When Marco Pierre White hits Australia in May, he'll treat food fans to his first-ever live theatre show. He does love notching up firsts, after all. He was the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. When that happened when he was 33, he was the youngest chef to do so, too. And, amid all the chatter his work and life has earned — in no small part thanks to his cookbook White Heat, the 1990 tome that played up his "bad boy" image — he's been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" as well. White won't just be taking to the stage on his 2023 Aussie tour, however. In what definitely isn't a first, he's heading to the kitchen — this time for a four-course dinner on the Gold Coast. If you'd like to tuck into a meal co-curated by the chef, mark Saturday, May 27 in your diary and make a date with HOTA, Home of the Arts. Also overseeing the one-night-only affair: Palette Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law, with the dinner taking place at HOTA's onsite restaurant. They'll whip up a menu that's guided by locally sourced ingredients, and paired with top-notch wine. And, in addition to getting to eat the end results, patrons will also see White in action in the kitchen — and hear from him, too, via a 15–20-minute Q&A session. Unsurprisingly, this hot ticket is has limited seats, with only 80 folks able to attend. If you're keen, you'll need to register at the HOTA website for your chance to go along. Exactly what's on White and Hartill-Law's menu hasn't yet been revealed, but this is a rare chance to enjoy the former's cuisine right here in southeast Queensland. White has popped up on everything from Hell's Kitchen to MasterChef, including in Australia. He's trained fellow famed food figures such as Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone. That's not bad for someone who arrived in London with just "£7.36, a box of books and a bag of clothes", as White describes, before his tutelage under Albert and Michael Roux at renowned French fine-diner Le Gavroche. [caption id="attachment_812565" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palette[/caption] HOTA, Home of the Arts' Palette x Marco Pierre White dinner takes place on Saturday, May 27. To register for your chance to head along, hit up the HOTA website.
Ask most folks which Shakespeare play they're most familiar with, and Romeo and Juliet would likely be their answer. But anyone with a fondness for a certain rom-com starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger actually knows The Taming of the Shrew just as well — because that's the classic that 10 Things I Hate About You updated to become the 90s hit that's still rightly adored more than two decades on. Also tinkering with and modernising the same work: Taming of the Shrew, Queensland Theatre's latest production. This time, the story about two sisters — one looking for love, the other happy being single — has been shifted onto an Italian film set during the silent era. You've already watched how the overall narrative plays out, of course, but you definitely haven't seen the story unfold in this exact way before. Playing at QT's Bille Brown Theatre until Saturday, June 5, Taming of the Shrew has chosen its setting carefully — because the early 20th century was a time of growing agency for women, at least in terms of voting, but also of exacting beauty standards, especially in the entertainment world. Helping navigate that contrast, and this version of the Bard's play in general, are Anna McGahan (Picnic at Hanging Rock) as the free-spirited Kate, Nicholas Brown (Amazing Grace) as her suitor Petruchio and Claudia Ware (The Tempest) as her sister Bianca. Images: Brett Boardman.
Is the type of film festival that dedicates an afternoon and evening to a killer clown your type of film festival? If so, you should be excited about Monster Fest's return. In just a few short years, the Terrifier movies have become horror must-sees if you can't get enough of slashers splashing about gore aplenty. With the latest flick in the franchise on the way, Monster Fest is screening all three Terrifier titles, old and new — so, giving audiences an extended date with Art the Clown — as a key part of its 2024 program. The Australian premiere of Terrifier 3 will follow the OG Terrifier and first sequel Terrifier 2 on Saturday, October 5 in Brisbane. The festival kicks off on Friday, October 4, running until Sunday, October 6 at Event Cinemas Uptown (in the old Myer Centre). While getting creeped out by cinema's most-sadistic clown is a big Monster Fest 2024 drawcard, it's The Rule of Jenny Pen from Coming Home in the Dark filmmaker James Ashcroft that's the event's opening-night pick. At the other end of the festival, horror-comedy Frankie Freako by Psycho Goreman's Steven Kostanski is in the closing slot. Both pictures embrace puppets, the first with help from John Lithgow (Killers of the Flower Moon) and the second featuring a dancing goblin. Other highlights include the latest Hellboy movie, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, which heads back to the 1950s; Azrael, as led by Australian actor Samara Weaving (Scream VI), and telling of a woman's attempt to escape from mute zealots; New Zealand body-horror film Grafted; and documentary Generation Terror, which focuses on the horror genre from the late-90s to mid-00s.
Thanks to all manner of classes and sessions around town, it's never been easier to bend and stretch your way to wellness — and to do so in a variety of places. Brisbane has played host to yoga classes on Mt Coot-tha, in breweries, at sports stadiums and more. But yoga on a stand-up paddle board in a rooftop pool with a swim-up bar? That's something that you really don't get to do every day. Across two sessions at 8am and 9am on Sunday, December 1, The Westin Brisbane will turn its Nautilus Pool into your next yoga spot, with Kat Harding leading the 45-minute classes. Tickets cost $25, and as well as a morning exercise session — and, of course, a splash — you'll also sip mimosas and tuck into brunch bites afterwards. This is a one-off event, so if you're keen, nabbing a ticket asap is recommended.
If you're serious about bacon, then there's only one place to be over the weekend of Friday, August 16–Sunday, August 18, 2024. That's the town of Kingaroy, about two-and-a-half hours north-west of Brisbane. As it does every year, it's dedicating three whole days to one glorious type of foodstuff. Whether you're keen on eating it or buying a heap of it, if there's bacon involved, it's on offer during Kingaroy BaconFest. Browse the bacon market, watch bacon cooking demonstrations, catch pork masterclasses or try your hand at the tastiest eating contest there is. Yes, it's about bacon, obviously. Getting cooking: a range of well-known chefs. 2024's talents haven't yet been revealed, but Miguel Maestre and Alastair McLeod were involved in 2023. There's usually also a big bacon breakfast and a wine-and-swine party. Live music is also on the bill, plus bacon ice cream. And, you can get jogging at the running event called Rasher's Fun Run, then have your tastebuds tempted again a barbecue pork smoke-off competition.
In 2025, Saturday, June 21 marks an important occasion: winter solstice, or the day with the shortest span of daylight and longest stretch of night for the current 12-month period. Since ancient times, it has been a time of celebration — and that's what Northey Street City Farm does each and every year. Hosting this stint of revelry on a Friday would be fine, but this year's Winter Solstice Festival is taking place on Saturday, June 28 because kicking off at 2pm isn't great on a workday. At the Windsor spot, everything from food and live music to talks and workshops is on the bill — plus meditation and yoga — and there's also a lantern parade and a sizeable bonfire. If you're keen to leave with more knowledge than you arrive with, informative sessions include First Nations foods, native bees, cooking on coals, pruning plants and making lanterns. Entry costs $44, with tickets on sale now — and you can also purchase a pay-it-forward ticket at a flexible price, which'll go to someone who can't afford one. The festival is also be a zero-waste affair, so bring your own reusable containers, crockery, cutlery and water bottles, as none will be given out at the food and drink stalls. If you forget, you'll be able to hire some.
Brisbane's balmy spring weather, a varied spread of seafood and a day spent embracing both: that's what's on the menu at The Prince Consort on Sunday, November 10, 2024. From 12pm, the Wickham Street spot is going all in on the ocean's finest by hosting the returning Spring Fling Seafood Festival. The fest will be serving up everything from prawns and paella to sashimi and a heap of other seafood bites, with multiple stations set up around the place. Roaming oyster shuckers will be wandering about, too, while live cooking demonstrations are also on the menu — and you can try your hand at the prawn-peeling competition. Entry is free, but bookings are encouraged if you're keen to add a seafood platter for two — which features half-shell scallops with devilled butter and salmon roe, Moreton Bay bugs, beer-battered fish, prawn cutlets, cooked prawns, natural oysters, salt and pepper calamari, sashimi, chips, salad and more — to your fest. And yes, Brisbane is rarely short on seafood festivals — but just like everything that you can eat on the day at this one, you can never have too much of a good thing.
Maybe you've already eliminated all animal products from your diet. Maybe you're curious about changing your eating habits. Either way, you'll want to make an appearance at BrisVeganFest on September 4. Not only is the day-long Davies Park shindig the city's first event of its kind — it's a place where vegan-centric market stalls, food and drink vendors, and cooking demonstrations and workshops come together. When you're not learning about the art of vegan baking or shopping for vegan-friendly jewellery, you could be discovering the benefits of yoga, cuddling a rescued cat or hearing about nutrition and fitness. Live music, informative speakers, fashion shows and open mic sessions are also on the agenda, with Love Like Hate, Sophia Fletcher, Infinite Harmony and Gem Stone among the performers. That's right — while you're celebrating ethical choices and a cruelty-free lifestyle, you'll also be entertained.
If there's one thing Brisbanites like, it's watching Studio Ghibli films in a cinema. In fact, over the last few years, a whole heap of cinemas around town have hosted their own celebrates dedicated to the Japanese animation house — and now, it's The Elizabeth Picture Theatre's turn. Screening on select Thursday evenings from in May and June — on May 3, 10 and 31, plus June 14, to be specific — it's not just the flicks movie buffs know and love that's the attraction here. Fans should be jumping for joy at the chance to see some of their lesser-known efforts on a big screen. You won't be watching Spirited Away, but you will feel like you've been transported somewhere magical. Catch Kiki's Delivery Service, From Up on Poppy Hill, My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies — and if you need convincing regarding the latter, we consider it an absolute masterpiece from director and studio co-founder Isao Takahata, who passed away this month. If you've missed these films in their limited cinema runs or fest appearances in the past, consider this your chance to catch up. At only $12 per session, make like a moving castle and mosey your way over there.
Heading to Marvel Stadium at Melbourne's Docklands usually means watching a game of AFL. Or, you could be hitting up the venue to see a gig. Moseying beneath the space to wander around an underground light show and labyrinth definitely isn't normally on the cards. That'll change come winter, with the city's Firelight Festival returning for 2024 — and, for the first time, bringing the Firelight Labyrinth with it. The fest itself is a three-day affair over the last weekend in June, running from Friday, June 28–Sunday, June 30 at New Quay Promenade, Victoria Promenade and Harbour Esplanade. On the agenda, as in past years: fire performers, fire pits, fire drums, flame jets, fire arches and fire sculptures. There'll also be live music, African drumming, and an array of stomach-warming food and drink options — such as dumplings, smoked meats, paella, churros and hot chocolates. Flame-filled arts — and bites to feast on and beverages to sip while you're enjoying them — aren't the only drawcard this year, though. Cue more than 144,000 lights beaming beneath Marvel Stadium, with the labyrinth sticking around for over two weeks from Friday, June 28–Sunday, July 14. Accordingly, this year's Firelight Festival is also a huge tourist attraction for locals and visitors alike, especially if you want to see a key Aussie Rules venue in a new light — literally. As well as all of those sources of luminousness, the Firelight Labyrinth will feature immersive audio, making the experience an audio-visual maze. While the festival is free to attend — you'll need your wallet for whatever you eat and drink — the Firelight Labyrinth is ticketed, costing $37.50 for adults.
Before Thelma and Louise went on their famous road trip, another set of ladies wreaked havoc on the open highway. Their clothes were tight, their cars were fast, and their guns were ready. They danced, they schemed, and they weren’t to be underestimated – or messed with. The go-go girls of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! were the creation of Russ Meyer, the filmmaker who has become synonymous with the low-budget sexploitation movement. To celebrate one of his most famous works, the New Globe Theatre is channeling his spirit with not only a movie screening but a night of entertainment to match. Watch the cult bad girl crime thriller in a rare big-screen outing, and then revel in the 1960s-themed fun. Courtesy of music by The Plastic Fangs, burlesque by Miss Bertie Page and Rosie Peaches, and tunes from DJ Wolvie Trash, the vibe will be sassy – and you should be too.
If there's an occasion worth celebrating, including Christmas and winter, Woolloongabba's South City Square sure does like marking it with stalls. So, now that spring is in full swing, of course the inner-east precinct is rolling out the festivities — this time at a dessert festival on Saturday, September 16. Running from 10am–4pm, Spring Dessert Festival and Laneway Eats will hero Japanese and Korean sweet treats among other bites. You'll also find market stalls slinging all kinds of wares at this family-friendly affair. On the agenda as well: live tunes plus other entertainment. At past events, that's included dance performances — and, for kids, a jumping castle, face painting and twisted balloons. It all tales place in and around a brick-lined, industrial-style space, which tends to make you feel like you're wandering around a European-style market. Fancy seeing a movie while you're there? Take the opportunity to check out the precinct's brand-new Angelika Film Centre, which has only been open for a couple of weeks. [caption id="attachment_893537" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption]
That title caught your attention, didn’t it? Of course it did — it is designed to. There’s more to Imprint Theatricals' staging of this off-Broadway smash than the name, however. The set-up of 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche earns a chuckle by itself: the charming widows of the Susan B Anthony Society for the Sisters Of Gertrude Stein gather for their annual Quiche Breakfast, circa 1956, as the Cold War is in full swing. This is 75 minutes spent watching what just might be the most outrageous community meeting you’ve ever seen. 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche is one of our top six picks of MELT Festival. See the other five here.
In his amazing text exploring the essence of photography, cultural theorist Roland Barthes talks about ‘the image that pricks’. This refers to the moment when the photographer is moved by the scene in front of them, and clicks the button to capture this vision at just the right moment. Now in its eleventh year, the Nikon-Walkley Photographic Exhibition includes over a hundred images that prick - these are the finalist photographs from the Nikon-Walkley 2011 Press Photography awards. With the tumultuous year that was 2011, the collection on display includes some incredibly moving images with many photographs of the Queensland floods, Cyclone Yasi and the Christmas Island boat tragedy on display. Though with the records of disaster there are also moments of great triumph and excitement to view as well – the tenacity of Australians in the aftermath of the many natural disasters, many of the great moments in art and sport, visits from royalty – that is, Her Majesty the Queen and the honourable Lady Gaga. The exhibition opens this week and will be on display until late February, taking up three levels of wall space at the Brisbane Powerhouse. Get down to New Farm today and see what ol’ Barthes was talking about. Image credit: Stuart McEvoy, 'Cyclone Yasi – Maria Domandi'
Food and music are two things everyone picks based on their mood; however, the cuisine you eat doesn't always influence the songs you listen to, or vice versa. Crafting a menu that will grow and adapt based on their fortnightly-changing playlist, Petrie Terrace's new GreenHill Bar aims to change that. Just opened right next door to frites and burger joint Fritzenberger, GreenHill Bar kicks off with a culinary selection overseen by former Little Larder head chef Geordie Smith, including twice-cooked lamb ribs, and baked brie with orange, sage and cranberry molasses — as well as tunes curated by local musician and songwriter Luke Peacock. Expect both to evolve regularly, which is a great excuse to keep coming back to the industrial-themed space, though we think their drinks list might inspire the same reaction. We're sure it isn't made in bathtubs, but none other than moonshine is a feature of GreenHill's beverage range. They're calling it an "all new, out-of-the-box experience for patrons to experiment with" — and it's certainly something you won't find everywhere. Those feeling less adventurous can opt for craft beers plus indie wines and spirits, with the grape-based tipples rotating seasonally along with the meals. And if you're wondering about the name, it stems from the area's not-so-well-known past. Before the site across the road became the retail, restaurant and cinema complex that is the Barracks, it was a police barracks — and before that, it was GreenHill Gaol, Brisbane's second purpose-built prison. Find GreenHill Bar at 48 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane. Check out their Facebook page for further details.
Jungle Love Music & Arts Festival isn't taking place in 2023, with the impacts that inflation is having on budgets getting in the way of its plans. Still keen to hang out in Jimna, soak in the event's laidback vibe, kick back in a campground surrounded by luscious greenery, go for a swim in the creek and BYO booze? Enter the Jungle Love Camp Out. Jungle Love's organisers are quick to point out that this isn't a festival. Rather, the team is taking inspiration from community-driven events. So, this entire two-day affair from Friday, September 8–Saturday, September 9 has been designed by attendees. The tunes, activities, games, lessons, workshops, parties and themes — basically, they've all been crowdsourced. The aim: a cracking two days and nights that still goes big on music and arts — and, of course, community. To head along, two-day tickets cost $120, Saturday-only passes are $90 and you'll pay $35 on top to bring your vehicle. Jungle Love Camp Out is being split into themed camps within the main camp, named Jambala, the Wonky Queenslander, Forest Feels and Kinbaku. Each hosts its own activities, whether you're keen on having jam or just chilling out. And, yes, the Jambala stage is back — hosting a set program (including possibly some surprise sets), and also welcoming impromptu performances. Images: Savannah van der Niet, Liav Shalev and Jackson Grice.
Five years ago — and plenty of years before that as well — South Bank spent a winter weekend each year doubling for France. From crepes and baguettes to mussels and champagne, if it treated your tastebuds to a Gallic feast, it was on offer here. At Le Festival, aka the Brisbane French Festival, so was saying bonjour to French culture without paying for an airfare. Then the pandemic hit, putting the event on hold for three years. When Le Festival returned in 2023, it made the move to Victoria Park / Barrambin for the first time. In 2024, the fest is shifting again, to return to South Bank for a three-day riverside French party across Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 7. If you regularly wish that you were on the other side of the world staring at the Eiffel Tower, sipping champers and living the Emily in Paris life, this is the closest that you'll get to a European summer without leaving Brisbane. Francophiles, get ready for an array of French staples — although the wine selection is always especially popular, as are the cheese display and macarons. While 2024's full details haven't yet been revealed, drinking French red and white wines, sparkling rosé, beer and non-alcoholic beverages is always on the menu, too. Thanks to Le Festival's market, attendees can also browse for homewares, gifts, fashion, books and magazines, with showcasing French and French-inspired products the key aim. Entertainment-wise, alongside live music, the fest typically features cabaret performances and can-can dancing. Masterclasses, including on French table art, will be on the lineup this year as well. Taking over the South Bank Cultural Forecourt and Parklands from 4–10pm on the Friday, 8am–10pm on the Saturday and 8am–5pm on the Sunday, Le Festival has something specific to celebrate in 2024: the Paris Olympics, which will follow Brisbane's embrace of France by three weeks. "Returning to where it all began is an incredibly exciting full-circle moment for us," said Brisbane French Festival Inc President Adrien Do Carmo. "We have been gearing up for this special Paris 2024-themed edition for a couple of years, and I'd like to thank the community for supporting our event year on year." Le Festival — Brisbane French Festival 2024 will take place from Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 7 at South Bank Cultural Forecourt and Parklands, South Brisbane. For further details and tickets, head to the festival's website. Images: Ange Costes.
Nothing says summer in Europe quite like gelato in a cone. The good news for Brisbane is that it’s always good ice-cream weather, and while the frosty treat mightn’t be dripping down your arm this time of year, it just gives you more time to savour the flavour. And flavours indeed, Shlix’s fine mix packs a punch. This hole-in-the-wall ice creamery uses only the finest ingredients and boy does it show. Made on site, Shlix’s take on Italy’s famous sweet makes the ingredients shine - with no additives or preservatives mind you. Unlike other ice creameries where the cream part often detracts from the flavour, Shlix’s scoops taste surprisingly strong and true to their origins. Each mouthful of gelati proves smooth, light, creamy and rich at the same time - no easy feat. Alongside the classics, such as vanilla bean, hazelnut, chocolate, lemon sorbet, you can find a changing range of more adventurous ones such as chai, peanut butter, cheesecake, ‘Walnut on a Date’ and ‘Cheeky Cherry’. At lunchtime crowds are are treated to a range of salad options. Using the make-your-own principle, customers are invited to pick a salad base and add meats, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and dressing. Just be sure to save room for ice-cream. And if you need a reason to visit or are trying to play the ‘diet’ card, don’t just go the salad, Shlix claim their scoops are 94 to 100 per cent fat free. Here’s to eating cheesecake with less calories!
UPDATE, Friday, June 20, 2025: 2025's First Nations Film Festival — National Reconciliation Week has been extended until Wednesday, August 6 (from its original end date of Tuesday, June 10). This article has been updated to reflect that change. As part of the flurry of streaming services always competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic as a pay-per-view platform. The service runs all year round, of course, but it goes the extra mile for National Reconciliation Week, which is when it hosts one leg of the First Nations Film Festival (previously known as the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival). In 2025, the National Reconciliation Week season is taking place between Tuesday, May 27–Wednesday, August 6, all solely online. The returning fest has four features and a collection of shorts on its lineup, starting with The Moogai — which sees writer/director Jon Bell (Cleverman) turn his own short into a full-length film, explore how Australia's past continues to haunt in the process, and brings back his stars Shari Sebbens (The Office) and Meyne Wyatt (Troppo) as a couple grappling with Stolen Generations trauma with their growing family. Also excellent: Like My Brother, a must-watch documentary that follows four young Indigenous women from the Tiwi Islands as they set their sights on playing AFLW at the highest level. With Blown Away, the impact of Cyclone Tracy upon Darwin is in the spotlight four decades later — and Winhanganha, which was commissioned by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, sees Wiradjuri artist Jazz Money examine archives through a First Nations lens. To view this at-home screen celebration, you'll need to buy an all-access pass, which lets you catch everything for $38.
American artist Roy Lichtenstein is one of the key players in the Pop Art movement of the '60s and '70s. His innovative artwork and trademark colourful benday dot imagery, which parodied the comic strip, cemented his place as an iconic artist alongside the likes of other influential pop artists, such as Andy Warhol. Pop Remix showcases Lichtenstein's classic pieces as well as revealing a different side to the artist and showing a glimpse at how he developed his artwork through newly restored candid photography and film. Roy Lichtenstein inspired a generation through his tongue in cheek artwork that shook up all previously established 'rules' regarding what should be classified as art. Now it's your turn to be inspired. Pop Remix is held at the QUT Art Museum, in the middle of our city and the icing on the cake is that the event is absolutely free.
Do you want to see a world class comedian without the world class price tag? Yes? You do!? Then venture forth from your room ridden with posters of Home and Away heartthrobs to the Sit Down Comedy Club and come and see Simon Kennedy! Back from writing sketches and starring in commercials across the UK and Australia, Simon Kennedy is back to doing what he does best: stand-up comedy. Rave Magazine have lauded the Melbournian comedian, saying he “has ways of making the audience see things for what they really are without judgement, and that, ultimately, signals the hallmark of a good stand-up comedian.” Not known for his ability to stay in one field, you might recognise Simon’s voice from radio or the short film Atonement Tonight. Or you may recognise his face from The Today Show, Thursday Night Live or possibly have even seen play a serious role in Home and Away, where he was cast as a prison guard. So sit down (the name of the venue commands you to!), take a load off and prepare your stomach for gut-wrenching comedy.
In the words of the great man himself, let's dance in Fortitude Valley on January 21. Bowie fans — aka Brisbane's real cool cats — will want to flock to the latest tribute evening dedicated to the man that music, and the world in general, won't ever forget. Modern Love: A David Bowie Celebration is exactly what it sounds like, and it'll make you party. Whether you want to dress up as your favourite version of the all-round icon (we love the early '80s stylings from the song that gives the shindig its name ourselves), or just enjoy his tunes, head to Bistrotheque for a night of adoration and admiration with your fellow Ziggy Stardust, Thin White Duke, Major Tom and Aladdin Sane lovers. There'll be all the tracks you've always dreamed of, with Concrete Surfers and Reckless at Tiffany's rocking some covers (plus a few of their own tracks). Plus, Bistro's resident DJs will be spinning everything else you can think of. With so much of his work to choose from — Bowie made 25 albums over five decades, after all — it's bound to be an emotional ride through the career of a creative genius.
If movies were an assessable component in the American SATs, one might easily expect to find a question like: Ralph Fiennes is to comedy as Tyler Perry is to...? (a) Costumes (b) Makeup (c) Playing multiple characters (d) Films accessible to white people. After all, this was the chap with the burned face from The English Patient, the Voldemort with the no face from Harry Potter and the Naziest bloody Nazi in Schindler's List. Excluding, for argument's sake, that 'incident on the plane', to think upon Fiennes was to consider class, panache and gravitas. Certainly, the next Bill Murray he was not. There's no doubt Fiennes is now experiencing something of a cinematic resurgence, particularly given his run as the newly minted 'M' in the Bond franchise, yet few could ever have expected that this Lazarus-esque revival would've seen him not just turn his mind to comedy but excel in it. Yes, that was a long-winded prelude to reviewing Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, but in this — now his eighth feature film — it's the first time the director has centred everything on just one character, and, thankfully, his leading man delivers something extraordinary. Fiennes is, quite simply, perfect. Playing the inimitable Monsieur Gustave H (the eponymous hotel's storied concierge), he's every bit the quirky protagonist an Anderson film requires but brings to the role an added layer of, well, Fiennes. Monsieur Gustave is, as one of the film's narrators observes, a man of a forgotten age. He's the manifestation of the Grand Budapest itself: elegant, refined, admired yet on the cusp of being left behind in a world scrambling over itself to modernise just as soon as anybody can arrange it. Filmed in three separate aspect ratios to reflect the three distinct decades in which this story takes place, The Grand Budapest Hotel is, typically, steeped in playful innocence yet forever flirting with a darkness just beneath the surface. It's been a growing trend for Anderson, whose last film, Moonrise Kingdom, was a decidedly black comedy grounded in his otherwise traditional quirkiness. Grand Budapest takes it even further: fingers are severed, cats are lobbed out of windows and prison guards are dispatched with bloody abandon. That all such moments elicit more laughter than horror is a testament to Anderson's unique style and direction. Naturally, The Grand Budapest Hotel is also brimming with cameos from Anderson faithfuls and newcomers alike. Murray, Wilson, Swinton, Schwartzman, Norton, Goldblum, Dafoe and Brody all have their go again, whilst Saoirse Ronan, Harvey Keitel and Jude Law gain entry into the team. There is a caper-based plot focused upon the contested inheritance of a priceless painting, but The Grand Budapest Hotel begins and ends as a character study, and it's in that study that the unbridled joy of watching this film is to be found. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk
We named Bleeding Heart City Markets one of the top ten markets Brisbane has to offer and now it's your chance to check it out. Situated smack bang in the middle of our city in a beautiful heritage listed building, the markets offer a treasure trove of delightful treats and are held on the first Friday of every month. Be sure to get down to the markets on Friday between 10 – 4pm to snag a bargain and avoid the disappointment of missing out. The markets offer arts, crafts, one-off prints, clothing, home wares and jewellery amongst other goodies so you're sure to find something special. After perusing the shops and meeting the clever creators of the hand made goodies, you can grab a bite to eat at the Bleeding Heart cafe or wander through the art gallery. The gallery displays thought provoking pieces from artists across Australia. The Wise Foundation created Bleeding Heart which has undertaken numerous endeavours to support disadvantaged groups and individuals. They have helped countless charity foundations both nationally and internationally and aim to be the social heart of Brisbane. So why not head down to the markets, grab a coffee and support this wonderful business.
When The Incredibles first leapt onto cinema screens 14 years ago, it earned its title several times over. Exploring the exploits of a super-enhanced family trying to live a normal life, the movie served up an all-ages superhero story with smarts and heart. Moreover, the savvy Pixar flick successfully predicted two things. Back in 2004, when no one had even heard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man was played by Tobey Maguire and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy hadn't yet made its mark, The Incredibles pre-empted society's current love of caped crusaders. Indeed, that film began at a time where spandex-clad folks like Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are constantly seen, heard and talked about. But it also foresaw the flipside to this obsession, recognising that the public's love of costumed crime-fighters has its limits. In the world of the movie, everyone listing 'saving the world' as their occupation was banned when the world had had enough. If you've been caught up in superhero fever over the past decade, only to catch a case of superhero fatigue as more and more comic book heroes soar across our screens, you can surely recognise all of the above. In fact, blending fantastical elements with relatable components was one of The Incredibles' greatest super powers. Caped crusaders are just like us, the picture made clear – attempting to juggle their personal and professional lives, battling to achieve their dreams, and fighting for their place. And while long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2 repeats the same basic premise, the franchise's canny ability to combine cartoon antics with cutting societal commentary ensures this is no mere rehash. Picking up where the first film left off, Incredibles 2 sees its central family — Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr, Elastigirl aka Helen, and kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) — trying to fend off burrowing, bank-robbing villain The Underminer, then coping with the aftermath. No one is happy about their efforts, and the fact that people with enhanced abilities are still illegal means a life without crime-fighting awaits. Enter telecommunications company head Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), with a plan to restore the heroes to their former glory. With Elastigirl leading the charge, the siblings have masterminded a rebranding campaign designed to make super folk popular again. And, thanks to body cameras and media appearances, this revolution will be televised. Drama comes in the form of an incredibly apt nemesis: Screenslaver, who interrupts Elastigirl's broadcasts with mind-controlling signals and raves about humanity's reliance on screens. Accordingly, Incredibles 2 slings statements about today's social media saturation, the valuing of appearances, and the fact that we live in a society where someone is always watching — for better or worse. It's a movie about the power of perception, one that rallies against making, filming or viewing something simply because you can. They're all observations that apply to the picture's specific story, to the broader superhero realm, and just to life in general. Plus, thanks to a subplot following Bob's attempts to hold the fort at home while Helen is off championing the caped crusader cause, the film also has plenty to say about gender equality and the role of women. Still, none of this would mean anything if returning writer-director Brad Bird didn't pair his story with engaging action, a playful tone and genuine emotion. Although not for people who are sensitive to flashing lights, an early strobe-lit confrontation ranks among the most inventive scenes in a superhero flick — animated or live-action — while an altercation between Jack-Jack and a racoon is just as memorable. Filled with both zippy battles and quiet character moments, Incredibles 2 mostly gets the balance right, even if it does feel a little padded towards the end. Interestingly, Bird (whose CV also includes The Iron Giant, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland) is the only person in Pixar history to assume total control for scripting and helming any of the company's features without any co-writers or co-directors. The result is not only one of Pixar's original standout movies, but its best sequel in nearly a decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5qOzqD9Rms
Cafes are no longer just serving great coffee. They're serving great locally roasted coffee in many forms (from cold drip to batch and single origin espresso), great fare that caters to all dietaries. They also boast interesting decors and are passionate about sustainability and the ethical sourcing of ingredients. And our favourite cafes of the year do an impressive job at covering it all. From gluten-free doughnuts and perfectly flaky croissants flown in from France to vegan eateries and all-day spot serving V60s through to raspberry mojitos, these six cafes are doing it all. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new cafes, opened in 2018, were nominated for Best New Cafe in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards. You can check out all the winners over here.
Stretch out your after-work stresses, or sip them away? It's an age-old problem, and one hardly helped by the fact that both make you feel great. Doing one and then the other is certainly a solution — but doing both at the same time is better. Behold: beer yoga. Yes, The Flying Cock is getting in on the blissful boozing trend (or, finding a way to make drinking even more delightful, you could argue). Whether you're a yoga fanatic who also likes a tipple or vice versa, you won't find a better way to indulge your two loves, or clear your mind. Tickets cost $20 — and yes, that includes a brew, of course, as well as a mat if you need one. Booking ahead is recommended, partially because it's bound to be popular, and partially because your future self will thank you. Sure, you mightn't think you need this at the beginning of the week, but as it comes to a close, you know you will.
After a week that's seen torrential rain, flooding across the city, all public transport suspended for a few days and the main roads that have been open packed with traffic, getting around Brisbane — if you've needed to get around — hasn't been easy. But if you do have to head out until Sunday, March 6, it'll be cheaper, at least. Actually, whether you're catching a bus or train or driving on a toll road, it'll be free. The Queensland Government has announced that it has ditched fares on all public transport across southeast Queensland until the last service on Sunday, and also scrapped tolls until midnight that same night. Accordingly, if you're hopping on a bus or train from now until the end of the weekend, you won't need to touch your Go Card on or off — and if you're driving through toll points, you won't be charged a fee. Part of the motivation is to help Mud Army volunteers make their way around town to aid in the cleanup efforts. "We know the mud army will be moving around over the coming days, so the Palaszczuk Government wants to make that as easy and accessible as possible," said Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey in a statement. "This covers services from Coolangatta all the way up to the Fraser Coast and across to Toowoomba, because just about every community in between has been impacted in some way. Regarding suspending tolls, it's also about ensuring people can get around without paying a fee while other roads are flooded. "The toll road system provides drivers with connection to areas, which are currently cut off from other access due to flood damage," Bailey advised in another statement. That said, after a couple of days' reprieve, Brisbane awoke to rain and storms again today, Thursday, March 3 — and to severe thunderstorm and moderate flood warnings. So, heading far mightn't be on your agenda anyway. Also, the Queensland Government still advises reconsidering any non-essential travel. The free public transport fares only apply on government-run services — not through private operators — and, while both buses and trains have started services again, with the rail network resuming today, timetables aren't back to normal. As for the tolls, the suspension covers the Gateway and Logan motorways, AirportLink tunnel and Toowoomba Bypass, as well as the Legacy way, Clem 7 and the Go Between Bridge. If you're going out Brisbanites, stay safe and dry. Public transport and tolls across southeast Queensland will be free until the end of Sunday, March 6. Find more information about public transport services, head to the TransLink website.
There's no shortage of heartbreak in Till, a shattering drama about the abduction, torture and lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955. Clemency writer/director Chinonye Chukwu tells of a boy's tragic death, a mother's pain and anger, and a country's shame and trauma — and how all three pushed along America's 20th-century civil rights movement. Heartache lingers in the needless loss of life. Fury swells at the abhorrent racism on display, including in the justifications offered by the unrepentant perpetrators. Despair buzzes in the grief, personal and national alike, that hangs heavy from the second that Emmett is dragged away in the night. Fury seethes, too, because an atrocious murder like this demands justice and change, neither of which was ever going to be easy to secure given the time and place. Indeed, the US-wide Emmett Till Antilynching Act making lynching a federal hate crime only became law in March 2022. Heartbreak builds in and bursts through Till from the outset — and in sadly everyday situations. Emmett, nicknamed Bo by his family, is played as a lively and joyful teen by the impressive Jalyn Hall (Space Jam: A New Legacy). He's confident and cheery, as his mother Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler, Station Eleven) has lovingly raised him to be in Chicago. But even department-store shopping for a trip to the Deep South is coloured by the threat of discrimination. So, as his departure to see relatives gets nearer, Mamie utters a few words of advice. She's stern and urgent, trying to impart to him the importance of adhering to Mississippi's unspoken rules. She implores him not to do anything that could be construed as looking at white people the wrong way, to apologise profusely and instantly whenever he has to, and to heed the different set of norms. "Be small down there," she says — and it's one of the movie's many crushing moments. More devastation follows, in a film that wouldn't need to exist in a better world but is essential viewing in this one. While stopping at a grocery store in the sharecropper town of Money, Emmett talks to white shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett, Cyrano) — a fateful incident with specifics that've long been disputed since, as seen in infuriating testimony in the feature's later court scene. Chukwu depicts Emmett being chatty and charming, commenting that Bryant looks like a movie star. She responds by heading outside to get a pistol. Emmett's cousins and friends are frightened, a reaction that proves well-founded when Bryant's husband and brother-in-law arrive at Mamie's uncle's (John Douglas Thompson, The 355) door a few evenings later. The next time that the film's central teenager is seen, he's a horrendously beaten and barely recognisable corpse. Scripted by Chukwu with producers Keith Beauchamp (director of 2005 documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till) and Michael Reilly, Till isn't called Emmett or Bo, and isn't just the murdered boy's story — because Mamie was determined to make her heartbreak mean something. Accordingly, the movie devotes much of its running time to the aftermath, as Emmett's mother turns unspeakable sorrow into two quests: to try to hold the culprits responsible and to do whatever she needs to stop this from occurring to anyone else. Chukwu's film is sincere and clear-eyed about Mamie's courageous fight and the fortitude it takes, but it never veers away from the loss and hurt behind it. This is a portrait of a woman who became an activist icon, and also an ode to someone who was committed to ensuring that her boy's senseless killing wouldn't be excused or forgotten. When Till does see Emmett again after he's ripped from his family, the feature is careful — but also faithful to Mamie's actions. Chukwu smartly and sensitively chooses not to show the violence that Emmett was subjected to. When farmhand Willie Reed (Darian Rolle, Hard Drive) hears screams from a barn, it's deeply chilling without anyone needing to witness a single blow. And Mamie's cries when she greets her son's coffin are unsurprisingly hard to shake. But America and the globe were confronted with exactly what this crime looks like when Mamie insisted on holding an open-casket funeral, a move that Till both dramatises and copies. Chukwu is still restrained, however, never making a spectacle out of Emmett's maimed face and body. And, she's aware that watching how Mamie and others respond to the bludgeoned boy — seeing their faces crumple in distress and torment, as they naturally do — is equally as powerful. In fact, Chukwu and cinematographer Bobby Bukowski (Archive 81) can barely bring themselves to peer away from Deadwyler, who stuns in frame after frame. With both subtlety and potency, she's the picture of nervous, protective worry even before Emmett leaves — a venture that Mamie is against but her mother Alma (Whoopi Goldberg, Harlem) believes will help him know his roots — and, when he's away, conveys the motherly fear that something awful will eventuate in every look and gesture. Then, when the worst does come, Deadwyler is phenomenal in showing how Mamie summons up strength from enduring such horror. Till is a film of mourning, but it's also a movie about galvanising that mourning. While awards bodies have been woefully inconsistent with recognising Deadwyler's exceptional performance, with the BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild offering nominations but the Golden Globes and Oscars overlooking her entirely, this is a haunting portrayal. The only Black woman employed by the US Air Force's Chicago office when Till begins, as well as a widow and a single mother, there's more to Mamie than living every mum's nightmare and crusading afterwards — and although that isn't the focus of Chukwu, Beauchamp and Reilly's screenplay, Till finds ways to layer in crucial detail. How rich the film appears, especially when it's observing Mamie, Emmett and their modest but happy life in its opening chapter, is a particularly pivotal touch. Amid the dread that Mamie patently feels about Emmett's trip, and the foreboding the audience shares as well, there's such warmth radiating from the screen early on. There's such vibrance, too, because that's the existence she had worked hard to give to her child — one she knows likely wouldn't have been possible in the south. In that and every way it can be, Till is a film about love first and foremost, even when its true tale is so heartbreakingly and irrevocably altered by hate.
They don't call Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull one of the best plays of the modern era without good reason. The Russian dramatist's work, the first of his four major offerings, tells of love, art and the conflicts of both through the interplay of a quartet of interconnected characters. So we have writer Boris Trigorin, ingénue Nina, fading theatrical diva Irina Arkadina and her son and playwright Konstantin, all circling around each other. And, in the hands of director Dan Evans, we also have a new take on the quintessential dramedy — indeed, he thinks Chekhov's effort was instrumental in shaping recent television shows such as Six Feet Under, Orange Is The New Black and Transparent. Accordingly, a classic work about family, power, sex, fame and passion gets a fresh interpretation — and Brisbane audiences receive a stripped-back, raw theatre experience. At the end, hopefully you won't just think that The Seagull is one of the greatest-ever works, but that this version is as well.
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who would receive a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably hoping that you do receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does RSPCA Queensland. In trying to find permanent homes for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens surrendered into their care from all over the state, they're bringing all those cuddly creatures to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, January 12 for their fifth annual pop-up adoption event. Entry is via gold coin donation, and includes demonstrations, entertainment, food, and activities, as well as RSPCA stalls and information. And then there's the hundreds of animals waiting for your affection — and for you to take them home with you. 432 critters found homes last year, in case you're wondering. Although you can't put a price on the happiness that a new four-legged friend will bring, those wanting to adopt an older cat or dog can do so for a cheaper price. If you've got your heart set on loving your new family member from an early age, kittens and puppies aged under four months will also be looking for human companions. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal serious business. For further information, read RSPCA Queensland's FAQs. And, while you can take a pet home with you, you can't bring your existing furry pal.
After hosting everything from live gigs to cult film screenings to craft afternoons since 2005 — and operating as a cinema in the decades before that — Fortitude Valley's New Globe Theatre is set to close its doors in April. Announced via a Facebook post in February, the venue will celebrate its last day of operations on April 29, a decision that has come about "after extensive discussions with landlords, banks and just about every other stakeholder". What will happen to the site at 220 Brunswick Street is yet to be revealed, but the New Globe's loss will leave a significant gap — with its distinctive personality and eclectic roster of events, there's no other venue quite like it across the city. Shows, events and everything else on its calendar will proceed as normal in the interim, but if you're looking to say goodbye in style, don't worry. One last party is planned for the final day of trade, and while full details are yet to be revealed, it'll include live music all day across the New Globe's stages. Taking place from 10am until midnight on April 29, entry to the farewell bash is free — and expect the venue to unleash one heck of a final shindig. They'll be using up any remaining stock, so prepare to have a big one. Image: Google Maps.
Melbourne-based watercolour artist Kelogsloops has built a 1.4 million-strong following for his dreamy images. As a kid, he spent hours in his room, lost in his sketchbooks. As an adult, he turned his passion into a profession, and regularly exhibits in Melbourne, Los Angeles and New York. Sharing his tips with others online has long been part of Kelogsloops' mission. And now, he's hosting a weekend of hands-on masterclasses in Brisbane, where you can learn from him IRL. In a small group, you'll spend three days finding out how Kelogsloops merges traditional and digital techniques, drawing on all kinds of influences. These range from film and video games to masters like Monet and Klimt, and contemporary artists like Yoshitaka Amano and James Jean. The masterclasses will focus on drawing and painting techniques, particularly mixing skin tones and colour, to create the stylised watercolour portraits that are Kelogsloops' specialty. Artists of all levels are all welcome. Whether you haven't drawn a picture since primary school or have a years-long practice, you're in with a very good chance of learning something new.
What's better than eating pizza? Not much, really. But watching master chefs take part in a round of pizza acrobatics sounds like a great way to work up an appetite, doesn't it? [caption id="attachment_1020417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] That's just one of the events on offer at Festitalia, Brisbane's annual celebration of all things Italian. Yes, plenty of other Italian-themed festivities pop up across the year, but this is the only official shindig hosted by the Italian Consulate in Brisbane and the Italian Embassy in Canberra. On September 7, they'll fill Brisbane Showgrounds with artists, entertainers, dancers, singers and performers — and food experiences, of course. Toast to Italy with a cheeky limoncello and eat your way through the country with over 30 stalls dishing out everything from espresso, cannoli and gnocchi to tiramisu, biscotti and gelato. You can catch live cooking demos by Italian chefs, then dig into regional delicacies like spiedini (Italian-style kebab), fritto miso (battered bites) and risotto. It's also the perfect spot to celebrate Father's Day — especially if dad's into fine wine, vintage Italian cars, or just a bit of friendly competition. Festitalia's quirky contests include Best-Dressed Italian Dad, Nonna's Slipper Throw and even Dad with the Biggest Pancia (belly!). Families can also get in on traditional games like tira molla (tug of war) and Italian-style musical statues. When you're not eating or competing, there's plenty more to explore. You can wander through a Roman military camp, try your hand at Prima Spada fencing, enjoy a live opera performance and more. [caption id="attachment_1020418" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Piotr Grzankowski[/caption]
Welcome to the Awesome Ocean Party, aka the party you never knew you always wanted to go to. Your host believes that she's half human and half octopus, and she'll be telling you a tale of romance, tragedy and yearning — plus more than a few legends from her amphibious family history — at her birthday celebration. At this surreal and silly shindig — which first premiered in Brisbane a few years back — you'll see Giema Contini in action. When it initially hit the stage, this was her first solo work, branching out after spending time with La Boite Theatre Company, Motherboard Productions and Dead Puppet Society. So exactly what does an Awesome Ocean Party entail? Songs, stories, plenty of talk about the sea and a whole lot of quirkiness. Running from Thursday, November 21–Sunday, November 24, it's part of this year's Wonderland festival at Brisbane Powerhouse, so expect it to be characteristically weird and wonderful.
As lovers of burgers and doughnuts already know, when Brisbane embraces a particular type of food, it doesn't hold back. Anyone who can't get enough juicy fried chicken should know that too, with the city's chook-slinging ranks only growing. Hot on the heels of Lucky Egg's new West End digs and 4Fingers announcing its arrival with not one, but two outlets, comes Flippin' the Bird — and it's serving up a container-load of poultry goodness. Making a James Street shipping container its home from mid-August, Flippin' the Bird is the latest venture boasting chef Shaun Hyland's cooking, which Brisbanites might recognise from The Defiant Duck. Keeping the feathered theme going, his new kitchen will focus on deep-fried, air-fried and pulled chicken in pieces, on burgers, in salads and with sides. The full menu isn't set to launch until the chook joint opens its doors, however one thing will feature: chicken tacos. The signature item is filled with pulled or crispy chicken layered with house-made slaw and chimichurri. As obvious joke fan Hyland puts it, "this is fast-paced food you'd cross the road for." Actually, some lucky folks already have. If this all sounds a bit familiar, that's probably because this year's Teneriffe Festival attendees were treated to a pop-up sneak peek. In just one day of fest trading, Flippin' the Bird sold over 217 kilograms of chicken. That's something to crow about — and expect those numbers to keep flying higher once they officially set up shop. Find Flippin' the Bird at 49 James Street, New Farm from mid-August, or head to their Facebook page for further details.
It's time to mark another food-based commemorative occasion. Yes, another one. By now, we all know that they're just excuses to eat more of a certain dish — and there's so many of them that you really could use them to plan your daily eating choices. But we keep celebrating dates like National Fish 'n' Chip Day because they're both tasty and fun. At Kangaroo Point, One Fish Two Fish is getting into the spirit of this seafood extravaganza in 2022 by, well, serving up seafood. And it's doing so across three days — from Friday, June 3–Sunday, June 5. You won't be tucking into just any old fish 'n' chips over this seafood-filled weekend, however. That OG pairing is a classic for a reason, so it's still on the menu, of course — as is a vegan version made with battered banana blossom — but One Fish Two Fish also has a couple of specials on offer. That means that you can opt for the fish 'n' chip brioche sub ($24) made with beer-battered cod, shredded baby gem, pea and mint smash, tartare sauce, crushed salt and malt vinegar crisps, plus a side of shoestrings fries. Or, there's the fish 'n' chip pie ($32) that comes filled with salmon, blue cod, prawns, mussels, bechamel and dill, and topped with chips. Also on the menu: fish schnitties ($28), which includes panko-crumbed barramundi plus warm potato salad, cornichons, golden shallots, dill, fennel and mayo. And, because it wouldn't be a fish shop meal without it, deep-fried Mars bars ($14) are being whipped up for dessert. One Fish Two Fish's National Fish 'n' Chip Day lineup is available for both lunch and dinner.
When Da Biuso first hit Brisbane's streets back in March, it took the meals-on-wheels concept up another level. The River City's only fine-diner on a bus, it plates up decadent degustations in luxe style, in a coach decked out to give the fanciest bricks-and-mortar restaurants a run for their money. That's a unique concept and experience, but how do you make it even more of a must-attend event? Put on a pasta degustation. One bus, seven courses of pasta and four days only: that's the maths behind this culinary feast, which runs from Thursday, June 29–Sunday, July 2. Already taking cues from Mediterranean cuisine in its regular menu, Da Biuso is going all in on Italian fare for this limited-time offering, which includes tagliolini scampi and caviar, lobster raviolo, pappardelle with rabbit and mushroom ragu, all for $140 per person. And for dessert, it's doing a sweet version of lasagne: lasagne dolce, which encases lemoncello custard in pasta sheets, and adds white chocolate and vanilla ganache with strawberries.
Maybe you don't ever manage to find the time to celebrate International Lobster Day each September. Perhaps you're just keen on an indulgent October and November feast. Or, you could simply want to treat yo'self to lobster whenever and wherever you can. Whichever one of these categories fits, you've got a date with Kangaroo Point's One Fish Two Fish from Sunday, October 1–Thursday, November 30. The Main Street eatery is celebrating all things lobster, clearly — and, yes, by serving up the obvious. And, it's doing so across two whole months. No wonder that it's calling the event House of Lobster. Make plans to dine in and you can tuck into a $120 three-course feast, which starts with lobster-filled jacket potatoes or grilled lobster in lemon butter sauce — your choice. From there, there's two options to pick from for mains and dessert. So, you can go for barbecued half lobster with sea urchin butter and Japanese noodles or the lobster mornay with salad — and then either raspberry sorbet or deep-fried vanilla ice cream. Booking quickly is recommended, with seats available for dinner Wednesdays–Thursdays and lunch Fridays–Sundays. Updated Thursday, November 2.
At the Valley mall mainstay that is Ric's, there's only one way to get into the BIGSOUND spirit. That'd be throwing the biggest shindig they can in the bar's backyard; when under the sunny Brisbane skies, and all that. From 4pm on Friday until whenever you wander out before closing time on Saturday morning, this blow-out has you covered. The Stiffys, The Durries, Baskervillain, The Flangipanis and Cordeaux will take care of the tunes, while Ric's will take care of the mood, leaving you with the simple task of showing up and having fun. This event is one of our top five picks of BIGSOUND. Check out the other four here.
It only took one song for The Spice Girls to become a hit — and what a hit they became. Since you started reading this article, one of their songs has become stuck in your head, hasn't it? If you wannabe our lover, you'll admit it. In fact, we're guessing that your toes still tap whenever you hear a Spice Girls tune, even if that's something else you don't really want to share. There's no need to hide your Spice love at Kristian Fletcher's latest event. It is a tribute evening celebrating 20 years since their first single and album burrowed its way into our ears, after all. The only response to news of such a Spice-tastic night? Say you'll be there, of course. An array of Brisbane performers will take to the New Globe stage to bring all things Spice back to life, with concert footage, music videos and rare clips featuring the real thing projected onto the theatre's big screen. Dressing like Posh, Baby, Sporty, Scary or Ginger for your chance to win a prize is heartily encouraged.
Calling all dumpling fiends: among the many highlights on the BrisAsia 2024 lineup, a festival devoted to these tasty parcels is up there with the best of them. On Sunday, February 4, the Southside Dumpling Festival will take over both its namesake restaurant and Fish Lane Town Square. Obviously, you already know what's on the menu. Southside's Sous Chef Benny Lam is taking attendees on a tour of delicious dumplings, har gow, gyoza and dim sums. Pop-up kitchens will also be part of the fest, which is slinging tickets for $25, as will live performances. Here's how it works: when you arrive, you'll receive a tasting steamer, which will be filled with three of the eatery's signature dumplings. Contained inside: prawn and truffle har gow; chicken siu mai with shiitake mushroom and black garlic; and peking duck and bamboo shoot dumplings with smoked hoi sin. You can then also pick what you like to purchase, with options including lobster and chive har gow with smoked salmon caviar, plus wagyu xiao long bao with madeira and pickled ginger — and, although it isn't a dumpling variation, truffle prawn toast. While the day runs from 10am–4pm, entry is timed, starting at 10am, 12pm and 2pm. But, once you're there, you can stay as long as your stomach demands. If you have vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free dietary requirements, let the organisers know when you're booking.
Sports movies tend to follow a fairly formulaic structure. We meet the competitors; we begin to see their strengths, weaknesses and that potential Achilles heel; we are introduced to their primary competitors; and then, after a couple of well-timed training montages, we watch, bated breath, as our hero manages to defy the odds and win miraculously/lose heroically. If you've seen Rocky, The Fighter, Remember the Titans or a hundred other sports films, then you already know the narrative arc of Ping Pong. Yet despite its predictability, this heartwarming documentary from little-known British director Hugh Hartford manages to sidestep the usual pitfalls of the genre, basically through the sheer strength of the characters. Ping Pong tells the story of the World Over 80s Table Tennis Championships in Inner Mongolia almost entirely through the perspective of the players themselves. There is 81-year-old Terry, who, prior to the tournament, was given a week to live; former bodybuilder Les, who, at 89, still uses weightlifting to prepare for the tournament; the trash-talkin', gun-toting Texan Lisa, whose 85 years have done nothing to diminish her wily competitive streak; and the championship's elder stateswoman, the 100-year-old Aussie Dot. Hartford does what many great documentarians have done before him, retreating from the role of writer. He is happy to simply leave the camera rolling and have the characters tell their own stories — their history, their motivations and what it means to be an athlete in the final chapters of their lives. Yet this picture is far more than simply a series of talking heads. Hartford takes great pains to capture the richness of these characters and their lives. The film takes us into their homes and training venues and watches as they cook strudel, show off old photo collections and, in one of the film's most touching scenes, guide us around the dementia ward that ping pong became a respite from. This level of detail gives the film an immersive quality. Even in a screening filled with cynical critics and hardened media-folk, a championship win from one of the octogenarians had the cinema quietly cheering. Despite the film's fixation on death and mortality, Ping Pong is a surprisingly hopeful and uplifting film. In one scene, Terry boasts that while bowel cancer could take away his penis, it couldn't take away his sex life. We come to see that while these characters may have accepted their impending death, that doesn't mean they're willing to go quietly into that cold night. Add to all this the fact that this may be the first film to show an 89-year-old doing a peck dance. That one was worth the price of admission on its own. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nwFVc2NAt94
It’s hard to envision collage as a legitimate artform when only pipecleaners, preschool and budget birthday cards come to mind at its mention. Brisbane artists Rachael Bartram and Warren Handley, however, have reinvented the art of collage in a more mature medium, with not a pom pom, paddle pop stick or glitter shaker in sight. Their combined exhibition Assembling Worlds II presents an idea of two or more worlds in just one image. While Rachael re-contextualises her imagery by collecting, cutting, slicing and splicing – praise the glue stick – Warren’s process involves a digital form of collage where by a computer becomes his Clag. Their pieces show off characters upon clashing backdrops, with a manipulation of fiction and fact make for a minefield of challenges and questions about global issues. Some pieces provide stark contrast, while others fit together quite cleanly, but they always hold a composition that sits within the fringes of two worlds. You can catch the work of Assembling Worlds II at West End’s Depo till the October 26.
Believe it or not, it's been 14 years since Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga first hit the big screen — and since tweens across the globe collectively fell in love with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, too. The pair's careers have rocketed since, with KStew hopping between everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels and Spencer, and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to Tenet and The Batman. They'll always have that undead franchise on their resumes, though. Forgotten what the five vamp films are like? Love them and want to see them on a big screen again? Just adore movie marathons in general? Whatever reason you have, the Twilight Saga Movie Marathon wants you to sink your fans in. Stewart, Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and all-star supporting cast that spans Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen and Bryce Dallas Howard will all feature on Saturday, August 6 as the five blockbusters hit the silver screen once more at Brisbane's Palace Barracks cinema. Tickets cost $30, and the lengthy journey of glorious supernatural light-erotica will kick off at 6.30pm as Bella lands in Forks, Washington in the original Twilight film. From there, it's all love triangles, revengeful vampires, and half-human babies as New Moon, Eclipse and the two-part Breaking Dawn features run back-to-back.
With several restaurant precincts spread throughout and around its parklands, and plenty of grassy sitting spots too, South Bank offers hungry Brisbanites the best of both worlds. Sometimes, you just want to dine in and feast on a fresh-cooked meal that's brought to your table. At other times, relaxing on the lawn and enjoying a leisurely picnic is exactly what the mood calls for. Enter new Italian eatery Mister Paganini, which will be able to cater to both scenarios when it opens its doors in early December. The multi-faceted venue will feature a restaurant serving up classic cuisine, as well as a deli for on-the-go and take-home bites and snacks. Those keen on the sit down, in-house approach will find simple, communal fare made with fresh, locally grown ingredients. Chef Steve Wildermoth's full menu is yet to be unveiled, but the veteran of restaurants Sorellina, Ortiga and Moda will be serving up spaghetti with spanner crab, garlic, chilli, parsley and olive oil, as well as porchetta with crispy pork belly, fried herb potatoes and pear mostarda. Dessert fiends can expect to devour millefoglie with coffee cream, puff pastry, peach jam and chocolate, among other delectable dishes. If dropping by and taking away takes your fancy instead, you'll be able to get your coffee fix, and then pick from traditional pastries and sweets — plus, there's more substantial offerings such as fresh salads and gourmet rolls for lunch. Whichever option you choose, it all sounds delicious. And if you like Italian food, there's really no wrong choice. Find Mister Paganini at 174 Grey Street, South Brisbane from early December, and visit their website and Facebook page for more information.
Whether they were painted centuries ago, snapped in a shopping centre photography studio in the '80s, or graced the pages of a recently published fashion mag, many portraits of women use the same poses. Perhaps the lovely lady in the frame is turned sideways and smiling. Maybe she's pouting while looking over her shoulder. Sometimes, she's staring enigmatically off into the distance. Yep, they're the kind of pictures everyone has seen countless times, but few people stop to contemplate in depth. By combining portrait photography and expressionist painting, Jess Cochrane's latest exhibition, FearLess, aims to inspire audiences to ponder why these images recur, what their repeated use says about perceptions of femininity, and the role the male gaze has played throughout history. That might be a considerable task; however it's surprising just how exaggerating and amplifying commonly seen images with splashes of paint and colour can spark many a train of thought. With the show representing Cochrane's attempt to create "space for the honest, powerful, raw and violent beauty that is all-inclusive", after seeing her pieces, you'll never look at a portrait the same way again.
Step into the world of the mysterious and the macabre. Step into the world of Night Vale. Home to angels, dragons and an ominous glowing cloud, and ruled by a shadowy city council whose true form remains hidden, the small desert town is best known as the setting of the hugely popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Since debuting in mid-2012, the surreal half-hour show has amassed legions of fans and embarked on several successful live tours – the latest of which will bring them to Australia. The tour consists of a series of one-night-only engagements in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne across the second week of February. Fans — and curious — can join unflappable community radio host Cecil Gershwin Palmer as he guides them through the daily goings on in the weird and wonderful town that he calls home. Just make sure you stay on the right side of the Night Vale Secret Police. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiLrr0h4ek8
When Burger Urge isn't in quarrels over its cheekily named burgers, the team here is churning out some of Brisbane's finest comfort food. While its angus beef burger selection is truly exceptional (especially the Big Boppa, with melted cheese, fried egg, pineapple and beetroot), we also love the fact that these guys cater to a wide variety of dietary needs. We're talking keto buns, plant-based burger patties, vegan sides, plus standout salads. Plus, we've got nothing but love for a business that throws a 'Mullets Eat Free Day' for anyone sporting the iconic hairstyle (a temporary Southern Cross tattoo is the prize). Images: Hennessy Trill
