For a new pub on a prime piece of Fitzroy real estate, The Stone Hotel doesn't particularly feel very Fitzroy. Which isn't a bad thing — it's just a thing. In renovating the old Cape Lounge, the Tom Tschuis (both father and son share the same name) removed internal walls and some of the roof to transform the building on the corner of Johnston and Brunswick streets into the high ceilinged, spacious and somewhat minimalist venue they've reincarnated as The Stone Hotel. And as you would expect from this part of town, there is the exposed brick, white-walled and industrial steel beams we've come to know and love, and ironic moustaches and sleeve tattoos abound. But it is perhaps just too brightly lit, too vague in its intentions and what kind of bar it wants to be. It's just a little hard to know who they are catering for. But having only been open since the start of June, Tom (the younger of the two) says they are taking a relaxed approach to finding their feet. The Stone Hotel, while not wanting to be known as a gastropub, wants to serve great craft beer and good food. They have certainly nailed the craft beer part of the equation with two by ten taps pouring a rotating array of craft brews from Parrot Dog, 4 Pines, Sample and other well-received beers. Not a wine bar, the wine list is small with only three choices offered by the glass in both the white and the red sections. The menu, by head chef Luke Eckersall from The Farm Cafe and Ladro, is a work in two parts: a selection of share plates and a seasonal 'Winter Warmers' menu, which offers some hearty slow-cooked meat and vegan dishes. The braised beef cheeks on mash were tender and full of pull-apart tastiness, offset with a garnish of pickled vegetables. The sharing side of the menu features smaller offerings of oysters or prawns or crunchy crumbed cheddar and pickled walnut croquettes through to larger options, such as the slow cooked lamb ribs or the sirloin. Eckersall's signature dish — bacon doughnuts with whipped bay leaf butter — have been popular, which, when you think about it, is hardly surprising in this doughnut-crazed town. There's also a burger section, with both traditional meat and vegan options. The cheeseburger is a favourite here, and while the patty could do with more flavour and substance, it still satisfies as a standard burger with a serving of fat chips. Up top is a 33-square-metre first floor beer garden, which, with its location on Brunswick Street, should prove a drawcard as the weather gets warmer. If you're looking for a cosy dining experience with great food and service, you might be better off elsewhere. But if you're after a night out with craft beer, interesting bar snacks and rooftop possibilities, The Stone Hotel is for you.
Nearly two decades have passed since a pair of Melbourne talents made a low-budget horror flick that became a franchise-starting smash, sparking their Hollywood careers. Thanks to Saw, James Wan and Leigh Whannell experienced every aspiring filmmaker's absolute fantasy — a dream they're still living now, albeit increasingly on separate paths. Wan's latest, Malignant, is firmly grounded in those horror roots, however. Most of the Insidious and The Conjuring director's resume has been, aside from recent action-blockbuster detours to Fast and Furious 7, Aquaman and the latter's upcoming sequel. With Malignant, though, he shows how strongly he remains on the same page as his former collaborator. Anyone who's seen Whannell's excellent Upgrade and The Invisible Man will spot the parallels, in fact, even if Malignant is the far schlockier of the three. Malignant is also an exercise in patience, because plenty about its first half takes its time — and, when that's the case, the audience feels every drawn-out second. But after Wan shifts from slow setup mode to embracing quite the outrageous and entertainingly handled twist, his film swiftly becomes a devilish delight. Heavily indebted to the 70s-era works of giallo master Dario Argento, David Cronenberg's body-horror greats and 80s scary movies in general, Malignant uses its influences as fuel for big-swinging, batshit-level outlandishness. Most flicks can't segue from a slog to a B-movie gem. Most films can't be saved by going so berserk, either. Wan's tenth stint behind the lens can and does, and leaves a limb-thrashing, blood-splattering, gleefully chaotic imprint. Perhaps it's a case of like name, like approach; tumours can grow gradually, then make their havoc felt. Regardless, it doesn't take long within Malignant for Dr Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) to proclaim that "it's time to cut out the cancer" while treating a locked-up patient in the film's 1992-set prologue. This is a horror movie, so that whole event doesn't turn out well, naturally. Jump forward a few decades, and the feature's focus is now Seattle resident Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis, Boss Level), who is hoping to carry her latest pregnancy with her abusive husband to term. But then his violent temper erupts again, she receives a head injury, and childhood memories start mixing with visions of gruesome killings linked to Dr Weaver's eerie hospital — visions that Madison sees as the murders occur. Bearing telepathic witness to horrific deaths is an intriguing concept, although hardly a new one — and, that aforementioned first scene aside, it's also the most interesting part of Malignant's opening half. Wan and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Grimm, The 100) play it all straight and obvious, including when the cops (Containment's George Young and Songbird's Michole Briana White) are skeptical about Madison's claims. That leaves only her younger sister Sydney (Maddie Hasson, Mr Mercedes) believing what's going on, and leaves the movie a plodding psychological-meets-supernatural thriller predicated upon routinely predictable but improbable character decisions. It makes the second half feel positively electrifying in contrast, when the big shift in tone comes, but also makes viewers wonder what might've been if that lurid look and kinetic feel had been present the whole way through. When the change arrives — with exactly why and how clearly one of those horror-movie details best discovered by watching — Malignant proves deliriously riveting. It sports a creepy yet slinky vibe, as well as a surging and hypnotic sense of physicality, all attuned to an inventive revelation that's all its own. The script's huge surprise isn't actually hard to pick, but Wan's execution is masterful and mesmerising. Here, the film becomes gloriously slick and pulpy, instead of relying upon the usual gradual zoom-in shots or sticking with an almost-house style (cinematographer Michael Burgess also lensed the Wan-produced Annabelle Comes Home, The Curse of the Weeping Woman and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It). It also evolves from a formulaically jangling score and soundscape to one with nervy purpose, embraces the kind of ridiculousness that'd be downright silly if it wasn't so well done, and adds a fresh sense of spirit to the possession-fuelled side of the genre. Wan has rarely made dull movies, after all, which is another reason that Malignant's long-gestating first section feels like a drag. Indeed, when the sagas his movies have sparked have been at their most generic, he hasn't been at the helm. That said, the fact that Malignant truly needs to grow on its audience, that it's firmly a picture of two halves, and that it starts with the unrestrained, lets it fall away, then sneaks up on the unsuspecting — that really couldn't be more apt once the film spills its narrative secrets. While Malignant isn't a character study by any means, Wallis breathes as much depth as she can into Madison in the movie's flatter half — and, in her third appearance in a Wan-related flick after The Conjuring spinoffs Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation, commits to the lunacy when it hits. Her co-stars have a much more standard time, including acclaimed stuntperson and Quentin Tarantino regular Zoe Bell (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) in a brief appearance, but this isn't a performance-driven film, either. It also isn't all that scary. Although Malignant can be sublimely off-kilter, that isn't the same eliciting genuine bumps and jumps. Still, when a horror flick shocks, delights and takes viewers on the type of wild and audacious ride that Malignant eventually serves up, it stands out. And yes, like much of Wan's work, it'll undoubtedly spawn a franchise.
When winter rolls around, it's all too easy to hide away and only catch glimpses of the outside world through your Instagram feed. This year, fight the urge to bundle up on the couch for the next few months and go cure the inevitable wanderlust you'll get from scrolling through social media. You don't even have to go that far. Especially when spots like Port Stephens are an easy 2.5-hour drive away. You might associate the area with sun and surf, but it's packed with spots that are perfect for chilly days, too. Picture yourself kicking back in a comfy couch with a top-shelf tipple while staring out at still water. Or, how about blissing out in a hot tub after an aromatherapy massage? Then there are the whales. 'Tis the season for watching after all. We've got your itinerary covered below. Now, all you've gotta do is book the trip. [caption id="attachment_774058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SET SAIL TO WATCH FOR WHALES Between May and October every year, thousands of humpback whales swim along Australia's east coast, and one of the best places to watch them just so happens to be Port Stephens. Climb aboard a tour that you can book though Concrete Playground Trips to spend three hours cruising in the deep, looking out for tail slaps, body rolls and breaches. Alternatively, stick to the land — some of the best spots include Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, Anna Bay and Fishermans Bay. GET UP CLOSE TO AUSTRALIA'S CUTEST MARSUPIALS We bet you have a soft spot for koalas because, well, who doesn't? And if you want to see these cuddly creatures up close — and contribute to local preservation and conservation efforts — we suggest paying a visit to Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Set within eight hectares of bushland, the sanctuary includes a koala hospital, Sanctuary Story Walk (a 250-metre pathway telling the story of the koala and its habitat) and the Newcastle Airport Skywalk — a 225-metre elevated pathway that provides a treetop-style experience in the koalas' natural habitat. The sanctuary has accommodation on-site, too, including glamping tents and suites, if you'd like to spend a little longer in the koalas' bushland retreat. Overnight guests are treated to an early-morning tour during the morning feeding routine, so you can see the koalas at their most active. INDULGE IN A TREATMENT AT SPA LUCCA A really good winter escape should involve a long spa treatment, which you'll conveniently find at Spa Lucca. As soon as you step into the peaceful, ocean-inspired surroundings, you'll feel instantly at ease. The extensive menu covers aromatherapy massages, chakra balancing sessions, body polishes and plenty more, including several signature 'rituals'. There's also a blissful private bath, where you can soak your stresses away, as well as a sauna and steam room. To go all-out, book a package, which bundles a bunch of treatments into one ultra-relaxing session. [caption id="attachment_774065" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] GO ON A 4WD BEACH AND SAND DUNE ADVENTURE This 4WD trek takes you to all the best bits of Birubi Beach, including the famous Stockton Sand Dunes — the biggest dunes in the entire Southern Hemisphere. At the dunes, the guide will take you sandboarding with all the equipment provided. It's guaranteed to be the most fun you've had since you threw yourself down a grassy hillside as a kid. Then you'll glide across the coast to gawk at stunning sites and search for pipis wiggling about the shore. You can then take a few back to your accom to taste later. GO TOP SHELF IN A WHISKY BAR Your wintry escapades continue at Moby's Bar. Sink into a leather lounge, surrounded by mahogany and stone, and sip your way through whiskies from all over the world. There are even a few bottles from Port Ellen, on the island of Islay, which closed in 1983 and is now considered one of the most coveted drops on the planet. To sample some top whiskies, head there between 4–6pm for happy hour. Afterwards, head to The Wild Herring to feast on local seafood, like seared scallop croquettes and Moreton Bay bug pies — nothing says winter by the beach quite like a hot seafood pie. EAT OYSTERS STRAIGHT FROM THE FARM For some people, loving oysters is in their blood. Take the Holberts, a Port Stephens family who've been farming the tasty little molluscs for five generations. Their business is now one of the biggest oyster producers in New South Wales — even with plenty of fierce competition. The best part of all this is that you're welcome to drop by the farm, chat about what they've learned over the past 100 or so years and taste the results — freshly shucked. Plus, you can do all that while sitting on the waterfront and sipping a beer or wine. And, if you happen to have a bottle of something special in your suitcase, you're welcome to BYO (wine only). [caption id="attachment_716523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Spencer OEH[/caption] STROLL ALONG WRECK BEACH There are 26 beaches in Port Stephens, so it's never difficult to find a stretch of sand to call yours for a day. While many are well-known to locals and visitors, others are harder to find — and don't attract as many weekend crowds. One of these is Wreck Beach, a glorious cove tucked away behind Shoal Bay. To get there, and feed your intrepid spirit at the same time, take the Wreck Beach Walk (currently closed for repairs), a one-kilometre trek through coastal angophora forest. Once you're on the sand, keep a lookout for whales and dolphins; Port Stephens is home to a resident dolphin community, which numbers somewhere between 90 and 120. [caption id="attachment_716286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] High Tea at Galley Kitchen[/caption] HAVE HIGH TEA WITH UNLIMITED BUBBLY If there's one delicious way to while away a winter's afternoon, it has to be at a high tea with bottomless sparkling wine. And the only way you could make it even better is with tranquil, dreamy waterscapes to gaze at — which is exactly what you'll get in The Galley Kitchen. Set in an airy, light-filled space with expansive views over Port Stephens, the tea is available every day from 2.30–4.30pm. It'll set you back $89 but that includes unlimited sparkling wine, plus as much Ronnefeldt Tea as you can drink. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Tomaree Head Summit, Destination NSW
If brutal honesty, passionate angst and extraordinarily affecting personal songwriting is your jam, rejoice the return of Martha Wainwright to Australia for a massive, 12-date national tour. Part of a large, fractured musical family, it was perhaps fitting that Martha made her first big splash with 'Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole', a song at once heartbreaking and defiant, laying bare her difficult relationship with her father in an extraordinarily public way. And her forthcoming album, Come Home to Mama, continues this deeply personal approach to music, inspired by the six-month period in which she gave birth to her first child and lost her mother — legendary Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle — to cancer. But it's not all doom and gloom. Over the years Wainwright has established herself as a compelling and engaging performer with an extraordinary voice, one that will have you in tears one moment and tapping your feet the next. It won't be an easy night, but it could be an amazing one. 31 May – The Tivoli, Brisbane 1-2 June – Byron Theatre, Byron Bay 6 June – Sydney Opera House 8-9 June – Live n Cookin' @ Lizotte's, Newcastle 13 June – Theatre Royal, Hobart 14-15 June – Recital Centre, Melbourne 16 June – Memorial Hall, Leongatha (VIC) 20 June – Dunston Playhouse, Adelaide 22 June – Astor Theatre, Perth Tickets for the Sydney Opera House show are on sale on Friday, April 12, at 9am. More ticketing information here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pX-bIr8dr6U
Part cafe, part convenience store, Brother Alec is where you can pick up a carton of free-range eggs and organic, fairtrade coffee to take home as you order a handheld hangover buster and an iced batch brew for right now. The team opened the Thornbury eatery in 2011, and Jess, Malia and the rest of the hospo crew pride themselves on the family welcome they impart on everyone who wanders by. Brother Alec also caters, so you can feast on the vegan club, or ham and cheddar ciabatta rolls during your team meeting or family get-together. But we suggest sitting in and ordering one of the HLAT sandwiches — halloumi, rocket, avocado and tomato – that's just as salty as its bacon brother, but a little healthier. It's so popular the team can't take it off the menu. Image: Katie Wilton.
There's only one thing better than jumping in the car and travelling to a place you've never been before, and that's knowing that, upon arrival, you've got days of discovering epic food and drinks ahead of you. And if there's one area in Victoria that offers a plethora of hot restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs to get around, it's the Bendigo region, which includes Heathcote, Castlemaine, Maldon, Maryborough, Talbot, Inglewood and Wedderburn. This collection of towns feature some of the most gorgeous spots to have a meal or two (or three) and, good news, the region's less than two hours from Melbourne's CBD. So, if you can muster up the energy to leave the couch and head off on a weekend getaway this winter, make it the Bendigo region — we've got you sorted for all the best bars, pubs and eateries to hit up while you're there. TUCK INTO SMOKY MEATS AT THE WOODHOUSE The Woodhouse is, as you may have guessed from the name, all about wood, smoke and fire — so, expect plenty of grilled and roasted meats and seafood, wood-fired pizza and more. This beloved Bendigo eatery boasts several different types of grills, which burn through around 40 tonnes of local red gum per year and bestow distinctive flavours and heavenly caramelisation on everything they come into contact with. Priding itself on its veritably strong connection to the local land, The Woodhouse spotlights some of the area's most revered producers, farms and vineyards. Step into the warm brick dining room, brimming with happy locals and the aroma of woody smoke, and you'll feel right at home. [caption id="attachment_731734" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] HAVE DINNER INSIDE A HISTORIC THEATRE Located in one of Australia's oldest theatres, the Theatre Royal, Lola is an easygoing eatery with simple furnishings and decor, low lighting and food that feels like you're eating a perfect homemade meal at a mate's place. All of the pizza and pasta options are sublime — boasting fresh and innovative combinations while maintaining a rustic aesthetic. After dinner, explore more of what the Theatre Royal has to offer — after a much-celebrated reopening in 2016, the historic building is now a live music venue and cinema and also houses an espresso and wine bar. [caption id="attachment_747407" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Masons of Bendigo[/caption] ENJOY AN ARTFUL FEAST AT MASONS OF BENDIGO Artfully housed in the historical Mason glass factory, this buzzing restaurant places focus on colour, distinctive plating and small-scale local produce. The modern interior by Russell & George, featuring white brick walls, black chairs and bright timber, brings an airy, casual vibe to the upscale meal you'll be eating. Yep, Masons is one of the most relaxed fine dining experiences one can find. Try one of the Roaming menus ($69.50 per person for dinner or a very affordable $36.50 for lunch), which allows chefs Nick and Sonia Anthony to give you a true tasting tour of Victoria's luscious produce, intricately woven together to create edible art on the share-style plates. ENJOY A HEARTY PUB FEED IN THIS STUNNING HERITAGE BUILDING The Bull and Mouth Hotel was closed for a decade until locals Mick and Jo Reid finally reopened it following extensive renovations by a developer. The reopening in 2017 brought a bright, spacious boutique hotel, cafe and restaurant to the area. The hotel, which originally opened around 1904, is historically significant to Maryborough. Its resplendent Edwardian architecture — uncommon for the time in country Victoria — has acted as a historical local meeting place and landmark for years. Today, the pub and eatery is still well worth a visit for its grandeur, its history and its impressive contemporary take on beloved pub food classics. [caption id="attachment_731736" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] SIP WINE THEN SLEEP UNDER THE STARS AT BALGOWNIE ESTATE Balgownie Estate, famed for its cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, is a remarkable one-stop shop if you're looking for a special getaway. This lush, longstanding winery not only offers a gorgeous classic cellar door experience, but it also has a wine museum and a restaurant with an unmistakably French-inspired menu — think twice-baked cauliflower and goats cheese soufflé to start, followed by crispy skin duck breast with ratatouille and house-made petit fours to finish. There's stunning accommodation on offer, too. The winery has permanent glamping tents with top-notch amenities, so you can feel like you're in a luxe hotel room while lounging on the deck drinking vino under the stars and soaking in the beautiful vineyard views. EAT YOUR AWAY ALONG THIS BUZZING LANEWAY Chancery Lane is Bendigo's answer to the much-loved Melbourne laneway scene — but, if possible, it's even more charming. Enter the black Gaudi-inspired gates, designed by local artist Yvonne George, to find a vibrant laneway filled with salons, boutiques and art. You'll also find a great selection of places to eat and drink along here, too. Your first stop should be El Gordo, an incredibly popular all-day brunch and Spanish tapas bar. Here, you can enjoy huevos rancheros, bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches) and a selection of traditional conservas and tapas — think sardines with tomato and stuffed squid in ink sauce served with tostadas. Come dinnertime, make your way to The Dispensary to feast on an array of European- and Asian-inspired share-style plates. You can start with goat and turmeric croquettes or crispy tofu with broccoli before moving on to bao, confit duck cassoulet or charred pork cutlet with ratatouille and pumpkin puree. Peruse the extensive drinks menu or, for something a little different, book in for one of the venue's gin or whisky masterclasses, which will leave you with an in-depth understanding of the selected spirit — and samples, of course. TUCK INTO LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE AT TALBOT'S PROVEDORE AND EATERY This bright venue chooses not to describe itself as a restaurant or a cafe — it's simply an 'eatery'. This summarises Talbot Provedore and Eatery's mantra for everything: simple, adaptable, everything going back to the absolute basics. Everything that's served, from the garnishes to the wine, is really and truly local — all grown or made within around an hour's drive from the kitchen. Some of it is grown in the community-maintained garden next door to the restaurant, and often Talbot residents and foragers will simply leave boxes of excess produce at the eatery's door. This means there's no menu for you to peek at before visiting, as it changes regularly depending on what produce is in — yet it's all consistently top-notch. HOP BETWEEN THE HEATHCOTE BREWERIES If you're a beer lover, then no Bendigo weekend is complete without a day trip travelling between the impressive array of nearby breweries. Start at Palling Bros — a captivating craft brewery named after Henry 'Rood' Palling, an 1850s convict who developed many of the institutions that established the area. The brewery offers a food menu that wanders far beyond your average pub grub, so you can demolish some gyoza, a pork belly yellow curry and a chocolate porter while learning all about the titular larrikin who put Heathcote on the map. Next stop is the Tooborac Hotel and Brewery. The 'Tooby' is the oldest National Trust listed country pub in Victoria, so there's plenty of history here — the brewery taps pay tribute to the working traditions of settler Australia with titles like the Shearers Lager and the Woodcutters Ale. If you're in need of a feed at this point, the hotel offers classic pub meals, as well as an in-house pie shop. Also worth a visit is Cornella Real, a microbrewery that focuses on traditional British ales. Cornella Real is located at The Shiraz Republic, right in the heart of wine region, so you can hit up the cellar door and taprooms in one go. Finish your visit with a leisurely pizza in the sunshine overlooking the grapevines. [caption id="attachment_731733" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] WANDER THROUGH AN ART AND FOOD PRECINCT The days of the old Castlemaine Woollen Mill being empty and derelict are gone. This is now the spot of The Mill Castlemaine — a creative hub for art and food lovers alike. Inside, you'll find a thriving food precinct including a cafe, coffee roastery and specialist stores for bread, cakes, beer, smallgoods. There is also an artisan and vintage precinct. It's worth putting aside a few hours to spend here, so you can spend time thumbing through the secondhand goodies at Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar and browsing the different art galleries. But when you get hungry, head to Das Kaffeehaus. This spot emulates a Vienna cafe with an element of grandeur. You can eat sausages, cold cuts, Viennese coffee and cake while surrounded by lavish period paintings, gold-framed mirrors and a chandelier. After lunch, make your way to The Taproom. It's a laidback space offering pints of a wide range of beers from the on-site Shedshaker Brewing ranging from classic ales and IPAs to more enigmatic brews such as espresso black lager and a hemp pale ale. Or, if you're more into your vino, pay a visit to Boomtown Wine, a shared co-op where winemakers can come to make (and taste) small-batch, locally sourced wines of all varieties. To start planning your trip to Bendigo — and to discover more of what's happening in the region — head to the Bendigo Regional Tourism website.
On the top floor of a CBD pub a magical wizarding rooftop awaits. Located atop Bourke Street's Imperial, it's filled with alcoholic potions, magical wintry booths, an owlery and a supernatural sweet store. And while it's officially opening its doors today, Friday, June 7 — it's not new. The rooftop was originally called Vertic Alley — aka the CBD watering hole's equivalent of Diagon Alley — and originally popped in February. Then, just last month, it suddenly disappeared. While the pub declined to comment on why it vanished, the Age reported that Warner Bros had ordered the themed rooftop's removal, because it used Harry Potter intellectual property. Now, thankfully, it's back. The pub has also declined to comment on whether it has struck a deal with Warner Bros, but it's confident the wizarding wonderland will stick around for winter. So, you can once again climb to the top level of the Imperial and peruse magical books — on everything from herbology to werewolves — find yourself a fancy new robe at a magical fashion shop, practise with wands and drink, of course, many boozy concoctions. Get comfy in sheltered booths (newly installed for winter), practice saying "accio cocktail!" and enjoy an all-round boozy celebration of the Boy Who Lived. Four brand new magical stores (filled with wizard and witch fashion, supernatural sweets, potions and broomsticks) have also popped up in the latest incarnation of the rooftop, as has a brand new cocktail list. The new potions include the Chuckle Juice (gin, rosemary and grapefruit), FireWhiskey (Fireball, lemon and honey), Imperial Tattletale (Fernet Branca, rum, cream and honey) and True Love Potion (pomegranate, gin, sparkling wine and lime), while the food range spans black beef sliders, pumpkin pasties and Korean-fried chicken wines. You can check out the full menu here. The magical rooftop was very popular first time round, and we're sure it'll be the same this time — especially since the The Cursed Child (which is happening just down the road) has been extended until 2020. We recommend you can make a reservation via the Imperial website. Find the Imperial Rooftop at 2–8 Bourke Street, Melbourne. It's open from 11am daily.
If you're sick of bringing crackers and dip to the party, but get cheese blind when faced with a fridge full of fromage, then read on. There's no need to taste everything in the deli (although that isn't ever a bad idea), and we've a little something for you to ensure cheese no longer becomes such a pandemonium requiring social etiquette. Soon you'll be able to tell everyone how nutty but sweet the prima donna is. The Dutch-style gouda, that is. So, fromage fans, listen up: here's Concrete Playground's bluffer's guide to cheese. 1. Cheese 101: How is Cheese made? Apparently, the process of cheese making was an accident. The story goes that milk overheated in a storage container of some sort, soured and created curd. Now don't squirm, but rumour has it that the said 'container' was either an animal's internal organ or an inflated animal skin. Nowadays, it's more of a civilised process. The milk (from a cow, sheep, goat or buffalo) is pasteurised (heated then cooled to remove harmful pathogens) then starter cultures and rennet are added. This causes the milk to coagulate into an attractive custard-like mess. Miss Muffet then separates the curds and whey (milk serum) and appropriately ripens to enhance the variety of textures and flavours. 2. Varieties So how can one identify all those cheeses at the deli? It is possible to judge a cheese's character by its rind; the texture, taste, strength of flavour, and even maturity. However, for us cheese novices, it's best to just remember these types to get the mozzarella ball rolling. Fresh cheese: feta, cottage, ricotta and cream cheese Soft white cheese: brie and camembert Washed rind (warning: stinky): tallegio and langres Blue: roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton Semi-hard: cheddar, manchego and gruyere; and Hard (robust flavour): parmesan. And lest we remind you that there's always the 'try before you buy' option. 3. Storing cheese The common rule of storing cheese is to store in its original wrapping. Failing that, plastic wrap is fine. If left unwrapped, the cheese will dry out and lose flavour. Harder cheeses have a longer shelf life than fresher types, such as a cream cheese or feta. These should be kept in their container with the lid on so no air can get in. If you start to smell something funkier than the cheese should, toss it. Make sure blue cheese and rind cheeses are kept tightly wrapped and separate to other food as their odour is quite strong. Again, you don't want your housemates to think something died in the fridge every time they open it up to get their milk. Mozzarella and bocconcini should be kept in their water, and don't get turned off if the water starts to get mirky coloured. It's just the milk in the water as the cheese releases its salt. But, as Stefano says, "to be honest, I never store. I always open and finish what I eat!" So shame on you if there are leftovers. 4. The perfect cheese board When preparing a cheese board, Stefano suggests not having more than three cheeses on offer and only one or two accompaniments per cheese. It's also best to bring the cheeses to room temperature in order to appreciate their full flavour. As a guide, you generally want a soft white cheese (such as brie), a blue (Ra Roquefort from France) and a firmer type (such as vintage cheddar). But don’t be afraid to ask your cheesemonger for recommendations. Encourage guests to cut wedges 'nose to tail' and cheese with rinds from centre to the edge. And don't forget to allow a few knives for cutting. You can't have the Stinking Bishop on the Jean de Brie. In terms of accompaniments, "definitely sliced pear, fig jam, quince paste or even orange marmalade, muscatel grapes and honey. And olives of course!" says Stefano. 5. Matching cheese with wine Cheese and wine. They're a perfect match. Complimenting the two requires a bit of time and experiment, but lest we forget to remind you that one without the other is a social faux pas. You can't go too wrong, however, if you follow the golden rule: the whiter and fresher the cheese, the whiter and crisper the wine; the darker and stronger the wine, the darker and stronger the cheese. For instance, brie is best matched with a dry sparkling or chardonnay; edam is great with a shiraz, grenache or pinot noir; and camembert's delicate 'mushroomy' character would be nicely offset with a sparkling white. Stefano highly recommends manchego for a dry white, and a simple cheddar for any red. He also emphasises that "any cheese will be good!" Cheese to that, we say. 6. Best melting cheese for pizza Mozzarella is originally from Italy, so it goes without saying that it would be the most ideal cheese for a pizza. "I love the buffalo mozzarella, just because of its white colour", says Stefano, "my pizza is just red and white. The tomato and the mozzarella." Bocconcini (any type is good) goes down a treat on pizzas too; its semi-soft elastic texture is mild, yet a little sweet. Stefano recommends cherry bocconcini. "The small balls are easy to slice and melt beautifully," he says. 7. European vs Australian ... similarities and differences With over 45 countries producing their own varieties of different cheeses, how on earth are we meant to decipher the difference ourselves? Basically, the flavour is affected by its origin. So essentially this comes down to what grass the cows or sheep are grazing on. For example, all blue cheeses are named so because of the mould Penicillin that is added, however, each has their own flavour and characteristic. A Bleu de Gex from Germany may be richer than a gorgonzola from Italy. The Greek's tend to add more salt to their varieties too. Think haloumi and feta (compared to a creamier Danish type). Most cheeses are named so after their place of origin. Fine examples include Gruyere, (Switzerland), Brie (region in France), Cheddar (England), Fontina (Italy), Havarti (named after a Danish farm called Havarthigaard) and Jarlsberg (Norway). 8. Cheese on a budget This can be done. Visit your local deli and suss out what's on special. Don't be shy to ask for a taste too. if you're going to be spending your pennies on cheese, it has to please. Stefano says that camembert, manchego, local vintage and smoked cheddar are generally going to be the more affordable varieties and "will always go down a treat no matter what". Pricier cheeses don't necessarily indicate that they will knock your socks off either, as it is a matter of preference. The price is just an indication that it's from a smaller farm and/or imported. Artisan cheeses are often more expensive as they are made by hand using traditional methods. 9. Talk like a pro Before you go forth and preach the gospel of cheese to your friends, brush up on these decorative phrases to raise a few brows ... "Wow, the camembert has a very pronounced, 'mushroomy' flavour." "This pecorino grated on the pasta is quite piquant and not too acidic. It’s not as strong as Parmesan Reggiano and seems to add a strong dimension to the dish." "I like semi-soft cheeses such as Monterey Jack, for its mild and buttery flavour. It goes perfectly with a good lager." "Epoisses is quite voluptuous with a well-rounded flavour." "I'm after something a little nutty, yet mild and pleasant. Nothing too earthy and pungent please."
As Brisbane's annual LGBTQIA+ celebration, Melt Festival has seen Sophie Ellis-Bextor grace its stage, and Chappell Roan as well. It has also hosted Spencer Tunick's nude photography works, including shutting down the Story Bridge for one installation. They're just some of the event's highlights from recent years, but it's adding another in 2025: a Brisbane-only show by Broadway icon Bernadette Peters. In New York's famous theatre district, she originated the role of The Witch in Into the Woods, and of Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. She has two Tonys, for Song and Dance and Annie Get Your Gun. She won a Golden Globe for Pennies From Heaven on the big screen, and featured in The Jerk and Annie as well. On TV, she boasts Smash, Mozart in the Jungle, The Good Fight, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and High Desert on her resume. Now, Peters is doing an Australian-exclusive performance in the Queensland capital — and it's her first Aussie gig in more than a decade. [caption id="attachment_998041" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drama League via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] An Evening with Bernadette Peters has a date with the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday, October 24 — falling within Melt Festival's Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9 run for 2025. The star kickstarts the lineup not just as a Broadway legend, but as an icon of the LGBTQIA+ community, including thanks to her work with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to raise funds for AIDS patients and research. How will a talent with six decades of performing to draw upon — including the current Broadway season of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends — whittle that down into one Brisbane show? You'll need to head along to find out. In her Brisbane performance, Peters boasts support by Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra. Top image: Drama League via Wikimedia Commons.
Huge music tours are back on Australia's agenda — and they aren't just confined to chart-topping stars, iconic names and huge festivals. In the classical world, the London Symphony Orchestra is also coming our way to play a series of shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. And, the 2023 tour will mark only its fourth-ever trip Down Under. Famous for everything from being the official orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ceremonies through to recording the Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, Thor and The Shape of Water film soundtracks, the LSO held its first-ever gig in 1904. That means it's been picking up its instruments for almost 120 years — and in that time, it has only visited Australia on three occasions before now. The April and May shows at QPAC in the Sunshine State, the Sydney Opera House in the Harbour City and Arts Centre Melbourne in Victoria will also see the orchestra make the journey Down Under for the first time since 2014. If it's drama you're after, get ready to watch music director Sir Simon Rattle's baton fly as he conducts the orchestra during his final season with the organisation. The LSO is bringing 114 musicians our way for the tour, including two Australians: Naoko Keatley and Belinda McFarlane, both on violin. And, it's the largest orchestra it has ever toured to our shores. The orchestra will play three different programs — two each in Brisbane and Melbourne, and a third in Sydney as well. All cities will be treated to a night featuring John Adams' 'Harmonielehre', Claude Debussy's 'La Mer' and Maurice Ravel' 'Daphnis and Chloé Suite No.2', plus an entire evening dedicated to Gustav Mahler's 'Symphony No.7'. As for that extra Sydney gig, it'll feature Daniel Kidane's 'Sun Poem' and Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No.7'. Before its 2014 tour, the LSO first came to Australia in 1966 and then again in 1983. LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR Friday, April 28–Saturday, April 29 —Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Monday, May 1–Wednesday, May 3 — Sydney Opera House Friday, May 5–Saturday, May 6 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne The London Symphony Orchestra will tour Australia in April and May 2023. For further information and to buy tickets — with on-sale dates varying per city — head to the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and websites. Images: Mark Allen.
The holiday blues are probably coming in strong right about now. Summer has come and gone and dreams of a lazy mid-year escape feel like a lifetime away. Throw in the fact that you're probably out of annual leave and have even less cash than usual to splash on a luxe resort (#costofliving, amirite?), and any ideas about sipping a margarita on a sunny island are slipping away. So, would you believe us if we told you we've found a single solution that will solve every one of your 'I need to find a way to make money without eating into my holiday allowance while also enjoying a fresh cocktail' dilemmas at once? Unofficial title: Operation Working Holiday in Thailand. Start by doing the hard yards and figure out how that digital nomad thing works (note: we're using the term 'hard' loosely here, because it's actually pretty easy). Then, the only thing you need to decide on is where you want to base yourself for that first bowl of Pad Thai. Whether you dream of urban style or beachy chic, we chatted to Tourism Authority of Thailand and got their suggestions for the best accommodation options for those considering a remote working holiday. BANGKOK According to the classic 80s banger, "One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster". So imagine if you had a couple of months up your sleeve! Basing yourself in Bangkok is a brilliant option for those digital nomads who just aren't quite ready to quit their big-city creature comforts. With both bustling bars and traditional temples in touchable proximity, the two hotels below offer excellent remote work accommodation options in the city known by locals as Krung Thep (or the City of Angels). Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River This standout hotel is Four Seasons by name and four seasons by nature. The Bangkok branch of this iconic international five-star hotel chain gives digital nomads plenty of reasons to visit, all year round. The amenities are extensive and include fast wifi, fitness studios, two riverfront infinity pools, 24-hour room service and a dry cleaning service for all those times you need to Zoom in your best suit and tie. We also love the location. It's right next to the Chao Phraya River, just over a 30-minute drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and even closer (5.8 kilometres, to be exact) to Siam Paragon Mall — extremely useful for those times when you need an emergency laptop charger replacement! 137 Pillars Suites & Residences, Bangkok These serviced apartments in Bangkok's Prom Phong/Thonglor area are committed to the digital nomad cause, offering a range of packages specifically designed to cater to long-term stays. Think complimentary high-speed wifi, a daily maid service, a Thai SIM card available for purchase and weekly yoga, meditation and Muay Thai classes. You also get access to the Daily Baan Borneo Club for all-day breakfast, afternoon tea, coffee, snacks and sundowner drinks, plus level-27 infinity pool access and regular aromatherapy massages at Nitra Serenity Centre — for those times when deadlines are kicking your butt. CHIANG MAI Charming Chiang Mai is proof that there's no shame in second place. Capital of the north and the second largest city in the country, Chiang Mai offers a unique brand of laidback luxe. The landscapes are lush (all rugged mountains and green farmlands), the food scene is fabulous and the culture game is strong — with traditional Thai arts and crafts workshops among the mix. If your work from home style is cool, calm and collected — with a preference for having excellent coffee close by — then these two Chiang Mai hotels are our recs. Akyra Chiang Mai Fun fact: Chiang Mai is rated as the cheapest place in Thailand to live and work on a digital nomad budget, making it the ideal option for those bent on a working holiday but bound by a tight budget. And at the heart of it is the Akyra Chiang Mai hotel — a luxurious home away from home that has been transformed into a hub for aspiring entrepreneurs from all types of online businesses. The impressive downtown location, amazing rooftop infinity pool (perfect for a couple of quick laps between Skype calls), excellent wifi and abundant upskilling opportunities (including a number of in-house classes) draw many digital nomads in. But it is the chance to connect and network with other like-minded humans that generally keeps them at Akyra a little longer than anticipated. Kantari Hills Chiang Mai A quick squiz of Kantari Hills' online reviews reveals a ton of satisfied guests who have used the hotel for long-term stays. It could have something to do with the brilliant work facilities — like a business centre with secretarial service, fax, email, computer and photocopying — and an executive lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks and ice. There's also round-the-clock security and concierge services, and of course, free wifi. Call it a hunch, but a fancy whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms probably don't hurt either. KO PHA-NGAN If Ko Pha-Ngan's white sands, turquoise waters and lush coconut trees aren't enough to entice you to swap your desk for the digital nomad life in Thailand, then perhaps the idea of a Full Moon Party celebrated every single month will do the trick? That's right, instead of end-of-quarter drinks, every 30-ish days (it's based on the lunar calendar, so it varies) Ko Pha-Ngan celebrates the new full moon with a big bash on the beach. Expect booze, music blasting out of the bungalows and neon-painted backpackers lighting up lanterns at dusk, just as the moon starts to show up and illuminate the shores. Want in? These hotels are our recommendations when it comes to setting yourself up with a remote work situation in Ko Pha-Ngan. Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas Team bonding but make it tropical. Yes, it's pretty fun watching your boss make a fool of himself in a group laser tag session, but for the ultimate team building exercise, consider a stay at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas. Kick things off with meetings in a boardroom by the beach, lock in an evening of sunset canapés and cocktails aboard a luxury yacht, and challenge every staff member to find their strengths and weaknesses with a host of recreational activities on land and sea. With 64 pool suites and villas, every single one of them set among towering palms and crystal sea waters, this is the ideal accommodation option for those who want to do the digital nomadic life a little decadently. Panviman Resort Koh Phangan We're going to be up front and flag our concerns with the Panviman immediately. Just so you know what you're dealing with before you book your stay. Our main issues relate to its location (in the mesmerising Gulf of Thailand), stunning landscapes (it's surrounded by cerulean seas that gently lap golden beaches fringed with coconut palm trees), onsite restaurants (that focus on organic produce and fresh seafood direct from local fishermen) and VIP lounge (the one with a breathtaking sea-view infinity pool replete with Jacuzzis and sun loungers). So it's going to take a fair bit of dedication and discipline not to spend your nine-to-five completely distracted by all of the above. However, if you're confident in your ability to stay on target, then the Panviman Resort Koh Phangan offers one of the best digital nomad accomodation options in all of Thailand. PHUKET If we had to entrust Thailand's status as the Land of Smiles to a single region, we'd pick Phuket. After all, it's almost impossible not to settle in to the island on the country's western shore and grin once you realise you are in the company of some of Southeast Asia's best resorts, restaurants and shops. The two hotels below are our picks for the best place to base yourself if you're leaning towards Phuket for your remote-work vibe. Twinpalms Phuket The first thing you need to do, to convince your boss that you're taking your digital nomad job seriously, is check out Twinpalms Phuket's library. Here, you can explore literature, magazines and movies while using its free high-speed internet and computers. Then, when the coast is clear (or better yet, after hours, to minimise the risk of being fired!), book in a spa treatment, arrange a snorkelling excursion or step directly into the hotel's large lagoon pool, and log it in your time sheet as office admin. Cape Panwa Hotel If you're a C-Suite exec — or just dream of CEO status — then Cape Panwa is the place for you. Its former guests include kings, queens and big-screen stars, so it's definitely a great base for those who want to manifest a promotion or pay rise. A dedicated business centre will help you keep the process professional; however, we also strongly suggest taking advantage of the hotel's fun facilities too. Think the beachside bamboo bar, access to the state-of-the-art Panwa Princess yacht and two onsite palm-fringed pools. After all, if you've got your sights set on CFO (but you're working with an intern budget), you'll need to work hard, but nobody said you can't work hard from paradise with a tropical drink in hand, right? Tourism Authority Thailand has plenty more suggestions for the top places to work remotely in the Land of Smiles, so for more options, head to the website. Images: Tourism Authority of Thailand
If you're yearning for Tuscany but can't get on the plane, Port Melbourne has the answer. Housed in a heritage-listed courthouse dating back to 1850, Ciao Cielo boasts lofty ceilings, huge arch windows, a cosy fireplace and an overall feeling of cosy elegance. This is not your average red-sauce-and-checked-tablecloth Italian joint. Head chef and owner Bryan Nelson is informed by his frequent pilgrimages to Italy and loves to produce full-flavoured dishes and the kind of plating that will make you swoon — if swooning was still the done thing. Nelson is constantly striving to create the sort of dishes that provoke a sharp intake of breath from diners — both when they're placed in front of them, and when they take a bite. This is evident from the outset with the lovely array of antipasti. White anchovies? Yes please. What about the house-made woodfired chickpea bread with pesto? Yup. And would you be crazy not to try the suppli filled with mozzarella and spiced braised duck? That's a yes, too. They're crunchy on the outside and incredible flavoursome, and a lovely way to start the meal. No wonder they're one of Rome's most-loved street snacks. Ordering the pasta is a tempting and rewarding route to take. Ciao Cielo makes its pasta and gnocchi in-house and teams them with some pretty incredible sauces, such as the northern-style oxtail ragu and pipis with white wine and cherry tomatoes. But, when you're in a place run by a chef who likes to push boundaries and be creative, ordering a special is a good way to go, too. The barramundi in a light tomato broth with braised chickpeas is everything a fish dish should be. Crisp-skinned with light flesh and wonderful accompaniments, it's warming, delicate and also richly flavoursome. To pair with the Tuscan fare, you can drink local or Italian wine from beautiful glassware or have a cocktail or liquid dessert in one of the snazzy cocktail glasses chosen by co-owner Kate Dixon. While the weather is currently far from that of an Italian summer, Ciao Cielo is an excellent way to beat the Melbourne chill. With ridiculously good food, transportive atmosphere and lovely service, it's perfect for a date, a special birthday, lunch with your friends or dinner with the parents. All bases covered.
Melbourne's new home of high-end Japanese, Toko, knows how to throw a party. Case in point: on New Year's Eve, they're inviting you to graze from a shared tasting menu that looks almost too good to be true. Feast on freshly shucked oysters, venison carpaccio with nashi pear and potato airbags, seared wagyu beef with eschallots and chives, and soft-shell crab with wasabi mayonnaise. And make sure you leave room for the dark chocolate mousse with mixed berries and passionfruit. The $175 per person sitting also includes beer and red, white and sparkling wines. To book a table, call (03) 9521 3155 or email events@toko-melbourne.com.
Musicians around Australia are taking to the streets in an unusual form of protest. In response to the recent decision by ABC Radio National to decommission music programs The Daily Planet, The Inside Sleeve, The Live Set and The Rhythm Divine, buskers will gather en masse outside ABC offices in capital cities to voice their concerns and belt out a few tunes. Set to take place in Sydney today, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart tomorrow, and Brisbane next Thursday, the RN or Busk protests are being coordinated by the Save RN Music campaign. "We need these shows for our careers, our community, our families and Australian Culture, because these shows play and support independent adult contemporary music," reads the Facebook event page for the Melbourne protest. "They are the lifeline from the musicians to the audience." Meanwhile, a number of prominent musicians including Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Archie Roach, Sarah Blasko, Tim Freedman, Megan Washington and Dan Sultan have co-signed an open letter addressed to ABC board members saying they were "appalled" by the ABC's decision to scrap the programs "without proper industry and public consultation". "The cuts deliver a fundamental blow to diverse, vibrant and independent sectors of the Australian music industry, which receive minimal national radio coverage elsewhere," the letter reads. It also directs the board to an online petition, signed by more than 15,000 people, that calls on the ABC to reverse its decision. To find a busk in your city, go here, and to learn more about the Save RN Music campaign, go here.
Miley Cyrus has cancelled her trip to Australia, and her performance at this week's World Tour Bushfire Relief, due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19. The US pop star took to Twitter to make the announcement, saying the decision was made after recommendations from "local, state, federal and international authorities, including the Center for Disease Control". Cyrus also said she'll still be making a donation to help the victims of the bushfires, and that she'll be "back soon". https://twitter.com/MileyCyrus/status/1237210910835392512 As a result, the charity concert has itself been cancelled. All ticket holders will be contacted by Ticketek shortly and receive a full refund. World Tour Bushfire Relief was due to take over Lakeside Stadium on Friday, March 13, with country music star Lil Nas X (of 'Old Town Road' fame), Aussie pop duo The Veronicas and DJ Seb Fontaine also on the lineup. Money raised would've gone to the WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund, and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. Would Tour Bushfire Relief will no longer take place on Friday, March 13. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Flickr via Karina3094.
In an early scene in The Sessions, Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), cocooned in an iron lung, unable to move a single part of his body, has a cat brush its tail against his nose. With no-one around, he has no way to scratch that tiny yet inevitably all-consuming itch. He lies awake through the night. It's a scene that ensures we know exactly how he feels as his character embarks on his arc in the film — seeing a professional sex surrogate, Cheryl (Helen Hunt), who initiates him into how and what it means to have sexual contact with another person. The Sessions is based on the memoirs of the very real Mark O'Brien, a journalist and poet who was paralysed from the neck down by a childhood bout of polio. His is a form of paralysis that means he can't move his body but his body can feel touch; it's just that he's lived to 38 without finding a person inclined to touch him in a way that's non-medical. The Sessions is a wonder of a film, and don't let any hesitations you might have about it being tough going or generally a bit icky keep you from seeing it for yourself. Aussie quiet achiever Ben Lewin writes and directs this incredibly warm, funny, brilliantly un-mawkish movie that is not at all shy about sex and yet kind of weirdly fun for the whole family. Many separate factors had to come together to pull this off: the frank, sassy voice of Mark, interpreted by Lewin; the totally invested performance from Martha Marcy May Marlene actor Hawkes; the illusorily relaxed performance by Hunt, whose almost entire screen time in spent in these sex 'sessions'; and the vivid presence of the supporting cast, who make you want to know them beyond their intersections with Mark (look out for a sweet cameo from Hawkes' Deadwood co-star Robin Weigert, barely recognisable outside of her Calamity Jane get-up). The charm of the peripheral characters suffers a drought around Cheryl's side of the family, apparently to give her reason — more than she needs — to fall for Mark just as he surely falls for her. Conversely, it reaches its peak in the form of Father Brendan (William H. Macy). Mark is a devout Catholic, see, and it's The Sessions' clever conceit that his confessions should take the place of standard narration. The shaggy-haired (read: open-minded) priest is forced to take a more pragmatic position on sex around his new congregant, who is soon torturing him with lyrical descriptions of corporeal pleasures precluded to a man of the cloth. The presence of the priest also hints at another important point about The Sessions, which is that it's not just about disability and sex but also about all of us and sex. The religious and social dogmas that feed into how we think about sex are many and varied, and for those for whom these beliefs and behaviours create an obstacle to sex, it's a little, everyday tragedy. Because what The Sessions communicates above all is the pure, joyous, silly pleasure of sex and the unique ways it bonds two people partaking in it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oI7Rs_Hv_IA
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: Pig is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Nicolas Cage plays a truffle hunter. That's it, that's the pitch. When securing funding, those six words should've been enough to ensure that Pig made it to cinemas. Or, perhaps another high-concept summary helped. Maybe debut feature writer/director Michael Sarnoski went with these seven words: Nicolas Cage tracks down his stolen pet. Here's a final possibility that could've done the trick, too: Nicolas Cage does a moodier John Wick with a pig. Whichever logline hit the spot, or even if none did, Pig isn't merely the movie these descriptions intimate. It's better. It's weightier. It's exceptional. It always snuffles out its own trail, it takes joy in subverting almost every expectation and savouring the moment, and it constantly unearths surprises. Cage has spent much of his recent on-screen time fighting things — ninja aliens in the terrible Jiu Jitsu and possessed animatronics in the average Willy's Wonderland, for example — in movies that were clearly only made because that was the case. But, when he's at his absolute best, he plays characters whose biggest demons are internal. Here, he broods and soul-searches as a man willing to do whatever it takes to find his beloved porcine pal, punish everyone involved in her kidnapping and come to terms with his longstanding, spirit-crushing woes. Sarnoski keeps things sparse when Pig begins; for the film and its protagonist, less is more. Rob Feld (Cage) lives a stripped-back existence in a cabin in the woods, with just his cherished truffle pig for company — plus occasional visits from Amir (Alex Wolff, Hereditary), the restaurant supplier who buys the highly sought-after wares Rob and his swine forage for on their walks through the trees. He's taken this life by choice, after the kind of heartbreak that stops him from listening to tapes of the woman he loved. He's found the solace he can in the quiet, the isolation and the unconditional bond with the animal he dotes on. (He's tampered down the full strength of his pain in the process, obviously.) But then, because bad things can happen in cabins in the woods even beyond horror flicks, Rob's pig is abducted in the dark of the night. Now, he's a man on a mission. He has a glare and a stare, too. As the swine's distressed squeals echo in his head, Rob stalks towards Portland to get her back. He needs Amir to chauffeur him around the city, but he has an idea of where to look and who to chase. When the big pig kidnapping comes, and early, Pig initially resembles not only John Wick but Mandy. That 2018 film cast Cage as a lumberjack seeking his abducted girlfriend — also taken by intruders in the deep of night — and it proved his best movie in at least 15 years. Thankfully, Sarnoski and co-scribe/producer Vanessa Block haven't just taken Mandy and made a blatant swap. They haven't done the same with John Wick, either. And, performance-wise, Pig doesn't ask Cage to revisit a recent standout or follow in someone else's career-refreshing footsteps. The actor does soulful and yearning heartbreakingly well, as Bringing Out the Dead so potently established over two decades ago. Even in his most cartoonish fare (the type that isn't actually animated, because he's dabbled in voice work, too), he's masterful at conveying anger. Both longing and fury filter through here, because every Cage performance tugs and pulls at his past portrayals; however, this particular role calls for tenderness, despair and resolve all at once, and also contemplation, mystery, being wearied by too much grief and appreciating the little things and kindnesses. One of the delights of his efforts in Pig is how he keeps breaking down layer after layer, then piling on more, then stewing and simmering in them as well. Cage's over-the-top turns are entertaining to watch, but this is a measured gem of a portrayal, and a versatile, touching, deeply empathetic and haunting one that's up there with his finest ever. Compassion bubbles through Pig from the outset, in fact, and isn't just directed at Rob. As viewers discover more about him, his past life, why he knows about Portland's underground network of chefs and other hospitality industry figures, and how he can whip up a meal that brings someone to tears, we also learn about Amir. Pig isn't a star vehicle, but a double act. It knows how to deploy Cage at the height of his caged-in skills, and how well he can bounce off the right co-star. So, the film also dives into everything that's made Amir who he is — aka a truffle seller who is trying to get a jump in the food business, caught in a bigger shadow, hasn't matched his own or anyone else's expectations, but keeps bustling and hustling forward. He's self-aware about his struggles, and also trying to do something about them. He's wily and resourceful, and neurotic and jumpy at the same time. Wolff is just as brilliant as getting under his character's skin as Cage is, and just as compelling to watch as well. They're at their finest when they're together, unpacking what it means to navigate tragedy, fear, loss, regret, uncertainty, an uncaring world and a complicated industry, all in Rob and Amir's own ways — and attempting to free themselves of their own histories, embrace their own niches, and seek meaning and value. In scene after scene, Cage and Wolff captivate, drawing viewers into their meaty performances. Sarnoski's directorial choices achieve the same feat, managing to favour simplicity and complexity in tandem — like cooking a dish with a variety of easy ingredients, then unlocking a world of flavours as they're combined. As lensed by Patrick Scola (Monsters and Men), Pig finds beauty in the everyday, including when Rob and the titular animal could've trotted straight out of documentary The Truffle Hunters. It lingers on walking, talking, kneading, sipping and eating, and sometimes on people overtly appreciating those things. Filling its frames with detail, including in streams of sunlight or the act of preparing a meal, it also acknowledges that nothing that comes with existing is ever straightforward — and that hurt, cruelty and darkness are inescapable. To let these notions swirl and sink in, editor Brett W Bachman (Werewolves Within, and also a Mandy alum) finds a stately, thoughtful rhythm. As set to a stirring score, too, the film muses, meditates and steeps. It's unmistakably a movie where Cage plays a truffle hunter on a quest for revenge after his adored pet pig is stolen, but this moving and humanistic picture is also welcomely and entrancingly so much more than that.
If there's one thing that Ben & Jerry's loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. And, once a year to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, it loves giving away free scoops just as much. Indeed, to share its wares with the masses for nix, these frozen confection masterminds gave the world Free Cone Day, which is exactly what it sounds like — a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons. And on Monday, April 3, it's finally back for the first time since 2019. Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store between 12–8pm AEST. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period. Free Cone Day is happening Australia-wide — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at both Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores and its Hoyts outlets. Victorians have St Kilda and Burwood East stores, and Hoyts venues in Melbourne Central, Docklands, Ringwood, Chadstone, Greensborough, Maribyrnong and Ringwood to choose from.
Victoria's Labour Day long weekend kicks off soon; and long-running festival Moomba is here to fill it to the brim with a jam-packed offering of entertainment, music, dancing, carnival rides, water sports and flying machines. Moomba's newly expanded 2023 edition runs from Thursday, March 9–Monday, March 13, transforming Alexandra Gardens and Birrarung Marr into a hive of colour and activity. Music-lovers can look forward to live tunes from acts like MzRizk, Cool Out Sun, The Mamas, Fat Picnic, Chelsea Manor and Retro Red, or hit one of the silent disco or karaoke sessions. Elsewhere, you can get your own groove on at a dance workshop, with the experts helping you perfect those hip hop, Bollywood or Latin moves. Meanwhile, a program of water sport showcases will bring the Yarra River to life, as the world's top water ski and wakeboard athletes put on some unmissable performances. You'll enjoy classic show rides and a global array of food stalls at the Moomba Carnival, spreading out along Birrarung Marr. And don't forget the nightly fireworks displays. On Sunday, March 12, the ever hilarious Birdman Rally sees gutsy competitors take giant leaps of faith from the banks of the Yarra in their homemade flying contraptions, raising money for charity while providing spectators plenty of laughs. And, helping to wrap up the festivities on Monday, March 13, is the long-running Moomba Parade, which will roll along Birdwood Avenue with a colourful riot of dancers, tunes and supersized floats. [caption id="attachment_845154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Birdman Rally[/caption]
If you've seen A New Zealand Food Story then you'll already know the backstory behind new downtown restaurant Ahi. The eight-part online series follows acclaimed chef Ben Bayly and his team as they set out to discover what local cuisine is all about and where our produce comes from. It sees him enter rough Fiordland waters to harvest paua and crayfish, stalk deer through the Avon Valley, join a hook-to-plate fishing expedition in Foveaux Straight, and munch an absolutely enormous fig in Marlborough. The end goal is to create a truly unique New Zealand restaurant for the 28 March deadline. Five months later, in this year from hell, it's finally here. Ahi, translating from te reo Māori to 'fire', opened its doors for the first time on 31 August inside the new Commercial Bay precinct. Inside, Bayly and co-founder Chris Martin expand on the concept of fire with an open hearth in the kitchen. The 120-seat, hyperlocal space also features a woven oak ceiling to represent traditional Māori kete baskets, handmade plates from a West Auckland potter and an abundance of native timber which was salvaged by Bayly during the course of construction. Bayly says that Ahi's menu has been devised as a "culinary representation of what it means to be home, celebrating the diversity of the New Zealanders who bring produce to our tables." From whenua and moana, the land and the sea, diners can enjoy oysters by way of Waiheke Island, buffalo cheese from Whangaripo, speared butterfish from Cook Straight and cauliflower from Pukekohe. Snack items include tahr tartare with wild garlic and fermented hot sauce, hāngī pāua with kahawai, sour cream and kawakawa, and an interpretation of the 'Trumpet' made with buffalo ice cream and chocolate from Auckland's Miann. The larger courses complete the nationwide food tour. There's Fiordland crayfish soup with kūmara and saffron ravioli, Gisborne butternut with toasted harakeke flax and māhoe shoots, and 'Boil-up Toast' made with Berkshire pork, watercress and egg. From A New Zealand Food Story comes Bayly's wild-shot fallow deer in loin and cheek form, while the half crayfish you may have seen being charcoaled on the rugged Fiordland coast now comes with green onion and ginger sauce and lemon-sorrel salad. The restaurant comes complete with picturesque views out over the Waitematā Harbour — something which Bayly says is essential so diners know that they are in Aotearoa. Find Ahi on the second floor of the Commercial Bay precinct at 7 Queen Street. It's open 11.30am til late, seven days a week. Images: Manja Wachsmuth.
If you've ever seen the Hardrock climbing centre on Swanston Street and thought 'Holy hell, looks fun but I wish that was more horizontal than vertical', bouldering might be your new thing. Bouldering, if you haven't heard, is the safer and more strategic cousin of rock climbing. Instead of going up, and panicking at the top, during bouldering you pick a route along a series of graded hand and footholds — and if you mess up, the worst that can happen is that you jump off onto the mats. The bouldering centre at Hardrock Nunawading is a bit of a trek but the $12 entry fee covers you for an entire day of monkeying about. But be warned, if you're new to this your arms will certainly ache the next day.
Get ready for a musical blockbuster like no other. Currently taking over Her Majesty's Theatre for a strictly limited season, Miss Saigon is a breathtaking production that stands as a true testament to the enduring power and influence of theatrical storytelling. Since its electrifying debut in 1989, Miss Saigon has captivated audiences globally, sweeping across stages with its relentless charm, consistently earning accolades and awards. Drawing inspiration from the timeless Madama Butterfly, Miss Saigon unfolds an epic love story, weaving a tapestry of deep passion, gripping heartbreak and unyielding love. These productions, while both telling deeply moving tales of love and loss, offer distinct experiences. While Madama Butterfly is set against the serene backdrop of Japan, Miss Saigon plunges its audience into the heart of the turbulent and emotionally charged landscape of Saigon during the final, intense moments of the Vietnam War and its haunting aftermath. Prepare to be spellbound by a show that not only entertains but also resonates deeply with its powerful storytelling. Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Miss Saigon brings this grand love story vividly to life, showcasing his renowned ability to captivate audiences, as seen in his previous world-famous musicals, including Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Mary Poppins. It's not just a performance; it's an experience, an opportunity to witness Boublil and Schönberg's soaring musical score being masterfully executed by a knockout ensemble of triple threats. Having had its Melbourne debut at Her Majesty's Theatre on Sunday, October 29, Miss Saigon will run until Saturday, December 16 — the Australasian cast includes the debut of Abigail Adriano as Kim alongside Nigel Huckle (Les Misérables, West Side Story) as Chris, Sean Miley Moore (The Voice) as The Engineer, Kerrie Anne Greenland (Les Misérables) as Ellen, Nick Afoa (The Lion King) as John and the Australian debut of Laurence Mossman as Thuy. Miss Saigon runs until Saturday, December 16, at Her Majesty's Theatre. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
Beware wells in the middle of the forest, crawling women with long black hair completely covering their faces and, naturally, any VHS tapes that depict both. Along with a healthy disdain for viral videos, that's what the Ring franchise has taught us over the past three decades — and the original Japanese series isn't done yet. The seventh film in the initial saga, Sadako follows psychology counsellor Mayu Akigawa (Elaiza Ikeda). Her younger brother is a YouTuber, and her latest patient may have a connection to the eponymous murderous spirit that's known to haunt videotapes. Yes, that likely means that someone will let the killer ghost loose on the internet, giving anyone who sees the creepy force just seven days to live. While Ring's concept was always going to play with the online world at some point, perhaps the most exciting aspect of Sadako is its filmmaker, with Hideo Nakata returning after directing the initial Japanese flick Ringu. He also helmed sequel Ring 2, as well as the sequel to the American remake, called The Ring Two. If you're a fan of J-horror, you've probably seen his other flicks, such as Dark Water and Kaidan. Ring actually started on the page back in 1991, thanks to a horror mystery novel series that spawned printed follow-ups called Spiral, Loop, Birthday, S and Tide. On-screen, the Japanese films debuted in 1998, and are split over two different timelines — with Sadako following on from 1999's Ring 2, and the other branch releasing its first follow-up in 1998, two more 3D movies in 2012 and 2013 that are confusingly also called Sadako, plus a cross-over with the Ju-on series named Sadako vs. Kayako in 2016. Of course, there's also the three American movies, starting with 2002's well-received The Ring starring Naomi Watts and ending with 2017's terrible Rings. A South Korean remake, The Ring Virus, also popped up in 1999. Check out the trailer for Sadako below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Pftw4fd8k Sadako doesn't currently have a release date Down Under — we'll update you if and when that changes. Via IndieWire.
As one of Australia's most prestigious arts awards, the Archibald Prize presents the year's most-loved portrait paintings, with artworks typically featuring the full spectrum of celebrities, politicians, sportspeople, authors and artists. The 2017 award was taken out by Sydney-based painter Mitch Cairns, whose figurative painting depicting his wife, and fellow artist, Agatha Gothe-Snape was a near-unanimous winner. Cairns had previously been short-listed for the award four times, and was runner-up twice, but this time came away with the award — and the $100,000 prize to boot. This year's prize is exhibited exclusively in Victoria by the Geelong Gallery and presents the many engaging, and often controversial works, created by Australia's leading and up-and-coming painters. The entire 43 finalist's paintings are on display — use our handy guide to the Archibald to help you navigate it. Plus, don't miss the pop-up cafes, bars and weekly events taking place throughout the exhibition.
Is the type of film festival that dedicates an afternoon and evening to a killer clown your type of film festival? If so, you should be excited about Monster Fest's return. In just a few short years, the Terrifier movies have become horror must-sees if you can't get enough of slashers splashing about gore aplenty. With the latest flick in the franchise on the way, Monster Fest is screening all three Terrifier titles, old and new — so, giving audiences an extended date with Art the Clown — as a key part of its 2024 program. The Australian premiere of Terrifier 3 will follow the OG Terrifier and first sequel Terrifier 2 on Saturday, October 5 in Melbourne. The festival kicks off on Friday, October 4, running until Saturday, October 12 at Cinema Nova. While getting creeped out by cinema's most-sadistic clown is a big Monster Fest 2024 drawcard, it's The Rule of Jenny Pen from Coming Home in the Dark filmmaker James Ashcroft that's the event's opening-night pick. At the other end of the festival, horror-comedy Frankie Freako by Psycho Goreman's Steven Kostanski is in the closing slot. Both pictures embrace puppets, the first with help from John Lithgow (Killers of the Flower Moon) and the second featuring a dancing goblin. Other highlights include the latest Hellboy movie, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, which heads back to the 1950s; Azrael, as led by Australian actor Samara Weaving (Scream VI), and telling of a woman's attempt to escape from mute zealots; New Zealand body-horror film Grafted; and documentary Generation Terror, which focuses on the horror genre from the late-90s to mid-00s. Or, there's Occupation Rainfall filmmaker Luke Sparke's new film Scurry — plus Waves of Madness from The FP's Jason Trost, which brings sidescrolling to the cinema. Melbourne cinemagoers can also check out Estonia's action-horror-musical-comedy Chainsaws Were Singing, French black comedy Ultimate Chabite, documentary Children of the Wicker Man, and retrospective sessions of The Final Destination 3D and Critters.
Prepare to stare at the moon in all of its glory — up close, without a telescope and without zooming into space. Prepare to get excited about Marvel's latest Disney+ series, too, all at the same place. When you're releasing a streaming show called Moon Knight, bringing the moon to Australia — to Melbourne's Federation Square, to be specific — is one huge, eye-catching and attention-grabbing way to promote it. So, that's just what the Mouse House has done. Luke Jerram's Museum of the Moon isn't new to our shores, having popped up on the Gold Coast, in Sydney and in Melbourne before; however, this time it's here in the name of superhero worship. If you're new to the Museum of the Moon, UK-based artist Jerram's creation is a detailed installation that's suspended to look like it's floating — in this case, beneath Fed Square's Atrium. It measures seven metres in diameter and features renderings of the celestial body's surface based on NASA imagery, so it's as intimate and intricate a look as you're going to get without rocketing off to take one small step and giant leap across the real thing. The massive sculpture has been touring the world since 2016, displaying in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai and plenty of spots around Europe. Adding its latest Melbourne stint to its orbit, it'll be on display from Tuesday, March 29–Friday, April 15. The looming artwork recreates the moon at a scale of approximately 1:500,000, with each centimetre equating to five kilometres of the lunar surface. And if you're wondering just how elaborate the 120dpi imagery is, the high-resolution NASA photograph that it uses is 21 metres wide, and was taken by by a satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The spherical sculpture is lit from within, too, so it'll be adding a glow to Fed Square across its three-week stopover. It also combines its imagery and light with a surround sound piece created by composer and sound designer Dan Jones, and just how each venue displays it is up to them. Basically, it's never the exact same installation twice — so even if you've seen it before, it's worth a repeat visit.
Master sommelier Madeline Triffon describes pinot noir as 'sex in a glass'. Winemaker Randy Ullom calls it 'the ultimate nirvana'. Broadway wannabe Titus Andromedon loved it so much he compares it to 'caviar, Myanmar, mid-size car' (see below). No wonder the good folk at Revel — who bring Game of Rhones, Malbec World Day and Vin Diemen our way each year — are coming back to town with Pinot Palooza, an epic travelling wine festival celebrating all things peeeno noir. For just one day, Melbourne wine connoisseurs will have the chance to sample more than 100 drops, direct from Australia and New Zealand's best producers. Expect drops from Macedon's Curly Flat, Shaw and Smith (which will be coming in from the Adelaide Hills), Orange's Swinging Bridge, and Akarua and Pegasus Bay from NZ — and that's just the first few leaves on the vine. Whether you're a newbie who wants to start with something light and inviting, or a pinot pro ready for the biggest, most complex mouthful on the menu, there'll be an abundance of selections at either end — and plenty along the spectrum, too. If, at any point, you need to take a pause in your tasting adventures, you'll be catered for. Food will include barbecue from Burn City Smokers, Milk End bagels, raclette from Maker and Monger and Yarra Valley caviar. Pinot Palooza will hit the Royal Exhibition Building on Saturday, October 6. Early bird tickets are available up until August 1 for $60, and include all tastings and a take-home crystal Plumm RedB glass. What's more, those keen to fuel their brains (as well as their tastebuds) can spot $95 for a VIP pass. For that you'll get access to the VIP area, a glass of bubbles on arrival, entry into wine talks and some one-on-one with one of the event's sommeliers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6yttOfIvOw
The Passion Pop will be flowing on this very special night, as Melbourne Fringe invites you to relive your Year 10 formal. Hosted by Golden Gibbo-nominated comedy duo Michelle Brasier and Laura Frew (aka Double Denim), this free Fringe Hub shindig will take festival-goers back in time to an era of ill-fitting tuxes and emo dance tunes. Earlier this year, the duo threw it back to the noughties with their hilarious Denim Adventure Show, and now they're heading back even further — to the halcyon days of the eighties and nineties. OK, maybe your teens weren't the 'halcyon days', but the tunes were certainly on-point, and there'll be plenty of bangers at this high school formal, spun by DJ Barnie Duncan. So fire up your old MSN account and ask your crush to be on your arm. Just don't party too hard. It is a school night, after all.
All good bars should come with good secrets — cocktail recipes, ghosts, tip jar protocols. But not every bar comes with a secret bar, like Matthew Bax's brand new teeny, tiny 14-seater watering hole, Bar Exuberante — a secret, windowless cubby hole at the back of his rustic Richmond rum joint, Bar Economico. The brand new bar is apparently based on a made-up, colonial-era Latino hotel bar, the extravagant Imperial Exuberante Palace Hotel — which straight-up sounds like a Wes Anderson invention. Think the grand hotels of Old Havana in the 1960s, where businesspeople attended fancy gala dinners in the hotel ballroom, where wealthy cruise ship passengers shook off their sea legs with champagne crustas. All out the back of Economico. Bax's renowned cocktail skills have leaked into this brand new little gem, with modern, nitrogen-fuelled spins on rum cocktails, and hot/cold pina coladas. Nibbles include 'Senor Bax's Famous Cocktail Savoury Snacks'. You can't book a table, you just have to turn up and be lucky enough to nab one of the 14 seats. Find Bar Exuberante out the back of Bar Economico at 438 Church Street, Richmond. Open Tue-Thu 6pm-midnight; Fri-Sat 6pm-1am. Via Good Food.
Plotting the traditional structure of a film trilogy results in a sort of 'N' symbol on a graph. Part 1 (the incline) offers the introduction to the characters and concludes with a satisfying, inspirational victory (the first peak). Part 2 then explores the characters in greater depth, exposing their shortcomings and instilling both doubt and conflict until all hope seems lost (the descent and trough). Finally, Part 3 sees the protagonists discover — or at least 'relearn' — the true strength of their convictions, allowing an eventual, all-encompassing victory in the conclusion (the ultimate peak). The Hangover trilogy, however, does not follow this structure. 2009's Part I held the line well and provided one of the surprise hits of the year courtesy of some snappy writing, extreme political incorrectness and three terrific characters (the fourth guy really is a spare). Instead of marking the descent, though, Part II just ran with the exact same formula. It was Part 1 all over again, except Bangkok was subbed in for Vegas and the baby was replaced by a monkey. So going into Part III, the big question was always going to be: would this be 'Part I again, again' or something genuinely different? The answer was the latter, which in turn begged a second question... was that a good idea? In this third instalment, our three wolf-packers, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Stu (Ed Helms), are once again forced into a nightmarish series of disasters in order to rescue their friend Doug (Justin Bartha...who really is the spare). Regrettably, The Hangover Part III centres upon the trilogy's most annoying character, Mr Chow (Ken Jeong), whose whiny, sort-of-Asian, sort-of-gay, sort-of-hip-hop-gangsta ramblings grate the ear like a screaming baby on a packed plane during descent. During one early scene in which Chow's butchering a karaoke cover of 'Hurt', Bradley Cooper winces and asks, 'what the fuck are we watching!?' He's not the only one to think it. By focussing on Chow and favouring a more conventional plot over the simple yet effective premise of 'rediscovering unremembered anarchy', The Hangover Part III boldly — if also mistakenly — shifts the focus away from the very thing that made the franchise a success: the 'wolf pack'. They still have their moments, especially Galifianakis, but the adoption of a far more 'normal' movie structure sees the characters appear similarly interchangeable. There are still loads of laughs and it's a definite improvement on the carbon-copy disappointment of Part II, but the tiny coda that pops up part-way through the final credits (certainly worth staying for) shows us what might have been had they just found a way to use the original amnesic plot structure in a new and different way.
Ben & Jerry's aren't afraid to put their ice cream where their mouth is, and not just by devouring their own creamy frozen desserts. In their latest show of support for marriage equality in Australia, the sweet treat makers are giving away free ice cream cones to celebrate this week's historic passage of legislation. Between 5.30pm and 9.30pm on December 11, visitors to Ben & Jerry's Aussie stores can pick up a frosty scoop without spending a cent. The offer applies at the chain's seven New South Wales, five Victorian, four Western Australian, one South Australian, two Australian Capital Territory and five of its six Queensland stores. If you're wondering why one misses out, that's because their Movie World digs aren't open once the park closes at 5pm. It's not the first time the brand has demonstrated their values with ice cream, as anyone who asked for a double dose of New York Super Fudge Chunk this year would know. When the fight for marriage equality was still under way, they instituted a same-flavour ban across their stores, refusing to put two scoops of the same ice cream variety on a single cone until the country's LGBTQI+ citizens were given the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Now that the plebiscite has been and gone, 61.6 percent of respondees voted yes and lawmakers followed through, the ban has been lifted. Ben & Jerry's history of supporting marriage equality also includes their 2013 launch of the I Dough, I Dough ice cream flavour and campaign. Grab a free ice cream cone from Ben & Jerry's stores across Australia from 5.30pm to 9.30pm on December 11. For further information, visit the event Facebook page.
It only ran for three short years, but when international dance festival Creamfields took a hiatus in 2013, it left a big, fat hole in the Aussie festival calendar (large-scale festivals, at least). Now, folks who count the days for big drops have something to plan for, with today's announcement that Creamfields will make its return to Australian shores at the end of this year. Transplanting the clubbing experience into a huge outdoor event, Creamfields has given the global electronic music scene a solid shake-up since it first landed in 1998, starting life as a one-day UK show with a crowd of 25,000. In the years following, it's been staged in 22 countries, with that original UK festival morphing into a 70,000 capacity, four-day camping situation. It's raked in the accolades too, including the 2010 Music Week Award for Festival of The Year, and the 2016 gong for Best Major Festival at the UK Festival Awards. And this November, as it celebrates the big 2-0, Creamfields is heading back to Melbourne, set to bring with it a suitably huge lineup of DJs and electronic artists. Exactly which names will take the stage is yet to be revealed, but with past Aussie headliners including the likes of Skrillex and David Guetta, it's looking pretty darn promising. Both the lineup and venue for Creamfields Australia 2017 are yet to be announced, but you can register here for first dibs on tickets and the chance to win some sweet prizes. Images: Supplied.
Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens have scored a crisp, white new addition, with this year's MPavilion winner. A minimalist design by celebrated architect Glenn Murcutt AO has been chosen as the annual commission's 2019 champion. It marks the sixth MPavilion in the design series, which sees a new temporary structure erected in the inner-city garden each spring. As Australia's only Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate, Murcutt boasts some serious design skills, with a special knack for creating buildings that make efficient use of their site and climatic conditions. Some buildings of his you may be familiar with include Newport's modern Australian Islamic Centre, the Berowra Waters Inn in NSW and the Bowali Visitor Information Centre in Kakadu National Park. For his MPavilion, Murcott designed a rectangular structure with a translucent roof fabric stretched across wing-like trusses. Its curved top is lit from within like a lantern, while two open sides offer views of the city skyline and the Yarra. According to Murcutt, the understated MPavilion was inspired by a sleek aircraft wing he once sheltered himself under on a trip to Mexico, and plays to his own well-known motto of 'touch the earth lightly'. The structure will make its home in Queen Victoria Gardens across summer. During its residency, it'll be used as a 'design and cultural laboratory', playing host to a diverse program of workshops, talks, performances and installations. You'll be able to swing by every Friday night from 6pm for the Sunset Series, with live tunes from local DJs and musicians, and some Tuesday mornings for free one-hour yoga sessions. Elsewhere on the program, there's a life drawing class with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, book club with artist Eugenia Lim and a performance by contemporary dance company, Chunky Move. A series of Indigenous design forums, talks on sustainable living and dog walking adventures are some of the other exciting events on the diverse lineup. An on-site kiosk will also be open from 9am daily, serving up Three Thousand Thieves coffee, Four Pillars Gin, wines by ShadowFax and Sample beers. To check out MPavilion's full 2019–20 program, head to the website. Images: John Gollings Updated November 13, 2019
Since late 2017, Taco Bell has been making inroads into the fast food scene Down Under, with four stores now open in Queensland, a total of 50 planned across Australia by the end of 2021 and up to 60 set for Aus as well as New Zealand by 2023. That's great news if you're a local fan of the US Tex-Mex chain. If you're extra fond of the company's burritos, quesadillas, nachos and — of course — tacos, you could always book your next US holiday at a pop-up Taco Bell hotel. The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort will welcome guests from August 9, operating for a limited time only. If you're wondering what's in store, it's "a destination inspired by tacos," according to the eatery. Think taco-themed rooms, tacos for breakfast (and lunch, dinner and snacking on whenever the urge hits), a Taco Bell gift shop and an onsite salon doling out Taco Bell-inspired nail art. Apparently the poolside cocktails will also be given a Taco Bell twist, which hopefully doesn't mean boozy liquid concoctions made of meat, salsa, avocado and tortillas. Alcohol seems like it'll be a big feature, with the hotel strictly for those aged 18 and over. As for the rest of the joint's food, The Bell will also serve up an exclusive menu, in case you're feeling like you've already eaten every Taco Bell dish ever. With the chain founded in Southern California back in 1962, eager taco lovers will need to head to the area — to Palm Springs to be exact, although the exact location hasn't been revealed. Reservations will open in June, and there's no word yet on just how much a stay will set you back. For more information about The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort, keep an eye on the hotel's website.
Well, this could have gone better. The first leg of Listen Out 2014 has been marred by an unfortunate incident that led to a security guard suffering serious injuries yesterday. Late in the afternoon, a group of gatecrashers jumped the fence at Sydney's Parklands and a 29-year-old security guard rushed to stop them. The intruders then trampled him and ran away. Suffering internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen, the security guard received medical assistance at the venue before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital. He is currently in a stable condition, but police are asking anyone with information about the gatecrahsers to come forward. In particular, they would like to speak to "a man in his late teens or early 20s, with a solid build, and short dark brown hair [who] was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt and red shorts". If you know anyone by that description who also happens to be kind of cheap and incredibly insensitive, time to dob them in. Listen Out is in Perth today and has two more festival dates next weekend for Melbourne and Brisbane. Time to step up your game, people. Do the right thing, look after each other, and there won't be any problems. There are far too many dickheads out there ruining it for everyone. If you have information about the incident call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.
Melbourne's darling of modern Southeast Asian cuisine — and home of that famous Vegemite curry — is set to gain a sibling, as Sunda's boundary-pushing chef Khanh Nguyen reveals plans for his next restaurant venture. Slated to open its doors on Little Collins Street before the year's out, the as-yet unnamed eatery will be delivering something a little different to most — it'll be inspired by the early days of trade between Indonesian seafarers and the Indigenous groups of northern Australia. "We started looking into the whole idea and history of Asian Australian cooking, back when trade with Australia first started in the 1700s," explains Nguyen. "And into the cooking methods they were using, like fermentation, a lot of smoking, roasting, preserving — that's also the style of cooking I really enjoy." Back in the day, a booming Asian Australian maritime trade saw local Australian delicacies like sea cucumber exchanged for rice, tea, palm sugar and spices from the east, with groups also swapping and sharing food preparation methods. [caption id="attachment_663227" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sunda's roti with Vegemite curry by Kate Shanasy[/caption] It's these flavours and techniques, as well as the relationship between the Makassan people (from what is now called Indonesia) had with Indigenous Australians, that have influenced Nguyen's new project. In the kitchen, he's hoping to embrace the same ingredients and methods, but reimagined with a modern edge. The menu's still a work in progress, though you can expect plenty of fire, house-cured dishes galore and a healthy contingent of fermented elements bringing it all to life. Word is, the humble sea cucumber may also make an appearance. Whatever Nguyen ends up plating up, you can expect it to be good — Sunda took out People's Choice for Best New Restaurant at Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards. The space itself is being created by Kerstin Thompson Architects and Figurehead Architecture, whose work you'll have spied at sibling Sunda. It's set to be an all-day venue that's both casual and refined, with a stronger focus on snacking and sharing than its sister. "My whole vision for the place is that people can order multiple dishes, have a table full of food and share it with their loved ones, enjoying different things all at once," says Nguyen. "Just like how I would eat at home." Khanh Nguyen's new restaurant is set to open at a Little Collins Street site in the last half of 2020. We'll let you know more info as it drops. Top image: Sunda by Kate Shanasy
If you're a regular at The Orrong Hotel, Marquis of Lorne, Union House or Mount Erica Hotel, this one will come as good news for you. Melbourne publican Matt Vero, best known for his involvement in the redevelopment of these Melbourne favourites, is teaming up with barista Matt Ward to open Highett's newest venue: Railway Wine Bar. The pair of Matt's first met back in 2010, later teaming up to open venues in Malvern and Highett, including Teo's Pizza which sits next door to Railway Wine Bar. While a curated selection of cheese and charcuterie is available at Railway Wine Bar, hungrier patrons coming through for a tipple have the option of ordering hot woodfired pizza from neighbouring Teo's. Turn to the list of wines by the bottle or glass for a jaunt through a selection of international and local favourites, with a particular focus on Australian vineyards and minimal intervention wines. Wines from Spain, France and Italy are peppered through the selective menu, plus an Argentinian Malbec. "Maison soleil, a McLaren Vale Pinot Noir has been a fan favourite so far," co-owner Matt Ward says. "There are no pure wine bars in Highett so we jumped on the opportunity to create a space where Highett locals could perch for a drink, rather than having to venture Hampton or Sandringham." Railway Wine Bar is now open from 4pm-late from Tuesdays to Thursdays; 3pm-late on Fridays and 2pm-late on the weekend.
When you say the words 'dream housewife' you're probably picturing a white picket fence, a freshly baked Victoria sponge cake and a woman adjusting her man's tie before he heads out of the door to his important man-job. A Hollywood fantasy of womanhood that's somewhat lost its sheen in the modern world. Well, not for Judy. Judy is the vision of a 1950s housewife — she's got the frock, the neat apron, a perfectly set curl, peachy cheeks and pearls. She adores her role, packing lunches and pouring cocktails as her husband Johnny brings home the bacon. Thing is, it's not the fabulous 50s — and Judy's not even a Boomer. Home, I'm Darling is an Olivier Award-winning comedy that's picking apart the seams of 21st century life with witty observation about gender roles, how we cope in our ever-connected modern world and all the harmful trappings of nostalgia. It's MTC's season opener for 2020 and associate artistic director Sarah Goodes is directing a stellar cast, including Nikki Shiels as Judy, Susie Youssef as her friend Fran, Toby Truslove as Johnny and Peter Paltos as Marcus. Plus, Kath & Kim's Jane Turner plays Judy's mum and Izabella Yena (who's in the upcoming movie Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) takes on the role of Alex. English playwright Laura Wade has garnered rave reviews from the play's London National Theatre run last year. And MTC's summer production is the show's Australian premiere. If you're under 30, you can save 50 percent off full-price tickets. Just show your ID when buying A-Reserve or B-Reserve tickets, or select 'Youth (29 & Under)' when booking online. You can also save cash on your culture kicks by booking three or more 2020 shows with a Mini Package — no matter your age. The theatre's got a solid 2020 lineup. Highlights include the five-time Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, which is making its Australian premiere at MTC in July. And in September, there's a shiny new production of As You Like It, with music by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. So, if you're under 30 and keen to save 50 percent off the full price ticket amount, check out MTC's Mini Packages, here.
Spooky season is upon us, but there are more unique ways to get involved than just throwing a bedsheet over your head at the end of the month. Instead, get in the mood for Halloween by taking part in an ominous experience led by Australian wine brand 19 Crimes, whose bottle labels detail Australia's most infamous convicts. With the brand plonking down a 'scream booth' along Melbourne's Crown River Walk from 12–9pm on Thursday, October 16–Sunday, October 19, everyone is invited to step inside to record their absolute most harrowing scream. Yet the top prize is more than just bragging rights. As part of this one-of-a-kind 'Scream to Win' event, one lucky winner will score their place as an extra in an upcoming Australian-made horror film. Spending two days on set, getting an up-close look at production, the winner's travel and accommodation costs are covered, meaning you'll experience just a touch of the bright lights. "At 19 Crimes, we've always loved shaking things up — and Halloween is the perfect time to do just that. Last year, we unleashed the Possessed Wine Bar, and this year we're inviting Aussies to scream their lungs out for a shot at horror movie glory," says 19 Crimes spokesperson Nick Powell. Plus, for those who don't score top honours, the crew will also be giving away additional spot prizes to other top-tier shriekers visiting the booth. Playing with the dark and creepy, the last three years have seen 19 Crimes collaborate with Universal Monsters, offering a series of limited-edition wines served with a spooky edge. Featuring glow-in-the-dark labels, this collection showcases notorious characters like Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Bride of Frankenstein in varietals like hard chard, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. "The Universal Monsters resonate with audiences around the world, and through this partnership, we're not just honouring these legendary characters — we're also continuing 19 Crimes' mission to innovate and redefine the wine experience," says Powell. 19 Crimes' Scream Booth is open from 12–9pm on Thursday, October 16–Sunday, October 19, along the Crown River Walk. Head to the website for more information.
Where better to put on a show about gay marriage than Chapel Off Chapel? Though Standing on Ceremony began its life in New York following the legislation of same sex unions in 2011, this old church in Prahran that now enjoys a vibrant new life as a theatre, seems the perfect venue for exploring the changing face of marriage in Australia. The show comprises nine short plays from American playwrights, including celebrated writers such as Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things; Reasons to be Pretty) and Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries). In America, it seems to have been often performed as dramatised readings, but this local version is a full theatrical production smartly put together with careful attention to detail in costume and effective use of lighting and rear projection. The cast includes some recognisable names too, including Michael Veitch, Pia Miranda and Spencer McLaren — they’re a charismatic bunch who come together to create believable and endearing couples. While the plays are all very American — the days when anything like this can be written about Australian experiences being still, sigh, delayed — the actors do a good job of capturing American cadences and attitudes. With a live band playing jazz and funky pop covers between plays, there is a party vibe that's similar to attending an actual wedding in the Chapel Theatre. Though you can expect tighter scripting and better jokes than from an average wedding speech, there's just as much emotion. As with an actual wedding, I'd suggest bringing tissues. The plays range from light comic vignettes and slice-of-life dramas, to high satire and some real tear-jerkers. Jordan Harrison’s The Revision is a warm hearted but pointed comedy about two men rewriting their wedding vows to reflect the realistic prospects facing gay couples in modern America. This Flight Tonight by Wendy Macleod, is a beautifully observed depiction of pre-wedding jitters, seen through the lens of two young women needing to travel interstate to get married. Mo Gaffney’s Traditional Wedding reframes the newness of gay marriage by having a long-married lesbian couple looking back on their wedding, while Paul Rudnick’s satires The Gay Agenda and My Husband are ebullient lampoons of social attitudes. A highlight of the night is Doug Wright’s On Facebook a slick dramatisation of an actual online argument that will strike a chord with regular users of social media. Moisés Kaufman’s London Mosquitoes, framed as a eulogy by an elderly Jewish man for his long term male partner, is a bittersweet journey through personal and social history, touchingly spoken by Veitch. But the night hits its dramatic peak with LaBute’s Strange Fruit, a heartbreaking and expertly delivered piece set in California during the struggle for legalisation. The overall arc of the night is well constructed, balancing humour and drama well, and the show comes to a celebratory finale with Rivera’s Andrew and Pablo at the Altar of Words, which brings all the cast on stage for a ceremony featuring some very honest vows, neatly closing the circle started with The Revision. All together Standing On Ceremony is a tremendous night of theatre which gives the topic of gay marriage the multi-faceted, warm-hearted and perceptive portrayal it deserves. I do recommend it.
There's never a bad time for ice cream, the sweet treat fiend that lurks inside of us all often whispers. It's certainly one of the main thoughts running through your mind when you're heading to a gelato parlour at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. Of course, Gelato Messina isn't any old purveyor of frosty goodness — and their Gelato Appreciation Classes aren't any old excuse to eat dessert for breakfast or brunch. If you've ever stood in front of the counter at one of their 15 Australian stores — or their sole venture in Las Vegas — and wondered just which flavour you could possibly choose because they all look so delicious, then their Gelato Appreciation Class will be your idea of a damn good time and then some. In short, you can taste them all. Messina lets customers do that anyway, but no one really tries 40 or so types in one visit. After you've spent a morning finding out how the magic is made and eating the kinds of dishes they don't scoop up everyday, however, you'll feel compelled to sample every single variety on offer. When you sit down in the Messina classroom, as well as being greeted by your own Messina recipe book, you'll discover that there's more than 5000 flavours in their catalogue thanks to the ever-changing array of experimental specials that pop up each weekday. That's just one of the insider titbits Messina's chefs share over the two to two-and-a-half hour session. There's definitely more where that came from. On an autumn morning, a cosy room of 16 ice cream-loving folks sat in Brisbane's brand new Gelato Messina store in South Brisbane to watch and learn how fior di latte gelato, strawberry sorbet and the famous Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom cake are made — and try them all, and even more. Held as part of their array of events alongside hands-on gelato-making workshops and their seven-course Creative Department dinners, Messina pitch the classes as part degustation, part look behind the scenes, and it's a description that fits. At one moment, you'll be watching a Messina staffer make gelato and talk you through the process — and then you'll be scooping and devouring small bites of the fresh-churned goodness. The next, you'll be finding out that the machine in Messina's Sydney headquarters pumps out a massive one-and-a-half tonnes of gelato per hour, and your stomach will grumble on cue. Then, you'll be tucking into one of several desserts. Perhaps you'll get one that comes in a tuna-like tin, and features smoked brown butter gelato, milk chocolate namelaka (aka a Japanese ganache-like substance), compressed apple and flourless chocolate sponge, for example. Over a fun, relaxed session, you'll keep eating, listening and learning — and hearing amusing anecdotes, including one that involves their Fitzroy digs being mistaken for a nightclub thanks to its hefty line down Smith Street. Prepare for stories about Messina's new dairy farm, the ratio of air that's whipped into their gelato, and even their future plans. Indeed, if you're a big fan, that's almost as ace as all of the gelato you'll be munching on. And, as well as the recipe book and a Lister Messina tote, attendees get a takeaway pack stuffed with gelato to take home. Arrive hungry, but don't expect to leave that way. Gelato Messina hold their Gelato Appreciation Classes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane throughout the year, with tickets available via their website. Bookings are now open for their first Brisbane sessions, which will be held on July 15, August 19 and September 23.
Ambitious newcomer The Commons at Ormond Collective has taken over the St Kilda Road site once home to the Belgian Beer Cafe Bluestone. This multi-faceted, mostly outdoor venue is the latest from The Big Group, which operates a suite of event spaces including The Glasshouse in Olympic Park and the Myer Mural Hall. Aiming for broad appeal, The Commons features an array of different elements set across its various al fresco spaces, including The Conservatory, The Kitchen Garden, The Garden Cafe and The Beer Garden. Throughout, expect a heady mix of gingham and floral prints, bold stripes, fresh flowers and wicker, with lots of Euro-style cafe chairs and park benches setting the scene. In keeping with the times, you'll also find quirky lily pad seating positioned 1.5 metres apart and multiple hand sanitiser stations. [caption id="attachment_787853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marcel Aucar[/caption] There'll be slightly different food offerings available at each of the different spaces, though as a whole the menu's built around classic flavours, local produce and lots of ingredients picked fresh from the onsite kitchen garden. Think, crisp flatbread crowned with an assembly of confit artichoke, greens, mozzarella and edible flowers ($22); a spring salad featuring seared salmon ($24); and a classic chicken sandwich with lemon mayo and shredded broccoli ($15). You might settle in with some craft brews and a burger, or while away an afternoon over snacks and rosé. Coffee comes courtesy of North Melbourne's Small Batch, while house-made sweet treats run to the likes of salted pretzel brownies and an Italian strawberry love cake. Like any outdoor venue worth its salt, this one's also optimised for guests of the four-legged variety. We're talking doggy day beds, puppy parking and a dedicated food menu for pooches. Images: Marcel Aucar
Blue and green should never be seen without a colour in between. Or was that red and green? I can’t remember and judging by the preview image for his bluntly titled upcoming exhibition, New Work, which opens at Foot-us-crazy's Bruce Gallery on Thursday night, neither can local artist Max Lawrence White. I think that’s pink and red I spy right next to each other there too — a middle finger to the rules of artistic practice according to schoolyard rhymes or is White just an adventurous colour blocker, like this donkey? Either way, his three-dimensional canvasses offer an uplifting ode to colour and its ability to invoke an immediate, almost primal response. New Work is White’s second show for 2013, following the also informatively titled Forced Collaboration, which saw White share Dud Space with fellow artist Cheralyn Lim earlier this year. Image credit Max Lawrence White
We’ve all had that moment on holiday where we wish we could stay forever. Lally Katz’s Timeshare, a collaboration with New York director Oliver Butler, pushes that desire to its breaking point in a play with music that draws heavily on a swag of getaway tropes and the strength of its cast. Carl (Bert LaBonté) runs Paradise, a rundown all-inclusive resort, where Sandy (Fast Forward’s Marg Downey) and her daughter Kristy (Brigid Gallacher) are nearing the end of their stay. While Kristy and her mum wait for the arrival of her brother Gary (Fayssal Bazzi), she’s fallen for resort worker Juan Fernando (also played by Bazzi), who seems more keen on practicing a traditional turtle dance with the fiery Maria (Gallacher), the other member of his 'entertainment squad'. Bazzi and Gallacher’s ability to shift between their characters combined with Butler’s deft direction makes for terrific physical comedy, while LaBonté effortlessly steals scenes as the pathetic, entirely humourless Carl. Through it all Downey provides the perfect counterpoint to their antics, becoming increasingly helpless but remaining defiant in the face of the plot’s sly twists and revelations. In Jethro Woodward’s subtle score that accompanies interludes between scenes we can see flashes of his brilliance as a composer for previous shows such as The Long Pigs, but overall the sound design in Timeshare is slick to the point of being workmanlike. It’s difficult — at times his music seems constrained by the awkward phrasing of Katz’s lyrics, and the biggest numbers suffer slightly by comparison with Meme Girls in the smaller theatre next door. Yet at the same time, it’s only by committing to this style that Timeshare’s music can give full voice to the awkward, helpless tenderness of these characters; from Carl singing ‘I Can Give You Time’ to the backing of an ultimately kitsch electronic organ track, or Kristy’s plaintive ode to Tinder, which helps to situate the world of the play firmly in the here and now. Up until the satisfying reveal of her 'character', the voiceover Katz herself provides throughout the show feels like a device with murky clarity and intention. But just like the music and the dizzying lighting from veteran Paul Jackson, this sense of mystery is a way of capturing the dislocation and disorientation at the heart of this world. As funny as the show is, Timeshare hinges on its treatment of mental health and dementia; the treatment of these topics by writer, director and cast is sensitive and affecting, and elevates the work above simple crowdpleaser into a fine and compelling new Australian work. Read our interview with Timeshare creator Lally Katz here. Image by Jeff Busby.
Bringing some of the world's greatest past and present artists to Australia, the Sydney International Art Series 2017-18 features two outstanding exhibitions — and a gleaming pop-up bar to match. First up, the MCA hosts Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean, a kaleidoscopic exhibition exploring the much-acclaimed work of the Swiss video art pioneer. The most comprehensive showing of Rist's work in Australia to date, the exhibition considers the coming together of the natural world, technology and the human body through Rist's immersive installations and vast audiovisual compositions. Meanwhile, just across the Royal Botanical Garden at the Art Gallery of NSW, Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum showcases 76 masterpieces of Dutch painting, created during an era of unmatched prosperity and artistic inspiration. Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age reveals the wealth, power and influence of an emerging Dutch society in the 17th century. As part of the exhibition, there will be an entire room dedicated to Rembrandt's vast range of work. Also, there will be a work by painter Johannes Vermeer — one of only 35 surviving paintings in the world. To celebrate this year's event, a Pipilotti Rist inspired pop-up bar has sprung up on the banks of Circular Quay. A vibrant and unconventional space, Colour Fields has lots going on, including Sunday sessions by Future Classic, snacks and cocktails by Culinary Edge, workshops and more. Art Gallery of NSW will also hold special events dedicated to the Rembrandt exhibition. Each Wednesday evening during the exhibition's run, the gallery's Art After Hours will feature special talks, tours, performances and a pop-up bar serving drinks and eats. Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean runs until February 18, 2018; Colour Fields is open throughout the summer at the MCA and Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age runs until February 18, 2018.
In previous years, Queen Victoria Market's Winter Night Market has proved one of Melbourne's favourite midweek winter pastimes. But the long-running event unfortunately won't be entertaining anyone in 2021, with the event series getting the axe for the second year in a row. Yesterday, Wednesday, July 29, organisers announced that the Night Market's 2021 edition has been cancelled, citing the ongoing impact of COVID-19 restrictions. The move comes after the 2020 event was also canned due to the extended lockdown that shut Melbourne down for much of last winter. In a statement, the QVM team revealed that they had hoped to push ahead with this year's Night Market, but that the ongoing impacts of the state's two recent lockdowns had crushed those plans. "The current crowd limits and ongoing delays have made it too challenging to proceed at this time, a theme sadly seen right across the Melbourne events industry," the QVM crew explained. Organisers acknowledged the cancellation news would be a huge disappointment to the many people involved, but assured punters that the decision to pull the pin had not been made lightly. Prior to the pandemic, the event had become a firm fixture of Melbourne's winter calendar, running from June to August. It usually sees hordes of locals descending on the QVM's heritage sheds each week to cosy up with serves of mulled wine, listen to live tunes and eat their way through an array of global food stalls. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queen Victoria Market (@vicmarket) While the Winter Night Market has been scratched, QVM organisers took to Instagram to hint they'll be making up for the loss with some other fun offerings later in the year. "We are working on some exciting new events and activations that will continue to celebrate the vibrancy and culture of Melbourne and our Market, and we look forward to sharing them with you all soon," the team explained. The Queen Victoria Market's Winter Night Market will no longer take place in 2021. For more details, see the QVM website.
No one needs an excuse to visit Tasmania, especially if you're keen to enjoy the Apple Isle's splendours in winter, but Dark Mofo has been giving us all one anyway for a decade. One of two massive festivals run by the Museum of Old and New Art alongside summer event Mona Foma, it's home to a dark and sinister music and arts program befitting the frosty June weather — and it'll be back again in 2023. The next fest will see Dark Mofo officially hit ten years, in fact — and will run from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, if you're already thinking about how to spend the frostiest part next year. While it'll clearly be a big birthday party, with the program to be announced in autumn, the festival will also mark Creative Director Leigh Carmichael's last at the helm. [caption id="attachment_763673" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Remi Chauvin[/caption] Carmichael will step down after Dark Mofo 2023, making way for a new Artistic Director from 2024 onwards. "I feel that after ten years curating the Dark Mofo program, it's time for new energy and new ideas to move the festival forward," Carmichael said in a statement. "Dark Mofo occupies an important place in the Australian arts landscape, and I am confident that it will continue to provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience challenging art in the darkest weeks of the year. I will be devoting more time and energy into DarkLab's other cultural projects, and pushing for better venues and more public infrastructure for Hobart so that it can cement its place as a vibrant cultural city." [caption id="attachment_849628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Blue Rose Ball. Photo credit: Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford, 2018. Image of Société Anonyme Costume Ball Hadley's Orient Hotel. Image courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Previous years' lineups have seen a fantastical combination of musical performances, performance art and large-scale installations come together. In 2019, the program featured the likes of artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, American musician Sharon Van Etten and one of the world's largest glockenspiels, for instance. In 2022, patrons were treated to performances by The Kid LAROI, and the sounds of Chernobyl and Candyman — plus rainbow installations, and signature festivities such as the Nude Solstice Swim, the City of Hobart Winter Feast, Night Mass: Transcendence in the In The Hanging Garden precinct and the Reclamation Walk. Already keen to get booking? Fancy a Tasmania trip in the interim? Our Concrete Playground Trips Hobart getaway might also be of interest. [caption id="attachment_800592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lusy Productions[/caption] Dark Mofo 2023 will run from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. The 2023 program will be announced in autumn. Top image: Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2021. Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford, 2021. Image courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 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.
A month after becoming the first commercial airline to pilot a non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, Qantas has flown direct from London to Sydney in a trial run. The ongoing research tests are part of the company's efforts to assess the feasibility of the airline's Project Sunrise scheme, which aims to implement the routes by 2022. For the past five years, Qantas has been promising to eradicate one of the worst things about international long-haul air travel to and from Australia: the dreaded stopover. First, it announced and then implemented non-stop 17-hour flights from Perth to London; however if you live on the east coast, you still have to get to Western Australia. So, the airline revealed that it was exploring direct routes from Sydney, not only to London but to New York as well. Since then, Qantas has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, widening its plan to also include departures to and from Melbourne and Brisbane. Last month, the Aussie carrier took the next step by starting test flights, which were initially announced a couple of months prior. The huge 19.5-hour journey New York–Sydney journey was just the first trip, with Qantas then flying a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner from London to Sydney between Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15. The UK–Australia trip took 19 hours and 19 minutes from Heathrow, cutting down the current travel time for east coast-dwellers by around two hours — not including the inevitable stopover time once you get from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Perth. And, it travelled 17,800 kilometres, which is longer than the 16,200 kilometres from New York to Sydney. The two flights took around the same time, though, due to prevailing tail winds between London and Sydney. If you know your aviation history, you'll know that the London to Sydney trek has actually been made before; however the last time it happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the journey on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people onboard. This time, around 50 passengers and crew made the journey, with the aircraft flying across 11 countries: England, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Philippines, Indonesia and, obviously, Australia. Like its New York to Sydney counterpart, the aim of the journey was to gather data about inflight health and wellbeing. Passengers and crew were fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre, with minimising jetlag, and helping identify optimum crew rest and work patterns part of their research. Testing the impact on pilots is also part of the research. While spending nearly a day on one single plane to get to the USA or Europe is definitely better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's still a seriously long slog. Yes, you'll avoid the sometimes long, always painful stopovers, but the lengthy journey isn't without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the Perth to London trip knows — which is what makes this testing so important. A third trial flight, repeating the New York-Sydney route, is planned in December. Qantas is expected to announce whether Project Sunrise will progress to making commercial flights, rather than just trial flights, by the end of the same month. If it proceeds, it'll eclipse the current record for the world's longest direct flight — which clocks in at over 19 hours on Singapore Airlines' 15,322-kilometre Singapore to New York route. Images: Qantas.
After a year of streaming flicks on our laptops and phones, it's time to put bums back on seats at actual cinemas. Excitingly, you can do that at IRL film festivals, pop-up cinemas and even car park rooftops across Melbourne. There are lots of places to catch a film in Melbourne RN. We've rounded up a few of our faves right here. Order an extra large popcorn and get ready for some serious viewing.
Melbourne's seen its fair share of dockless bike share systems rolled out (and often axed) over the years. But things are shifting up a gear this year, with the city's first ever long-term dockless share scheme for electric bikes set to launch next month. The City of Melbourne, the City of Yarra and the City of Port Phillip have announced they'll kick-start a one-year trial with Uber's much-hyped e-bike service, Jump. Jump has already been embraced by cities across the US and Europe, and is en route to our neighbours in Auckland, but this will be its Australian launch. When it lands in Melbourne from early March, the bright red pedal-assisted bikes will be available to hire through your regular Uber app. You'll just need to switch to bike mode, where you'll be able to see available bikes and use the app to unlock one and ride away. The bikes will be available to ride within the three inner city councils, which includes the CBD and Docklands, West Melbourne (and over to Flemington), the inner north (Carlton, North Melbourne, Fitzroy and Richmond) and down to the bay (Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Albert Park, St Kilda and Elwood). In another effort to avoid the woes of past bike share networks, the councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the rules and regulations Jump will need to stick to in order to keep operating in Melbourne past the 12-month trial. The company using geo-fencing technologies and remote monitoring to keep track of its fleet. Hopefully that'll help curb the number of bikes ditched in trees, creeks and other questionable spots around the city, as was mostly the downfall of previous players like oBike. As well as laying down requirements for parking and maintenance, it stipulates firm resolution timeframes for damaged or discarded e-bikes. Taking care of service and maintenance will be the crew from Good Cycles, a Melbourne-based social enterprise that trains and employees disadvantaged youth. The city is set to score 400 Jump bikes as the trial launches, with more headed to Yarra and Port Phillip areas in the following months. This will somewhat replace the City of Melbourne's blue bike share scheme, which was abandoned last year. Riders will, of course, have to don a helmet and play by the usual road rules when cruising around on a Jump bike. Prices haven't yet been confirmed but, for reference, in New Zealand the bikes cost $1 (NZD) to unlock and then $0.38 per minute after that. Uber hasn't announced any plans to launch Jump in any other Australian cities yet, but if the trial goes well, we'd expect that it will in the near future. You can expect to see the Jump bike option in your Uber app from early March. We'll let you know when it launches. You can find more info on the Jump bikes here.
