Quietly emerging out of the city's latest lockdown, Sarah Sands Hotel wasted no time in throwing open its doors on Saturday, June 12. The latest new watering hole on Sydney Road has been reimagined by the Australian Venue Co (The Smith, State of Grace, Fargo & Co) as part of a $3 million makeover. While the building has been reunited with its original name from 1854, its interiors have been pulled into a whole new era. Local architects Studio Y have created a contemporary space infused with nostalgic touches. The familiar corner site was once home to Brunswick's Bridie O'Reilly's, but now, timber panelling and exposed brick walls are played against brass accents and leafy greenery. Downstairs is home to a modern public bar, restaurant space and private dining room, or you can head one floor up to find a second bar and sunny atrium decorated with a bold mural by Loretta Lizzio. The kitchen delivers a new-school riff on the classic local pub offering, complete with a strong spread of vegetarian options and native ingredients incorporated throughout the menu. After-work pints will be matched by snacks like pink pepper calamari with smoked paprika mayo and saltbush, and buttermilk fried chicken finished with native mountain pepper and tamarind yoghurt. There's a trio of steaks, and a slew of pizzas featuring toppings like kipflers with rosemary and blue cheese. Meanwhile, a lineup of counter meals includes the likes of a beetroot and goat cheese salad, steak and ale pie with mushy peas, a cheeseburger, and classic chicken and eggplant parmas. In a nod to the good old pub days, you'll find weekly food specials, happy hours and trivia nights (kicking off from July 1), as well as a revamped meat tray raffle gifting one lucky winner a fresh fruit and veg box every Friday. All ticket proceeds will be heading to support local not-for-profit QueerSpace, with the first edition drawn on June 18. At the bar, a 10-strong tap list will be backed by a hefty range of tinnies and bottles sourced from near and far. And classic cocktails sit alongside a run of fruity spritzes and signature sips; from the Davidson Plum Sour made on Four Pillars Shiraz Gin, to a wattleseed-infused espresso martini. The Sarah Sands Hotel is welcoming new locals and regulars with a series of tasty Welcome Weekend specials from June 25–June 27. Head in from 5–7pm to enjoy complimentary snacks with your first drink purchase, and book a table of four or more for dinner to receive a round of desserts on the house. Find the Sarah Sands Hotel at 29 Sydney Road, Brunswick, from June 12. It'll open 12–11pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 12pm–late on Fridays and Saturdays.
Aussie brick enthusiasts, get excited. Sydney will join the likes of New York, London, Hong Kong and Copenhagen on the list of cities boasting a flagship LEGO store very, very soon. The Harbour City is set to welcome the world's largest official LEGO store to Sydney Arcade, overlooking Pitt Street Mall, on Saturday, November 11. Announced earlier this year, the massive two-storey, 900-square-metre Sydney LEGO store will officially swing open its doors at 9.30am next Saturday morning and promises to be your one-stop shop for all things colourful plastic bricks. "Every new store contributes to the LEGO Group's global mission of inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow," Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Australia and New Zealand Troy Taylor says. LEGO fans can expect an interactive storytelling table that will give them behind-the-scenes looks at their favourite sets and designs; Australia's first Minifigure Factory, where visitors can create LEGO versions of themselves or their loved ones; and a pick-and-build wall boasting an enormous catalogue of different pieces. Official Brick Specialists will be on hand to help guide you through everything the superstore has to offer — and if you're after a challenge to get your creativity flowing, there will be in-store builds and monthly events. Basically, you'll have everything you could need to bring your wildest imagination to life. There will also be Australia-specific elements of the store with large-format sculptures of Australian and Sydney cultural touchstones decorating the new Sydney LEGO store's space. "The world's largest LEGO Store will stand as a must-see destination for LEGO fans across the globe whilst bringing a world-class retail experience to Australia," says Executive Chairman of the store's retail partner Alquemie Group Richard Facioni. The flagship Sydney LEGO store will open at Sydney Arcade, Pitt Street, Sydney on Saturday, November 11.
Remember how it rained all last winter? Well get set for another rainy season, folks: as I write this I'm looking out on to a rain-sodden Oxford Street. What with Sydney being all about beaches and carousing in the sun, we seem to cope less well with the wet and the cold. But there's so much this city has to offer, and in particular when it's miserable out and the nights get too cold to venture outdoors, one of the nicest things to do is hang out with a book. Or better yet, hang out in one of Sydney's lovely independent bookshops, which we should all be supporting. With this in mind, we present to you our pick of Sydney's ten best bookstores. 1. Gertrude & Alice Where: 46 Hall St, Bondi Beach Wall to wall books. Books from ceiling to floor, interspersed with communal tables. Gertrude & Alice is what Shakespeare's is to Paris, and provides a welcome haven amongst the surfers and backpackers of Bondi Beach. The food served is fresh and universally excellent, and it's one of the best places to go if you're feeling a bit lonesome, because the welcoming communal tables ensure that you'll always feel at home. Named after Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, the famous expat American couple who encouraged the careers of Hemingway and Henry Miller, amongst others, there's a lot of heart to this place, as well as lovely velvet sofas and delicious chai. They also boast a Hemingway room, quieter and lined with reference books and the perfect place to woo another attractive bookworm. 2. Better Read Than Dead Where: 265 King Street, Newtown I have spent a lot of money in this place. I only realised how many times I was in there over the summer when one of the sales girls said to me "You're in here all the time, and I've always wanted to say I really like your dresses." Which was lovely to hear, because the rest of my scanty budget goes towards dresses. Better Read Than Dead have one of the best staff recommendation systems around, and they'll often hook you up with things you'll love forever which you'd never find on your own. Everyone working there is incredibly helpful and chatty if you engage with them, but they'll otherwise leave you to your own devices. Close to Camperdown Memorial Park, one of the nicest things to do when it's sunny is to get yourself a book and find a tree to lie under and read. 3. Berkelouw Books Where: 19 Oxford Street, Paddington, 8 O'Connell Street, Newtown, 70 Norton Street Leichhardt and 708 New South Head Road, Rose Bay Berkelouw are kind of everywhere right now - seriously, there's one adjacent to a carpark in Cronulla. But each of them feels individual, and each of them are awesome. The better branches of Berkelouw are the older ones: Paddington and Leichhardt, as well as the newer, but adorable, Newtown branch. Berkelouw comes with a cafe and comfy leather couches for you to squish up in and read for hours, and there's also a separate second hand section which is always worth a look. I would personally recommend the Newtown Berkelouw, if only because of its close proximity to T2 and Guzman y Gomez, it's welcome student discount, and the fact that the first time I went in they were playing The Smiths. 4. Gould's Book Arcade Where: 37 King St, Newtown You cannot argue with this place. It is the undisputed king of second-hand books in Sydney. You could disappear into this place and never come out again. I would wager you could find a gateway to Narnia in Gould's. With a liberally relaxed policy when it comes to organisation, you'll find Marxist histories of industrial labour sitting side by side with a 1996 travel guide to Slovakia. But stick around for a couple of hours (and you can, it's open until midnight, after all) you'll find treasure for a pittance. At the centre of the store was, until his death in May of 2011, Bob Gould himself, the silvery-bearded stalwart of Sydney's sixties counter-culture who was once arrested for his anti-Vietnam and anti-establishment activities. 5. Kinokuniya Where: Level 2 The Galleries, 500 George Street, Sydney Kinokniuya is the only big chainstore included on the list, but this list would be nothing without it. The Japanese bookstore giant believes in promoting art and culture, not just hocking the best-selling pulp-literary tat to people, and has been one of the most welcome additions to the city in the past few years. Kinokuniya is awesome - it has everything, the stuff you can't find anywhere else, ever. You can spend hours hanging out in the light-filled building which overlooks the criss-crossing pedestrian traffic of the George and Park Street intersection. It boasts an entire Japanese section, the best range of graphic novels and manga and an incredible range of art and design books, as well as every kind of fiction under the sun. Kinokuniya also features an in-store gallery to showcase emerging artists. 6. Gleebooks Where: 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, 536 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill and 191 Glebe Point Road, Glebe (Antiquarian & Second-Hand) Gleebooks is a Sydney institution. The city's most reliable independent bookseller for many years, they stock an unbelievably vast range of books; fiction and non-fiction alike, and often play host to talks by international and national figures, including The Chaser boys. When they talk about independent booksellers being in peril, you know that Gleebooks will be the last to go. Its second-hand and children's sections are located further up Glebe Point Road, and are completely worth the walk up the hill. Also, a Dulwich Hill branch recently opened up which is a very welcome addition to an often neglected portion of the Inner West. 7. Ariel Books Where: 42 Oxford St, Paddington and 103 George Street, The Rocks Ariel have a fantastic selection of art, architecture and design books adorning their shelves. The shop's interior is open and clean, although there are some delightful lanterns which pretty up the place, and it has the benefit of being open until midnight. Mostly it's the awesome range of books and the atmosphere of the place which makes Ariel so nice, but you can also get yourself a Moleskine, some Mexican kitsch ornaments or some chocolate, if they take your fancy. A stone's throw away from the College of Fine Arts and on the edge of the city's hipster quarters, the place is filled with a mix of spaced-out locals, art school kids and some very attractive bookish types. 8. Sappho Books, Cafe & Wine Bar Where: 51 Glebe Point Road, Glebe Sappho's is a cafe and wine bar as well as a second-hand bookshop, and has the loyal custom of many of the local Sydney University students. The pokey little shop has a huge range of books on every subject matter and has been hosting regular poetry nights for the last couple of years. You're always certain to find what you're looking for, and often in really nice editions: some of the copies from the '50s and '60s you'll find are so nice you'll want to frame them. This is also the only place on this list where you can sit with a book and a glass of wine, or a jug of sangria, until the wee hours under the shade of the jasmine and banana trees. 9. Ampersand Cafe Bookstore Where: 78 Oxford St, Paddington So easy to miss amongst the tumultuous crowds on Oxford Street, Ampersand is bigger than it looks from the street and a haven away from the city and the crowds. With a good range of second-hand books tucked away across three floors and offering amazing, cheap first-edition copies of books like The Master & Margarita and The Human Stain, Ampersand also wins on the coffee front - it is truly excellent. Downstairs is a communal table if you feel like making some friends, or you're perfectly welcome to hang out on your own. 10. Journeys Bookstore & Cafe Where: 127 Trafalgar Street, Annandale Journeys is another very cute bookstore and cafe, housed in a converted terrace, where you're invited to flip through the pages of books while sipping some tea. The titles are all handpicked, and there'a seriously good travel section. Upstairs is the best bit, a bright airy room decked out with comfy couches, and surrounded by seven bookcases. Each case represents a region of the world, and you'll find travel guides, history, fiction and travel literature to match every country in that part of the world. If you wish you were elsewhere there's no better place to imagine it.
Thirty-four-metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Patricia Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale 2013 might just be one of Australia's most recognisable recent pieces of art. And, this morning at sunrise (Monday, March 9), Skywhale took flight once again as part of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. She'll make her second (and final) solo flight this evening at 8pm from the North Lawns — so, if you happen to be in Canberra, keep an eye on the skies. Then, as of May, Skywhale will be joined by her new companion, Skywhalepapa. The new floating sculpture is designed to form a family with Skywhale, with the second bulbous sculpture commissioned as part of the gallery's Balnaves Contemporary Series. In total, the pair will take flight six times during the nearly three-month Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition — with launch locations at Parliamentary Triangle and yet-to-be-confirmed sites in Woden and Tuggeranong. [caption id="attachment_751759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skywhalepapa, 2019/20 (artist's sketch), Patricia Piccinini. Courtesy of the artist.[/caption] The structures' first co-flight is set to take place on Saturday, May 2 from Parliamentary Triangle. As reported by The Guardian Australia, the new balloon will be around 30 metres tall, 37 metres wide and weigh a whopping 400 kilograms. While the two were meant to take to the sky together today, Piccinini told The Guardian that it was better to have a "staggered approach" and allow Skywhale to be reintroduced to Canberra before Skywhalepapa (and the duo's attached children) take to the skies together. If you can't make it to Canberra to see the growing Skywhale clan, they will also tour the country later in the year, with locations and dates still to be confirmed. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fIa3xHmDu/ Apart from the Skywhales: Every Heart Sings installation, the NGA is offering up a whole heap of top-notch exhibitions in 2020. It'll welcome Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London in November, boasting over 60 works from European masters — most of which have never before travelled to Australia. Art lovers can also look forward to Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now, which'll shine a spotlight on the nation's female creatives; Belonging: Stories of Australian Art, a major collection of 19th-century Aussie pieces; a six-month focus on Chinese artist and activist Xu Zhen; and The Body Electric, a showcase of works by female-identifying creatives that are all about sex, pleasure and desire. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings launched today, March 9 at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT. Additional flight dates are planned for May 2 through July 25. For further information about the NGA's 2020 lineup, visit the gallery's website. Top image: Skywhale, 2013, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of anonymous donor 2019, Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
The Netherlands is championed for creating the first gin. And the UK is known for popularising the spirit — especially London dry gin. But the influence of Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other spice islands hasn't made it to the mainstream. This is something the Owner and Founder of Dutch Rules Distilling Co. Danny Perera is working hard to change at his distillery door and bar that opened in March 2024. At the Mitcham site, he's distilling gins and making cocktails that hero the complex flavours of juniper, cardamom and coriander from a broad range of spice islands. Apart from strongly featuring these main spices (that were historically transported back to Europe by the East India Company), his gin range is also enhanced with botanicals like lemongrass, makrut leaves, chilli, thai basil and ginger. Dutch Rules gins have won a handful of awards, and Perera has been praised for broadening the scope of what gins can taste like. You can sample the goods in tasting flights and cocktails at the distillery door, where bottles are also available to purchase. For now, a small selection of bar snacks is also available — sardines with bread, olives, fresh oysters and charcuterie — but Perera is working to expand the food offerings. To that end, he brought on Dan Greenwood (ex-Naked for Satan) to establish a new kitchen and dining menu, but this won't be up and running until the end of 2024. Check the venue's website for updates.
UPDATE Thursday, June 10: Under current COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, there are restrictions on where Melburnians can travel. Check out the latest information on the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. You can also check out more figures and graphs on its Victorian coronavirus data page. If you're looking for a cheeky excuse to get out of town this month, you'll find it down on the Mornington Peninsula at Willow Creek Vineyard's casual eatery Rare Hare. Sibling to the renowned Jackalope Hotel, the restaurant's plating up an exclusive Good Food Month lunch menu all the way through June. From 12–5pm weekdays, book yourself a table to enjoy a produce-driven, woodfired feed teamed with a local tipple and some memorable views of the property's sloping green vineyards. $45 will get you a selection of starters — think, house-baked potato bread with Leontyna olive oil and sardines on toast with preserved lemon — followed by a main of harissa lamb rump with smoked yoghurt and green olive tapenade. You'll also enjoy tea, coffee and a glass of Rare Hare's signature red or white wine to match. And if your afternoon looks free, you can always stick around and make it a long lunch and get acquainted with a few more of the wine list's celebrated homegrown drops. [caption id="attachment_813262" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rare Hare[/caption]
Been spending the first few months of 2021 pondering the future? Given the current state of affairs, that's only natural. From this weekend, however, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on the night sky. From around April 16–25 each year, the Lyrids Meteor Shower sets the sky ablaze. This year, it's doing just that from April 14–30. It might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but it's still very impressive. Plus, rather than only being visible every 75 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), you can catch the Lyrids annually. In 2021, the Lyrids will be at its most spectacular from April 22–23. For folk located Down Under, early on Friday, April 23 is when you'll be peering upwards. Here's how to catch a glimpse from your backyard. WHAT IS IT The Lyrids Meteor Shower is named after constellation Lyra, which is where the meteor shower appears to come from near star Vega, and is created by debris from comet Thatcher. While the comet, which takes about 415 years to orbit around the sun, won't be visible from Earth again until 2276, the Lyrids can be seen every autumn between around April 16–25. So, you can even pencil it in for next year. It's also the oldest recorded meteor shower, so there's that, too. On average, you can see up to 18 meteors per hour, but the Lyrids are also known to have outbursts of nearly 100 meteors per hour. So, while no outburst is predicted for 2021, you could get lucky. [caption id="attachment_767783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] jpstanley via Flickr.[/caption] WHEN TO SEE IT In Australia, the shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Thursday, April 23 according to Time and Date, but will still able to be seen either side of those dates between April 14–30. The best time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 4am. At that time, you'll be in the running to see meteors moving at about 177,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. HOW TO SEE IT When a meteor shower lights up the sky, getting as far away from light pollution as possible is the best way to get a prime view. If you can't do that, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the Lyrids, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also have a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Lyrids. The site updates these details daily. Clouds and showers are predicted over the weekend and into next along the east coast, which could present problems in terms of visibility. Sydney is due to clear up from Monday and Brisbane from Tuesday, though — and Melburnians, fingers crossed that hopefully the weatherman is wrong. Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
When you can't venture to an art gallery, let the exhibition come to you. It's been a challenging year for artists and art institutions across the nation, but one of the good things to come out of this global pandemic has been the number of ways Australians have been able to access art without leaving their homes. Whether it's through online talks, tours or filmed performances, galleries have found alternative ways to share art with us. One of the institutions leading the way is the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), which is the host of 2020's Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards exhibition. For the first time this year, the gallery in Darwin is accessible no matter where you live, as you can explore all 65 artworks on display via its virtual gallery. To give you a taste of what you can expect, we've picked out five artworks that drew our attention — and some of the stories behind them. [caption id="attachment_782787" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charlie Bliss[/caption] 'NGALYOD AND KOLNG (PALM TREE)' BY PAUL NAMARINJMAK NABULUMO One of the first works you'll see when you enter the virtual gallery is a hollow log burial pole painted with the image of a serpent. That's Ngalyod, the Rainbow Serpent, who is an important ancestral being for the Kuninjku people. Northern Territory painter and sculptor Paul Namarinjmak Nabulumo, who lives and works in Yikkarrakkal Outstation, created 'Ngalyod and kolng (palm tree)' in 2020. He only paints depictions of his ancestral country, as, he says if he painted other people's "it would kill us". The 49 year old is the son of acclaimed artist Mick Kubarrku (who passed away in 2008), and Nabulumo says his father's art practice had a huge influence on his work. In this artwork, you can see Nabulumo's fine, elegant rarrk (cross-hatching) work and the Rainbow Serpent emerging from a palm tree (kolng) at an important site called Dilebang. It's believed that Ngalyod supports the growth of water lilies, vines and palms that grow around freshwater sources. 'MUM BETTY' BY BESSIE DAYLIGHT In the same gallery space, point your cursor to a picture on the wall of a woman with angel wings. Western Australian artist Bessie Daylight has adorned a digital print of her mother Betty Carrington (also an artist) with a halo and wings to show just how precious our mothers are. "She worked all her life supporting us children," says the 53-year-old artist from Warmun Aboriginal Community. "Mothers are angels in disguise and we don't appreciate what our mothers do." Daylight says she painted Joonba dots on her mother's face as when Bessie was growing up, Betty was always singing and speaking in language. She grew up with traditional lore and culture and, along with other senior women, taught Daylight how to collect, grind and paint with natural ochre. "She is a mother, a grandmother, a friend. She is a councillor, a support person to many who come in contact with her, and she's an artist in her own right," says Daylight. [caption id="attachment_782271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lynnette Griffiths & Erub Arts[/caption] 'EUM NORR (DYING REEF)' BY JIMMY K THAIDAY Digital metres away from 'Mum Betty' is a display unit, on top of which is Torres Strait Islander artist Jimmy K Thaiday's work 'Eum Noor (Dying reef)'. Thaiday has used clay and reclaimed ocean rope to make a statement about our ongoing environmental impact on the Great Barrier Reef. The 32-year-old artist says the balls represent the isolated bleaching incidents on the coral reef as the sea temperatures rise. They "bloom like flowers". The artwork is a timely reminder of the importance to care for our planet, and especially our waters. For the artist, whose clan is Peiudu, one of four tribes on Erub (Darnley Island), the waterways and the reef play a vital part in his daily life and culture. "We do not want to see our reefs suffer the fate of other coral reefs," he says. The netting used in his art has drifted into the water where he lives. "I feel that by combining clay with reclaimed rope, I can highlight an important message: look after the sea and the sea will look after you." 'BATJBARRA' BY MARY DHAPALANY Click through to the second exhibition room to find Mary Dhapalany's 'Batjbarra' (2019), seemingly suspended from the gallery ceiling. The Northern Territory artist and Mandhalpuy woman has been a practicing artist for four decades, and her weaving artwork is representative of traditional craft passed down through generations of women weavers in her family. The 70-year-old artist uses natural dyes, extracted from earth pigment or plant roots, to colour the pandanus leaf (gunga) used in her work. Batjbarra is the name of a scooping object that's used to gather water chestnuts (rarrgi/rakayi), and the artist has honoured the traditional object with her choices of colour, size and perspective. You can take a 360-degree view of the work in the virtual gallery. 'MY STORIES FROM ERNABELLA MISSION' BY NYURPAYA KAIKA BURTON Found in the far exhibition room, to the right of 'Batjbarra', is a photographic work by South Australian multidisciplinary artist Nyurpaya Kaika Burton. Three black and white photos printed on Belgium linen are covered in writing, in Pitjantjatjara language. Burton, who is a longstanding director of Tjala Arts in Amata Community and chairwoman of the APY Art Centre Collective, wants to share the stories of her time growing up at Ernabella Mission. The now published author, singer, weaver and former teacher, says she started going to school there without any clothes. The 71 year old says, "We lived the traditional way, in a wiltja (shelter), no house with no clothes, a long way from the mission." Burton says she walked to school every day, hungry to learn. "We'd get water from the hose to shower, and after the shower we'd wait for the bell to ring and we'd line up ready to go in." Burton's images are of her and her brother on a donkey's back looking for wild figs, of children and teachers playing games, and of teenagers sitting in front of a teacher's house. "I loved learning to read and write and still do today." Discover more artworks in the Telstra NATSIAA exhibition, here. Top image: Charlie Bliss
"The play's about a group of actors in crisis... so art is imitating life." Actor Gareth Davies is in the middle of a manic final week of rehearsals for The Government Inspector ahead of its opening at Melbourne's Malthouse, before a Sydney season at Belvoir. "But manic's good," says Davies. "The plays I've done that have been bad have been slow, sedate, very careful and cautious things that we were all totally prepared for, and you get up there in front of an audience and it doesn't have a spark of spontaneity or panic." In the plot of the original Russian play by Nikolai Gogol, a low-level clerk is confused with an important bureaucrat and worshipped as a god. In this collaboration between director Simon Stone, writer Emily Barclay and the cast, the gormless pen-pusher becomes a bitterly unsuccessful actor (Davies). A cast of frantic actors who are desperately putting together a show mistake him for a famous auteur and worship him accordingly. Stone recently said that this play is "the furthest away I've ever gone [from a source text's foundations]". It's a big claim from a director who's built a career on adaptations that self-reportedly "rape and pillage" the classics. But Davies agrees that only the skeleton of the original work remains. "There's various character archetypes and a basic story structure that's there, but the setting's entirely changed," he says. "Thematically it's pretty similar — it's fraud, it's someone accidentally being placed in a position where everyone thinks he's someone else and then kind of enjoying that. Once he's realised that he's essentially being totally dishonest with everyone he starts to really wallow, to enjoy the free booze and the free food and the way that people talk to him." Like Gogol's story, Stone's choice of play was born out of misunderstanding: a sudden seismic shift prompted by the last-minute discovery of existing rights for Belvoir's scheduled production of The Philadelphia Story. I put it to Davies that the frustration of those events seems to have bled into this work, but he's more circumspect. "It is a starting point for our play, but it would have been pretty uninteresting to do an attack on that situation. With these actors, at the beginning, just like us, something that they knew and something that they wanted is taken away and then the story begins, but that's as far as it goes — it's just a crisis that sets off the story." As open as he is about its beginning, Davies is reluctant to give anything away about the latter parts of the play, especially the musical sections choreographed by Lucy Guerin and composed by longtime Stone collaborator Stefan Gregory. For Davies, this kind of mainstage production seems a little out of character, given his background in independent theatre as one of the founders of The Black Lung Theatre and Whaling Firm, whose work has terrorised audiences across Australia. Yet Stone's process has in many ways reflected the same kind of approach. "The way we're working here is much more similar to those shows. Often with mainstage work as an actor you're one of the last people to find out about anything — by the time you arrive, the vision for the play is already there." The world of The Government Inspector might be easy for the Malthouse and Belvoir to market to a theatre-savvy audience, familiar with the utter chaos that goes into creating a show, but Davies firmly believes in its wider appeal. "We've been really aware of this, of making it too in-jokey," he says. "It is about a group of people making a show, but in the end that's not what you're responding to. More than anything else, it's a play about characters responding to crisis. In the end, we're all human, and just as petty, and beautiful, and small-minded as everyone else."
Freshly shucked from the minds that brought us Pinchy's, comes yet another haven of seafood and wine. Pearl Chablis & Oyster Bar has opened in the Bourke Street space right next door to its pretty-in-pink sibling. While Pinchy's has made a name for its plump lobster rolls and champagne menu, Pearl's focus is firmly on primo Aussie oysters and quality French chablis — a crisp, dry white wine crafted on chardonnay grapes. Just like its hero drop, the new bar is a sophisticated affair, with chic interiors offering a modern spin on Art Deco sensibilities. Expect plenty of soft green velvet, metallic-edged curves and some striking marble countertops reminiscent of the layered markings of an oyster shell. The bivalve is further celebrated via Pearl's impressive menu of top-quality oysters sourced from around Australia. Atop the bar, a centrepiece cabinet displays the day's selection on ice, before they're shucked theatrically on demand and delivered to your table. There's a broad range on offer; from Rock Oysters, to the deep-water Angasi variety, to Pacifics out of Coffin Bay. Non-oyster goodies might include the likes of poached Murray Cod with warm horseradish tartare and a lemon pepper crumb; the duck liver parfait; beef tartare; and mussels in a vadouvan and white wine sauce. If you're feeling a little fancy, a range of caviar is available by both the gram and the jar. Or, you can go all out and pre-order the signature Pearl Caviar Experience — a nice little feast of butter-poached Southern Rock Lobster, Russian osetra caviar and Siberian caviar, for a cool $1450. [caption id="attachment_852752" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Jana Langhorst[/caption] To grace your glass, try a drop from Pearl's eye-popping chablis selection, which they're calling the largest in the country. This particular wine varietal is a famously good match to oysters, with an acidity that's primed at cutting through the molluscs' creaminess. What's more, the minerality of the soil throughout the Chablis wine region is attributed to the ancient oyster shells fossilised beneath the earth. In addition to the everyday wine lineup, Pearl is also set to shine the spotlight on a different chablis producer each month, offering tastings of rare pours and specially curated food pairings. Otherwise, you can quench your thirst with options from the 500-strong collection of Burgundy wine. Find Pearl Chablis & Oyster Bar at Level 1, 108/200 Bourke Street, Melbourne. It's open for walk-ins only, 5pm–12am Wednesday–Sunday. Images: Jana Langhorst and Pearl Chablis & Oyster Bar
Ask any ski addict where the best resort is in Australia, and you'd best gear up for a fierce defence. "Mine's got the best terrain!" "Mine's got the best powder!" "Mine's got a goddamn day spa!" These spirited answers just go to show that, despite having an international reputation for sun and surf, we don't fare too poorly on the snow front either. In fact, the country just had a stellar start to the ski season and , in the middle of winter, all of the snowy bits of the Aussie Alps are actually bigger in surface area than Switzerland. Take that, Northern Hemisphere. So, now you know that Australia is actually a secret winter wonderland, where should you head for some frosty good times? We take a look at ten of the country's best resorts, helping you choose the one that suits you — whether you're looking for gnarly vertical drops or a massage and a glass of fine wine between runs. THREDBO, NSW If you're into extremes, then get yourself to Thredbo. Here, you'll find the longest run in Australia — the mighty, five-kilometre-long Crackenback Super Trail — as well as the country's highest lifted point, Karel's T-Bar, at 2037 metres. Then, for complete and utter terror, there's the super-steep Balls to the Wall pitch as well. Beginners are catered to, too, thanks to friendly Friday Flat, where many an Aussie has conquered his/her first snow plough. All in all, more than 50 runs weave their way across the resort. In between skiing and snowboarding, try snow-shoeing in back country, tobogganing in the Snow Play Park, eating at Australia's highest restaurant or apres-skiing in Thredbo Village, where you can sip champagne while star gazing in the Alpine Hotel's outdoor jacuzzi. The resort also has a heap of events going on all season, which you can check out here. Thredbo is about 490 kilometres or five-and-a-half hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 530 kilometres or six-and-a-half hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. PERISHER, NSW Reckon size matters? Make tracks to Perisher, the biggest ski destination in the Southern Hemisphere. It became so in 1995 when the four resorts within it — Perisher, Smiggins, Blue Cow and Guthega — joined forces. You get 1245 hectares, 47 lifts, seven mountains and five terrain parks to carve up on. One of the trickiest runs is Olympic, on Back Perisher Mountain, while, for newbies, Smiggins Holes makes falling over not-too-scary. If you're keen to take a break from down hill skiing, there are 100 kilometres of marked cross-country tracks to try. On-snow sleepovers abound, but Perisher also allows the affordability of a stay in Jindabyne (try this cabin). From there, drive to Bullocks Flat and catch the Ski Tube. Perisher is about 490 kilometres or six hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 600 kilometres or seven hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. CHARLOTTE PASS, NSW Charlotte Pass is the fine wine of ski fields. Just 50 hectares in size, with only five lifts, it doesn't attract the crowds and hype of Thredbo or Perisher. But, it does have the magical advantage of being the only snowbound resort in Australia. A car won't get you there; you have to catch an over-snow buggie from the Skitube. Thredbo might have the nation's highest chair lift, but Charlotte Pass isn't far behind — at 1765 metres at its lowest point and 1954 at its highest, it makes for rather reliable snowfall. The limited accessibility is definitely an excellent excuse to stay on-snow in the irresistibly cute Charlotte Pass Village. Charlotte Pass is about 500 kilometres or six hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 620 kilometres or seven-and-a-half hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. SELWYN, NSW For affordability, Selwyn is hard to beat. Here, $599 buys you a pass for the entire season. That said, Selwyn doesn't offer the excitement of Thredbo or the scale of Perisher. Like Charlotte Pass, it's on the compact side, with just ten kilometres of runs in total. However, it's closer to sea level, the lowest point being 1492 metres and the highest 1614 metres, which makes the season shorter. If you're new to skiing or boarding, though, and are looking to develop your skills, Selwyn's a top choice. Overall, the terrain is pretty gentle and you won't have to worry about aggressive types cutting you off while you're bravely snow-ploughing your way along screaming internally with your eyes firmly closed. Selwyn is about 500 kilometres or five-and-a-half-hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 540 kilometres or six hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. MOUNT HOTHAM AND DINNER PLAIN, VIC Another spot that'll have you towering above mere, grass-bound mortals is Hotham, the highest resort in Victoria. Like Thredbo, it comes with spectacular vistas and, on good days, promises bucketloads of powder. If you're keen to take a break from doing all the work yourself, casually join a dog sled ride, which involves a bunch of huskies whooshing you across the snow, or book a snow mobile journey in back country. In between conquering the mountain, you can slip into an on-snow day spa or grab a gluhwein (a traditional Austrian beverage with red wine, cinnamon, oranges and cloves) in your pick of 20 bars and restaurants. There are a bunch of hotels, lodges and chalets on Mount Hotham; alternatively, hob nob at Dinner Plain, a village ten kilometres away that specialises in luxury stays, pretty snow gums and an outdoor onsen. Mount Hotham is about 700 kilometres or eight hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 380 kilometres or four-and-a-half hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_628046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Railton[/caption] MOUNT BULLER, VIC Mount Buller is only three hours from Melbourne, so you can ski it as part of a day trip if you don't mind an early start. It's also got more lifts than any other Victorian resort, with 22 lifts across 300 hectares. Pro skiers should head to the south side of the mountain, where they'll find plenty of black (read: difficult and scary) runs, while intermediates will be happier on the northern side, scooting down blue runs. If you've never even so much looked at a pair of skis before, grab a Discovery Pass, which includes a lesson and access to eight beginner's lifts. You can do husky rides here, too. Off-snow, you can take five in Australia's highest day spa, go rock climbing and hop between 30 bars and restaurants. Not keen to drive back to Melbourne? There are 7000 beds in Mount Buller Village. Mount Buller is about 800 kilometres or eight hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 230 kilometres or three-and-a-half hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. FALLS CREEK, VIC Falls Creek might be a third of the size of Perisher, but it's still the largest ski resort in Victoria. 450 hectares give you 15 lifts and more than 90 runs. The terrain is less dramatic than at other spots, which means that a whopping 80 percent of it suits beginner and intermediate skiers. And, in between downhill escapades, you can investigate 65 kilometres of cross-country trails. If you're around at the end of August, check out the Kangaroo Hoppet, a marathon 42-kilometre-long ski race which happens to be the Southern Hemisphere's biggest snow sport event. Falls Creek is about 670 kilometres or seven hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 380 kilometres or four-and-a-half hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. LAKE MOUNTAIN, VIC If your main objective is to get to snow — any kind of snow — as quickly as possible, then head for Lake Mountain. It's just two hours' drive from Melbourne, so it's an even easier day trip than Mount Buller. However, the terrain is for cross-country skiing only, which means no downhill thrills. The adventure here is more about strapping on a pair of cross-country skis or, if you'd prefer to walk, snow shoes, and having a bit of an explore of the 37 kilometres of trails. There's also a park dedicated to snow people and a flying fox that bears you through the air for 240 metres. Lake Mountain is about 840 kilometres or nine hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 120 kilometres or two hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. MOUNT BAW BAW, VIC Mount Baw Baw is officially the closest downhill ski resort to Melbourne, being just two-and-a-half hours' drive away. It's not as vertical as Mount Buller, but less flat than Lake Mountain. Plus, like Charlotte Pass and Selwyn, it's little, offering just ten kilometres of runs. So, it's another sweet spot for beginners, especially nervy ones. When you're ready to take a break, go careering around back country in a sled led by huskies, experiment with snow shoeing or swing by stunning Red Rock Spa, surrounded by giant-sized granite boulders and snow gums. Mount Baw Baw is about 900 kilometres or ten-and-a-half-hours' drive southwest of Sydney and about 180 kilometres or two-and-a-half hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. BEN LOMOND, TAS Despite being our southernmost and therefore coldest state, Tassie isn't well-known as a skiing destination. There's no shortage of snow though, and the resorts are small, laid back and friendly. Plus, if you go in June, you can combine your skiing with a moment or two at Dark Mofo. The best-known resort is Ben Lomond, on Tassie's second highest peak, and getting there is an adventure in itself: it's at the end of a long, narrow road that twists and turns its way up the mountainside. The scenery is epic, but just don't expect fancy facilities, as at Australia's major resorts — things are kept pretty simple and rustic here. Ben Lamond is about 220 kilometres or three hours' drive north of Hobart.
Once a year, Gelato Messina gives Australia's dessert fiends the chance to fill their freezers with its coveted frosty wares. While anyone can walk into the chain's stores on any day and leave with a stockpile of gelato thanks to its take-home packs, being able to choose from Messina's greatest hits is a special treat. Can't live without tubs of Robert Blondie Jnr (white chocolate gelato, blondie and white chocolate fudge sauce) at hand? Adore You Cannoli Live Twice (chocolate crème patisserie gelato with chocolate hazelnut fudge, candied hazelnuts, and crushed cannoli shells) so much that it's all you'd eat if you could? This is your annual time to shine. In the two decades that Messina has been in dessert business, more than 4000 special flavours have made their way through the chain's gelato cabinets around the country. Each year, it releases 260 specials, in fact. Yes, that's a lot of scoops. To celebrate some of these oldies but goodies, the chain brings a selection of these flavours back every now and then — and also occasionally busts out its entire top 40 greatest hits. That's happening again this winter, based on the past year's top flavours. Lucky folks in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide will be able to treat themselves to a treasure trove of limited-edition gelato varieties. Originally, the greatest hits specials were a buy-in-shop-only deal, but the chain went with preordered tubs in 2020, so no one had to worry about long queues and empty cabinets. In 2024, Messina is splitting the difference, meaning that year's run will be a little different. Only 20 of the 40 flavours will be available for preorder, then 20 more will be spread across its weekly specials for a month. So, gelato fiends can initially preorder 473-millilitre tubs of 20 flavours from Monday, July 22. You'll then need to pick them up from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands and Rosebery stores; Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; Braddon in Canberra; Highgate in Perth; and Kent Town in Adelaide — all between Friday, August 2–Sunday, August 4. Individual tubs are filled with just one flavour and will set you back $19, or you can get three for $54, six for $100, nine for $135 or — if you have the freezer space — 20 for $280. After that, head by your local Messina weekly from Tuesday, July 23 to see which other 20 adored varieties temporarily rejoin the menu. For the first batch, Messina has unveiled the list of faves making a comeback. As always, it's stacked with deliciousness, just like your freezer will be. Get Baked (with baked caramel cheesecake gelato with dulce de leche and smashed baked cheesecake), Have a Gay Old Time (caramel and milk chocolate gelato with chocolate-covered biscuit crumbs) and Cinnamon Cone Crunch (cinnamon cereal milk gelato with waffle cone crunch) are all among the choices. Good luck trying to pick just one, or even a mere few. The first 20 of Gelato Messina's 2024 Greatest Hits will be available to preorder on Monday, July 22 with pick up between Friday, August 2–Sunday, August 4 from Perth's Highgate store (orders from 11am AWST); Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne, South Brisbane in Brisbane and Braddon in Canberra (orders from 12pm AEST); Sydney's Bondi, Norwest and Rosebery outposts (orders from 12.15pm AEST); Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Darlinghurst and, Brighton Le Sands venues (orders from 12.30pm AEST); and Kent Town in Adelaide (orders from 12.30pm ACST). The remaining 20 will drop in-store from Tuesday, July 23 across a month.
No one ever likes saying goodbye to their favourite TV show. Thankfully, due to the non-stop array of revivals, spinoffs and movie adaptations that just keep reaching our screens, those farewells are often only temporary. And, if you're lucky, you get multiple new chances to step back into the on-screen world you've already spent so much time watching and obsessing over — which is exactly what's happening with Downton Abbey: A New Era. It's been more than a decade since Downton Abbey, the Yorkshire-set television drama, first made its debut — and creator Julian Fellowes isn't done with it yet. After the show spun its tale of aristocratic life during the 1910s and 1920s across six seasons, finishing up in 2015, the 2019 movie that's also called Downton Abbey then brought the Crawley family and their loyal staff to cinemas. It played out like a last hurrah, but it unsurprisingly proved a hit, so that's where this new movie sequel comes in. To answer the most important question: yes, Maggie Smith is back. She's a key part of the new film's just-dropped teaser trailer, in fact, because of course she is. This time, she's telling her loved ones about a villa in the south of France that she's just come into possession of, which is where this follow-up is headed — in Downton Abbey's usual lavish style, obviously. Narrative-wise, the feature — which is once again written by Fellowes, but has filmmaker Simon Curtis (Goodbye Christopher Robin) in the director's chair — will chart the Crawley's summer trip, all as Hollywood comes to the Abbey. And yes, to answer the other burning question, there's familiar faces aplenty in the trailer, with the returning cast spanning Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton. If you're a fan of the series and the first movie, you don't need any further explanation. That said, a few new actors join the Downton Abbey world in A New Era, too, including Hugh Dancy (Late Night), Laura Haddock (Transformers: The Last Knight), Nathalie Baye (The Guardians), Dominic West (The Pursuit of Love) and Jonathan Zaccaï (The White Crow). Check out the teaser trailer below: Downton Abbey: A New Era releases in Australian cinemas on March 17, 2022. Top image: Ben Blackall / © 2021 Focus Features, LLC.
Melbourne comes alive in summer. Outdoor bars and restaurants fill up with people taking advantage of longer days, parks and gardens are gloriously green and the city's arts and culture venues host a huge range of events. Yes, you can certainly run away to beaches for spectacular nature-filled getaways. But summer is as good a time as any for a city break — and we've curated the ultimate way to do it in Melbourne, whether you're a first-time visitor or you know the Hoddle Grid like the back of your hand. [caption id="attachment_658995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stano Murrin[/caption] FRIDAY Begin your Melbourne city break with a sundowner at Bar Triana. Located within the AC Hotel Melbourne Southbank, this sophisticated bar offers up views over the city alongside a truly impressive selection of gin. Melbourne is known for its world-class arts and culture institutions, but we recommend you dive a little deeper into the city's lesser-known haunts like The Butterfly Club. This cosy theatre, bar and welcoming space is hidden down a CBD laneway. Once you find the entrance, head inside for a smorgasbord of weird and wonderful theatre. Get tickets to whatever is on and go along for the ride — you won't regret it. For something a bit more orthodox (but just as intimate), head to Bird's Basement for an evening of live jazz. Like The Butterfly Club, you shouldn't worry yourself with what specific artist is performing — just book a table and let the music sweep over you with a cocktail in hand. SATURDAY If you're one of those mysterious morning people we've heard so much about, we suggest taking a stroll to The Shrine of Remembrance for spectacular sunrise views. Take your time wandering around this incredible space and look out over the city, watching it wake up and come alive. From here, head to the shops and grab your picnic essentials before nabbing what is arguably one of the best barbecue spots in all of Melbourne. On the edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens and right on the Yarra River, you'll find a host of free-to-use barbecues overlooking Melbourne's skyline, and is an ideal spot to soak up some sun. If you're looking escape the sun, you won't need to go far. This spot is conveniently located right by Melbourne's celebrated arts precinct where you'll find all kinds of brilliant things to do. See an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria or catch a matinee at the Arts Centre, Melbourne Theatre Company or Melbourne Recital Centre. For a pre-dinner drink, make a beeline to The Westin Melbourne's Lobby Lounge. Settle in to a plush club chair in this grand Collins Street space as you indulge in an aperitivo — and maybe a dozen oysters — before dinner. On the menu? Clever and creative Modern Australian at Lollo, a welcoming culinary space with a menu overseen by celebrated chef Adam D'Sylva. Lollo draws inspiration from Melbourne's multicultural heritage to serve up globally inspired dishes that showcase local and seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_711646" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Josie Withers for Visit Victoria[/caption] SUNDAY Start your Sunday off by catching the tram to the South Melbourne Market. Grab a coffee from Pieno di Grazia and a freshly baked croissant from Agathé Pâtisserie before browsing the aisles featuring wares from local makers and producers who have made this bustling market a unique destination that highlights the city's diversity. Once you've eaten and shopped your way around the market, hire a bike from the AC Hotel to have one last Melbourne jaunt. Take to The Capital City Trail for a cycling journey that winds past Melbourne's most iconic landmarks. You can attempt the full 30 kilometres or just do a portion of the trail — whether that's Southbank to Burnley Gardens, Moonee Ponds Creek to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre or Abbotsford to Parkville. Whichever you choose, it's the perfect way to end your Melbourne city break. Looking to make the most of your next city break? Find your home away from home with Marriott Bonvoy. Book your stay not at the website. Top image: Dmitry Osipenko (Unsplash)
Today the Sydney Opera House has launched its Own Our House campaign, inviting Australians and international admirers of the World Heritage-listed building to support its renewal by purchasing one of 125,000 tiles from its tallest sail. If you're looking for a unique Christmas present idea, this might be for you. Just $100 buys you the shiny 'Ice' tile, or if you’re feeling flush, $400 gets you the apparently rare 'Snow' tile, which has a matte finish. Choose your tile and then it's yours to play with online. You can visit your tile, check out the view, personalise it with a photo and short message, and share it on social media with your friends and family. The money raised by the campaign will go towards the renewal of the 40-year-old building, while also aiming to increase public access to the Opera House in the future with new education initiatives and more free events. Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM says, "The Opera House belongs to everyone. This campaign gives people a really tangible, practical way of showing how much they care."
When 2019's The Farewell won Awkwafina a Golden Globe for Best Actress — Musical or Comedy, it did so for a nuanced and affecting performance that dwelled in the space between putting on a happy face for the world and confronting what you're truly feeling inside. Following a China-born, New York-raised woman upon her return home to see her dying grandmother, the film used its semi-autobiographical scenario as fuel for an incisive and thoughtful character study. Writer/director Lulu Wang's feature spread further, however, as a broader portrait about the ties and lies that bind families, plus the societal and cultural surroundings that enforce expectations and dictate choices. Adapting Janice YK Lee's 2016 novel The Expatriates, Wang's first major stint behind the lens since The Farewell starts streaming via Prime Video from Friday, January 26. Dubbed Expats as a miniseries, the six-parter marks a shift in location to Hong Kong and a splinter in focus to three protagonists, but its guiding force — with Wang creating the show, executive producing, helming all six episodes and writing two — is still plunging deep into bonds of blood, deceptions amid close relationships, grappling with grief and tragedy, and being caught between how one is meant to carry on and inescapable inner emotions. It too sees not only people but also its chosen place. It's a haunting series and, albeit not literally in the horror sense, a series about women haunted. As Margaret Woo, an American landscape architect who has relocated to Hong Kong for her husband Clarke's (Brian Tee, Chicago Med) job, Nicole Kidman (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) is in familiar territory. In Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers, all fellow small-screen efforts that she also executive produced, she similarly played characters tormented: by a horrific husband, a murder case and loss, respectively. She's well-experienced at stepping into the shoes of women bearing anguish and heartbreak while living privileged existences as well, and at sporting the masks demanded when there's a status quo to uphold. But Kidman isn't one to turn in the same traumatised performance again and again, even if she's repeatedly drawn to such roles. Here, Margaret's seesawing between relentlessly soldiering on and being unable to flee her desperation says everything about someone who is rarely able to admit the truth of her feelings even to herself. The year is 2014, and the Woos aren't new Hong Kong arrivals — but their past 12 months have been under a shadow ever since their youngest son Gus (debutant Connor James) went missing. No one is coping, including elder children Daisy (Tiana Gowen, True Love Blooms) and Philip (Bodhi del Rosario, 9-1-1). But while Margaret refuses to give up hope of finding her three-year-old boy, there are still lives to lead and, to help start Expats, a 50th birthday party for Clarke to host. In the lift at The Peak, the towering symbol of wealth inhabited by plenty who give the show its title, she's also insistent that her friend, downstairs neighbour and fellow American Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue, A Million Miles Away) attend the shindig. The frostiness that fills the elevator also stems from Gus' disappearance, and accusations made against Hilary's recovering-alcoholic husband David (Jack Huston, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches). Unpacking Hilary's plight provides the second of Expat's interconnected character studies, as the successful businesswoman treads water in a marriage where going through the motions is among the few shared traits remaining. Despite their quest to start a family, she's started secretly taking birth control again. Hilary and David do still boast something else in common, though: an inability to shake their hurt at each other over secrets, reactions and never believing that they're on the same page. Frequently dressed in tan- and beige-hued jumpsuits, Blue plays her part with no less potency than Kidman, but with softer edges. At her extremes, Hilary is deliberate rather than steely and quietly fragile instead of achingly frenzied. Completing Expats' triangle is Mercy (Ji-young Yoo, The Sky Is Everywhere), a Korean American in her twenties working gig-economy jobs, residing in far-more-ordinary digs and happiest about Hong Kong's distance from her mother. With the friends that she's collected in her time in the city, she flits in and out. On her catering assignments, she weaves around well-to-do crowds. She feels like an outsider in multiple ways, and is also convinced that she's cursed. It's Mercy's narration that kicks off the series, talking about the people who unwittingly spark life-changing tragedies, plus the world's quick-to-forget attitudes towards their guilt and agony — voiceover that not only assists in connecting the narrative's web-like strands, but expresses vulnerability and pain that Yoo's shattering performance is always endeavouring to plaster over with anything that the character can even fleetingly grasp onto. Every city is home to a mourning mother with other kids to try to put on a brave face for, women stuck in fraying marriages and restless young souls keen to discover who they want to be. Every place has an expat community of folks who've relocated for love, employment and fresh chances, some or none of which might've worked out nicely. Every town includes those who can't move away even after they've weathered the worst that their life has thrown at them in their adopted spot. Every locale is inhabited by some who don't feel like they quite belong, but are also certain that they'd feel the same even if they retraced their steps. As probingly and naturalistically lensed by Wang's returning The Farewell cinematographer Anna Franquesa-Solano, and as purposefully set in a year where protests took to the streets against China's role in the special administrative region's elections, Hong Kong isn't just any city to Expats, however. Wang also spends time with two Filipino women who work as live-in helpers away from their own families, the Woos' nanny Essie (Ruby Ruiz, In His Mother's Eyes) and the Starrs' housekeeper Puri (first-timer Amelyn Pardenilla). They're regular presences in Expats' first four episodes, then get pushed to the fore in its movie-length fifth episode, alongside local students (including Sparks' Bonde Sham as Charly) among the Umbrella Movement who are fighting for better futures. The series sees their hopes, wants, dreams and disappointments, too. It stares unflinchingly at the chasm between their Hong Kong and the one navigated by wealthy transplants. Crucially, this drama puts comfortable existences, woes and all, into stark context. A different series could've been made with Essie, Puri, Charly and company firmly at the centre — but in this tale of three Americans adrift with their sorrows, where and the reality that surrounds them is equally as important as how and why. Check out the trailer for Expats below: Expats streams via Prime Video from Friday, January 26.
Dining out is back in — and it's back with a vengeance. As we cruise to the mid-way point through this gloriously lockdown-free year, Australia's wining and dining scene is returning to its former glory. And it seems the rest of the world is taking notice, too. The esteemed World's 50 Best Restaurants awards unveiled their annual 51-100 list overnight, with one Aussie restaurant named among them — celebrated chef Andrew McConnell's Melbourne diner, Gimlet at Cavendish House. [caption id="attachment_860200" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Moynihan[/caption] The CBD restaurant took out the number 84 spot in the Top 100 longlist, on its World's 50 Best debut. It was in good company, too, ranking alongside a diverse spread of lauded venues from Singapore to São Paulo, and Munich to Marseille. If you're plotting an overseas food holiday, this lineup is well worth a look. The awards' 51-100 list was unveiled at a ceremony in the UK yesterday, with the restaurant world now holding its breath for the Top 50 lineup, set to be announced on the evening of Monday, July 18 (UK time). Just two Aussie restaurants claimed spots in last year's awards, both of them Victorian, with Dan Hunter's Brae placing 57th and Ben Shewry's Ripponlea fine diner Attica coming in at number 97. [caption id="attachment_826376" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jo McGann[/caption] Running annually since 2002, the World's 50 Best awards are chosen by a panel of over 1000 culinary experts, guided by a strict voting procedure. They're now hosted by a different country each year, with Melbourne playing host city back in 2017. To check out the full World's 50 Best Restaurants Top 100 list, see the website. Top Image: Earl Carter
Finding greatness in Bong Joon-ho's Parasite isn't difficult. The perceptive class-clash and eat-the-rich story, the array of pitch-perfect performances, the acclaimed director's stunning mastery of tone, the insightful and revealing production design: they're all examples in this Oscar- and Cannes-winning South Korean masterpiece. Another instance comes courtesy of composer Jung Jae-il's score, which soundtracks the film with tunes both disquieting and baroque. It's no wonder that accolades came Jung's way, too, including from his homeland's Grand Bell Awards. Hearing Jung's contribution echoing as Parasite screens is the best way to appreciate it, of course — and watching him perform it live in Australia with Orchestra Victoria will dial what's already a spectacular experience up a few notches. For the first time, the composer is heading Down Under, all thanks to 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival. The event's commitment to honouring the art of screen composition via screenings that pair live tunes and movies is continuing, and two Parasite in Concert sessions are set to be among this year's fest highlights. At 2pm and 8pm on Saturday, August 23 at Hamer Hall in the Victorian capital, Jung is taking to the keys. He's also conducting Orchestra Victoria as he plays. Seeing Parasite on a big screen is already a treat, no matter how many times you've watched it before; however, giving the picture the concert treatment is something extra special. Jung isn't just known for Parasite. If you've felt the tension emanating from Squid Game's score, then you've also appreciated the composer's efforts. Prior to Parasite, Jung collaborated with Bong on Okja, then did so again afterwards on this year's Mickey 17. The tunes in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker hail from him as well, as does the score for MIFF 2025 title Twinless.
Stokehouse, an enduring legend along the St Kilda foreshore, will welcome up-and-coming chef, Ellie Bouhadana, to reinvigorate its beach box kiosk this summer. The space will be reimagined as Ellie's Kiosk, a laidback location designed both for casual dining or take-out, and will serve Bouhadana's signature generous, no-fuss fare. Bouhadana worked as the Head Chef at Collingwood's Hope St radio for many years and has more recently spent time honing her craft at pop-ups across the globe. She now has an incredible opportunity to show off her knowledge, talent and skills in a collaboration with a restaurant as prominent as Stokehouse. "I love the energy of St Kilda, it's my neighbourhood, and being able to do what I love in my local area is amazing. I get to make the kind of food I want to eat — think relaxed, playful dishes like a fritto misto, enjoyed in one of the best spots in Melbourne." The menu will play to Bouhadana's recognisable, generous and simple dishes that champion produce and focus on flavour. Influenced by her Moroccan heritage and travels through the Mediterranean, her coastal-inspired style of cooking, showcased through snacks and small plates, has found a perfect match at this venue, with views across the sparkling seas and the smell of salty ocean in the air. Hugh Van Haandel, Managing Director of Stokehouse, says, "We can't wait to welcome Ellie to St Kilda this summer. Her approach to food and her style of cooking — relaxed, generous and fresh — perfectly aligns with the spirit of Stokehouse and the laidback energy of the foreshore — we can't wait to see what Ellie's Kiosk serves up." Ellie's Kiosk will operate from 4.30pm until after sunset on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 12.30pm on weekends (weather permitting). Either relax on the foreshore with a simple cocktail or natural wine, or take your snacks for a stroll down to the revamped St Kilda Pier to watch the sunset. [caption id="attachment_879066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The outdoor dining area at Stokehouse Pasta & Bar. [/caption] Feature imageEllie's Kiosk, a laidback location designed both for casual dining or take-out, will be serving Bouhadana's produce-driven, no-fuss fare.: Häre Christian. Ellie's Kiosk is slated to open on the St Kilda foreshore in time for summer. If you're searching for the freshest catch of the day in the meantime, check out the best seafood restaurants in Melbourne.
As Melbourne's hospitality scene slowly shifts back towards normality, we're all enjoying a renewed appreciation for something that was all too scarce last year: the unplanned, spontaneous drinking session. And, handily enough, the northside has scored a new haunt dedicated to this very pleasure, with the launch of Poodle Upstairs in the heart of Fitzroy. The new first-floor sibling to Gertrude Street's Poodle Bar & Bistro, the intimate watering hole is open for walk-ins only, every Friday and Saturday night. As with the downstairs space, it's sporting an elegant fit-out by Wendy Bergman (Bergman & Co), filled with art deco curves, cushy banquettes and luxe gold accents. There's a private dining room with space to seat 20 and a fireplace primed for the winter months to come. For up here, Head Chef Josh Fry (Marion and Cumulus Inc) has created a separate snack menu to what's offered below, starring chic Euro-inspired bites designed to be enjoyed alongside a glass or two of vino. A strong charcuterie selection features both house-made free-range varieties and premium options sourced from across the globe, from a confit garlic and pistachio terrine ($26), to the Juan Pedro Domecq Iberico jamon ($36). There's also an impressive cheese list ($16 each) and a lineup of gourmet tinned and canned delights ($16–40). As for the booze offering, it's headlined by a 16-strong pick of classic and contemporary cocktails, with the venue's signature wet martini sitting alongside crafty pours like the Rosy Cheeks ($20) — a bright blend of Vida tequila, Aperol, lime and rosemary syrup. Meanwhile, a hefty wine list trips across Victoria and Europe, featuring bottles like the Patrice Colin Sec Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley ($15 a glass), next to homegrown heroes like McLaren Vale's Ministry of Clouds Shiraz ($75 a bottle).
After a couple of years spent staring at screens our brains are pretty thirsty for some lush green scenery. We are in the mood for tumbling waterfalls, secluded swimming spots and remote rainforest hikes that make us feel like we're living in an endless summer. Luckily for us, Tropical North Queensland fits the bill nicely — and you won't have to renew your passport to get there. In this part of the world, summer lives on a little longer with refreshing tropical rains and warm autumn days. The national parks are a little quieter and the waterways run a little deeper during this time of year, making it the ultimate time to explore the rainforest from top to bottom. From canopy walks, to castles and kayaking — there are plenty of ways to experience the rainforest this autumn.
Melbourne might be one of Australia's most exciting cities, but it's what lies outside of its limits that'll really knock your socks off. No more than a few hours drive from the hulking glass towers of the CBD, you'll find that the Garden State is home to an incredibly diverse landscape of pristine coastlines, rugged mountain ranges, sprawling hillsides and hidden valleys — all of which offer some truly fantastic hikes. Once you've mastered the walks in and around Melbourne and some local one-day hikes, you should consider taking your trekking to the next level and plan an overnight hike. In partnership with Macpac, whose main goal since 1973 has been to ensure both new and experienced hikers are prepped and ready for any type of adventure, we've not only created a full guide of essentials to consider for an overnight hike, but we've also tracked down where to take said hikes. Most of these treks are achievable with an average level of fitness, but to ensure your hike goes smoothly consider investing in some proper camping and hiking equipment (thanks Macpac) — and a cosy jumper wouldn't hurt either. Here, we give you five overnight hikes to try this autumn where you'll also get some pretty stellar sights. FALLS TO HOTHAM ALPINE CROSSING — THREE TO FOUR DAYS This 37-kilometre hike set 2000 metres above sea level provides every opportunity to completely unwind from the hustle and bustle of city life. From lush native wildlife to tranquil valleys and riverside wetlands, the high planes are a treasure trove of scenic beauty and crisp mountain air. It's not the toughest walk in the state, but you'll need a moderate level of fitness for some of the steeper parts — but don't worry, there are also plenty of easy sections to balance it all out. It's a point-to-point track, so it can be started from either end, but we recommend setting out from Falls Creek and walking towards Mt Hotham. From the trailhead, it's roughly 14 kilometres to the Cope Hut Campsite, which just happens to be surrounded by lovely snow gums, and then another 20 kilometres to the Dibbins Hut Campsite. You'll need a permit to camp, so make sure to book one through Parks Victoria before you go. Pack this: Doulight Tramping Tent ($799.99) WILSONS PROM EASTERN CIRCUIT – TWO TO THREE DAYS Every person and their dog has heard of the Wilsons Promontory eastern circuit, and that's because it's an absolute ripper of a walk. As part of the southern circuit and beginning at the Telegraph Saddle carpark, the 36.5-kilometre hike features a stunning and unmistakably Australian combination of rolling green hills, curious wildlife and secluded beaches with clear turquoise waters. You also have two options for this hike; you can head from Telegraph Saddle to Sealers Cove or Refuge Cove. From either cove, you'll then head to Little Waterloo Bay and then back to Telegraph Saddle. Although the walk is often nominated as one of the best walks in the state, it's still one of the quieter sections of the Prom — which makes it the perfect choice for the peaceful city escape you've been dying to have ever since Christmas break ended. Take note, you'll need an overnight hiking permit before you head out and you'll need to book your campsite in advance. Pack this: Latitude XP Down 500 Sleeping Bag ($599.99) [caption id="attachment_712104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brian Doecke/Wikimedia.[/caption] LAKE TALI KARNG HIDDEN LAKE CIRCUIT – TWO DAYS Part of the Alpine National Park near Licola, the Lake Tali Karng Hidden Lake Circuit looks just like a landscape painting, only it's better because this is real life. Set in the Victorian Alps and fed the snowmelt waters of the Wellington Plains, the lake is approximately 14 kilometres from your starting point at McFarlane's Saddle on Moroka Road. Along the way, you'll enjoy an awe-inspiring combination of snow gum forests, towering trees and grassy plateaus before camping overnight at the serene Nyimba Camp or Millers Hut. Don't forget that the land your on is sacred to the Gunaikurnai people of Gippsland, so please be respectful of their rules and refrain from camping right next to the lake itself. Pack this: Fiord 1.1 40L Hiking Pack ($299.99) [caption id="attachment_712106" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] THE BEERIPMO WALK IN MOUNT COLE STATE FOREST – TWO DAYS Offering mesmerising views from Mount Langi Ghiran, all the way across to the Grampians and to the Western Plains, the Beeripmo Walk is a winding 21-kilometre hike through impressively tall forests, trickling waterfalls and vibrant fern gullies. An hour from Ballarat and completed over two days, this trek is a perfect starting point for experienced bushwalkers looking to graduate into something a little tougher. And, if you're really lucky, you might be treated to a few wildlife sightings of monarch butterflies, wallabies and even wild echidnas. There are no fees to stay at the Beeripmo Campground (which makes it a popular spot), so you might need to go a little further to the Mugwamp Campground — but either way you'll still be getting a great view of some of the brightest stars you'll ever see. Pack this: Pisa Polartec Hooded Jacket in women's and men's styles ($299.99) THE BURCHELL TRAIL IN THE BRISBANE RANGES NATIONAL PARK – THREE DAYS Just over one hour's drive from Melbourne, the Burchell Trail is a 40-kilometre hike that takes you from the north end to the south of the Brisbane Ranges National Park. The historic ghost town of Steiglitz (which at its gold mining peak in the 1860s was home to almost 1500 people) and a vast array of native critters and flora are just a few of the sights you can expect as you traverse the rugged landscape. The trail is linear, so you'll either need to complete it as a circuit by doubling back the way you came, or arrange for alternative transport to ferry your very tired butt back to you car. Campsites are found at the Old Mill and Little River Bush Camping and advance bookings are required. Pack this: Traverse Shield Rain Jacket in women's and men's styles ($529.99) Top image: Wilsons Promontory, Visit Victoria.
Put the tablet away, the library is where it's at this summer. With the sun shining bright in January, State Library Victoria is inviting families to its Swanston Street forecourt for the free Library on the Lawn: Kids Festival. Made for keeping little ones' literacy on track during the summer break, this stacked event also features numerous on-site activities to level up their engagement. Presented across two three-day sessions — Tuesday, January 6–Thursday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 13–Thursday, January 15 — each day is crammed with kid-friendly fun. Think bubble dance parties, storytime sessions and parachute play. Plus, bean bags, sensory boxes, soft toys, jumbo puzzles and games add even more exciting elements to their encounter. At the same time, kids can score take-home craft showbags while families are welcome to roam the Library's reading rooms on a scavenger hunt. Meanwhile, the second set of dates also features the Under the Love Umbrella installation, where illustrations from popular children's books by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys take over the Pauline Gandel Children's Quarter. With studies showing that kids who don't practice enough reading over the holiday break sometimes struggle when back in the classroom, State Library Victoria is doing its bit for young literary explorers this summer with this kids-focused edition of Library on the Lawn. Home to over 4000 books for children aged up to 12 years old, Australia's oldest public library is a kid-friendly haven for budding bookworms.
If you've been talking about cutting out plastics and minimising your waste impact for years, but buying a keep cup and saying no to straws is about as far as you've gotten, this local health food shop will take your crusade to the next level. Led by naturopath Catie Gett, The Staple Store is overflowing with healthy, organic and locally sourced bulk foods — nuts, grains, honey, lentils, mueslis and more — plus beauty products, all-natural cleaning supplies and a sustainably conscious collection of homewares. Find brands such as Ecostore, Lavanila, Orchard St, Shokuiku and Ochre by Staple. It goes without saying that this is a plastic bag-free zone, so don't forget your tupperware, jars and cloth bags.
Whether you call them parmas, parmis, parmys or parmigianas, there's no debating that Aussies love 'em. The pub classic — breaded and fried chicken topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese — has become a bit of a national icon. You'll find it on the menu at almost every pub across the country, but one Melbourne pub is offering up a version that's a little different: a parma for dogs. St Kilda's Newmarket Hotel believes, like us, that even our four-legged friends deserve a decent pub meal. So, every Tuesday the pub is serving up dog-friendly parmas for just $5 a pop. The mini chicken schnitzel comes topped with shaved ham and bocconcini, and is served with a side of 'chips' and 'salad' (well, dog treats and kibble — but don't tell Fido). Of course, humans will find parmas here, too, with the dish available every Tuesday for just $15 (compared to the usual $21) including a side of beer-battered chips and salad. If you rock up between 4–7pm, you'll also be able to score some happy hour drinks, with $5.50 draught beer, house wine and spirits, and $12 cocktails. Find Newmarket Hotel at 34 Inkerman Street, St Likda. It's serving up $5 puppy parmas and $15 human parmas every Tuesday from 4pm.
This month, one of the former grand dames of Sydney Road is set to make her comeback. The long-running, music-loving party pub The Penny Black shut its doors earlier this year, but is about to embark on a new phase of life under the helm of 100 Burgers Group (Welcome to Thornbury, Mr Burger, Hightail). Reopening in late July under the new moniker Penny's, the pub will take the form of a live music venue and beer garden, complete with late-night hours and rock 'n roll-inspired interiors. Group Creative Director Matt Lane (Mamasita, Hotel Jesus) has reimagined the sticky-floored boozer as an homage to 70s-era Japanese rock culture, all moody tones and glowing red lights. A new-look front bar, dining space and band room leads back through to Penny's legendary beer garden, which has also been revamped, and now rocks a tropical-themed turquoise deck. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Penny's (@pennysbandroom) As for the food offering, you'll find the pizzas and parmas of yesterday have been replaced by a Japanese-leaning menu courtesy of Executive Chef Sandy Melgalvis (formerly Mulberry Group and Head Chef of Three Blue Ducks). Expect a share-friendly lineup starring the likes of cauliflower katsu sandwiches, karaage chicken and hashimaki — a street food dish featuring okonomiyaki rolled around a chopstick. Penny's will aim to carry on the live music legacy of its predecessor, with the band room hosting local acts up to four nights a week and the beer garden to become a DJ-fuelled oasis each weekend. While the refreshed iteration of The Penny Black will keep its former home at 420 Sydney Road, the venue is set to merge with some of its nearest neighbours to create a multi-venue precinct dubbed Welcome to Brunswick. Penny's will join up with rear neighbour 4 Pines Brewery and Beer Garden (previously known as Welcome to Brunswick), fellow Sydney Road haunts Brunswick Mess Hall and Little Mess, and Frith Street burger joint Mr Burger. Punters will eventually able to roam freely between the adjoining venues at Welcome to Brunswick thanks to a central pathway. Find Penny's at 420 Sydney Road, Brunswick, from late July, when it'll become part of the Welcome to Brunswick precinct. In the meantime, you can access 4 Pines Brewery and Beer Garden via 1 Frith Street, Brunswick.
The six seats that make up Yugen's omakase counter are some of the hottest in town, with places selling out within minutes of becoming available. So, it goes without saying that a new and more-accessible version of Yugen, located just above the coolest-kid-in-school-popular South Yarra venue, is welcome news. The second omakase experience, dubbed Nidaime, launched on Wednesday, August 30 in the restaurant's upstairs tea bar — serviceably named Yugen Tea Bar. Nidaime ("second" in Japanese) is a more casual and affordable alternative to Yugen's existing omakase offering, which currently costs $285 per person. The new experience at Nidaime will cost $175 per person, dishing up a shorter menu of 16–18 courses. "Nidaime is the perfect way for us to give diners who have missed out on a seat at Yugen omakase another opportunity to try Yugen's exciting and creative food," says Yugen's Culinary Director and CEO Stephen Nairn. "Yet don't expect a carbon copy of the happenings downstairs — Nidaime will be a more laidback entity, where our chefs will experiment with exciting new ideas to craft a shorter menu at a lower price point." The dishes on the Nidaime menu will be prepared by the same team as downstairs, but will be more experimental. The menu at Nidaime will change regularly, but diners can expect to sample dishes such as local oysters, tako, kingfish sashimi and unagi tamago — to name just a few. And, of course, each will be prepared in front of guests with the same spectacle and theatre that's become synonymous with Yugen. Nidaime is the latest in a number of new omakase experiences to hit Melbourne in recent months. With Yakikami, Aoi Tsuki and Oshan, to name a few standouts, it's clear the city's dining scene has seen a growing demand for the Japanese tasting menu. Translating to "I leave it up to you" in Japanese, omakase allows diners to put their trust in the chef to create a meal tailored to their individual tastes — and Melbourne, it seems, can't get enough. With Nidaime, Yugen (which only opened in late 2022) hopes to tap into this demand as well as lessen the impact on your wallet. Plus, it's not a bad one to experience while you wait for those hallowed Yugen omakase seats. Don't lose hope — you'll get lucky one day. Nidaime is served above Yugen at Yugen Tea Bar, 605 Chapel Street, South Yarra — from Wednesday–Sunday, with two sittings per night at 6–8pm and 8.30–10.30pm — with bookings essential.
Since Samson & Delilah arrived in 2009, earned the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Caméra d'Or for Best First Feature and proved an instant great of Australian cinema, every project from filmmaker Warwick Thornton has been a must-see. He got spooky with ghost-story anthology The Darkside, pondered the nation's relationship with the Southern Cross in documentary We Don't Need a Map and explored the country's race relations in blistering historical drama Sweet Country. Then, he co-directed the second season of the Mystery Road TV series, turned the camera on himself in meditative small-screen doco The Beach and was also behind vampires-in-the-outback show Firebite. Thornton is an Aussie icon. With his latest project, he has also joined forces with a fellow Aussie icon: Cate Blanchett. The Oscar-winning actor is following up her award-nominated role in Tár earlier in 2023 with Thornton's new film The New Boy — and playing a renegade nun in 1940s Australia, no less. As the just-dropped trailer shows, The New Boy heads to a remote monastery with a mission for Indigenous children, where Sister Eileen (Blanchett) is in charge. In a sneak peek filled with golden hues and bubbling with a thoughtful mood, her faith is tested when the titular child (newcomer Aswan Reid), a nine-year-old orphan, arrives and has his own experience with religion, which clashes with the mission's take on Christianity. Thornton writes and directs The New Boy, as he did with with Samson and Delilah and We Don't Need a Map. He also does triple duty as his own cinematographer, as he also has with the bulk of his filmography. And, on-screen, Deborah Mailman (Total Control) and Wayne Blair (Seriously Red) feature alongside Blanchett and Reid. Unsurprisingly given its helmer, star and the former's Cannes history, The New Boy premiered at the prestigious French film festival in May, and enjoys its first Aussie screening as the opening-night film at the Sydney Film Festival. After that, audiences Australia-wide will be able to check out the dream pairing of Thornton and Blanchett — and the movie debut of Reid — when The New Boy hits cinemas in general release on Thursday, July 6. Check out the trailer for The New Boy below: The New Boy opens in Australian cinemas on July 6.
Like karaoke? Fond of singing along to well-known songs, whether you're solo or in a group? Happy to belt out a tune from your couch? If you answered yes to all of the above questions, then it's time to up your crooning game during Australia's Biggest Singalong. If you love singing when you're in a pub with a beer in your hand, too, then you'll want to join in as well. Since early 2017 in Brisbane, Pub Choir has been amassing brew-loving music fans in venues around the city. The regular event asks its attendees to learn a particular song in three-part harmonies, with talented professionals on hand each time to show everyone the ropes and lead the way. Every evening then culminates in a big boozy singing session, with the event making its way to bigger Brissie locations over the years, as well venturing around the country. Now, it's heading to television. Set to air on SBS, NITV and SBS On Demand at 8.30pm AEST on Saturday, June 5, Australia's Biggest Singalong transports the Pub Choir format to TV — with a few adjustments, obviously. While still feeling like a far more organised version of exactly what happens whenever someone puts 'Wonderwall' or 'Weather With You' on the pub jukebox, it'll have big-name hosts in Julia Zemiro and Miranda Tapsell — and it's asking for viewers at home to record their own videos in advance, upload them and hope they'll be screened during the two-hour-long special. Multiple songs will be covered, but Hunters and Collectors' 'Throw You Arms Around Me' is the big track that eager crooners can film themselves singing in advance. Entries close on Monday, May 17, with all of the details available on the Couch Choir website — which belongs to Pub Choir's pandemic-era spinoff from last year, as you might already be aware. Hunters and Collectors lead singer Mark Seymour will be part of the broadcast, and Pub Choir co-founder and choirmaster Astrid Jorgensen will be guiding the singing, too. So, you just need to decide whether you're fine to take part from home while pouring yourself something cold from your own fridge, or if you'd rather head to the pub and sing with your mates during the show. Pub Choir's IRL events are mighty popular, with tickets getting snapped up very quickly each time, so that's something you don't have to worry about in this format. Australia's Biggest Singalong will screen on SBS, NITV and SBS On Demand at 8.30pm AEST on Saturday, June 5, Australia's Biggest Singalong. For more information, head to the SBS website. To upload your own video before Monday, May 17, visit the Couch Choir website. Images: Jacob Morrison.
Two decades ago, the live-action Scooby-Doo movie was one of the Gold Coast's big claims to fame. While it was shooting, it was also the reason that plenty of Queenslanders tried to spot Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr and Linda Cardellini IRL, too. And if it also made you wish that you could drive around in a multi-coloured van with your mates — and dog — while solving crimes, you definitely weren't alone. In great news for meddling kids everywhere — well, former meddling kids who are now nostalgic meddling adults — hitting the road in the iconic Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine is actually a real thing that you can currently do. You'll need to swap Australia for a vanning holiday in Southern California, though, and you'll even be hosted by Lillard. In its latest pop culture-themed experience after the Bluey house and the Moulin Rouge! windmill already this year, Airbnb has listed the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine for stays, all to mark the movie's 20th anniversary. The word you're looking for is zoinks, obviously. Having a talking pooch to bunker down with you is optional. Like all of Airbnb's themed stays, this one is only available for a limited time — and by booking in a specific way. It'll be open for three three individual one-night reservations, for two guests per night, from June 24–26. And it'll only cost you AU$28 (US$20), but only if you're lucky enough to score a booking by hopping online from 3am AEST on Friday, June 17. Basically, you'll probably already want to be in the US over those dates anyway — or you'll need to be able to drop everything and make plans faster than Shaggy can pull off some scheming criminal's mask (because there's always a mask). If you do nab a booking, you'll be living like Shaggy and Scooby for a night, including listening to Sugar Ray on a portable CD player, lighting up the van with a lava lamp, soaking in plenty of 70s-style decor and wearing a puka shell necklace. Also included: a virtual greeting from Lillard upon your arrival, all-you-can-eat snacks, a dinner of Shaggy and Scooby faves such as hot dogs and eggplant burgers, and an outdoor lounge hangout area with a hammock. And yes, watching Scooby-Doo is also on the agenda, complete with popcorn, candy and bottomless Scooby Snacks. You'll also play mystery games, of course, because it wouldn't really me a night in the Mystery Machine without a bit of whodunnit action. "I've been channelling Shaggy since the live-action adaptation in 2002, and he's been a part of me ever since," said Lillard. "I can't wait to welcome guests into the world of the Mystery Inc gang as their Airbnb host and give them a summer vacation they'll never forget... monsters not included!" That AU$28 (US$20) price doesn't include getting to and from Southern California, so you'll also need to stump up for flights. While Airbnb has Lillard on the books, if it wanted to get him to host a Scream-themed stay, too — scary movies and all — we'd sign up for that as well. For more information about the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 3am AEST on Friday, June 17, head to the Airbnb website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Images: Hogwash Studios/Ja Tescon.
If you hit up a Melbourne restaurant and find over ten wines offered by the glass, you're doing alright. If you get 20, you're in for a real treat. But the new Circl wine bar in Melbourne's CBD is doing what few hospo venues can by offering a whopping 150 drops by the glass and 1500 by the bottle. This is hugely important to the owners, who created this Melbourne wine bar to help foster a new culture around vino — one built around accessibility, inclusivity and discovery. One way to help people explore heaps of new and rare wines is to offer them by the glass. No need to worry about trying something new, only to find you hate it after spending hundreds of dollars on an entire bottle. But that's not the only way to help people sample hard-to-find drops. The Circl crew is taking it one step further by pouring one extremely rare wine each week. These drops are limited to 75ml per person, to ensure everyone gets a go. Spanning Australian and international vineyards, the selection will be highly curated, and feature the likes of Coche Dury, Roulot, DRC, and old vintages from top producers in Australia. Head Sommelier and Venue Manager Xavier Vigier shares, "At Circl, we really want to bring our guests wines they've never heard of before. There's a new market and audience in wine that we're very much conscious of." "We will challenge the status quo by offering rare and allocated wines by the glass to allow anyone the chance to try wines they otherwise wouldn't be able to reach. It also provides the chance to have a glass rather than committing to the full bottle." Wine is most certainly the star of the show at Circl, but food is far from neglected. Executive Chef Elias Salomonsson (ex-Scott Pickett Group and Vue Group) has created a Euro-centric menu of small and large dishes that are strongly influenced by his Scandinavian background. They are also pretty luxe bites. You can start off with Sydney Rock oysters and caviar service (if your budget allows), or opt for more complex bites like the smoked eel tart, goat's cheese eclair, arrowhead squid with nduja, morcilla and celeriac, and tuna crudo with Yarra Valley caviar (yes, you know it's a fancy spot when caviar is scattered all over the menu). And it makes a whole lot of sense when you consider the fact that Circl boasts one of the biggest champagne selections in Australia, with 135 bottles available at any time. You'll be sipping and snacking all this within newly designed digs, dreamt up by MARCH.STUDIO (Baker D. Chirico and Lucy Liu). Downstairs, you'll find the main dining room and bar, which features natural timber finishes and polished concrete floors. It's all kept quite minimalist, championing a less-is-more aesthetic. But the top spot to sit has got to be upstairs by the room-length glass-encased wine cellar. Watch on as the sommeliers move around this space, picking and choosing rare wines throughout the night. You'll find the new Circl wine bar at 22 Punch Lane, Melbourne, open from Tuesday–Saturday. For more details, check out the venue's website.
Perched at the top of Bourke Street hill since the 1960s, The Paperback Bookshop in Melbourne seems untouched by time. Small, dark and cosy, this store makes any book buying experience intimate and memorable. Though, we wouldn't suggest sticking around to cheekily read the first chapter of your purchase — there simply isn't the room. Fitted out with old wooden shelves, The Paperback is stacked full of classic and contemporary titles in fiction and non-fiction. With space being such an issue, each title is lovingly selected. There's no room for Dan Brown on these much-loved shelves. Pop by on your lunch break (Pellegrini's is next door), and grab one of the shop's suggested favourites, i.e. not what you've seen go gangbusters on Goodreads. It is one of the best bookstores in Melbourne for good reason. Image: Visit Victoria.
The kids are all right: in Future Council, the third feature-length documentary directed by Australian actor-turned-filmmaker Damon Gameau after That Sugar Film and 2040, children are brimming with enthusiasm to act to solve the inescapable problem facing every single person on earth right now. There's no avoiding the fact that the earth is in the midst of an eco-crisis, and that challenges to fix it linger at every turn. The young environmentalists in front of Gameau's lens know this deeply. They're distressed and angry about it. They're also driven to act, to bring about change and to do whatever they can to stop the planet's plight from continuing to worsen. When That Sugar Film became a sensation in 2014 — it's in the top five Australian documentaries of all time at the local box office, and sparked many among its audience to rethink the role of the movie's titular substance in their lives — it did so through a particular approach. Gameau, then best-known as an actor in the likes of The Tracker, Thunderstruck, Love My Way, Razzle Dazzle, Underbelly, Balibo, Patrick, Charlie's Country and Puberty Blues (he also played an Australian backpacker on an episode of How I Met Your Mother), put himself and his eating habits at the centre of the film. Think: Super Size Me, but Aussie and about the sweet stuff. Accordingly, Gameau physically charted the consequences of a high-sugar diet. The viewer response, as the cinema takings show, was phenomenal. Gameau wasn't thinking at the time that he'd discovered the blueprint for his approach as a filmmaker, aka documentaries with both a personal and an activist angle. "Upon reflection, I didn't know it at the time," he tells Concrete Playground. "I certainly just wanted to tell stories and thought that there weren't enough stories that, I guess, could enlighten or educate and inspire people. And so I thought that was the goal of making that. And then obviously seeing the impact that had, even in influencing policy in some countries — that kind of lit the fuse, I guess, of like 'oh, there's something really potent about storytelling'." "So much of our storytelling has been used for distraction and other means, and they're perpetuating values that maybe we don't need in this moment," Gameau continues. "So, how could we tell better stories that actually give people a bit more hope and show that there's a different part of humanity, rather than just conflict and competition and really base values around things — you think of those reality shows. So I just got inspired, I think, to tell more stories and try to encourage other storytellers, artists, whatever, to use their platform to maybe highlight the best of us as opposed to other values." Next on his behind-the-camera filmography — after more on-screen stints in Secrets & Lies, Gallipoli, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Barracuda and The Kettering Incident — came 2019's 2040. In a film that world-premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, follows in An Inconvenient Truth's footsteps and is in the top ten Aussie docos of all time at the box office, Gameau retained the same documentary style but changed subjects. His topic: climate change and ways to combat it. The personal element came via packaging his plea to the world to act as a letter to his then-four-year-old daughter, then travelling the globe to delve into potential solutions. Again, it was a massive success. Just as That Sugar Film helped put Gameau on the path to 2040, the latter did the same with Future Council. The environment is again the focus and the writer/director appears on-camera once more, but eight kids — Australian Ruby Rodgers, Joseph Wijaya from Bali, Norfolk Islander Hiva Tuki Grube, Karla Albjerg from Uganda, The Netherlands' Joaquin Minana, Clemence "CC" Currie from Scotland, Wales' Skye Neville and Aurvi Jain from Singapore — are the true stars of the show. Each was selected after a callout for children to accompany Gameau across Europe on a biofuel-powered school bus to both examine options for tackling the planet's predicament and speak with the leaders of companies contributing to the issue. The film's name doesn't just apply to their actions in the doco, either, with the kids making the child-led Future Council a real and ongoing organisation that's advocating for genuine action to save the earth. Gameau isn't merely giving voice to the frustration of the next generation about humanity's current handling of the climate crisis, then, but is helping them in their efforts. One result so far, almost a year before the film reached Australian cinemas in general release on Thursday, August 7, 2025 (but after world-premiering at the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival): Ruby, Joseph, Hiva, Karla, Joaquin, CC, Skye and Aurvi appearing at, screening the feature for and meeting with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024. Their deeds, plus Future Council as an off-screen initiative, are inspiring both fellow children and adults — as also chronicled in a movie that's well aware of adult-washing but never earns that description itself, even while ensuring the film is accessible, and also balancing the seriousness of the environmental situation with a sense of joy, play and empowerment. Future Council, the film, is as much a celebration of unique personalities and children following their passions, too — and proves as heartening in that element as well. With Gameau, we also explored that key aspect of the documentary, his show-don't-tell approach to factual filmmaking in general, the path from 2040 to Future Council and the difficult task of getting CEOs to speak with the movie's eight kids, plus his own journey from when he was starting out as an actor and more. On the Show-Don't-Tell Approach Resonating Across Gameau's Documentaries "I think particularly, in this film, I think it could have failed really, really dramatically if it had felt preachy, if the kids were too precocious or pretentious, if it felt like I was steering them in any way and it was a sort of manipulation. That's a careful dance to do and it does take some crafting. I guess I don't think about it too overtly, but I think I know what I don't want it to be. And I see films where it does feel preachy and I think that's really off-putting, and people don't want that. They're craving authenticity in the current state of the world. They want people to be real. And I think that's what the children bring in spades." On How 2040 Put Gameau on the Path to Making Future Council "I took 2040 around the world and a lot of the releases did school visits, and I did lots of classrooms — and the questions were often better than any adult would ask in the Q&As. The kids really knew their stuff. And I just realised that I've projected my own childhood onto these children sometimes and forgotten that they just have access to so much information now. And the ones that are passionate about sustainability just go super-deep on these subjects — and they can online now. So they often know far more than most adults do. So it really felt like 'well, this is their moment. They deserve a platform. How do we connect them together so they don't feel like their only avenue is to protest on the streets? What if they could actually come together meaningfully, collaborate with organisations, businesses, their schools, and actually actively shape and design their own future?'. And I think we've got the opportunity with our tech now, their knowledge, their awareness, to do that, and so that just felt like a good fit for the Future Council." On Whether Gameau Expected the Huge Response That 2040 Received Around the World "I don't think so. I mean, you probably know it yourself, but I think there's a default in any artist that is self-sabotaging and doesn't think we're much good at anything, really. So it's always a little bit of a surprise when something does well. And I guess I was a bit spoilt with Sugar in that that was just such a bizarre, extraordinary takeoff that I didn't expect. That was always going to be hard to match. So I just, yeah, I was surprised. But I think 2040 came at a time when people were looking for solutions and, strangely, that narrative hadn't been told very much — which was a real surprise to me, that we weren't focusing all the great things that people were doing. And so I can see now why it resonated, but of course, yeah, anytime you make something and put it out in the world, you kind of assume that no one is going see it. And it means something to you, but might not connect. So it's always a lovely bonus when people do support it." On Gameau Not Worrying About Falling Into the Adult-Washing Trap By Making Optimistic and Empowering Environmental Documentaries for All Ages "No, I think it's the very thing we need. I think this whole particular movement has got bogged down in so much graphs and analysis and data that what it needs is humanity. It needs a burst of heart. And there's a great quote by an English academic, Louisa Ziane, and she says that 'if you want to change the world, you've got to throw a better party'. And I think that that's what these children bring. Even though, as you saw in the film, they're really processing deep grief, they still find a way to be children, and to play and have fun and find the best moments in in their life. And I think there's great lessons in that for all of us that, yeah, times are incredibly tough right now — we need to be honest about — but when we are honest about it and we give ourselves a good cry like the kids do, you do free up some space to also find the joy and be grateful for the things that are still happening in our lives. And that's the thing that's going to sustain us. If we all get too bogged down in the way of the world, we're no good to anyone, and I can relate to that. I know the state I get in when I'm too serious. So the children really taught me and inspire me to make sure I stay in my heart, and to make sure I still find the moments of joy and the slices of light among these dark times. They do still exist. There are people doing extraordinary things in the face of this adversity, trying to come up with new solutions right now, find the best and be the best humans they can be. So we need to focus on that just as much as we're focusing on the things we don't want." On Whether the Children Setting Up a Real-Life Future Council Was Always the Aim for the Film "It was always in the back of the mind there was a potential that could happen. But again, I was so careful to not steer this or lead the kids on in any way. And that sort of started to happen midway through the film. That's when the children went 'oh, we can see that we've got something to say here. We can see we're valuable and we are having an impact in these boardrooms — what if we did actually start extending this out?'. So it was an idea we talked about halfway through filming. And then subsequently, we've developed that together. We've run every decision through them — 'okay, from everything from branding, what would this look like? How would you want it to run? What don't you want it to be?'. And so now we have a functioning Future Council entity with a COO and board members, and it's all kicking off. And there's now an invitation to children right around the world — which is what this film will do as we take it around the world, is recruit children that want to sign up and join. And then it'll be child-led. So all the decisions go through the children. But we've got the adults that want to support the children with the more-complex stuff and the logistics and the governance, all those sort of things. But the idea is to really make sure that the children feel like they're making the decisions and it is coming from them. They're not being told by their teachers or someone else. Because they do know their stuff, and they do have a chance to really make change — and let's let them drive it." On How Future Council's Children Are Inspiring Adults "Every screening, something magical happens. Like, someone from somewhere reaches out. Some adult wants to join up some organisation. We've got people who just — one woman just gave every child $10,000 to support their initiatives. They are doing something. There's a magic that they have together, and I think it is that humanity. There's a lot of emotion in the screenings. There's people being very, very — it's sort of unlocking parts of them they haven't confronted for a while. So there's just — I don't know, it's hard to describe. There's a magic that's coming out of the tailpipe of this bus as it cruises around, and I'm just sitting back, watching it all, I'm observing, and I'm incredibly excited by what's forming and the people from right around the world that are coming in to support this. I think it's just one of those stories that's come at the right time. The children are taking this conversation to a deeper level that it needed to go to." On Getting Representatives From Large Corporations to Meet with the Children "Yeah, that was a challenge. And I guess the framing was that we wanted to make sure that we — it wasn't about just telling them they're wrong, that it was an invitation to some of these groups to say 'these kids have some really good ideas, and I think you'd be crazy not to access some of their creativity'. I think the children learned that as it went along, that, as you saw, when we started with Nestle, they did go in with quite an activist bent — and it was a much more aggressive take. Then they reflected on that and thought 'you know what, I don't know that that worked entirely'. So they tried and pivoted to a slightly different approach with ING — and by the time we got to Decathlon, which is the world's biggest sporting goods retailer, they were so collaborative. 'Right, how can we work?'. And that, I think, is when they discovered their superpower, and that's why they then wanted to turn this into something much bigger. So it was a really interesting journey. But as I said, to their credit, these companies did say yes. A lot said no. And it was a very, very difficult challenge to get the children in there, to be honest, and I was very lucky that I had some people that were supportive of my previous work in 2040 and were able to open the doors there. But yeah, full credit to those CEOs that did front up and listen to, as you saw, what were some pretty awkward questions and difficult conversations for them. But they were willing to lean in, not shut the film down, not try to edit or cancel — which they could have done. So in the end, we're grateful for the conversations we were able to have." On How Pivotal It Is for Future Council to Celebrate the Unique Personalities of the Kids in the Film — and to Make Children Feel Included for Whatever It Is That They're Passionate About "I obviously really love these kids and they do have their own uniqueness — and that's what's beautiful about it. And Ruby said it on a Q&A — what she learned was that some people feel like they can't do enough or 'who am I to do anything?' or 'I'm not doing enough?', but we all have our own unique way to contribute to this problem right now. And that's, I think, what the kids brought. Ruby found herself that she didn't think she was of any value, and then realised that her art is the thing that people need. And now she's got a record deal and now she's singing live, and all this stuff is happening because she's expressing her grief through her music Whereas Hiva, for example, is just obsessed with birds. And I've watched him give a TED talk now and bring a whole room to its knees because he channels these birds and tells people how important they are to our ecosystem. So they've all got their different superpower. And then they came together as this incredible force. And I think that's the metaphor, isn't it? That's the great example of what we need to do as humans, as a whole, is that no matter what field we're working in, no matter what area of interest we have or our passions, when we actually come together and reknit that fabric that's been torn apart from us by this system, that we can achieve extraordinary things. And I think that's the best takeaway — and my favourite scene in the film is that last scene where the kids are all coming together, they're all acknowledging what they learned from each other and the best that they see in each other. Whoa — what a what a lesson that is for adults right now and how we're going to fix some of these problems we're facing." On Whether Making Inspiring Documentaries Was Gameau's Aim Back When He Was Starting Out as an Actor "No. God no. No, I was way too self-obsessed back then. That was very much sort of, I guess, trying to forge my own path. 'What am I doing in life?'. I hadn't really understood — I always never felt quite happy. I was lucky enough, obviously, to do a film like The Tracker or Balibo, and those felt very, very rich and deep, and felt really fulfilling. But other than that, I always felt a little bit frustrated and not comfortable. And I was lucky enough, obviously, to work with people like Rolf [de Heer, who directed Gameau on The Tracker and Charlie's Country] and Rob Connolly [Balibo's filmmaker], and they showed me how powerful storytelling can be. And I decided that I wanted to start telling my own stories. I thought I had something to say and I wanted to find the courage to be able to say that. And that took a long time to find that courage. I had a lot self-doubt that so many people do, and I was really my worst enemy in that sense. So it's taken me a long time, and I'm still on that journey of really believing this. But I see it now. I can see the impact of what these stories have done and I'm just so grateful. It's been a magical experience. And this one even more so. I feel like it's less about me, this one — the others were quite focused with me at centre, but this again is a shifting in my own journey, to give a platform to these eight kids and then these other kids around the world. So yeah, it's just I've seen it. I just think storytelling is our most-potent tool for change and it is so underutilised and undervalued. And I think it's the only way we're going to get through. I really want to call out to all artists, whether they're musicians or artists or storytellers, whatever it might be, that this is our moment. This is our time. Terence McKenna had this great quote, he said that 'the role of the artist is to save the soul of mankind and anything else is a dithering while Rome burns. If the artist can't find the way, then the way cannot be found'. And I just think whoa, what a moment right now, given everything we're facing — let's unite as artists and tell a new story." Future Council opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
It has finally happened, Melburnians. After two prolonged periods spent empty this year, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Melbourne picture palaces are back in business. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer from this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfX-nrg-lI MANK In 2010's The Social Network, David Fincher surveyed the story of an outsider and upstart who would become a business magnate, wield significant influence and have an immense impact upon the world. The applauded and astute film tells the tale of Mark Zuckerberg and of Facebook's development — but it's also the perfect precursor to Fincher's latest movie, Mank. This time around, the filmmaker focuses on a man who once spun a similar narrative. A drama critic turned screenwriter, Herman J Mankiewicz scored the gig of his lifetime when he was hired to pen Orson Welles' first feature, and he drew upon someone from his own life to do so. Citizen Kane is famous for many things, but its central character of Charles Foster Kane is also famously partially based on US media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who Mankiewicz knew personally. Accordingly, Mank sees Fincher step behind the scenes of an iconic movie that his own work has already paralleled — to ponder how fact influences fiction, how stories that blaze across screens silver and small respond to the world around them, and how one man's best-known achievement speaks volumes about both in a plethora of ways. Mank is a slice-of-life biopic about Mankiewicz's (Gary Oldman) time writing Citizen Kane's screenplay, as well as his career around it. It's catnip for the iconic feature's multitudes of fans, in fact. But it also peers at a bigger picture, because that's classic Fincher. When the film introduces its eponymous scribe, it's 1940, and he's recovering from a car accident. In a cast and confined to bed due to a broken leg, he has been dispatched to a Mojave Desert ranch by Welles (Tom Burke, The Souvenir) and his colleague John Houseman (Sam Troughton, Chernobyl), all so he can work his word-slinging mastery. As Mankiewicz toils, the movie wanders back to times, places and people that inspire his prose, especially from the decade prior. Dictating his text to British secretary Rita Alexander (Lily Collins), he draws upon his friendships with Hearst (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones) and the news baron's starlet mistress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried) in particular. And yes, as anyone who has seen Citizen Kane will spot, Mank's nonlinear structure apes the script that Mankiewicz pens. Many of the latter film's glimmering black-and-white shots do as well, although you won't spot a sled called Rosebud here. In a script by Jack Fincher — father of David, who wrote the screenplay in the 90s before passing away in 2003 — Mank suggests other factors that made Mankiewicz the person he was, and that shaped Citizen Kane's script as well. Combine all of the above, and a dense and detailed movie results. That's Fincher's wheelhouse, after all. Mank is also visually ravishing and textured, and tonally cutting and icy — which, along with weighty performances, are all Fincher hallmarks. But there's both depth and distance to Mank. It peers in and pokes about, but it never wholly lures the audience in. Watching Oldman and Seyfried's rich scenes together, viewers will wish it did, though. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETK0fOKwJNQ MONSOON Home may mean different things to different people but, in Monsoon, Vietnam doesn't mean home to Kit (Henry Golding). He was born there, in the aftermath of the war. He spent his earliest years in the Asian nation, with his parents caught up in the aftermath of the conflict. But when he was still a child, his family left for a refugee camp in Hong Kong and then moved permanently to London. Now, as an adult who has lived the bulk of his existence far away, he returns for the first time to bring back his mother's and father's ashes. He's instantly thrown off balance upon his arrival, whether he's driving through moped-filled streets or walking around crowded markets. Little of what he remembers is the same — his old house and his neighbourhood stomping grounds, particularly — and he doesn't recall as much as his childhood best friend Lee (David Tran), who stayed behind, would clearly like. Of what he does recollect, some crucial details clash with Lee's versions, too. Consequently, as Kit roves around Saigon and then Hanoi (his place of birth and his parents' original home, respectively), he's searching for a connection. He'll make one, but not in the way he expects. Monsoon tells a noticeably slight tale, but Cambodian-born Chinese British writer/director Hong Khaou (Lilting) is keenly and overwhelmingly aware that a sense of belonging doesn't simply come with one's birth certificate. He's also a minimalistic filmmaker, in a sense. He delves into straightforward scenarios, and knows that he needn't layer them with too many external complicating factors. In other words, he's cognisant that merely examining how a person copes — even in a very commonplace situation — can deliver several lifetimes worth of complexity without a wealth of other narrative roadblocks or setbacks. As a result, both Khaou and Monsoon ask a significant amount of Golding; they demand more than his previous charisma-driven roles in Crazy Rich Asians, A Simple Favour and Last Christmas have combined, actually. Viewers of those three films already know that he can radiate charm like few other actors currently appearing on-screen, but Monsoon requires Golding's soulful best. At every moment, he's tasked with conveying the potent thoughts and jumbled emotions swelling inside Kit, and with doing so largely without dialogue. It's a quietly powerful performance, and it's one that the movie steadfastly needs. It's one that Monsoon depends upon, kin fact. Thanks in no small part to his efforts, Monsoon feels comfortable and intimate and eye-opening and new all at once — and proves immensely affecting viewing. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq1F1opr_FE&t=2s ELLIE AND ABBIE (AND ELLIE'S DEAD AUNT) As a teen rom-com about two high schoolers working through their attraction for each other as they're also trying to work out what to do with their lives and how to simply be themselves, there's a strong sense of familiarity about Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt). That isn't a sign of laziness, however, because first-time feature writer/director Monica Zanetti wants you to register how much her film resembles other entries in its genre — and to notice what it's doing differently. There's a purposeful sense of clumsiness about the Sydney-set movie, too. Again, that's by design. Studious school captain Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw, Love Child) has a simmering crush on the far cooler, calmer and more collected Abbie (Zoe Terakes, Janet King), but is struggling to stump up the courage to ask her to the school formal. When the pair do slowly start becoming closer, Ellie doesn't know exactly what to do, or what's expected, or how to be the person she wants to be in her first relationship. Complicating matters is the distance she feels from her mother, Erica (Marta Dusseldorp, Stateless), as she navigates such new emotional terrain — oh, and the fact that, as the title gives away, Ellie's dead aunt Tara (Julia Billington) suddenly starts hovering around and dispensing advice about following her feelings. So far, so sweet. Of course, unfurling a queer romance within such well-worn confines shouldn't be such a remarkable act (and an Australian teen queer romance at that), but it still currently is. Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) isn't just entertaining and understanding, cute and creative with its teen romance, and proudly celebratory of LGBTQIA+ perspectives, though. It's all those things, but Zanetti's decision to open the door to a deeper contemplation of Australia's historical treatment of the queer community gives considerable depth and weight to a movie that mightn't have earned those terms otherwise. The brightly shot feature has a strong sense of place, but without including all of the usual landmark shots that make many features feel like tourism campaigns. More importantly, it has a clear understanding of what LGBTQIA+ Sydneysiders have weathered in past decades. That activism is layered throughout the film in an overt subplot and, while it's hardly treated with nuance (an observation that applies to much of the picture), it's a powerful inclusion. Simply by reaching local cinema screens, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) makes a statement, but it also pays tribute to all the statements made in big and bold ways — and with tragic and painful outcomes, too — to get to this point in Australian queer history. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rIcXgMx7hU PINOCCHIO It has been 80 years since Disney's Pinocchio unleashed a wooden puppet and the woodcarver who made him upon animation-loving audiences, adapting Carlo Collodi's 1883 Italian children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio in the process. And, over that period, that film has remained the version of record. Indeed, it's the reason that generations of viewers are familiar with the story. Matteo Garrone's (Gomorrah) new live-action movie of the same name earns a place alongside it, however. It's one of three new and upcoming features tackling the narrative, ahead of a stop-motion flick co-directed by The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro that's due to hit Netflix next year and Disney's own flesh-and-blood iteration that's slated to be helmed by The Witches' Robert Zemeckis — and it serves up a tender and sumptuous take on the fairytale. In relaying how the kindly Geppetto (Life Is Beautiful Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni) shaped a lively log into a boy-sized puppet (Federico Ielapi), who then decides to see the world and strive to become a real child, it also hews far closer to the source material than its animated predecessor. This is a movie clearly made with an abundance of affection for its inspiration, too, and that love and devotion shines through in every frame. In fact, the feature's visuals prove its strongest element, including in bringing Pinocchio to life. He's a detailed marvel who appears oh-so realistic and yet also looks uncanny as well, as intended, and the decision to use a child actor wearing prosthetics rather than relying heavily upon CGI works a charm. The world that Garrone spins around the eponymous puppet is similarly rich and fantastical — and whimsical, although the latter is overdone. Pinocchio is far more resonant when it's letting its central figure discover that being human involves weathering all the cruelties that the earth's population has in store for each other, and watching him learn that Geppetto's unconditional fondness and acceptance is sadly rare. It's much less involving when it's leaning overtly into quirkiness, although that should probably be expected with Benigni involved. Where eccentricity is concerned, this tale already has plenty baked in, as the Fox (Massimo Ceccherini), the Cat (Rocco Papaleo) and the Fairy with Turquoise Hair (Marine Vacth, If You Saw His Heart) all make plain. But even if the whole movie is a little overstated, Garrone has still made a beautiful movie — and one that feels like the natural next step after 2015's Tale of Tales and even 2018's Dogman. https://vimeo.com/469681168 LOVE OPERA Australia's performing arts scene has been shuttered for much of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But documentary Love Opera lets viewers peer behind the scenes of a production that hit the stage long before anyone had ever heard of the novel coronavirus that changed life as we know it this year — and to spend time with the talented folks who toiled to make the show in question happen, too. The opera: Carmen. The bodies responsible: the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Program (LGNOP) and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. The year: 2017. Established by internationally renowned Australian soprano Lisa Gasteen, the intensive program trains Australian and New Zealand opera singers, and has put on a semi-staged production at the end of each year since 2017. Accordingly, Love Opera follows LGNOP's first attempt to do just that, from the casting through until the final product. Gasteen features prominently, understandably, chatting not just about the show at hand and the process of bringing it to fruition, but also running through her career, its ups and downs, the reality of getting to the top of the industry and her decisions for embarking upon her current path. Also lending the film their thoughts, feelings and observations are the program's cofounder Nancy Underhill, plus conductors Alondra de la Parra and Simone Young, as well as singers such as Rachel Pines and Morgan England-Jones. There's much to cover, as filmmaker Liselle Mei recognises, with the film quickly flitting through a wealth of material — and touching upon a plethora of topics in the process. The physicality required to be an opera singer, the passion that drives it, the difficulty of being a younger talent when many roles are written for older characters, the way the art form has been changing over the years, the treatment of queer creatives: all of this earns the documentary's attention, and each could've received more screen time if there wasn't so much to cover. But Love Opera never feels slight on any area of interest. It doesn't break the behind-the-scenes doco mould, either, but it delivers a broad rather than shallow snapshot of everything required to make the LGNOP's version of Carmen happen. Brisbanites will notice all of the drone shots of the movie's setting, which can border on intrusive; however, both opera lovers and newcomers alike receive an insightful glimpse at the ins and outs of the medium, its homegrown stars both established and emerging, and the hard work behind crooning its tunes in such a resonant fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK3eDfkXBzg SAVAGE Tattoos covering his cheeks, nose and forehead, a scowl affixed almost as permanently, but raw sorrow lurking in his eyes, Jake Ryan cuts a striking sight in Savage. He's a walking, drinking, growling, hammer-swinging advertisement for toxic masculinity — how it looks at its most stereotypical extreme, and how it often masks pain and struggle — and the performance is the clear highlight of the Home and Away, Wolf Creek and Underbelly actor's resume to-date. Playing a character named Danny but also known as Damage, Ryan's efforts also perfectly epitomise the New Zealand gang drama he's in, which similarly wraps in-your-face packaging around a softer, richer core. Savage's protagonist and plot have had plenty of predecessors over the years in various ways, from Once Were Warriors' exploration of violence, to Mean Streets' chronicle of crime-driven youth, plus the bikie warfare of Sons of Anarchy and even Aussie film 1%, but there's a weightiness on display here that can't just be wrung from a formula. That said, although written and directed by feature debutant Sam Kelly based on true tales from NZ's real-life gangs spanning three decades, Savage does noticeably follow a predictable narrative path. Viewers first meet Danny in 1989, when he's the second-in-charge of the Savages, which is overseen by his lifelong best friend Moses (John Tui, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, Solo: A Star Wars Story). The film also jumps back to two prior periods in his life, in 1965 and 1972, to explain why Danny is in his current situation physically, mentally and emotionally. Aided by suitably gritty and restless camerawork that mirrors its protagonist's inner turmoil, Savage packs a punch when it lets that unease fester in quiet moments. It's also particularly astute when honing in on Danny and Moses's complicated friendship, and how pivotal it is throughout their constantly marginalised lives. There's never any doubting that Savage is a movie about family, including the traumas they can inflict, the hurt that comes with being torn away from loved ones at a young age, the kinship found in understanding pals and the concept of brotherhood in gangs, and the feature is at its most affecting when it lets these truths emanate naturally. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Vm7cpQX80 HOPE GAP If you're going to watch a couple navigate the waning days of their decades-long marriage, and watch as their adult son tries to cope with the fallout, too, then you might as well be directing your eyeballs at Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, and God's Own Country and The Crown star Josh O'Connor. They play Grace, Edward and Jamie, respectively, with their family rocked by the revelation that mild-mannered, history-obsessed teacher Edward is leaving after 29 years because he's fallen in love with another woman. Usually the shining light and driving force in their modest house in a seaside town, Grace doesn't take the news well. Jamie, who lives in the city and doesn't generally come home as often as anyone would like, swiftly becomes his mother's main source of a support and a go-between with his father. As written and directed by second-time filmmaker William Nicholson (1997 feature Firelight) based on his 1999 play The Retreat from Moscow, little in Hope Gap's narrative offers surprises — especially if you've seen other movies about marital breakdowns, such as 2019's far meatier Marriage Story — but the British drama benefits considerably from its central trio of talent and their performances. While the plot plays out as anticipated, one aspect of Hope Gap does veer from the expected formula — and that'd be O'Connor. That he's an exceptional actor isn't new news, but he's firmly the heart of this wordy drama about the yearning and breaking hearts of his character's parents. He's also the most soulful part of the film; however, that isn't a criticism of Bening and Nighy. In spiky but still vulnerable mode, Bening may struggle with an unconvincing English accent, but she cuts to the core of Grace's bravado and pain. Nighy plays his part in a far softer, gentler, more nervous register, and helps make it plain just how Grace and Edward's marriage has gotten to this fracturing point. In a handsomely shot movie that intertwines picturesque glimpses of the coast with tense domestic scenes — and uses poetry verses to help convey emotion as well — they all demand the viewers' attention. But without the especially tender and thoughtful O'Connor, Hope Gap would've felt like just another average portrait of a longstanding relationship imploding, even with Bening and Nigh's impressive work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS9AYlUfp0A FATMAN When a film or TV show fills one of its roles in a gimmicky way that's obviously designed to garner publicity, it's called stunt casting. The term wholeheartedly applies to Fatman, a flimsy action-comedy that features Mel Gibson as Santa (and delivers his second big-screen release of 2020 after the abysmal Force of Nature). Even just reading about the premise, you can probably see the light bulbs going off in casting executives and other filmmaking powers-that-be's heads when they came up with the idea — because enlisting the American-born, Australian-raised actor as the symbol of all things wholesome and jolly sits in stark contrast to the far-from-jovial string of controversies that have popped up in his personal life, especially over the past decade. But a movie needs more than a blatant stunt to actually serve up something worth watching. And as far as shameless attempts to grab attention go, getting Gibson to play the red-suited figure just proves ill-advised and uncomfortable rather than provocative. Writer/directors Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms (Small Town Crime) must feel otherwise, though, because there's very little else to this festive-themed movie. 'Tis the season for dull and muddled movies that aren't anywhere near as edgy as its makers think, and aren't funny or entertaining at all, it seems. Three male characters drive Fatman's narrative, starting with Chris Cringle (Gibson), who oversees a Canadian workshop that's forced to take a military contract to get by. Kids just aren't behaving themselves enough these days, so he's delivering more lumps of coal than presents — and the stipend he receives from the US government to cover the elf-made gifts has decreased as a result. One of those bratty children, 12-year-old rich kid Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield, Good Boys), decides he isn't happy with his haul one Christmas. His solution: enlisting an assassin to bump off Santa as payback. Said hitman, who is just called Skinny Man (Walton Goggins), has been harbouring a lifelong grudge against the titular character anyway and doesn't take much convincing. Ant-Man and the Wasp and Them That Follow star Goggins is the best thing about a movie that has very little going for it, which speaks volumes about the one-note plot points. But given the distinct lack of jokes, the clumsy attempts to satirise today's supposedly uncaring times and the routine feel that infuses even its frenzied scenes of violence, he can't turn the film into a gift for anyone. Fatman wants to be an action-packed take on a Bad Santa-esque comedy, but ends up faring even worse than that beloved movie's awful sequel Bad Santa 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdce40rfRbk ALL MY LIFE No one with cancer would wish for their experience with the horrific disease to be turned into a schmaltzy movie about how hard their illness was for their partner. Based on the true story of digital marketer-turned-chef Solomon Chau and his psychology masters student girlfriend and later wife Jennifer Carter, that's what All My Life serves up — and while it feigns to focus on both of them, this overt attempt at tugging on viewers' heartstrings makes it clear that it's really about the latter. The title refers to Jenn (Jessica Rothe, Happy Death Day) and the 'make every moment count' wisdom she discovers watching Sol (Harry Shum Jr, Crazy Rich Asians) battle liver cancer. Over and over again, especially in tough and devastating situations, the film's visuals focus on her rather than him, too. It cuts away from him when he's explaining how difficult it all is, to follow her anger about their changed wedding plans instead. It literally foregrounds her in a shot when he's just received a big blow, and is understandably failing to cope. And it gives her time to scream in anguish in her car after yet more unpleasant news comes his way, in case viewers weren't certain who the movie thinks is the real victim. All My Life may be shot in the soft and sunny hues of a trite Nicholas Sparks-penned romance — and clearly aspire to sit in their company — but it's insidious in the way it uses one real-life person's sickness to make its preferred protagonist seem more interesting. It's a gender-flipped, illness-driven variation on the dead wife trope, as seen in the likes of Inception and Shutter Island, where the male lead is given a sob story to make his tale more dramatic. It's firmly in line with the way that cinema routinely sidelines those dealing with cancer over those standing by their sides, as seen far too often (when a movie about cancer or featuring a cancer-stricken character doesn't stick to the template, such as Babyteeth earlier this year, it stands out). The narrative details that All My Life chronicles may stem from reality, but they're ground down to a formula: girl meets boy, sparks fly, their future sprawls out before them, then cancer gets in the way and she can't have her dream nuptials. There's also never any doubt that this movie wouldn't exist if the GoFundMe campaign set up for Sol and Jenn's initially postponed wedding didn't garner significant media attention, as if some level of fame makes one cancer story more important than the rest. But it's the choice of focus that transforms this film from an expectedly cliched addition to the weepie genre and into overt slush. Director Marc Meyers' My Friend Dahmer also struggled with a similar approach, also choosing to spin a story around someone other than the obvious point of interest — and the fact that Shum puts in All My Life's best performance makes the tactic all the more galling and grating here. If you're wondering what else is currently screening around Melbourne, we've also picked the 12 best flicks that started gracing the city's silver screens when indoor cinemas were given the green light to reopen. When outdoor cinemas relaunched before that, we outlined the films showing under the stars, too. And, we've run through all the pictures that opened in the city on November 12 as well. You can also read our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Les Misérables, Bill & Ted Face the Music, An American Pickle, On the Rocks, Antebellum, Kajillionaire, The Craft: Legacy, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies and Freaky, all of which are presently showing in Melbourne. And, you can check out our rundowns of the new films that released in other cities over the past few months — on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5 — as a number of those movies are now showing in Melbourne as well. Top image: Mank, Nikolai Loveikis/Netflix; Monsoon, Dat Vu.
Four decades back, concert film history was made. In December 1983, David Byrne walked out onto a Hollywood stage with a tape deck, pressed play and, while standing there solo, began to sing 'Psycho Killer'. Then-future The Silence of the Lambs Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme directed cameras towards the legendary Talking Heads' frontman, recording the results for Stop Making Sense. The best way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the event behind the greatest concert film ever made arrived in 2024, and in cinemas. That'd be watching it on the big screen, of course, with cult-favourite independent film and TV company A24 — and Madman Down Under — releasing a complete restoration of Stop Making Sense. What's the second-best way to celebrate the occasion and the movie? Catching that new 4K version at home now that it's on Madman's documentary streaming service DocPlay from Thursday, June 13. Wearing big suits is optional. Now able to burn down your house — not literally, naturally — the 4K restoration premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, and also had a date with SXSW Sydney's Screen Festival in 2023. So, no it isn't the same as it ever was: Stop Making Sense is now even better. The film isn't just iconic for how it starts, which definitely isn't how concerts usually kick off. From there, as captured at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in December 1983, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison put on one helluva show in support of their previous year's album Speaking in Tongues. Expect a lineup of hits, a playful approach, Byrne's famous oversized attire and even heftier stage presence, and the feeling that you're virtually in the room. Indeed, everything about this energetic and precisely executed documentary, which records the set from start to finish, couldn't be further from the standard concert flick. As 'Once in a Lifetime', 'Heaven', 'Burning Down the House', Life During Wartime', 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)', 'Genius of Love' and more get a whirl, each element of the movie is that fine-tuned, and every aspect of the band's performance, too. And if it feels like Byrne was on-screen not that long ago, that's because his Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)-directed solo concert flick American Utopia did the rounds of Aussie cinemas back in 2020 — and proved one of that year's absolute best films. Check out the trailer for Stop Making Sense's 4K restoration below: Stop Making Sense is available to stream via DocPlay from Thursday, June 13, 2024. Images: Jordan Cronenweth, Courtesy of A24.
Listen up: Listen Out is back for its 11th year and it isn't slouching on the lineup front. The bill for the touring festival boasts 21 Savage, Skepta, Tyla and Flo Milli among its hip hop and R&B names. On the electronic side, John Summit and Sub Focus feature. Yes, the list goes on from there. Fans of 21 Savage, Tyla and Flo Milli — and of Teezo Touchdown, Jessie Reyez and Jazzy, too — should be especially excited. When they each take to Listen Out's stages at Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne on Friday, September 27, they'll be hitting the country for the first time. Among their company, Lil Tjay, Lithe, Folamour, The Blessed Madonna, Cassian and Disco Lines are just some of the fellow acts that'll have festivalgoers dancing. 2023's fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. As the roster of names on the lineup demonstrates, the festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. Listen Out 2024 Lineup: 21 Savage Skepta Lil Tjay Tyla Flo Milli Jessie Reyez Teezo Touchdown Lithe John Summit Sub Focus Folamour The Blessed Madonna Cassian Disco Lines Jazzy Koven Conducta A Little Sound Ben Gerrans AK Sports Foura B2B Tom Santa Miss Kaninna Djanaba Soju Gang Melbourne only: Yo! Mafia Sixten Kelly T J-OK Top images: Jordan Munns and Sam Venn.
Normally a fire that burns out a warehouse doesn't exactly spell good fortune, but for the creators of new events space The Third Day things turned out pretty well. Originally a costume warehouse in the 1920s, the space in North Melbourne was struck by a fire seven years ago and has laid dormant ever since — that is, until about a year ago, when The Third Day team took ownership and started work. Venue manager Rob Anthony says it's been a work in progress since then, at times slow thanks to the council, but is gaining momentum now in the new year. "We've had the venue for a year, and feel like we've been sitting on it since then and nobody knows," he says. "There's a big social media roll-out happening now and we're looking at lots of events too." The venue's first party was on Boxing Day last year, and since then they've played host to a number of other parties, mostly house music-centric and with the distinctive flavour of the Berlin club scene. "Being in Melbourne is a bit like the Berlin way too," says Rob. "You've got to seek out your parties. It might not look like much from outside, but inside it's huge — people are saying they've never seen anything like it here." The warehouse block is large, and the venue sprawling: think more openair art bar than cramped club, with space enough to expand themselves — and plans to do so soon. "Our plan in the future is to open five or six nights a week with food offerings too, and perhaps a couple of different music options and sounds. For now, we'll just do these events until we get into the groove of things. But we've got a little kitchen next to the bar and plan on moving a guy who does woodfire pizzas in by next summer." After a year ofbuild-upp, The Third Day seems to be easily in the swing of summer parties; keep an eye on their social media pages as it seems like there are hotter things still to come (no more fires though). Find The Third Day at 290 Macaulay Road, North Melbourne and www.thethirdday.com.au. Check their Facebook page for events.
Need to cater for vegetarians? No worries, the banquets at Moroccan Soup Bar ($35-$55 per head) will have even the most stubborn carnivore professing their love for vegetarian food. This homely dining space is popular among locals, and they do not take reservations. If you don't arrive at their 6pm opening time, a busy waitress will give you a time to come back, or you can wait outside. Go straight for the banquet and spend your time relaxing with a cup of warm mint tea. The dishes are filled with traditional North African herbs and spices — their legendary chickpea bake is the sacred dish here, so try to get that placed down your end of the table. Image: Nick Allchin.
Collingwood's much-loved Red Sparrow is set to fly the coop, as it announces plans to move to Fitzroy next month. The plant-based pizzeria, which has held its spot on Smith Street for nine years, is heading to a new space within the lively Rose Street Artists' Market. Red Sparrow was opened in 2017 by pizza lovers and long-time vegans Michael Craig and Shelley Scott, who reinvented the vegan pizza landscape in Melbourne. Their dough is made using pizza Napoletana techniques, topped with inventive ingredients, and blasted in an Italian woodfired oven in 60-90 seconds, creating a fluffy, charry crust. Pizzas range from traditional, such as pepperoni and Hawaiian (albeit with dairy-free cheese and meat-free meats), to the more adventurous. The cheeseburger pizza comes with dairy-free mozzarella, crumbled burger, red onion, pickles and special sauce. The patatas bravas sees a smoky tomato base topped with chorizo, potato, dairy-free parmesan and chipotle aioli. Or go for the Bánh Mì, which sees your fave sandwich toppings of char siu, hoisin, spring onion, chilli, coriander and peanuts, transported atop a crispy pizza base. Red Sparrow will bring its signature pizzas to Fitzroy in October, and with the exciting addition of a rooftop bar, you'll be able to enjoy a crisp slice with a fresh cocktail while overlooking the market. The owners are excited about this next chapter. "We've loved being part of the Melbourne food scene since day one, and this move gives us the chance to offer something even more special. Being part of Rose Street Artists' Market connects us directly with Fitzroy's creative community, while the rooftop bar adds a whole new way to enjoy Red Sparrow." Images: Supplied Red Sparrow will bring vegan pizza and rooftop cocktails to Fitzroy this October. In the meantime, continue to get your fix at the Collingwood store or explore other great vegan options in Melbourne.
Catherine Deveny is an Australian personality with a lot to say. With massive experience as a journalist, comedian, and public figure, she has debated George Pell, co-founded No Chicks No Excuses and generally kicks ass. Now she's taking on parents. A mother of three, she's be berating the crowd at Pernickety Parents for mollycoddling their kids. So many people are getting old and turning out to be messed up, so we must be doing something wrong. Deveny will make you think about what parents ought to be, as she explains that rearing children is "detrimental, counterproductive and narcissistic". This is the latest instalment of Lunchbox/Soapbox, a program of rants organised by the Wheeler Centre, one of the most entertaining and thought provoking groups in Melbourne. Definitely do not miss this awesome show. BYO lunch.
Deciding on a birthday dinner destination isn't easy — you need somewhere that's well priced, has an excellent atmosphere and, of course, delicious food. When you or people in your group are vegetarian, this can make the parameters even tighter. Luckily, Melbourne has a host of vegetarian-friendly venues ready to host you for a tasty celebratory lunch or dinner. We've selected some top-notch options for your next birthday bash, whether you're totally plant-based or an omnivore who can really appreciate the beauty of a wholly vegetarian meal. And bonus: they are all BYO, meaning your pals can save a few bucks and bring a bottle of bubbles to celebrate your existence.
When it comes to LGBTQIA+ history, San Francisco has a lot of firsts to its name — from California's first openly gay mayor Harvey Milk, to America's first gay bar to have clear windows at the Twin Peaks Tavern in the iconic Castro District. So it was no surprise that San Francisco celebrated another history-making first with United Airlines' first ever Pride Flight from San Francisco to Sydney in partnership with Virgin Australia. I was lucky enough to experience this journey flight travelling on United's Polaris Business Class service right in time for the official launch of Sydney WorldPride. Here's how the 14-hour journey went (up and) down... Beginning with some R&R in the Polaris lounge, I experienced the holy grail of business class travel: a luxurious shower ahead of the 15-hour Pride flight thanks to United's no expense spared partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue and Sunday Riley skincare. With skin glowing, I sauntered past the stacked buffet to try the complimentary al a carte restaurant where I chowed down on miso soup, prawn spring rolls, green tea crumble ice cream and washed it down with French champagne. And based on my direct neighbour's reaction, the cheeseburger was a must try too. Full of food and feeling my best, I headed to the airport gate to the Pride flight party. Before I even had a chance to spot the DJ or the catering by San Francisco's Hot Cookie (with flavours like 'Harvey Milk Toffee'), I spotted a majestic golden retriever decked out in a glitter boa, rainbow sunglasses and biker hat giving everyone some fluffy self care. Then, came a jaw-dropping drag performance by United's crew, a glitter confetti cannon and a message from Lori Augustine, United's Vice President of Operations. In the spirit of firsts, Lori shared that United was the first US airline to recognise domestic partnerships and the first to let customers select non-binary gender options. They also spoke about their 4,500 member LGBTQIA+ support group EQUAL, and their new guidelines which allow crew to express themselves authentically on board. If that's not putting your money where your mouth is then I don't know what is. [caption id="attachment_892768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pride pooch[/caption] Boarding the flight was a magical experience in itself. The plane's exterior was adorned with towering koalas holding pride flags. The flight was entirely staffed by crew, pilots and flight attendants that were all part of, or allies of, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the excitement was palpable. I was ushered in by a crew member with a fabulous ruffled gown and thigh high boots, and from the crew to the customers everyone felt genuinely thrilled to be there. When I arrived at my seat I was greeted with a koala plushie with a rainbow flag, Quay heart-shaped sunglasses, commemorative Pride pyjamas and Saks Fifth Avenue bedding on the fully reclinable Polaris chairs. Throughout the flight we were served sparkling rosé from rainbow-coloured cans, an array of dining options and the famous Polaris ice cream sundae cart (though admittedly I'd had my fair share of dessert in the lounge already). [caption id="attachment_892797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A handful of welcoming queens including Samantha Jayde.[/caption] Landing in Australia was on a whole other level. We were met with a live performance by former ARIA winner Samantha Jade who belted out bangers in a hot pink suit. Passengers were also given an acclimatisation to Australia by drag icons Etcetera Etcetera, Danni Issues and Minnie Cooper, while dancing Aussie surf lifesavers gave it their all in Aussiebum budgie smugglers. All extremely WorldPride appropriate and a quintessential introduction to Australian culture for the queer international visitors touching down for the first time. [caption id="attachment_892800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pride flight travellers touch down for the first time in Sydney[/caption] Overall, the trip was one for the personal history books. The feeling of ease of customers and crew on the plane, and the camaraderie and joy was something to behold. And who wouldn't want to travel with a company who walks the walk, not just talks the talk when it comes to championing diversity and representation? And after the travel experience on United's Polaris service, I agreed with my colleagues who warned me: once you go business, you'll never want to go back. Concrete Playground traveled from San Francisco to Sydney on the inaugural Pride Flight as a guest of United Airlines.
Summer might be over for another year, but chasing endless sunny days, sandy spots and crashing waves is a rather easy pastime in Australia. The country is girt by sea, after all, and boasts thousands of beaches — including Western Australia's Cable Beach, which has just been named one of the best coastal spots in the world for 2023, plus the absolute top beach in the South Pacific for this year as well. The scenic Broome locale nabbed those honours thanks to Tripadvisor, which unveils a lineup of top beaches each year. Among the international plaudits, Cable Beach came in third behind Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha in Brazil and Eagle Beach in Aruba in The Caribbean. It also ranked higher than spots in Iceland, Turks and Caicos, Portugal, India, Sicily, Cuba and Hawaii. Yes, that's mighty fine company to keep. [caption id="attachment_891596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cable Beach[/caption] In the South Pacific rundown, Cable Beach beat six other Aussie locations and one from New Zealand. Also getting some love locally: Sydney's Manly Beach in second place, Emily Bay on Norfolk Island in third and Mooloolaba Beach in fourth spot. Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island adding two more Queensland locations to the list at sixth and seventh place, while Turquoise Bay in Exmouth in WA came in ninth after topping the South Pacific spots in 2022. Across the ditch, Tahunanui Beach in Nelson sits at eighth place, too. The two beaches deemed the best in the South Pacific that aren't from Down Under? Matira Beach on Society Island in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, which sits fifth and Natadola Beach in Sigatoka, Fiji, at tenth. If it's an overseas beach holiday you're after this year, you now know where to head. [caption id="attachment_891589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Manly Beach[/caption] Back to the worldwide list, it spans 25 places, with Manly coming in 13th there ahead of locations in Grand Cayman, San Sebastian, Bali, Costa Rica, Rio de Janeiro and more. Across both the worldwide and South Pacific rankings, winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on millions of reviews and ratings left on the online platform across 2022. [caption id="attachment_891592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whitehaven Beach[/caption] TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE WORLD FOR 2023: Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Eagle Beach, Aruba, The Caribbean Cable Beach, Broome, Australia Reynisfjara Beach, Vik, Iceland Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, The Caribbean Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy Varadero Beach, Cuba, The Caribbean Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2023: Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia, Australia Manly Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, Australia Mooloolaba Beach, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia Matira Beach, Society Island, Bora Bora, French Polynesia Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland, Australia Tahunanui Beach, Nelson, New Zealand Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia Natadola Beach, Sigatoka, Fiji [caption id="attachment_891590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matira Beach[/caption] To check out the full list of top beaches for 2023, head to Tripadvisor. Images: Getty Images / Tripadvisor. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Chris Lucas first announced his plans to open Maison Bâtard back in 2018. This was before he opened Society, Grill Americano and Yakimono, which are now considered CBD mainstays. But finally, after spending nearly a decade renovating the landmark heritage site at 23 Bourke Street, we have an opening date for Maison Bâtard: Tuesday, November 26. Contemporary French cuisine will be championed at the venue's restaurant — which sits across two floors — as well as its late-night basement supper club and rooftop terrace. And while each of these spaces will have French influences, they're said to also have their own unique look and feel — being distinct destinations in their own right. Chris Lucas, Executive Chef Adam Sanderson and Culinary Director Damian Snell have worked together on creating the culinary offerings across the Maison Batard spaces — planing to deliver their own Melbourne interpretation of simple, regional French cuisine. They've also enlisted Grill Americano's Head Pastry Chef Michaela Kang to run the sweet offerings and Lucas Restaurants' Director of Wine Loïc Avril to curate the wine menu. Now that his restaurant empire has grown so much, Lucas has an exhaustive pool of talent to choose from, and he feels very comfortable having team members work across several venues. "There's an etiquette and culture surrounding French passions for food and dining that has always resonated with me, and I hope to capture some of this joie de vivre in a very Melbourne way with Maison Bâtard," shares Lucas. [caption id="attachment_883543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yakimono[/caption] Maison Bâtard is slated to open on Tuesday, November 26, and will be found at 23 Bourke Street, Melbourne. For more information, you can check out the venue's website.
Are the 2020s the golden age of dessert? It sure feels that way, with all the options of artisan ice cream, fruity matcha lattes, oh-so-thick cookies and hyper-realistic creative cakes. For Melbourne, there's one name in that last category that is making a name for itself as one of the best cake shops in town. Le Yeahllow has quickly climbed the ladder since opening into a post-COVID world desperate for a sugary escape from the dreary reality of life with a specialty fusion of flavour and design that results in cakes that look and taste one of a kind both instore and when delivered to your home. Concrete Playground sat down with the brand's founder, Samsky Yeung, to find out the story behind the snacks. How Did Le Yeahllow Come to Be? "So, the first shop used to be a Zumbo Patisserie. I worked in a cafe background, and most of my shops were in shopping centres, but then in the Melbourne lockdown, everything closed. One day, I was in South Yarra at Zumbo, and it was gone. It looked very empty and sad, but everything was still there, the kitchen and cool room were still there. It was COVID, and we were all bored at home, so I asked the guys if they wanted to do anything here. We decided to make the new shop yellow to give it some life and energy, and the name came from there to just make it a bit different. Cafes have a culture where you come in, get your smashed avocado, and leave. You can make food at home, but cafes have an experience. But [in lockdown], we couldn't deliver that experience, not in the same way. So we wanted to make something people could send to each other to check in when they couldn't see each other in real life. So we made this." Le Yeahllow Describes Itself as "Elegantly Playful", What Does That Mean for You? "If you want a chocolate cake or a tiramisu cake, I'm pretty sure any cake shop could do that. But if you want a mandarin chocolate cake, that's Le Yeahllow. When a cake is more than just a sponge and cream, when the cake has a reason, it becomes a design, it becomes elegant. But at the end of the day, a cake is something for everyone, it shouldn't be that expensive. It's not like you're buying Louis Vuitton, it's also playful. So we put it together, it's elegantly playful and I hope that's something everyone can enjoy." Do Any Specific Global Cuisines Influence Your Products? "A lot of people find us, and they think we're Japanese, but I'm from Hong Kong. What we make is fusion; we usually cook with French techniques, but a lot of our products, like the Yuzu Hatchimitsu or Hanami, use Japanese ingredients — like yuzu and cherry blossom. But one of my favourites is Le Mandarin. For Chinese people like myself, we see the mandarin, and we think it brings us luck, but the flavour profile of the cake is very English or Scottish, with mandarin, chocolate and ginger. So it's a fusion of all sorts. We use a lot of local ingredients, too: fruit from local farms, natives like Davidson plum, and a lot of chocolate. We use Japanese flavours, but you don't find much chocolate or nuts in Japanese or Asian bakeries. That's why we define ourselves as a cake shop; we don't limit ourselves, and we can serve something for everyone." Which Cake Do You Think Summarises the Brand Best? "That's a difficult question, but I do have an answer. My favourite is Le Mandarin, it's very elegant, very cool, very delicious. But imagine a kid taking a bite of that. Not every kid likes ginger, so it might not be the most popular. It's very important to have something everyone can like. It has to look good, it has to taste good, taste like Le Yeahllow, and I think that's our Mango Chiffon Cheesecake." Was There a Flavour That Never Left the Kitchen That You Wish You Could Revive? "Yes, it was last year: Chef Steven and I had sampled chocolate from our supplier Valrhona. It tasted like sweet corn and caramel, a really elegant product. It was in November, which is a busy period of preparing for Christmas, and the supplier gave us three days to come up with a flavour to hero that sweet corn flavour. So we went to the market, bought lots of different sweet corn, and did a blind tasting. A lot of people liked the chocolate, but with only three days and all the Christmas preparation…we tried, but we just couldn't launch it." Tell Us About the Rest of Your Talented Team, Who Makes What Happen? "It started with Chef Steven and me. We'd worked together at a cafe. Then lockdown hit, and nobody worked, so we called the [cafe] team and said, "Hey, if anybody needs work, you can help us make cakes, help with packaging, or help with delivery." That's how we started the business. Now it's me, then Chef Steven who looks after the cakes, the creativity, our general manager Vi runs the front of house and marketing, and trains all the staff — they don't have KPIs, we just teach them how to help people find the cake that's best for them." What's Next for Le Yeahllow? "So we have our new CBD store, that's our third outlet, which is very exciting. That's coming in at an unexpected angle, because it used to be a Black Star Pastry, but they closed all their Melbourne stores. It's very close to our original store, but it's very exciting for the brand. And for that new store we've created a new product, Barre De Chocolat, which looks like a chocolate bar but it's actually a cake. That comes in four flavours: Original Milk, Chocolate Yeahllow, White Raspberry and Pistachio Luxe, I'm really excited about those." Do You Think You'll Ever Expand Out of Melbourne? "I was just in Sydney, but I'm comfortable in Melbourne. I like the city. If you're really into money, work in finance, I don't need to be expanding, I don't need 100 stores. I'm happy with what I'm doing. If I can make a little money, too, that's good." For more information on Le Yeahllow, or to order a cake of your own, head in store or check out the website.
Byron Street's Small Graces is all about the simple enjoyment of food and self, brought to life by husband and wife duo Bec Howell and Diego Portilla Carreño. Here, they've combined an impressive resume of fine dining experience with a vast knowledge of healthy eating habits. The result is a menu of inventive brunch dishes, toasties, and tasty small bites and sides; the latter designed to level-up a meal, or be mixed and matched for a share plate. Menu standouts include the huevos pericos — Colombian-style spiced scrambled eggs teamed with avocado and fluffy corn cakes — and the curried roast chicken toastie with garlic aioli and stuffing. Bread is sourced from Dench Bakers, with coffee from Kensington mainstay Rumble. You'll also find a larger than average selection of fine teas, as well as a number of house-made smoothies and juices. [caption id="attachment_809954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Bicknell[/caption] Images: Jess Bicknell
Got a greasy pizza box that you can't recycle? Hold on to it, as you'll soon have a chance to put it to good use. That's because Pizza Hut is hosting its first-ever nationwide free pizza exchange, taking over stores across the country from 4–7pm on Friday, November 21, and celebrating the launch of their garlic and cheddar golden stuffed crust. Representing the latest evolution in Pizza Hut's ever-popular crust upgrade, this brand-new offering features a generous blend of cheddar cheese combined with signature hot dust garlic seasoning. Making for a golden, crispy finish that adds a whole new element to your slice, expect serious cheese pulls with every bite. With the prospect of free pizza almost impossible to resist, this fun-loving exchange will be up and running in four states. In NSW, head to Pizza Hut Surry Hills and Pizza Hut Waterloo, whereas QLD fans can visit Pizza Hut Forest Lake and Pizza Hut Runaway Bay. Meanwhile, Victorians can visit Pizza Hut South Melbourne, as those in WA are invited to complete the swap at Pizza Hut Morley. "Pizza Hut has always been about fun, flavour and innovation, and we wanted to give Aussies a reason to fall back in love with our crusts," says Pizza Hut Australia's Chief Marketing Officer, Wendy Leung. "The new Golden Stuffed Crust delivers on all three." If you decide to swing by your nearest exchange, the equation is simple. Just hand over a pizza box from any rival brand and walk out with a steaming hot Pizza Hut Golden Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizza. Why a rival? Well, the idea is that Pizza Hut is the only place to get the real deal when it comes to stuffed crust pizza that never misses the mark. Says Leung: "The Get Stuffed Free Pizza Exchange brings that spirit to life by giving people the chance to trade in their pizza frustrations for something they'll actually love." The Pizza Hut Get Stuffed Free Pizza Exchange is happening at various store locations around Australia from 4–7pm on Friday, November 21. Head to the website for more information. Images: supplied
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from April's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now Ripley Boasting The Night Of's Steven Zaillian as its sole writer and director — joining a list of credits that includes penning Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, and also winning an Oscar for Schindler's List — the latest exquisite jump into the Ripley realm doesn't splash around black-and-white hues as a mere stylistic preference. In this new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 book, the setting is still coastal Italy at its most picturesque, and therefore a place that most would want to revel in visually; Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr Ripley's director a quarter-century back, did so with an intoxicating glow. For Zaillian, however, stripping away the warm rays and beaches and hair, blue seas and skies, and tanned skin as well, ensures that all that glitters is never gold or even just golden in tone as he spends time with Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers). There's never even a glint of a hint of a travelogue aesthetic, with viewers confronted with the starkness of Tom's choices and actions — he is a conman and worse, after all — plus the shadows that he persists in lurking in and the impossibility of ever grasping everything that he desires in full colour. On the page and on the screen both before and now, the overarching story remains the same, though, in this new definitive take on the character. It's the early 60s rather than the late 50s in Ripley, but Tom is in New York, running fake debt-collection schemes and clinging to the edges of high-society circles, when he's made a proposal that he was never going to refuse. Herbert Greenleaf (filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, who has also acted in his own three features You Can Count on Me, Margaret and Manchester by the Sea) enlists him to sail to Europe to reunite with a friend, the shipping magnate's son Dickie (Johnny Flynn, One Life). As a paid gig, Tom is to convince the business heir to finally return home. But Dickie has no intention of giving up his Mediterranean leisure as he lackadaisically pursues painting — and more passionately spends his time with girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning, The Equalizer 3) — to join the family business. Ripley streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Fallout A young woman sheltered in the most literal sense there is, living her entire life in one of the subterranean facilities where humanity endeavours to start anew. A TV and movie star famed for his roles in westerns, then entertaining kids, then still alive but irradiated 219 years after the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles. An aspiring soldier who has never known anything but a devastated world, clinging to hopes of progression through the military. All three walk into the wasteland in Fallout, the live-action adaptation of the gaming series that first arrived in 1997. All three cross paths in an attempt to do all that anyone can in a post-apocalyptic hellscape: survive. So goes this leap into a world that's had millions mashing buttons through not only the OG game, but also three released sequels — a fourth is on the way — plus seven spinoffs. Even with Westworld' Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy as executive producers, giving Fallout the flesh-and-blood treatment is a massive and ambitious task. But where 2023 had The Last of Us, 2024 now has this; both are big-name dystopian titles that earned legions of devotees through gaming, and both are excellent in gripping and immersive fashion at making the move to television. Fallout's vision of one of the bleakest potential futures splits its focus between Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets), who has no concept of how humanity can exist on the surface when the show kicks off; Cooper Howard aka bounty hunter The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, I'm a Virgo), the screen gunslinger who saw the bombs fall and now wields weapons IRL; and Maximus (Aaron Moten, Emancipation), a trainee for the Brotherhood of Steel, which is committed to restoring order by throwing around its might (and using robotic armour). The show's lead casting is gleaming, to the point that imagining anyone but this trio of actors as Lucy, Howard-slash-The Ghoul and Maximus is impossible. Where else has Walton's resume, with its jumps between law-and-order efforts, westerns traditional and neo, and comedy — see: The Shield, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, The Hateful Eight, Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones, as a mere few examples — been leading than here? (And, next, also season three of The White Lotus.) Fallout streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Heartbreak High When Heartbreak High returned in 2022, the Sydney-set series benefited from a pivotal fact: years pass, trends come and go, but teen awkwardness and chaos is eternal. In its second season, Netflix's revival of the 1994–99 Australian favourite embraces the same idea. It's a new term at Hartley High, one that'll culminate in the Year 11 formal. Amerie (Ayesha Madon, Love Me) might be certain that she can change — doing so is her entire platform for running for school captain — but waiting for adulthood to start never stops being a whirlwind. Proving as easy to binge as its predecessor, Heartbreak High's eight new episodes reassemble the bulk of the gang that audiences were initially introduced to two years ago. Moving forward is everyone's planned path — en route to that dance, which gives the new batch of instalments its flashforward opening. The evening brings fire, literally. Among the regular crew, a few faces are missing in the aftermath. The show then rewinds to two months earlier, to old worries resurfacing, new faces making an appearance and, giving the season a whodunnit spin as well, to a mystery figure taunting and publicly shaming Amerie. The latter begins their reign of terror with a dead animal; Bird Psycho is soon the unknown culprit's nickname. Leaders, creepers, slipping between the sheets: that's Heartbreak High's second streaming go-around in a nutshell. The battle to rule the school is a three-person race, pitting Amerie against Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween) — one as progressive as Hartley, which already earns that label heartily, can get; the other season one's poster boy for jerkiness, toxicity and entitlement. Heightening the electoral showdown is a curriculum clash, with the SLT class introduced by Jojo Obah (Chika Ikogwe, The Tourist) last term as a mandatory response to the grade's behaviour questioned by Head of PE Timothy Voss (Angus Sampson, Bump). A new faculty member for the show, he's anti-everything that he deems a threat to traditional notions of masculinity. In Spider, Ant (Brodie Townsend, Significant Others) and others, he quickly has followers. Their name, even adorning t-shirts: CUMLORDS. Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Such Brave Girls If Such Brave Girls seems close to reality, that's because it is. In the A24 co-produced series — which joins the cult-favourite entertainment company's TV slate alongside other standouts such as Beef, Irma Vep, Mo and The Curse over the past two years — sisters Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson both star and take inspiration from their lives and personalities. Making their TV acting debuts together, the pair also play siblings. Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Davidson), their on-screen surrogates, are navigating life's lows not only when the show's six-part first season begins, but as it goes on. The entire setup was sparked by a phone conversation between the duo IRL, when one had attempted to take her life twice and the other was £20,000 in debt. For most, a sitcom wouldn't come next; however, laughing at and lampooning themselves, and seeing the absurdity as well, is part of Such Brave Girls' cathartic purpose for its driving forces. If you've ever thought "what else can you do?" when finding yourself inexplicably chuckling at your own misfortune, that's this series — this sharp, unsparing, candid, complex and darkly comedic series — from start to finish. Creating the three-time BAFTA-nominated show, writing it and leading, Sadler plays Josie as a bundle of nerves and uncertainty. The character is in her twenties, struggling with her mental health and aspiring to be an artist, but is largely working her way through a never-ending gap year. Davidson's Billie is the eternally optimistic opposite — albeit really only about the fact that Nicky (Sam Buchanan, Back to Black), the guy that she's hooking up with, will eventually stop cheating on her, fall in love and whisk her away to Manchester to open a vodka bar bearing her name. Both girls live at home with their mother Deb (Louise Brealey, Lockwood & Co), who also sees a relationship as the solution to her problems, setting her sights on the iPad-addicted Dev (Paul Bazely, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) a decade after Josie and Billie's father went out for teabags and never came home. With actor-slash-director Simon Bird behind the lens — alongside first-timer Marco Alessi on one episode — if Such Brave Girls seems like it belongs in the same acerbically comedic realm as The Inbetweeners and Everyone Else Burns, there's a reason for that, too. Such Brave Girls streams via Stan. Read our full review. Baby Reindeer A person walking into a bar. The words "sent from my iPhone". A comedian pouring their experiences into a one-performer play. A twisty true-crime tale making the leap to the screen. All four either feature in, inspired or describe Baby Reindeer. All four are inescapably familiar, too, but the same can't be said about this seven-part Netflix series. Written by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, and also based on his real-life experiences, this is a bleak, brave, revelatory, devastating and unforgettable psychological thriller. It does indeed begin with someone stepping inside a pub — and while Gadd plays a comedian on-screen as well, don't go waiting for a punchline. When Martha (Jessica Gunning, The Outlaws) enters The Heart in Camden, London in 2015, Donny Dunn (Gadd, Wedding Season) is behind the counter. "I felt sorry for her. That's the first feeling I felt," the latter explains via voiceover. Perched awkwardly on a stool at the bar, Martha is whimpering to herself. She says that she can't afford to buy a drink, even a cup of tea. Donny takes pity, offering her one for free — and her face instantly lights up. That's the fateful moment, one of sorrow met with kindness, that ignites Baby Reindeer's narrative and changes Donny's life. After that warm beverage, The Heart instantly has a new regular. Sipping Diet Cokes from then on (still on the house), Martha is full of stories about all of the high-profile people that she knows and her high-flying lawyer job. But despite insisting that she's constantly busy, she's also always at the bar when Donny is at work, sticking around for his whole shifts. She chats incessantly about herself, folks that he doesn't know and while directing compliments Donny's way. He's in his twenties, she's in her early forties — and he can see that she's smitten, letting her flirt. He notices her laugh. He likes the attention, not to mention getting his ego stroked. While he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he's friendly. She isn't just an infatuated fantasist, however; she's chillingly obsessed to an unstable degree. She finds his email address, then starts messaging him non-stop when she's not nattering at his workplace. (IRL, Gadd received more than 40,000 emails.) Baby Reindeer streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV One of the most difficult episodes of documentary television to watch in 2024 hails from five-part series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. It's also essential to see. In its third chapter, this dive into the reality behind Nickelodeon's live-action children's TV success from the late-90s onwards gives the microphone to Drake Bell, who unravels his experiences while first working on The Amanda Show (led by Amanda Bynes, Easy A) and then on Drake & Josh (co-starring Josh Peck, Oppenheimer) — specifically his interactions with dialogue coach Brian Peck, who became immersed in Bell's life to a disturbing degree and was convicted in 2004 of sexually assaulting him. The case wasn't a major scandal at the time, incredulously. Even with Bell's name withheld because he was a minor, it was the second instance of a Nickelodeon staff member being arrested for such horrendous crimes in mere months, and yet widespread media coverage and public awareness didn't follow. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV marks the first time that Bell talks about it publicly. Witnessing him speak through the details is as harrowing as it is heartbreaking. Originally releasing as four episodes, then adding a fifth hosted by journalist Soledad O'Brien to reflect upon the revelations covered, this docuseries has much that's distressing in its sights — much of it under television producer Dan Schneider. From sketch series All That onwards, he was a Nickelodeon bigwig; Kenan & Kel, Zoey 101, iCarly and Sam & Cat are also among the shows on his resume. Former child actors such as Giovonnie Samuels, Bryan Hearne, Alexa Nikolas, Katrina Johnson, Kyle Sullivan, Raquel Lee and Leon Frierson talk about the pressures on set, and the inappropriate jokes that they didn't realise were inappropriate jokes worked into their material. Ex-The Amanda Show writers Christy Stratton (Freeridge) and Jenny Kilgen step through the misogynistic environment among the creatives; that they were forced to split a salary between them but do the same amount of work as their male colleagues is only the beginning. Parents, including Bell's father Joe, share their unsurprisingly upset perspectives. Bynes' post-Nickelodeon fortunes also get the spotlight. Clips and behind-the-scenes footage are weaved in throughout, too, and looking at any of the network's shows from the era the same way again is impossible. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV streams via Binge. Scoop What did it take to get one of the most important interviews with a member of the royal family that has ever aired on British television (and most important interviews in general)? That's Scoop's question — and not only do director Philip Martin (The Crown) and screenwriters Peter Moffat (61st Street) and Geoff Bussetil (The English Game) ask it while adapting Sam McAlister's 2022 book Scoops, but their compelling journalism thriller answers it in detail. The bulk of the feature is set in 2019, spending its time among the BBC staff at news and current affairs show Newsnight as they first try to lock in and then attempt to execute a chat with Prince Andrew. The end result, aka the program's 'Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal' episode, will go down in history; even if you didn't see it then or haven't since, everyone knows of that discussion and its ramifications. Getting it to the screen was the result of hard work, dedication and smarts on the parts of booker and producer McAllister, host Emily Maitlis and editor Esme Wren — and a tale that deserves to be just as well known. Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) plays McAllister as whip-smart, fiercely determined and indefatigable when she's chasing a story, but undervalued at her job, so much so that her colleagues regularly accuse her of wasting time following up the wrong guests instead of simply complying with their requests. She's certain that a class clash isn't helping — and just as confident that she knows what she's doing, including when she begins corresponding with the Duke of York's (Rufus Sewell, Kaleidoscope) private secretary Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes, Orphan Black: Echoes) about getting him on-camera to discuss his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. She needs backup from both Maitlis (Gillian Anderson, Sex Education) and Wren (Romola Garai, One Life), as well as the entire team's support, in bringing the chat to fruition. Just like the IRL interview itself, this polished how-it-happened procedural is riveting viewing as it slides into its genre alongside Spotlight and She Said. Scoop streams via Netflix. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Sugar Colin Farrell's recent hot streak continues. After a busy few years that've seen him earn Oscar and BAFTA nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin, collect a Gotham Awards nod for After Yang, steal scenes so heartily in The Batman that TV spinoff The Penguin is on the way and pick up the Satellite Awards' attention for The North Water, Sugar now joins his resume. The Irish actor's television credits are still few — and, until his True Detective stint in 2015, far between — but it's easy to see what appealed to him about leading this mystery series. From the moment that the Los Angeles-set noir effort begins — in Tokyo, in fact — it drips with intrigue. Farrell's John Sugar, the show's namesake, is a suave private detective who takes a big Hollywood case against his handler Ruby's (Kirby, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) recommendation. He's soon plunged into shadowy City of Angels chaos, bringing The Big Sleep, Chinatown, LA Confidential and Under the Silver Lake to mind, and loving movie history beyond sharing the same genre as said flicks. Softly spoken, always crispy dressed, understandably cynical and frequently behind the wheel of a blue vintage convertible, Sugar, the PI, is a film fan. The series bakes that love and its own links to cinema history into its very being through spliced-in clips and references elsewhere — and also foregrounds the idea that illusions, aka what Tinseltown so eagerly sells via its celluloid dreams, are inescapable in its narrative in the process. Twists come, not just including a brilliant move that reframes everything that comes before, but as Sugar endeavours to track down Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler, Don't Worry Darling). She's the granddaughter of worried legendary film producer Jonathan (James Cromwell, Succession); daughter of less-concerned (and less-renowned) fellow producer Bernie (Dennis Boutsikaris, Better Call Saul); half-sister of former child star David (Nate Corddry, Barry), who is on the comeback trail; and ex-step daughter of pioneering rocker Melanie (Amy Ryan, Beau Is Afraid). Trying to find her inspires heated opposition. Also sparked: an excellently cast series that splashes its affection of film noir and LA movies gone by across its frames, but is never afraid to be its own thing. Sugar streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Sympathizer Fresh from winning an Oscar for getting antagonistic in times gone by as United States Atomic Energy Commission chair Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr gets antagonistic in times gone by again in The Sympathizer — as a CIA handler, a university professor, a politician and a Francis Ford Coppola-esque filmmaker on an Apocalypse Now-style movie, for starters. In another addition to his post-Marvel resume that emphasises how great it is to see him stepping into the shoes of someone other than Tony Stark, he takes on multiple roles in this espionage-meets-Vietnam War drama, which adapts Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name. But Downey Jr is never the show's lead, which instead goes to Australian Hoa Xuande (Last King of the Cross). The latter plays the Captain, who works for South Vietnamese secret police in Saigon before the city's fall, and is also a spy for the North Vietnamese communist forces. It's his memories, as typed out at a reeducation camp, that guide the seven-part miniseries' narrative — jumping back and forth in time, as recollections do, including to his escape to America. As the Captain relays the details of his mission and attempts to work both sides, The Sympathizer isn't just flitting between flashbacks as a structural tactic. The act of remembering is as much a focus as the varied contents of the Captain's memories — to the point that rewinding to add more context to a scene that's just been shown, or noting that he didn't specifically witness something but feels as if he can fill in the gap, also forms the storytelling approach. Perspective and influence are high among the show's concerns, too, as the Captain navigates the sway of many colonial faces (making Downey Jr's multiple roles a powerful and revealing touch) both in Vietnam and in the US. Behind it all off-screen is a filmmaker with a history of probing the tales that we tell ourselves and get others believing, as seen in stone-cold revenge-thriller classic Oldboy, 2022's best film Decision to Leave and 2018 miniseries The Little Drummer Girl: the inimitable Park Chan-wook. He co-created The Sympathizer for the screen with Don McKellar (Blindness) and it always bears is imprint, whether or not he's directing episodes — he helms three — with his piercing style, or getting help from Fernando Meirelles (who has been busy with this and Sugar) and Marc Munden (The Third Day). The Sympathizer streams via Binge. Loot Across ten extremely amusing initial episodes in 2022, Loot had a message: billionaires shouldn't exist. So declared the show's resident cashed-up character, with Molly Wells (Maya Rudolph, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) receiving $87 billion in her divorce from tech guru John Novak (Adam Scott, Madame Web), then spending most of the sitcom's first season working out what to do with it (and also how to handle her newly single life in general). That she had a foundation to her name was virtually news to her. So was much about everything beyond the ultra-rich. And, she was hardly equipped for being on her own. But Loot's debut run came to an entertaining end with the big statement that it was always uttering not so quietly anyway. So what happens next, after one of the richest people in the world decides to give away all of her money? Cue season two of this ace workplace-set comedy. Created by former Parks and Recreation writers Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, in their second Rudolph-starring delight — 2018's Forever was the first — Loot splices together three popular on-screen realms as it loosely draws parallels with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his philanthropist ex-wife MacKenzie Scott. At her charity, as Molly's staff become the kind of friends that feel like family while doing their jobs, shows such as 30 Rock and Superstore (which Hubbard also has on his resume) score an obvious sibling. As its protagonist endeavours to do good, be better and discover what makes a meaningful life, The Good Place (which Yang also wrote for) and Forever get company. And in enjoying its eat-the-rich mode as well, it sits alongside Succession and The White Lotus, albeit while being far sillier. Loot streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Big Door Prize If there was a Morpho machine IRL rather than just in The Big Door Prize, and it dispensed cards that described the potential of TV shows instead of people, this is what it might spit out about the series that it's in: "comforting". For a mystery-tinged dramedy filled with people trying to work out who they are and truly want to be after an arcade game-esque console appears in their small town, this page-to-screen show has always proven both cathartic and relatable viewing. Its timing, dropping season one in 2023 as the pandemic-inspired great reset was well and truly in full swing, is a key factor. Last year as well as now — with season two currently upon us — this is a series that speaks to the yearning to face existential questions that couldn't be more familiar in a world where COVID-19 sparked a wave of similar "who am I?" musings on a global scale. The difference for the residents of Deerfield in this second spin: their journey no longer simply involves pieces of cardboard that claim to know where the bearer should be expending their energy, but also spans new animated videos that transform their inner thoughts and hopes into 32-bit clips. When the Morpho first made its presence known, high-school teacher Dusty (Chris O'Dowd, Slumberland) was cynical. Now he's taking the same route as everyone else in his community — including his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis, The Upshaws) and daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara, Fitting In) — by letting it steer his decisions. But whether he's making moves that'll impact his marriage, or his restaurant-owning best friend Giorgio (Josh Segarra, The Other Two) is leaping into a new relationship with Cass' best friend Nat (Mary Holland, The Afterparty), or other townsfolk are holding the Morpho up as a source of wisdom, easy happiness rarely follows. Season two of this David West Read (Schitt's Creek)-developed series still treats its magical machine as a puzzle for characters and viewers to attempt to solve, but it also digs deeper into the quest for answers that we all undertake while knowing deep down that there's no such thing as a straightforward meaning of life. As well as being extremely well-cast and thoughtful, it's no wonder that The Big Door Prize keeps feeling like staring in a mirror — and constantly intriguing as well. The Big Door Prize streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. An Excellent Recent Film You Might've Missed Showing Up Kelly Reichardt and Michelle Williams are one of cinema's all-time great pairings. After 2008's Wendy and Lucy, 2010's Meek's Cutoff and 2016's Certain Women, all divine, add Showing Up to the reasons that their collaborations are an event. Again, writer/director Reichardt hones in on characters who wouldn't grace the screen otherwise, and on lives that rarely do the same. With her trademark empathy, patience and space, she spends time with people and problems that couldn't be more relatable as well. Her first picture since 2019's stunning First Cow, which didn't feature Williams, also feels drawn from the filmmaker's reality. She isn't a sculptor in Portland working an administration job at an arts and crafts college while struggling to find the time to create intricate ceramic figurines, but she is one of America's finest auteurs in an industry that so scarcely values the intricacy and artistry of her work. No one needs to have stood exactly in Showing Up's protagonist's shoes, or in Reichardt's, to understand that tussle — or the fight for the always-elusive right balance between passion and a paycheque, all while everyday chaos, family drama and the minutiae of just existing also throws up roadblocks. Showing Up couldn't have a better title. For Lizzy (Wiliams, The Fabelmans), who spends the nine-to-five grind at her alma mater with her mother (Maryann Plunkett, Manifest) as her boss, everything she does — or needs or wants to — is about doing exactly what the movie's moniker says. That doesn't mean that she's thrilled about it. She definitely isn't happy about her frenemy, neighobour and landlord Jo (Hong Chau, Asteroid City), who won't fix her hot water, couldn't be more oblivious to anyone else's problems and soon has her helping play nurse to an injured pidgeon. Reichardt spins the film's narrative around Lizzy's preparations for a one-night-only exhibition, including trying to carve out the hours needed to finish her clay pieces amid her job, the bird, advocating for a liveable home, professional envy and concerns for her alienated brother (John Magaro, Past Lives). The care and detail that goes into Lizzy's figurines is mirrored in Reichardt's own efforts, in another thoughtful and resonant masterpiece that does what all of the filmmaker's masterpieces do: says everything even when nothing is being uttered, proves a wonder of observation, boasts a pitch-perfect cast and isn't easily forgotten. Showing Up streams via Netflix. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February and March this year, and also from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer.
When it comes to a snow holiday in Australia, Thredbo is at the top of a lot of people's lists. And, after the ski resort was named Australia's best for the fifth year running at the World Ski Awards earlier this year it makes sense that so many holiday makers flock there each winter. If you're not a regular at Thredbo, you might be wondering what exactly makes it stand out from other snow holiday destinations — and that's where we come in. Turns out there's a whole lot more on offer than exceptional alpine activities, from live music to excellent food and, of course, the top-notch skiing and snowboarding. We've teamed up with Thredbo to showcase all the cool ways to have fun there this winter. THE NIGHTLIFE A fully fledged nightlife scene might not be the first thing you imagine when you picture Thredbo. But, at this bustling alpine village, that's exactly what you'll find. The après ski sessions at Thredbo attract loads of snow lovers every year. And, the jewel in the crown at this year's winter festivities is the return of the much-loved evening soirée First Base happening across three Saturdays — July 26, August 20 and September 3. In the past the music event has featured artists like Hayden James, Mickey Kojack, Touch Sensitive and Joyride, and its 2022 lineup is set to be just as impressive. There'll also be regular music events on weekends at Merritts Mountain House and plenty of fun to be had at Alpine Bar. THE FEASTS Thredbo is filled with top-notch eats to keep you fuelled for those big days on the mountains. But it's not just delicious eats that the hospitality venues are serving up. Some of these incredible feasts are their own full-blown events. One upcoming highlight is the Bavarian-inspired dinner happening every Saturday evening from June 18 till September 17 at Merritts Mountain House. To get there, you'll ride a gondola under a starry night sky to your dining destination before enjoying a gluhwein on arrival and an unforgettable feast to follow. Another stand out culinary experience is the Kareela Hutte Snowcat Dinner happening on Wednesdays from July 13 till August 31 — complete with a snowcat ride, champagne and a four-course dinner at the cosy European-style hut, no less. THE SPECIAL SNOW EVENTS A trip to Thredbo wouldn't be complete without some time on the slopes. And there are loads of different ways to get your fix on the mountain that go beyond your standard snowboarding and skiing. Consider yourself an early bird? Wake up before the sun and see it rise from the top of Australia's highest lifted point with a sunrise session. You'll get to have breakfast at the country's highest restaurant, Eagles Nest, and then carve the first tracks into the longest run in the country after the overnight snowfall. If you time your trip right, you might even get to catch some of the action at the Thredbo Snow Series competition, the eighth Annual Transfer Banked Slalom snowboarding event or get involved in Australia's longest and fastest downhill race, Top to Bottom, for it's 30th race happening on August 6. Ready to lock in a trip to the snow this winter? For more information and to book, visit the website. Or, enter the competition before February 28 to win a VIP trip to the slopes this winter.
Centre Place really is the most ideal Melbourne laneway for people watching, and at Hell's Kitchen you get a birds eye view above the crowds. Plenty of local beers on tap and an intriguing wine list is topped off with house-infused vodka — flavours including chilli, lychee and ginger and honey. We'd recommend popping in here for an afternoon drink and a catch up, and, if you're peckish, they serve food until 10pm. To see more of our top ten laneway bars in Melbourne, look here.
