It's best known for whipping up eye-popping, intricate sweet treats; including the legendary strawberry and watermelon creation that once claimed the title of 'world's most Instagrammed cake'. But for its latest trick, Sydney-born bakery Black Star Pastry is doing something a little different. The famed brand is now in the business of liquid treats, today releasing two new signature drinks inspired by two of its best-loved cakes. It's time to ditch your usual coffee order and say g'day to the Strawberry Watermelon Latte and the Hot Chocolate Mirage. The decadent sips will be joining the menu permanently at all of Black Star's Sydney and Melbourne stores, clocking in at $7 a pop. Fans of pink drinks will be all about the strawberry and watermelon concoction — crafted on a secret-recipe syrup featuring all the same notes as the iconic cake, as well as almond milk to capture the flavours of its almond dacquoise layers. It's all finished with a spritz of rosewater, a sprinkling of pistachio powder and a garnish of rose petals. For the chocolate fiends, there's the Hot Chocolate Mirage, which is built on rooibos tea — just like its eponymous Choc Mirage Slice. The tea's mixed with your choice of milk, plus caramel, hazelnut syrup and paste, and rich Valrhona Madagascan Manjari chocolate. Then, the drink's garnished with chocolate and gold, and served with the same passionfruit, chocolate and yuzu sun that normally sits atop the cake. Find the Strawberry Watermelon Latte and the Hot Chocolate Mirage at all Black Star stores in Sydney (Newtown, CBD, Rosebery, Moore Park) and Melbourne (Chadstone).
Mixed-media legend Nikolaus Dolman is renowned for deconstructing pop culture. He's taken on the selfie, clickbait and the 'Western lifestyle economy' all by way of collage and image manipulation. He's copied, cut and pasted his way onto the Australian art scene, garnering attention by subverting our popular obsessions and the repetitiveness of mass media through the infinitesimal forms images can take. And this week, you can see Nikolaus' views on the modern world and how he recontextualises it in his own way at Wild Turkey Way at The Annandale Hotel. There, classic bourbon, iconic Sydney burgers and some of Australia's best artists come together at the inner west pub, for a night of doing things the Wild Turkey way, which is to say, your own way. So to honour this bourbon fete and the spirit of forging your own path, we sat down with Nikolaus to learn about his craft and how he's doing things his very own way. How did you get started as an artist? Everyone in my family is creative in their own way, and has definitely influenced me towards a career in the visual arts. Did your style evolve into collage from something else? I studied printmaking in my undergrad at Southern Cross University in Lismore, NSW, and from there, my practice evolved into different mediums — all closely related to paper, surface and texture. [I've been influenced by] the tactile qualities of paper and infinite possibilities of image reproduction. Where do you source your material from? I source material from commercial and domestic advertising as a start, then it gets lost and transformed through process into a subversion of its original context and form. I'm attracted to pattern and how certain images tessellate, or at least attempt to. What's the message behind your work with its focus on topics like selfies, advertising and popular culture? My work reflects the western lifestyle economy and culture through mainstream media and advertising. Through my work, I explore the repetitious and obsessive qualities of living in an image-saturated world, and the effects such immediacy and disposability have in our everyday. I'm interested in how we are represented in advertising, and how it evokes certain desires. I guess social identity plays a big part in my thought process when I am conjuring up new ideas for works. What's the piece of work that you're most proud of? I've just completed [my] largest piece to date, which I'm excited to show in an upcoming solo show at Firstdraft in Woolloomooloo, opening June 7. Have you ever received any backlash or criticism about your artwork? Yes, mostly because I am personally entrenched in the subject and in challenging certain aspects of it. I try to take an observational stance and eliminate a negative tone by using irony and humour. Also, the act of 'borrowing' content to make work from is sometimes frowned upon. But isn't it just another way of viewing already familiar evocations? Nikolaus Dolman's work, along with other Aussie artists 'doing things their way', will be on display at The Annandale Hotel as part of the Wild Turkey Way pop-up this Friday, May 26. Find more info about the event here.
Virtual assistants in our homes, facial recognition technology everywhere, drones throughout the skies — it's no secret that we're being watched and listened to more than ever before. None of us want our data used for nefarious purposes, but what is the true price of living in such a state of surveillance? The Ethics Centre director Dr Simon Longstaff is chairing a panel — which features AI researcher Toby Walsh, former national human rights commissioner Edward Santow and journalist and filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem — that will attempt to answer some of the modern world's most urgent questions. Join these luminaries in The Great Hall at UTS as they share their ideas and concerns.
With a couple of years under its belt, Cake Wines' urban cellar door has launched itself into a new phase of life, reopening this week with a full kitchen, revamped menu and warmer feel. A few edges have been polished and the energy tweaked as the team behind the Redfern bar sets out to deliver a place where people can really settle in and enjoy. The food offering has been ramped up to better complement the vino. While previously only pizza and snacks were available, the cellar door now offers a full, seasonally rotating menu across brunch, lunch and dinner. You'll still find pizzas — and some banging snacks — though now they're backed by dishes like savoury doughnuts stuffed with jamón and taleggio, roasted carrots with chilli honey and whipped goat's curd and seared lamb with wakame and puffed black rice. On the wine list, Cake's own beloved creations now star alongside guest drops from their favourite up-and-comers, including Clare Valley's Riesling Freak and Adelaide Hill's Alpha Box & Dice. It also now has a compact list of cocktails — with drinks such as yuzu spritzes and Australian negronis — spirits and digestifs. Cake Wines owner and co-founder Glen Cassidy has also hinted to more exciting things to come. "We've got a couple of other surprises up our sleeve over the next six months too," he explains. "It's a super exciting time to be in wine, rules are falling by the wayside, it's awesome." Cake's cellar door regular lineup of live tunes will continue, too, though they'll now be brought to life with a revamped sound system and better acoustics. Young Sydney jazz artists will continue to get a big look-in with the likes of Friday's Jazz! Attack with Tom Studdy, while a stable of resident DJ's includes names like Adi Toohey, Simon Caldwell, Anno and Mija Heally will also feature. Cake Wines's Cellar Door will reopen this Thursday, July 19, at 16 Eveleigh Street, Redfern. Its new opening hours are Thursday 6pm–11pm; Friday 12pm–3pm and 6pm–midnight; Saturday 11am–11.55pm; and Sunday 11am–5pm.
Loving skivvies, winning Triple J's Hottest 100, performing at the 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade: all three of these yummy yummy things now apply to Australian national treasures The Wiggles. And yes, as fans young and old have seen for more than three decades now, the children's music group clearly already has the outfits for it. The Wiggles' rainbow-hued threads will grace the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) when Mardi Gras' famed signature event returns on Saturday, March 5. The parade is being held at the stadium due to the pandemic, as it was in 2021, too — so, sorry, you won't see a big red car drive down Oxford Street. This year's Hottest 100 victors have promised to bring "their Wiggly friends" to the SCG with them, however — all to take part in Sydney's huge LGBTQIA+ celebration for the very first time. On the parade's lineup, they'll be joined by Savage Garden's Darren Hayes, who'll headline and do his first Australian performance in a decade; Vanessa Amorosi, for some more late 90s/early 00s nostalgia; plus Mo'Ju, Timothy Springs and Prinnie Stevens, as well as local DJs KILIMI, Charlie Villas and Division 4. And, the parade will host 40,000 spectators to watch 5800 marchers across 161 parade entries as well, celebrating the 2022 theme 'united we shine'. [caption id="attachment_828658" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] This year's fest is ticketed, and there are still some available; however, if you can't head along for some fruit salad, hot potatoes and cold spaghetti in person — and perhaps the Hottest 100-winning 'Elephant' cover — in person, you'll be able to tune into the parade in a number of ways. So, whether you're a Sydneysider who'll be at home or you live elsewhere around the nation, you can watch on ABC iview from 6.30pm AEDT, ABC TV from 7.30pm AEDT, and listen via Triple J (including the Triple J and ABC listen apps) and ABC Local Radio Evenings from 7pm AEDT. The 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade takes place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, March 5. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Mardi Gras website.
Bustling city life can be stressful and overwhelming, even to resident Sydneysiders. Escape the chaos of the city streets with The Sport For Jove Theatre Company as they present one of Shakespeare's most magical plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream. The company is partnering with the Sydney Morning Herald Autumn Festival of Arts to put on the show in the peaceful sanctuary of the Royal Botanic Gardens throughout March. Director Damien Ryan strives to capture the pure comedy, romance and adventure of Shakespeare's famous tale. The performance will be a vibrant interpretation of the classical myth, in which young women attempt to break free from the claustrophobic city to frolic in the open woods in search for heart's desire. Pack some blankets, food and wine and enjoy a picnic on the Tropical Centre Lawn for either a night under the stars or an afternoon matinee. The compelling love story will entertain and enchant, and will calm those tense nerves that come with the city lifestyle.
Sydney has a seemingly insatiable appetite for the food truck. And fans of tucker that comes kitsch and on wheels will be pleased to know there’s a new kid on the culinary calendar: Food Trucks After Dark. As the name suggests, it’s all about bringing the best trucks that make food to you after the sun goes down. And they’re teaming up with the folk from Work-Shop, Redfern’s centre for stuff you’ve always wanted to learn but they never taught you at school (y’know, gelato-making, kokedama-crafting, illustrative hand lettering). Work-Shop HQ has just relocated the corner of Cleveland and Eveleigh Streets, and the food truck takeover sets up shop in its newly graffed-up car park every Wednesday and Thursday night. Expect a rotating lineup of all your old favourites, including Veggie Patch Van, Tsuru, Agape and Cantina Movil. As for Work-Shop, it looks like they’re going to continue in the same vein of gloriously specific masterclasses. See: the basics of street art with Sid Tapia and pastry things with pastry chef/probable rockstar Anna Polyviou. Image: Natasha Mulhall.
When Harry Met Rico. It might not quite have the same ring as the classic rom-com but could the upcoming Ricos Tacos x Harry's Terrace Bar collaboration elicit a response similar to Meg Ryan's sandwich? We're willing to find out. Ricos' mastermind Toby Wilson knows his way around a bloody good taco. And this month his tortilla slinging operation will be teaming up with Hotel Harry to host Ricos Tacos x Harry's from Monday, May 15 to Friday, May 19. Expect classic fillings — like pork belly carnitas, chicken achiote, and lamb shank birra — alongside Ricos signature sides to fill out your table of tacos every evening after 5pm. And you'll be accompanying them with a haul of beverage options with Drinks Director Josh Reynolds serving up all-new adult slushies alongside wine by Shun Eto. While walk-ins are welcome, if you want to be sure you've locked in a table to set down your tacos, we really recommend you make a booking at hotelharry.com.au or call 02 8262 8800.
If a cheeky ancient spirit wanted to unleash their signature beverage, how would they go about it? Mix up some rum cocktails? Corral a bunch of bands and DJs? Take over some bars and pubs? In the case of Campari's new lip-smacking spirit Baron Samedi Spiced, all of the above proves true. To celebrate the launch of Baron Samedi Spiced — a Caribbean rum laced with spices such as vanilla, cacao, cinnamon and native Haitian spice Vetiver — the folklore villain is spreading his brand of mystery across Sydney and Melbourne. After all, you don't become a skull-faced underworld figure in Haitian Voodoo, leader of the Guédé, guardian of the afterlife (and general go-to dude whenever magic and death comes up) without causing a bit of mischief. If you're in NSW, you have a few options, starting with Baron Samedi Haitian Nights at Taylor's Rooftop from June 8 to July 7. If Sunday hangouts and tunes by Sydney hip hop legend Joyride north of the bridge take your fancy, there will also be heap of fun stuff taking place at Manly Wharf Hotel and Daniel San throughout June and July. Melburnians can head to Brunswick's Penny Black to get in on the action, with local band Dallas Frasca kicking things off with a live set on June 3. The venue will also offer nightly Baron Samedi drink specials until the end of July, as will Big Mouth St Kilda. So it's time to switch to rum for winter — it's one of the best ways to keep warm, after all.
Dry July hasn't turned out how many Australians would've liked, thanks to lockdowns in Greater Sydney, Victoria and South Australia. But whether you were trying to take a break from booze for a spell, you've been cutting down on your drinking in general or you don't touch the hard stuff anyway, gin brand Gordon's has released a new tipple you'll want to sip even when ditching alcohol isn't the centre of attention for an entire month. The popular gin label has unveiled its own booze-free version, Gordon's 0.0% — and yes, that moniker makes its alcohol content clear. It still heroes the usual juniper flavour, and is still distilled using the same botanicals, but pairs it with zero booze. Two options are now available in bottle shops: Gordon's 0.0% in 700-millilitre bottles, so you can mix your own alcohol-free G&Ts and other cocktails; and 330-millilitre ready-to-drink gin-and-tonic mixes that come in four-packs. Whichever you choose, one thing is certain: however much you drink, you won't have a hangover the next day. Whether you're new to cutting out the sauce or you've always preferred your beverages sans booze, the alcohol-free drinks industry has been expanding in a big way over the past few years. Melbourne has its own booze-free gin joint, Sydney has a bottle-o dedicated to the concept, and actually decent mocktails are available on plenty of bar menus around the country now. The range of wines and beers with low or no alcohol has also been growing, too, so having a drink but skipping the headache — and not just sipping orange juice, sparkling water or soda — has never been easier. Gordon's 0.0% is now available in Australian bottle shops — in 700-millilitre bottles (RRP$34.99) and 330-millilitre ready-to-drink gin-and-tonic mixes (RRP$14.99 for a four-pack).
Shakespearean enthusiasts Sport for Jove are at it again, this time returning with an encore production of their critically acclaimed production of Hamlet. The company has come a long way since it was founded in 2009 with the aim of establishing an original, compelling and energetic new theatrical voice in Australia. This has been achieved in only four years, but as Hamlet thankfully shows, there are no signs that the company will be resting on its laurels anytime soon. Director Damien Ryan, synonymous with Shakespeare in Australia, transposes the timeless tragedy to the modern stage through an inclusion of technology, creating a challenging and captivating production that rejuvinates the revenge tale, enthralling the audience to the point where you could hear a pin drop. Lindsay Farris leads an ensemble cast as the dark Hamlet and his support cast includes Sport for Jove favourites Christopher Stalley and Christopher Tomkinson seamlessly sliding between dual roles across the 110-minute staging. The production is running for a limited period only, and when a play is described as "one of the best productions of anything I have ever seen" it definitely warrants your attention. Weekdays offer a matinee alongside the evening show and both offer a Q&A post-performance where you can gain further insight into the show's commended production.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the first teaser trailer for the new movie has just dropped. Releasing in mid-2019, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and while you're watching extremely life-like lions prowl around Africa, you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, none other than Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 18, 2019. Feel the love for the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJbI5f3z3Po&feature=youtu.be
Vivid Ideas and Vibewire have decided to join forces to produce some creative good in the world. Well, at least for one of seven young social innovators who are the finalists in this competition. What’s the deal you ask? These young guns will pitch their creative project idea to the judging panel in the hope of scoring $1000 in seed funding, 6 months of workshop space at the Vibewire Hub, workshops and mentoring. All those important things needed for a startup. And they will get the title of Vivid Ideas Fellowship winner (hopefully with some kind of pagent style tiara). There will be rapid fire pitches presented by the finalists to the panelists and the audience (you – if you’re there). Will you choose Joanna Bayndrian and her Suburban Heritage Project, or Sabrine Elkhodr’s The Paper Bag which provides the homeless with handmade stationery items made from recycled materials. The other entries are Joshua Davey’s Owl, Nathan Li’s Young Entrepreneurs of Australia, Ryo Ishii’s Urban Myth Sydney, Jesse Cox’s Driveway and Jordan Bryon’s Turf. If you love competitions and getting to vote on a crowd favourite (and who doesn’t?) this might be one to mark in your diary. There will also be some nibbles and beverages, and it’s all free. Tick. Just remember to do that rsvping thang.
The invitation might confuse a few with yoga and a silent disco on the menu, but we can't wait to get to this particular Vivid event. Imagine this — you're stretching out in downward dog listening to tunes and can see the Harbour Bridge spectacularly lit up for Vivid. Flow Athletic is teaming up with Pier One for this ultimate yoga experience. The class will be hosted by the experienced yogi and Flow Athletic co-founder Kate Kendall, who will be leading the session direct to your ears through your individual headphones. Backing tunes will be provided by DJ James Mack, providing a smooth soundtrack to complement your warrior poses and chaturangas. Whether you're a practiced yogi or wanting to try it for the first time, this vinyasa class is all levels for anyone to join. Wellness junkies can skip the parties, pubs and crowds of Vivid and zen out during this epic yoga class without skimping the light show — in fact, Pier One allows for one of the best views of the Harbour Bridge as a backdrop to the yoga session. Shake up your fitness routine and try something a little different for Vivid this year. Tickets are selling fast, so get in quick.
Twice a year, the Sydney-based Queer Screen team puts together a film festival — because condensing the year's best LGBTIQ+ into just one event is a tricky feat. The first, the Mardi Gras Film Festival, happened earlier in 2020. Now, in this new pandemic-afflicted world, the crew's second fest for the year is heading to your screens. That'd be Queer Screen Film Fest, which runs from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27 — and, adapting to this chaotic year, will largely be held virtually. If you're located outside of Sydney, that's particularly excellent news, as the festival is going national in 2020, too. On the bill: more than 40 feature films, documentaries and shorts, with the majority streaming to your chosen device during the fest period. That means that you can curl up on the couch and watch everything from queer German coming-of-age film Cocoon and Japan-set drama Moonlit Winter to New Zealand rom-com Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story — plus cross-cultural romance Breaking Fast, documentary Steelers: The World's First Gay Rugby Club and a heap of shorts as well. For Sydneysiders keen for a night out, that is still an option — at the Skyline Drive-In and the Chauvel Cinema. Hop in your car to see the Jacki Weaver-starring Stage Mother or Aussie classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert under the stars, or get cosy in the theatre to check out acclaimed doco Welcome to Chechnya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N0bzQ-qzCg The 2020 Queer Screen Film Fest runs from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27 , with most of its program available online nationally. It's also hosting physical events on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 at the Chauvel Cinema, and on Saturday, September 26 at the Skyline Drive-In.
If this isn't a golden ticket to a great night on the couch, then we don't know what is: the delightful Willy Wonka prequel starring Timothée Chalamet (Bones and All) and directed by the Paddington films' Paul King is now spreading its sweetness to your couch. Although it's still playing in cinemas after opening in mid-December 2023, Wonka has been fast-tracked to digital so that you can get chocolate cravings at home. And you will be have a hankering for desserts as Chalamet sings, twirls around an umbrella, and talks about making weird and wonderful treats — and as a childhood favourite gets a prequel. Our tip: choose your movie-watching snacks accordingly. Otherwise, your stomach will start grumbling amid the songs, dancing and Hugh Grant (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) stealing scenes as an Oompa-Loompa. Wonka hitting digital helps add to any pre-Dune: Part Two Timmy C marathons that you might be planning before the latter film reaches the big screen at the end of February. With King writing and directing, the first with co-scribe Simon Farnaby, this new stint with Roald Dahl's chocolatier gives the character an origin story starring the actor who has had his heart broken during a lusty Italian summer, romanced Saoirse Ronan in a Greta Gerwig film not once but twice, spiced up his life in a sci-fi saga and sported a taste for human flesh. Here, Chalamet croons his way through a whimsical world of sugar and pure imagination. First gracing the page almost six decades back, in 1964 when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory initially hit print, Willy Wonka has made the leap to cinemas before with Gene Wilder playing the part in 1971, then Johnny Depp in 2005. The difference this time: not just Chalamet, but a film that swirls in the details of Wonka's life before the events that've already been laid out in books and filled those two movies. The picture's main man has a dream — and, after spending the past seven years travelling the world perfect his craft, he's willing to get inventive to make it come true. Starting a chocolate business isn't easy, especially when the chocolate cartel doesn't take kindly to newcomers, selling choccies at an affordable price and sharing their wares with the masses. From there, brainwaves, optimism, determination, Wonka inventions and life-changing choices all spring, plus big vats of chocolate, chocolate that makes you fly and Willy's dedication to making the greatest chocolate shop the world has ever seen. Beyond Chalamet and Grant, Wonka's cast is as jam-packed as a lolly bag, with the pair joined by Farnaby (The Phantom of the Open), as well as Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Sally Hawkins (The Lost King), Keegan-Michael Key (The Super Mario Bros Movie), Rowan Atkinson (Man vs Bee), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey: A New Era) and Natasha Rothwell (Sonic the Hedgehog 2). And the magical tone sprinkled throughout Wonka doesn't just fit the tale — it's exactly what King and Farnaby spun when they were celebrating a marmalade-loving bear. King helmed and penned both Paddington movies, while Farnaby also did the latter on the second (and acted in each). The duo worked together on wonderful and underseen 2009 film Bunny and the Bull as well, and on The Mighty Boosh, of which King directed 20 episodes. Check out the trailer for Wonka below: Wonka is available to stream via platforms such as YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. It's also still showing in cinemas Down Under. Read our review.
It's easy to forget all about the Parramatta wing of the program when there's so much other Sydney Festival stuff going on. But you'll want to head west to check out the musical offerings of their Festival Garden in the Salon Perdu Spiegeltent. What's on? First up is nine-piece Melbourne Afro-inspired band Saskwatch (January 18, 7pm). Think Aretha Franklin and James Brown combined with a dash of contemporary New York-style soul. This one's standing tickets only — but we don’t think you'll be wanting to sit down. A few days later (January 20, 7pm) is something completely different with Leah Flanagan's Midnight Muses. It'll be a collection of songs, music, and stories arranged by Flanagan, backed by a five-piece band and inspired by poet Sam Wagan Watson. If that’s not your thing, then British singer and multi-instrumentalist Lianne La Havas (January 22-23, 7pm) might be more up your alley with her neo-soul and scuffed folk-pop. Then there’s New York’s indie, contemporary, and classical sextet yMusic (January 24,25 7pm). You might have heard some of their members performing with Björk, Jay Z, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, Peter Gabriel, Vampire Weekend, or other groups. To finish up, there’s two-man show Norman Blake and Joe Pernice (January 26, 7pm; 27, 5pm), performing both their new material as well as stuff from as far back as their first show in a tavern in Toronto. You can fuel your adventure through one of the nearby Fast Festival Feast partners. Courtney's Brasserie and El-Phoenician are both offering two tailored courses for $55. Time to go west.
UPDATE, MARCH 18: Due to concerns around COVID-19, Spiral: From the Book of Saw will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, May 14, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In 2003, James Wan and Leigh Whannell made a short film that completely changed the Australian duo's careers. These days Wan is known for directing everything from Fast and Furious 7 to Aquaman, while Whannell has jumped behind the lens on Upgrade and the upcoming The Invisible Man — but none of that might have happened if it wasn't for the Saw franchise. Running for just under ten minutes, the original Saw short was designed to help the Aussie filmmakers secure funding to make a feature — a horror flick of the same name, in fact. Not only did it achieve that aim, but it sparked a long-running big-screen series about the twisted Jigsaw Killer. And this unnerving saga just keeps spawning sequels. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is the latest Saw instalment, marking the franchise's ninth outing. Whenever a horror movie series starts approaching double digits, it can prove a case of diminishing returns; however Spiral has a few aces up its sleeves. Wan and Whannell have long since stepped back from leading the charge, instead taking on roles as executive producers — but the newest flick to spring from their gruesome short film stars Chris Rock and Samuel L Jackson. As the just-dropped first Spiral trailer shows, Rock plays Detective Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks. With his rookie partner William Schenk (Max Minghella), he's soon investigating a spate of gory murders. For seasoned Saw fans, these killings should look more than a little familiar. Naturally, because that's how this series works, it doesn't take long for Banks to get caught up in a game with the perpetrator. The fact that Spiral is directed by Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV's Darren Lynn Bousman might temper your curiosity a little. Indeed, the last few Saw films mightn't inspire much confidence either — including 2017's Jigsaw, as directed by fellow Aussies Michael and Peter Spierig (Winchester). But seeing Rock and Jackson step into this franchise is intriguing at the very least. In case you were wondering, Jackson plays another police veteran with ties to the case, busting out his usual swaggering, swearing on-screen persona in the process. Check out the Spiral trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gaWj_c0-wM&feature=youtu.be Spiral was due to open in Australian cinemas on May 14, 2020; however it'll now release on a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you when one is announced.
Last year saw warmer and drier weather conditions than normal, kicking off with a record-breaking summer, followed by a hotter-than-standard autumn, a warmer-than-usual winter and a sweltering spring. 2019 was also a year severe water restrictions, then the summer of soaring temperatures — and devastating bushfires only a few months ago. We're currently in drought, with particular concerns in regional NSW and subsequent water restrictions enforced in Sydney. To say Australia needs some rain is a gross understatement. And this winter the country may get it, with the Bureau of Meteorology reporting a wetter than average few months to come. As it does every quarter, the Bureau of Meteorology has released its climate outlook for the May to July period, and the forecast favours one word we're all too familiar with: warm. But it also predicts rain, with this winter looking likely to break our dry spell. Finally, some good news in 2020. For the first time in years, the Darling River has met the Murray, meaning some encouraging signs for drought-stricken areas in Australia's southeast. And, recently, we've seen above average soil moisture conditions, which are a good primer for runoff and catchment when further rain comes. That said, it will take a lot of heavy rain fall to replenish many of the catchment stores to how they were a few years ago, which is unlikely to be achieved in one (albeit wet) season. The predicted heavier rainfall is due to warmer than average eastern Indian Ocean — which is currently the main influence on Australia's climate — increasing the moisture that feeds into weather systems as they move across the country. Overall, there's mostly a 60–75-percent chance for more rain in Australia over the next few months, with a greater than 75-percent chance for central Australia and WA. But, for much of northern Australia and the east coast, including Tasmania, the likelihood of a wetter or drier period from May through July is roughly equal at this stage. There's also a very good chance that you'll experience winter temperatures that are warmer than average. Of course, the period in BOM's new outlook does cover winter, so weather across the country won't be balmy — but it's likely to be hotter than the median. Nights are expected to be toastier than average, with a more than 80-percent chance for most regions and a slightly lower one (70–89-percent) for southwest and southeast Australia. In Sydney, that means the mercury will be above a 11.6- degree minimum in May, higher than 9.3 in June and 8.1 in July, while Melbourne can expect temps above 8.7, 6.9 and 6 in the same months. In Brisbane, the standard minimums range between 9.5–13.3 and in Perth it spans 7.9–10.5. Above average daytime temperatures are expected along the east coast and extending to northeast Tasmania, as well as across northern parts of Australia, too. Elsewhere, average daytime temperatures are just as likely to be warmer or cooler than average. While rising temperatures are becoming a familiar story, the prospect of rain is something we haven't heard in a while. So, let's hope the weatherman is right.
Since June 1, when regional travel across NSW was allowed once again, Sydneysiders have had (pretty much) free rein of NSW. But, today, Wednesday, July 8, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned against travel to (and from) some regional towns as COVID-19 cases spike in Victoria. While a large swathe of Victoria is reentering lockdown from midnight tonight and the Victoria-NSW border has closed (for the first time in 100 years), Premier Berejiklian has said that the possibility of contagion in NSW is "extremely high". "We are in a high-risk situation and I don't want to see the good work we've done in New South Wales undone," the Premier said at a press conference today. To help mitigate the risk of increased infections in NSW, the Government is effectively sealing off towns on the Victorian border. "If you live in a border community and you're a New South Wales resident, please do not travel outside your border community at this time," the Premier said. "If you are a New South Wales resident outside of those border communities, please do not go to those communities unless you absolutely have to." https://www.facebook.com/NewSouthWalesHealth/posts/1339669139565757?__xts__[0]=68.ARBDT6dzQmTEZQc7n72PZdN6keGYOqYbAxD4WYXH6tkyP5SNM0ooTzOtoLqkz694IqWNbjD91XlTdXAA7JQqX53SVTwxmFb7N5JCpD22_fu8p-WDEuh6Cf3KrVSyVDXOyPG-lmTJs4lDuKp2gluVwp4wqe6q3GjGAYyos8WhHvtnxvXKs7K8UKEYcBZZAufXXwCpJ7V7v1hfT6IKCtpy1mkUQugPIgdX8yD1d9MRGzLycrdJ5iDkBIFWaPWyGAeSCMr3SeI142DFvv0Ws0v4S4gsGVHKHRt251DPlgrOoXTlNlEWS99tRyRGUSxs0S1CLZetotDv5i4_aCTX1NFFAX1KHsfavme-i8ITx8t0Vmiy36iplTsH0UhLI_VRXOiBgDGkKBQ6PrwDQNqszxm__25clCAaxbYWYfYK20lYrvoTEycsbKOP46BPYWk8D_cvnjA6vt0GuR4AYAKSG0hoB09lyCeI36RzoJt2XUTIzAaQj29iN5hNUs3y&__tn__=-R While no public health orders have been put in place preventing travel to or from these towns as yet, the Premier has not ruled the possibility of this happening in the near future. "I will stress that the government is considering what further action we take to make sure the bubble, as we call it, of those border communities is maintained." Exactly what towns are considered "border communities" has not been set in stone, but the NSW Government is encouraging Sydneysiders to use their commonsense. "Border community means a community that a reasonable person would consider to be a community located at or near the border," is the definition used in the newly published border control public health order. In the press conference earlier today, the Premier mentioned Albury and Wagga Wagga, as well as Merimbula, where there is a returned traveller from Victoria who has tested positive and is currently in isolation. At the moment, the border between Victoria and NSW is closed — as of midnight on Tuesday, July 7 — and those who want to enter from Victoria, including NSW residents, will need to apply for a permit via Service NSW. The NSW Government has said patrolling the border will be a "mammoth task" as there are 55 border crossings, including four main roads, 33 bridges, two waterways and multiple smaller roads, across 11 local government areas and five police districts. Those who cross without a permit, or do not follow the permit rules, could be hit with an $11,000 fine and spend up to six months in jail. For more information about the new border restrictions and the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Government website. Top image: A town near the NSW-Victorian border by Denisbin via Flickr.
For the second year in a row — and only the second time in the more than three decades that the country's professional Aussie Rules competition has called itself the Australian Football League — the AFL grand final might be hosted outside of Melbourne. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has announced that the code will shift the biggest game of the 2021 season to Perth's Optus Stadium if the Victorian capital is still under lockdown, or if the Melbourne Cricket Ground is unable to welcome in spectators. In 2020, the AFL made the move to the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba, due to Melbourne's lengthy stint of stay-at-home conditions. Now, a year later, the city is currently under lockdown for the sixth time during the pandemic, which is set to remain in place at this stage until Thursday, September 2. Whether the stay-at-home rules will ease then as planned is yet to be seen, with Victoria's new locally acquired COVID-19 case numbers hovering between 40–71 since Thursday, August 19. And, if lockdown does end before the scheduled grand final date on Saturday, September 25, whether Melbourne's stadiums will be permitted to host crowds under post-lockdown restrictions is similarly unknown. Announcing the news on Wednesday, August 25, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said that "if we're unable to play at the MCG, the Grand Final will be at Optus Stadium... The capacity available at Optus Stadium is 100 percent and that's pretty compelling to have as many people as we can see the biggest and best sporting event in the country," he continued. Optus Stadium can 60,000 people, and the AFL is expected to make a final decision sometime during the week beginning Monday, August 30. That's the same week that the lockdown not just in Melbourne but also in all of Victoria is currently set to end — and that the city's and state's residents will learn if it's being extended. Perth will host the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final, if the MCG cannot hold the event in front of crowds. — AFL (@AFL) August 25, 2021 In 2020, the AFL also nominated a backup stadium in the event that cases surged in Brisbane. If the game is held in Perth, it's likely either Adelaide Oval or the Gabba could be named as backups. Moving the game to Perth also means that 2020's night grand final won't be repeated due to the time difference between Australia's west and east coasts. McLachlan said that the AFL would be looking at an afternoon or twilight time slot. A Perth grand final won't feature any Western Australian AFL teams, however, with both the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers failing to make the code's finals season. Just like last year, it really shouldn't have taken three decades for a competition that's not only named after the entire country, but that changed its moniker in 1990 to reflect the fact that it was no longer just about Victoria, to host its deciders in other cities. Before 2020, the grand final had actually been played at venues other than the MCG before — but still in Melbourne. The MCG remains contracted to host the grand final for a significant period moving forward, however, with its contact originally running through until 2057, then extended until 2058 as part of the agreement to allow the game to be played at the Gabba in 2020. If the move to Perth happens this year, it wouldn't be surprising if the arrangement with the MCG will be extended again. If you're a Victorian — whether you've been missing the footy over the past month, or you're not fussed about the sport at all — you might be wondering about the usual pre-grand final public holiday. Last year, even with the game being played in Brisbane, the holiday still went ahead. What'll happen this year hasn't been revealed as yet. The 2021 AFL Grand Final will take place on Saturday, September 25 — at the MCG if it is able to host a crowd, or at Optus Stadium in Perth otherwise. A final decision is expected during the week beginning Monday, August 30, and you can read more about the current details on the AFL website. Top image: Optus Stadium, Government of Western Australia.
Pint-sized Maisie (Onata Aprile) has a skewed view of adult life, with slammed doors and whispered rows as much a part of her world as playmates and puzzles. Her parents are Beale (Steve Coogan), a globe-trotting, supercilious art dealer and Susanna (Julianne Moore), a rock star who fails to notice how heavily she is flirting with cliche as a rock star with panda eyes, messy hair and ever-present cigarettes. Their marriage has dissolved into open hostility as Susanna locks Beale out of their luxurious Manhattan apartment. They next meet at divorce court, where both seek full custody of Maisie. The court instead orders joint custody in allotments of ten days for each parent, starting a heart-sinking cycle where both parents fail to keep up with their responsibility to pass the child onto the other, meaning the wide-eyed Maisie is left at school, in a bar, in the lobby of the apartments. Beale quickly ups the stakes, marrying Maisie's somewhat timid but well-meaning nanny Margo (Joanna Vanderham) and setting up house with her. Fuelled by spite, Susanna retaliates with a marriage of convenience of her own, quickly wedding Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard), a naive bartender who soon develops a bond with Maisie. Both parents continue to throw emotional barbs at each other through their daughter, but as they both start spending more time out of the city for work, Maisie ends up increasingly left in the care of either Margo or Lincoln, or sometimes both. Told entirely from the point of view of the neglected Maisie, this is a fragmented story made up of overheard snippets of conversation, claim and counterclaim. Completely convincing and beautifully nuanced, it becomes an involving affair, all the more effective for taking an unconventional route to your heartstrings and generally eschewing the kind of histrionics or easy sentimentality that could have come with this territory. Based on Henry James' 1897 novel of the same name, the story has been seamlessly moved from the 19th century to the present and from London to New York, suggesting there is something essentially timeless at the heart of this story. Despite the presence of a quartet of first rate actors who nail all the details of their respective roles, the narrative's exclusive focus on the child's perspective of events means What Maisie Knew has to live or die on the performance of Aprile, who was aged just six at the time of filming. Thankfully her performance never hits a false note. Acting as the tale's unlikely moral centre, she is remarkable as a child who maintains her essential goodness in the face of deplorable neglect and selfishness. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GHHt5eYl95c
Ginuwine's 90s banger 'Pony' is about to get another workout — because Magic Mike, the Channing Tatum-starring franchise about male strippers chasing the American dream one shirtless dance at a time, is heading back to screens. That's great news for Ginuwine's royalties, and even better news for fans of the savvy — and sweaty, and scantily-clad — movie saga, which has also spawned its own Tatum-produced live show. And, yes, Tatum will be returning in Magic Mike's Last Dance as the eponymous Mike Lane. Well world, looks like Mike Lane's tapping back in. @hbomax pic.twitter.com/V9Ce62n710 — Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) November 29, 2021 If you somehow missed the 2012 hit, it saw Tatum turn his own background as a stripper in Tampa, Florida into one of that year's most perceptive flicks. The Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Alex Pettyfer-starring film unsurprisingly became a box-office hit, too, with its combination of blue collar struggles and gyrating on-stage antics striking a chord to the tune of $167.2 million in takings. It was then followed by 2015's Magic Mike XXL, which did indeed manage to live up to its name — not merely by doubling down on what made the first movie such a success, but by also shrewdly recognising the power of the female gaze. Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky, Unsane) directed, shot and edited the initial movie, then just shot and edited the second; however, he's sitting back in the helmer's chair for Magic Mike's Last Dance. Also returning is screenwriter Reid Carolin, who has done the honours all the entire franchise so far. As for what it's about, Tatum's tweet announcing the movie didn't provide any details other than the fact that Mike is tapping back in — and, thanks to the film's title, that this is his final outing. Exactly when you'll be able to see the feature hasn't yet been revealed either, but it's heading to HBO Max, the cable network's streaming platform, in the US when it does surface. There's no word yet on where and when the bumping and grinding will appear Down Under. Also, there's clearly no sneak peek for Magic Mike's Last Dance so far, either, but here's the original film's trailer to get you in the mood: Exactly when Magic Mike's Last Dance will release — and where it'll be available Down Under — hasn't yet been revealed. We'll update you with more details when they come to hand.
When the end of the year hits, do you get 'Christmas is All Around', as sung by Bill Nighy, stuck in your head? Have you ever held up a piece of cardboard to tell the object of your affection that, to you, they're perfect? Does your idea of getting festive involve watching Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Martin Freeman, all in the same movie? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you clearly adore everyone's favourite Christmas-themed British rom-com, its high-profile cast and its seasonal humour. And, you've probably watched the beloved flick every December since it was first released in cinemas back in 2003. That's a perfectly acceptable routine, and one that's shared by many. But this year, you can do one better. A huge success during its past tours of the UK and Australia (to the surprise of absolutely no one), Love Actually in Concert is returning in 2022 to make this festive season extra merry. It's exactly what it sounds like: a screening of the film accompanied by a live orchestra performing the soundtrack as the movie plays. To the jolly delight of Sydneysiders, it's heading to Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney, at 4pm on Saturday, December 17. Here, you'll revisit the Richard Curtis-written and -directed film you already know and treasure, step through its interweaved Yuletide stories of romance, and hear a live orchestra play the movie's soundtrack. And, yes, Christmas (and love) will be all around you. Tickets go on sale at 8am local time on Wednesday, September 28, and you can join the waitlist now.
In response to Melbourne's growing Holiday Inn COVID-19 cluster, the entire state of Victoria will enter a five-day lockdown from 11.59pm on Friday, February 12 until the same time on Wednesday, February 17. That means that stage four restrictions will be back in effect, and you'll only be able to leave your house for the now-familiar four reasons. The lockdown is happening in the middle of one of Melbourne's biggest annual sporting events, too: the Australian Open. It's running from Monday, February 8–Sunday, February 21, with big-name stars including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal flying in (and quarantining) for the event. The good news is that the Australian Open will go ahead during the five-day lockdown. The bad: no spectators will be allowed to attend. https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1360069954800807938 Under the new stage four restriction rules, professional athletes are considered 'essential workers', so they are allowed to leave their homes and their five-kilometre radius to go to work. This means, not only can the Australian Open games go ahead — but so can the AFLW games that are scheduled for this weekend. Once again, without crowds. It does mean, however, that you can't head out in person to cheer on Ashleigh Barty, Carlton or North Melbourne, but you can order in a feast for you and your housemates (or intimate partner) and yell as loud as you want from the comfort of your house. In regards to tonight's matches, in particular the much-hyped 7pm game between Nick Kyrgios and Dominic Thiem, the AO has said "sessions today and tonight will continue as planned with COVIDSafe protocols in place". But, do remember that stage four restrictions begin at 11.59pm. All of Victoria will revert back to stage four restrictions from 11.59pm on Friday, February 12 to 11.59pm on Wednesday, February 17. For more information about the rules, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Top image: Australian Open 2020 by Rob Keating via Wikimedia Commons
One thing sure to rip a pet owner's heart out: leaving your pup behind whenever you're on holiday. Luckily, to celebrate International Dog Day, QT Hotels & Resorts is launching dog-friendly stays for your better half, so you never have to leave them again. Pup Yeah! is an Australia-wide add-on that can complement any QT Hotel stay. It includes pet-appointed rooms filled with luxury treats from the mini-bar, belly rubs and butler service. Then, for a dog dinner that's truly Michelin-star worthy, pups can enjoy steak tartare and bacon ice cream. For the best sleep a pooch can get, each Pup Yeah! room is fitted with a CUB bed, featuring orthopedic memory foam. Not to mention, each QT destination has a 'Strut Your Pup' digital map with the best local walks, dog-friendly parks and cafés. If at any point you need some human time, some QT Hotels also offer dog-walkers (known as Directors of Chaos) to take your pups on a little adventure. You'll also go home with some dog grooming essentials like, smith&burton soothing cologne and waterless foam shampoo. Pup Yeah! rooms start from an additional $120 for three nights. You can book a Pup Yeah! room from August 26, so get your pups ready for a pawfect hotel experience.
Sofia Coppola has made her career by highlighting that being young or famous (and often both) does not protect anyone from existential crisis, no matter how blessed their life may outwardly seem. While previously Coppola has mocked this up in stylised versions of other times and places, her newest feature, The Bling Ring, picks at the designer threads of youth and celebrity in a city very close to her heart: Los Angeles. As the film opens, a circle of Hollywood teenagers are charged with breaking and entering the homes of TMZ royalty, including Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, and sashaying away with millions of dollars worth of luxury goods, clothing and cash. The seeds of their downfall are found one year earlier, when Marc (Israel Broussard) arrives at his new school with adolescent awkwardness slung over his otherwise fashionable shoulders. It is here that he casually befriends Rebecca (Katie Chang) and her posse of light-fingered, self-absorbed pals (including Emma Watson and Taissa Farmiga). Though based on actual events (Coppola has changed the names), The Bling Ring does not feel like a true crime film. It is dream-like, with Rebecca and Marc skipping through empty mansions in the hills, tossing diamonds and shoes at one another in an hour-long montage. Details of the characters' lives — and of the real identities behind these characters — are lost in the glitter, and as a result the plot unspools to hit certain moral milestones before the end credits roll. There are no twists and, ultimately, if you want a good story, you should seek out details of the real teenagers (and the Vanity Fair article that inspired the film) online. The Bling Ring then is a film essay on the experience of desire and lack of privacy in the fame economy. It is hard not to want everything that appears within the 90 minutes of the film, as clothing, money, drugs, young bodies and modernist mansions are showcased beneath a heaving soundtrack of Azealia Banks, Phoenix, M.I.A and Kanye West. By the end, when the teens' spree is brought to a halt, their only unforgivable mistake is the hubris of being so boastful about their crimes in a world of security cameras and social media. Most people otherwise would happily take a punt were they to know that Paris Hilton kept her keys under the doormat. https://youtube.com/watch?v=r4c6hmrwba0
It may be freezing outside, but Olympic Ayres are pretty firmly committed to the sounds of warmer days. The Sydney producer/DJ duo make the kind of super synthy beats that will transport you to palm-tree'd beach parties of summers past. Rejecting the seasonal chill, they're playing a toasty live showcase of their upcoming EP Leisureplex at Goodgod next week. Priding themselves on genre-spanning dance pop, the Olympic Ayres guys have just dropped the second single from the EP, 'Control'. It's a feel-good electro-romp, and predictions for the rest of the release are happiness and youth encapsulated in endless warm day festival vibes that just make you need to move. Leisureplex isn't actually due for release until September 18, so this gig is the first chance to hear what the band have been working on — perfect escapism for those in denial about the less-than-balmy weather conditions. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1S2RyZxlssU
Zhang Huan lives for the ephemeral. The Shanghai-based performance artist has made a celebrated, controversial career from moments of fleeting intensity — from having mangled doll parts and red liquid poured over him at Beijing’s National Art Gallery, to calligraphing his entire family tree all over his face and using fish and honey to attract flies to his body from his childhood village’s public toilets. Yep, intense. But in recent years, the artist has found a new Buddhist-infused means to find enlightenment in the temporary — and we get to join him this summer at Carriageworks. Zhang Huan’s Sydney Buddha (presented in conjunction with Sydney Festival) joins the Carriageworks program in 2015, if only for a limited life. For this highly-anticipated work, two, five metre tall Buddha sculptures made of 20 tonnes of incense ash and its aluminium case, will face each other. Made of incense ash collected from Chinese temples (and set to disintegrate slowly within Carriageworks) acting in the same way a Tibetan Buddhist mandala works — a stunning, complex, time-consuming artwork to be briefly enjoyed and subsequently destroyed, reminding us of the brevity of life. Sydney Buddha will sit in the Carriageworks public space from January 8 until March 15, available to view from 10am-6pm daily. Zhang Huan will speak about his work ‘In Conversation’ at Carriageworks on Thursday, January 8 at 4pm. Tickets are free and currently waitlisting, available here. Image: Zan Wimberley — Zhang Huan, Sydney Buddha, 2015, ash and aluminium. Presented by Carriageworks in association with Sydney Festival, courtesy PACE Gallery, New York.
University ruined lectures for us all. Some were amazing, interesting or even mind-blowing, but the fact remains that lectures are dull. Right? Wrong. Rather than let lectures remain the domain of the masochistic university professor, the folks at the Giant Dwarf (the Chaser team) are bringing us TOD Talks — a series of talks from some of the greatest minds of our generation. Well, some of the minds of our generation. It’s an opportunity for pop culture personalities to sit us down and tell us what they really think. The audience drinks, and the lecturer plays with a PowerPoint presentation, delivering an epic speech on whatever the hell topic they like. TOD Talks promises to be an amusing and informative way to garner some varied perspectives on life, the universe and everything.
You know the photo. The day after the Tiananmen Square massacre, a single protester, shopping bags in hand, stands in front of a column of tanks, bringing them to a standstill. It is arguably one of the defining images of the 20th century, yet its subject remains an enigma. Later this month, STC delves into the mystery of 'Tank Man's' identity and the difficult topic of US-China relations with Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica. Director Kip Williams describes the play as a "detective story" which uses the events at Tiananmen as its jumping-off point. The play tells the story of Joe (Helpmann Award winner Mark Leonard Winter), a photojournalist who witnessed the protests in China. Twenty years later, he receives word from a contact that Tank Man could still be alive. As Joe begins his search, the United States and China, whose relationship till this point has been limited to tense formality and diplomatic argy-bargy, threatens to escalate into open conflict. With recent political developments being what they are, Chimerica is the perfect chance to brush up on your geopolitics before things start to get interesting in the South China Sea. Images: Brett Boardman — Mark Leonard Winter, Brent Hill and Jason Chong in Sydney Theatre Company's Chimerica.
Smash-hit musical Once has garnered an impressive array of awards. First, it picked them up as an indie film by John Carney. Then, it nabbed them as a Broadway production adapted by Enda Walsh — and its quirky guy-meets-girl tale, along with its otherworldly lyricism, has seen Once captivate audiences worldwide. Thanks to Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Sydneysiders can enjoy the show for themselves this winter, with the production returning to the city's stages. Director Richard Carroll's rendition boasts a star-studded local cast, including an appearance from Jay Laga'aia — plus Once's peerless musical score, which has seen it nab a Grammy, a Tony and an Academy Award. A brief synopsis: Once opens in a charming and grungy Dublin pub. There, we meet Guy, who plays gigs at this sort of locale while pining over his unfaithful ex-girlfriend (a backstory wonderfully evoked in the song 'Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy'). Guy is packing up his guitar when Girl, a young Czech woman enchanted by his music, approaches him. We soon discover that Girl is also a musician. And, perhaps more importantly — for Once's narrative at least — Girl is the owner of a broken 'hoover'. The rest of the show charts the transient but intense intimacy that Guy and Girl form through their shared love of creating music. To borrow the reviewer's now well-worn catchphrase: a show like this only comes around Once. Images: Robert Catto.
Every year across ten days, FOOD (Food of Orange District) Week shows off the best fare from 'The Food Basket' of New South Wales, including the best local produce, chefs and restaurants, as well as cool-climate wines. Kickstart your culinary adventure at the FOOD Week Night Market on Friday, April 5 with food and wine from over 50 stalls, or head to FOOD HQ to pick the brains of local farmers, chefs and providores and buy their produce directly from them. If you need a lift to Orange from Sydney, hop aboard the FOOD Train. Departing from Central Station, you'll embark on a weekend-long journey filled with tasting menus, outdoor lunches and gourmet brunches. You'll also hear from local producers, explaining how their food gets from paddock to plate. There are several more gourmet experiences to be had during the week in Orange, including Forage on Saturday, April 13, a gentle 4.1-kilometre walk through vineyards and paddocks with wine tasting and a nine-course degustation made with local produce along the way. The Autumn Grazing Dinner returns, too, this time headed up by local chef Richard Learmonth. Enjoy the experience of wandering through Blayney while sampling local produce and wine and dancing the night away
If you had only ever watched five horror movies in your life, odds are that one would've covered being careful what you wish for, and another would've focused on not messing with nature. It's equally likely that growing up being hell, motherhood being even more nightmarish and grappling with the terrors of the human body would've popped up as well. These all rank among the genre's favourite concepts, alongside haunted houses, murderous forces, demonic influences and the undead — and, making her feature filmmaking debut with the savvily sinister-meets-satirical blend that is Hatching, Finnish writer/director Hanna Bergholm knows this. She's also innately aware that something unique, distinctive and unnerving can still spring from stitching together well-used notions and now-familiar parts, which, on- and off-screen, is her bold and memorable body-horror, twisted fairy tale and dark coming-of-age thriller in an eggshell. Hatching begins by unpacking a fallacy as fractured as Humpty Dumpty after the nursery-rhyme character's fall — and that still keeps being lapped up anyway. In suburban Finland, among homes so identical that the song 'Little Boxes' instantly pops into your head, 12-year-old gymnast Tinja (debutant Siiri Solalinna), her younger brother Matias (fellow first-timer Oiva Ollila), and their mother (Sophia Heikkilä, Dual) and father Jani Volanen, Dogs Don't Wear Pants) are living their best lives. More than that, as the soft lensing and music that helps open the movie establishes, they're also beaming that picture of pink, white and pastel-hued domestic perfection to the world. Tinja's unnamed mum is a vlogger, and these scenes are being captured for her cloyingly named blog Lovely Everyday Life. Naturally, showing that this family of four's daily existence is anything but enchanting is one of Bergholm's first aims. The initial crack comes from outside, crashing through the window to ruin a posed shot alight with fake smiles and, of course, being filmed with a selfie stick. Soon, broken glass, vases and lamps are strewn throughout a lounge room so immaculately arranged that it looks straight out of a supermarket-shelf home-and-garden magazine — and the crowning glory, the chandelier, has descended from a luminous pièce de résistance to a shattered mess. A garden-variety crow is the culprit, which Tinja carefully captures. She hands it to her mother, thinking that they'll then release it outside. But her mum, placid but seething that anything could disrupt her manufactured picture of bliss, ignores that idea with a cruel snap and instructions to dispose of the animal in the organic waste. Watching the source of her own life snuff out a bird's because it temporarily disturbed the faux, performative idyll is understandably a formative moment for Tinja, and one of several early splinters. The girl is clearly nowhere near as enthused about gymnastics as her mum is about having a star gymnast for a daughter, even before Tinja is forced to train until her palms are torn and bloody. She's also unsettled when she sees her mother kissing handyman Tero (Reino Nordin, Deadwind), then justifies having a "special friend" because he satisfies her in ways Tinja's dutiful dad doesn't. So when Tinja finds the crow's egg in a nest outside, she's quick to take it into her care — both because of and despite her mum. She nurtures it tenderly, placing it inside a teddy bear for safe keeping. She gains her own little universe to dote over. Then the egg keeps growing, and a human-sized chick emerges. Hatching is economical, running for a mere 86 minutes. It also unfurls that above setup in its first third. From there, screenwriter Ilja Rautsi (Spandex Sapiens) — working with a story co-credited to Bergholm — spins a narrative that's part creature feature, too, but wholly steeped in Tinja's experiences encroaching womanhood and tackling her own form of motherhood under the wing of someone who always puts appearances first. The grin-and-bear-it attitude that's imparted to adolescent girls to deal with bullying; the pressure to be perfect physically, emotionally and mentally, no matter the cost; the stigma around body image; the force exerted by caregivers and society alike around bodily agency; the urges and desires that comes with bubbling hormones: they're all weaved into Hatching's smart script. So too is the reality that, for girls, farewelling childhood doesn't just mean menstruation and other physical changes, but the potential to get pregnant, become a mother and have your existence forever tied to your offspring. If Rosemary's Baby springs to mind in Hatching's repeated lullaby-like refrain, plus the Alien franchise in its visceral depiction of twisted maternity, that's understandable. If there's a touch of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to the relationship between Tinja and the creature, but filtered through Black Swan and Us, that is as well. 2021's similar blend of folklore and parenthood, Lamb, also flaps gently — and the mother of all tales about sparking life, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, too. One visual touch nods so overtly to David Lynch's Twin Peaks that you expect someone to mention damn fine coffee, while Blue Velvet's peeling back of suburban facades weighs heavily. The body-horror work of that other iconic filmmaking David, The Brood, Scanners and The Fly's Cronenberg, also flutters underneath as a clear influence. But Bergholm has incubated a rare movie that both makes its sources of inspiration blatant and feels like its own beast sprung from their combined DNA. One of the film's most striking moves hails from its twinning not just of Tinja and her surrogate offspring (via a supremely disturbing animatronic puppet to begin with, and evolving from there), but of two ways of soaring through the world. When cinematographer Jarkko T Laine (Finnish TV's Cargo) isn't lensing Päivi Kettunen's (Hotel Swan Helsinki) exacting production design, which weaponises floral wallpaper to a chilling degree, like an influencer's Instagram story — or peering into shadowy wardrobes and under beds — he's connecting the visual dots between flying birds and gymnastic acrobatics. For Tinja, though, the latter hasn't ever meant freedom. As so astonishing portrayed by Solalinna in a complicated part, and against such an entertainingly monstrous turn by Heikkilä, she's always felt trapped and henpecked in the nest. Hatching splits open that coop, its artifice and all the lies that reside within it — and, while happily obvious at times, makes for a crackingly clever, grotesque and canny watch.
Usually, when a new Pixar film hits screens — typically cinemas, but occasionally being fast-tracked to streaming as well — it unleashes a whole heap of emotions. Getting viewers to ponder their feelings is a big part of the animation company's formula, after all, and it's been working well for them for a quarter-century. See: everything from Wall-E and Ratatouille to Inside Out and Soul. When the next Pixar flick arrives in June, it'll tap into a very specific sensation that's been bubbling up since early 2020. And, it's one that we're all familiar with. Are you craving a vacation? Do you feel a strong yearning to travel the globe and see somewhere other than your own backyard, city, state or country? Have you been dreaming of beaches far, far away every night for 12 months? Then the fact that Luca is set in the Italian Riviera and follows two teenagers over summer is certain to stoke your wanderlust. If the just-dropped first trailer for the film is anything to go by, first-time feature director Enrico Casarosa (Pixar short La Luna) and his team seem to have crafted a gorgeous-looking movie that'll have you wishing you're on the other side of the globe. Against those striking animated backdrops, two teens eat gelato, devour pasta, ride scooters, explore caves and splash around in the gleaming blue ocean. Oh, and they try to hide the fact that they're actually sea monsters — which becomes obvious whenever they get wet — too. As this tale unfurls, viewers will hear Jacob Tremblay (Room, Good Boys) as the eponymous 13-year-old Luca Paguro, while Jack Dylan Grazer (Shazam!, We Are Who We Are) voices his pal Alberto Scorfano. Also among the cast: debutant Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph (The Good Place), Marco Barricelli (The Book of Daniel) and Jim Gaffigan (Tesla). Check out the trailer for Luca below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i1fgoMyoG8&feature=youtu.be Luca is set to release in Australian cinemas on June 17. Images: © 2020 Disney/Pixar.
If you've ever wanted to become best buddies with a seal while floating around the Pittwater waterways you're in luck. Experienced kayaker Ian is currently running guided tours around Palm Beach and Pittwater, including a stop off at to visit the local seal colony. Suitable for all levels of experience on the water, this 3.5–4 hour journey gets you up close to these impressive marine mammals. The seal colony seasonally sunbake in groups of around 15-to-20 on the rocks in Pittwater. On your adventure, you'll have time to marvel and take photos of the seals before heading over to a nearby beach for a picnic lunch. All equipment and lunch are provided as part of the ticket price, with sessions starting at $225 a person. 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.
Australia no longer has to wait out the storm; it's time to dance in the 'Purple Rain'. After months of rumours, Prince's Oz tour dates have finally been confirmed. This is the first time in eight years that Prince has toured Australia, and he's bound to return in all of his sparkly, guitar-soloing glory. He'll be at the NSW Allphones Arena Sydney on May 11, 12 and 22. There may be more in the works, however. The last time Prince visited Oz, he performed a series of 'secret' shows and held afterparties at local clubs — so stay tuned. Doves, there is no longer reason to cry. The Prince has returned. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-jM8CcQIQ
If you consider yourself to be quite the foodie, then no doubt you've already made your way through most of the top restaurants around your favourite cities. So what now? One way to curb the food boredom blues is by escaping the humdrum urban life and heading to regional areas to feast on the best they have to offer. Travel and eating are delightfully intertwined (in our books, anyway) — and you don't even have to travel long distances to discover exciting new eats. One place to add to the bucket list is the picturesque NSW pocket of Orange, located just a four-hour drive from Sydney. The old mining town has transformed into a major foodie destination. Wine is the obvious go-to, with vineyards surrounding the region as far as the eye can see. On top of fine wine, there are cooking schools, a thriving festival calendar, abundant orchards and private fine dining events in luxe farmhouse stays. Plus, its neighbouring historic townships and friendly hospitality make it feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of city living. To help get you planning your next food-fuelled trip, we've teamed up with the folks at Orange360 to round up the very best of the region — from the must-visit restaurants to the lesser-known gems whatever time of year you visit. DINE AT THE VINES Orange is renowned for its cool-climate wines. And if there's one thing that oenophiles love it's food perfectly paired to their delicious drops. If you're heading to the rolling hills of Orange over the warmer months, one way to soak up the sunshine and clean, crisp country air is by having a picnic. Instead of rolling out the blanket in any old spot, though, head to a local winery and feast among the vines. If you're looking to go all out on an al fresco feast, head straight to Heifer Station. The stunning 130-acre winery, located on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, offers private picnics beneath willow trees all summer long but fireside wine tasting for those heading out in winter. Not content with having excellent wines and platters, they also have an animal farm out the back where you can visit alpacas, goats and ponies. Or, you can sit back and feast on local produce and freshly baked goods, while sipping minimal-intervention vino at family-run estate Swinging Bridge for the perfect encapsulation of Orange wines. To those venturing out during the cooler months, fret not, with a winter wine and food festival on the roster and year-round fantastic wineries and eateries available for being wined and dined, there's always something to enjoy at Orange. Check out the Orange Winter Fire Festival and enjoy a delicious meal under the stars while being warmed by a cosy fire and enjoying a glass of rich red wine. CHANNEL YOUR INNER SOMMELIER As you'll be in one of the country's top emerging wine regions, you'll want to sample as much of the nectar of the gods as possible. You'll have your work cut out for you though; Orange is home to more than 60 wineries and over 40 cellar doors. One must-visit vino stop is the award-winning Colmar Estate, run by Bill and Jane Shrapnel, where you'll sip everything from riesling to sparkling rosé from its cellar door overlooking its stunning vineyard. Then, make tracks to Nashdale Lane Wines to up your wine knowledge even more. Nashdale also has luxe glamping tents you can stay in, should you imbibe a little too much. You can then head to Slow Wine Co's cellar door in the historic town of Millthorpe, just 15 minutes from Orange. As the name suggests, Slow Wine Co's ethos is 'wines crafted by time', with each drop taking two years from budburst to bottling, and using only natural processes. After a guided tasting, you can enjoy a lunch cheese platter supplied by Millthorpe Providore or if you plan on being there later in the week, Slow Wine Co also opens as a Tapas Wine Bar from 5.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. DISCOVER REGIONAL FINE DINING Food-wise, Orange pretty much has it all. There are bakeries, buzzing cafes, restaurants, izakayas, gelaterias and pubs — and you'll want to fit in at least one fine-dining experience while you're there. Orange's finer establishments are still relatively laidback. Here, it's all about celebrating the very best local produce. In Millthorpe, you cannot leave without visiting Tonic. Established in 2003 by owners Tony and Nicole Worland, the award-winning restaurant brings both locals and foodie pilgrims alike. Tony Worland boasts quite the resume, having worked beside the likes of Matt Moran, Michael Manners and Gordon Ramsay, so expect ambitious food, showcasing local producers, of course. If you can fit one more fancy feast in, Sister's Rock, situated at Borrodell Estate, is a must. The warm timber fit-out is welcoming and without pretension and the restaurant overlooks the vineyard, making it the perfect spot for a leisurely lunch. COOK WITH SOME OF THE REGION'S TOP CHEFS Eating food is one thing, but taking the time to cook your own next-level feast brings another kind of joy — no matter whether you're a bit of a novice or a wizard in the kitchen. So, on top of all the dining, you'll be doing, book yourself and your date or mates into a cooking workshop with one of the Orange region's leading culinary masters. Go-to cooking school Barrel & Larder at Ross Hill Wines runs a number of classes throughout the year, each with a different focus, from canapé courses to curry masterclasses and American-style barbecue sessions — all taught by a different local chef. You can also arrange your own private class with up to 12 people. After you whip up some nosh, you'll sit down and feast on your own dishes while drinking plenty of tasty wine. Or, if you'd rather kick back and relax, you can book your own private fine dining experience at Cadogan Country House. [caption id="attachment_786417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] HIT UP A FOOD FESTIVAL If you're serious about food, make sure you visit Orange in autumn. It's when the region throws its annual ten-day food party, F.O.O.D. (Food of Orange District) Week, which shows off the best fare from 'The Food Basket' of New South Wales, including top-quality local produce, chefs and restaurants, as well as cool-climate wines. Keep an eye on the website for the next program, which will be filled to the brim with big signature events and smaller more intimate events hosted at local restaurants and cellar doors. STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD Before you hit the bitumen to make your way back to the big smoke, you'll want to stock up on all the gourmet goodies and fine wines you can stuff into your boot. For artisanal cheese, bread, hams, relishes, oils, jams and chocolates, head to Red Chilli Deli or, swing by The Agrestic Grocer for, well, anything that takes your fancy. The hub serves as a grocer specialising in local produce, as well as a cafe, bar, workshop space and live music venue. There's also the monthly Orange Farmers Market (on the second Saturday of each month), where you can support all the local growers, farmers and makers directly. For booze, stop in at Orange's top-notch bottle shop Lane Cellars. Here, you'll find a bunch of locally produced wines, craft beers and ciders, as well as drops from some of Australia's top winemakers and breweries. At wine bar and bottle shop Ferment, you'll find wines and spirits from small-time producers that don't have cellar doors themselves. And Orange Cellars stocks local vino, brews and spirits for you to take home and add to your bar cart. Want to gather your own produce and enjoy the fruits of your labour? Grab a basket and pick your own figs, berries and apples from the region's abundant orchards. Family-owned farm Hillside Harvest, located just ten kilometres out of town, grows everything from various apple varieties to cherries, berries, peaches, plums and nectarines. At Huntley Berry Farm you can pick 11 different berries over summer and autumn, while at Norland Fig Orchard you can pick delicious figs (naturally), plus purchase jams, pastes and chutney and even have a picnic lunch. Whether you're planning a springtime escape or a wintry weekend away, the Orange region has fine wine, good food and spectacular surroundings that make for a great city break — at any time of year. Start planning your trip here.
Calling all beer connoisseurs: what kind of flavour do you prefer? Hoppy or sour? Which type of brew do you think is more popular? To answer these important questions, Basement Brewhouse has asked six breweries to showcase one of each style from their selections. This event runs from Sunday, October 22 to Sunday, October 29 from 11am–11pm — so there's plenty of time to pop down, grab a paddle and make your vote count with the tokens gained from buying a taster. The competing breweries are Mornington Peninsula Brewery, HopDog BeerWorks (from Nowra, NSW), Marrickville's Batch Brewing Co., Camperdown's Wayward Brewing Co., Feral Brewing from WA and Bridge Road Brewers from country Victoria. Who will be crowned champion? You'll have to head along to find out.
The story behind Melbourne folk foursome Husky's new song, 'I'm Not Coming Back', sounds pretty damn cute. It's something to do with looking up at the stars in the night sky, seeing the lights of airplanes gliding under them and the universal need to leave parts of ourselves behind. Swoon. This whimsically starry-eyed vision fits perfectly with the soaring sounds of the track itself. But contrary to the song's title, Husky are indeed coming back — with a show at Newtown Social Club on July 31 as part of their first headline tour since 2012. The folk-fuelled whiz kids stole hearts back in 2011 with their debut LP Forever So. Husky became the first Aussie band to be signed to Seattle label and arbiters of cool Sub Pop, then toured pretty much non-stop around Australia, the USA and Europe for a couple of years. It's a good thing they stopped and took a break, because now we're privvy to a whole lot of new Husky — as well as promising to play much-loved tracks from Forever So, they've been working on a whole lot of new folky goodness to tour with.
Forget about tech-heavy toys and gizmos: kids can still have hours of fun bouncing up and down in a jumping castle. But this landmark pop-up is no ordinary experience, with The Big Bounce Australia featuring the world's largest jumping castle. Spanning a mind-boggling 1500 square metres, this sprawling inflatable contains slides, climbing walls, ball pits, basketball hoops and a central performance area with music and hosted activities. Plus, this huge blow-up runs alongside a 300-metre obstacle course, complete with over 50 challenges that'll test kids of all ages (not to mention adults). Leap into the galaxy-themed airSPACE zone, home to a five-lane slide, multiple elevated platforms and moon craters filled with balls. Meanwhile, the Sport Slam zone is jam-packed with goals, nets, hoops and balls so that everyone can bounce and compete at the same time. Touring nationally, The Big Bounce Australia is now at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne until Sunday, January 11, before travelling to Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth over the next three months. With tickets starting from $40, three-hour sessions are held for toddlers, juniors and bigger kids. And for those aged 16 and older, adult-only sessions give you the chance to tackle this bouncy wonderland. "We are pleased to begin the tour in Melbourne, where there is strong demand for active, outdoor entertainment throughout summer," says Noa Overby, Tour Manager for Big Bounce Australia, "The Big Bounce offers a broad mix of activities that appeal to a wide range of ages and encourages people to get involved in something that is both social and physical."
This October, the streets of Marrickville will be flooded with over 120 stalls boasting local produce, indie artwork and emerging artists, all set to the backdrop of live music pouring from the main stage. Yep, Marrickville Festival is back for 2016. The entertainment lineup features indie rock band Edens March and jazz troupe Stormcellar, with live music playing continuously from 10am until 5pm on Sunday, October 23. If you're more Bollywood than blues, the international dance floor will be hosting live performances by the Amera's Palace belly dancers and drummers, alongside demonstrations by Sydney Self Defence, and many more. The festival promises a sensational day out in the sun for both small and big kids alike. Whatever you're into, it's as good a reason as any to spend a Sunday in Marrickville Image: Wendy Kimpton.
The super-adorable Finders Keepers Markets have been home to Sydney's most creative and quirky designers for five years. The independent hip-fest is returning to their home at Eveleigh's Australian Technology Park for two days in December. The biannual, designer-centric, come-one-come-all mini-festival has managed to bridge the gap between local market and exclusive exhibition, creating a space for independent designers to engage with the wider community. You'll be able to nab some marvellous treats difficult to find anywhere else. From bespoke leather goods to bespoke stationary, upcycled journals to upcycled bicycle reflectors, every stall will be a unique shopping experience that combines innovative design with grassroots feel-goodery. As usual, there will be live music, a cafe, a bar and thousands of other Sydneysiders celebrating independent art and design. Finder Keepers is open 6-10pm on Friday, 10am-5pm on Saturday.
A Night of Horror International Film Festival is back for another year, ready to curl your blood and scare you senseless. Originally conceived as a one-night event seven years ago, the festival has gone from strength to strength and will this year run for 11 spooky nights at Dendy Cinema Newtown from Thursday, April 11, to Sunday, April 21. The festival provides homage to horror films in their purest form. It celebrates all aspects of the genre through a perfect blend of comprehensive and specific scopes, from twisted tales of torture and monster movies to zombie films, supernatural chillers and dark tales of distress and decapitation. This year will see a wide range of violent visuals splatter the screen as A Night of Horror takes on Fantastic Planet to present a festival stitched together by horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Opening night will showcase a double feature starting with the Australian premiere of All Superheroes Must Die, an indie (ghost) train ride through the lives of four superheroes who wake without their powers. Space Milkshake, another premiere featuring Billy Boyd (who you might remember as Lord of the Rings' Peregrin Took) will follow this. The scares will continue every night until April 21 when the festival closes with a triple-header of shorts, the Lovecraftian Resolution and the alien-infested The History of Future Folk. The festival is a haven for true horror fans. Whilst Hollywood has largely hijacked horror films and stripped them down to their tropes, A Night of Horror demonstrates that the dimensions of horror remain dark and diverse and ready to shock you in the way only independent horror films can. So pack your screams and get ready to delve into the dark and gritty underworld of horror films next month. Tickets can be booked by phoning (02) 9550 5699 or online at www.dendy.com.au.
When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2019, this year began in a familiar fashion. All around Australia, beverages were raised in cheers to the next 12 months. But as we all know by now, 2020 hasn't delivered what anyone hoped for. If there has been a silver lining to this tough year, however, it has been the renewed focus on supporting local businesses. As well as spending more time at home, shopping local, eating local and sipping local have all been on the agenda. And that has been essential for two Queensland drinks companies, Brisbane's Aether Brewing and Far North Queensland's Mt Uncle Distillery. They've been forging ahead and doing what they do best — and what their local fans love — even under the most trying of circumstances. Queenslanders have certainly shown them both affection, with Aether and Mt Uncle picked as the Sunshine State's favourite tipples during the BWS Local Luvvas initiative. Aether's brews and Mt Uncle's Botanic Australis Gin will now receive an extra helping hand with getting both products stocked in more BWS stores. And we've spoken to the masterminds behind the two drops about their dream jobs, their love of making top-notch drinks and the importance of homegrown support. WHEN YOUR PASSION BECOMES YOUR JOB With Mt Uncle Distillery based on a farm in the Atherton Tablelands, head distiller and director Mark Watkins doesn't just spend his days making the most of FNQ's sultry weather — he also makes drinks perfect for those tropical climes, too. Indeed, his love of the region's climate is one of the reasons he is doing what he does today. "Given the inability to grow grapes up here, I decided to put my wine science degree to use and make rum," he explains. Watkins started his distilling journey before his studies, as a teenager. "Needless to say, I was popular with my mates," he notes. But when he dived into the botany side of his degree, he "fell in love with Australian native plants, and had the drive to pursue the production of the quintessential Australian gin" — which is where the concept of Botanic Australis began. For Aether's Dave Ward, his move into brewing arose out of a completely different field — fly-in fly-out jobs building gas plants. Meeting and working alongside his now-former business partner, they both realised that "FIFO wasn't exactly the life we wanted to live forever, and the thought of owning a brewery really just fit with what we wanted," he advises. The fact that Ward already had a lifelong passion for brewing and beer helped, unsurprisingly. Ward credits that affection for yeasty beverages, and for making them, to his father. "It is one of my earliest memories as a child, brewing with dad and his friends — the exploding bottles in the laundry, the dodgy stouts from extract and some pretty awful beer," he explains. "Those memories have stuck with me my whole life, and fuelled my love of brewing and great beer. I home-brewed on and off for most of my adult life, and eventually I found my life in a position where I was able to live my dream." GETTING CREATIVE — AND LOCAL Obviously, it takes more than just a fondness for a frothy beverage to make it in the drinks industry. As Ward advises, "brewing for me is an expression of creativity". He's now at the point where, when he's "on the brew floor or designing new beers, it comes naturally" — but he admits that getting to that point required hard work. "The real challenge started when I started studying and I realised that I knew nothing about beer. The more I learnt, the more I wanted to know, and the more I realised that my lifetime wasn't going to be enough for me to learn everything I need to be the brewer I want to be," he says. Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that when asked to describe a great beer, Ward notes that it "isn't a style, or a flavour, or even a taste". Rather, he sees it as "the ability to make a beer for everyone". At Mt Uncle, Watkins has a firm view of what makes a standout spirit, too. For him — like much of his approach to his work — it reflects his location. While it'd be hard not to love distilling gin in such scenic, relaxed and leafy surroundings, Watkins can't separate his tipples from his home base. "A great spirit should reflect the environment that creates it," he tells us. In practical terms, that means that Mt Uncle sources or grows all of its ingredients locally. It's a great source of pride to the distillery, with everything in its products either stemming from around the distillery or from a stone's throw away. ADAPTING TO TOUGH TIMES WITH HOMEGROWN SUPPORT In Mt Uncle's case, you could say that what goes around comes around — in a positive manner, of course. "We are a very small business and times recently have been quite trying," Watkins says, referring to this pandemic-afflicted year. "Local support is essential and a massive part of our business' DNA. If it wasn't for our local fan base we would not be here." For Ward, the embrace of Brisbane's beer community has been just as pivotal. "Honestly, if it wasn't for the amazing support that locals gave — whether they are in our neighbourhood or we are stocked in theirs — we would more than likely have gone under when COVID-19 hit," he admits. "Over the past few years, we have seen a shift towards local; people want to know who makes their beer, food or products," Ward observes, "and the last 12 months have pushed this further into the spotlight". To find these or other Queensland drinks as part of the BWS Local Luvva's initiative, head to your nearest BWS store.
The Opera House is transforming its Studio into a party hub for Vivid Sydney's first two weekends. Over four nights, the space will be taken over by an impressive lineup of international DJs coming in from everywhere from Seoul to Spain. Head down on Friday, May 24 to catch two women killing it on the global electronic music scene: Lauren Halo and 박혜진 Park Hye Jin. Halo is Berlin-based and comes highly critically acclaimed as one of the world's most exciting electronic composer, while up and coming Seoul DJ-rapper-producer Park Hye Jin is an up and comer that — if you're a fan of house and techno — you don't want to miss. If you can back it up, UK electronic music veteran Gerald Simpson (aka A Guy Called Gerald) will play an epic five-hour set in The Studio the following night The next week sees Spanish producer John Talbot take the stage on Friday, May 31, and Moritz van Oswald bring is home on the Saturday. All shows kick off until 9pm and will run until around 2.30am. Images: Prudence Upton.
Tropical North Queensland is so rich in natural beauty that it's easy to forget that the region also boasts an impressive art scene. Local and international artists flock to the tropics, finding inspiration in the stunning scenery throughout the area. From local theatres and art galleries, to beachside markets and concert venues, there are plenty of ways to get your culture fix while in the tropics.
'ZomRomComs'. That's what you get when you add zombies to romantic comedies. First came Shaun of the Dead, then Zombieland and now Warm Bodies, a delightful Romeo and Juliet meets Frankenstein tale, in that two star-crossed lovers must overcome deep-seeded family prejudices, and that Romeo is a monstrous zombie. That zombie is 'R' (Nicholas Hoult), and his Juliet is 'Julie' (played by Australian actress Teresa Palmer). R is just your everyday teenage boy, grappling with your everyday teenage problems: a changing body, crippling social isolation and a tendency to grunt instead of speak. He's also a zombie, but instead of being scary that's mostly just a source of embarrassment. R's charming and self-deprecating narration throughout the film provides a constant source of laughter, particularly with self-aware lines like: "……God we walk slowly!" It's a sublime mix of dark comedy and tender romance, centred on a familiar yet infinitely more appealing relationship than Twilight's Bella and Edward. For an adaptation that openly acknowledges its Shakespearean underpinnings, this has somehow still emerged as one of the most original stories of the year. Thanks to Icon Film, we have 10 double passes to give away to see Warm Bodies. To be in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Warm Bodies opens nationally on April 11. Read our full review here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM
After two locally acquired cases of COVID-19 popped up in Sydney in early May, the New South Wales Government reimplemented a number of restrictions in the Greater Sydney region. Then, when the direct link between the cases and hotel quarantine couldn't be identified, it extended the new rules until 12.01am on Monday, May 17. When tomorrow morning hits, the current restrictions will indeed end — as confirmed today, Sunday, May 16, by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. So, after a couple of weekends of smaller at-home gatherings, not being able to sing and dance indoors, having to sit down to drink and wearing masks in a number of situations, the rules in Sydney, the Central Coast, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra will revert to what was in place when May began. If you need a refresher, that means that that at-home gathering caps will lift again — but if you're having more than 100 people over to your house, you will need to have a COVID-19 safety plan in place and record visitor details electronically. If you're most excited about being able to make shapes again, dance floors are back once more. All restrictions on singing will ease, too — and drinking while standing up will also return. https://twitter.com/GladysB/status/1393733303409143810 And, masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport, or for customer-facing employees working in hospitality venues. They'll move to being strongly recommended instead. If you can't guarantee social distancing elsewhere, you're also advised to wear them. NSW Health hasn't yet identified how the recent community cases were exposed to COVID-19, but the NSW Government is happy to lift restrictions because there has been further transmission related to the cases. That said, Sydneysiders are asked to continue to keep an eye on NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited — and, in terms of symptoms, to look out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, then get tested at a clinic if you have any. The usual hygiene recommendations still apply, too, including washing your hands, social distancing and staying home if you feel unwell. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Parker Blain.
Australians, your suitcases are about to come in handy again. Your passports, too. Since March 2020, the country has been under an indefinite ban on international travel to control the spread of COVID-19; however, today, Friday, October 1, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced how and when that restriction will end. Just like COVID-19 rules around the country in general — lockdowns, the restrictions that apply when stay-at-home conditions aren't in effect and the like — the situation will vary in each state and territory. Allowing fully vaxxed Aussies to enjoy overseas travel again falls under the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response that was announced back in July, and has been slated to kick in when 80 percent of Australians over the age of 16 have been double-jabbed since then. That's still the case, but it'll now come into effect in each state and territory as they reach that vax mark. "Within weeks, large parts of the country will be moving to Phase B and then to Phase C of the National Plan to safely reopen Australia and to stay safely open," said the Prime Minister in a statement. "Under Phase C, international travel is on track to reopen safely to fully vaccinated Australian travellers. Many countries around the world have now safely reopened to international travel and it will shortly be time for Australia to take the next step." Accordingly, each state and territory will be able to begin international travel again when they hit that 80-percent fully jabbed threshold, with the Federal Government expecting that to first happen in November. And, when that occurs, there'll be no limits on where you can head — from an Australian perspective, at least. "The current overseas travel restrictions related to COVID-19 will be removed and Australians will be able to travel subject to any other travel advice and limits, as long as they are fully vaccinated and those countries' border settings allow," said the PM. "These changes mean there will be no travel restrictions if you are a vaccinated Australian entering or leaving our shores." There will be a quarantine requirement, though, but the system that's currently in place isn't expected to apply to double-vaxxed Aussie travellers. After undertaking home quarantine pilots in New South Wales and South Australia, that's likely to be the option in each state and territory for fully jabbed Australian citizens and permanent residents — and for seven days. If that doesn't apply to you because you aren't double-dose vaxxed or you've had a vaccine that isn't approved for use in Australia or recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, you'll still need to go into the fortnight-long managed quarantine that's been operating throughout the pandemic. The announcement comes just over a week since Australia's Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan revealed that the country's international border will open back up "at this rate, by Christmas at the latest." Today's news beats that timeframe by more than a month. The PM also revealed that Australia will work towards quarantine-free arrangements once overseas travel restarts, such as the trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand that's presently on hold until at least mid-November. Previously, the Federal Government also floated the possibility of opening a similar arrangement with Singapore — and extending travel bubbles to some countries, such as Singapore and places in the Pacific, is specifically mentioned in the nation's roadmap. As a nation, Australia hit the 50-percent double-vaxxed mark a week ago, on Friday, September 24. At the time of writing, that figure now sits at 54.2 percent of people aged over 16. You can keep an eye on the jab rates at a number of different websites and, if you still need to get vaccinated, these helpful maps show you where in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Also, if you're wondering which state or territory is likely to hit 80-percent double-jabbed first, it's currently New South Wales. Unsurprising, just when Australia will reopen its international borders has been the subject of much discussion over the 18 months since ban came into effect, only allowing Aussies to leave the country in very limited circumstances. But with Australia's vax campaign gathering speed recently, Qantas and Jetstar have already begun selling tickets for overseas flights for trips scheduled from December, because that's when the two airlines hoped the country's international travel rules could ease. For further information about Australia's plan to restart international travel, head to the Prime Minister's website. More details about the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response can be found on the same site. And, to find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
