If it's ethereal indie folk you're after, Dustin Tebbutt is your man. The New England native's music is described by his record label as "the music for your autumns and winters" which, in our opinion, couldn't be more accurate. The haunting isolation that comes through his high echoey vocals and crisp acoustic guitar certainly create feelings of isolation and introspection. Well, it's a good thing he's coming to town as the temperature is starting to drop. Tebbutt's latest national tour is for his latest EP, Bones, and it's gorgeous. First single 'Bones' is much like what we saw on debut EP The Breach; incredibly entrancing music that has the ability to transport its listeners far away from anyone or anything. If you enjoy the thoughtful sounds of Bon Iver or Sigur Rós, then Dustin Tebbutt is a local boy you definitely shouldn't miss. The Armidale local had a good ol' chat to Concrete Playground about roasting coffee, living in Sweden and working with Oliver Tank, right smack in the midst of his national tour. So you're on tour at the moment, and all of your shows are pretty much sold out. How has it all gone so far? It's been really great. We've got a really good crew and they're all people I know really well, so it's just like hanging out with friends really! The shows have been really nice, it's a big difference selling out shows and knowing there'll be a lot of people there to see you, as opposed to driving halfway across the county and ending up with 20 people in a room. It's been amazing and everyone has been really receptive so far, so it's good. Is this your first time performing with a band? What has that been like for you? We did Falls Festival with the band and a festival in March in Sydney with the guys, but they were really just warm up shows to get it all up and running. This is the first tour that we have headlined and the first time we've been on the road together. We've got a chance to do a few shows back to back, which has been really good. It has allowed us to have a closer look at the songs and workshop stuff a bit too. You have also done some international touring earlier this year, how was the reception to your music overseas? I was really surprised actually! I've been really lucky here to have the support of triple j and FBi that have allowed me to get in front of a lot of people quite quickly. Overseas that hasn't really been happening, it's just been word of mouth over the internet. The London show sold out and the New York show sold out, and the one in Amsterdam was packed, so it was really surprising to see that. It's kind of weird because it's very passive, going to these far away places and people happen to know about you! It's strange but it's nice. This tour is showcasing your recently released second EP Bones. Did the songs come together in a different way to your debut EP The Breach? It was a similar process in a way. Quite a few of the songs on Bones started out in the same place as The Breach, and they were kind of the ones I started writing a bit closer to the end of that period overseas. I wasn't quite finished with them when I got back but they all came from a very similar place — a lot of the themes are pretty similar as well. I think I learned a lot with The Breach EP production-wise and my own writing process, and I think Bones was more of a way to experiment with that and refine it a bit more. In a way I think they are both from the same chapter of my life, we'll have to see what the next one is. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FzdxNjwsoAI There is a wonderful remix of The Breach by Oliver Tank on the Bones EP. You two seem like a match made in heaven, how did that collaboration come about? I had seen him when he was supporting James Blake at the Opera House in Sydney, and when he first put out his EP years ago was when I just got back to Australia and I was listening to it a lot up in Armidale. It just kind of captured me straight away, I just sent him an e-mail just to see if he was interested and we just took it from there. I gave him a lot of creative control and said, "There's no agenda here, I just want you to make something that you're happy with." He took his time with it and when I heard it back for the first time it blew my mind, it was so stunning. I'm really happy that we got the chance to work together. So let's go back a bit, you moved to Sweden for two years and that is where song from The Breach EP were conceived. What drew you to Sweden and how did living their influence your music? Originally I was living in Melbourne just before that and I was playing in a few bands and roasting coffee, and my life was very sorted and on a trajectory. I just felt the need to shake it up a little bit. I had a friend who had grown up in Sweden and he was out here as well making music at the time. He told me about the scene over there and how the music is a bit different and I started to get intrigued by that, to the point where I had to go and check it out for myself. When I got there I didn't have any preconceived notions of what it would be like, so I was a bit of a sponge. Spending a lot of time with a small group of people writing music in winter, we stayed in this little country town an hour south of Stockholm for three months and it was insane. It was like the images you see on the Sigur Rós covers. It was such a beautiful place and to be so far away in a different environment was pretty inspiring. You came home to produce and record The Breach in your home studio that you built in Armidale. Do you prefer this set up to a fully-equipped professional sound studio? I really do. I actually did a lot of the drum tracking within a bigger space, which was really good because it's efficient and easy and there's not really anything logistically getting in your way. But the studio that I built was tiny; I could only just fit an office chair in there. But it made you solve problems differently, maybe instead of setting up a new microphone or getting a new guitar, because that would take you eight minutes to change everything over, you didn't. Or you couldn't fit the instrument in the room properly, so you'd play it upside down. The whole set up made me make all of these interesting choices that contributed to the overall sound of the record. If you go to a big studio where a lot of bands have tracked you risk sounding like every other record that has been made in that room. I didn't want to do that, I wanted to do my own thing and it might not have been the easiest way to do it! But I'm really happy with how it worked out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OysNiYXWga0 Your music is very distinctive; ethereal and complex. Who would you say are your musical influences? Laura Veirs, a Canadian-born singer-songwriter, she and her husband have made six albums together now and he is one of my favourite producers. She was a geologist and she has this amazing vocabulary for songwriting and she tells the most beautiful stories through geographical metaphors. It's just stunning; she's one of my all time favourites. I guess I listened to a fair bit of Bon Iver when that first record came out, and Jeff Buckley when I was growing up, that's probably where the falsetto comes from. You've produced two wonderful EP's, any plans on releasing a debut LP album this year? I'm working really hard to make that happen. At the moment there's not a deadline, I don't want to put anything out that I'm not completely happy with. I'm just writing as many songs as I can and trying to finish them off when they feel ready. It would be really nice to get something out this year, but I'm not making any promises (laughs). What else has this year got in store for you once you've finished the Bones tour? We're heading up to Splendour in July, which will be awesome. Going to drop in to Armidale on the way back — I haven't been there for a few months so that will be good to catch up with some people there. In August there will be a festival in Port Hedland so we'll head up there for a few days. Missy Higgins is playing and the Kite String Tangle, and a few other people I'm looking forward to sharing the stage with so that will be nice. A lot of song writing this year I think, it should be a lot of fun. TOUR DATES: WED 14 MAY - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) THU 15 MAY - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) FRI 16 MAY - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) TUE 20 MAY - Newtown Social Club, Sydney (SOLD OUT) WED 21 MAY - Newtown Social Club, Sydney (SOLD OUT) THUR 22 MAY - Newtown Social Club, Sydney (SOLD OUT) FRI 23 MAY - Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane SAT 26 JULY - Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay
What sits at the heart of European storytelling? That's a question that one of Australia's must-attend film festivals has been pondering for three years. It was back in 2022 that Europa! Europa initially started showcasing the breadth of cinema from across Europe — surveying as many countries as it can fit into each annual program, and swinging from the latest to the greatest pictures from across the continent. 2025's event kicks off in February to explore that idea again. Attending Europa! Europa's opening night this year means discovering what makes a French box-office hit, for starters. A Little Something Extra, directed by comedian and actor Artus, was its nation's highest-grossing homegrown movie of 2024. When it kicks off this Australian film fest in Sydney and Melbourne on Wednesday, February 12, it'll start the celebration of cinema with a tale about jewel thief and his son at a summer camp for young adults with disability. Returning to Classic Cinemas Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas Hawthorn in Melbourne for a month, running until Wednesday, March 12, Europa! Europa has compiled a roster of 44 movies from 26 countries. Accordingly, its latest program lets viewers dig into what drives filmmaking from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark and Estonia, and also Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine. Titles from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Georgia, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom are on the list, too. Unsurprisingly, the largest contingent comes from France. Indeed, Gallic cinema provides Europa! Europa with its centrepiece film as well — and it's an Australian premiere, with Once Upon My Mother stepping back to the 60s. The festival's headliners bring big-name talents, as well as touching documentaries to Sydney and Melbourne. In Another End from The Wait director Piero Messina, Gael García Bernal (La Máquina) plays a mourning widower exploring tech-enhanced ways of facing grief, with Renate Reinsve (Presumed Innocent) and Bérénice Bejo (Under Paris) co-starring. The Dardenne brothers (Tori and Lokita) co-produce the Belgian tennis academy-set Julie Keeps Quiet, while Sweden's 2025 Oscar submission The Last Journey hails from Swedish journalists and TV hosts Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson, and focuses on a trip to France with the former's father. Still on familiar faces, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Academy Award-nominee Maria Bakalova (The Apprentice) leads the satirical Triumph, French standouts Daniel Auteuil (An Ordinary Case) and Sandrine Kiberlain (November) get farcical in Love Boat, and Mélanie Laurent (Freedom) and Guillaume Canet (All-Time High) portray Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI in their final days in The Flood. Other highlights from the fest's slate of new titles include Spain's I Am Nevenka, about an IRL MeToo case; U Are the Universe, a Ukranian sci-fil film made during the current war; the Sundance-premiering Sebastian, about a writer who is also a sex worker; Anywhere, Anytime, a modernisation of Italian masterpiece Bicycle Thieves; and Loveable, from the producer of The Worst Person in the World — and the list goes on. Europa! Europa's annual retrospectives keep proving a drawcard, too. After shining the spotlight on Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness director Yorgos Lanthimos in 2024, the festival is jumping back into French film history by heroing the iconic François Truffaut. Four of the French New Wave filmmaker's movies are on the lineup, all showing as new 4K restorations: Shoot the Piano Player, The Soft Skin, Two English Girls and Finally, Sunday!.
Music lovers of Australia, and festival fans as well, we foresee trips to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra or Geelong in your future. That's where The Grass Is Greener is heading this year, with the music, food and arts fest expanding beyond Queensland for the first time — and the event has just dropped its impressive lineup. Leading the bill: Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Zhu and Pnau, all hitting up the festival's four regional locations. The event is particularly pumped to have not one but two of the biggest names in hip hop gracing its stages, as well as one of EDM's global stars and some homegrown heroes. And, it's betting that you'll be just as thrilled to check them out live. Of course you will. One Four, Boo Seeka, Side Piece, Alok and Mashd N Kutcher also have spots on the lineup — and yes, the list goes on. As for when you'll be seeing all of the above, The Grass Is Greener is doing the rounds across the last two weekends in October, starting on the Goldie, hopping down to the ACT, zipping back up to its Tropical North Queensland birthplace, then wrapping up its 2022 run in Victoria. Clearly, it's a big year for the fest, which made its debut in Cairns back in 2016. Expanding to two new cities, covering three states and locking in huge headliners for this year's tour is quite the flex. The Grass Is Greener is also jumping into the NFT space in 2022, integrating NFTs into its ticketing with a limited edition 1,111 NFT Collection. As well as nabbing access to the fest, the NFTs also feature special art that you can use onsite to unlock unique and exclusive experiences that won't be available with physical tickets. THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 LINEUP: Alok Aluna Boo Seeka Brux Crush3ed Little Fritter Wongo Jordan Burns (live) Market Memories Mashd N Kutcher Maya Jane Coles Mikalah Watego Mood Swing & Chevy Bass Onefour Piero Pirupa Pnau Sidepiece Sticky Fingers TDJ Ty Dolla $Ign Vnssa YG Zero Zhu (DJ set) THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 DATES: Saturday, October 22 — Doug Jennings Park, Gold Coast Sunday, October 23 — Patrick White Lawns, Canberra Saturday, October 29 — Cairns Showgrounds, Cairns Sunday, October 30 — Geelong Racecourse, Geelong The Grass Is Greener will hit the Gold Coast, Canberra, Cairns and Geelong in October 2022. Ticket pre-sales start at 8am on Wednesday, July 13, ahead of general sales from 8am on Thursday, July 14. Head to the festival website for more information. Images: Curdin Photo and Mitch Lowe.
Admit it: you spend a lot of time thinking about doughnuts these days. Of course, whether you like doughnuts is entirely beside the point — this fair city makes sure that no matter where you are and what you're doing, you have some sort of deep-fried dough-based dumpling of sweet, sweet sugar in and around your mouth (and thoughts) at all times. However, this over-saturation of the hot, sugar-crumbed dough ring market has reared some hefty competition in the d-nut economy. Ask any self respecting corporate strategist and they'll tell you, "when things donut go as planned, diversify, diversify, diversify!". This is where Juanita Peaches comes into the picture. From the regal bunch that reign over the vast food truck pride lands of Melbourne and the dough lovers that thought up All Day Donuts, comes ALL NIGHT CHICKEN. Except it's called Juanita Peaches and they only serve chicken for a set amount of time at night on a select few days a week. Juanita is certainly not your standard lass, with a logo that resembles the sort of tattoo you might acquire from a trip you don't remember to Surfer's Paradise. But all in all, she's got the goods, and she's worth trying. With a small menu on offer, the fried chicken — crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle — definitely tops the list of things to order at this establishment. The burros were a little on the dry side but still tasty, and with a lick of hot sauce, all ills are remedied. All the usual sides are at the party too, including chips and a zingy slaw to cut through that chicken grease. Raph Rashid, the man behind it all, makes sure that Juanita still has a few doughnuts set aside to satiate those that come for the savoury delights, but still have a sweet tooth. The drinks on offer, while minimal, complement the fried bird and burros perfectly. So, jump on the 19 tram and head to Brunswick. You'll find Juanita Peaches just off the well-beaten path of Sydney Road, emitting a radiant glow that only comes from searingly hot vats of oil. Images: Julia Sansone
Belgian artist Jan Fabre seems to have made a career out of being relentlessly strange, from burning money and drawing pictures with the ashes to encrusting a palace ceiling with glittering beetle shells. So it's hard to know exactly what to expect from one of his plays, but odds are it'll be, well, odd. Fabre's Wake Up Hate is being performed at La Mama by Paulo Castro, a Portuguese-born performer who has toured the show to various cities in Europe, including Berlin, Reykjavik, Lisbon and Paris. It’s a solo show, a fierce monologue from a protagonist who claims to have freshly come back from the dead. From an armchair in the ruins of a destroyed house, he launches a scathing attack on the voyeurism of contemporary society, a voyeurism he is part of because his eyes have become cameras. Yup, sounds odd alright. But perhaps, like a beetle shell ceiling, gloriously so. Image by Rodeo.
In Australia, it's common to think of theatre as a safe diversion for a small elite. Not so in Belarus, where theatre is dangerous, and the political ensemble Belarus Free Theatre is outlawed. Instead of performing for their countrymen, then, they travel the world, doing works like Minsk 2011, a combo critique of and love song to their home city. With a particular focus on underground subcultures and sexual policing under a dictatorship, their work is renowned for being inventive rather than polemic, and of striking a note of hope. This is theatre on the edge.
Tony Blair, Oedipus Rex and the almighty Lord God himself are just a few of the colourful characters you can expect to get a mention in English comedian Sara Pascoe's 2016 Melbourne International Comedy Festival show. As smart as she is forthcoming, Pascoe's the kind of stand-up who'll actually make you learn something even as you're rolling on the floor laughing. Her new act, Animal is described as "a show about empathy and its limitations". Colour us intrigued.
Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty rage of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's pandemic motto. Over the past few months, the gelato fiends have served up plenty of tasty specials, including cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties; 40 of its best flavours; and full tubs of both Iced VoVo gelato and Messina's own take on the classic Viennetta ice cream cake. Up next: a lamington version of the brand's sticky snails. Basically, it's their interpretation of a Cinnabon-style brioche scroll, then combined with an Aussie favourite. It's another of Messina's limited releases, and it'll be available at all of its stores for a very short period. Wondering what exactly Messina's lamington sticky snail entails? Well, that sticky brioche scroll is filled with vanilla custard, chocolate chips, raspberry jam and chocolate caramel. And, yes, it's then sprinkled with desiccated coconut. If it didn't, the lamington label just couldn't apply. The sweet bake-at-home bite can only be ordered online on Monday, August 17. On its own, it will cost $20 — but to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it (vanilla is recommended). You can add on a 500-millilitre tub for $28, a one-litre tub for $36 or a 1.5-litre tub for $39. Once you've placed your preorder, pick up will be available between Friday, August 21–Sunday, August 23 from your chosen Messina store. And, once you've got the lamington sticky snail safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 20–25 minutes at 160 degrees and voila. If you're in Melbourne, remember that you can only venture to shops within five kilometres of your house — and only once a day — to get essentials, including food. Gelato Messina's lamington sticky snails will be available to order on Monday, August 17, for pick up between Friday, August 21–Sunday, August 23 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
1 Man Debate with Simon Taylor is the exploration of one man's mid-twenties crisis. Besieged by the big questions in life – what is a “real” man? Are men becoming redundant? Will he ever meet a girl who genuinely likes Harry Potter? – Taylor is fiercely engaged in a debate with himself about what maketh the modern man. He presents both sides of the masculine and feminine argument, lightening the material with some dodgy dance moves while revealing the mismatched nuances of his personality. A psychology graduate from Melbourne, Taylor is a slick performer with skilful, self-deprecating humour and a sly wit that mesmerises his audience (he also moonlights as a magician). The boy/man really comes into his element when he takes on the role of adjudicator between his two internal squabbling selves — it's here that Taylor warms to his chosen material, expertly exploring gender stereotypes, double standards and zany Gen Y thinking. He’s the reigning Victorian Poetry Slam Champion, which lends his words a lyrical flair and perhaps contributes to the limitation of lewd material to two rudie-parts jokes in one hour. Now is a good time to see Taylor on stage before his ticket prices triple (he started writing jokes for Jay Leno last year, no comments on his masculinity here). See him question the merits of chivalry versus sensitivity, then go home and ponder it over a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. Image via hotticketpr
There are lots of ways to spot a bad film while you're watching it. The audience laughing during the intended scary bits, for example, is a strong indication of a directorial misstep. So, too, is the moment you find yourself checking your watch and discover it's only 15 minutes in. Perhaps the most telling sign is when you realise that you've already picked everything that's going to happen on screen, and you start re-writing the script in your head in an attempt to make it more interesting. When all of these indicators make themselves known to you so early on, however, the only real question becomes: why are you bothering at all? That same question could well be asked of the phenomenal cast assembled for Life – a space-based horror film that only succeeds in being based in space. Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson and Japanese A-lister Hiroyuki Sanada all lend their star power to a film that falls well short of deserving it, especially in light of such a generic screenplay. To be fair, both the premise and opening scenes offer promise. The crew of the International Space Station retrieve a Mars Rover carrying soil samples from the Red Planet that contain a microscopic living organism, the first indisputable proof of life beyond Earth. Rather than explore the inevitable and fascinating religious implications such a discovery would have back on earth, however, Life immediately turns its tiny sentient blob into an ingenious killing...blob. What follows is a by-the-numbers affair that's far closer to Gravity than it is Alien. Moreover, from go to woe, Life suffers from a collection of bizarrely muted performances operating within a remarkably limited emotional range. The differences, for example, between the celebrations over a crew member becoming a father, and the horror of witnessing a different crew member torn apart from the inside out are almost impossible to spot. There are innumerable unpredictabilities in filmmaking, but one surefire rule is that when a cast doesn't seem engaged in its own project, the audience's concomitant apathy is assured. Here the cast looks more bored than terrified. All in all, there's little to like about Life – and even less hope for the sequel it so blatantly attempts to set up in its final stages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeLsJfGmY_Y
For almost a decade, it's boasted one of the most unique locations of any Melbourne bar, nestled between footpath and river, halfway along the Evan Walker Bridge. And soon, Ponyfish Island will have a sleek new look befitting that quirky address, as it undergoes a dramatic makeover. While the venue is closed under COVID-19 restrictions, Owners Jerome Borazio (Laneway Festival, Back Alley Sally's), DJ Grant Smillie (Melbourne City Brewing Co, and LA's EP & LP) and Andrew Mackinnon (from marketing communication agency The Taboo Group) have kicked off a hefty raft of renovations that'll see it transformed into a chic over-water drinking destination. Adelaide's Studio Gram (whose work includes the likes of Africola and Surry Hills' Hotel Harry) is heading up a total overhaul of the space, reimagining every last corner but for the original frame of the bar. When doors open in late spring, expect a refined mix of colours, textures and curves, with additional lounge areas, new lighting, and Palm Springs-inspired custom-made shades. The front sculpture has also been given the boot, leaving room for extra seating and a bigger kitchen. Putting the latter to good use, a revamped food and drink offering is also in the works. A seafood-centric menu will feature dishes like a prawn roll, matched by crafty cocktails including a barrel-aged rum negroni. It seems the beer-line gods have also smiled down from above and the bar's set to feature draught beer for the first time ever. Ponyfish Island's makeover plans have actually been in the works for a good five years. Though, with that location in the middle of the Yarra proving challenging even for day-to-day bar operations, you can only imagine the headaches in store for any full-blown construction. Powering appliances have the potential to black-out half of nearby Southbank, flooding is all too common, and someone has to lug the entire ice supply in by hand. During the rebuild, demolition required a barge to be sent in via the river, while the current City of Melbourne works on the footbridge above have presented hurdles of their own. Ponyfish Island is slated to reopen by the end of November 2020, in time for its tenth birthday celebrations in December. We'll keep you posted with more details closer to the launch.
Ever since 1922, every movie that's been made about vampires owes a debt to Nosferatu. On the Malthouse Theatre stage in 2023, so does Australia's latest world-premiere theatre production. The Melbourne theatre company is taking inspiration from the cinematic masterpiece in a new drama that shares its name — but, giving the tale an Aussie twist, it's setting its horror story in a Tasmanian mining town. Hailing from writer Keziah Warner, and starring Jacob Collins Levy (The White Princess), this take on Nosferatu heads to a locale that residents are keen to restore, hoping that its glory days can return. To achieve that feat, they embrace a mysterious investor. If you've seen the film, however, you'll now that its central figure always has quite the taste for blood — no matter the other narrative details around him. People disappearing, questions no one wants to ask, getting more than one bargains for: that's how Malthouse's Nosferatu goes from there, as theatre attendees can see during its debut season from Friday, February 10–Sunday, March 5 in the Merlyn Theatre. And yes, Nosferatu has always owed its own debt, too, given that the OG version has quite the similarities to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Malthouse's date with the influential story marks its latest page-to-stage show, after adapting classic Aussie book Looking for Alibrandi in 2022. Nosferatu's world-premiere season runs from Friday, February 10–Sunday, March 5 at the Merlyn Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank, Melbourne. Head to the Malthouse Theatre website for tickets and further details. Top image: Kristian Gehradte.
Heading to Collingwood's Museum of Desire is one way to turn up the heat this winter, with this immersive playhouse's after-dark fun treading the line between art and eros. With demand on the rise, the museum has now extended its season through to the end of 2025, with late-night sessions from Wednesday—Sunday keeping the suggestive vibe going until as late as 10.30pm. Featuring all-new permanent provocations, the Museum of Desire is stacked with even more spicy encounters. The Little Vegas Love Chapel offers an irreverent elopement booth for cheeky wedding snaps. Plus, two newly unveiled Cabinets of Curiosities feature rare and risqué artefacts, from vintage erotica catalogues to taboo-bending objets d'art. With more than 20 attractions spread throughout this seductive space, the venue's exotic experiences include an orgasmic laser harp, flirtatious installations created by world-renowned artists, an alluring room filled with infinity mirrors, and even a boob-filled ball pit (yes, really) that you're welcome to dive into. As for the rest of the winter season, the Museum of Desire is hosting a series of special events, with Burlesque & Bites taking place on Wednesday, July 30. Offering a pleasure-seeking evening filled with creativity and performance, expect an enthralling burlesque show by the ever-glamorous Evana De Lune, alongside debut photography exhibitions, costume displays, indulgent nibbles and more. Images: Marcus Kiely
For the past two years, heading off on holiday has been a matter of 'if' rather than 'where'. If and when border restrictions and lockdowns have allowed it, we've all been travelling to wherever we've been allowed, whenever we've been allowed — across Australia and, when the trans-Tasman bubble was open, to New Zealand as well. With Sydney and Melbourne now free of their stay-at-home stints, Queensland and Tasmania announcing their domestic border reopening plans, and the Australian Government allowing vaccinated Aussies to leave the country purely for a getaway from Monday, November 1, simply heading to whichever few spots will have you will soon be a thing of the past. You'll have options, in other words. And, ahead of all of those border changes, Virgin has just dropped a sale that's serving up a heap of cheap domestic and international flights. Called 'Yay for Holidays', this sale has 1.7-million discounted fares up for grabs — but you'll need to get in quick. They went on sale today, Monday, October 25; however, they're only available until midnight AEST on Monday, November 1 or sold out, whichever comes first. All one-way fares, the discounted economy flights cover 28 different destinations, starting at $49. Some of the domestic specials on offer include Sydney to Byron Bay for $55, Sydney to the Sunshine Coast for $75, Melbourne to Launceston from $59, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $89, Brisbane to Hamilton Island from $85, Brisbane to Cairns from $89, Adelaide to Melbourne from $79 and Perth to the Gold Coast from $259 (and vice versa in all cases, naturally). Internationally, options span routes to Fiji, Bali and New Zealand. So, you can head from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Nadi for $229–239, to Bali from all three cities for $279 and to Queenstown from the trio from $287–302. If you're wondering when you can travel — depending on border restrictions, of course — you can book flights for trips between November 2, 2021–June 23, 2022. Only some fares cover seat selection and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in August that it is now splitting its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin's 'Yay for Holidays' sale runs from today, Monday, October 25–Monday, November 1 — or until sold out. Find out more about current Australian border restrictions via the Australian Government's Health Direct website and its Smart Traveller website.
Feeling like a bit of low-key self-improvement? Want to change the way you approach each day? Or, do you just need a bit more balance in your life? We agree that it's important to bring positive changes into your life, but why start with the big stuff? Vincent Van Gogh once said, "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." So, start with the small. To help you out, we've teamed up with our mates at Coopers to bring you a list of 'easy wins' — small things you can do to make your day, your week and your life just that little bit better. And, yes, savouring an easy drinking Coopers Dry is a good start. MONDAY: ATTEND A COMEDY NIGHT Need a good laugh? Well, local comedy nights are guaranteed to get you cackling. Sure, you might have some hit and miss moments, but small-scale comedy nights are a great way to check out your area's comedic chops. Plus, it's an easy date idea that's not just 'going for a drink'. Who knows, you might even be inspired to get up there yourself (but only if it's in open-mic format, please). On Mondays, laugh the blues away at The Comedy Lounge at Cafe Lounge in Sydney, Quick Bites at Boney in Melbourne or The Sit Down Open Mic Club at Newmarket Hotel in Brissie. TUESDAY: WATCH THE SUNRISE We know it's tough, and it doesn't have to be Tuesday, but pick one day a week — maybe when you have a late start or a bit of extra time — grab yourself a takeaway coffee, and watch the world wake up slowly. Living in Australia, we're blessed with a ton of easily accessible scenic views in and around most of our major cities. Start a day an hour or so earlier this week, and welcome the morning with a view. By the time everyone else is rushing off to start the day completely stressed out of their minds, you'll be calm, relaxed and focused. Great spots for this include, Wendy's Secret Garden in Sydney, Brighton Beach in Melbourne or The Redlands Bayside in Brisbane. While it's a little too early for beer, earmark the spot and head back after work for a sundowner. WEDNESDAY: WALK TO WORK Now, if your commute is massive, we're not suggesting you load up a supply donkey and trek through the night — but if there's a point you can walk from, do it. If your walk to work is half an hour or less, try to make this choice a couple of times a week. It's a great way to break up the monotony of the working week and stay fit and healthy. And, you'll actually look forward to going to work — hear us out — since you won't have to join the squished sardines on the train, you can stretch your legs and pump up the volume on your motivational playlist. Fresh air, exercise and good tunes — it's a winning formula. Plus, fewer cars on the road means peaceful streets and lower carbon emissions — an easy win, for a brighter future. [caption id="attachment_640628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Riley Street Garage, Sydney.[/caption] THURSDAY: PUT AWAY YOUR PHONE ON DATE NIGHT There's no denying that the smartphone is an invaluable part of modern life, but it's far too easy to get lost in the pixels and waste away a day (or night) on your phone scrolling and swiping and tapping. So, you've booked a nice restaurant for you and your partner (or bestie) to enjoy together? We reckon it's time to ditch the phones and focus on each other — just like the good old days. Give your dining partner your undivided attention instead of staring aimlessly at your feed and scrolling into the Insta-abyss. You'll be surprised how easy and rewarding this is. FRIDAY: GO TO THE THEATRE Sure it's great to veg out, watch every new original Netflix series that's been released and completely disengage. We get it, it's important to turn the mind off. But, it's also important to keep it stimulated — our parents did say too much TV would turn the brain to mush, right? Look to the theatre. It's like IRL television and it doesn't have to be inaccessible, overly artsy and incredibly dull. There are multitudes of theatre companies both mainstage and independent doing exciting, hilarious, terrifying and incredibly entertaining work. Check out your local theatre and catch a mid-week independent show, support emerging artists and indulge in the thrill of live performance. Great examples include The Old Fitz in Sydney, Red Stitch Actor's Theatre in Melbourne and La Boite in Brisbane. SATURDAY: INVITE YOUR NEIGHBOURS FOR BARBECUE AND BEERS If you're stuck in that uncomfortable smile-and-wave phase with your neighbours, we have a solution. Ditch the awkwardness and invite them round for a low-key barbecue. Grab a case of Coopers Dry to break the ice, and knock the froth off a couple with who could be your new best mates. Meeting new people is a great way to build confidence and sharpen your social skills, and where better to do it than in the comfort of your own home. You'll gain some new friends that are literally a stone's throw away. NB: we do not condone the throwing of stones at neighbours. SUNDAY: PLAY A GAME OF POOL Everyone likes pool, even more so when it's free. The pool table is a great leveller and icebreaker, chuck a few coins down, grab some beers, and get to know some new mates down at your local. Brush up on your skills or just have a laugh — the free pool is usually available on quieter nights in most venues and always makes for a nice night of mild-mannered fun. Make it a weekly thing and, who knows, you might discover your hidden talents as a pool shark. Best spots for cheap (or free) pool on Sunday are The Rose Hotel in Sydney (free), The Rainbow Hotel in Melbourne ($2) and Tomcat in Brisbane (free). Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates.
For those who prefer their cat photos from the trippier side of town, Bronni Krieger's Unspoken is going to need your full attention. In these detailed paintings on display at fortyfivedownstairs during July, animals abound — but it's not the usual dog in socks or hedgehog in a shower cap fodder the Internet usually lobs at us. Krieger's paintings are photorealistic, but work to transport the viewer into a dream space. From a lamb munching on grass growing out of an old armchair, to a faun entranced by a toy buck in a terrarium, Krieger's subjects are undisturbed by any human presence. They emerge from a grey haze, interacting with man-made objects and environments with bewilderment and innocence. Unspoken not only looks beautiful, but also carries a sense of mystery and sadness. How many gifs of cats escaping bike helmets can make a similar claim?
Perhaps you're a Brisbanite eager to head to another state. Maybe you live elsewhere in Australia, but you're keen on holidaying in Queensland; summer is in full swing, after all. Either way, the Sunshine State is set to reopen its borders to quarantine-free travel, allowing in double-vaccinated interstate visitors from all around the country without a stint in isolation — even from places deemed hotspots. That means that whether you're a local keen to visit Sydney or Melbourne and then return home, or you reside in those cities and you've been dreaming of a sunny beach holiday, that'll be able to become a reality at 1am AEST / 2am AEDT on Monday, December 13. Queensland was already scheduled to ease its border restrictions in exactly this way, but not until Friday, December 17, so this is happening five days early. The reason? As flagged back when the Sunshine State started allowing folks from hotspots into Queensland if they went into quarantine — in November, when the state hit the 70-percent double-vaccinated mark ahead of schedule — the latest reopening stage has been fast-tracked because of high jab rates. Queensland will reach the 80-percent double-vaccinated mark earlier than expected, hence the new border reopening date. BREAKING: Queensland will reopen at 1am on 13 December as we move towards the 80% vaccination milestone earlier than expected. Nominating a time and date for reopening gives everyone certainty to book flights and accommodation and make plans to visit loved ones. pic.twitter.com/lYWnKoAUAk — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) December 6, 2021 Announcing the news, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that "we can't predict exactly when [Queensland will hit 80-percent double-vaxxed], but we know it's going to be this week. And I'm very conscious that we want to give people certainty. We want to give families certainty, and businesses certainty." The Premier also confirmed two other changes: that folks will be classed as double-vaccinated one week after getting their second jab, not two; and that all arrivals from domestic hotspots will need to get another COVID-19 test on day five after their arrival in Queensland. Double-jabbed interstate travellers still have to test negative in the 72 hours getting to Queensland, too — and anyone who isn't double-vaxxed will still be required to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. Only double-vaccinated visitors can arrive by both air and road, with air the only option if you aren't vaxxed. Also, double-jabbed border residents will be able to move freely across the border if they have a border pass — no testing required — which is excellent news for people on the Gold Coast and in northern New South Wales. Queensland's rules around international travel will change as well come Monday, December 13, with double-vaccinated overseas travellers able to undertake 14 days of home quarantine — if they've also received a negative COVID-19 test result in the 72 hours before getting to Queensland. They'll be tested upon arrival, too. That said, the Sunshine State will still wait until Friday, December 17 to start its new rules regarding visiting venues. From that date, as previously announced, you'll need to be double-jabbed to enter places such as restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas, stadiums, festivals, libraries, galleries and museums — but all of those types of sites across the hospitality and entertainment industries will completely ditch capacity restrictions. Queensland's border rules will ease at 1am AEST / 2am AEST on Monday, November 13. For more information about Queensland's border policies and border passes, head to the Queensland Government website.
It seems Melbourne's love affair with pretty pastries and supremely attractive café spaces still has plenty left in it. Opening last week, South Melbourne café and patisserie, The Crux & Co, is a shiny new neighbour for the ever-stylish Kettle Black, gracing the lower level of The Emerald apartment building across the road. It's the brainchild of Kevin Li (Lights in the Attic, 3Lives), who's teamed up with ex-Brunetti pastry maestro, Louise MK Lee, and kitchen gun Oggie Choi (also of Lights in the Attic) to create Melbourne's newest destination of culinary decadence. The chic space comes courtesy of EAT architects, its '60s-style curves, pastel hues and riot of textures reflected in the array of downright gorgeous cakes, pastries and macarons on display. No sweet tooth? No worries. The savoury offering here is equally as impressive and every bit as pretty; the modern Korean-accented menu runs from artful brunches to pure lunch break gold. Choi might be pushing a few breakfast boundaries — think squid ink garlic toast — though, generally, this is a menu for anyone who gets excited about good food. MK Lee's house-made croissants come filled with smoked salmon and ricotta, while a scotch quail egg, an arancini ball and a falafel team up for one of the most multicultural dishes going around. Some clever hands behind the coffee machine — Yutaro Mitsuyoshi (Addict Food and Coffee) and Ratchanon Theppabutra (Manchester Press) — will be working with Five Senses, offering a "wine by the glass" coffee concept (whatever that means) to round out the Crux & Co experience. This one promises to be nothing short of an all-round sensual feast, so get you sweet tooth — and your iPhone, of course — at the ready.
Since Australia started easing out of COVID-19 lockdown, the country's internal border restrictions have earned plenty of attention. With tactics to stop the spread of the coronavirus implemented at a state-by-state level, each Aussie state has navigated the situation in its own way when it comes to letting non-residents visit. In Tasmania, that has meant strict quarantine requirements — which, for non-Tassie residents who aren't classified as essential travellers, entails spending 14 days in government-designated accommodation. If you're entering from a location considered high-risk, such as Victoria, it also requires pre-approval from the Deputy State Controller. As announced on Friday, October 2, Premier Peter Gutwein revealed that Tasmania will start to relax its border restrictions, with changes set to come into effect from Monday, October 26. As part of step two of the state's current three-step plan for reopening, it'll allow travellers from "low-risk COVID states" to enter under eased conditions — although it's yet to spell out exactly what that'll involve for those visiting. Still, Tasmania has advised exactly where it'll be opening up to. If you're eager for a holiday that definitely involves crossing a body of water — or you're thinking about attending Mona Foma in January — the state will open its borders to most of the country. It currently considers Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory to fall in the low-risk category — and has noted that New South Wales might possibly be on the list, too, depending on case numbers in the state. https://www.facebook.com/petergutweinmp/photos/a.1710247719193660/2691774364374319/?type=3&theater Premier Gutwein advised that "low-risk jurisdictions are determined by Public Health [Services] based on a number of factors, which include the period of time they have gone with low or no numbers of cases, and the lack of community transmission occurring in those jurisdictions". With that in mind, the state will "review the situation in New South Wales over the next week". If you're in Victoria, sadly the changes won't apply to you just yet. Premier Gutwein also noted that "border restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future with Victoria until we are satisfied that the risk has reduced to a lower level". Of course, Tasmania's reopening to any state is dependent on case numbers remaining low. "If at any time the situation changes in these states and the advice is that the risk is too high — then I won't hesitate to change this decision," the Premier said. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Tasmania, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub.
The NGV is transforming into a teen-only zone for one night only on Saturday, August 9, hosting the latest instalment of its 'NGV Teens: Art Party' events. With the NGV International staying open after hours, the evening has been designed for teens by teens in collaboration with the NGV Teen Council, offering full access to both the French Impressionism and Kimono exhibitions. Activating numerous spaces throughout the gallery, guests can also expect a youthful combination of art, music, social connection and hands-on workshops. Setting the tone for the night, the NGV Great Hall will feature a boundary-pushing live DJ set by Rainbow Chan, a much-loved Hong Kong-Australian musician and visual artist. Meanwhile, several interactive experiences will level up the night. Leading textiles artist Louise Meuwissen will host a wearable beaded flower workshop inspired by flamboyant French fashion. Plus, a dedicated glitter station makes it easy for teens to customise their look, drawing inspiration from master artists like Monet, Degas and Renoir. There's also the chance to snap pics in a dreamy photobook set within Olaf Breuning's Plans for the Planet exhibition. Then, Alliance Française will build upon the evening's loose Francophile theme by hosting drop-in French friendship sessions. Here, guests can brush up on their linguistics and maybe even make a new pal in the process. Images: Nick Robertson / Eugene Hyland.
The 22nd annual Queenscliff Music Festival is swiftly approaching — and, boy, is there a lot to celebrate. As always, the lineup offers an exquisite mix of talent, with Courtney Barnett, The Whitlams, Sarah Blasko, The Herd, Tripod, Donovan Frankenreiter and Jen Cloher all on the bill. In total, 70 acts and events are slated across the three days of Friday, November 23 to Sunday, November 25, including everything from comedy from Anne Edmonds, Tom Ballard, Corey White and Danielle Walker. Tickets always move quick for this annual fest, whether you're keen on a pass for the whole weekend or just heading along for one day. This a prime music event for those who like to kick back and soak up the friendly atmosphere of a well-organised festival just before the madness of summer hits. If this sounds like something you can get down with, hit up QMF. Image: Lisa Kenny.
Prahran's interior design boutique and gallery Fenton & Fenton is putting on one big ole' sale this weekend from Friday, October 26 through Sunday, October 28. Head in to the Aussie designer's warehouse location in Oakleigh South to nab its range of furniture, decor and homewares at up to 80 percent off. The sale will include discounts on bespoke items from the Fenton & Fenton collection, with a focus on ex-display, imperfect and one-off pieces — think rugs, outdoor furniture, textiles, vintage items and lighting fixtures. They'll still be expensive but, if you're going to splash out, now's the time to do it. Don't forget to RSVP for a specific day over here and get in early to get the best picks of the day. The Fenton & Fenton Warehouse sale is open from 8.30am–5pm Friday, and 9am–4pm Saturday and Sunday.
International travel could possibly be back on the cards for Australians by Christmas, but you'll be able to get a 26-film glimpse of Italy first. The reason: the 2021 Italian Film Festival. As it does every year, it's showcasing a stacked lineup of new and classic cinema from its chosen part of the globe, as part of its touring program. In a change from previous years, this year's fest will start in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, then move to Byron Bay and Sydney in line with New South Wales' roadmap out of lockdowns. Next, it'll hit up Canberra and Melbourne as they emerge from stay-at-home conditions as well. Wherever you're located, your leg of the festival will start with The Ties — and with a marriage in crisis. Starring Alba Rohrwacher (Happy as Lazzaro) and Luigi Lo Cascio (Human Capital), and helmed by Daniele Luchetti (La Nostra Vita, My Brother is an Only Child), this moving film follows a couple's tumultuous romance over the course of decades. It heads to the Italian Film Festival after opening last year's Venice Film Festival, and becoming the first Italian movie in more than a decade to do the latter. At the other end of the 2021 Italian Film Festival, the event will close with a classic: Roberto Rosselini's Rome, Open City. It's part of a four-film retrospective of the director's work, and also falls within the fest's look back at iconic Italian leading ladies. This event always comes with a big appreciation for Italy's filmmaking past, which is where documentary Fellini Forward: From the Creative Genius of Federico Fellini, about the acclaimed director, also fits in. Elsewhere, festival highlights include Cannes Film Festival Director's Fortnight winner To Chiara, about a 15-year-old who discovers her father might have criminal ties; Nanni Moretti's Three Floors, which is set across a Rome apartment block; Hidden Away, a biopic about artist Antonio Ligabue; and You Came Back, a thriller that makes ample use of Venice's lagoons. Or, there's also comedy Three Perfect Daughters; drama Tigers, about footballer Martin Bengtsson; and Sirley, which sees director Elisa Amoruso draw upon her adolescence for her first fictional film. ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2021 DATES: Wednesday, October 20–Sunday, November 14 — Palace James Street and Palace Centro, Brisbane Wednesday, October 20–Sunday, November 14 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, October 20–Sunday, November 14 — Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema, Perth Friday, October 20–Sunday, November 7 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay Wednesday, October 27–Sunday, November 21 — Palace Norton, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Wednesday, November 17–Sunday, December 12 — Palace Electric, Canberra Friday, November 19–Sunday, December 12 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, The Astor and Cinema Nova, Melbourne The 2021 Italian Film Festival tours Australia between Wednesday, October 20–Sunday, December 12. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
If you're a Melburnian looking for a new staycation destination, you'll can now add the first Victorian venue from hotel chain W Hotel to your must-stay list. And if you're from elsewhere in Australia and you're planning a trip to the city, you can pair your next visit with drinks in a laneway bar, a dip in a sky-high pool and striking views. First announced in 2020, and now up and running as of February 2021, W Melbourne has opened in Flinders Lane, with 294 guest rooms and 29 suites. Following W Brisbane's ten-gallon baths, the Melbourne digs are no less indulgent — including an 'Extreme Wow Suite', which has its own 40-square-metre balcony with views of the Yarra, a jukebox and cocktail bar. Designed by local architect and interior design firm Hachem, W Melbourne also houses a 14th-floor spa, gym and a heated indoor pool with a gold-adorned roof, as well as a poolside bar and DJ decks. And, for those needing function space, W has a heap of it — a 830-square metre space for conferences, meetings, weddings or holding lush balls. On the food and drinks front, the site will eventually boast four in-house venues to choose from — with two up and running now. Already pouring drinks is bar Curious, which you'll find down a laneway and through a secret entrance. It's designed to look like a cocoon, and comes fitted out with dark hues, moody lighting and quite a display of wooden beams overhead. On the menu: cocktails inspired by Melbourne's love of coffee, art and fashion; plus oysters, charcuterie, cheese, and cold and hot small bites. Or, you can opt for a meal at Lollo, with the all-day dining venue under the direction of chef Adam D'Sylva. For breakfast, its range spans the likes of brekky pizza and Indian-style eggs, while duck lasagne, asparagus tortellini, grilled octopus and steak tartare feature on the menu throughout the rest of the day. Come May, the 30-seat Warabi will be your go-to for Japanese fine dining, with the intimate space also featuring a private space for ten. And, Culprit will flip from a cafe during the day to a wine bar at night — complete with a floor-to-ceiling charcuterie display and a vermouth tasting tray. Design-wise, the hotel goes heavy on Victorian bluestone tiles, glass and wood, and celebrates the city it calls home. So, you can expect to see a lenticular art installation by local artist Rus Kitchin, which creates a canopy of Australian flora and fauna; in-room wall graphics featuring fairy wrens, which are native to our shores; and design details inspired by Melbourne's street-level newspaper kiosks. W Melbourne is now open at 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Pairing Lebanese-style charcoal chook with chips and garlic sauce since 1998, Sydney's El Jannah has become one of the Harbour City's firm favourites. It currently boasts nine stores to its name, including a very popular drive-thru eatery that opened in 2020. And, in great news for everyone who loves flavoursome poultry pieces, the chain has big plans for the next few years — including opening its first Melbourne store, adding at least four more across the Victorian city, and expanding to include 30-plus venues in total across both Melbourne and Sydney. For Melburnians, this'll be your first chance to get a taste of El Jannah's beloved chicken — whether you'd like it in halves or quarters, on rolls and burgers, as part of a platter, on skewers or in salads. So, get ready to make a trip to 600 High Street, Preston, with the chook chain taking over the old Hungry Jacks site. An opening date hasn't been revealed as yet, but El Jannah expects to start cooking in late 2021. The company is also currently looking at a second site north of the city, so you might have options when it comes to getting your charcoal chicken fix. Others are planned to follow, too, with El Jannah aiming to have at least five Melbourne stores operating over the next five years. For Sydneysiders already enamoured with the brand's dishes, you don't just have to be content with the knowledge that it'll soon be available whenever you make the trip down south. El Jannah has also revealed that its expansion plans include opening more Sydney stores. Indeed, in both Melbourne and Sydney, six new sites have already been approved — although just where the new Sydney eateries will be located is yet to be announced. Wherever El Jannah pops up next in Sydney, it'll add to the chain's existing spread across Burwood, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Punchbowl, Granville, Kogarah, Penrith and Smithfield, as well as its Newtown venue — which heralded the chain's much-welcomed entry into Sydney's inner-west in 2019. Whether El Jannah's expansion will involve more drive-thrus is also yet to be revealed. El Jannah's first Melbourne store will open at 600 High Street, Preston, late in 2021. To keep an eye out for further details — including about the chain's planned expansion to more than 30 stores in Sydney and Melbourne over the next five years — head to the El Jannah website.
10x10 is a youth- and volunteer-led organisation encouraging the next generation to get involved in philanthropy. How it does this, however, is a little different — it raises money for charities by hosting interactive, live crowdfunding events. And it's next one is happening in Melbourne on Thursday, November 21. The organisation was started four years ago by a group of young people who wanted to make a difference. Since then, it has raised over $2 million for 200 different charities across Australia, UK, Hong Kong and the USA. The events — which are held biannually in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and now Auckland — are broken into three parts. First, you head to 10x10's ticketing website to make a pledge of $100 or more (this amount will be converted into "Charity Dollars" and is also your ticket). Next, you rock up to the event, where three different start-up charities will pitch their causes to the crowd. Finally, you decide what charity you want your pledge, or "Charity Dollars", to go to and bam — a little more goodness is created in the world and a charity nabs some much-needed funds. You'll also have the chance to sip wine, snack on complimentary bites and chat to like-minded, philanthropic folk at the event. So think of it as a fundraiser-meets-cocktail party (without the starched collars and ballgowns). If you feel like charities are more in need of your dollars than you and your avocado toast (they are), get amongst it — you can learn about the pitching charities and make your tax-deductible pledges here. To learn more about the charity, visit 10x10 Philanthropy.
Melbourne has always had a good idea of where it sits in the world. After recently claiming the title of 'Friendliest City in the World' — and one of the five best drinking cities too — it is unsurprisingly jam-packed with culture, great food, live entertainment and, of course, some of the finest people (all clothed in trademark black). This winter, Melbourne is really showing off with a rollicking lineup of standout events that celebrate its unique nature. Delightfully, a lot of these events are encouraging you to do the same. From art-laden events across city streets at RISING to & Juliet — the musical about discovering who you are and then embracing it — there really is something for everyone. The city will be heaving with creative talents from across the globe, so we've found five of the very best just for you. If you are looking for a night out with friends or are looking to explore new things on your own, Melbourne is offering endless options for you to experience. Here are five events that celebrate our beautiful individuality.
Step back in time to Chicago in the roaring 1920s, when velvet, jazz, bootleggers and backdoor bartenders were all the rage. Taking its inspiration from this colourful time in history, The 18th Amendment Bar is a throwback to prohibition-era speakeasies, and serves classic cocktails with innovative twists — try the Jitterbug, a take on a southside featuring gin, lime, mint, cucumber and fairy floss, or the Bonnie and Clyde, a mix of vodka, passionfruit, coconut, citrus, and foam. In keeping with the prohibition times, there's also a great range of fun mocktails available.
Melbourne Theatre Company have announced their 2014 program, revealing a season generous to new voices and local independent companies as well as a smattering of exciting Australian premieres. The year will also include the MTC's first choreographical collaboration and a new staged reading series. Between May and August the Neon Festival of Independent Theatre will once more welcome new independents to the Lawler, this time featuring Antechamber Productions & Daniel Keene, Sans Hotel and Arthur (currently playing Return to Earth at Sydney's Griffin), Little Ones Theatre (Salome) and Angus Cerini/Doubletap. Artistic director Brett Sheehy says, “We hope audiences will again be delighted by the imagination, inventiveness and diversity on offer from these five new companies in 2014." It's with the same broadening beyond the mainstage in mind that sees MTC literary director Chris Mead team up with the Cybec Foundation to produce Cybec Electric, a showcase of works from five new Australian playwrights. John Tiffany introduces Australian audiences to the Tony Award-winning Once, Enda Walsh's wildly successful musical adaptation of John Carney's low-budget, unbelievably charming 2007 film — a must-see for anyone who fell under the spell of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglova’s music. The oh-so-exciting Leticia Cáceres (Constellations, The Dark Room) directs a very modern love triangle in Cock, a sharp three-hander exploring sex, love and confusion written by the UK's Mike Bartlett. Cáceres will also direct Sigrid Thornton in The Effect by Lucy Prebble of Enron fame. Miriam Margolyes brings her charismatic comic skills to I’ll Eat you Last by John Logan (Red), a one-woman show allowing us into the juicy world of infamous Hollywood agent Sue Mengers. Plays from Aussie writers include the world premiere of Brendan Cowell's Sublime starring Josh McConville (think modern masculinity, sport and sex scandals) and The Speechmaker, a political satire marking the playwriting debut of Melbourne comedic geniuses Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch of Working Dog (with MTC associate director Sam Strong directing). Joanna Murray-Smith, Bernadette Robinson and Simon Phillips follow up their Songs for Nobodies success with new musical work Pennsylvania Avenue, directed by former MTC artistic director Simon Phillips and starring the transformative Bernadette Robinson. Simon Stone teams up again with Robin Nevin, bringing the Belvoir production of Lally Katz's Neighbourhood Watch to Melbourne for the first time. An exciting add-on co-production is Complexity of Belonging, the collaboration between Chunky Move's choreographer Anouk van Dijk and German writer Falk Richter. Actors, dancers, text and movement combine in an interrogation of our modern identity. Of course, there are some classics alongside all the brand-spanking new work, including the season opener Private Lives. It should prove interesting to compare Sam Strong’s take on the elegantly naughty wit of Coward to last year’s Belvoir show. Gale Edwards brings her decades of expertise to Ibsen’s dark and secret-laden Ghosts, performed by Philip Quast, Pip Edwards and Richard Piper. Also up is the fast-talking, greed-fuelled man’s world of Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross starring Alex Dimitriades and directed by Melbourne filmmaker Alkinos Tsilimidos. For more details and to book subscription packages, visit the Melbourne Theatre Company website.
In Netflix's Ugly Delicious, acclaimed chef David Chang explored the history of different dishes and occasionally caught up with a celebrity friend — such as Aziz Ansari, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. With Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, he's doing pretty much the same, just focusing on specific global cities rather than specific foods. And, yes, once again he has some high-profile company. The four-episode food and travel show sees the Momofuku founder head to various corners of the world and eat three meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner, of course — with the famous person who happens to be by his side. In Vancouver, he spends a day with Seth Rogen. Over in Marrakesh, he eats and chats with Chrissy Teigen. Laughing through Phnom Penh with Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon and kicking back in Los Angeles with Master of None's Lena Waithe are also on the agenda. The aim is not to only focus on cuisine, but to explore the variety of cultures and experiences that the planet has to offer — although, naturally, plenty of food is going to be consumed. Chang and his guests devour tasty doughnuts, dumplings, burgers and (accidental) bowls of oil, share stories, learn new things and (as is always the case with these kinds of shows) make viewers hungry and envious that they're not there with them. Netflix seems increasingly fond of these types of culinary-focused series, as the star-studded The Chef Show also demonstrated earlier this year. While that program is presented by filmmaker Jon Favreau and chef Roy Choi, Chang popped up on two episodes — and so did recurrent foodie fan Rogen, too. If you want to catch Chang in the flesh, he'll be hanging out and cooking at Western Australia's Gourmet Escape this November. Otherwise, check out the trailer for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner below and start watching here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Foc0I0CACY You can stream Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on Netflix now.
This state of ours boasts some top-notch wining and dining — and on Sunday, November 17, a taste of it is set to descend on an inner-city patch of parkland for one big day of gustatory goodness. That's when the East Malvern Food & Wine Festival returns for its seventh outing, taking over Central Park once again. Head in for free, or nab yourself a $37.50 ticket that gives you a branded glass and five tasting tickets — so you can sample top local drops from producers including Sutherland Estate, Noble Red Wines and Wolf & Co. You can mosey through the dedicated craft beer zone, tasting sips from the likes of Hop Hen Brewing and Grand Ridge Brewery, and stocking up on your favourites as you go. And once you've worked up an appetite, hit up the abundant food offering courtesy of vendors like Bao Melbourne, Nepal Dining, Flaming Skewers and Solo Arancini. Market stalls will be slinging an array of artisanal goodies, including quality cheese and food products, which you can assemble for a lazy picnic in front of the live music stage. Elsewhere, swing by the chablis and oyster bar for a luxe food pairing; taste spirits from labels like Hobson Distillery, Original Spirit Co and Gippsland Distillery; and grab yourself one of Luvlee's handmade ice creams.
The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art keeps on sparking innovation with their latest exhibition, Crescendo. Showcasing seven distinct projects that explore the intersection of film and music, ACCA has reaffirmed its status as one of the country's most daring contemporary institutions. While the form of the works differ, from projection to installation, all pieces on show seem to be somewhat dark and unsettling in their exploration of a distinctly European side of history and humanity. Each creates a claustrophobic and completely experiential world for its audience. In Nummer veertien, home, Dutch artist Guido van der Werve embarks on an epic journey across Europe to bring soil from Chopin's homeland to his grave in Paris. The resulting film is powerful and affecting in its exploration of history, pain and myth. Similar themes are present in Ana Torfs' work Anatomy where she unearths testimonies from the 1919 murder trial of German communist party founders Dr Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg — enlisting the help of young actors, she recreates their final hours and films the performance at Berlin's eerie 18th century Anatomical Theatre. Other international artists whose work is on show include Dorothy Cross, Rodney Graham, Markus Kahre, Hans Op de Beeck, and Julian Rosefeldt. Crescendo will be on exhibition at ACCA till March 2, 2014.
Everyone has seen a TV show about renovating homes, buying real estate, blitzing backyards and building dream houses, even if they're not your preferred kind of viewing. But no one has watched an entry in the home renovation genre quite like The Curse, a spoof arriving this spring that gets Emma Stone (Cruella) and Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal) playing a couple hosting their own home improvement series — and having some bad luck. Unsurprisingly, Fielder doesn't just star but also co-created, co-writes and co-directs. And, also to the astonishment of no one, the end result looks like far from your average series. A home makeover show, but eerie: that's the vibe in the just-dropped first teaser trailer for The Curse, complete with unsettling tunes to match. There's also Stone's opening line in the sneak peek at the ten-part series: "did you know you can put out fires with the sun?". Spoken with the cheery tone that's only ever used by people hosting TV shows, those 11 words are as disquieting as the score by the Safdie brothers' collaborator Oneohtrix Point Never. And, yes, not just the talent that made Good Time and Uncut Gems sound so unnerving but the sibling filmmakers behind them are also involved in The Curse. Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer) co-stars, co-created, co-writes and co-directs, with Josh Safdie an executive producer. Fielder and Stone play Asher and Whitney Siegel, who host a show on HGTV — American pay TV network Home & Garden Television — called Fliplanthropy. Newly married, they're trying to have a baby, but find their plans disrupted. Cue The Curse's title, obviously. [caption id="attachment_920385" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (L-R): Emma Stone as Whitney and Nathan Fielder as Asher in THE CURSE, Season 1. Photo Credit: Beth Garrabrant/A24/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.[/caption] Benny Safdie plays their producer, with Barkhad Abdi (Little America), Corbin Bernsen (White House Plumbers) and Constance Shulman (Search Party) also featuring. Like everything almost everything of late, it seems — Close, Beau Is Afraid, You Hurt My Feelings, Past Lives, smash-hit Australian horror movie Talk to Me, fellow TV series Beef, the return of iconic Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense to cinemas, the Nicolas Cage-starring Dream Scenario — The Curse hails from A24. In Australia, it'll stream from Saturday, November 11 via Paramount+. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Curse below: The Curse will stream from Saturday, November 11 via Paramount+. Images: Beth Garrabrant and John Paul Lopez/A24/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.
First, Australia got a Harry Potter-themed brunch and dinner. Now, we're getting a wizarding beer festival. If the boy who lived's flicks were still gracing cinemas, exploring his adult life, we're certain he'd be keen on this magical festival. Whether you're still not over Harry or you just wish you'd had the chance to attend Hogwarts because you know you're destined to be in Gryffindor (and to be seeker on the quidditch team, obviously), you'll want to make a date with this event. You'll sip brews in a wizarding wonderland, while making your way between wand-making classes, DJs and tarot card readers. There's no word yet on exactly what beers you'll be drinking — local numbers? international favourites? alcoholic butterbeer? — but your ticket does include a 12-ounce (355-millilitre) brew on entry, and five tokens you can use on beers and the aforementioned activities. The Wizard's Beer Festival is set to hit Sydney at a soon-to-be announced location on March 1, 2020, then do the same in Melbourne on March 8, 2020, before heading to Brisbane on March 15, 2020. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few boozy butterbeers will get you in the right mood. And if not, you can organise a trip to see the Cursed Child stage show in Melbourne, if you haven't already. The Wizard's Beer Festival will hit Sydney on March 1, 2020, then Melbourne on March 8, 2020 and finally Brisbane on March 15, 2020. You can sign-up via the website to be notified when tickets go on sale. Top image: Wizard's Brunch UPDATE, NOVEMBER 16: This article was updated to include details of The Wizard's Beer Festival's planned events in Melbourne and Brisbane.
There hasn't been much to get excited about during the pandemic, but seeing fantastic film festivals jump online and offer their usually city-limited programs to Australians everywhere is definitely a rare silver lining in these difficult times. One such fest doing just that is the Sydney Underground Film Festival, which went completely virtual in 2020 and is repeating the feat in 2021. As Sydney's go-to event for all flicks weird, wonderful, out-there and anarchic, SUFF will keep doing what it's been doing well for 15 years now — but by beaming an impressive heap of movies into homes around the country. From Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26, cinephiles looking for something other than the usual streaming options can binge their way through the fest's 30 features and documentaries. If you like your strange and surreal movies in bite-sized servings, there'll also be nine short film programs featuring more than 100 titles. From the full-length selection, highlights include opening night's road trip comedy Sweetie, You Won't Believe It from Kazakhstan-based director Yernar Nurgaliyev; documentary Alien on Stage, about a group of UK bus drivers who decided to create their own amateur stage production based on Ridley Scott's famous sci-fi/horror classic; and Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, which explores X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene's story from her daughter's viewpoint. Other standouts span Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest, which follows an attempt to become the first in the world to play an arcade machine from the early 80s for 100 hours in a row; absurdist Japanese comedy Wonderful Paradise, as based around an eviction street party in the Tokyo suburbs; and coming-of-age comedy-thriller First Date. Or, there's Fanny: The Right To Rock, about the first all-woman band to release an album with a major record label; Ukranian effort Stranger, which sees people start to disappear from bodies of water; and Lorelai, starring familiar faces Pablo Schreiber and Jena Malone in thoughtful drama about working class life in America. SUFF will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne, which stars the inimitable Udo Kier and isn't your usual take on the famous tale — because, just like attending ace film fests, celebrating big cinematic milestones is also something you can do at home. The digital-only 2021 Sydney Underground Film Festival will run from Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to SUFF's website.
For the third time in the 2020s, Fatboy Slim is heading to Australia to break out 'Right Here, Right Now', 'The Rockafeller Skank', 'Praise You' and plenty more dance-floor fillers. After touring the country in 2020 and 2023, the dance music legend is returning in March 2025 on a five-stop trip, four of which will get him spinning tunes in wineries. Trying to dance like Christopher Walken, pretending you're in Cruel Intentions, being transported back to the late 90s and early 00s: that's all on the agenda again. So is making shapes to DJ Seinfeld, CC:DISCO! and Jennifer Loveless, who'll be supporting the British legend at all five gigs — including at Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong on Saturday, March 22. [caption id="attachment_975624" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Selbymay via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Cook has been making music since the 80s, but took on the name Fatboy Slim in the mid-90s, starting with 1996 record Better Living Through Chemistry. His 1998 album You've Come a Long Way, Baby was the club soundtrack to end the 20th century — a staple of every 90s teen's CD collection, too. As for 2000's Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, it gave the world 'Weapon of Choice' and its iconic Walken-starring (and Spike Jonze-directed) video. Fatboy Slim's discography also spans 2004 album Palookaville and 2013 single 'Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat'. [caption id="attachment_897289" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Carlos Luna/ Secretaría de Cultura CDMX via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Top images: neal whitehouse piper via Wikimedia Commons / Carlos Luna/ Secretaría de Cultura CDMX via Wikimedia Commons.
UPDATE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19: Live at the Bowl's extended lineup has been announced. On top of all the acts below, you can now catch the like of Ball Park Music and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard performing as part of the Summer Sounds series alongside Piknic Electronik, The Cat Empire, The Avalanches and many more. Check out the full event schedule via Live at the Bowl. When the warm weather rolls around each year, Melburnians usually have multiple reasons to head to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. For those feeling festive, it's where Carols by Candlelight is held. And for anyone keen on catching orchestral shows under the evening sky, it's where the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has held its free summer series for decades. Come 2021, the iconic venue will also play host to a new event: Live at the Bowl. It's a response to this past chaotic year, with holding a COVID-safe summer festival its number-one aim. Well, that and giving the city's residents something fun to add to their calendars after 2020's struggles. Live at the Bowl will run from Friday, January 8–Friday, April 23 and will feature more than 40 performances. The eclectic lineup is stacked with local talent from different eras and genres including Missy Higgins, Lime Cordiale, Daryl Braithwaite, Sampa the Great and Birds of Tokyo performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. If you're looking to laugh, Emmy Award-winner Hannah Gadsby is also heading up a night of comedy alongside Zoë Coombs Marr. It'll be a socially distanced affair, obviously, which the renders of the event illustrate — including separate platforms that split the audience up into groups, as festivals overseas have already been using. Tickets are on sale Wednesday, December 16 via Ticketek. Check out the full program below and find out more via Live at the Bowl. LIVE AT THE BOWL LINEUP Spinifex Gum — Friday, January 8 Human Nature — Saturday, January 9 Piknic Électronik — Sunday, January 10 A Symphonic Celebration — Thursday, January 14 Soju Gang presents SorBaes — Friday, January 15 Mo'Ju with Orchestra Victoria — Saturday, January 16 Teeny Tiny Stevies — Sunday, January 17 Ocean Alley — Thursday, January 21 Birds of Tokyo with the MSO — Friday, January 22 Share the Spirit 2021 — Tuesday, January 26 Missy Higgins — Wednesday, January 27 2021 Sidney Myer Free Concerts — Friday, January 29, Saturday, February 6 and Wednesday, February 10 Sun Cycle — Saturday, January 30 Lime Cordiale — Thursday, February 4 Running Touch — Friday, February 5 Rock the Bowl with Jon Stevens, Daryl Braithwaite and The Black Sorrows — Friday, February 12 Chinese New Year — Saturday, February 13 Vika & Linda — Sunday, February 14 Hannah Gadsby — Wednesday, February 17 Sampa the Great — Saturday, March 13 No Friend But the Mountains — Sunday, March 21 Top Image: Piknic Électronik by Wade Malligan
In the next 30 years, Melbourne's population could double. That's a scary thought — particularly as it's hard to imagine that the city, as it stands now, coping with that kind of human pressure. It's obvious that, some way or another, we'll have to change the way we live. How exactly will we do that? Well, that's what's up for discussion at Invert 2.0, an architecture exhibition and talks series that's currently happening at the Hellenic Museum in the CBD. The four free talks will be held each evening this week in Sean Godsell's MPavilion, which was gifted to the museum in 2014 and now sits in its lush back garden. They'll discuss the future of residential living in Melbourne — notably, Breathe Architecture's Jeremy McLeod will speak about alternative residential developments on Wednesday, and City of Melbourne councillor Rob Adams will discuss Melbourne's urban design on Thursday. The talks will complement the exhibition, which is currently on display in the shed-like pavilion. As part of a collaboration between the Mini and Green Magazine, architecture and design students from RMIT were tasked with designing a new residential 'village' for an empty block on Queen Street beside the Queen Vic Market. Their designs — which have been laser cut and 3D printed, and hung from the ceiling — were required to include both residential and commercial space, along with green and community spaces. The exhibition is open each day from 10am–4pm until Friday, October 26. It's free to attend, and a visit to the garden is a nice little break from the congested chaos of the city.
Launched in 2024, Victoria by Farmer's Daughters pays homage to farmers, producers, growers and makers from across the state, bringing their ingredients and stories to a prime Fed Square location. Now, this seasonal farm-to-table experience is turning its attention to an all-new Sunday Roast Lunch series. Served from 12–3pm on Sundays from Sunday, July 27–Sunday, August 31, the Ultimate Sunday Roast menu is the ideal way to see out a cold winter's day, featuring a generous share platter stacked with roast classics. There's premium roast meat cooked over a campfire grill, crispy duck fat potatoes, XL Yorkshire puddings, grilled winter veg, plenty of condiments and, of course, lashings of rich gravy. This all-Victorian feast features a rotating lineup of roasted proteins, with the first Sunday lunch kicking off with Cheffields lamb oyster shoulder, marinated in a vibrant mix of parsley, lemon, ginger and garlic. You're also welcome to indulge in dessert, like a decadent sticky date pudding with salted caramel, perfect for the season. Presented in partnership with Pizzini Wines, the Sunday Roast Lunch series will also showcase lesser-known varietals from the King Valley winery, including Pizzini 'Pietra Rossa' Sangiovese and Pizzini Teroldego. Priced at $49 per person, this winter-warming feast is chef Alejandro Saravia's love letter to this long-standing tradition, backed by Victoria's immense culinary pantry. Images: Arianna Harry / Diana Carniato.
Yes, it's gotten a bit cooler — but don't be so quick to write off outdoor activities completely. There are some that are quite suited to the cooler temps. Take, for example, the Rutherglen Winery Walkabout — it's the oldest wine festival in Victoria and it's been running since 1974. It will be trotting into the Victorian country town again this year, when local wineries will get involved in a weekend of wine tastings, music, tours and general hijinks. Before you ask, yes, there's a shuttle bus service to take you from winery to winery, as well as a regional bus to get you to Rutherglen from a nearby regional town. So you and your mates can plan a weekend that doesn't involve someone being a designated driver (and does involve lots of shiraz). There's also a wine check-in system so you don't have to lug around the bottles you buy all day. You can buy tickets for the Saturday or Sunday or just lock in the whole weekend with a two-day pass. Tickets for the shuttle cost extra, and if you do volunteer to be the Dave, you'll get into the festival for free. Almost 20 local wineries will be getting in on the action offering up tastings of their world-class drops, a vast selection of food and plenty of entertainment, including live music, craft markets and lawn games. There'll be plenty of other happenings going down around town, too — think farmer's markets, grape stomping and even barrel rolling down Rutherglen's High Street. With too much going on around the place to tick everything off, make sure you plan ahead — check out the event guide here to make sure you know where and when exactly you're going to line your stomach (maybe start with an egg and bacon roll at John Gehrig Wines). Rutherglen Winery Walkabout will take place across Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website.
The horrors of the Holocaust have spawned countless, often interchangeable stories on film and television. In comparison they've inspired far fewer pieces of theatre — although plays like Arthur Miller’s late work Playing For Time spring to mind. In its depiction of musicians interned in concentration camps Miller's play has a kind of resonance with The Artisan Collective's Requiem for Dalinka, which will soon have its premiere at Gasworks. Since late 2009 the indie company — helmed by Requiem director, Benjamin Pfeiffer — has won praise for its honed, stylish pieces of theatre unafraid to confront difficult material; plays like Brendan McCallum’s If It Bleeds, or Kristina Brew's adaptation of John Fowles' The Collector. Alongside this impressive reputation, co-creator of Requiem Peter Marks is both an experienced musician and the son of a Holocaust survivor, attuned to the sensitivities required when spinning art out of lived experience. This story will undoubtedly be no exception.
We can't think of a much better way to celebrate Melbourne's recent serve of balmy weather, than with a few generous scoops of gelato. Except, of course, with a few generous scoops of free gelato. Dolce House has already won plenty of hearts in Melbourne's southeast —where its McKinnon dessert bar has long been slinging top-notch gelato, shakes, waffles and other decadent sweet treats — but now the team's venturing north, opening a second spot in Moonee Ponds. And it's celebrating with a big, tasty giveaway, doling out a whopping 500 free scoops from 5–7pm, on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27 (250 each day). To score your free scoop, simply follow the neon blue ice cream cone down Mount Alexander Road — then decide between signature chocolate, vanilla gelato or a dairy-free blood orange sorbet. For the rest of opening week at Dolce House's new store, you'll find a selection of milkshakes, thickshakes, gelato and desserts, with the full range to follow soon after (including New York-style baked cheesecakes, brownies and tarts).
Melbourne's NGV International will celebrate the unique designs and lasting legacy of fashion icon Christian Dior, in a world premiere exhibition launching in August next year. Running from August 27 to November 7, The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture will be one of three major surveys of Dior's groundbreaking work, alongside exhibitions in Paris and New York. The Melbourne show will include more than 140 show-stopping garments, stretching the length and breadth of the label's extraordinary history. "Highlights of the NGV's House of Dior exhibition will include one of the few surviving examples of Christian Dior's New Look collection, which revitalised women's fashion in the post-war era," said gallery director Tony Ellwood while announcing the exhibition at a launch event earlier today. "And of course it wouldn't be a Dior exhibition without their sculptural tailoring, their signature ball gowns and their glamorous evening dresses which have become synonymous with the fashion house." "Audiences will discover the nuances of Dior's fashion design, and observe the ways in which these have evolved through the decades. The exhibition will also celebrate the milestones of Dior's six successive designers," he added. A key element of the exhibition will be an exploration of Dior's historic 1948 spring fashion parade at David Jones in Sydney, considered to be the first complete Dior collection to be shown outside of Paris. The exhibition will also tie in with the gallery's first ever Gala Ball. "Think Met Gala, but with a Melbourne sense of style," said Ellwood. Speaking at the launch, Victoria's Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley called the exhibition "a major milestone for the gallery, for Dior and for our city." "The creativity and imagination of Christian Dior, the depth of his vision, and the range of his skills, could find no better city, and no better partner gallery, for a retrospective display, than Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria," said Mr. Foley. Image: National Gallery of Victoria and House of Dior announce House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, August 2017. Shot by Wayne Taylor.
Hurrah! Television and academia are no longer mutually exclusive! Welcome to the 21st century, y’all. That’s right, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image is set to bring you its next edition of Live in the Studio with 'The End of Enlightenment', a critique, dissection and salute of the bygone small-screen series Enlightened. Industry experts, academics and pop-culture aficionados Ronnie Scott (The Lifted Brow), Elmo Keep (Hungry Beast) and Amy Gray (The Drum) join forces this August 29 to analyse and reflect on the polarising program — prematurely cancelled after only two series — and conflicted protagonist Amy Jellicoe, played by co-creator Laura Dern. It all kicks off at 7pm on Thursday, 29 August, at ACMI Studio 1 with something pretty hard to come by — a literary analysis that is equal parts intellectual and entertaining. Grab more info on the talk at the ACMI website.
Kevin Smith fans have to put up with a lot. His films in recent years have been akin to cruel and unusual punishment, especially when compared to his work in the 1990s that was comparatively affectionate and funny. His modus operandi these days appears to be to come up with ideas that are ripe for the cinematic picking — two friends making a sex tape to pay the bills in Zack and Miri Make a Porno; horny teenagers finding themselves in a fanatical religious cult after using an app to hook up with strangers in Red State — and defusing them of all their potential. In Tusk, Wallace (Justin Long) is an incredibly rich (six figures a year!!) podcaster who ventures into the unknown to experience all the weird and wacky things that America has to offer before going back to the studio to spend an hour telling his travel-phobic co-host all about it. Their show is called The Not-See Party, and as if the joke wasn't bad enough, Smith finds the time to explain it over and over again like the idiot at a party who goes around telling all the guests the exact same risque joke under the belief that he's funny. On one of his missions north of the border (cue terrible Canada jokes), Wallace is abducted by a psychotic madman named Howard Howe (Michael Parks), who wants to — and I am not making this up — turn his young guest into a walrus. Tusks and all. It is The Human Centipede Goes to the Canadian Wilderness and it is quite easily the worst film I have seen all year. It's not even because of the bad acting — Parks goes for broke, but there's little to be said of the rest (Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez), and Johnny Depp goes so far overboard he needs a paddle — or the way the film lacks any sense or logic or scares to make it a satisfying horror entry beyond the gruesomeness of its third act. No, where Smith and his screenplay go so completely wrong is the laziness that overcomes the film. The jokes that come thick and fast can barely even be described as jokes. These are lowest-common-denominator gags that go for cheap, easy laughs over genuine smarts and wit. The horror is underutilised, the tragic nature of this character undermined by a stoner childishness that renders the material unwatchable. Even stoners deserve better than this. This is a movie that filled me with such contempt for its filmmaker that I want to swear off ever seeing another one of his films ever again. Life is too short for whatever cheap, cynical nastiness he has in store next. https://youtube.com/watch?v=trTTjvPCLJQ
Da Long Yi has amassed a cult following around the world with Asian megastars like G-Dragon and Fan Bingbing endorsing their Chengdu style hotpot. The team pride themselves on their high-quality soup bases, with options including oxtail tomato, mushroom or chestnut chicken soup. Unlike other hot pot broths, the soup here is light enough to be slurped on its own or enjoyed in a bowl with some of their thick wide noodles. Other stand-out additions include their thinly sliced M6+ Wagyu beef slices ($68.80), fresh tofu, pieces of purple corn and cucumber filled with prawn meat. Even dessert is soup-ified, with a sweet Chinese-style soup made of brown sugar jelly, red bean, sultanas and goji berries ($4.90). Appears in: Where to Find The Best Hot Pots in Melbourne for 2023
Footscray's small bar scene might be booming, but its patrons have been faced with a little bit of a food conundrum. With most of these drinking dens operating sans kitchen, dinner options are largely limited to whatever nearby eateries are on the bars' delivery radars. Enter, Slice Shop Pizza, the latest offering from Burn City Smokers' Steve Kimonides and Raphael Guthrie. Slinging New York-style pizza by the slice, as well as 18-inch pies, it's the culinary accompaniment Footscray's drinking crowd has been waiting for. You'll find it perched on Nicholson Street, sporting just a few metres of standing room and four stools for those speedy dine-in sessions. Grab a slice to go, or order in from one of the nearby watering holes, including craft beer bar Mr West, which sits just across the street. The owners, both locals, have transformed a former discount supermarket into a laid-back lunch and dinner pit-stop, with a new home-spun fit-out thanks to the pair's own handiwork. Neon Slice Shop signage — in the AFL Western Bulldogs' signature red, white and blue — beckons from the window. The menu rotation runs to around seven core creations, with a daily special thrown in for good measure, and all slices kept to an easy $5. There might be a pork and fennel number — starring Italian sausage, mozzarella and roast peppers — a classic capricciosa or margherita, and maybe a mushroom, thyme and truffle concoction. Vegans will always find a plant-based pizza on offer, too. Glimpses of the duo's other life as barbecue masters shine through the menu every now and then, too, with the likes of Burn City's brisket or some slow-smoked pig's head making the odd cameo appearance. Regardless of toppings, expect chewy, foldable New York slices, crafted on tipo 00 flour and fired in an impressive Italian Moretti Forni oven. This beauty fits ten whole 18-inch pies at once and cooks them in about five minutes flat. Images: Parker Blain.
You don't truly realise how parental and limiting adult writers can be towards children until you've seen the works of Belgian youth theatre group Ontroerend Goed. Their self-devised pieces are anarchic, freeform, funny, dramatic, frequently loud and generally unpredictable. The seminal Once and for all we're gonna tell you who we are so shut up and listen has now spiralled out into a trilogy that somewhat progresses through the stages of youth. Melbourne Festival 2013 gets the later, angstier chapters. Teenage Riot has eight teenagers trapped in a room inflict twisted games on each other, and recording it on camera, while All That Is Wrong has single writer/performer Anna Jakoba Ryckewaert, 18, undertake a more introspective coming-of-age — what Melbourne Festival are calling "a final, poignant dispatch from the consuming borderland between youth and adulthood". Check out the rest of our picks for the Melbourne Festival here.
