Opening in late January, Mrs Palmer didn't have much time to establish itself in Darlinghurst before the lockdown hit and cafes were forced to close to dine-in customers. As the sandwich shop and margarita bar is still allowed to offer takeaway, though, it's doing just that — with a helping hand from some of the city's best chefs. Mrs Palmer is teaming up with ten top chefs to create limited-edition sandwiches, with each one available for takeaway for just two weeks. Over the last fortnight, Josh Raine, executive chef at Japanese fine diner Tetsuya's, was on the pans, whipping up an American-Japanese number with burnt burger cheese bechamel, smoked bacon, kombo fried chicken and saké pickled cucumbers. On the menu now until Friday, May 8 is a dry-spiced short rib sandwich ($20) from Aria's executive chef Joel Bickford. Two thick slices of bread are slathered in fermented chilli and piled high with wombok, hand-foraged pickled mushroom and fried shallot. You can watch the creation of the masterpiece over here. This sanga will be followed by a number from Merivale's Jordan Toft (Bert's, Mimi's), Limone Dining's Luke Piccolo and not a chef but a DJ, Hayden James. More chefs are expected to join the lineup in the coming weeks, too. Exactly what these chefs will be creating is under wraps for now, but keep an eye on Mrs Palmer's Instagram to find out. Each sandwich will cost between $13–25 depending on what is inside it. If the fortnightly sandwich special doesn't quite tickle your fancy, the shop also has a falafel sanga with garlic sauce ($11), one with crispy pork belly ($14), The Cure ($13) with three different cured meats (wagyu pastrami, spicy salami and mortadella) and a riff on a parmigiana ($14). There are also two salads and four types of fries (including tater tots and haloumi fries). Mrs Palmer is located at 81 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst and open from 11.30am–3pm Monday–Friday. To preorder for pick up or organise free local delivery around Darlinghurst, call 0400 475 710.
Royal Randwick is going all out this year for The Agency Cup on Tuesday, November 5. Expect heavy-hitting musicians and DJs, plus plenty of poolside cocktails and delicious bites from some of Sydney's best food trucks. First up, dance group Sneaky Sound System will perform live on the main stage at the end of the day. You can expect to hear all of the 2000s hits you know and love. Then, head to the Pony Palms, a Palm Springs-inspired poolside bar that takes cues from Hollywood's golden age glamour. Here, the Chandon pop-up bar will serve up champagne cocktails and a full lineup of DJs, including DJ Young Franco, back from his US tours to headline.
If jungle vibes while shopping for greenery sounds like your perfect outing, head along to the Jungle Collective's indoor plant sale on Saturday, January 16–Sunday, January 17. It's the latest greenery-filled Sydney market from the Melbourne nursery, which stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. Yes, it is trucking its way up north again for another venture — and, after hosting plenty of online-only events over the past year, this sale is a 100-percent in-person affair. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Get inspired by greenery aplenty and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces, all while browsing and soaking up some tunes. Jungle Collective is turning this event into a bit of a maze, too, so you'll enter in one spot, wander along a designated path and leave in a completely different area. Best get in quick though — these markets are always popular, with more than 170 different species usually on offer. Due to expected demand, the sale will be held in 30-minute sessions across both days, and attendees will need to register for free tickets in advance. Plus, if you come decked out in at least two items of beach attire (think: inflatables, bathers, towels, sunglasses and hats) — and spend at least $10 — you'll also get $5 off your purchase.
The pandemic has impacted countless celebrations. Birthdays have been postponed, weddings got cancelled, some people spent Christmas in lockdown. But one national day the pandemic won't stand in the way of is National Bacon Day. Saturday, September 4 marks International Bacon Day and, locally, an all-star lineup of restaurants and suppliers have assembled to provide one-off menu items that go extra heavy on the bacon. Among those participating are Colin Fassnidge, Nomad, Sixpenny, Bistro Rex, and Cuckoo Callay. Nomad will serve a bacon, leek, manchego and Manjimup truffle pie, Sixpenny, who recently launched delivery, will be baking a presumably next-level take on the classic Aussie cheese and bacon scroll, Cronulla's Blackwood Pantry is making B&Es available for delivery via UberEats, and Good Ways Deli is crafting an elevated take on the bacon butty with streaky bacon, Pepe Saya butter and brown sauce on a ciabatta roll. Swing past the Surry Hills outpost of Cuckoo Callay and nab a bacon and manchego potato cake with artery-hardening bacon fat asparagus, poached egg, bacon hollandaise and crispy onion, or order a three-course Father's Day mystery meal from Colin Fassnidge. National Bacon Day isn't just an excuse to get neck-deep in bacon; it's (other) purpose is to promote locally sourced pork. "We do our best to use only Australian produce and with animal products there are no exceptions," says Good Ways Deli's Jordan McKenzie. "Buying local goes a long way towards using less resources, less plastic, and meaning farmers and producers get paid properly." Jacqui Challinor of Nomad echoed this sentiment, saying: "Now is such an important time to get behind our Aussie farmers and give them some much needed support. With the restaurant and export industries suffering so heavily right now, the farmers are feeling the full effects of this. Eating bacon is a pretty enjoyable way of showing them some love of I do say so myself." Jacqui Challinor is a wise woman.
Looking for a DIY punch-in-the-gut experience (who isn't)? Shut yourself into your room, close the curtains, turn up your computer real bright, and cue up the Children Collide film clip for 'Loveless'. Initially, your eyebrows may be knitted with confusion, as you're confronted with the square sight of the band's frontman, Johnny Mackay, done up in clown face and staring straight back at you. The song itself wafts with a bare yearning that knocks around your head long after it finishes. We won't ruin it for you, but suffice to say by the end you won't quite be sure what just happened for the past five or so minutes. Children Collide are now giving the song its first live airing, with a 12-date tour across the country. They'll be joined on the Loveless tour by bands DZ Deathrays & Damn Terran, making it a triple threat assault of the senses. Get amongst it – after all, we can't shut ourselves in our rooms all the time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oCZhYf9hPCE
Just a couple of weeks ago, the stretch of Elizabeth Street between Goulburn and Campbell was a "cultural chernobyl": one of the most God-forsaken, bricked-up eyesores in the CBD. A crew of professional photographers have unilaterally hijacked this carpark wall, installing a street gallery of 40 large-scale works at their own expense, and subsequently earning the support from the council. The artists have declared it the Elizabeth Street Gallery. The photographs are beautifully composed shots of urban Sydney life in all its chaos and contradiction. The ethnic diversity of Western Sydney, the sunny affluence of Manly, the gentrification of Newtown and the swagger of the local hip hop community are all there in vibrant colour, extreme contrast and short focus. It's a neat conceptual circle: the city and its people reflected back at themselves. The crew — Dean Sewell, James Brickwood, James Alcock, Andrew Quilty, Nick Walker and George Voulgaropoulos — work nine to five at Fairfax. They're part of a generation of artists remixing blank city spaces, and they're not waiting for authorisation from state institutions. The repercussions of this guerilla project stretch far beyond the beautification and creative invasion of public space. The Elizabeth Street Gallery is exemplary of that awe-inspiring combination of pragmatism and utopianism that artists do best. Their ingenuity is often laughed at, then swiftly incorporated into the mainstream. Five years ago, temporary galleries in empty shopfronts were considered out-there and unrealistic. Now, high-end retail pop up stores grace every second block of Oxford St and the Elizabeth Street Gallery looks like it's being kept. It's an ironic indication of the unquantifiable and often unrecognised contribution artists make to cities and communities. While you're in the area, swing by The Conductor's Project — a likeminded public art project that installs contemporary works in disused display cabinets (inside the ticketed area) at St James and Museum Stations. The Elizabeth Street Gallery seems to be staying in place for the forseeable future.
Saharan nude, matcha green and pink lily are just some of the personalised leather accessory colours you'll be able to nab at Maison de Sabré's pop-up store from Thursday, May 13. The luxury leather brand will launch its first Australian brick-and-mortar store inside Pitt Street Mall, and it's set to stay until July 2021. The 85sqm pop-up space will also host new product launches, exclusive collaborations and real-time product personalisation through augmented reality. Maison de Sabré's complete range of leather accessories including phone cases, wallets and bags will be on show. Gold or silver monogram detailing is available on all products, with colours like lavendar purple, walnut brown, black caviar and lapis blue. Maison de Sabré was founded on the Gold Coast in 2017 and now is sold in Japan and the USA.
Dance music lovers are well and truly catered for this Spring. With the new three-day festival S.A.S.H. Sleepout geared for September, lovers of big drops and tight beats have already been planning carpools for the warmer months. Planning an exclusive dance music haven to rival your imagination, festival promoters Disktrict want to keep the tempo high until November with the second instalment of Return To Rio. Founded by Ricky Cooper (Tricky) and Nick Law (Lawless), Disktrict launched as a local dance party arbiter of Sydney's east in mid-2012. It didn't take the DJ duo long to dabble into festival territory, holding a rainy but relatively successful Return To Rio a year later. The three-day dance music festival promises more surprises and rhyming riddles than ever — Disktrict are keeping tight-lipped about the lineup until all of the limited 1500 tickets sell out. Taking over the Del Rio Riverside Resort in Wiseman's Ferry for a weekend in mid-November, Return To Rio shares many of the same traits with the ill-fated, end of summer retreat, Playground Weekender. Due to a major risk of flooding, the five-year-strong dance festival was cancelled in 2012 just hours before it was meant to take off, and wasn't able to recover from the financial blowout. Hopefully the weather doesn't make any threats this time around. The poolside party vibes, the obligatory fancy dress and the beautiful venue have stayed the same but the let-your-imagination-go-wild ethos and a greater emphasis on exclusivity seem to be the defining characteristics of Return To Rio. Even buying a ticket is shrouded in secrecy, with organisers encouraging punters to ask their music industry friends where the ticket scoop's at. Ticket prices have taken a small leap up from $120 to $150, but Return to Rio are promising an even better beat-heavy lineup than last year's, which included Mad Racket, S.A.S.H., Love Bombs, Start Cue, Murat Killic, Wonderland Ave, Simon Caldwell and a truckload of others. Return to Rio runs November 14 – 16 at Del Rio Riverside Resort, Wiseman's Ferry. Tickets and more info available here. Images by Kate Ryan.
Darling Harbour's Chinese Garden of Friendship has been transformed by global entertainment company Fever. The picturesque outdoor area has welcomed a stunning light installation that is sure to inject some awe into your summer nights. The immersive experience will be running until the end of March, combining lights, augmented reality and an optional Chinese Banquet before the show. Guests will be able to explore the gardens while the light show takes them through the four seasons. On their journey, they can also use their phones to participate in an AR Treasure Hunt where they'll find hidden plants and animals. Adult tickets start from $50 for entry to the show, however if you want to make a night of your trip, you can add the Chinese banquet for an extra $115 a head. Included in the banquet is a varied selection of popular dishes from The Gardens by Lotus. Highlights include oysters with flying fish roe, salmon sashimi, prawn dumplings, pork xiao long bao, duck pancakes, slow-cooked short ribs and a seasonal dessert. Fever, the company behind the activation, has led exhibitions, theatre experiences and festivals in cities across the globe including a Stranger Things drive-thru in Los Angeles.
If ever your heart could be hugged by a live show, Tiny Ruins will leave yours well and truly cuddled. Following the release of their enchanting folk release Brightly Painted One, the native New Zealanders will head to Australia to crank out their softly spoken repertoire in a national tour. As well as giving their newest album a big ol' run around, Tiny Ruins will revisit tunes from their 2010 release Some Were Meant for Sea as well as their 2013 EP Haunts. Expanding her solo flight into a touring trio, Tiny Ruins' Hollie Fullbrook now hangs with bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer as a trio. The threesome haven't had a holiday for quite some time, touring for the past few years through Australia, Europe and the US in highly coveted support slots for Fleet Foxes, Beach House, Joanna Newsom and Father John Misty to name a few. Now's no time for Tiny vacationing, with a national tour ready to kick off this July. The NZ folksters have plenty of Aussie radio feature albums, festival slots and critical accolades under their belts and have been gaining traction over the past few years with folk lovers worldwide. But Tiny Ruins are no stage hogs, inviting their buds Shining Bird along for the ride this time. The Sydney favourites have spent the last year gaining high fives Australia-wide after the release of their debut album Leisure Coast gained the crew some serious festival appearances. Shining Bird aren't dudes to waste a touring opp, combining their support spot with their brand new 7" single. https://youtube.com/watch?v=jnqc4falhGk
If you've found yourself at a loss since watching Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again for the third time and successfully memorising all the songs, then, boy, are you in for a treat. Sydney's getting a Mamma Mia-inspired pop-up (in Waterloo, which is very fitting) — and the three days of activities are completely free. On Thursday, November 8, Sydney's own dancing queen Shannon Dooley will host a special edition of her popular Retrosweat classes, where you'll throw down some dynamite moves to a soundtrack of supremely danceable ABBA hits. Then, the next night, the pop-up plays host to a lively Greek feast cooked up by former My Kitchen Rules contestant Helena Moursellas (and accompanied by a bit of Mamma Mia trivia). BYO wine to enjoy alongside classic Greek eats like slow-cooked lamb shoulder and baked feta saganaki. And yes, all the food is free, too — just register ASAP. And rounding out the fun on Saturday, November 10, there'll be a three-hour art class session led by the team at Cork & Chroma. Bring in more wine to get those creative juices flowing as you recreate a scene from the film's locale, the Greek island of Kalokairi. All three events are free, though you'll need to register to secure a spot.
If you're in the wretched position of being the world's biggest animal lover but you're not allowed to own a Frenchie because your landlord's a dingus, this is the event for you. Super Furry Festival is back for its fifth year. Billed as a "furry, fun day filled with cuddles, activities, music and animal love" the Super Furry Festival will see the most decadent array of adventures for animal lovers in Sydney. Take a breath. There'll be a doggo treasure hunt, a dog doctor, a dog fashion show and a special market of pet products a — plus a kitty cuddle and a bunny snuggle tent. As well as being a delightful day out for you and your pooch, the festival will also raise awareness around pet adoption. And you'll even have a chance to adopt a new fur baby. The whole thing will be going down at Shannon Reserve from 9am on Saturday, October 20. Entry is free, because sometimes life covers you in glitter and puppies.
See this preview? It's pale nimbus with raised lettering. The font? Something called Silian Rail. Now let's see Paul Allen's. No time — Huey Lewis and the News just came on. *dances around, throwing blood into the crowd* The last few years have been so replete with wildly improbably events that it's getting hard to find anything worth raising an eyebrow for. But the news that American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis' subversive and initially banned novel of bankers and blood rages in the 80s has been adapted into a musical, has had us trying to wrestle our brows down from our hairlines for days now. That's right, Les Miserables and Ellis' protagonist, Patrick Bateman, now have more in common than a passing interest in decapitation. But while the former has had its fair share of Australian seasons, the latter is gearing up for his first, under director Alexander Berlage. Potts Point's Hayes Theatre Co will be the first to unleash Bateman (Ben Gerrard), a detached, murderous businessman onto Australian audiences in May next year. Having already completed bloody seasons on Broadway and at the West End, the show is billed by librettist Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa as a dark sibling to the wildly successful Hamilton. American Psycho The Musical may have the same disdain for excess that you do, but it has a slightly better haircut. Make sure you return those video tapes before booking. American Psycho The Musical has sessions at 7.30pm Tuesday–Saturday and 2pm matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday.
A lot has changed this year, and most of these changes haven't been easy. Many of us are still adjusting to this wild new world of working from home, too. Without shared kitchens to gather around and coworkers to distract you, the day can be hard to fill — and feel pretty lonely at that. The hardest part of the day is hands down the arvo, when you're halfway between lunch and clocking off. So, to help give you some ideas for your working week ahead, we've teamed up with Oporto to bring you five ways to avoid the inevitable afternoon slump. Whether it's getting in a quick workout, going for a short walk or organising tea with your coworkers, this list has your afternoon perk-ups covered. MONDAY: TEND TO YOUR PLANTS The Monday blues come in many forms — and being cooped up at home all day can make it worse. But one benefit of working from home is having the chance to build an indoor oasis filled with plants, plants and more plants. If you're already living in an indoor oasis, this is your chance to tend to them properly — no more dead fiddle leaf figs on your watch. Spend some time in the arvo giving them your love, and receiving that love right back. There are therapeutic and health benefits to keeping plants in your home, too, including improving air quality — some, like the devil's ivy or the peace lily, help to remove extra nasties like benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene from the atmosphere. If you're keen to add to your plant collection, we've rounded up the best places to buy plants in Sydney, or you can order delivery to your door from Marrickville's Plant Girl. TUESDAY: SCHEDULE A CATCH-UP WITH A COWORKER Just because you're no longer working in the office every day doesn't mean you have to forego a tea or coffee catch-up with your coworkers. Instead of scheduling yet another Zoom session, find an office mate who lives nearby and take your hang to the park. Getting a bit of fresh air and socialising IRL (at a distance, of course) will do you both some good. Of course, you'll need plenty of snacks to get your metabolism going for the arvo, and to prevent pre-dinner hanger from setting in. On the way to the park, grab a quick bite from Oporto to bring along. Its new Rappa Range includes the Pulled Chicken Rappa, which has hand-pulled chicken cooked in a lemon and herb sauce, crunchy slaw, spicy rice and your choice of sauce, all wrapped up in warm pita bread. WEDNESDAY: SQUEEZE IN A QUICK WORKOUT OR MEDITATION SESSION Possibly the best way to energise yourself through the afternoon slump is by getting in a quick workout. There are plenty of 15-, 20- and 30-minute workouts available for free online, so you don't even need to leave your house to exercise. One of our favourites is Yoga with Adriene, whose YouTube channel includes 15- or 20-minute classes focused on themes like unwinding, uplifting, resetting and focusing — all great ways to get you back in action for the rest of the working day. For more high energy stuff, The Fitness Marshall has quick (and very fun) dance workouts to pop songs like 'Work' by Rihanna, 'Truth Hurts' by Lizzo and 'Womanizer' by Britney Spears. Or, if you just need a break from all that thinking and doing, check out the Smiling Mind meditation app. Find more quick (and free) ways to workout at home, here. [caption id="attachment_754228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] THURSDAY: GO FOR A SHORT WALK WHILE LISTENING TO YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC It's been pretty difficult being stuck at home all winter. Now that the weather is back to its regularly scheduled sunshine, you can take advantage of it like never before. Step away from your desk, get some fresh air and move your body — it will wake you up for the afternoon and give you the energy to keep going. It may even improve your attention span when you get back to work. While you walk, we suggest popping on your headphones and listening to your favourite music. Whether that's Beyoncé, Tame Impala or Ella Fitzgerald — or whatever your musical preference is — it's sure to put you in a great mood and mean that when you get back to work you'll do so with a positive attitude. FRIDAY: COMPLETE ONE LIFE-ADMIN TASK (THAT YOU KNOW YOU WON'T GET TO AFTER 5PM) It's finally Friday, and the weekend is within arm's reach — which means this time can often be the hardest to stay focused. But, since you're working from home, it also presents an opportunity to get some life admin out of the way before the weekend starts. Whether that's dropping by the post office, paying a bill or picking up toothpaste, you know you won't get to it after pens down, and you'd rather not do it on a Saturday, obviously. With life admin out of the way, you can clock off with the blissful feeling of two days of complete freedom ahead of you — there's no better feeling. Check out Oporto's full Rappa Range here, then make tracks to your closest store — or order online. Top image: Marine Parade, Manly courtesy Destination NSW
One of Sydney's favourite underground music spaces, 505, have programmed a very special series of performances on Cockatoo Island they've dubbed Campfire Sessions. In an intimate setting — yep, you guess it, focused around a campfire — Campfire Sessions offers up sets from local artists as the sun goes down over the harbour. On Saturday, January 17, catch Martha Marlow; recognised for her beautiful musical rendition of Linda Ronstadt's 'Feels Like Home' from most recent QANTAS advertising campaign. Marlow will be performing on Saturday evening followed by ARIA-nominated guitar virtuoso Damian Wright on Sunday, January 18. Campfire Sessions is a particularly ideal date option for the summer — Cockatoo Island is always a novelty place to visit even without the bonus of live music. If you're feeling especially romantic, make the call. Image: Sam Howzit via photopin cc.
Created and performed by the exquisite and 'eco-sexually charged' showgirl Betty Grumble (Emma Maye Gibson), Love and Anger is part-cabaret, part-disco party and part-radical protest — and was last seen at the Griffin Theatre for a sold-out show during the 2018 Batch Festival. This time around, the encore performance will take over the theatre company's Stables Theatre from January 21–26 at 7pm each night, with an additional accessible show taking place at Redfern's 107 Projects on Sunday, January 27. In the show, Grumble pushes back against societal norms and is set to alter the way theatre-goers consider themes of femininity, pleasure and the body. It also features music from popular queer band Stereogamous (Paul Mac and Jonny Seymour). The Sydney-based performance artist has taken her highly lauded show all across Australia and over to Europe — with Love and Anger already performed at Fringe Festivals in Berlin, Glastonbury, Edinburgh, Perth and Adelaide, as well as at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and The Bearded Tit. The show has also taken home a slew of awards including Innovation in Form at the 2017 Green Room Awards and Best Cabaret at Fringe World 2017 and 2018. Plus, Gibson has presented other works at Dark Mofo and The Sydney Opera House, just to name a few. General admission tickets are set at an extremely reasonable price: $35 a pop, with $20 'Monday rush' tickets also available from noon on Monday, January 21. Love and Anger is a regularly sold-out show, so best to nab your tickets here.
SBW Stables Theatre will be unrecognisable to seasoned theatregoers when Griffin Theatre Company returns next month with Dogged. Taking over the intimate performance space, the show and its spectacular set design will transport you into the haunting Aussie bush for an electric night of theatre. Written by award-winning playwrights Catherine Ryan and Andrea James, Dogged tells the story of familial bonds unfolding over the course of one long night in the alpine region of Victoria on Gunaikurnai Country. Teaming up with dance theatre company Force Majeure, this poetic Australian gothic-style story wholeheartedly embraces the isolation and harshness of its setting. 'Dogged' is a Griffin Theatre Company production in association with Force Majeure and is showing at SBW Stables Theatre from Friday, April 30 to Saturday, June 5. To grab tickets, head here.
Excellent news, marshmallows. In fact, if you're a Veronica Mars fan, this past year just keeps delivering. First, we found out that the beloved series was coming back for a fourth season. Then, not one, not two, but three teasers and trailers showed us just what kind of sleuthing fun we were in for. Now, Australian streaming platform Stan has announced that it'll become Ms Mars' new home for the fictional private eye's upcoming run of episodes. This news isn't minor — until now, just when and where Aussie were going to be able to watch Veronica Mars' fourth season was unknown. And if you've got a long-enough memory, and can recall how poorly the original first three seasons were treated by local TV back in the mid 2000s, you might've been worried. With the show launching on Friday, July 26 in the US, it'll hit Stan here on Saturday, July 27 — at the same time, thanks to the time difference. In America, it appears that all eight new episodes are dropping at once, so expect that to be the case here as well. Story-wise, the fourth season sees Veronica (Kristen Bell) back in her hometown of Neptune, still in the P.I. game with her dad Keith (Enrico Colantoni) and still solving mysteries. This time, a series of bombings and a shady ex-con turned businessman (JK Simmons) are on her radar. As well as plenty of twists and turns to follow, expect a heap of other familiar faces in the form of Jason Dohring as Veronica's on-again, off-again love interest Logan, Percy Daggs III as her bestie Wallace and Ryan Hansen as her sleazy ex-classmate Dick. Check out the full trailer, from US network Hulu, below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt0QuaQ0huk Veronica Mars will hit Stan on Saturday, July 27, with an exact launch time yet-to-be announced. We'll update you when it is.
What is it about looking at the stuff of artists we admire? Coloured pens take on a new significance. A picture frame hanging askew on a wall suddenly requires close scrutiny. The sight of paint soaked rags tossed onto a beat-up desk make you sigh a little. Maybe it's because it sets the creative fires burning, prompting a chorus of 'I really need to get off my butt!' Or perhaps it's a healthy dose of the green-eyed monster. Mostly though, it's the sense that you can somehow absorb some of the creative magic purely through osmosis (and you can probably slap a dash of plain old voyeurism in there, too). Paul Barbera has stepped in with his lens to capture artists’ spaces such as Alpha60, Monster Children, Lucy Mcrae, Paul Davies, Lucy McRae, Collider and more with his book Where They Create. To celebrate, the Where&What exhibition will be displaying images from the series along with works from the book’s featured artists, at retailers including Incu Mens, Incu Womens, Alpha60 and Books Kinokuniya. Now you can wander around and have a good look, without even having to get the binoculars out. Let the juices flow.
No doubt you've heard about, seen and/or eaten gooey raclette smothering potatoes, meats and pickles at a few places around town. It's probably one of the best excuses for a meal the French have given us. And The Stinking Bishops sees your raclette, Sydney, and raises it — popping it into a bread roll so you can eat it with two hands and get all those flavours in yer mouth in one fell swoop. You won't find this creation at their Enmore cheese parlour though. Rather, they're taking these babies up the road to Young Henrys each Friday afternoon from 4pm. The roll ($13) is filled with prosciutto, pickles, potato and mustard and then topped with the cheese, which is melted under a raclette grill and scraped all over the situation. They'll also be serving up their much-loved Mr Crispy sandwiches (with wagyu or mushroom), which are drawcards in themselves ($12) — eating them is one of our favourite cheese experiences in Sydney. If you can't make it this week, don't worry — the cheese extravaganza will happen each and every Friday from 4pm.
The Chinese Garden of Friendship has long been a site desired by site-specific artists. Its diverse repertoire includes chamber music, tai chi and Theatre Kantanka's Waters of Brightness. Power Plant, however, is something completely new. Five visual and sound artists transform the garden's landscapes into surreal, nocturnal worlds. Subject to timed entry, visitors may wander through a universe of installations. Look out for dancing flower beds, eccentric gramophones and explosions transforming into rich flora. In short, Power Plant is an alternate reality you will never want to leave. With this in mind, refreshments will be available - but flat shoes are a must. This work enjoyed a previous incarnation in the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Now adapted to reflect its new environment, Power Plant promises to be a intellectual and sensual feast. Image: courtesy of Sydney Festival
From the summery banks of the Seine to the howling winds of Sydney's waterfront, the eternally stylish artisans behind Hermès are about to hit the Museum of Contemporary Art for an insider's look into their trade. From October 2 – 6, the brand's world-renowned Festival des Métiers exhibition will be visiting Sydney, and it'll be leaving a whirlwind of silk scarves and luxurious leather goods in its glorious wake. For those sceptical of luxury brands or dismissive of sentences that involve too many accented French words, Hermès is the fashion house behind those giant leather bags rich heiresses carry small dogs in. They're also well known for their glorious silk scarves that will set you back a hefty portion of your rent. But this upcoming exhibition is anything but snobby. Featuring a leather craftsperson, saddle maker, silk painter, silk engraver, tie maker, painter, gem setter and watchmaker, Festival des Métiers offers unprecedented personal access to the artisans behind the world-famous fashion brand. The MCA will be decked out in Hermès finest threads (and leathers) and visitors are encouraged to interact with the craftspeople while they create their signature goods. Here you'll see the ornate process involved in making those bags and scarves you lust over, and pick the brains of those who craft some of the world's most adored watches, gloves and jewels. The exhibition has already toured around the US, the UK and Asia to rave reviews. Around a quarter of a million people visited the event at Singapore and its time at Saatchi Gallery in London was an understandably lush affair. Originally launched in 2011 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the label, Festival des Métiers looks to be much less a gaudy celebration of the brand and much more an inspiring celebration of the craft itself. Sure, the goods are still crazy expensive, but at least after seeing the très chic Parisian hand stitching the leather, you'll have a little more understanding as to where all that money goes. Hermès' Festival des Métiers will be exhibiting at the Museum of Contemporary Art from October 2-6. Admission will be free of charge.
When you need a sneaky sundown drink, but don't want to travel too far from the city, Helm Bar has the goods. Located in Darling Harbour, it has all the watery vistas and revitalising breeziness you need — and just a hop, skip and jump away from the CBD. What's more, this season, the venue has been transformed into an Edenic-like garden, thanks to the good people at Chandon. In celebration of its summery drink, Chandon S (sparkling wine dashed with aromatic orange bitters), the brand has taken over the waterside bar with loads of greenery and ultra-relaxed vibes. The garden is open both lunchtime and evening, but the best time to go is at sundown. With the working day off your shoulders, you can sit down, kick back and sip a glass of the sparkling goodness for just $11. Got a big group in tow? You can also order a bottle for $50. The Chandon S Garden at Helm won't be around forever, so get in quick. To make a booking, visit the Helm website. Image: Kitti Smallbone.
Art so often brings focus to the extraordinary aspects of life that the minutiae of day-to-day can go ignored. Sydney-based artist Dave Wells is working to change this, with his first solo exhibition BriefCase. In a series of 17 acrylic paintings that are being displayed at M2 Gallery in Surry Hills, Wells explores the mundanities and repetition of the white-collar world. His images are bold, macro close-ups of various workday routines and objects — a handshake, a coffee cup, the pressing of an elevator button, all pretty sombre (but brightly coloured) portrayals of a monotonous existence driven by financial oppression. Featured are original illustrations from Wells' comic Bad Luck Bob, which follows the character of Bob, an office worker, through his sad and uneventful daily life. Those with a dark sense of humour will particularly enjoy the exhibition, which runs from February 15-21.
Fee-fi-fo-fum, Hollywood's sure giving our childhood a run. In the last two years alone we've had Mirror Mirror, Snow White & the Huntsman, Oz the Great and Powerful, Alice in Wonderland and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Now it's Jack and the Beanstalk's turn, with Valkyrie director Bryan Singer giving the beloved English folktale the full-blown 3D treatment in Jack the Giant Slayer (not to be confused with 'Jack the giant SLAYER', telling the story of an aspiring thrash guitarist from the '80s). The plot here is much as you'd remember it: Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is a kind but naive farm boy who sells his horse in exchange for some magic beans. Those beans rapidly pullulate and explode towards the heavens with tremendous force, launching both Jack's house and its precious royal inhabitant high into the sky where the fabled giants reside. A rescue mission ensues under the leadership of the fearless Elmont (Ewan McGregor), during which Jack must conquer his fear of heights and overcome the giants in order to save his earthly kingdom and its beautiful princess (Eleanor Tomlinson). Hoult makes a likeable Jack, and Tomlinson is sufficiently Brave-esque in her portrayal of the rebellious and reluctant royal prone to assertions like "a princess is such a useless thing". Ian McShane makes for an endearing king, whereas Stanley Tucci rather phones in his performance as the machiavellian Lord Roderick and Bill Nighy is entirely unrecognisable as Fallon, the leader of the giants. The clear standout performance belongs to McGregor, whose valorous royal guardsman is as engaging as he is disappointingly underused. One scene in particular, during which he's trapped inside a giant pastry fold, captures all the magic, drama and tension we've come to expect from an entire Pixar movie but that here merely represents the best of a precious few moments. Overall it's far more 'kids movie' than either adult or hybrid, although several of the giants' scenes will doubtless leave more than a few children diving for cover behind their hands. It's fun enough throughout to maintain at least some level of interest, and the third act certainly provides some excellent action pieces; however, an excessive reliance upon CGI and not enough time spent on the script leaves Jack the Giant Slayer something of a charmless picture. Suffice to say, the book was most certainly better.
The places we inhabit, the objects we use, the things we wear — in fact, almost everything we interact with on a daily basis is part of the wide world of design. That well-worn maxim, change is the only constant, is at the heart of this year’s Sydney Design festival. With an ever-increasing number of new platforms and innovators, it’s all about transformations and charging into the future. At the centre of the festival is the Interface exhibition, exploring the design of iconic products from the likes of Apple and Braun. Other events include the festival’s after-hours experience Late Night at the Museum — featuring Future Classic DJs, Eat Art Truck, performance art and other cool stuff — and the Mini Maker Faire, which is basically grown-up show-and-tell. Ushering in a new age of democratic design, the festival celebrates the blurred line between designer, producer and consumer. Sydney Connected allows you to contribute via iPad installation or online to a city-wide conversation on what you want Sydney to look and feel like in the future. This is an exciting new forum for digitally enabled people power.
In true education-institution style, Sydney University announces the 2009 Degree Show at its art school affiliate, Sydney College of the Arts, to be "a chance for all students to stand together with their peers and reflect on their achievements as well as their goals for the future". Bah! While this may be true, did they really have to put it like that?Let's re-phrase. A bloody great opportunity to see the final year works of some 270 art students (and for them, the chance to show it), the SCA Degree Show kicks off a month of the Big Three — SCA, College of Fine Arts and National Art School. All up the work of over 700 students of sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, photography, new media and design will be exhibited. There'll be plenty of duds, for sure, but you can bet your bones the next big thing in art is in there somewhere. Sydney College of the Arts - Rozelle Campus, Balmain Rd, RozelleUndergraduate Degree Show - Opens Tuesday 17 (6.00pm) - Friday 27 NovemberPostgraduate Degree Show - Opens Wednesday 9 (6.00pm) - Wednesday 16 December College of Fine ArtsCnr Oxford St and Greens Rd, PaddingtonCOFA Annual - Opens Tuesday 24 (6.00pm) - Sunday 29 NovemberNational Art SchoolForbes St, DarlinghurstHonours Show on now - Thursday 3 DecemberDegree Show - Friday 4 - Tuesday 15 December Image: Marguerite Walsh, Phantom Limb. BVA (Honours), Photomedia.
Spring is well and truly here, and The Galeries is celebrating by transforming into a Japanese Zen garden for four green-filled days. Get amongst the leaves, and, once you've located your inner peace, throw yourself into some Spring Social action. There'll be live music, artists at large and enough delicious treats to carry you through till Christmas. Leading the food and drink program is an edible garden, presented by Lotus. Pick mandarin ice cream from a tree, sample green-speckled macarons and experiment with pumpkin mochi. After that, find out what happens when Black Star Pastry and N2 Extreme Gelato get their dessert-making skills together to create raspberry lychee cake. Then, doze off your excesses on the ground floor in one of Muji's bean sofas. The weekend will bring a bunch of live happenings. On Friday, September 23, join tattoo gurus Little Tokyo as they paint a life-sized canvas. On Saturday, check out how bonsai masters do their thing when Bonsai Environment and Penjing Australia collaborate on a cascading display, complete with live clipping station. And, on Sunday, catch ALPHAMAMA as she closes proceedings with her signature mix of jazz, soul and hip hop. Spend more than $100 during the festival, hang onto your receipts and pop over here to put yourself in a draw to win a trip for two to Kyoto.
Singles Night in the Garden returns on Thursday, October 17, to help Sydneysiders find romance and love (or just some new mates). As far as romantic settings go, the twinkle of fairy lights around The Grounds of Alexandria garden is certainly pretty enough to make any awkwardness fade into the leaves of the surrounding plant life. Tickets will set you back $30, which will get you entry into the garden, a glass of bubbles on arrival and pizza throughout the night. The Grounds isn't, of course, just going to let you loose with a bunch of strangers without guidance — activities on the night include speed dating, giant games, trivia and live music. Plus, the Garden Bar will be open for when you need a little bit more liquid courage. So you don't feel like you've stepped onto the set of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, tickets are being allocated based on gender — you can get in touch with the Grounds to book your ticket if you'd rather not specify. The event is for those aged 24–35 only, and remember you're in public, so try and keep the PDA to a minimum. Singles Night in the Garden will run from 7–10.30pm.
Aussie Wine Month finishes off with a celebration dinner at The Winery in Surry Hills, where four of Australia's best wines will be paired with a four-course tasting menu that showcases local produce. Hosted by their resident sommelier, well-known Aussie wine and more obscure vintages will be served, while a modern Australian menu will feature native favourites like barilla bower spinach and finger lime. The Winery will have speciality wines from the diverse Aussie regions on offer the entire month of May, but this dinner will offer the best of the best.
While we hope your relationship doesn't involve prison escapes, henchmen and war, Wes Anderson's (arguably) greatest love story does. And, this Valentine's Day, you can watch it with a limited-edition Gelato Messina dessert in-hand. Surry Hills' cinema Golden Age will be screening the star-studded The Grant Budapest Hotel twice on Thursday, February 14 — at both 6.10pm and 8.30pm — and every filmgoer will score a complimentary Messina de Chocolat. Inspired by the Courtesan au Chocolat made by Mendl's Patisserie in the film, the individual towers of choux pastry are filled with chocolate fondant gelato, glazed with pink and green pastel icing and topped with a golden almond — and served in the oh-so-familiar millennial pink boxes. As usual, Golden Age's bar will be open before and after the flick, so you can have a date night cocktail and snack, if you so please.
It's that time of year again. You may or may not have decided this is the year to finally try your hand at a short film, but you definitely know someone who knows someone who has. They've mulled over the Tropfest Signature Item 'dice' and come up with a few quirky ideas, which may or may not involve raiding the Monopoly set. Entries are now closed, the sixteen finalists announced, and it's time to start planning your pilgrimage to the Domain. One hundred and fifty thousand people will descend upon the Domain, with live satellite links across the country and another two hundred and thirty-five thousand odd tuning in on Foxtel's Movie Extra. The event kicks off with the little 'uns, TropJr finalists, screening at 1pm. This year also marks the entry of a new category, the Telstra Mobile Masterpieces, with three finalists screening their mobile phone film creations. Then the main event of seven-minute wonders, consistently boasting ludicrous talent (and usually judged by big name luminaries), which is already on display in Tropfest's gorgeous, animated trailer. So it's time to pray for good weather, and prepare for rain. Sydneysiders have done more than one drenched dash out of the Domain come Tropfest night, but that's just the roll of the dice. Our friends at John Jameson Productions will be giving punters the chance to save their Ksubis and sarongs from unwanted grass stains, instead spending the afternoon reclined on a comfy inflatable chair. Swing past their bar to pick one up. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_zp-LR7kz5U
When the weekend hits, after a lazy brunch we’re usually hungry for a little culture hit. However, despite our best intentions, in our endless wandering and moans of ‘what should we do?’, desperate, we end up on a mate’s couch doing a Game Of Thrones marathon with a hand in a bucket of chicken. Why not change it up with the Changing Lanes festival? Now in its second year, the fest draws together the best local talent across music, art and fashion. This year the hit list includes PVT, Gareth Liddiard, Papa Vs Pretty, The Vasco Era, Beni, The Last Kinection, Oscar + Martin, and Juggernaut DJs, plus artists Numskull, Beastman, Ears, Houl and loads more. The festival is also hopping over from last year's Newtown to Devonshire Street in Surry Hills, meaning that it's a mere skip from Central Station - no excuses now! Afterwards, roll along to the official after party at The Standard and kick on into the night with Pluto Jonze, Myth and Tropics, Alison Wonderland and others. Packed to the hilt with stimulation of all sorts, it’ll definitely get you off the couch (and away from that nasty bucket of chicken). Culture hit? Tick and tick.
Keen to round out pool party season with an absolute banger? As part of its Two Months of Rum celebrations, Grain Bar is taking things right back to the 1950s, descending on the Four Seasons' outdoor pool for a freeretro-glam LA-inspired shindig to remember. On Sunday, February 24, punters will get to try the pool, which is usually reserved for guests only. The rum-fuelled evening will be free to attend — you'll just have to pay for your cocktails, which will be going for $15 each. Charlie Ainsbury of Proof & Co (and previously This Must Be the Place), James 'Dub Dub' from Neat Spirits and Grain's own Roderick Boerma have teamed up to deliver a cocktail menu that befits the location. They'll be whipping up sips like the Pineapple Junglebird, Miami Vice and a classic holiday-style Mai Tai, to enjoy while lounging by the pool. Throw in some poolside installations, beats from DJ Turbo and surprise 'change rooms' (whatever that means), and you've got yourself a pretty wild end to summer.
There's a reason that rock music rarely appears in musical theatre — lest we remember Tom Cruise's performance in the Rock of Ages film adaptation. But when it's done right, it can be, well, incredible. Case in point: Belvoir's production Barbara and the Camp Dogs. Co-written by Ursula Yovich and Alana Valentine, Barbara and the Camp Dogs tells the story of a rock band, led by wild and unpredictable singer Barbara (played by Yovich), struggling to break into Sydney's music scene. Alongside her cousin René (Elaine Crombie), Barbara returns to her hometown and is faced with a legacy of trauma and family drama. What unfolds is a confronting and hopeful story that explores the compounding hardships of being an Indigenous woman trying to make it in a relentless industry. Unsurprisingly, the show was an absolute smash hit when it first ran in 2017. So much so that, following the recent nomination for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting in the 2019 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Belvoir is bringing it back for an encore season this April. Throughout the 100-minute run, you can expect emotionally charged and high energy performances from the two returning lead actors, accompanied by a live band. The band sits onstage for the play's duration and performs original rock songs, ranging from raging punk to soulful ballads, to propel the story forward. But the band members aren't the only ones that score a spot on stage. To create the vision of a quintessential Aussie pub rock venue, the stage will be filled with couches, tables and bar stools. Audience members are able to purchase tickets for on-stage seating and become completely immersed in the show. Barbara and the Camp Dogs will run Tuesdays to Sundays from Thursday, April 4 to Sunday, April 28. On-stage tickets start at $32 and standard audience tickets start at $43 for under-30s. To purchase tickets, head to Belvoir St Theatre's website.
Falls Festival might be gearing up to celebrate a quarter-century, but it feels a bit like we're the ones getting the birthday presents instead. Helping to ring in the art and music festival's 25th year is a pretty buzzworthy gang of musical mates, headlined by Australia's own wunderkind Flume, as he returns to the Falls stage for the first time since wooing the Lorne crowds in 2012. He's joined on the bill by international names like Seattle-based Grammy nominees Fleet Foxes (who were here earlier in the year for Sydney Festival), Oxford four-piece Glass Animals (who were also just here for Laneway), Californian indie-pop darlings Foster The People and The Kooks, who'll be celebrating a milestone of their own, having clocked up ten years since their debut album. If you've had your ear to the ground, you'll already know the part about Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher dropping in for his first-ever Aussie headline shows. True to form, the Falls 2017 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include the party-ready Peking Duk, Brisbane rockers Dune Rats, Melbourne natives The Smith Street Band and Total Giovanni, and indie duo Angus & Julia Stone, off the back of their soon-to-launch album Snow. And it looks like you can start limbering up those vocal chords for a gutsy rendition of 'The Horses', with the legendary Daryl Braithwaite also slated for an appearance. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats. You can, however, say goodbye to the usual drink ticket situation, which has been ditched in favour of paywave and cash-enabled bars. It's all happening over New Years at the usual spots in Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, and the North Byron Parklands, with WA's 2017 Falls Festival landing itself a new home within the Fremantle Oval precinct. But here's the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2017 LINEUP Flume (no sideshows) Fleet Foxes Run The Jewels The Kooks Glass Animals (no sideshows) Peking Duk Angus & Julia Stone Foster The People Liam Gallagher Vince Staples Jungle Dune Rats The Smith Street Band D.R.A.M Daryl Braithwaite Everything Everything Allday The Jungle Giants Thundamentals Methyl Ethel Slumberjack D.d Dumbo Anna Lunoe Dz Deathrays Confidence Man Julia Jacklin Bad//dreems Cosmo's Midnight Winston Surfshirt Luca Brasi Alex Lahey Camp Cope Flint Eastwood Ecca Vandal Dave Total Giovanni + More to be announced
There's nothing like having a film's images and energy follow you as you leave the cinema and go about your day or having a specific scene creep up on you and make you laugh out loud in public. It's a special film that continues to reappear to the viewer after the credits roll, and that happened to me with Ruby Sparks. This is an impressive debut screenplay from Zoe Kazan, who also plays Ruby, and is directed by the married couple who brought us Little Miss Sunshine, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. With the same quirky joy to it, and many tender moments, its composition seems effortless. Ruby Sparks strikes a pitch-perfect balance between laughter, love, and heartbreak in sharing a fun, unbelievable love story. There's a lot to enjoy and have fun with in this film, starting with the plot. Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano, the mute son from Little Miss Sunshine) is a literary genius, except he doesn't like being called so. Modest, introverted, and socially anxious, Calvin's literary success came at a young age. Now his writer's block is causing added stress. Until he has a dream. "You don't even get laid in your dreams, man? That's just sad," spits his older brother, Harry, played by Chris Messina, after Calvin dreams of 'just talking' to a sweet redhead. But the relationship develops as Ruby, quite literally, springs to life, appearing in Calvin's kitchen. She's in love with Calvin, and although he adores her right back, and is writing again, he also feels uneasy loving a woman he imagines. The tension between the typed page and reality starts to wreak havoc on Calvin's moral compass. Ordering Ruby to be happy, sad, clingy, or normal, he realises that to love and be with someone, you have to let them be a person themselves, not just the idealised elements of one. Dano and Kazan's performances are tender and solid, and they make an adorable couple (in real life as well as celluloid). With elements of the Pygmalion myth and traces of Stranger Than Fiction, Ruby Sparks is beguiling, heartfelt, and innocently beautiful. Its enlivened by great cinematography, including wonderful internal shots of Calvin's typewriter, dreamy underwater scenes, and crisp colours and textures, especially when we visit Calvin's mother's rainforest home. Appearances from actors such as Steve Coogan, Elliott Gould, and Antonio Banderas are the cherries in this already delicious mix of a film. https://youtube.com/watch?v=acwm-UAZ3OQ
Masterclass, a two-man pantomime by Gareth Davies and Charlie Garber, was first shown as part of the Imperial Panda Festival last year. For reasons unknown (popular demand? to stimulate cash flow? conquer boredom?), they're back, this time performing at 107 Projects in Redfern. 107 Projects is a fantastic new space comprised of a theatre, six artist studios, a small vintage stall and exhibition space that is non-for-profit, so all proceeds are poured back into the space. The opening night was packed with a raucous crowd drinking longies in the foyer (it's BYO). We file into the theatre to the sound of a blaring punk pop song that is paused intermittently for a voice to instruct the audience to "not crinkle chip packets too loudly" and to "please refrain from coughing". Garber and Davies walk on stage and proceed to set up a keyboard and berate the lighting guy, ignoring the presence of the audience. Thus begins the masterclass, an acting seminar that draws on the past of the greatest of all actors, Davies, who was quite literally born into the theatre. He now lives in a Dream Forge, where he has the ability to look through a telescope back into the past. He takes us to the time of his birth, when his mother was a chorus member in Les Mis; Davies was cast as a baby and stayed in the production until he was 21. The rest of the play follows his ascension as an actor and the cataclysmic event that caused him to quit. There is a carefully preserved sense of mystery in the play, so I won't give away too much. Let's just say Garber and Davies are intrinsically connected through theatre, a relationship far deeper than anyone else could ever hope to experience. The absurdity, wordplay, and slightly hysterical drama make this play knee-slappingly funny. Never have I heard such a wide variety of startlingly loud, foghorn laughs. It almost had an air of improvisation, as if the two of them were mucking around together one day, kept the joke going for an hour, and presented it on stage the next day. Full of uncontained energy and wit, this show is best after a few drinks on a Friday night — you will leave feeling refreshed and smiling rather than contemplative and slightly depressed. Masterclass can laugh at itself and laugh at you while you're laughing at it, all at the same, disorderly, time.
Talented pooches have been barking their way to big-screen stardom since the birth of the medium, and Cannes Film Festival even gives out awards for ace pupper performances. In Australia for a few years now, we also celebrate the intersection of canines and cinema — via our very own dog-themed movie showcase. At the Top Dog Film Festival, doggos and puppers cement their status as humanity's favourite film stars in a touring program of pooch-centric shorts. For a couple of hours, dogs will leap across screens in a curated selection of heartwarming flicks about humanity's best friend. Over the last few years, the lineup has included films about dog-powered sports, dogs in space, dogs hiking through the desert, senior dogs and more — with this year's bill highlighting dolphin-spotting dogs, animal actors and mountain pups. The festival hits Sydney's Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace on Sunday, August 13 and Ritz Cinemas in Randwick on Sunday, August 20 as part of its 2023 run, and rushing after tickets the way your best four-legged friend rushes after a frisbee is recommended. Given how much we all love watching dog videos online, not to mention attending pupper-centric shindigs in general, this event is always popular. You'd be barking mad to miss it, obviously.
George Calombaris' Melbourne-born souva institution is again stepping out in Sydney, opening the doors to a new restaurant in Bondi Junction next week. Heftier than its CBD sibling, which opened a year ago, this newcomer will showcase Jimmy's signature Greek-inspired street food, alongside frozen yoghurt treats from stablemate Yo-Chi. On the menu, expect the same well-crafted souvlaki Melbourne has been enjoying for years, featuring pillowy soft pitas stuffed with the likes of slow-cooked lamb and tender beef short rib. Jimmy Grants' latest additions have also got a call up, including the Ms Gazi, with soft shell crab, kewpie mayo and Hellenic slaw, and The 2am, featuring either rotisserie chicken or eight-hour slow-cooked lamb, teamed with garlic sauce, pickled onions, lettuce and tomato. It's far from your average post-cab kebab. And there'll be sides, too, including a grain salad and serves of Jimmy's hot chips covered in just the right amount of chicken salt. If that sounds like the sort of food you can definitely get around, swing by the new store next Thursday, September 20 — they'll be handing out free souvas to the masses from 11am until 2pm. Yo-Chi's signature fresh fro-yo flavours are sure to prove a pretty good match for those summer days to come — and a great treat post-Bondi Beach swim, perhaps. In the starting lineup, you'll find a swag of gluten-free, plant-based and classic dairy varieties, from chocolate to butterscotch and a cracking vegan honeycomb number. These guys are also famed for their huge selection of toppings, so prepare to go nuts with sauces, fruit, chocolates, lollies and more. Find the new Jimmy Grants + Yo-Chi store at Shop 3025, Westfield Bondi Junction from Monday, September 17.
Believe it or not, spring is almost over. It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the first hints of sunshine and the first blooms of the season. But now, well, we're in November — Christmas decorations are filling the aisles of supermarkets everywhere and Sydney's old friend humidity can already be felt in the air. But there's one more chance to enjoy the best part of spring at Rosehill Gardens, as the Everest Carnival draws to a close with Golden Gift Ladies Day on Saturday, November 9. So put on something swish, and step into a palm-studded oasis at Rosehill Gardens for champagne, cocktails and sets from DJs like Steph Luxe. The bar will be serving refreshments like Canadian Club cocktails, Pimm's on tap and Iron Jack beer, and a food precinct packed with some of Sydney's best food trucks. For something a bit more special — like a birthday you've left a little too late to organise — you can add a bar platter or deluxe picnic hamper to your ticket, or book in for a long lunch for $155 per person. Don't forget to stop by the pampering station for a touch up before heading to the afterparty at Rosehill Bowling Club. Image: Paul McMillan.
Not quite satisfied with supplying Sydney's eastern suburbs residents with its famous woodfire bread, next-level pasta dishes and bottled cocktails — Bondi favourite Totti's has announced it is running a bake sale out of The Royal Bondi each Saturday through lockdown. Stroll down and start your weekend right with a selection of baked goods and limited-time menu items created by Merivale Executive Chef Mike Eggert and the Totti's team. Royally Baked kicks off at 8am each Saturday and runs until midday with COVID safe measures. Highlights of the pop-up bakery include a transformation of Totti's famous bread with the prosciutto and egg flatbread. This Saturday, August 20, you can nab prawn and avocado cocktail sandwiches; savoury danishes folded with blue cheese, pear and prosciutto; coconut sponge cake with white chocolate and lime zest; and luxe caviar and parmesan tarts. Fresh takes on classic bake sale treats are also on offer including cookies, banoffee tarts, brownies and raspberry cream tarts. At midday, the bake sale wraps up and Totti's regular kitchen opens, so if you sleep in on Saturday morning and miss out, you can always treat yourself to the restaurant's tiramisu or truffle cacio e pepe to make yourself feel better. Head down early to make sure you nab exactly what you want, and remember to mask up. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike Eggert (@pinbone)
Welsh "emerging artist" Hugh Hughes opens his Story of a Rabbit with an offering of a cup of tea and a PowerPoint slide reading 'DEATH'. Launching into this usually morbid subject with his signature charm and quirk — fervently pointing out that the use of PowerPoint slides and mood music made this performance a "really quite extraordinary" multimedia presentation — Hughes interweaves the story of his neighbour's dead rabbit with the death of his own father in a way that is both hilarious and heartfelt. The audience is addressed both as a collective and as individual beings made up of tiny atoms (and sub-atoms and sub-sub-atoms) and invited to draw on personal experiences to interpret Hughes' story. That story jumps between hilarious interpretative dance scenes of his first encounter with the rabbit to sombre re-enactments of his train journey back to Bangor, North Wales before the two stories are linked together in a fantastic culmination of the collision between imagination and memory (Hughes uses the quote from Albert Einstein, "Imagination is more important than knowledge.") Hughes' animated delivery and boyish fascination with the role of props and lighting might seem barriers to really tear-jerking moments, but they only heighten our immersion in the story, whether it's the graph he draws to figure out where his father's soul is currently flying in relation to his train journey, the action-man doll performing his "secret acrobat" father's final move, or even a potato that encourages us to imagine how enormous we would be if every atom was the size of a large root vegetable. Story of a Rabbit will make you laugh, possibly cry, and maybe even get a cup of tea. If Hughes really did, as his Twitter account claims, get to Australia by swimming, it was entirely worth the journey.
When Sleater-Kinney, aka Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, take to the stage Down Under in May 2024, they won't just be touring their latest album. And they aren't simply making their first trip this way in eight years, since 2016, either. Started under the riot grrrl movement, the group will also celebrate 30 years since forming, plus just as long since they recorded their self-titled first record in a single night in Australia. That album has been followed by ten more studio releases, with Little Rope their latest. That gives the duo — after Janet Weiss left the band in 2019 — plenty to play through on a five-city visit to Australia and New Zealand, including at Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Tuesday, May 21. [caption id="attachment_941980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Justin Higuchi via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] Sleater-Kinney have a stack of US dates locked in before heading this way, and will then make their way around Europe in August. Everywhere they play, fans can expect tunes from Little Rope — including singles 'Hell' and 'Say It Like You Mean It' — likely alongside past tracks such as 'One More Hour', 'Worry with You' and 'Jumpers'. As well as their three decades together — with a hiatus between 2007–13, between 2005's exceptional The Woods and 2015's No Cities to Love — Tucker has stints with Heavens to Betsy, Cadallaca, The Corin Tucker Band and Filthy Friends to her name, while Brownstein co-created and co-starred in Portlandia. Carol, Transparent, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Irma Vep are also on Brownstein's filmography. [caption id="attachment_941986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]
This tiny establishment has a huge clientele base. And for a good reason — people travel from all over Sydney to stock up on spices and pantry staples for many South Asian recipes. Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani cuisines are among the most represented, although plenty of Pacific Island staples can be found here too. Expect to find a vast array of rice, lentils, and frozen veggies, plus racks upon racks of spices and hard-to-source herbs. And the quality of the produce is matched by the friendly service — anything you require that isn't on the shelves will be tracked down for you within a matter of days. The store is easy to find on Forest Road, and if your eyes become bigger than your carry bags, don't fret — you can organise delivery there, too. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Sequels to romantic comedies are rare. When a movie trades in the dream of finding love and living happily ever after, exploring what comes next tends to ruin the fantasy. That's the problem My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 faces as it endeavours to revisit the characters from its popular predecessor — and like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Sex and the City 2, it struggles. Everyday relationship issues, coping with kids and the minutiae of marriage are more the domain of sitcoms than rom-coms, after all. It's little surprise, then, that this return to the big fat Greek world wouldn't feel out of place on the small screen, rather than in cinemas. In fact, 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding already inspired one season's worth of television, My Big Fat Greek Life, back in 2003. The latest extension of the story ignores the TV series' existence, although it firmly follows in its footsteps. In fact, from the angsty teenaged daughter who wants nothing to do with her parents, to the demanding relatives who can't keep out of each other's business, it's the kind of fare you'd expect to watch in 30-minute weekly episodes in the comfort of your own living room. After close to two decades together, Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) have well and truly settled into wedded bliss — and made themselves a little too cosy and complacent, they begin to realise. They try to reignite the spark in their romance; however Toula's obsession with where their only child, Paris (Elena Kampouris), will go to college doesn't help matters. Nor does the sudden need of her elderly mother (Lainie Kazan) and father (Michael Constantine) to throw their own wedding ceremony, after discovering that their marriage certificate wasn't formalised 50 years earlier. Cue a second big fat Greek wedding, and an excuse to get the whole gang from the first film (including Australian actress Gia Carides) back together. The broader group is still a collection of walking clichés, with neither subtlety nor skirting stereotypes high on the film's list of priorities. Given that their antics are constantly commented on by a couple of snarky neighbours, observations about the difference between Greek and American culture provide the bulk of the movie's content. And while such obvious insights are clearly designed to be jokes by Vardalos, who writes as well as stars, they rarely inspire more than the occasional laboured chuckle. And yet, Vardalos' honey-coloured view of her ancestry, the immigrant experience and the eccentricities of living with such a big, close Greek family as she wades further into middle age remain sweet, even if they're hardly amusing the second time around. There are traces of ragged charm to this Kirk Jones-directed effort, like slipping on an old item of clothing and finding it still technically functional – even if it is rather scruffy and well-worn. If the film's core couple are too comfortable, so is the sitcom-style sequel itself. It knows that recapturing its initial magic is a difficult task, but it also knows that it may as well try anyway — and doesn't even contemplate attempting something more.
Detective Robbie Green (Jonathan LaPaglia) is called in to investigate the murder of his former partner, Detective Jason Pearson (Luke Hemsworth). Green and his new partner, Detective Jane Lambert (Viva Bianca), find themselves on the tail of two runaways, ultra-religious cancer-ridden Rachel (Hannah Mangan Lawrence) and her unstable boyfriend, AJ (Alex Williams), who are filming a "documentary" as they seek Biblical retribution for the drug-related death of Rachel's sister. If this sounds like the type of story (and character naming conventions) of an American film circa 1993, you wouldn't be far off. The Reckoning, despite being filmed in Perth and featuring an Australian cast, feels like as if its main concern is ensuring that every element be a facsimile of US thriller tropes. LaPaglia's Green is a short-tempered alcoholic who is trying to be a good father despite being married to the job. Priests wait in candlelit gothic churches to talk wisely to those seeking guidance. High-tech, CSI-style equipment can be used to facially identify anyone spotted on a security camera. And so on. This aping isn't inherently a bad thing. Even the best Australian films are criticised for not even trying to appeal to mass audiences, and the ones that do are so often dismissed as being populist. An industry that produces as few films as ours does cannot afford sub-genres, and so there's little patience for films that are not all things to all people. So with the wider context established, let's pull back before we fall into the trap of reviewing the industry instead of the film. As a gritty crime thriller, The Reckoning is moderately successful. It's diversionary, predictable, derivative and silly, and there's no denying that there's an audience for that. It's slick, too. The kind of slickness that will make it palatable to someone who wants to have something on in the background when it finally does the home video and TV rounds. But there's little in here that would interest a modern audience looking to plonk nearly $20 down for a night out at the cinema. It's not just the story and style that feels dated, but the idea that this possesses anything to distinguish it from a thousand other similarly themed thrillers. Everything in The Reckoning is achingly American, and this would be annoying if it wasn't so obviously deliberate. This is a film with its eye firmly on international sales and goes out of its way to filter out anything that makes it feel Australian. The religious angle, for instance, is weirdly anachronistic, with a priests talking in haughty "my child" this and "the Lord says" that dialogue. Blurry number plates are zoomed in on and enhanced into the sort of clarity that only made sense about twenty years ago when nobody knew how video worked. If all this sounds like nitpicking, well, yes, it is. But it is these details that make or break a film, and with a plot that is as by-the-numbers as this one is, we rely on details to turn it into something more interesting or unique. The Reckoning is a fascinating film for all the wrong reasons. It is out of time, decades too late to be of any interest, and so desperate to cover up its country of origin that its edges are sanded down into something that is ultimately of zero consequence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gjJgFijldaw
Surry Hills' Los Angeles-inspired fitness centre Paramount Recreation Club is bringing its wellness kick to health food with a weekly Autumn Harvest Lunch. Every Sunday until the end of April, the venue's head chef David Rigby will create an organic feast for the masses — starting on March 3. All of the seasonal produce will be sourced by The Locals Market, which also runs a farmers stall on the rooftop every Saturday. For $55 a pop, expect a banquet featuring ethically sourced meat, organic salads and other sustainable produce — the meal will change weekly depending on what's available. For drinks, punters are encouraged to BYO whichever bevvy they prefer — including beer, wine and Champagne — with a $5 corkage fee per person. The two hour sittings will take place in the lush rooftop garden at 11.45am and 2pm each Sunday. There are limited tickets available each week, though, so be sure to book ahead. Updated March 23.
Usually, when winter rolls around, Bondi becomes a hub of ferris wheel rides, art shows, live music, history walks and fringe events for the annual Winter Magic and Bondi Feast events. In 2020, because of COVID-19, those events were combined to create a mega-festival of art, food and soaring through the sky dubbed Bondi Festival. This year, Bondi Festival is back with a full suite of exciting pop-ups and activations throughout the beachside suburb. Setting up once more will be Bondi Vista, a mega wheel that'll send you soaring 22 metres above the sand. From Friday, July 1 through until Sunday July 17, you can go for a spin and feast your eyes on 360-degree views. On one side, you'll be gazing at wild waves, endless horizon and open sky. On the other, look out for glimpses of the city skyline. If you prefer to spin in circles on the ground, you can do just that at an ice-skating rink. And, walking tours and events for families will also be on the bill. Between rides on both circular attractions, you can check out an extravaganza of comedy and theatre, with shows popping up throughout the suburb. There will be a comedy and theatre mash-up from Randa Sayed and a comedic theatre seance from magician Harry Milas in a hidden Bondi location. Artist Joel Bray will also be transforming the Bondi Bowlo for a pub trivia night blended with contemporary dance, and award-winning performer Bron Batten will be presenting a theatre piece based on modern romance called Onstage Dating. "Playful, immersive and tailor-made, this year's program takes over Bondi for three weeks of art and playful audience experiences," Bondi Festival Director Rachel Chant said. "Go ice-skating by the beach or commune with the dead in a mysterious location, date an artist live on stage or take in a panoramic view of the coastline on the Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel."
From crunchy leaves to crackling fires, there are so many things to love about winter. And one of the best is the annual harvest. As the weather cools, farmers head to their orchards, wine makers to their vineyards and chefs to their kitchen gardens to reap the delicious rewards of an entire year's work. This year, if you'd like to get in on the action, plan a trip to the Central Coast. Over the June long weekend, the region will host the Harvest Festival. It's an epic celebration of local produce — and the mountains, valleys and waterways that nurture it. With scores of gatherings on the program — from property open days and tours to farmers' markets — you'll get to choose your own adventure. Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventure will host a food and wine festival across both days of the festival, while Dooralong Hall will host a country-focused market filled with stalls, exhibits, craft and workshops. Meanwhile, make tracks to Yarramalong for a masterclass in edible flowers ($25) or to Kulnura to try your hand at orange picking ($25 per group) or take part in a citrus juice factory tour at Eastcoast Beverages (free). You can also head to Mangrove Mountain for alpaca patting on a working farm, to Somersby for pecan picking with The Pecan Lady and to The Springs restaurant in Peats Ridge for cocktails inspired by the Australian bush. And these are just the tip of the iceberg. Harvest Festival will take place across Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. To see the full program, head over here. There'll also be a free shuttle service running between various event hubs. Check out the route here.
