connected him with the guy I had met [previously]. I didn't realise it was the same person until he said, "Oh we met. We met, we were doing that gig in 2004/2005". And yeah, suddenly it came back. Whoa. I've never seen any musical show have the reaction that Hamilton has. He deserves that. He's very clever, bright, and very talented. Moana is in Australian cinemas now. Read our review here.
Mid-week treats from Philip Johnson's imaginative and decadent tasting menu at the landmark e'cco bistro are always a good idea. Coming in at a very agreeable $89 per person, you're likely to dine on dishes like venison tartare, pumpkin agnolotti, local organic chicken, steak with sweet soy and a cheeky mango tart for dessert. Not a bad way to enjoy the best of e'cco without putting too much strain on your wallet. Image: @eccobistro via Instagram
For decades, if you wanted to eat a burger patty topped with cheese, there was only one way to do it. Then a number of hybrid culinary creations started popping up — like cheeseburger spring rolls, that now-popular pub menu inclusion, as well as cheeseburger dumplings and even cheeseburger soup. Or, at Banjo's Bakery Cafe, you can opt for a double cheeseburger pie. Part of the Aussie chain's signature range, it's back on offer to help simultaneously satisfy your cheeseburger and your pie cravings. Yes, the double cheeseburger pie is exactly what it sounds like. Encased in pastry, you'll find layers of burger patty, cheese, onion, tomato sauce and mustard. And, if you're wondering about that most controversial of cheeseburger fillings — yep, that'd be pickles — they're sandwiched inside as well. This isn't the first time that Banjo's, which has stores in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, has served up this foodie mashup. But when it does offer up items from its signature range — such Tasmanian scallop, bangers and mash, and chicken parmigiana pies — they're only available for a limited time. That's the case here, too, so you'll want to get in quick if you're suddenly, unsurprisingly feeling hungry. In NSW, you'll need to head north to Glendale to get your fix. In Victoria, stores are located in Mornington, Traralgon and Mildura. Queenslanders can pick from ten spots, including Darra, Cleveland, Park Ridge and Redcliffe, while pie-loving SA residents can hit up Glenelg — and there's 29 stores in Tasmania. Banjo's Bakery Cafe's double cheeseburger pie is currently on the menu for a limited time at the chain's store's nationally. To find your nearest location, visit the company's website.
Sometimes, a venue dedicated to pushing art lovers out of their comfort zone has to take its own advice and step out of its own comfort zone. When Metro Arts is involved, it's called a takeover. Every now and then, the CBD venue throws open the doors to a mini-festival of creativity, and lets them run the show. (The View) From Here: A Small Perspective on Big Ideas is the latest, and it's throwing a host of contemporary art at audiences. Sure, solo work, intimate engagements and participatory experiences don't sound all that different — but sexperts talking about pleasure, hardware supplies seen in a new light, a unique Brisbane walking tour and an exploration of the way modern relationships have become transactional are all on the agenda. So is an installation that draws upon private moments of humiliation and an examination of the politics surrounding hair, and, as always, the list goes on. Expect the unexpected, basically, in this takeover of all six stories of Metro Arts.
When museums come to mind, so do two things typically found within their walls. For one, dinosaurs tend to feature across their halls of knowledge. So does digging into humanity's past, with no small amount of ancient artefacts. Off the back of two massive dinosaur exhibitions with Dinosaurs of Patagonia and Jurassic World by Brickman, the latest temporary exhibition at Queensland Museum Kurilpa focuses on ancient Egyptian history spanning 3,000 years of culture and innovation. Hailing from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) and having already delighted visitors at the Western Australian Museum in 2023 and the National Museum of Australia in Canberra since late the same year, Discovering Ancient Egypt is on now in southeast Queensland until Sunday, August 17, 2025. This showcase is filled with highlights, especially if you're interested in how ancient Egyptians approached the afterlife. [caption id="attachment_991109" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Discovering Ancient Egypt[/caption] Among its 200-plus items, ten sarcophaguses feature, alongside painted funerary coffins and papyrus sheets from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Discovering Ancient Egypt isn't just concerned with rituals and beliefs around dying, however, with the daily lives of ancient Egyptians, as well as their innovations, also a focus. Helping to complete the exhibit: a 3D light projection of the Temple of Taffeh, a structure that was built when Egypt was a part of the Roman Empire, carved statues from the Saqqara necropolis and 34 pottery vessels from the Esna necropolis — sourced from Queensland Museum Kurilpa's own archives. For any amateur Egyptologists, a multitude of extracurricular events and programs are organised around the exhibit. If you want to learn about Egyptian curses, jewellery, farming, or interpretations of gender, each topic (and more) will be the focus of expert-led Pyramid Talk sessions. There will also be a deep dive led by Dr Sally Wasef on her genetic research into sacred ibises and a talk by Dr Mary Hartley on the relationship between humans and dogs in ancient Egyptian times. Or if you simply want to enjoy a drink and bite to eat with DJs spinning tunes before exploring the exhibit after dark, visit on a Friday night in February after 5.30pm for The Pyramid Bar and Discovering Ancient Egypt: After Hours. During its stint in Brisbane, Queensland Museum Kurilpa expects the exhibition to be a hit—because diving into Egypt's history always is for the institution. In fact, this type of blast from the past has proven to be among the ten most popular exhibitions at the venue. [caption id="attachment_991106" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Discovering Ancient Egypt[/caption] Discovering Ancient Egypt will be available at Queensland Museum Kurilpa until August 2025. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website. Images courtesy of Queensland Museum Kurilpa
Oh bother indeed: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the slasher take on AA Milne's honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear, has gotten its sticky mitts on the award that no film wants to win. Each year for the past 44 years, the Golden Raspberry Awards has named the worst movie of the past 12 months. 2023's pick is this horror twist on a childhood favourite, which attracted gongs like flies to, yes, honey. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was nominated in five Razzie categories. It won all five. So, according to the accolades that recognise that not all movies are great, good or even particularly watchable, it's the Worst Picture of 2023, as well as the Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel. And, it's home to the Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple — the latter for Pooh and Piglet "as blood-thirsty slasher/killers". The film won big at the Razzies in the same month that sequel Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 will release in Australian cinemas, arriving on Thursday, March 28 — just over a year after the first film. The Razzies only gave gongs to four 2023 movies thanks to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey sweeping every field that it was in. Expend4bles, which picked up the most nominations with seven, won both Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Supporting Actress. Sylvester Stallone received the former and Megan Fox the latter. Fox was a two-time winner herself, also collecting Worst Actress for Johnny & Clyde, which is about serial killers being chased by a demon after they try to rob a casino. Best Actor went to Jon Voight for Mercy, which has just as likely a premise: a battle against the Irish mafia when they take control of a hospital. Always timed to arrive in the leadup to the Oscars, which take place on Monday, March 11 in Australia and New Zealand, the Razzies chose this year's worst of the worst from a heap of other movies, with plenty of big-name flicks in contention but going home empty-handed — happily, presumably. They include The Exorcist: Believer, Meg 2: The Trench, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Fast X, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny. The Razzies also give out the Razzie Redeemer Award, recognising someone who was nominated for one of its trophies in the past but is in a far better situation now. This year's winner is Fran Drescher, who was a nominee in 1998, and now the current SAG/AFTRA President. The accolades awarded her "for her brilliant shepherding of the actors' guild through a prolonged 2023 strike with a successful conclusion". Check out the full list of Razzie winners and nominees below: Golden Raspberry Winners and Nominees 2023: Worst Picture: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Meg 2: The Trench Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Actor: Russell Crowe, The Pope's Exorcist Vin Diesel, Fast X Chris Evans, Ghosted Jason Statham, Meg 2: The Trench Jon Voight, Mercy — WINNER Worst Actress: Ana de Armas, Ghosted Megan Fox, Johnny & Clyde — WINNER Salma Hayek, Magic Mike's Last Dance Jennifer Lopez, The Mother Helen Mirren, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Worst Supporting Actor: Michael Douglas, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Mel Gibson, Confidential Informant Bill Murray, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Franco Nero (as The Pope), The Pope's Exorcist Sylvester Stallone, Expend4ables — WINNER Worst Supporting Actress: Kim Cattrall, About My Father Megan Fox, Expend4bles — WINNER Bai Ling, Johnny & Clyde Lucy Liu, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Mary Stuart Masterson, Five Nights at Freddy's Worst Screen Couple: Any two "merciless mercenaries", Expend4bles Any two money-grubbing investors who donated to the $400 million for remake rights to The Exorcist Ana de Armas and Chris Evans (who flunked screen chemistry), Ghosted Salma Hayek and Channing Tatum, Magic Mike's Last Dance Pooh and Piglet as blood-thirsty slasher/killers in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER David Gordon Green, The Exorcist: Believer Peyton Reed, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Scott Waugh, Expend4bles Ben Wheatley, Meg 2: The Trench Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel: Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Screenplay: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood & Honey — WINNER Razzie Redeemer Award: 1998 nominee and current SAG/AFTRA President Fran Drescher, for her brilliant shepherding of the actors' guild through a prolonged 2023 strike with a successful conclusion. The 2024 Golden Raspberry Awards were announced on Saturday, March 9, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
Hidden underground in the CBD is Brisbane's answer to the jazz bars of New York City. Named after the last studio album recorded by Grammy-award winning jazz great Miles Davis, Doo-Bop's Basement Jazz Bar is housed in a Federation-era warehouse at 101 Edward Street and features a large stage with a 1955 refurbished Steinway grand piano all the way from the Big Apple. Grab yourself some dinner and a cocktail and settle in for an exceptional Tuesday night listening to everything from contemporary jazz to bebop to swing. What better way to unwind after a tough day at the office?
Queensland's gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions is set to continue, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk bringing forward the next stage of the state's loosening of lockdown conditions. It's a result of the "tremendous job that everyone in this state has been doing," the Premier advised. And if you've been eager to travel to anywhere in Queensland, have more than a few friends over, head out with a big group of your mates or go to the gym, it's all great and welcome news. Since the beginning of May, the state has been easing restrictions in stages, including announcing a roadmap for the government's plans between May–July. At present, up to five visitors are allowed inside homes, gatherings of ten are permitted outside, retail shopping is back on the cards, Queenslanders can travel within 150 kilometres within the state, and cafes, restaurants, pubs and hotels can welcome ten people at a time. Now, today, Sunday, May 31, the Premier has outlined a heap of additional activities that will be permissible from midday tomorrow, Monday, June 1. The majority of the newly announced changes were already planned to come into effect in mid-June, but are now happening at the beginning of the month, with all of the following allowed: Up to 20 people in your home, including both residents and visitors. Gatherings of up to 20 people outside of the house, for outdoor, non-contact activities — such as personal training, hiking in national and state parks, swimming in outdoor and indoor pools, visiting public spaces such as South Bank Parklands (including the lagoons), and heading to parks, playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor gyms. Up to 20 people in gyms, health clubs and yoga studios. Up to 20 people in libraries. Weddings with up to 20 people. Church gatherings of up to 20 people. Funerals with up to 50 people. The reopening of entertainment and cultural venues such as galleries, museums, historic sites, indoor cinemas, arcades, zoos, concerts, theatres, arenas, auditoriums, stadiums and outdoor amusement parks — with 20-person limits. Non-contact community sporting activities, both indoors and outdoors, with 20-person limits. Dining in and/or seated drinks at cafes, restaurants, pubs, hotels and licensed clubs, with up to 20 people allowed inside at any one time. Open homes and auctions with up to 20 people. Beauty therapy services, with up to 20 people allowed in-store at any one time. Recreational travel, camping and accommodation, including caravan parks, anywhere in the state — including overnight stays. In addition, cafes, restaurants, pubs and hotels with more space will be allowed to permit 20 people per defined area from midday on Friday, June 5, rather than just 20 customers in total in their entire space — but only if they have an approved COVID Safe Industry Plan in place. Some venues, such as places of worship and tourism experiences, will be required to collect and keep the names and contact details of people visiting their sites to assist with contact tracing. Notably, given the debate on the issue in recent weeks, Queensland's borders still won't be opening to interstate visitors as yet. No timeframe has been announced; however the new announcement does advise that "current interstate border control measures will remain in place and [be] reviewed for Stage 3 of the Roadmap, commencing on 10 July". Here's Queensland's updated stage-by-stage rundown, reflecting the changes announced today: If all goes well, the next stage of eased restrictions will come into effect on July 10. That said, the Queensland Government will continue to assess community transmission and testing rates before giving the go-ahead to loosen more limits. When the next stage does start in Queensland, people limits will increase to 100, and nightclubs, food courts and gaming areas will also be able to reopen with those caps. At each stage, the standard social-distancing requirements still apply — so sticking with physical distancing, maintaining four square metres per person indoors, hand and cough hygiene, and frequent cleaning and disinfection. https://www.facebook.com/annastaciamp/photos/a.523591701005345/3203690996328722/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBQ8sFM861RNmz7gHdttGcQE-HINUGw6jMm13M3Iqvl9uGZ7-ccRiova23CP1-SJP27MXKjTSFdhzlBMO-K-eCY8zePOiOq-m0yX9oJkpXYwXUm9VHY7l5M9tuqLliMFXOgnrmsEQeUExJrFAIojVkhNmoPu7G3ozujF2bsEMxu81D9GnPqc0yUA75qw1JhDioLgcZ417qNhaLSDP7GdRstmEE_WBOD5Ecxos0HbOWHkejm8nJtlwv4O-p2Vi97mGS-0RtvUQ0o-HTy0befST_Pi-lFU-LZKISyErywum6UIn2pwt3PVrETA9GyjOEgcbQaa8-nh5XrKBeXlNzfLxQtxw&__tn__=-R Announcing the eased restrictions, Premier Palaszczuk also advised that Queensland only has five active cases of COVID-19 at present, with zero new cases overnight. To find out more about Queensland's easing COVID-19 restrictions, and the status of the coronavirus in the state, visit Queensland's online COVID-19 hub. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top images: Nick Boustead, Tourism and Events Queensland / Atlanta Bell.
Yangon is the former capital of Myanmar and the subject of Judith Sinnamon's latest exhibition. In her collection of works, she explores the current, changing people and scapes of this city. "Yangon is a city in transition,"says Sinnamon of the place she has been living and painting in this year. Indeed, its population is one facing poverty, and the city itself is experiencing a tidal wave of consumerist culture. Sinnamon lists teenagers with sparkly t-shirts featuring English slogans, monks with Samsung Galaxy phones and the recent opening of the first KFC as the telltale signs of western influence in the air. In her collection of pieces, she exposes the stories that pass through her everyday life, specifically those of the women who shared her street. She even invited some of the women to her apartment to sit for portraits, with some turning up proudly in traditional Burmese clothing and others in work clothes. Judith Simmon's exhibition beautifully combines the subjects of portrait, still life and the stories from a city experiencing change. The exhibition runs from 28 November to 19 December at the Edwina Corlette Gallery.
At the beginning of 2024, Woolloongabba's South City Square promised to spend some of its Friday nights this year hosting market-fuelled food festivals — and the inner-east precinct keeps delivering. First came a Latin Fiesta Pop-Up, and then a Vegan/Vego Laneway Fest. Next, it's time for an Asian Hawker Feast. On Friday, June 14, heading to the Logan Road spot after work means eating dishes from a selection of Brisbane's Asian food stalls while listening to live tunes. From 4–8.30pm, everyone from Uncle Hugh's Korean and Yum Yum East Tibetan to Little Mamak and Yakitori Kiku Charcoal Grill will be onsite, plus Yummy Nami, Chef 365, Yu Fang and Get Loaded Roti as well. Alongside music for a soundtrack, there'll be a rice paper Chinese art activity to extend the fun beyond everything that's tempting your tastebuds. And if you do need more culinary options, Little Red Dumpling, Hane Sushi and Uncle Don are among the permanent South City Square eateries that are already perfect for the event. Entry is free, as is onsite parking for five hours — and if you're wondering what else is to come in South City Square's monthly series, look out for a European Food Trail in the future.
Nearly two decades after it transformed from an unloved patch of Fortitude Valley into the suburb's upmarket precinct, James Street is in makeover mode once again — and it has just welcomed a Michelin-starred chef to the area. Chef Alan Wise has returned to Australia from New York to open Beaux Rumble, which fittingly takes its design cues from Grand Central Station. Food-wise, the restaurant focuses on woodfired Australian cuisine — heroing seafood and plant-based dishes — from its digs in Ada Lane beside the newly opened The Calile Hotel. Sprawling across 400 square metres over two levels in the newest part of James Street, Beaux Rumble will eventually operate as an all-day eatery. For now, it's open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. The menu changes daily; however diners can expect smokey tastes from the open kitchen, which includes a sizeable custom grill. Think cherry wood-smoked oysters with dashi jelly, champagne crayfish ceviche, grilled scallops with roasted enoki mushrooms, wood-roasted sirloin paired with potato terrine, and iron bark-charred leeks with truffles and almond cream. From November, New York-style brunches will also be on offer, complete with plenty of champagne. Full brunch details haven't been revealed as yet, but Beaux Rumble boasts 20 sparkling wines on its menu — plus whites, red, beers, ciders, spirits and cocktails, with the latter spanning boozy concoctions like the Berri Lane (with acai, vodka, blueberry, mint and lime prosecco) and alcohol-free sips such as the Yuzu Grey Tea (with yuzu, earl grey tea, lemon and bitters). Patrons can enjoy all of the above on a dining terrace overlooking Ada Lane, in a ground-floor main dining room or in one of the two private dining room upstairs. If you're wondering just how Beaux Rumble's various spaces nod to Grand Central Station, they take inspiration from the 1913-built transit hub's Beaux-Arts architecture. Features include ornate vaulted metal, marble benches and tiles, brass fittings and oak flooring, as well as archways, domed ceilings and intricate Art Deco touches. Designed by s.t.udio's Sally Taylor, the restaurant's fit-out favours materials that won't just stand the test of time, but will also age appropriately. As for the Victorian-born Wise, his arrival in Brisbane marks the latest stop in a global career that started in London in the 90s, includes stints in regional Victoria, Vancouver and Dublin, and saw him work through top restaurants such as Picholine, Juni, Public and Rouge Tomate Chelsea. It was during his sting as executive chef at the latter in 2017 that Wise earned his Michelin star. Beaux Rumble is now open in Ada Lane, James Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 5.30–9.30pm Tuesday–Saturday.
From May, Brisbane will play host to its first major Banksy exhibition, celebrating the enigmatic artist who has become synonymous with street art worldwide. But the British talent isn't the only name in the scene, or the only source of murals and graffiti-style pieces to look at in the River City this autumn. Indeed, when Brisbane Street Art Festival returns from Saturday, May 6–Sunday, May 21, marking its eighth year, there'll be stunning sights from skilled folks everywhere. Painting and stencilling up a storm — and splashing art across Brisbane roadways — is the ongoing aim of BSAF. Making the city look a whole lot brighter, sport a heap more paint and showcase more creativity in general all are, too. And the fest's just-announced 2023 lineup is going big, surveying both local and international folks, and also focusing on as many styles and techniques as possible. [caption id="attachment_894229" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Macami[/caption] Illma Gore also stands out among BSAF's roster of talent. The Australian artist lives in Los Angeles and has made a name for herself with a toilet made from $100,000 worth of Louis Vuitton bags, a mural made with the blood of 60 protestors and a nude Donald Trump. Also on the Aussie artist list: Fintan Magee, Gus Eagleton and Tori-Jay Mordey. Cat Eagan, Katherine Viney, Keys and Meimei will all be displaying pieces, as will Mulga, Jeswri, Phoebe Paradise, Pencil Head, Sevens and Vance. In total, the full lineup spans 43 artists and collectives. [caption id="attachment_894223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fintan Magee by @mellumae[/caption] Brissie's street art scene has been thriving for years, of course, which is why this fest even exists and keeps coming back every year. That said, every art form deserves a dedicated spotlight, with BSAF also dedicated to growing Brisbane's fame as a street art spot. "Over the past seven years, Brisbane Street Art Festival has contributed to placing Brisbane as one of the world's most significant street art cities," said Festival Director Lincoln Savage, launching the 2023 program. "I'm honoured to be a part of BSAF this year. It's a great opportunity to showcase my work in Australia and to meet other artists from around the country. I can't wait to see the transformation of the streets as we create something truly unique and beautiful," added Gore. Falling within this year's also-returning Brisbane Art Design festival, BSAF is going big with its locations as well, as it usually does. Expect to see massive murals at South Bank, the Queen Street Mall and RNA Showgrounds, plus at Howard Smith Wharves — where Felons will host its annual BSAF party — and Northshore Hamilton. The latter will once again double as the fest's headquarters, with Superordinary Northshore back for another year. Cue a heap of large-scale pieces in the riverside spot, and events. Seeing bright designs and top-notch art on walls around town — and for free — sits alongside BSAF's commitment to informing the River City about street art, and helping folks learn new skills. Accordingly, the fest's all-ages workshop program comes complete with up-close-and-personal access to the artists, and being able to try creating works yourself. The 2023 Brisbane Street Art Festival runs from Saturday, May 6–Sunday, May 21. For more information, head to the event's website. Top images: Macami.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in July, but KFC wants you to celebrate the festive season midyear not once but twice. First, it's dropping a heap of deals for the next month. Then, it's sending three groups to the Colonel's Lodge in August, where getting into the yuletide spirit with plenty of chicken while holidaying for two nights in the Blue Mountains is on the menu. The fast-food chain has previously slipped into the Christmas in July mood with ugly sweaters for humans and pets alike, which are back for another year alongside seasonal socks, hoodies, bucket hats and more. If you have some of those in your wardrobe or you buy them now, you know what to wear if you score one of the trips to the brand's latest pop-up. Whatever you don, the three winners will be heading to a wood-panelled mansion filled with red-and-white theming aplenty, a whole lot of KFC merchandise and also Christmas wares, with up to three mates. While you're there, you'll enjoy full KFC catering up to $2000 per day. Not in New South Wales but love the Colonel's finest? The prize also spans economy flights from your nearest capital city to Sydney. For people already in NSW, you might receive transport from your home to the Blue Mountains, but that's up to KFC's discretion. Three draws are taking place, each for those who hit up the KFC app to spend $30 or more on the chain's Christmas in July deals, which run from Monday, July 1–Wednesday, July 31, 2024. The first period covers purchases from Monday, July 1–Sunday, July 14, and will be drawn on Monday, July 15 for a stay between Thursday, August 1–Saturday, August 3. The second period covers eating KFC between Monday, July 15–Sunday, July 21, for a draw on Monday, July 22 and a stay between Saturday, August 3–Monday, August 5. And the third will reward those getting some finger-lickin'-good chicken between Monday, July 22–Wednesday, July 31, as then drawn on Thursday, August 1 for a stay from Monday, August 5–Wednesday, August 7. The deals that'll help you become eligible for winning a Colonel's Lodge getaway include half-price zingers on Monday, July 1, then the likes of nine pieces of original recipe for $9.95, $1 regular chips and $10 tenders. A different special will land each day. KFC fans will know that this kind of pop-up isn't a surprise for a brand that's also done 11-course fine-dining degustations, Peking Duk-led festivals, a nightclub, weddings, cocktails, a crispery that double-breaded and fried everything, and a soothing playlist of chicken frying and gravy simmering — which is genuinely relaxing — in the past. KFC's Christmas July deals run from Monday, July 1–Wednesday, July 31, 2024, with spending $30 or more via the KFC app getting you an entry to stay at the Colonel's Lodge. Winners will need to take their trips in August. Head to the brand's website for more details.
If you've ever wanted to turn your childhood into a movie, Theater Camp is the latest film that understands. It's also happy to laugh. Unlike Minari, Belfast, The Fabelmans, Aftersun and Past Lives, this isn't a drama, with Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin and Nick Lieberman making a sidesplittingly funny mockumentary about a place that's near and dear to them. What happens when four friends reflect upon their formative years, when they all fell in love with putting on a show? Theater Camp is the pitch-perfect answer. Looking backwards can be earnest and nostalgic, as Gordon and company know and embrace. Going for Wet Hot American Summer meets Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind, they're just as aware that it can be utterly hilarious. Watching Theater Camp means stepping into Gordon, Platt, Galvin and Lieberman's reality. None are currently camp counsellors, but the realm that they parody genuinely is personal. The film's core quartet initially came into each other's lives via youth theatre. With Gordon and Platt, the picture even boasts the receipts — aka IRL footage of the pair performing as kids — from a time when they were appearing together in Fiddler on the Roof at age four and in How to Succeed in Business at five. This team was first driven to bring their shared experiences to the screen in an improvised 2020 short also called Theater Camp. Now, they flesh out that bite-sized flick to full length as enthusiastically as any wannabe actor has ever monologued. All four co-write, while Booksmart and The Bear star Gordon directs with fellow first-time feature helmer Lieberman. Gordon, Dear Evan Hansen stage and screen lead Platt, plus Galvin — who similarly portrayed that Broadway hit's title role — act as well, playing three of the adults at AdirondACTS. Gordon and Platt cast themselves as Rebecca-Diane and Amos, Theater Camp's co-dependent life-long best friends forever. The film's central vacation spot was the joined-at-the-hip characters' ultimate escape, and still is. That said, their move into teaching at the same venue is a clear sign that their aspirations as performers haven't come to fruition. Every year now, Rebecca-Diane and Amos guide teen campers through all things theatre — and towards putting on the season's big show, an original that the duo also write and direct. But Theater Camp's summer in focus isn't any old summer. Before the thespians of tomorrow arrive, while the financially struggling AdirondACTS is in fundraising mode, founder Joan (Amy Sedaris, Somebody I Used to Know) falls into a coma due to "the first Bye Bye Birdie–related injury in the history of Passaic County". While she's incapacitated, that leaves her finfluencer son Troy (Jimmy Tatro, a YouTuber and now The Afterparty and Strays talent) in charge. Also in upstate New York while the sun shines, the histrionics ramp up and everything becomes a performance: the camp's put-upon backstage go-to Glenn (Galvin, The Good Doctor), who is largely ignored and underappreciated by his peers; costume guru Gigi (Owen Thiele, Hacks) and dance instructor Clive (Nathan Lee Graham, Katy Keene), who couldn't be more passionate about their respective disciplines; and staff newcomer Janet (Ayo Edebiri, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), who knows less than the students. Representing a neighbouring private-school camp that's been flashing its cash for years trying to buy AdirondACTS' land from Joan, lawyer Caroline (Patti Harrison, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) struts around in an effort to convince Troy to sell. And there are kids, of course, of varying skills and with an array of theatre-related hopes (Minari's Alan Kim, Young Rock's Bailee Bonick, Chapelwaite's Donovan Colan and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Luke Islam are among them). Gordon, Platt, Galvin and Lieberman focus their script on the production of Joan, Still, Rebecca-Diane and Amos' centrepiece musical for the year and a tribute to their absent mentor — and, as finances keep proving an issue, Troy's cluelessness constantly has an impact and Caroline is adamant about snapping up the facility, on saving the entire site. Chaos ensues, which is predictable in the film's broad strokes but, crucially, never in its minutiae. While foreseeing that arguments, tantrums, rivalries, broken dreams, battling egos, budget woes and behind-the-scenes mishaps will all flow is easy, the particulars, and the whys and hows of what's going on, rarely take the expected route. Indeed, because they've been there, lived that and are now eagerly and warmheartedly satirising it, the Theater Camp crew perfects the art of going specific to get universal. Accordingly, if you were once a budding drama geek as well, prepare to be seen and spoofed but also celebrated. Prepare to be showered in lines, references, costumes, sets and moments that couldn't be more authentic, in fact. If you don't know your Damn Yankees from your Hamilton, though, prepare to plunge into a madcap world that's the epitome of youthful fervour and adult malaise swishing together. Theater Camp mightn't dazzle if it didn't feel so bona fide — and if it didn't so gleefully and visibly love playing around in its very own microcosm, just like children discovering their own place to belong at a theatre camp and actors finding themselves in role after role. Gordon, Platt, Galvin and Lieberman couldn't have better riffed on their favourite time as kids and what might've been if they hadn't found success, or enlisted a more-willing cast. In the crowded mockumentary field, they're also spot-on at cannily deploying the genre's tropes. Watching Theater Camp also means wanting to sit down to see Blackmail and Botox, A Hanukkah Divorce and The Briefcase, The Door & the Salad next. No one can, because they're each purely creations of this very amusing flick; what fun the film's key foursome must've had coming up with those titles alone. Theater Camp is a stage-adoring screen gem that's a lively labour of love and a clear work of fun, too: to lampoon treading the boards, summer camps and the exact place where both meet, and to do so this entertainingly, requires knowing the theatre scene and its training grounds intimately. Wanting to catch The Crucible Jr and even an immersive stage version of Cats (that surely couldn't be worse than 2019's cinema take) — yes, that equally springs from laughing heartily through this ode to performing as a dream, a job, a future, an obsession and a way of life.
Modelling The Now looks like it must've been fun to make, particularly if interconnecting blocks have ever been your kind of thing. And, if it's as enjoyable to look at as it was to build, then your next trip to Milani Gallery is going to prove thoroughly intriguing. For five years, artist Nigel Lendon worked with a series of objects to fashion a range of different geometric models. The end result is on display until October 29; however it's more than just a series of pieces you probably think you could make. (Yes, we know that's what you're pondering.) How each one comes together as an individual creation — and how it fits in with the works around it — is the contemplative fodder that could fill many an afternoon. And, that's just the outcome you want when you head to an exhibition. Image: 2015:10. "Model: Tesseract" 2015 (13 variants of 2013:9, acrylic on PR., each 126 x 148 x298) total including wall plinth 2004 x 272 x 572.
When it comes to Mother's Day, Brisbane is spoilt for choice this year. If bubbles are high on the agenda, check out our list of champagne-fuelled adventures — from high tea to oyster pairings and decadent buffets. Plus, over here, you'll find a slew of standout restaurants, bars and cafes. But are you looking for something a bit different? Funlab has come to your rescue. It's the name behind some of Brisbane's most entertaining venues — and, this Mother's Day, it wants to treat your mum to the free adventure she deserves. That might be a round of mini golf at Holey Moley while sipping on colourful cocktails, a game of ten-pin bowling at Strike or Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq, or a session in a challenge room at Hijinx Hotel. All you have to do is book an activity for a minimum of two people on Sunday, May 11, and make your reservation online with the code MUMFREE.
If you're one to track down wholesome treats on Instagram — particularly sweet bites of the vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free variety — then you've probably come across Ines Scholtes's feed. But sharing an image of an aesthetically advanced dish is one thing — whipping them up everyday and selling them in a cafe is quite another. But with Mylk + Ko, Scholtes is setting out to do just that. The New Farm cafe brings the aspiring pastry chef-turned-lawyer-turned cafe owner's nourishing, dietary requirement-friendly fare to the hungry Merthyr Road masses. That includes caramel slices, cookies, cakes and more in a significant range of raw, vegan and gluten-free varieties. Snickers mousse, anyone? How about Nutella cake, or raw peanut butter and jelly cheesecake? Red velvet waffles? "You should be able to nourish your body and make your tastebuds dance at the same time," says Scholtes of Mylk + Ko's menu, which also features its namesake mylkshakes, using almond and soy milk, plus other non-dairy alternatives. Allpress coffees, smoothies and fresh cold-pressed juices help round out the selection, making the cafe a daytime pit-stop dream for anyone after something indulgent but healthy. Plus, consider Mylk + Ko's initial offerings just the beginning of a broader range of all-round goodness. In the future, Scholtes plans to add cooking classes and talks to the eatery's array of delights, plus something to satisfy sweet cravings when evening hits: a nighttime dessert bar.
Round the Twist isn't the only favourite from 90s childhoods and beyond that's following the path from page to screen to the stage of late. Back in 2022, Looking for Alibrandi took the same route, adapting the Melina Marchetta book that's been devoured by teenagers for three decades, and then received the movie treatment in 2000. Melbourne and Sydney audiences saw the results at the time — and come 2025, it's southeast Queensland's turn. Playing HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast from Thursday, June 19–Saturday, June 21, 2025, Looking for Alibrandi will still chart the same multi-generational story that it has always told no matter the format, with 17-year-old Sydney student Josie at its centre. She's in her last year of school, dreaming of a bright future and trying to navigate the clash of cultures that comes with being Italian Australian. She also gets to know her dad, and falls in love for the first time. In cinemas, Pia Miranda (Windcatcher) played Josephine Alibrandi. When the tale first hit the stage, Chanella Macri (Australian Realness) followed in her footsteps, with Looking for Alibrandi also starring Lucia Mastrantone and Jennifer Vuletic (Because The Night) as the show's fellow Alibrandi women. Director Stephen Nicolazzo (Loaded, Merciless Gods) has been guiding this stage version of the best-selling book to theatres, as adapted by Vidya Rajan — based on Marchetta's novel, of course. Expect passata made live, both Italian classics and Aussie pop on the soundtrack, and a show full of heart. And yes, name an adored Australian movie or book — or a film that was adapted from a novel — and, in plenty of cases, there's a theatre version as well. The same works vice versa, too. As a result, we've all had multiple ways to enjoy Muriel's Wedding, Moulin Rouge!, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Wake in Fright, Bran Nue Dae, Jasper Jones and now Looking for Alibrandi, plus plenty more. Looking for Alibrandi will play HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise, from Thursday, June 19–Saturday, June 21, 2025 — head to the venue's website for further information and to buy tickets. Images: Daniel Boud.
In its physical digs in Fortitude Valley, Outer Space already does plenty to support Brisbane's creative community. Head in on Brunswick Street to check out exhibitions showcasing local independent artists, hear talks by the city's talents and more. Now, the not-for-profit organisation is lending its assistance in the online realm, too, via a new art shop — but it's staying IRL for the launch party. The digital-only OS Art Shop sells wares such as paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, jewellery and ceramics, with its lineup highly curated and its picks set to be refreshed twice a year. The OS Art Shop Offline Launch is the shindig officially kicking off the new endeavour. To attend, you'll need to head across the city to South Brisbane's Fish Lane Precinct from 2–5pm on Sunday, July 28. Consider this a sneak peek as well, letting you preview and purchase pieces from OS Art Shop's inaugural range in Fish Lane's town square. The lineup of 60-plus works and objects hails from 23 Queensland artists — including Amy-Jean Mitchell, Bella Deary, Humaira Aboo, Jack Hardy, Odessa Mahony-de Vries, Petalia Humphreys, Raphael Atkins, Yo Murray and Zartisha Davis. At the launch, Fish Lane's KiKi will on refreshments duties, while tunes from Twin Sister will provide the soundtrack to a creativity-fuelled Sunday afternoon.
If you've watched anything in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise, or streamed David Attenborough's Prehistoric Planet, you'll know that dinosaurs spanned a range of shapes and sizes — but plenty were big. Huge, even. Massive, in fact. We all think of the Tyrannosaurus rex when we think of hefty dinos, but it was nowhere near the largest. Scientists believe that that title went to the Patagotitan — that it was the largest-known land animal, in fact, and reached 37 metres in length. Yes, that's giant, and visitors to Queensland Museum will be able get a glimpse for themselves thanks to the South Brisbane venue's upcoming Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition. Displaying fossils from South America from Friday, March 17–Monday, October 2, 2023, Dinosaurs of Patagonia will feature 13 dino species — including the behemoth that is Patagotitan, which also weighed 70 tonnes and was first discovered in 2008. Also sizeable: the six-tonne Tyrannotitan, which is considered one of the most ferocious predators of the Cretaceous period. [caption id="attachment_872664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyrannotitan[/caption] Dinosaurs of Patagonia isn't just looking at giant critters, however, even though they're an enormous feature in multiple senses. At the other end of the scale, the Manidens condorensis will also be on display, with the small herbivore dino measuring 75-centimetres tall and among the smallest known to-date. Overall, the focus is on creatures that roamed the earth during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods — so between 252–66 million years ago. Coming to Queensland after its about-to-finish current run in Western Australia, the exhibition also spans 16 skeleton casts, plus 3D animations and video of dinosaurs and digs — and lets attendees peer on like they're palaeontologists themselves, as well as seeing impressive fossils such as a real 2.4-metre Patagotitan femur. Tickets go on sale on Monday, January 23. [caption id="attachment_872665" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyrannotitan[/caption] Top image: Patagotitan, MEF. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio. D Pol.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a cocktail connoisseur, Lûmé is about to jump to the top of your must-visit list. Last night, bartender Orlando Marzo, from the South Melbourne restaurant, was crowned the world's best bartender. Which means Melbourne is now officially home to some of the tastiest cocktails in the world. Marzo took out the gong at the World Class Bartender of the Year competition in Berlin, where he beat more than 10,000 other bartenders from around the world for the prize. World Class, which is in its tenth year, is the biggest bartending competition in the world and culminates in four days of finals, during which Marzo impressed judges with a particularly notable Zapaca rum aperitif in a challenge called 'Before and After'. You might see this pre-dinner tipple pop-up on Lûmé's menu one day very soon. Before Marzo heads back Down Under to join the ranks of Australia's bartending elite — which includes Maybe Frank's Andrea Gauldi, who took out best bartender in Australia at last year's competition — he'll be travelling the world, making cocktails and judging competitions. When he's back, we'll let you know what drinks has plans to serve up at the South Melbourne restaurant and what pop-ups he plans to host. Who knows, he may even follow in Gauldi's steps and open a bar. You can check out the full list of past and present winners at the World Class website. Image of Lûmé: Josie Withers, Visit Victoria
Takeaway and delivery food are true luxuries of modern living. Unfortunately, for all that time you get back on avoiding cooking or simply enjoying the privilege of watching ten consecutive episodes of Below Deck without interruption, the consequence is an impact on the environment that is less than positive. Excess packaging and un-recyclable waste are both the unavoidable byproducts of the takeaway food system, and have been since the days of styrofoam and plastic straws. Hopefully, that's about to change in Australia. Uber Eats — the service responsible for more food delivery than any other in the country — has just launched a partnership with leading environmental change organisation, Planet Ark, to make a shift toward more sustainable packaging across the industry, from the time it exits the kitchen of restaurants and vendors, to the disposal of waste at the homes of all us Below Deck freaks. So, how will it be done? One of the goals of the program is to get Uber Eats' restaurant partners moving to reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging options by 2030. The roll out will include education of restaurant partners around these options, supported by a $13m investment from Uber Eats to subsidise the uptake of new environmentally friendly packaging types into venues so that positive changes can be made without throwing a spanner into your favourite Thai joint's ability to run a roaring trade. If you're an Uber Eats user, keep an eye out for tips on the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of your takeaway packaging at home — for example, rip off the non-grease-stained top of the pizza box to go in the paper/cardboard recycling bin and throw the greasy box base in the normal bin. Even seemingly small changes can make significant impacts. According to Bec Nyst, General Manager of Uber Eats ANZ: "since making cutlery opt-in, rather than being included by default, we estimate eaters have helped reduce the equivalent weight of four jumbo jets worth of plastic forks, spoons and the like ending up in Australian landfill." [caption id="attachment_937881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Planet Ark CEO Rebecca Gilling and Uber Eats General Manager Bec Nyst.[/caption] Images: Caleb Oquendo (top) and Caroline McCredie
Before they set up Heads of Noosa Brewing Co in 2019, we're guessing that brothers Lance and Craig Masterton drank their fair share of lager. They clearly have a passion for the low-temperature brew, because that's the type of beer their family-run Sunshine Coast outfit focuses on, with four types in its core range. While Heads of Noosa is a newcomer, it was in the works for nearly a decade before it opened its doors — and taking the time needed to make the best possible beers is still the company's mindset. You'll taste that in its filtered brews, including a Japanese lager that's refined and crisp, and a mid-strength that still tastes like its full-flavoured counterpart. At Heads of Noosa's taproom — in Noosa Heads, naturally — you can sip its beers and tuck into a concise menu of wings, calamari, mac 'n' cheese, sliders and more.
We don't know what you have to do to be considered a 'beach expert', but after Australia's best beaches were revealed over the weekend, we're sure we need to become one. The 2017 list details 101 of the country's most stunning beaches, but the beach that's come out as number one isn't Bondi or Jervis Bay — it's Cossies Beach. Where the bloody hell is Cossies Beach, you say? It's located on Direction Island, which is part of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands about a four and a half hour flight from Perth. It's closer to Jakarta than Perth, which makes the logistics of your escape to the exquisite blue water paradise extremely difficult — but perhaps that's why it's so coveted. Now, the 'best' beach is obviously a hard one to quantify, but Brad Farmer has done a pretty thorough research job. He's the aforementioned beach expert, and for the release of the first edition of 101 Best Beaches he visited, documented and rated a whole heap of beaches alongside coastal geomorphologist Professor Andy Short, who has personally visited every single beach in Oz (there's 11,761 of them, by the way). Eventually the pair landed on the remote Cossies Beach as number one. It's so remote in fact that it didn't even have a name — while conducting his research, Farmer named it after after Australia's 26th Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, after seeking permission from locals. It's obviously insanely beautiful, and the pair have noted it as the best beach of them all due to its shallow water creating a brilliant blue colour, its 300-metre white sand strip, great snorkelling and shade from coconut palms. Other top beaches are ones you probably haven't heard too much about either — Moonee Beach on the Coffs Coast, Turquoise Bay in WA and Dolly Beach on Christmas Island all make the list. Tourist spots Burleigh Heads and Apollo Bay get a look in as well. Have a look at the top ten below. BRAD FARMER'S BEST BEACHES IN AUSTRALIA 2017 1. Cossies Beach, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean 2. Nudey Beach, Fitzroy Island, Far North Queensland 3. Moonee Beach, Coffs Coast, NSW 4. Turquoise Bay, Coral Coast, WA 5. Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Queensland 6. Maslin Beach, Adelaide, SA 7. Dolly Beach, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean 8. Shelly Beach, Nambucca Coast, NSW 9. Boat Harbour Beach, North West Coast, Tasmania 10. Apollo Bay, Great Ocean Road, Victoria Images: Rik Soderlund via 101 Best Beaches.
"Movies are dreams that you never forget," says Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) early in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. Have truer words ever been spoken in any of the director's 33 flicks? Uttered to her eight-year-old son Sammy (feature debutant Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord), Mitzi's statement lingers, providing the film's beating heart even when the coming-of-age tale it spins isn't always idyllic. Individual pictures can come and go, of course. Only some — including on America's most populist filmmaker's own resume, packed as it is with Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, West Side Story and the like — truly stand the test of time. But as Mitzi understands, and imparts to her on-screen Spielberg boyhood surrogate, movies as an art form are a dream that keeps beaming in our heads. We return to theatres again and again for more. We glue our eyes to films at home, too. We lap up the worlds they visit, stories they relay and fantasies they incite, and we eagerly add our own. To everyone that's ever stared at the silver screen in awe and wonder, The Fabelmans pays tribute far more than it basks in the glow of its director. Because everyone is crafting cinematic autobiographies of sorts of late, Spielberg adds this tender yet clear-eyed look at his childhood to a growing list of similarly self-reflective flicks; however, he's as fascinated with cinema as a dream-sparking and -making force as is he with fictionalising and mythologising his own beginnings. Slot The Fabelmans in alongside James Gray's Armageddon Time, Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths from the past year or so, then, and easily. Don't consider it merely Spielberg jumping on a trend, though. This is a sincere, perceptive and potent movie about how movies act as a mirror — and a vividly shot and engagingly performed one, complete with a pitch-perfect late cameo that's pure cinephile heaven — whether we're watching or creating them. First comes the viewing, as it does with us all no matter if we end up picking up a camera. While The Fabelmans charts Sammy's film fixation as it quickly expands from devouring celluloid dreams to fashioning them — giving Spielberg's career an origin story, clearly — that initial dalliance with the big screen in the 1950s couldn't be more pivotal. Heading to catch Cecil B DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth with Mitzi and dad Burt (Paul Dano, The Batman), the boy is anxious. And, when his debut experience with cinema involves witnessing a train crash in the movie, he's haunted afterwards. The Fabelmans makes that obsession the source of nightmares as well as inspiration, but once Sammy begins working through and rewriting his feelings by restaging the scene using a model train set, plus capturing it on Burt's Super-8 camera, the latter wins out. Both before and after Sammy hits his teen years (where he's played by The Predator's Gabriel LaBelle), The Fabelmans adores staging the wannabe filmmaker's DIY shoots. The horror of the dentist, mummies wrapped in toilet paper, westerns, war flicks: enlisting his sisters Natalie (Sweet Magnolias' Alina Brace as a kid, then Hunters' Keeley Karsten) and Reggie (Pivoting's Birdie Borria, then Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's Julia Butters), and his Boy Scout troupe, he's constantly filtering what he spies in darkened rooms into his enthusiastic work. There's a touch of Be Kind Rewind to these moments, joyously, but Spielberg highlights technique, too, such as Sammy's genius idea to make gunfights look more realistic. Cinema isn't just about storytelling, he reminds, but also science — even if career-minded computer engineer Burt can't see past the art, disapprovingly and to Mitzi's dismay, to the technique behind dolly tracks, camera angles that convey meaning and careful editing. Every filmmaker wants their audience to forget they're watching a movie, getting so immersed that everything else fades from mind while the projector whirls, but Spielberg loves the dream as well as the method behind it. He highlights the push and pull between the two into The Fabelmans from the outset, from the instant that the young Sammy stands in the middle of the frame outside the cinema, putting his creative, emotive, ex-concert pianist mum on one side and his analytical, data-driven, workaholic dad on the other. That's a gorgeous and intelligent touch, benefiting from luminous lensing by Janusz Kamiński, Spielberg's regular cinematographer. As built into the screenplay co-penned with fellow returning collaborator Tony Kushner — the helmer's first script since 2001's A.I. Artificial Intelligence — it also speaks to the family chaos that keeps thrusting Sammy and the Fabelmans in an array of directions. This movie isn't called Sammy, after all. Filmmaking is a communal experience — again whether you're enjoying the end result or toiling for it — and Sammy's pursuit of it doesn't occur in a vacuum. That maiden cinema visit wouldn't have happened without his mother and father. His response to it, right through to wanting to make the pictures his career, couldn't have either. Just like the nocturnal kind, cinema's reveries flow from an everyday reality, with The Fabelmans deeply invested in Sammy's. That spans hopping around the US following Burt's work, from New Jersey to Phoenix and then California; Mitzi and Burt's fragile chalk-and-cheese pairing, plus her obvious fondness for his best friend Bennie (Seth Rogen, Pam & Tommy); fitting in as a Jewish family amid antisemitism; words of wisdom from a long-lost uncle (Judd Hirsch, The Goldbergs) with a Hollywood background; high-school romances, bullying and other dramas; and sibling rivalries and complicated parent-child bonds. As a memoir, The Fabelmans isn't nostalgic about anything except cinema's undying allure — crucially so for the film's performances. Spielberg's mother was a pianist. His dad was an engineer. They moved to same spots seen in the movie, and their relationship didn't survive the director's childhood. Every choice in The Fabelmans is warm, including the John Williams score, but that doesn't mean sweeping past Mitzi's unfulfilled professional and romantic desires, overlooking Burt's work focus or ignoring the restlessness simmering within the family. Embracing those complexities gives Williams, Dano and LaBelle ample fuel for thoughtful, moving and multi-layered portrayals that always feel personal. Playing your director's mum, dad or younger self isn't guaranteed to have that impact, but Spielberg's compassionate direction makes it a given. His clever, insightful, funny and oh-so-astute ending here also makes The Fabelmans unforgettable; "how would you like to meet the world's greatest director?" indeed.
