Looking for something scary to do this Halloween? What about spending a night in the slammer? As the sun begins to set on the evening of Wednesday October 31, the Old Melbourne Gaol will throw open its iron gates and welcome you into its haunted halls. Once home to some of Australia's most notorious criminals, the historic prison was the scene of more than 100 hangings – including that of Ned Kelly himself. So it's hardly surprising that there have been plenty of reported ghost sightings there over the years. On the night, roaming Ghost Tour guides will regale you with spooky stories, while you'll also be able to purchase a variety of Halloween treats. The truly brave may also like to try an after-dark tour of the Watch House, a spooky walk through the original cell block once inhabited by the likes of Squizzy Taylor and Chopper Read. Halloween at the Old Melbourne Gaol will run from 5.30–11pm.
If you're looking to shop locally for your swimwear this summer, look no further than Active Truth, which is offering 20 percent off its Australian-made, sustainable swimsuits. Plus, you'll receive free express shipping, so even though we're already one week into February, you'll have your new swimsuit at your doorstep before summer ends. Active Truth is accessible to beachgoers of all shapes and sizes, with a wide range of swimwear from XS to 3XL. The brand is also committed to sustainability, supporting the Healthy Seas initiative and making its swimwear from reconstructed recycled fibres, such as discarded fishing nets. If you're keen to snag some new togs, have a look through the catalogue of one and two-piece swimsuits and order before the sale ends on Tuesday, February 9. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
If your sweet tooth has had to endure a scarcity of Black Star's famed pastries since the brand's St Kilda outpost shut for renovations, you'll soon be able to satisfy those cravings by feeding it exactly what it's been missing. The Bayside store is back in the game as of this week, throwing open its doors to show off a head-to-toe makeover. Welcoming cake fiends from Thursday, October 6, the new-look Acland Street outpost now boasts a new production kitchen and a revamped minimalist storefront — with stepped stadium-style seating and a grand mirrored installation taking pride of place. Cabinets will once again be stocked full of Black Star's signature sweet treats, headlined by the cult-favourite Strawberry Watermelon Cake. You'll also find a range of all-day eats, including egg-and-bacon rolls, ham-and-cheese croissants and ratatouille tarts — as well as all the usual winners from the drinks list, including the new Strawberry Watermelon Latte and Hot Chocolate Mirage. This time around, however, the store has an extra sweet offering for time-starved cake lovers. The new Cake Concierge pick-up service allows you to pre-order your treats, phone ahead with an ETA and be met at a designated valet bay, so staff can run your order out to you — along with a complimentary coffee. All of the cake, none of the hassle of leaving your car. As you'd expect, Black Star is launching its new store with some cake-filled celebrations, on Saturday, October 8. There'll be giveaways galore and free coffees by St Ali, plus a two-for-one cake deal that'll let you mix and match your favourites on the cheap. Find Black Star Pastry's new-look store at 2C Acland Street, St Kilda. It's open from 8am–4pm Wednesday to Sunday.
If behind every great man there is a great woman, then consider Charles Dickens marked by two: his wife and mistress. The speculative The Invisible Woman tells the tale of the latter, wooed by the author despite their 27-year age difference, yet the former is inescapable. History remembers their imperfections, but understanding reigns in their screen incarnations. One stayed in the shadows as his lover and muse; the other stood on the sidelines as the mother of his ten recognised children. Treading the boards as a fledgling actress with her mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) and sisters (Perdita Weeks and Amanda Hale), Ellen 'Nelly' Ternan (Felicity Jones) catches the eye of Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) as he stages The Frozen Deep. Social decorum frowned upon divorce and threatened to keep them apart, but their love lingered, the open secret of their affair gaining traction before becoming untenable. Years later, Nelly looks back on their tumultuous relationship. Dickens is the high-profile figure in the handsomely staged and sumptuously expressed period drama, yet his presence is secondary to the women at the mercy of his emotions. As a writer, he remains as prominent as his many novels; in his personal life, his flitting from his wife, Catherine (Joanna Scanlan), to Nelly makes him the least interesting character. Instead, the pains suffered by both drive a film that skirts the melodrama inherent in its content. Troubled and tenacious in their individual ways, each could earn the description of the feature’s title. The intrigue elicited by Catherine and Nelly over Dickens is by design, and not indicative of any failings in the film’s performances or construction. Adapting Claire Tomalin's book The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens, Fiennes does double duty as director in a deftly delicate addition to his filmmaking resume (and a stark departure from his last effort, the brutal modernising of William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus). Underplaying his lead role but always attracting attention, Fiennes is similarly subtle and deliberate on screen as he is off; however, again it is his surrounding players that rise to prominence. Tackling Nelly’s uncertainty in her younger years as well as her guarded exterior as she ages is no easy feat but one that Jones portrays admirably, building upon her stellar turns in Like Crazy and Breathe In. Scanlan is given less time to impress but makes the most of her moments, conveying the devastating mood that trickles through the entire production. As The Invisible Woman progresses towards its fated conclusion, of course the air thrums with contemplation. Abi Morgan’s screenplay and the film that results makes audiences feel but also think: about life, love, social convention and struggling with normality amidst bright minds and great expectations.
Directed by David Mackenzie (Young Adam, Hallam Foe), You Instead is a romantic comedy that is set and filmed live at T In The Park, one of Scotland's biggest music festivals. The rock'n'roll love story begins when two musicians are handcuffed together after a feud. Adam (Luke Treadaway) is the lead singer from an electro-pop band and Morello (Natalia Tena) plays in a post punk riot band struggling to make it to the top. Morello's band is going to play their biggest gig at T in the Park and being handcuffed to Adam makes things a little more interesting. After spending so much time together they realise that there may be a connection between them, proving difficult as Adam has a supermodel girlfriend and Morello is dating a banker. Concrete Playground has five double passes to giveaway. To go in the running to win tickets to You Instead, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
UPDATE, February 17, 2021: Dark Waters is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Charting a lawyer's quest to expose a chemical company's harmful actions, Dark Waters seems, on paper at least, like a standard crusading legal drama. In Erin Brockovich and The Insider's footsteps (and All the President's Men and The Report's, too), this little guy-versus-the system, truth-versus-cover-up film appears to follow. Based on grim recent history, it also seems worlds away from its director's usual oeuvre. For three decades, Todd Haynes has given cinema many gifts — the anarchic 70s glam of Velvet Goldmine, the sweeping 50s-style melodrama of Far From Heaven, the imaginative Bob Dylan-inspired I'm Not There and the yearning queer romance that is Carol — but never anything as ostensibly straightforward as this anxious, serious-minded procedural. Dark Waters doesn't shy away from or try to reinvent its genre. Any move in that direction wouldn't do its real-life details justice. But this is definitely a Haynes movie in the way that matters most: its emotional impact. Visually, the director doesn't stage the elaborate, eye-catching scenes that his work has become known for. He doesn't load his frames with sentiment-dripping colour, either. His perceptive, detail-oriented approach is still evident, however, in every closed-in, grey-toned peek inside everyday corporate and small-town surroundings. So too is his ability to tell a complex tale with layered minutiae and piercing nuance, all while ensuring that his audience shares every iota of pain and passion felt by his characters. With Haynes' eighth feature taking its specifics from Nathaniel Rich's 2016 New York Times Magazine article 'The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare', there's much for everyone — on-screen and off — to feel. When viewers first meet Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), he's a corporate defence lawyer who has just made partner at an Ohio law firm that works for the big end of town. If West Virginian farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) hadn't marched into the office demanding his help, that's the course Bilott's career probably would've stuck to. He's not just reluctant to listen to his unexpected visitor, but initially dismissive. It's only because Tennant knows Bilott's grandmother that he even gives the matter a second thought. Whether exploring a woman's certainty that she's allergic to the world around her in 1995's Safe or chronicling two children's search for their parents across two different timelines in 2017's Wonderstruck, Haynes has always specialised in characters who are committed to following their hearts and senses of self, no matter the cost. When Bilott visits Tennant's property, learns that 190 cattle have died from strange medical conditions — including blackened teeth and tumours — and gleans the possible connection between this heartbreaking carnage and DuPont's use of neighbouring land as a dumping ground, he becomes one of them. Unsurprisingly, his employers aren't overly thrilled about the case, although his boss (Tim Robbins) still lets him pursue it. Of course, to just as little astonishment, the more that Bilott digs, the more he unearths. Ruffalo has stepped into this kind of dogged, determined territory before in Zodiac and Spotlight — and, as both of those excellent films showed, he's exceptional at it. With each, he serves up different shades from a recognisable palette rather than replicating the same role again and again. Indeed, throw in his seven-movie Marvel stint as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, and the three-time Oscar nominee has spent a hefty chunk of his career as smart, resolute, world-weary but still tenacious men hunting insidious killers, organisations and other forces of evil. Make no mistake, that's the story that Dark Waters unfurls, even if it never has a finger-snapping Thanos to chase. It would've been so easy to give DuPont a villainous on-screen figurehead, and to square the blame for the company's literally toxic actions at one person's feet. But Haynes and screenwriters Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan (21 Bridges) know that life is never that simplistic. Obviously, bringing a huge multinational outfit peddling dangerous substances to account requires painstaking devotion, aka the type of unglamorous, highly necessary grunt work that Dark Waters focuses on. Perhaps not so obviously, enabling such a widespread catastrophe to take place — poisoning the environment, animals and people, and getting away with it until Bilott's lawsuit came along — requires just as much manpower, just from a completely different angle, which Dark Waters is equally as fervent about stressing. While tight, taut and involving from start to finish, the end result doesn't hit every note it aims for. Anne Hathaway's role as Bilott's wife is underwritten, and Bill Pullman hams it up in his brief supporting appearance. Still, there's no shaking this solid, compelling film's potency, its scandalous true tale and its takeaway message. As Bilott discovers when he switches sides, many a powerful entity will only do the right thing when they're made to by the masses. With that in mind, Haynes hasn't just brought an essential story to the screen (and inspired his audience to start questioning all the chemicals in their lives), but crafted the ideal movie for a world where the entire planet is increasingly at the mercy of corporate giants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBGi3SzxkKk&feature=share
Jerry Mai's long-anticipated Melbourne restaurant Annam is nearly here. She's announced she'll be throwing open the doors to the Bourke Street restaurant on Monday, October 2. Annam has been in the works for Mai for some time. When we spoke to her in June, she was still imagining the menu and now it's come to be — and it sounds like it has been worth the wait. You can expect dishes like tuna tataki with cumquat nuoc nam and crispy onion, whole grilled Hiramasa kingfish with rice paper, braised goat somm la curry with pea eggplant and bo kho spiced beef ribs with mustard leaf. There's also been mention of a salted caramel fried ice cream dish on the dessert menu, a mention which has us very intrigued and hungry. Annam will be all about traditional Vietnamese dishes — in fact, the name Annam is what Vietnam was known as prior to 1945. Vietnamese food has picked up influences from every historic episode, including Chinese, French and Japanese, as well as from its neighbours Laos and Cambodia. "Relive sitting in the street, on a little stool somewhere in Vietnam," Mai says. "The heat and the smoke coming from the grill, and the noise coming from the kitchen and hopefully we can transport you back to a holiday in southeast Asia somewhere." For the drinks menu, Annam will serve up complementary but not strictly Vietnamese drops. "We're looking at wines that will suit the food, cocktails made with tropical fruits, and also at local and imported beers," Mai says. Mai's business partner Rani Doyle has put together the drinks menu, which is heavy with Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner and local Riesling in order to make the most of bold, spicy and salty flavours. You can also grab cocktails with a southeast Asian twist, like Four Pillars gin with nashi, Thai basil and finger lime. Annam is located at 56 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne and is set to open on Monday, October 2 from 5pm. For more info, visit annam.com.au. Images: Jana Langhorst.
Life is a cabaret, old chum — or at least that's what we've been told. Now we'll get the chance to find out. Heating up venues in both Prahran and the CBD, the latest edition of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival will welcome more than 100 different performers from around Australia and the world, for two weeks of singing, dancing and outrageous fun from June 14. This year's festival hub will be based out of Chapel Off Chapel, with additional shows at The Space Arts and Dance Centre and Love Machine Nightclub in Prahran, as well as The Butterfly Club in the city. The fun begins on Tuesday, June 14 with an opening night gala featuring some of the biggest acts of the festival, and won't stop until Sunday, June 26, with a closing night billed as "Australia's biggest piano bar party". In between, punters can check out over 40 different shows, from acts like UK performer Joe Stilgoe to Steve Ross (dubbed The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret by The New York Times) and local performers like Yana Alana, Imogen Spendlove, Geraldine Quinn and Rod Davies. Here's five shows you shouldn't miss.
If you're looking to escape Melbourne's grisly winter weather, even for a weekend, Ballarat might be just the place to do it. The regional town is dialling up the heat with a road trip-worthy winter program, stuffed full of cosy eats, activities and entertainment. The Ballarat Winter Festival descends on the region from Saturday, June 29, till Sunday, July 21, promising to pull you right out of hibernation mode. Kids big and little will be able to throw down moves on the pop-up ice-skating rink, which lands beside Ballarat Town Hall for the festival's duration. All skill levels are allowed to hit the ice, with bookable one-hour skate sessions. On June 29 and 30 and July 13 and 14, jump into the future at the Winteractive Arcade augmented reality exhibition. As well as checking out the latest and greatest tech gadgets, you'll have the chance to battle mates in a massive multiplayer game of Snake, a virtual reality drone racing game, or some old-school arcade favourites. The inaugural Ballarat Activated ArtWalk will transform the city into an immersive gallery, navigated via your smartphone, while on July 6–7, The Design Exchange pulls together an independent marketplace of artisan wares, woodfire pizzas and pop-up bars. And Sovereign Hill comes alive in the spirit of Christmas in July for its annual Winter Wonderlights program, featuring dazzling light projections, Euro-style winter markets and live entertainment.
Cosmos at the ready. When Sex and the City and its sequel series And Just Like That... are streaming across the screen, that's the only drink that will do. Your next excuse to sip vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and lime juice will arrive in June, when Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon all return to the New York-based characters they've been playing on and off for a quarter century. Yes, that's when And Just Like That... will be back for season two. If you've spent any part of the past two-and-a-half decades dreaming about being a fabulously dressed Big Apple writer who seems to do very little work but can still afford a fantasy wardrobe — or if you've just filled it drinking a lot of pink-coloured cocktails — then you'll already be excited. And, you'll know that the first season of And Just Like That... was both announced and premiered in 2021, 17 years after Sex and the City wrapped up its HBO run. Two years later, the show will start dropping its second season from Thursday, June 22 on Binge in Australia, this time spanning 11 episodes — one more than season one — and bringing back another familiar Sex and the City face. As seen in the first teaser trailer for season two, and also first revealed back at the beginning of 2023, John Corbett (To All the Boys: Always and Forever) is reprising his role as Aidan Shaw. He'll return to make Carrie's post-Big love life even more complicated after the world's most infamous Peloton workout. Also on the way: more of Carrie (Parker, Hocus Pocus 2), Miranda (Nixon, The Gilded Age) and Charlotte (Davis, Deadly Illusions) going about their lives and friendships in their 50s, when things are even more complicated than they were two decades ago. Season two will also feature Sara Ramírez (Madam Secretary), Sarita Choudhury (Ramy), Nicole Ari Parker (Chicago PD), Karen Pittman (The Morning Show), Mario Cantone (Better Things), David Eigenberg (Chicago Fire), Evan Handler (Power), Christopher Jackson (Space Oddity), Niall Cunningham (Poker Face), Cathy Ang (My Best Friend's Exorcism) and Alexa Swinton (Old), all similarly returning from season one. A reminder: due to Kim Cattrall's absence, And Just Like That... has been badged as a "new chapter' in the Sex and the City story, rather than an additional season of the existing 1998–2004 program. Parker, Davis and Nixon are also executive producers on And Just Like That..., alongside Michael Patrick King, who worked as a writer, director and executive producer on the original (and on the two terrible 2008 and 2010 Sex and the City movies). Check out the first teaser for And Just Like That..., season two below: And Just Like That... season two will start streaming via Binge in Australia from Thursday, June 22. Images: HBO.
Now in its third year running, Mosaic Festival celebrates Victorian women and the cornucopia of cultures they represent; an initiative of the Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition (VIRWC). City Square will be transformed into a multicultural marketplace dishing up international cuisine and selling beautiful handicrafts. From Turkish jewellery and crafts to Malay and Indonesian fare, you’re bound to walk away with more culturally rich mind and belly at this free festival. Entertainment-wise, there's plenty of song and dance on the bill — Diana Nguyen, Culture Queenz, Jhoom Bollywood and Ecuadorian Dance. There'll also be a fashion show where you're encouraged to come dressed in your national costume and strut your stuff. If you're not all threaded up in national dress don’t sweat it, there'll be opportunities to try on authentic Chinese and Korean costumes, and there'll be henna stores for those who want to try something a little different.
December 25 is as good a day as any to get into some BBQ, and Le Bon Ton are making it happen with their Christmas lunch. Starting from midday, they'll be doing what they do best: smoking some mother flippin' meat. For $80 a head, you'll get to feast on some (very Christmas-appropriate) pit-smoked turkey breast, Cajun ham and an assortment of tasty Southern sides. You'll have to book and pay in advance for the pleasure of having a no-fuss day. Bookings can be made on (03) 9416 4341 or by emailing bookings@lebonton.com.au.
Melburnians will have the chance to cut their Uber spend in half, as the city welcomes UberPool services next week. Set to launch in Melbourne on Monday, June 11, it's the local spin-off of Uber's USA-based Uber Express Pool, which sees multiple passengers using the ride-share cars at once, in a carpooling scenario. The launch follows successful UberPool trials in Sydney earlier this year, which saw over 60,000 Sydneysiders use the service. To start, UberPool will service an area between Coburg in the north, Hawthorn in the east, Balaclava in the south and Footscray in the west, where the company found the biggest number of riders to be travelling along similar routes. When using the app, UberPool riders simply request a ride, follow directions to the designated 'dynamic pickup spot' nearby, and then hop in the car with others that are travelling a similar way and who'll help share the cost of the trip. The savings will vary depending on when you use the service, while drivers will earn about the same as they would behind the wheel of a regular UberX service. Uber's general manager for Australia and New Zealand Henry Greenacre said that UberPool would save customers around 50 percent to start with, before levelling out at about two-thirds of the cost of a standard UberX trip. Uber looks to be trying to win back a few customers, following stiff competition from new rival services like Ola and Taxify.
After success on the south coast of NSW, Home Thyme Melbourne opened its doors in Williamstown in 2018. Inside the cute store on Douglas Parade you'll find on trend homewares and gifts, with a focus on Australian designers, hidden treasures and affordable prices. This place doesn't take itself seriously, with the online store sorted into categories like 'soft stuff', 'scented stuff' and 'other stuff' — that casual vibe extends to friendly service and knowledgeable staff that are happy to help with any styling questions you might have. The range in store is always changing, embracing the seasons with cute croquet sets, picnic baskets and beach pillows, and keeping it classic with stylish homewares staples like candles, flowers, ceramics, art and furniture.
In case you needed a reminder the chain was still around and going strong, Victoria is home to eight TGI Fridays, NSW has a store in North Ryde and the chain's first Queensland store just opened in Robina. The American-inspired diner's mac 'n' cheese bites and loaded potato skins have probably always been at the top of your must-eat list, which is understandable — but on Thursday, April 2, its peanut butter and jelly waffles are what you'll be wanting. On this day, dubbed 'National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day' of course, each and every TGI Fridays is giving away free stacks of this delicious waffle combo to the first 100 people to order $20 worth of food via UberEats, Deliveroo or takeaway in-store. The stacks star a belgian waffle layered with raspberry jelly and peanut butter, and topped with ice cream and chocolate fudge. You'll want to hope you're not located too far from the store for this giveaway. As you do need to spend $20 to get a free waffle stack, here's your chance to try those aforementioned snacks if you haven't already — they're all available for delivery. TGI Fridays' free peanut butter and jelly waffle snacks are available on Thursday, April 2 to the first 100 people to spend $20 at each store via UberEats, Deliveroo or takeaway.
UPDATE, August 15, 2020: I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. For many teenage girls, love has a name. It's not their schoolyard crush, or that boy who keeps teasing them in class. Depending on the decade, it's Harry Styles, Nick Carter, Robbie Williams or Paul McCartney. Their great loves sing to them, stare back at them from posters on their walls, and soulfully look their way at packed-out concerts. They croon tunes about holding hands, wanting them back and inner beauty, and — crucially — declare they'll never break any hearts. Whether it's The Beatles in the 60s, the Backstreet Boys in the 90s or One Direction earlier this decade, such is the power of boy bands. Many come together in the most calculated of manners, specifically engineered to appeal to as many swooning girls and sell as many records as possible. But the sentiments they're uttering feel real to their fans. Take 16-year-old Long Island resident Elif, for example. When she talks about One Direction, her face could light up Zayn Malik and company's world like nobody else. She screams at their videos, calls them "the boys" like they're kids that she goes to school with, and bursts into tears when a friend suggests that a band member might deliver their pizza. Alongside 25-year-old San Francisco journalist Sadia, 33-year-old Sydney band strategist Dara and 64-year-old Melbourne TV producer Susan, Elif is one of four boy band aficionados featured in I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story. Each has fallen hard for a different group and it's changed their life, with the documentary exploring, analysing and celebrating their fandom. Well aware that loving a boy band is so often seen as the domain of silly young girls, filmmaker Jessica Leski examines the phenomenon with joy, affection and irreverence, and with an open heart and mind. She knows a thing or two about the topic herself, having become a devoted Directioner at the age of 31. Cue a delicate balancing act, but one that I Used to Be Normal manages with the skill of a carefully choreographed *NSYNC dance routine. As the bright, upbeat, quick-paced film delves deep into its subjects' thoughts, emotions, hopes and desires, it also dissects the broader allure of manufactured male pop groups and the catharsis they can offer. Dara gives viewers a Boy Band 101 lesson to help cover all angles, however its her own personal story — and Elif, Sadia and Susan's too — that comprises the beating heart of the doco. Set to an appropriate soundtrack, their love of cute men belting out pop ballads is always intimate and genuine, and handled with thoughtfulness and insight. For Turkish immigrant Elif, One Direction connects her to her adopted country and helps unleash her dreams of becoming a musician. Growing up in a conservative Muslim household, Sadia's obsession with the Backstreet Boys helped her explore her teenage urges — and still helped when she suffered from depression in college. Dara's affinity for Take That's Gary Barlow shaped her identity and her sexuality, while Susan's Beatlemania has been a crutch to lean on through decades of ups and downs. Even if you don't know New Kids on the Block from East 17, and even if you'd never want to, these tales are instantly relatable. It's passion that unites I Used to Be Normal's four women, and unites them with everyone watching, too. On good and bad days alike, these ladies filter their lives through something that feels larger than life, which is exactly what sports nuts, comic book-lovers, Game of Thrones tragics and Potterheads do as well. While exposing this truth, Leski acts in much the same way from behind the camera. That's a key aspect of her documentary: she doesn't judge or dismiss or play up stereotypes, because everyone is a fangirl (or boy) for something, including the director herself. There's humour in the film, but it comes from someone who knows what her subjects are going through — and knows that everyone watching knows the same loving feeling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQBPzGL8EI
You've got a friend in this: the latest excuse to watch a beloved movie on a big screen, and also listen to live tunes played by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the same time. As it has previously done with everything from Harry Potter flicks to Studio Ghibli's delights, the MSO is giving the OG Pixar gem that is Toy Story the orchestral treatment, all on the big screen at Hamer Hall this April. If the 1995 classic about talking playthings already takes your heart to infinity and beyond, prepare for your emotions to soar even little higher at Toy Story in Concert. There's never a bad time or way to watch the animated hit, of course, but there's always something extra special about the live movie-and-music combo — which draws you further into the soundtrack, obviously, and also in the picture itself. Running across three shows on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, these gigs will play Randy Newman's Oscar-nominated melodic compositions — 'You've Got a Friend in Me', 'Strange Things' and 'I Will Go Sailing No More' all included. They're not just the tunes that first helped bring Toy Story's heartwarming tale to life, but tracks that helped launch a franchise. Indeed, Toy Story in Concert hits Melbourne just over a month before Lightyear, Pixar's animated Buzz Lightyear origin story flick, reaches cinemas in June. After working with Newman on his 2011 orchestral tour, conductor Guy Noble will lead the concerts — adding to a resume that's included gigs with everyone from Ben Folds and The Beach Boys to The Pointer Sisters and Olivia Newton-John. And, if you're somehow new to Toy Story — because you're the one person whose childhood wasn't defined by it — then get ready for the tale of cowboy toy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), new space ranger plaything Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) and a rivalry that threatens to upset the toybox. Check out the Toy Story trailer below: Toy Story in Concert plays Hamer Hall on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30. For further information and to buy tickets from 10am AEDT on Monday, March 21, head to the MSO website.
Cult-favourite Korean fried chicken joint Bonchon made quite a splash when it opened its first Aussie store in Craigieburn at the start of the year. And it's about to make another, as it opens the doors to its newest Melbourne offering, this time in Broadmeadows Central. Especially since Bonchon is saying g'day with some huge Grand Opening celebrations, on Saturday, September 3. Wing it in there from 11.30am and you can load up on your fill of crunchy double-fried signature wings for just $1 a pop. There'll be roving entertainment throughout the day, a balloon artist and a prize wheel you can spin to score chicken-related goodies. Plus, enter Bonchon's massive one-day giveaway for the chance to win a year's worth of free wings for you and four mates. Can't wait that long? Bonchon's also doing a hefty wings giveaway this Friday, August 26, handing out a huge 750 free wings (250 three-piece boxes) from 11.30am.
If your New Year's resolutions included cooking more, some fresh kitchen gear to motivate you wouldn't go astray, right? Well, local cooking whizzes are in luck, because famed French cookware label Le Creuset is hosting a huge online sale. Running until Wednesday, January 27, it features a whole heap of bargains, with up to 25 percent off across a sprawling range of high-quality stoneware, stainless steel pots, toughened non-stick pans, cast iron cookware, kettles and roasting accessories. You can snag one of its signature cast iron casserole pots for $463.20 (down from $579), a crêpe pan for $172.50 and a stoneware roasting dish (in one of 17 colours) from just $36.75. You can scroll through all 400-plus sale items over here. Le Creuset's colourful pieces don't usually come cheap — but they do last a lifetime — so this is an opportunity not to miss.
Utopia is a concept often put into words and images, but if you've ever wondered what it would look like food-wise, the Social Food Project has the event for you. Running as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week, Utopian Foods will imagine what our food system will look like in 50 years and what we might be putting in our mouths by then, all through an interactive dinner on Thursday, May 4 hosted by chef and creator of the Social Food Project, Ben Mac. The glimpse of the future will take place in a little section of the past; those who partake will pull up a seat in Melbourne's beautiful old Drill Hall, opposite the Queen Victoria Market. The dinner will explore concepts such as sustainability, ecological diversity, ocean health and cultural diversity, so you can expect the small talk during dinner to be of a pretty high standard. You'll be served a five-course meal featuring surprise bonanzas such as bone broth, edible insects and fermented beverages (no surprises there). Bring your most adventurous mate and an empty tum.
Not all yoga retreats have to cost double the price of your yearly membership. Melbourne-based yoga teacher Maud Léger is launching a new Warrandyte, and instead of overly fancy lodgings, your room will be a tent. While the set-up helps to keep costs down, you will in no way rough it — this is a glamping situation, and all tents include mattresses, nice linen, lamps and rugs. The whole things will take place on the 1.5-acre estate of the incredibly designed residence Casa Warrandyte across three days in November. While your accommodation is outdoors, you'll practice twice a day on the house's undercover deck and meditate in the studio. In your downtime, you're free to go wandering around the property, swimming in the Yarra and partake in any of the mindful activities on offer. Prices start from $767 for a shared tent, which includes all your meals, snacks and tea.
These days, most design markets let you peruse their goods with a drink in-hand. The Design and Drink Market, however, goes one step further — it's held inside a pub. So you know running out of alcohol won't be a problem. The pub in question is The Rochester on Johnston Street. It will transform from boozer to boutique design market from 11am–4pm on Saturday, December 15 to host some local designers and artists. They'll be hawking things like ceramics, custom t-shirts, local honey, art and indoor plants. Basically all the things you (and hopefully your family and friends) want for Christmas. The pub has this year had a menu makeover, so it's worth sticking around for some of Mischa Tropp's South Indian nosh, too.
When four playwrights and a composer came together in 1999 to create the distinctly Australian theatre production Who's Afraid of the Working Class?, they produced a cutting critique of how the poor and marginalised are thought of in Australia. Now, two decades later, they've returned with Anthem, a follow-up show that questions whether Australians share the same dream and if we really sing with one voice. Exploring the social and political struggles facing Australia in 2019, provocative vignettes depict various characters from across society, resulting in poignant and occasionally humorous stories that allude to an uncertain future. Reuniting Andrew Bovell, Irine Vela, Christos Tsiolkas, Patricia Cornelius and Melissa Reeves, director Susie Dee joins a stellar cast of local actors. Tickets are available from $49, with shows held daily from October 1–6. Images: Pier Carthew.
Once a year, the Abbotsford Convent opens up all its doors to the public and offers us a chance to see inside the creative hub. Artists in residence will present their studio spaces to visitors, offering an insight into one of Melbourne’s most artistic communities. There are over 250 artistic, wellbeing and educational tenants that reside in this glorious establishment, and we're more than excited to meet a few. You're welcome to explore the buildings or have a picnic in their heritage gardens, and there will also be plenty of other activities running throughout the day. Live music and entertainment will be on the cards with the most excellent Shadow Electric bandroom offering up a free gig from Mighty Duke and the Lords as well as markets and food stalls. If you’re long overdue for a trip to the Convent, or are yet to experience it for the first time, we couldn’t think of a better day to go and check it out. Grab some lentils and stake out your spot on the Convent lawn any time from 11am-4pm on Sunday, November 9.
Get your green thumbs ready — the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is returning next month for its 24th year. Presented by Lawn Solutions Australia, this massive five-day horticultural extravaganza will be held within the lush surrounds of Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building from Wednesday, March 27 to Sunday, March 31. The 2019 edition of the much-loved gardening event will bring together many of Australia's most innovative and admired horticultural and floral designers. Visitors can check out stalls, expert talks, floral installations and show gardens and take part in floral design workshops. Highlights include a one-off Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired indoor plant feature, a large-scale installation of a whimsical palace and a range of comforting meditative gardens sponsored by mental health charity Beyond Blue. Meanwhile, plant-based designs from RMIT Fashion Design students will be on display in the Great Hall of Flowers and The Holland America Line is hosting a decadent high tea. In addition, the Gardens by Twilight showcase will also bring Carlton Gardens to life just as the sun starts to dip. Held Friday, March 29 until 9pm, the after-dark event will feature access to all of the show's daytime features with the addition of light installations and live music. You can mosey through the elegantly presented grounds, stopping in at the bevvy of wine bars and prosecco vans, before getting a bite to eat at the gourmet food village. Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show 2019 will run from 9am–9pm on Friday, March 29 and until 5pm all other days. You can secure your tickets here — if you book prior to Tuesday, February 26, you will go in the running to win a $500 gift card to spend at the show.
With Australia's craft beer scene going gangbusters and innovative new local drops hitting the shelves every week, it can be hard to keep track of what's worth buying. But if you fancy scouting out some winners, The Independent Beer Awards, affectionately known as The Indies, is a decent place to start. The Aussie awards just announced its top beer picks for 2019, after a team of judges drank their way through a record-breaking 1017 beers from 147 Australian breweries. The scoreless competition awards gold, silver, bronze and no medal across a range of categories, rather than the usual numerical quantification or points system. And what better than this expertly chosen lineup of winners to inform your springtime beer hit-list? The triple dry-hopped double Red Eye Rye imperial red ale from Carrum Downs' Dainton Brewery took out top honours, claiming the coveted title of Champion Australian Independent Beer. Better get that one in your fridge, stat. Meanwhile, the most celebrated venues included Victoria's 3 Ravens, named Champion Independent Australian Brewery in the small/medium category; Fixation Brewing Co, taking out the large category counterpart; and All Hands Brewing House at Sydney's King Street Wharf, which was bestowed the title of Champion Australian Independent Brewpub. State brewery winners included SA's Mismatch Brewing Co, the ACT's Bentspoke, Gage Roads from WA, 3 Ravens in Vic and Sydney's All Hands Brewing House. The Gold Coast's Balter Brewing Company was named Queensland State Champion, after its XPA took out top honours at GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list earlier this year for the second time in a row. Among The Indies' list of top brews in each style, you'll find a beer for just about every palate. There's the spring-perfect Surry Hills Pils from Sydney Brewery, which claimed the title of Champion Lager; Modus Operandi's big, bold Former Tenant as Champion IPA; and named Champion Session Beer, the Piss-Weak Sauce by Marrickville's Sauce Brewing Co. Also on the list are the Champion Porter/Stout — the Bunker by Collingwood's Stomping Ground — the Champion Pale Ale from Mismatch and the Champion European-Style Ale, claimed by Bright Brewery's Razor Witbier. You can check out the full list of The Indies' 2019 winners over at the website.
If your ideal getaway involves sun, sand and surf, then make tracks to the Sheltered Glamping Co. on Phillip Island. Here, you can choose from one of seven tents, all fitted with spacious beds, handcrafted furniture, cosy blankets, comfy seating and Bluetooth speakers, among other decadent touches. To stay within walking distance of an unspoilt beach and next to a solar tree — way more photogenic than a normal tree — book Gentoo or Adelie. Alternatively, to gaze at ocean vistas from your bed, sleepover in Fiordland or dive into extra space and ultimate luxury in Emperor Safari. [caption id="attachment_688580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Phillip Island by David Hannah for Visit Victoria[/caption]
Keen on chasing an endless winter, jet-setting to Switzerland's top slopes, and getting there in the most direct way possible? There's an airline for that. Because there's no niche too small these days, Europe now has a carrier dedicated to snow sports in the Swiss Alps. Due to fly its first passengers in December this year, Powdair will make its home base in Sion in the Valais region, near the Swiss resorts of Verbier, Saas-Fee, Crans-Montana, Zermatt and Nendaz. It'll connect to eight European airports, ferrying eager snow lovers from London Luton, London Southend, Bristol, Manchester and Southampton in Britain; Edinburgh in Scotland; Hamburg in Germany; and Antwerp in Belgium, straight to the heart of Switzerland's frosty playground. In an attempt to become the go-to airline for Swiss-venturing snow spots fans, Powdair also boasts free equipment carriage; yep, your skis and snowboard won't be classed as oversized baggage here. They'll also be offering season discounts for eager skiers. And, while their first routes are all focused on making the most of the icy weather, should they prove a hit, the startup plans to offer summer jaunts too — in case you'd like to check out the Alps in greener circumstances. Via: The Independent. Image: Aletsch Arena.
Waterfalls have served as tourist attractions and natural wonders. And thanks to TLC we know we should never chase them. Powerful and beautiful forces of nature, flowing waterfalls can actually freeze whilst falling creating amazing and bizarre shapes. It's one of the most spectacular visuals of something frozen in time, quite literally. Take a look at the photos below to see some of the largest and coolest frozen waterfalls captured on camera.
Japanese cinema's diverse array of wonders can't be confined to one event. Melburnians can watch the latest and greatest films the country has to offer at the annual Japanese Film Festival; however, since 2018, cinephiles can also step back into Japanese movie history, too — all thanks to its classics program. Running on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 at the Astor Theatre, this film selection explores old-school big-screen highlights, especially if you're fond of spooky tales. A supernatural anthology telling four ghostly stories, the Academy Award-nominated Kwaidan is one of Japan's undeniable standouts, while The Ghost Story of Yotsuya adapts a kabuki masterpiece about murder and revenge. Also on the bill: The Bride from Hades, about a mysterious woman and the man who falls in love with her; plus the delightfully named Black Cat Mansion, which adds its own spin to the age-old haunted house premise. If you're keen on some retro bumps and jumps, entry is free — and while you can grab a ticket from the Astor an hour before each screening, you can also reserve your seat online in advance if you'd prefer.
Lin-Manuel Miranda isn't the first lyricist to pen tunes so catchy that they get stuck in your head for years (yes, years), but his rhythmic tracks and thoughtful lines always stand out. Miranda's songs are melodic and snappy, as anyone who has seen Hamilton onstage or via streaming definitely knows. The multi-talented songwriter's lyrics also pinball around your brain because they resonate with such feeling — and because they're usually about something substantial. The musical that made his name before his date with US history, In the Heights echoes with affection for its eponymous Latinx New York neighbourhood. Now that it's reverberating through cinemas, its sentiments about community, culture, facing change and fighting prejudice all seem stronger, too. To watch the film's characters sing about their daily lives and deepest dreams in Washington Heights is to understand what it's like to feel as if you truly belong in your patch of the city, to navigate your everyday routine with high hopes shining in your heart, and to weather every blow that tries to take that turf and those wishes away. That's what great show tunes do, whisking the audience off on both a narrative and an emotional journey. Miranda sets his words to hip hop beats, but make no mistake: he writes barnstorming songs that are just as rousing and moving, and that've earned their place among the very best stage and screen ditties as a result. Watching In the Heights, it's hard not to think about all those stirring tracks that've graced previous musicals. That isn't a sign of derivation here, though. Directing with dazzling flair and a joyous mood, Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M Chu nods to cinema's lengthy love affair with musicals in all the right ways. His song-and-dance numbers are clearly influenced by fellow filmic fare, and yet they recall their predecessors only because they slide in so seamlessly alongside them. Take his staging of '96000', for instance. It's about winning the lottery, after word filters around that bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos, a Hamilton alum) has sold a lucky ticket. Due to the sweltering summer heat, the whole neighbourhood is at the public pool, which is where Chu captures a colourful sea of performers expressing their feelings through exuberantly shot, staged and choreographed music and movement — and it's as touching and glorious as anything that's ever graced celluloid. $96,000 won't set anyone up for life, but it'd make an enormous difference to Usnavi, In the Heights' protagonist and narrator. It'd also help absolutely everyone he loves. As he explains long before anyone even hears about the winning ticket, or buys it, every Heights local has their own sueñitos — little dreams they're chasing, such as his determination to relocate to the Dominican Republic. That's where his late father hailed from, and where he's set his sights on finding happiness. As Usnavi tells the movie's tale, he does so looking back while talking to kids on a beach, so his commitment to pursuing his chosen future can't be doubted. But this isn't just the story of how and if his sueñito eventuates. It's also about his fondness for hairdresser Vanessa (Melissa Barrera, Vida), who he can't muster up the courage to ask out. It's about her quest to pursue a fashion career in Manhattan, too, and about the yearnings stirring inside fellow locals Nina (film debutant Leslie Grace) and Benny (Corey Hawkins, BlacKkKlansman). The former is back from Stanford to tell her dad (Jimmy Smits, The Tax Collector) she doesn't want to return — and the latter, who works for her father, dreams of business school. Usnavi's young cousin Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV, Vampires vs The Bronx) also pines for a different path, as does salon owner and local mainstay Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega, Katy Keen). Some of In the Heights' sueñitos are big and bold, while others value beauty in the everyday — such as the resolve to seek dignity in minutiae that drives neighbourhood Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz, reprising her role from the stage). One of the things that's so entrancing about the film's narrative, which Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes adapts from her own stage efforts with Miranda, is the textured snapshot it builds by flitting between different Heights residents. Not just through its lively and heartfelt songs, but also via its energetic and loving lensing, it scratches away at their hopes and desires, chronicling how they're toiling, trying and persisting day in, day out. Miranda and Hudes don't shy away from the struggles faced by Usnavi and his friends, of course, or from the ups and downs in life that come for us all. But character by character, they build a vision of heart and hope in one very specific place, as aided by Chu putting his past experience directing Step Up: 2 the Streets and Step Up 3D to exceptional use. In the Heights isn't just about dreams — it's also dreamy. Some of its musical numbers literally climb the walls with jubilation, or evocatively peer back in time, and it's just like stepping into Usnavi, Claudia and company's fantasies, emotions and memories with them. The grounding factor, other than the passion in every word, and the issues such as gentrification, economic inequality, racism and oppressive immigration policy that get pushed to the fore: Chu's phenomenal cast. Taking over the role that Miranda earned a Tony nomination for, Ramos is a dream, fittingly. His performance is so warm and engaging that hanging on his every rapped syllable is just part of the experience. He's surrounded by just-as-impressive co-stars, spanning the spectrum from Grace's simmering resolve and Barrera's pluck to Stephanie Beatriz's (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) scene-stealing supporting turn as a salon co-owner— and a singing and dancing Smits, too, as well as Miranda as a piragua cart vendor. The cinematic reverie they're all in isn't quite perfect, as its pacing often signals, but neither is any genuine dream. The best fantasies are always intoxicating, invigorating, impassioned and infectious, however, and truly mean something. In the Heights ticks all those boxes, and also finds time for a delightful Hamilton reference.
Filmed in Melbourne, sci-fi thriller Predestination circles around the life of a Temporal Agent who travels through time in pursuit of the one criminal who has taunted him his whole career. The film is written and directed by Australian brothers Michael and Peter Spierig, known for their previous futuristic outing, Daybreakers. Based on the 1958 sci-fi classic short story All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein, Predestination stars Ethan Hawke as the agent a mission to stop the elusive terrorist The Fizzle Bomber from massacring over 10,000 New Yorkers. During this process he comes across a new recruit called John Doe (played by Australian actress Sarah Snook). The film shifts in and out of different time-periods, executed in a way that is described as "futuristic and nostalgic" by the Sydney Morning Herald. Predestination is in cinemas on August 28, and thanks to Pinnacle Films, we have 15 double passes to give away, as well as three DVD prize packs of Drive, Jobs, Welcome to The Punch, Dark Skies and The Expatriate. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVOpfpYijHA
Melbourne, clear your schedule — it's time to make some dinner plans. Melbourne's biggest gastronomic event starts this week, with food makers, wine tasters and cocktails shakers descending on the city, with you in the middle of it all. Running from February 28 - March 16, the 2014 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is celebrating the bounty of the water and all its delicious offerings, accompaniments and possibilities. Centred around the theme of water, the festival hub will take leave from solid ground and feature as a three-storey barge anchored on the banks of the Yarra, and a range of masterclasses, street parties, dinners, lunches and wine tastings are sure to keep you busy. With over 200 events poised to take place all over Melbourne and Victoria, we've taken the liberty of picking out our top picks for the 17-day food frenzy that haven't already sold out. Cocktail Olympics at The Immersery Built onto the disused Sandridge Rail Bridge, The Immersery is perhaps the most innovative festival hub this food festival has ever seen. Tying into the theme of water, the multi-level temporary structure features a restaurant, bar and raingarden right on the banks of the Yarra. Open every night of the festival, food will be served by local chefs Florent Gerardin (Silo), Daniel Wilson (Huxtable and Huxtaburger) and Jesse Garner (Añada and Bomba), and the country's best bartenders will converge to create cocktails inspired by the three states of water — solid, liquid and gas. With the likes of Daniel Gregory from The Everleigh and Sydney's Shady Pines, the team from Lily Blacks, Eau de Vie and more, this is one bar you can't miss. February 28 - March 16, 8am-11pm, $110, Queensbridge Square, 1a Queensbridge Street, Southbank, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Race Around Footscray If you like high intensity grocery shopping, then this is the event for you. An interactive event that allows you to make your soup and eat it too, The Footscray Race will have you rummaging through market stalls, visiting specialised grocers and talking to locals as you race around the suburbs to find the missing ingredients to some seriously good Vietnamese, African and Indian soups. As well as learning all about the fine art of three culturally diverse soups, you'll get to slurp them up at the end as well. March 8, 10am-2pm, $30, Lentil As Anything, 233 Barkly Street, Footscray, bookings: 0413 273 957, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Matt & Andrew McConnell Host a Gertrude Street Party Brothers who dine together, wine together – or something like that. In a unique event for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, chef brothers Matt and Andrew McConnell are holding a blood-inspired food and wine event, Blood is Thicker Than Water. Moving between their neighbouring venues, Casa Ciuccio and Cutler & Co., and spilling out onto Gertrude Street, the party will be fuelled by blood-inspired dishes and imported Spanish wines from The Spanish Acquisition. March 13 at 6.30pm & 8.30pm, $95, Casa Ciuccio & Cutler & Co., 15-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, bookings: (03) 9419 4888, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Taste Now at NGV Combining art and food is a discerning Melburnians dream, so it makes a lot of sense the the NGV's Melbourne Now exhibition is collaborating with MFWF to create a mixed media event. Combining Melbourne's best contemporary art with food from some of the city's best chefs, the dishes will be matched to and inspired by the artworks in the exhibition. So you get to eat food inspired by art while being surrounded by said art — like I said, a discerning Melburnians dream. March 1 & 2, 12-2pm, $75, NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, bookings: (03) 8662 1555, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Tea Cocktails with Storm in a Teacup Because tea and vodka were meant to be drunk together, it's no surprise that tea cocktails mix the best of both worlds into one punchy, refreshing drink. However, if your idea of a tea cocktail is a swig of gin into a cup of peppermint, then you better get yourself along to Storm in a Teacup's workshop, where they'll teach you how to best use tea as an ingredient in your liquid gold concoctions. While experimenting with the subtle flavours and spirits, you'll create three cocktails and get to drink them too. March 5, 7-9pm, $45, Storm in a Teacup, 48 Smith Street, Collingwood, bookings: (03) 9415 9593, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Food Photography with Per-Anders Jorgensen Photographing food is a lot bigger than just Instagram, and no one knows that quite like Per-Anders Jorgensen. Founder, photographer and co-editor of the cutting-edge gastronomic Fool Magazine, Jorgensen will be running an intimate, hands-on photography workshop exclusively for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. We haven't heard of him doing this anywhere else before, so you better snap up a place stat. March 11, 10am-4pm, $325, The Essential Ingredient, Elizabeth Street, South Yarra, bookings: (03) 9827 9047, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Water Tasting with St Ali If you thought that coffee beans were the only important factor in the taste of your latte, think again. Apparently water has a distinct impact on how well your morning cup of joe goes down as well. With St Ali's head barista Matt Perger, see how water such as Evian and San Pelligrino combine with coffee and compare the taste of tap water from Melbourne and London. This is a good one for coffee afficionados, aspiring baristas or just those looking for interesting talking points at their next coffee date. March 8, 10-11.30am, $25, Sensory Lab Roastery, 706 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne, bookings: (03) 9686 2990 or sarah@stali.com.au, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Box Hill Asian Seafood Graze Sunday morning seafood is how they do it in Box Hill, so do as the locals do and sample local, fresh produce right from the source. On this particular Sunday chef James Tan will join the sea of colour and smells, preparing seafood dishes, dumplings, soups and fresh fish. The event is free, with tastings and dumpling making demos happening throughout the morning. There are also $10 seafood grazing dishes available for a taste of everything. March 2, 11am-1.30pm, free, Box Hill Central, 1 Main Street, Box Hill, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Saigon Sally's Rooftop Yacht Club Unfortunately this event doesn't quite warrant the use of 'I'M ON A BOAT', but it does take place on a rooftop, giving you ample Instagram bragging rights. Replicating Vietnam's Nha Trang Yacht Club, Saigon Sally and Hanoi Hannah are hosting an afternoon of Vietnamese snacks, coconuts and St Kilda sunsets. As well as the familiar rice paper rolls and beef cigars, chef Adrian Li will be preparing a range of seafood dishes — perfectly complemented by drinking coconuts and a crisp, cold lager. Your $35 will get you entry and a coconut, with other food and drinks available for purchase. March 16, 1-9pm, $35, Rooftop at Harbour Room, 2 Pier Road, St Kilda, bookings: (03) 9939 5181, through Saigon Sally or on the door, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Juicy Jay's Low Country Hoedown Head straight to the deep, deep South with a traditional crab boil. Dr Juicy Jay — brought to you by the boys behind Chingnon— is no stranger to the crab, and you can rest assured that this doctor knows exactly how to treat his crustaceans. The crabs, crays and cornbread will be served directly onto communal tables — leaving you to get your hands dirty in good old crab boil style. Using both hands, this delicious mess will be washed down with beer, sweet tea and Lynchburg lemonade. Hell yeah! March 1, 2, 8 & 9, 12-2pm, $110 including 2 hour drinks package, Le Bon Ton, 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood, bookings: bookings@chingon.com.au, melbournefoodandwine.com.au Immersery image courtesy of Roberto Seba, dumpling image courtesy of avlxyz.
For Sydney-based lamington-lovers, there's one true king of the local dessert game, and that's Min Chai and Eddie Stewart's Tokyo Lamington. After starting life overseas, introducing places like Singapore and Tokyo to some innovative riffs on the humble lamington, the brand settled in Newtown and has been impressing Sydneysiders with its creative desserts ever since. And now, for the first time ever, it's coming to Melbourne. From Friday, June 17–Sunday, June 19, Tokyo Lamington will join mates at North Melbourne's Le Bajo Milkbar for a pop-up dedicated to their glorious mash-up of Aussie dessert and classic Japanese flavours. Inspired by both venues' greatest hits list, the limited-edition collaboration menu will feature three wild and wonderful lamington creations: cream-filled melon pan, yuzu meringue, and earl grey and mango. The trio is available as a $26 set pack, for takeaway only. And, since there are no pre-orders, you'll want to get in quick to score yours before they're all sold out.
Who said gelato is just for summer? Certainly not the team at Brunswick Street's new Sicilian gelateria, Compá, which opened its doors last week. From Carl Foderá and Marco Enea, the guys behind Northcote's popular Il Melograno, this bright little spot specialises in artisan gelato and sorbetto. It's made traditionally using long-held family recipes, with a splash of new-school flair — all of it a nod to the colourful Italian province of Sicily. "Compá is a celebration of our shared Sicilian heritage," says Foderá. "It's about sharing these old family traditions, respecting the old ways and giving them a contemporary spin. It's really a reflection of what we love and what excites us." A third-generation gelato chef trained in Sicily, Enea's knocked up a top-notch range of flavours for Compá's starting lineup. Il Melograno favourites like Iranian pistachio and chocolate rosemary will make an appearance, alongside seasonal creations and a new range of vegan gelato. It's all got zero preservatives, artificial flavourings or commercial essences, and, rather than using one gelato base across the whole range, each flavour is crafted separately from scratch, with recipes adapted seasonally. Try them in a to-go cup or cone, or get really traditional with a gelato-filled cannoli, or a 'gelato con brioche' — a fresh brioche roll stuffed with your pick of flavours. The boys are also slinging woodroasted Ricci Method coffee, to be enjoyed the Italian way, at the stand-up espresso bar. Compá is open daily from 11am to 10.30pm at 381 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
A restaurant that takes bookings basically has unicorn status these days. Not that we're fully against this walk-ins only business — it's been known to work in our favour — but sometimes you just want to be confident you'll be able to take your Dad to dinner without a grumpy one-hour wait. For those times, you'll need to find a restaurant you can book. Helping out with that conundrum will soon be San Fransisco-based restaurant booking service OpenTable, which will be launching in Australia later this month. OpenTable has been around since 1998, and while it's an international service — they're present in Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico and the UK — they take up the most space in the North American market, where it supposedly facilitates 52% of restaurant reservations through its mobile app. The app is something of a cross between restaurant finder Zomato and reservation site Dimmi, which was bought out by TripAdvisor earlier this year. The OpenTable desktop site and mobile app lets you search restaurants with available tables, view the restaurant's menu, user reviews, and any other restaurants nearby you might be interested in. And while it isn't all too different to Dimmi in terms of functionality, it certainly looks a lot nicer and has some handy integrations for the hospitality industry, such as the Guest Centre booking management app for front-of-house staff. "Whether it’s at a cafe, neighbourhood bistro or hatted restaurant, Aussies love to dine out and we're committed to empowering what that experience means for people," says APAC VP and Managing Director Adam Clarke. "OpenTable's growth has been driven by our ability to develop products that cater for the changing needs of restaurants and diners. Here in Australia, we will continue to innovate by providing insight into dining trends and behaviours, and building on all we have learned over the past two decades." The OpenTable app is set to go live mid-December, and will allow you to make bookings at restaurants including Rockpool and MoVida. Of course, this service only works if your restaurant of choice doesn't work on a no-bookings system — no one can help you there, I'm afraid.
If you agree that one of the best ways to deal with chilly temperatures and rainy days is to just eat until you feel better, Oriental Teahouse has you covered. Following a sold out run during this year's Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, the South Yarra location is bringing back their Dumpling Degustation for one night only on Thursday, July 27 from 6:30pm. The feast that awaits you on Chapel Street includes 25 different types of dumplings, meaning the lucky partakers get to try every single dumpling on the menu. It won't just be your average fried pork and chive, either (though their fancy version of the classic is included) — think lobster and wild mushroom, green curry lamb, Angus beer and pulled pork varieties, along with an AFL-themed football dumpling of pork, shrimp, dried shiitake and bamboo, topped with a crispy bacon and sesame. We're not sure what the combination has to do with footy, but it sounds delicious and that's all that matters. Five brand new flavours will also make the menu. The degustation isn't cheap — especially compared with the $22.50 all-you-can-eat dumpling dinner happening at POW Kitchen on the same night. Orienal Teahouse's version starts at $80, or $120 for a matched beverage pairing which includes craft beer, cocktail, wine, sake and premium tea. But no one says you can't treat yourself to a night of fancy dumpling gorging and, for lobster dumplings, the price may be worth it. To book email chapel@orientalteahouse.com.au or call on 03 9826 0168.
When you go to the movies to watch a flick on the big screen, you abide by the usual cinema etiquette rules. You don't kick the seat in front of you, you refrain from checking your phone and lighting up the darkened theatre with its bright glow, and you don't natter away through the feature and annoy everyone around you, for instance. Also, you wear clothes. Well, usually. If you're going to the Lido's special nude session of Nude Tuesday, however, disrobing is highly encouraged. Yes, you read that correctly. When the New Zealand comedy hits screens Down Under this winter, it's baring all, and the Lido wants you to join in. Featuring Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, his What We Do in the Shadows co-star Jackie van Beek, and Aussie Mindhunter and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor Damon Herriman, Nude Tuesday follows an unhappy couple who are gifted a trip to a remote couples' retreat to help save their marriage — a spot where getting in the buff often is recommended — after all. Attendees are asked to strip down for the session (or just wear their underwear) at 4pm on Sunday, June 26. There are a few ground rules, though. Photography is completely off limits, you'll need to bring a towel to sit on, only patrons over the age of 18 can attend and you're asked to respect your fellow movie-goers' personal space. You also need to rock up fully clothed, and then disrobe inside the cinema. And, if you have to go to the bathroom during the movie — or want something from the candy bar — you'll need to get dressed again. This isn't the Lido's first clothing-optional session — or its first involving Clement, for that matter. Fans might remember that the venue did the same for another comedy called Patrick last year.
What happens when you combine crepes, cider, live music and the beautiful Yarra Valley? Greatness, that’s what. Kudos to Punt Road Winery for having the forethought to bring these amazing things together for the day. On Saturday October 12, enjoy sweet and savoury crepes, Napoleone Cider — apple or pear — live music from Melbourne band The Scrimshaw Four, cheese platters, tastings and a game or two of petanque. Pick a spot on the lawn, or head over to the Cellar Door for a cider and wine tasting. Anyone and everyone is welcome — the little ones can enjoy a free bottle of water instead of cider. Seems fair. Tickets include two serves of crepes and a cider of your choice. We'll meet you there.
Heading to the beach might not be your first choice in chilly weather, but think again — invigorating walks along the sand, rugged cliffs against blue seas and, best of all, no crowds. Yep, now we're talking. Plus, at the Azure Beach Retreat in the Mornington Peninsula, you can get in the water regardless of the air temperature with this outdoor spa. In between dips, you can wander around the southern tip of the peninsula that overlooks Port Phillip Bay, check out nearby seaside village of Portsea — and have lunch at Portsea Hotel — or bunker down with a book in this three-bedroom holiday home.
In the name of its protagonist, and the pain and fury that threatens to parch her 12-year-old existence, Del Kathryn Barton's first feature scorches and sears. It burns in its own moniker, too, and in the blistering alarm it sounds against an appalling status quo: that experiencing, witnessing and living with the aftermath of violence against women is all too common, heartbreakingly so, including in Australia where one woman a week on average is killed by her current or former partner. Blaze has a perfect title, with the two-time Archibald Prize-winning artist behind it crafting a movie that's alight with anger, that flares with sorrow, and that's so astutely and empathetically observed, styled and acted that it chars. Indeed, it's frequently hard to pick which aspect of the film singes more: the story about surviving what should be unknown horrors for a girl who isn't even yet a teen, the wondrously tactile and immersive way in which Blaze brings its namesake's inner world to the screen, or the stunning performance by young actor Julia Savage (Mr Inbetween) in its central part. Savage also has a fitting moniker, impeccably capturing how ferociously she takes on her starring role. Blaze, the Sydney schoolgirl that she plays, isn't always fierce. She's curious and imaginative, happy dwelling in her own dreamy universe long before she flees there after witnessing a rape and murder, and then frightened and fraying while also fuming. In how she's portrayed by Savage, and penned by Barton with co-screenwriter Huna Amweero (also a feature first-timer), she's intricately fleshed out, too, with every reaction she has to the assault proving instantly relatable — especially to anyone whose life has been touched by trauma. We don't all see dragons made out of fabric, felt, feathers, papier-mâché and glitter, helping us through times good and bad, but everyone can understand the feelings behind that dragon, which swelter like the creature's fiery breath. Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, Blaze isn't — although Jake (Josh Lawson, Mortal Kombat), who Blaze spots in an alleyway with Hannah (Yael Stone, Blacklight), has his lawyer (Heather Mitchell, Bosch & Rockit) claim that his accuser knows nothing. With the attack occurring mere minutes into the movie, Barton dedicates the feature's bulk to how her lead character copes, or doesn't. Being questioned about what she saw in court is just one way that the world tries to reduce her to ashes, but the embers of her hurt and determination don't and won't die. Blaze's father Luke (Simon Baker, High Ground), a single parent, understandably worries about the impact of everything blasting his daughter's way. As she retreats then acts out, cycling between both and bobbing in-between, those fears are well-founded. Blaze is a coming-age-film — a robbing-of-innocence movie as well — but it's also a firm message that there's no easy or ideal response to something as awful as its titular figure observes. The pivotal sequence, lensed by cinematographer Jeremy Rouse (The Turning) and spliced together by editor Dany Cooper (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) to be as jarring and unflinching for Blaze's audience as it is for Blaze, is nightmarish. Avoiding agony and anguish isn't Barton's way — and it can't be with this subject matter. While never as harrowing in the same manner again, Blaze is styled by its artist-turned-writer/director in the same expressive, impressionistic way from start to finish, so that watching its frames flicker feels like diving inside its lead character's heart and mind. That internal realm is a place where a pre-trial proceeding erupts into flames spat from Blaze herself, via a tiny white dragon figurine she places between her teeth. Unsurprisingly, that's a spectacular and gloriously cathartic sight. Barton isn't afraid of symbolism, but she's also allergic to emptiness; not a single image in her kaleidoscopic trip through her protagonist's imaginings is ever wasted. As set to a soundtrack that's soulfully moody and brooding as only Nick Cave can be one minute, then psychedelic and soaring with The Flaming Lips a short time afterwards, the contents of Blaze's brain and soul is where cogs turn — not literally, not once, but in processing everything that the pre-teen has seen and felt. It's where she glimpses a corpse turned mesh and material, then spies a tiny girl climb a ladder out of its mouth, in one of the movie's many mixed-media moments. It's where tiny kissing ceramic animal figurines morph into something more, fleshy tongues waggling, and where putting her feet in a sandbox transports her to the beach. And, it's where thoughts and emotions can better be distilled through surreal stop-motion animation and puppetry, and via that towering pink-hued dragon that any child would want as their pal and confidant, and with hallucinogenic collages that everyone who has seen Barton's other art will immediately recognise as springing from her head. If Barton took on Where the Wild Things Are, Pete's Dragon or A Monster Calls, all of which deal with sadness and tragedy through fantasy as well, it'd look like this — well, as a starting point. As brilliant and deeply affecting as all three of those films are, Blaze is always bolder and darker. It's more enraged, audacious, unsettling and astounding. It stresses that hardship is what shapes us but not what solely makes us, but it's a gut-punch rather than a heartstring-tug of a feature (by design; facts and figures about femicide are purposefully worked in). Barton emphasises that surviving is both a battle and a feat, that coping through art is a balm, and that seeing and speaking are pivotal acts. In other hands, though, Blaze might've resembled another recent feature that plunged into distress, and a headphone-wearing adolescent feeling it, that's also helmed by a big-name Aussie debuting as a director after coming to fame in a different medium. Thankfully, however, similarities with Sia's Music end are superficial. Big things deserve to await Savage, who never lets Blaze forget that it's about a living, breathing, hurting, loving person, and about the screaming, receding, dreaming, needing and steaming that characterises her response to such an ordeal. In support, Baker offers a sublimely judged mix of care, stress and uncertainty, playing a dad who knows he doesn't have all the answers, because no one can — and Stone, in her crucial and devastating part, is phenomenal. Big things have already come Barton's way in the art world, but they deserve to shower over her for this also, which comes after short films The Nightingale and the Rose and Red. Blaze is brutal and beautiful, blunt and labyrinthine, and a trip, a heartache, an escape and a release. When its namesake asks why she ends up temporarily institutionalised but Jake hasn't been, the movie makes one of its points as loudly as it can, but every inch of every frame already says everything.
Movie-loving Melburnians have a new place to get their flicks fix — for six Thursday evenings during MPavilion's current season, that is. The event announced last year that it was turning CBD car park Parkade into its hub to start 2021, and now it's unleashing a series of film screenings there as well. Even better: they're all free. On February 4, 11 and 18, and again on March 4, 11 and 25, the Little Collins Street spot will be setting up a big screen, showing recent and classic movies, and also serving drinks from the onsite bar. Each session kicks off at 8pm, and you'll be heading up to level seven for this collaboration between MPavilion and Rooftop Cinema, which has been dubbed Topless Cinema. As for what you'll be watching, the season starts with the delightful Jacques Tati comedy Playtime, then swoons over The Love Witch in the lead up to Valentine's Day. February's sessions close with award-winning Aussie drama Babyteeth, while March's begin with Tim Burton's gorgeous Edward Scissorhands. And, there's also Agnes Varda's masterful Cleo From 5 to 7, plus documentary Rams, about industrial designer Dieter Rams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHhaIRevB-Y
Nature documentaries rarely simply spy the earth's wonders, point cameras that way and let the planet itself do the talking. Instead, films such as 2017's The Ancient Woods are by far the exception rather than the rule. And yet, the best footage within any movie about our pale blue dot makes viewers wish that more favoured the "a picture is worth a thousand words" approach. Take The Giants, for instance. When it includes talk, which is often, it's no lesser a feature. The conversation and commentary offered is illuminating, in fact. But when it wanders through Tasmania's colossal foliage within the Styx Valley, Southern Forests and the Tarkine, which is also regularly, it feels like it barely needs to utter a single thing. This isn't merely a factual affair about flora, with environmental campaigner and pioneering former Greens senator Bob Brown firmly at its core, but The Giants knows that paying tribute to both is best done by staring at leafy surroundings as much as it can. It's no everyday feat to get a movie-watching audience admiring the natural world while peering at a screen, even if the frequency with which David Attenborough's docos arrive has helped everyone both think and expect otherwise. Indeed, notching up that achievement is a mammoth accomplishment on the part of The Giants' filmmakers Laurence Billiet (Freeman) and Rachel Antony, plus cinematographer Sherwin Akbarzadeh (Carbon — The Unauthorised Biography). Crucially, it assists what was always going to be a fascinating ode to bloom as much as any plant that it waters with attention. When you're crafting a documentary that intertwines a love letter to Australia's ancient native forests and their ecosystems with a powerful portrait of a hefty figure who has devoted much of his life to fighting for them, showing all the green splendour it possibly can is equally a must and a masterstroke. A doctor who turned politician after first establishing roots in Tasmania's environmental movement in the 70s, Brown has spent many of his years either around or battling for The Giants' woody namesakes. The film tells that tale, plus more before it, deploying the familiar birth-to-now doco format. Thanks to its human subject, aka the movie's other giant, it's a greatly inspiring story — one that on its own, assembling the usual archival photos, news clips, home videos and talking heads, is a hearty piece of motivation to follow in Brown's activist footsteps. As an interviewee, he adds insights about his experiences, dreams and goals, and the way that Australia's lavish landscape has been treated. Among those joining him: his twin sister Jan, partner Paul Thomas, successor as Greens leader Christine Milne and current Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Brown was born to a family of police officers, but enforcing the law wasn't his calling, as The Giants steps through. His closeness with his mother also earns the spotlight, as does the way that nature provided solace and excitement from his early years onwards. The decision to study medicine, his struggles with his homosexuality, his shift to Australia's southernmost state, the first sprouts of his passionate crusading and his move into politics are all covered, as are his stint fasting on top of Mt Wellington to protest the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise sailing into Hobart, the jump to the federal level and interrupting US President George W Bush's 2003 speech to Australian parliament. There's no surprise that the film needs 112 minutes to fit all of the above in and more, like Brown's status as the first out gay man in parliament, and also to highlight the breathtaking beauty that's been Australia's for millennia. On-screen as in away from the cinema, don't ever underestimate the impact that trees can and do make. Here, in a picture that starts with 100-metre-tall eucalypts regnans that dwarf dinosaurs, and similarly heroes Huon pines and Tasmanian myrtle beech, majestic rainforests and the gargantuan plants within them make a rousing and riveting documentary even better. The arresting imagery would bring to mind Peter Dombrovskis' famous photography of the Apple Isle's Franklin River — specifically Rock Island Bend, as captured in a snap that's widely credited with saving the waterway — even if it wasn't given a shoutout. Courtesy of the University of Tasmania's Terra Luma research project, 3D forest scans dazzle as well, as turned into surreal and striking cloud animation by Alex Le Guillou. As much as roving one's eyes over the wilderness speaks for itself, The Giants gets chatting to deepen viewers' understanding of nature's marvels. Accordingly, an appreciation of algae and mushrooms also springs — 2023 is the unofficial year of the fungus on screens big and small, after all, given that it's a year that's seen both The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros Movie become hits. Regardless of how popular spore-producing organisms are in pop culture right now, knowledge about their pivotal function is a call to act within Billiet and Antony's film. The Giants also gleans that explaining what's threatened by logging, damming and climate change, especially while showing it in intricate and impressive detail, is a stirring way to encourage viewers to do their part for the cause. It's one thing to ask people to make an effort to make a difference when the movie stops rolling, whatever their personal version of facing deforestation, bulldozers, expansive mining operations and the like is. It's another to demonstrate that playing a part for the planet can and does bring about change, as Brown's life story epitomises. He has the right words to stress the case as well, whether he's noting that "there is nothing a small group of people can't do when the idea they're espousing's time has come" or championing civil disobedience as obedience to nature — and, yes, aiding with justifying why the film isn't solely gorgeous shots of tremendous trees. The Giants has the right overview of his five-decade impact to go with it, alongside all that wondrous forest footage that says everything, including that the living world in the 21st century always needs all the help that it can make blossom.
Experience the fusion of music, dance and circus as Velvet Rewired hits Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre for a strictly limited season of just 15 shows from Wednesday, April 26. First launched at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2015, this sparkling production features an international lineup of circus performers, dancers and vocalists led by the talented Marcia Hines in the aptly named role of 'The Diva', Joe Accaria as 'The DJ', plus the dazzling dancer and choreographer Marc 'FullOut' Royale. With a fresh new vision from director Craig Ilott, whose credits include B-Girl, L-Hotel and Amadeus, Velvet Rewired is a fantastical journey into a world of dreams, life and fulfilment. Be enthralled by the non-stop disco hits and flawless glamour of this big, bold and beautiful production. Don't miss your chance to experience Velvet Rewired in Melbourne, with just 15 shows to catch this resplendent spectacle. Book your tickets now and get ready to be transported to a world of sequins, glitter, and non-stop entertainment. Velvet Rewired is showing in the Athenaeum Theatre for 15 shows only from Wednesday, April 26—Sunday, May 7. Book tickets online at velvetrewired.com.au
If you're a fan of fringe theatre and love to giggle along to great comedy or are on the hunt for new immersive art installations, then Frankston's South Side Festival should be your jam. Over 45 events and shows will descend on this booming beachside 'burb for ten days as part of the returning multidisciplinary arts festival. Head down anytime from Friday, May 10, until Sunday, May 19, to see how Frankston has quickly become a hub for creativity in Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_950617" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Neon Fields — courtesy of Volter International[/caption] What are some must-try experiences? An easy place to start is Neon Fields, a takeover of Beauty Park with a series of radiant neon art installations. Perfect for posing for the perfect picture or illuminating an evening stroll through the park. The globally renowned Human Library is a must-do. Visitors are invited to 'borrow' a person from a library of people — each of whom has directly or indirectly been exposed to prejudice in their lives — and have an open conversation with them about their lived experiences. There's also the lighthearted House of Fast Fashun, where you can sort through clothing waste to design, wear and model your newly created outfits in hourly runway shows. The festival is also delivering slow fashion workshops in the likes of creative mending and sewing basics. If you fancy a morning dip, join the South Side Sea Soak to get your adrenaline pumping as you reap the rewards of cold water immersion. Or, get your blood and soul pumping in a more emotional way by catching a show from ARIA-nominated Indigenous singer and songwriter Emma Donovan. [caption id="attachment_950613" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Emma Donovan — courtesy of Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Beyond this, you can also expect to catch a 45-artist-strong music film screening followed by a Q&A with the film's director, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, a side-splitting drag comedy show or enjoy a one-man show that blends music, spoken word and film into a story about stories. There are stacks of options to choose from. But don't wait too long to book your tickets—every year, events can sell out well before the festival begins. The South Side Festival runs from Friday, May 10, to Sunday, May 19. For more information on events and to book your tickets, head to the South Side Festival website. Top image: SILENCE. Photo by Simon Woods
Melbourne's Northbank will blossom on Sunday, September 1, with eco-warrior Joost Bakker unveiling 150,000 tulips along the Yarra River. The designer and activist — who has recently been involved in building the world's most sustainable shopping centre in Burwood Brickworks — has brought in the huge mass of tulips with him from his family's farm in Monbulk. They've been onsite at Seafarers since mid-August, but will be placed along the water, lining the wharf in front of the Riverlee display suite beneath the restored Malcolm Moore Crane and alongside the Goods Shed No. 5, come Sunday when the first day of spring arrives. If the move sounds familiar, that's because Bakker did something similar last year, but in Hosier Lane. It's part of his ongoing quest to raise awareness about the country's flower growers, as well as the impact of imported bouquets. Bakker has a particularly personal connection to the topic, and not just because his relatives have been connected to the tulip trade since the 1800s. Actually, 2019 marks the last year that anyone in the Bakker family will work in the industry, with Joost's brother giving it up this year because it's no longer economically viable. "For the last four of five years, flower growers have struggled to maximise their economic potential due to an industry facing headwinds; imported flowers now account for a large portion of the market, meaning a lot of growers in Australia have gone out of business," explained Joost. "We want people to come and visit the activation, learn about the industry and what they can do to help and take a beautiful tulip home with them." If you're keen to take a look at the sea of flowers — and grab a few beauties for yourself or your loved ones — then head over to the riverfront precinct from early Sunday morning. The installation will stay in place until all of the blooms have been given away, with collections available from Seafarers Bridge along the length of the wharf.
In the words of Tyrion Lannister, it's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy. That may be true, but you can certainly give it a go, when Game of Rhones makes a comeback for one last event. Taking place on Saturday, May 18, it will coincide with the screening of the final season of Game of Thrones. For those that haven't been to one of these before, the premise is this: a bunch of wineries featuring varietals from France's Rhone Valley come together with people who love the works of George R. R. Martin — in costume. The event will welcome heaps of wines from winemakers such as Whistler Wines, Henschke and Sutton Gorge. Tickets are $60 and include all the wine tastings from the session, which will run from 11am–3.30pm. In between goblets, ticketholders will get the chance to chat with sommeliers and snack on some themed dishes. It should also go without saying that dressing up as your favourite GoT character is highly encouraged. Zombie John Snow, anyone?
A documentary that's deeply personal for one of its directors, intensely powerful in surveying Australia's treatment of its First Peoples and crucial in celebrating perhaps the country's first-ever Aboriginal filmmaker, Ablaze makes for astonishing viewing. But while watching, two ideas jostle for attention. Both remain unspoken, yet each is unshakeable. Firstly, if the history of Australia had been different, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta man William 'Bill' Onus would be a household name. If that was the case, not only his work behind the camera, but his activism for Indigenous Aussies at a time when voting and even being included in the census wasn't permitted — plus his devotion to ensuring that white Australians were aware of the nation's colonial violence — would be as well-known as Captain Cook. That said, if history had been better still, Bill wouldn't have needed to fight so vehemently, or at all. Alas, neither of those possibilities came to a fruition. Ablaze can't change the past, but it can and does document it with a hope to influencing how the world sees and appreciates Bill's part in it. Indeed, shining the spotlight on its subject, everything his life stood for, and all that he battled for and against is firmly and proudly the feature's aim. First-time filmmaker Tiriki Onus looks back on his own grandfather, narrating his story as well — and, as aided by co-helmer Alec Morgan (Hunt Angels, Lousy Little Sixpence), the result is a movie brimming with feeling, meaning and importance. While Aussie cinema keeps reckoning with the nation's history regarding race relations, as it should and absolutely must, Ablaze is as potent and essential as everything from Sweet Country, The Nightingale and The Australian Dream to The Furnace, High Ground and The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson. As the last filmic ode to a key Indigenous figure within cinema also did, aka My Name Is Gulpilil, Ablaze has a clear source of inspiration beyond the person at its centre. Appearing on-screen, Tiriki begins with two discoveries that put him on the path to making the movie: finding a suitcase filled with Bill's belongings, which included photographs of Indigenous boys in traditional paint peering at a film camera; and learning that the National Film & Sound Archive was in possession of footage of unknown origin that it believed to be linked to Bill. Accordingly, Ablaze is as much a detective story as it is a tribute, with Tiriki puzzling together the pieces of his grandfather's tale. Structuring the film in such a way is a savvy decision; even viewers coming to Bill with zero prior knowledge will want to sleuth along to solve the feature's multiple mysteries. Connecting the dots starts easily, after Tiriki spies the boys in Bill's photos in the NFSA's nine-minute reel — footage from which it's an enormous treat to see in Ablaze. From there, though, the what and why behind the material takes longer to tease out. So too does exactly why Reg Saunders and Doug Nicholls — the first Aboriginal officer in the Australian Army and the famed Aussie rules footballer-turned-pastor, respectively — appear in Bill's silent footage. Also an opera singer, Tiriki guides Ablaze's viewers through the answers, while delivering a biographical documentary-style exploration of Bill's existence along the way — from being born in 1906 at the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Reserve, on the Murray River in New South Wales, through to his passing in 1968 following the successful 1967 referendum on counting Indigenous Australians as part of the population, for which he spearheaded the campaign. As is any fascinating doco's curse, much in Ablaze could fuel several movies. Bill packed plenty into his time, although filmmaking, activism, and sharing his culture far and wide are recurring themes. Before shooting the reel that helps spark Ablaze sometime around 1946, Bill had gleaned how influential cinema could be to spread a message. And, from working on other productions — such as Charles Chauvel's Uncivilised in 1937 and Harry Watt's The Overlanders in 1946 — he was intent on using that power to tell the world about Indigenous Australians and their plight. In addition, with the same quest, he took to the stage. As Ablaze shows among its treasure trove of archival materials, white Aussies were flocking to a horrendously offensive-looking production called Corroboree, starring white performers in hand-stitched blackface bodysuits — which Bill set to counter. Even the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II was among Corroboree's audience, as seen in another of Ablaze's impressive compilation of clips from decades back. Contrasting that fact with glimpses of Bill's White Justice, his theatre piece inspired by the 1946 Pilbara strike by Indigenous workers — a show that was filmed and forms part of that unearthed reel — is just one instance of a trend that keeps popping up throughout the documentary. Each time that Tiriki unfurls a new strand to Bill's story, more infuriating horrors come with it. When Bill travelled overseas to attend a peace festival East Germany to draw global attention to the situation back home, he was reportedly surveilled by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. When he received an invite from Walt Disney to go to America, ASIO helped put a stop to it. The atrocities go on, and aren't always personal. As explained by actor and now-elder Jack Charles (Preppers), even the traditional act of making possum skin wraps that chronicled the wearer's life was banned by white Australia, with the animal fur commandeered for fashion instead. With its mix of archival footage, motion graphics made from old photographs, animation and interviews — plus Tiriki's travels — Ablaze has a wealth of other threads weaved through its frames. As they're all stitched together, another truth solidifies: this film, and its wide-ranging examination of how Indigenous Australians have been treated since colonisation, is exactly what Bill was dedicated to bringing to the screen. Its moniker also feels extra apt, even after being outlined early (we have a caravan fire to thank for its subject's prowess behind the camera, and what he shot, being so little-known). Scorchingly obvious in almost every second of Ablaze, Bill was aglow with fiery determination. There's little that's remarkable about the way this cinematic homage to his efforts is put together but, given who it focuses on and his tireless crusade for equality, this doco was always going to burn bright.
It might have missed out on its 2020 run and faced its fair share of hiccups in 2021, but the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) isn't about to let anything stop it from hosting a bumper celebration for its 30th anniversary edition this year. The annual citywide homage to Melbourne's renowned food and drink scene returns this autumn for a special two-week 2022 instalment, headlined by the iconic Nigella Lawson. MFWF turns the big 3-0 with the help of a tantalising program of events from Friday, March 25–Saturday, April 9. And, as always, it's set to dish up a star-studded lineup of culinary guests, both local and international. Among them, you'll catch bestselling author Lawson as she hosts a lavish Sunday lunch, followed by a fireside chat and Q&A led by Matt Preston. Elsewhere, Arabella Douglas and Christine Manfield join forces for a thought-provoking feast championing Asian and Indigenous ingredients and traditions, and renowned Hong Kong chef Jowett Yu takes over Nomad for a special sneak-peek at his latest exciting culinary project. Plenty more buzz-worthy appearances come from the likes of Firedoor's Lennox Hastie, Michelin-starred Sydney chef Skye Gyngell and Momofuku's Paul Carmichael, plus Dave Pynt of Singapore restaurant Burnt Ends. Meanwhile, the World's Longest Lunch event will this year be helmed by Attica's legendary Ben Shewry, featuring a three-course al fresco feed to remember. And chefs Shane Delia (Maha), Joseph Abboud (Rumi) and Kirsty Chiaplias (Babajan) are set to lend a modern Middle Eastern flavour to the World's Longest Brunch. [caption id="attachment_842990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shane Delia, Ben Shewry, Joseph Abboud and Kirsty Chiaplias; by Josh Robenstone[/caption] As festival hub, the Queen Victoria Market will play host to a slew of food-focused parties and happenings — including returning favourites like multi-venue pasta celebration The Big Spaghetti, hot chip party Maximum Chips and the Shannon Martinez-helmed plant-based fiesta Welcome to the Jungle. Highlights of Melbourne's famed, globally influenced snack scene will be showcased across two days at the inaugural Snacktown event, while locally produced liquid treats take centre stage at New Crush — a party dedicated to Victoria's finest sips, complete with demos, producer chats, specialty concoctions and even a booze-free silent disco. Meat-lovers can sink their teeth into a special lunch series dedicated to all things steak, and the perennial favourite Crawl and Bite program will serve its usual lineup of progressive feasts, this time exploring suburbs including Armadale, South Yarra, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Footscray. Catch the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival from Friday, March 25–Saturday, April 9 at venues across the city. Check out the full program over at the website and grab tickets from 10am on Thursday, February 17.
