Dixon Street is the beating heart of Chinatown. Take an obligatory photo at the peifang gates (located at either end of the street), grab a bag of famous Emperor's Puffs, and prise yourself from the attentions of enthusiastic restaurant hawkers. You can head there after dark to spot Heaven a vivid large-scale light installation and the Dixon Street Light Screens that hang above the street and gradually change from orange to red. At the stroke of midnight all the lights glow bright red. Image: North Sullivan, Destination NSW.
UPDATE: MARCH 17, 2020 — Splendour in the Grass has been postponed until Friday, October 23–Sunday, October 25, 2020. This one-off spring edition is 'an effort to ensure a safe Splendour in the Grass experience' in such 'unpredictable times' as well as in response to the Australian Government's ban on public gatherings in excess of 500 people. Many artists have confirmed they'll be playing over these new dates, including Flume, The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator. The below article has been updated to reflect this. 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. Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. Its 20th year, in fact. As usual, speculation has run wild in anticipation of the lineup announce — will Frank Ocean finally come to Australia? Will the recently reunited Rage Against the Machine be on the lineup? Will Flume be playing? — but the details for Splendour 2020 are finally here. And we're happy to report that some of the rumours were true. Flume — AKA Harley Edward Streten — himself will be Splendouring. He'll be heading back Down Under for his only Aussie show. Speaking of Splendour exclusives, Tyler, The Creator will also only be playing at the festival, performing hits off IGOR including the always-banging 'EARFQUAKE'. The Strokes will be heading to the festival to perform their first new album in seven years, The New Abnormal, and, while the Rage Against the Machine rumour isn't true, another recently reunited big-name band will be playing: Midnight Oil. The Aussie rockers have recently started recording music together for the first time in two decades. They're collaborating with First Nations artists for a new mini-album called The Makarrata Project, which they'll be performing at Splendour. There's also a big female contingent — that is kick-ass but still nowhere near as big as the pool of male performers — which includes Stella Donnelly, Thelma Plum, Jack River, Alice Ivy, Sampa The Great and George Alice (and more). The lineup seems to go on forever, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Denzel Curry, Violent Soho, the list goes on. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. [caption id="attachment_735766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyler, The Creator by Sam Rock[/caption] SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2020 LINEUP Flume (only Aus show) The Strokes Tyler, The Creator (only Aus show) Yeah Yeah Yeahs Midnight Oil (The Makarrata Project) Glass Animals Denzel Curry Duke Dumont Live Violent Soho Mura Masa 100 Adrian Eagle Alex The Astronaut Alice Ivy Andy Golledge The Babe Rainbow perform The Velvet Underground's Loaded Bad//Dreems Baker Boy Banoffee Benee The Big Moon Brame & Hamo Bruno Major Charlie Collins Cry Club Cub Sport Dillon Francis DMA'S Dom Dolla Dro Carey & DJ Scorpion Fazerdaze G Flip George Alice Georgia Gerry Cinnamon Greentea Peng Grinspoon Grouplove Gryffin Hooligan Hefs Idles Illy Inhaler Jack Garratt Jack River Jarreau Vandal Joy Crookes JPEGMAFIA Julia Jacklin Julia Stone The Jungle Giants King Krule King Princess Kllo The Lazy Eyes Lex Deluxe Lillie Mae Lime Cordiale Mako Road Mall Grab Memphis LK Methyl Ethel Mickey Kojak Miiesha Mildlife Miss June Mo'Ju (fka Mojo Juju) Muna Northeast Party House Oliver Tree Petit Biscuit Pink Matter PUP Rolling Blackouts CF Ruel Sampa The Great Shaed Shannon & The Clams Sly Withers Sofi Tukker The Soul Movers Starcrawler Stella Donnelly Stevan Still Woozy Surfaces Thelma Plum Tierra Whack Tim Minchin Triple One Wallows Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday, October 23, Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2020. Tickets go on sale Thursday, February 27 at 9am AEDT sharp. For more info, head to the official Splendour In The Grass site. Image: Bianca Holderness and Charlie Hardy
Broadbeach has never really had to work too hard to convince people to visit. The laidback vibes, excellent dining scene and ample swimming spots that give the suburb its name do most of the heavy lifting. But if you are a little harder to impress, the good people at Tourism and Events Queensland are rising to the challenge and cordially inviting you to plan a long weekend away to the Gold Coast for the annual Blues on Broadbeach festival that runs from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21. With 22 years of experience under its belt, the 2023 incarnation of Blues on Broadbeach will be the pay-off of a well oiled machine. And, while the organisers have had some time to fine-tune their ability to put on a stellar music festival that showcases authentic rhythm and blues music, this year's program could very well be their best yet. As well as a lineup of national and international artists performing across the precinct's multiple stages, streets and parks, the four-day-long fest will fold in a massive selection of restaurants, cafes and bars, and a host of accommodation options. Meaning you can stay right in the heart of the festival and enjoy live music at your actual doorstep. Kind of worried about blowing the budget? Fear not, because Blues on Broadbeach is one of Australia's largest free music festivals and it's generally non-ticketed, so you can just rock up and play it by ear (pardon both bad music-related puns). So, if you're heading in from interstate, set your Google alert to track flight prices and round up some mates. Otherwise, if Broadbeach is closer to home for you, take your time and pop in and out as you please. Either way, whether its your first pilgrimage to Blues on Broadbeach, or your 22nd, we're going to call it now and say it probably won't be your last. Blues on Broadbeach is on from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21, 2023. For further details, head to the website.
Acclaimed London and Miami bar Sexy Fish is sparing no expense in launching its new cocktail menu. The renowned international venue is taking to six continents (sorry Antarctica) to unveil its latest creations, enlisting the help of four host bars across the globe to join in. Luckily for us, one of those bars is right here in Sydney, with South Eveleigh's Re- the representative from Australia. The menu launch will take place on Monday, March 6, with Sexy Fish's two venues premiering the boundary-pushing displays of mixology alongside Cape Town's Cause Effect, EL BARON in Cartagena, Zest in Seoul, and Re-. Arriving from Matt Whiley and Maurice Terzini in 2021 with a focus on sustainability and an exciting drinks list, Re- will showcase 20 cocktail creations, including 16 alcoholic combos and four non-alcoholic variations. "Re- is thrilled to have been chosen as the Australian counterpart for the launch of Sexy Fish's new cocktail menu, Trinity," says Whiley. "We've loved working with Sexy Fish to create their Trinity menu Down Under, ensuring our sharp focus on local ingredients and sustainability continue to lead the way with drinks, preferencing innovation and taste while minimising waste." Highlights from the menu include a coconut and lemongrass cocktail featuring Absolut Elyx vodka and sake; a playful creation made with marshmallow-infused gin and fortified wines; and the Coffee and Toast, which combines brown butter-infused mezcal, coffee, caramel, Campari and manzanilla. "This is such an exciting project and the first time we have launched a brand-new menu across six continents on the same day with our full Sexy Fish menu and original glassware," Director of Bars at Caprice Holdings Xavier Landais said. "Incredibly, guests visiting our host bars will be able to enjoy the full Sexy Fish experience for one night only, whether they are in Australia, Colombia, South Africa or South Korea." Re- will open especially for this world-spanning cocktail showcase on the Monday, with no bookings available — walk-ins only. If you want to taste what Sexy Fish has been whipping up, just venture down to South Eveleigh early and nab a spot at the bar. You can try the new cocktail menu from Maimi and London's Sexy Fish at Re- for one night only on Monday, March 6.
Visit Alice Springs at any time of year and you'll find plenty to see and do in Australia's Red Centre, including making the trip to Uluru, marvelling at Bruce Munro's Field of Light, and checking out the Tjoritja gorges and Kings Canyon. Here's a spectacular reason to head by every April, including from now until Sunday, April 16 in 2023: Parrtjima — A Festival In Light. The region's luminous Indigenous arts festival is back for another year and, set against the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, it looks stunning as always. This event celebrates First Nations arts, culture and storytelling, and just might be Australia's most luminous event — with installations in breathtaking surroundings leading the show alongside music, talks, films, workshops and more. [caption id="attachment_896332" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sisters at Watarru by Noreen Dixon, Grounded.[/caption] 2023's focus: 'Listening with Heart'. That's what this year's light-heavy installations, which were announced late in 2022, are focusing on. Parrtjima's theme is inspired by the artwork surrounding the Statement from the Heart, with that piece depicting Uluru-Ku Tjukurrpa, the Uluru story of connection, as created by a group of artists from Multijulu as led by Maruku artist Rene Kulitja. So, Kulitja has worked with other of artists for Parrtjima to turn the Statement from the Heart artwork into a large-scale immersive light and sound installation. Accordingly, Parrtjima attendees are currently getting plunged in the world of the Aṉangu people of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands surrounding Uluru. This year's festival installations feature ancient songlines, plus Indigenous viewpoints on Country, as well as connecting to First Peoples' strong links with the land, water and sky. Two things that are also on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attractions, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. As for the music program, it is overflowing with First Nations talent, including Docker River Band, Eastern Reggae Band, Emily Wurramara, JK-47, KAIIT, Karnage and Paul Ah Chee. They're joined by Radical Son, Richard J Frankland, Discovering Leerpeen Mara, Rowdy Birds, The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band and The Merindas across the ten days — and with a range of dazzling backdrops. The talks lineup features actor Steven Oliver, marathon hero Charlie Maher, media identity Naomi Moran, scientist Corey Tutt, Olympian Nova Peris and more, such as musicians Richard Frankland, KAIIT and Paul Ah Chee — doing double duty on stage and having a chat. Movie-wise, attendees can look forward to Westwind: Djalu's Legacy, Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky, Araatika: Rise Up and The Australian Wars. And, the workshops schedule includes dance, art and pottery. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until Sunday, April 16, 2023 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
In a Carriageworks exhibition that cuts right to the core of how the art world relates to the lives of most everyday people, Branch Nebula’s ARTWORK addresses issues of unemployment, observation and exclusion. Branch Nebula is an award-winning art collective known for interactive pieces that challenge what it is that constitutes a performance. ARTWORK follows this theme, by employing people who are looking for work — found through the classifieds and untrained in performance — in an effort to question who audiences accept as a performer. The workers will be paid to engage in physical tasks, interviews and other typical workplace routines with no preparation, in front of an audience. Branch Nebula admits the piece is intended to be risky, with performers free to raise issues of racism, sexism and class, and also expects their audience to experience a level of discomfort as they reflect on what it is to employ someone to be observed. At $35 a ticket, there's also the question of which people are able to engage with the art world and how. A must-see for those questioning the relevance and elitism of the art world — if you can afford it.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with a prosperity-inducing feast at Song Bird – Neil Perry's recently launched three-level Chinese restaurant. Guided by head chef Mark Lee, a sprawling Chinese New Year banquet is being served up for lunch and dinner until February 10. Priced at $149pp, the menu features a curated 8-course feast spanning traditional ingredients said to bring good luck heading into the New Year. Of course, each dish will also showcase Song Bird's appreciation for high-end ingredients and tantalising flavours. For instance, raw bigeye tuna served with iceberg lettuce and Sichuan dressing reflects the colour red for good fortune. Then, crisp lobster and scallop money bag dumplings signify prosperity, while poached Sun Farms heritage chicken and tea eggs symbolise renewal or fertility. "Food plays a central role in Chinese New Year celebrations, and we've crafted a menu that honours tradition while offering a distinct Song Bird twist," says Perry. "It's the perfect way to ring in the new year with a feast of flavours and good fortune." Image credits: Petrina Tinslay
Mark your calendar: if you like free ice cream, as everyone should, then you have a date with a Ben & Jerry's store in April. Each year, the dessert brand chooses one day per year to give everyone a treat without paying a cent. In 2024, that day is Tuesday, April 16. If there's one thing this chain loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. But, to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, on Free Cone Day it loves giving away free scoops just as much. The occasion is exactly what it sounds like: a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually since 1979 until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons — returning in 2023 for the first time since 2019, and now backing it up in 2024. Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store (which is most stores) between 12–8pm. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period. Free Cone Day is happening Australia-wide — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at both Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores and its Hoyts outlets. In New South Wales, that means hitting up Manly, Bondi Beach and Parramatta, plus some Hoyts cinemas.
There's no wrong way to visit a winery, whether you choose to participate in a boozy fun run within the grounds, cycle between a couple of wine-slinging spots, or simply stop by for a few hours, taste some tipples and make a few purchase. Or, you can stay for the night, which isn't a new concept — but one South Australian vineyard is letting folks sleep right next to the vines in a luxury pod. Wineries from Queensland to Victoria boast glamping facilities; however The Vineyard Retreat McLaren Vale now has an Escapod. As the name suggests, it's all about escaping from the hustle and bustle, which is definitely on the agenda in what's essentially a luxury detached cabin right in the heart of the vineyard. Measuring 72 square metres, the pre-fab structure includes an open-plan dining and lounge room, a king-sized bed, an open fire and two small external decks, plus a fully functioning kitchen, a separate bathroom and a storage room. On the mod cons front, it also has the requisite appliances, under-floor heating, reverse-cycle heating and cooling, and automated blinds — although you'll want to keep them open to enjoy the vineyard views. Furthermore, the pod can be connected to the main power or can go off the grid via a solar power battery, rainwater tanks and a wastewater treatment system. Built off-site then brought to the winery, the Escapod can also be moved again in the future if needed. It'll be available for bookings from September — and it's one of two pods destined for the McLaren Vale spot, although just when the second will arrive is yet to be determined. If the pod has you planning a boozy getaway, there's some other good news — more are planned. In total, Escapod is hoping to roll out 20 pods across South Australian sites across the next year. Find the first Escapod at The Vineyard Retreat McLaren Vale, 165 Whitings Road, Blewitt Springs. Visit the retreat website for further details. Via The Lead. Images: The Vineyard Retreat / Escapod.
In 2023, Queensland made history when it became the first Australian state to commit to pill-testing services not just ad hoc or at festivals, but on an ongoing and permanent basis. The Sunshine State's strategy is now being put into place, starting over 2024's Easter long weekend. Accordingly, festivalgoers at 2024's Rabbits Eat Lettuce will be able to use Queensland's first event-based pill testing service onsite. The aim, at fests and in general, is to ensure that Queenslanders heading for a night out and to big music events can check their illicit substances for dangerous ingredients — and do so for free, voluntarily and confidentially. The state-funded sites are being established as a harm-reduction strategy, to minimise overdoses and other adverse effects resulting from party drugs. Exactly where in southeast Queensland the permanent locations will pop up hasn't been revealed as yet, but there'll be two venues. As well as winning the tender for the initial pair of fixed-site spots, Queensland Injectors Health Network, The Loop Australia, and the Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action will also provide at least one festival-based service this year. Harm Reduction Australia, which operates as Pill Testing Australia, will take care of several other pill-testing services at festivals in 2024 and 2025, capitalising upon its experience in Canberra at fests and at a fixed-site spot. Indeed, Queensland's move comes after trials in Canberra, which has included Groovin' the Moo in 2018 and 2019. The Australian Capital Territory also launched the country's first fixed testing site as part of a six-month trial. Drug checking has been used overseas since the 90s, but remains a controversial topic in Australia. Indeed, when Groovin the Moo conducted its first trial in 2018, calls to offer pill testing had been circulating for the prior two years, after a 15-year-old collapsed from an overdose at the fest's Maitland event in 2016. Rabbits Eat Lettuce, which takes place just outside of Warwick in Elbow Valley, experienced two deaths at its 2019 festival. "In 2021, there were 2231 drug-induced deaths in Australia — the equivalent of five deaths a day. That's 2231 deaths too many, and we know this number will continue to grow if we don't act now," said Queensland Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Service Shannon Fentiman. "I want to be clear that these services are all about harm minimisation; we don't want people ending up in our emergency departments — or worse, losing their life. They aim to make people aware of the dangers of taking illicit substances, influence behaviour and, ideally, reduce their use of substances," Fentiman continued. [caption id="attachment_809941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Byrne[/caption] For more information about pill testing in Queensland, head to the Queensland Government website.
Spilling out from World Science Festival, Curiocity Brisbane (22 March–2 April, 2023) takes over the wider city of Brisbane. Art meets STEM in a landscape of experiences and installations designed to challenge and enlighten urban explorers. Use augmented reality to bring memory fragments to life, encounter kinetic art through an intense colour spectrum in a changing parabolic curve, interact with playful cybernetics and help teach AI in real time. Take a free curator tour to take a deeper dive into the meaning behind the artworks, which includes the interactive "sound sculptures" T.H.E.M (that's The Handmade Electric Machines, if you're curious — a collection of six sound and lighting mechanisms brought to life by musicians, artists and designers). The free Curious Conversations program offers discussions on topics such as the future of AI, our role in the natural world and First Nations artists' relationship with history, culture and traditional knowledge. [caption id="attachment_804118" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Curiocity 2021, Markus Ravik[/caption] But, Curiocity Brisbane isn't just for the daylight hours. Art installations will be scattered along the streets and South Bank, disrupting the reverie of the river city with thought-provoking displays and unexpected intrusions, both visual and auditory. Curiocity Brisbane pops up around Brisbane from Wednesday, March 22–Sunday, April 2, 2023.
He went from being the cute kid in Batman Begins to the most hated character in Western pop culture. Jack Gleeson, the actor who played King Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones is coming to Australia next month as part of the national nerd-out that is the Supanova expo. Prepare your poisons — but seriously, please don't poison him — Joffrey lives again. Unfortunately (or very fortunately, depending on where you live) Gleeson will only be hitting up the Brisbane and Adelaide legs of the show. He will be filling the spot made available by Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) as she had to withdraw from the expo to fulfil commitments for her role in The Hunger Games. Gleeson will also be joined by Peter Cullen, the voice actor who plays Transformers' Optimus Prime. This appearance will be made all the more interesting as, after 'leaving' Game of Thrones, Gleeson has actually quit acting completely. Though he's now focusing on his university studies instead, there's undoubtedly a lot to be said about the devastating consequences Joffrey's character has had on his career. Really — how can we see him as anything else but the evil boy king? His Q&A should prove for some really interesting insight into the mechanics of intense fandom. Those in Melbourne and Sydney will have to wait until April and June respectively. And, at that point, the expo will be making the rounds without Gleeson. Hardcore fans and haters will have to take this clip as some kind of small consolation: Supanova will be at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 28-30 and at the Adelaide Showgrounds November 22-23. For more information about the lineup or Sydney and Melbourne offerings, see the website.
Most of us have at least one baby-faced friend: that eternally youthful chum forever being asked for ID and almost certainly secreting an ageing portrait of themselves in a dusty attic somewhere. While they're always good for a laugh, it doesn't matter how much these child-adults (or 'chadults', as no-one will ever call them) appear younger than they are; we'd scarcely consider them capable of doubling for a high-school kid. Hollywood, on the other hand, seems to do it all the time. Stockard Channing was 34 when she played the 17-year-old Rizzo in Grease, Shirley Henderson was 35 whilst playing the 15-year-old Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter, and Luke Perry was 117 when he began playing Dylan on 90210. Even more implausible is the idea that actual teenagers might be duped by the pretence, yet that's precisely the thinking behind Jonah Hill's new movie, 21 Jump Street, based on the '80s TV series that famously launched Johnny Depp's career. Hill teams up with Channing Tatum to play police officers Schmidt and Jenko, two junior patrolmen sent undercover into a high school to dismantle a burgeoning drug ring. To the film's credit, it at least acknowledges the improbability of the premise, particularly in the case of the muscle-bound Tatum, to whom the sports coach says at one point, "Jesus when did you go through puberty? Like, at seven or something?" Tatum is definitely the big surprise in this movie, with his first foray into comedy potentially revealing the ideal market for which his talents are best suited. Whilst it mightn't seem like a huge stretch for the guy to be playing an attractive but vacuous himbo, his timing is pleasantly spot-on and his 'jock-out-of-water' subplot is so endearing it quickly becomes the more engaging and amusing of the two. Hill, unsurprisingly, continues to play Hill: a socially awkward, slightly overweight and well-intentioned nerd who, courtesy of a hidden talent and a touch of serendipity, is suddenly propelled into the cool crowd. It's all very familiar, Superbad territory; however, the pairing with Tatum works unexpectedly well in this case and a fast-tracked sequel feels almost inevitable. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, whose last film was the magnificent Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street combines improv-heavy surrealism with high-octane action and some seriously offensive language to create a film quite unlike anything else you're likely to see this year. The Judd Apatow-esque dialogue is understandably hit and miss; however, there are easily enough laugh-aloud moments (as well as one particularly clever cameo) to make this film more than worth your while. https://youtube.com/watch?v=RLoKtb4c4W0
Maybe you love nothing more than telling simulated people what to do. Perhaps a fantasy universe is your favourite place to escape to when you're mashing buttons. More than a quarter-century back, virtual critters might've been your go-to pastime. The Sims, World of Warcraft and Neopets have all made an impact on the gaming world, and on audiences. All three are also scoring plenty of love at Game Worlds at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. For five months between Thursday, September 18, 2025–Sunday, February 8, 2026, this video-game exhibition is shining a spotlight on 30 iconic titles — and making attendees feel like they're stepping inside some of them, too. Expect everything from original concept art and never-before-seen designs to rare objects at the Federation Square site's Gallery 4. Expect to get playing, rather than just peering, as well. [caption id="attachment_997872" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Electronic Arts[/caption] Although the full lineup of games featured hasn't been revealed as yet, they'll span from the 70s until now, and 20 of them will be playable. Demos, games from years gone by, trying to break speed records: they're all part of the setup, which will include international hits, new Australian releases and everything in-between. ACMI has staged major video-game showcases before. This is its third, in fact, following 2008's Game On and 2012's Game Masters. Since the latter, the venue has also hosted smaller gaming exhibitions, such as 2017's Code Breakers — where women in the industry were the focus — and 2024's Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition. Earlier in 2025, it celebrated 25 years of The Sims across one nostalgic weekend. As it regularly does with its showcases, the gallery will pair Game Worlds with talks, film screenings and other events, family-friendly activities among them. [caption id="attachment_997868" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Neopia[/caption] Top images: Blizzard Entertainment.
There are moments, certain descriptions and attitudes in Emerald City that make it seem like a work of speculative fiction, paying dividends as it comes to pass decades later. Of course, it is not. The work, by David Williamson, does not reside in the future, and its business is not prediction. Rather, it is a brutal satire which sits undeniably in the time period it was conceived. Consequently, enjoyment is tempered by disappointment during this savaging of Sydney and its occupants, mainly because of how little it seems we’ve changed in the intervening years. Despite, or perhaps because of, how well the text has aged, Lewis has decided against changing the setting; a poppy and synth-laden sound design by Kelly Ryall, a patchy backdrop of Sydney Harbour painted by Ken Done and more than one deafening shirt combine to celebrate the play’s status as a child of the '80s. The characters, too, evoke the period, displaying bastardry and avarice of a calibre that places them firmly at the dawn of the ‘greed is good’ era. Possibly the best part about Emerald City is that there is absolutely no one to root for: not Colin (Mitchell Butel), a power-hungry screenwriter whose star is not so much fading as sputtering; not Kate (Lucy Bell), his wife, whose stringent morality stretches only as far as the front door; not Elaine (Jennifer Hagan), Colin’s producer, descending a bottomless ladder in order to work her way out of a dry patch; and not Mike (Ben Winspear), an up-and-comer who’s figured out that art is a numbers game and is intent on selling his soul in lieu of creativity and talent. By the time the play begins, redemption is out of the question for any of them, and all that’s left is to watch the hubris pendulum on the backswing. Curiously, it is Helen (Kelly Paterniti), Mike’s girlfriend, and Malcolm (Gareth Yuen), a merchant banker, who come off as the most honest of the bunch. The openness with which they pursue their particular objectives allows them to seem marginally less despicable than their duplicitous counterparts. The ensemble is tight and the pace is relentless in this latest production of Emerald City. Despite the new millennium, Williamson’s skewering of Sydneysiders continues to ring true. Judging by conversation overheard just outside the theatre, though — snippets of ‘new diet’, ‘quinoa’ and ‘kale’, outrageous schmoozings and career-based pissing contests disguised as polite conversation — one wonders, after all this time, whether many of Williamson’s targets even know they’ve been hit.
What's better than seeing an almost 150-year-old heritage-listed building given a new lease on life, and giving Sydneysiders new spots to eat and drink in the process? Seeing all of the above happen right beside the city's newest boutique hotel. Meet Porter House, the luxurious new precinct that's now open on Castlereagh Street. Featuring a hotel and five levels of dining, events and function options, the precinct is based around the Porter House building, which dates back to 1876. Originally commissioned by tobacco manufacturer Hugh Dixon, it was used as the Dixson & Sons tobacco factory and warehouse, then became a shopfront for WW Campbell & Co and leather merchant George Johnson & Sons. Now on offer in that space: a Euro-style delicatessen and wine bar, plus a modern brasserie. An additional bar is in the works, and the food-and-beverage part of the precinct also includes two levels of private dining spaces and function rooms. Then, next door, there's the expansive new luxury hotel. [caption id="attachment_870750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] At Henry's Bread and Wine, which operates seven days a week on the ground floor, an all-day lineup is on the menu. That includes tucking into wagyu pastrami reubens with sour onions and prawn milk buns — and also being able to pick between eating in and taking away for breakfast and lunch. Drinks-wise, expect to get sipping at a central bar surrounded by a four-metre wall of wine, mainly from Australia. Then, Dixson & Sons — which takes its name from the Dixson family, who originally built the site all those years back — sprawls across nearly 200 square metres on the first floor. Seating 90, it skews relaxed but elegant, with banquettes, tables for two and a bar spanning six metres perched in the middle. On Executive Chef Emrys Jones' (ex-Fish Butchery, No 5, Qualia) menu: a big focus on New South Wales produce, and on using every part of each ingredient, à la Josh Niland and Fish Butchery. As well as seafood, you can look forward to tasting your way through native flavours such as bush tomato, native thyme, lemon myrtle, dessert lime and macadamia dukkha. A sampling of dishes includes beef tartare with a house-made blend of soy, bonito and nori; vegan butternut pumpkin tart; a massive beef wellington for two; and, for dessert, the jelly 'n' ice cream sandwich with croissant, blackberries and cinnamon. [caption id="attachment_870747" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Finally, there's the 225-square-metre Spice Trader bar, which will take over the top level before summer, complete with glass panels across more than half the roof to make the most of the natural light. Drinks will come served from a 16-metre sage marble bar — and expect to knock back cocktails aplenty. Over at the $94-million Porter House Hotel — which is now open — you'll find 122 rooms and suites, a heated pool and a fitness centre. It sits across the first ten floors of a new 36-storey tower next door, with 131 residential apartments filling the other 26 levels. Linking the two buildings: a pair of new walkways featuring glass balustrades and rails, with showcasing the contrast between Porter House's heritage features and MGallery's modern design a key aim. Actually, that's the overall aesthetic in general, as seen in the hotel's interior decor. Think: leather and pressed tin touches, gold and brass fixtures, wooden flooring, soft pink and grey tones, warm lighting, curves and arches used heavily, and mismatching modern and vintage furniture. Yes, you might've just found your next staycation spot. That said, with Sydney also just gaining Australia's first Ace Hotel, and the Waldorf Astoria also opening its first-ever Australian hotel in Sydney in 2025, your list of places for a night away from home just keeps growing. The Porter House Precinct and Porter House Hotel are located at 203 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.
Immerse yourself in one of the biggest events on Sydney's cultural calendar with the return of Lakemba Nights. Held throughout the month of Ramadan, when people of the Muslim faith fast from dawn to dusk, this evening feast is your chance to gather around family, friends and the local community for delicious cuisine. Last year alone, 1.6 million people from across Australia made their way to Sydney for the festival. Taking over Haldon Street in Lakemba between Thursday, February 27 and Sunday, March 30 from 6pm to 2am, over 60 food stalls and food trucks serve up a tantalising array of cuisine from countries like Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Syria and Burma. This is your chance to explore fascinating new flavours, from sweet pastry desserts like knafeh to a succulent camel burger if you're feeling a little more adventurous. Just remember, this festival is a bustling affair, so planning your journey is a wise move. Limited parking is available, so make the most of the free shuttle buses starting at 6.30pm from Campsie and Roselands. There's also the option of catching public transport to the festival, meaning you won't have to worry about missing the fun. Whether breaking your fast or just soaking up the local community, Lakemba Nights is a jam-packed culinary experience not to be missed.
For four decades, The Shining has been responsible for many a nightmare — not only due to Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, which helped cement him as a horror maestro, but courtesy of Stanley Kubrick's unnerving and acclaimed 1980 film. If you've ever been spooked by twins, garish hexagonal hotel carpet designs, sprawling hedge mazes, elevators filled with blood, someone shouting "here's Johnny!" or just Jack Nicholson in general, you have this macabre masterpiece to thank. From parodies to homages to overt recreations, The Shining is also the unsettling gift that keeps giving. Everything from The Simpsons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Ready Player One has nodded the movie's way — as has documentary Room 237, which attempted to delve into its many secrets, meanings, theories and interpretations, too. But they've got nothing on the actual sequel to the eerie story. It picks up decades later, following the now-adult Danny Torrance as he tries to cope with the fallout from his supernatural gift. (Oh, and the memory of being terrorised by his axe-wielding dad as well.) In the just-released first trailer for Doctor Sleep — which is based on Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name — all work and no play make Danny (Ewan McGregor) something something. He's perturbed, mainly, as he grapples with the trauma he experienced in The Shining. Then he meets a mysterious teenager (Kyliegh Curran) who also has the gift, and things get creepier than a ghastly woman peering out of a bath or the word 'redrum' written on a mirror. In a teaser filled with references to its predecessor, both of these appear. Rebecca Ferguson, Bruce Greenwood and Room's Jacob Tremblay also star, with The Haunting of Hill House's Mike Flanagan in the director's chair. While King was famously unhappy with Kubrick's take on The Shining — even writing the script for a three-part TV mini-series version in the 90s — here's hoping that he approves of Flanagan's vision. This is actually the filmmaker's second King adaptation, after Netflix flick Gerald's Game. Check out the Doctor Sleep trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFEVyTlTqYo Doctor Sleep releases in Australian cinemas on November 7, 2019.
The Powerhouse Museum's flagship design program, Sydney Design Week, will return this spring as a live event for the first time in three years, with a curated lineup of exhibitions, talks, film screenings and workshops on offer across its seven days. From Thursday, September 15 till Thursday, September 22, you and your crew can catch the finest in local and international design across the festival's incredible week-long program happening throughout Sydney. Events are set to take place at multiple venues across the city including the newly opened Ace Hotel, Powerhouse Ultimo, Western Sydney University and more. [caption id="attachment_865161" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley[/caption] This year's festival theme, 'Making Now', aims to celebrate the designers, makers and thinkers who are defining culture and design in Sydney and across the globe at this very moment in time, asking the question: who is setting the scene for the future? The program is focused on exploring exciting collaborations and showcasing cross-pollination between rising creatives and renowned artists in a variety of design disciplines including industrial, interior, graphic, sound, scent and scenography from the world of theatre. Need help deciding which events to prioritise to the top of your hit list? Look no further than a keynote address courtesy of designer and co-founder of Doshi Levien, Nipa Doshi, and artist, author, educator and designer Bruce Mau. You can also get inspired at the Making Western Sydney Talks (which includes a guided architectural tour of Parramatta in its lineup) or a series of conversations taking place at the Ace Hotel. Want to get your hands dirty? Join a clay-making workshop led by Karen Black and a team of established and emerging Australian ceramicists at the Ace Hotel's cafe Good Chemistry. Then, marvel at the New Australian Design pop-up exhibition, curated by Emma Elizabeth at Powerhouse Ultimo. Keen to head along? Sydney Design Week will take place from Thursday, September 15 till Thursday, September 22. For more information and to peep for the full program of events, visit the website.
The Mouse House has brought some of its magic our way, with Disney: The Magic of Animation now on display at Melbourne's newly revamped Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Whether you've always been a fan of Mickey Mouse, can remember how it felt when you first watched Bambi, are able to sing all of Genie's lyrics in Aladdin or fell head over heels for Moana more recently, you'll find plenty worth looking at among ACMI's halls and walls. And in its doors, too — because walking beneath mouse ear-shaped openings to move from one area to the next is all part of the experience. Reopening on Saturday, October 30 and running through till Sunday, January 23 (after a lockdown-delayed season that originally launched on Thursday, May 13), Disney: The Magic of Animation is making its only Aussie stop at ACMI. The exhibition explores everything from 1928's Steamboat Willie — the first talkie to feature Mickey Mouse — through to this year's Raya and the Last Dragon. Obviously, a wealth of other titles get the nod between those two bookending flicks. Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book and The Lion King also feature, as do Mulan, Frozen, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia. The big drawcard: art from the Mouse House's hefty back catalogue of titles, and heaps of it. More than 500 original artworks feature, spanning paintings, sketches, drawings and concept art. The entire lineup has been specially selected by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, and will let you get a glimpse at just how the movie magic comes to life, how some of Disney's famous stories were developed, and which animation techniques brought them to the big screen. Get ready to peer at hand-drawn dalmatians (which is timely, given that Cruella released this year), stare closely at Mickey Mouse's evolution, examine Wreck-It Ralph models and pose next to Snow White. Wall-sized artworks pay tribute to a number of movies, too — The Little Mermaid piece is particularly eye-catching — and feeling like you're stepping into a Disney movie is an unsurprising side effect. The extended season will also feature screenings, including sing-along sessions of The Little Mermaid, Moana, Frozen and Frozen 2 — plus a viewing of Disney's upcoming release Encanto. Disney: The Magic of Animation is clearly designed to appeal to Mouse House fans of all ages. You, your parents, today's primary school kids — you've all grown up watching Disney flicks. So, while you're pondering tales as old as time, being ACMI's guest, contemplating the animated circle of life and definitely not letting your nostalgia go, prepare to be accompanied by aficionados both young and young at heart. Images: Phoebe Powell. Updated October 26.
If Shakespeare were alive today, what would he be doing? According to the Q Brothers, the creators of Funk It Up About Nothin', with his love of rhythm, rhyme and wordplay, he'd be a hip hop MC. And of all his works, perhaps Much Ado…, already riddled with ribaldry is the most fitting for some funking up. In this production from Chicago Shakespeare Company, Don Pedro and his boys Claudio and Benedick have just returned victorious from their latest hip hop battle, and love is in the air. With a cast of six plus a DJ on the decks, the performers rap their way through this hilarious and high-tempo adaptation. The performances on the single-set stage are buzzing with energy, and with several quick costume changes required, the cast aren't afraid to camp it up or milk a slapstick moment. Claudio's rejection of Hero at the altar and the entrance of Sheriff Dingleberry were particular highlights. Staying largely true to Shakespeare's plot, the lines have been transformed into a rap just over an hour long, complete with smut, innuendo, and parody — just the way the bard would have wanted it. The production is drawing quite a varied audience: young and old, theatre and hip hop fans alike and all of them leave smiling, which is no mean feat. After all, when was the last time you actually laughed at a Shakespearian comedy? https://youtube.com/watch?v=yB3_OLaA56w
When Stanbuli closed, many Sydneysiders waited with bated breath to learn what would take its place in its iconic Enmore Road digs behind the Marie-Louise salon facade. While a sense of cynicism would have been warranted with Sydney's track record of preserving beloved venues, you can officially breathe a sigh of relief with the Porteno crew maintaining its ownership of the building, opening a much-hyped Spanish tapas bar in the space. Named after the salon that occupied the building from the 50s through until the 90s, Bar Louise maintains the eye-catching pink and purple facade while giving the interior a makeover of warm yellow walls, rich wooden tones and fake leafy vines, all reminiscent of a southern Spain wine bar. "We just want to make it a fun place everyone can come and drink wine and eat great food — open seven days a week," Porteno Founder Elvis Abrahanowicz told Concrete Playground. The star of the drinks menu is sherry, with more than 15 varieties available by the glass ($12–32). The signature drop is an ideal start or end to your meal, accompanied by a cocktail, Estrella or minimal-intervention wine. The cocktails at Bar Louise include a coffee negroni ($22), manhattan on the rocks ($20) and Sangria de Maria Lousie ($15), while the wine list showcases tipples from Spain, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Argentina and France. Once you've ordered your opening glass of sherry, your attention will move to the food. The Pulpo a la Gallega octopus ($28) is an absolute highlight, served with potato, aioli and pimento chilli, but there's plenty here for vegetarians, pescatarians and meat-lovers to all discover. Kick things off with your choice of starters which range from gildas ($6) and paleta ibérico served with chips ($32) to mussel escabeche ($16). From there you can get a little heftier with your choices, with some of the exciting options available including charcoal-grilled eggplant and capsicum ($20), garlic and parsley mushrooms ($26), potato and prawn salad ($24), fried pork belly ($26) and thick-cut chorizo in a cider sauce ($26). The chorizo is made in-house, and a lot of the bar snacks are house-cured with the help of Continental Deli Co-Owner and Manager Michael 'Mikey' Nicolian. And, fans of Stanbuli, never fear — the former Head Chef Ibrahim Kasif is opening a manoush restaurant and wine bar with the renowned hospitality team behind NOMAD.
People of the gluten-free world, do we have some news for you. Nutie, Sydney's much-loved maker of GF doughnuts, is moving into Surry Hills. But, instead of focusing just on baked goods, it'll be doing breakfast and lunch as well — meaning that it will churn out a whole menu of sweet and savoury gluten-free goodness. Nutie opened its first shop in Balmain in 2017 and, since May this year, has been running a pop-up cafe on Pitt Street in the CBD. These venues have been super popular but, due to the kitchen size, can only do coffee and an array of baked goods. The new Holt Street cafe will have a full-service kitchen to produce a breafast and lunch menu that is entirely free of any trace of gluten. This includes porridge, Scandinavian-style topped toast and vegan sans-egg 'huevos rancheros'. While this is particularly good news for coeliacs, it's also a win for vegans. Many of Nutie's goods are dairy-free and vegan, including the cakes, brownies, tarts, cookies and — of course — a selection of doughnuts. Look out for the lamingtons, lemon meringue pies and s'more cookie sandwiches. To celebrate the opening of the Surry Hills store next week, Nutie is giving away 500 doughnuts. Get there at 10am (or earlier) on Tuesday, October 30 to land your paws on one. As an added bonus, it'll also be doing $1 coffees for the whole week. Nutie will open at 44 Holt Street, Surry Hills on Tuesday, October 30 at 10am. It'll then be open from 7am–4.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am–4.30pm Saturday.
A seminal piece of Australian gothic horror is coming to the Sydney Opera House — but not in the way you might expect. It's safe to say that Malthouse Theatre's version, which first premiered in Melbourne last year, transforms the acclaimed Aussie tale into its own creation. Kenneth Cook's landmark novel Wake in Fright has been adapted a number of times over the past 50 years, captivating audiences as a famed motion picture as well a 2017 miniseries on Network Ten. Now, it finds new life as a one-woman show, with actress Zahra Newman taking centre stage in this grim tale of violent masculinity in the dark heart of the Australian outback. When bookish school teacher John Grant finds himself stranded in the isolated mining town of Bundanyabba, his ideas of polite society soon fall away as he descends into a haze of drunkenness and brutality. Under the direction of acclaimed theatre-maker Declan Greene, and aided by a score from art-electronica band friendships, Newman brings the oppressive menace of Cook's work to the stage, forcing us to look inwards in ways we might otherwise avoid. Wake in Fright takes over the Playhouse at Sydney Opera House from Tuesday, February 11–Saturday, February 15. Images: Pia Johnson.
Darlinghurst's much esteemed (and very, very tiny) corner of cafe culture, Bootsdarling, has drummed up quite the dedicated pack of coffee and fritters crazed Sydneysiders crowding around the door. Expect a rotating menu of hearty fare like vegetable pie with a creamy tomato sauce, organic grass-fed slow-cooked lamb with vegetable ratatouille and chili pumpkin cornbread, grilled cheese, Thai crab and fish burgers, quinoa salads — even the odd Friday gourmet sausage sizzle. But you'll also find insane sweet things like the salted caramel coconut slice and coffee experiments aplenty — they once brewed up a blueberry cold drip, so expect anything and everything. Image: Trent Van der jagt.
With over 1,400 pieces on display, Capella Sydney has one of the finest art collections of any hotel in the country. If you'd like to get more acquainted with it, you're invited to take part in a new monthly series, The Art of Dining at Capella. Fusing this extraordinary art collection with tantalising cuisine from the hotel's renowned restaurant, Brasserie 1930, this fascinating encounter makes the property even more of a must-visit destination. Curated by international art and design consultancy, The Artling, leading art advisor Fiona McIntosh will guide this exclusive art tour, offering guests incredible insight into the art that adorns the hotel's storied walls. Plus, the tour includes a complimentary glass of champagne and a double pass to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), encouraging visitors to immerse themselves further in the city's art scene. There's enough artwork spread throughout Capella Sydney's expansive space to satisfy your cultural cravings. Focused on Australian artists across numerous mediums, you'll discover Otis Carey's GAAGAL mural in the McRae Bar, while Max Berry's Landscape Effect is a suitably peaceful complement to the divine pool area. Elsewhere, pieces by Nadia Culph, Nick Psomiadis, Belinda Yee and George Hall bring even more sophistication to the suites. Each tour begins in the hotel's Farrer Place lobby, which is home to a pair of site-specific fabric wall hangings by Elise Cakebread, Flotsam and Jetsam. Ready to check them out? Starting from Thursday, May 29, guests who make a booking for Brasserie 1930 will have an exclusive opportunity to book this private guided art tour for $40. Images: Ethan Smart.
Sydney is currently experiencing a wave of new hotel openings. From the sleek-as-hell Ace Hotel and the lavish Capella Sydney to exciting upcoming openings like the forthcoming W Hotel, the Harbour City is awash with flash new accommodation providers. On top of all of this, a five-star Sydney favourite has just received a multimillion-dollar transformation with heritage CBD hotel Swissôtel unveiling its new look, Euro-influenced rooftop pool and grand lobby bar. Both the bar and pool are located high in the sky, nestled among Sydney's high rises. Enter the hotel from Market Street and head up to level eight to find Arches On Market, a no-holds-barred dining and drinking experience within the building's pre-existing 1930s lobby. A luxurious fit-out has brought new life to the space, and an award-winning chef now heads up the kitchen, serving up a selection of finger food and bar snacks. Take your pick from intimate booths, relaxed lounge seating and the more formal dining space, or take a seat at the eight-metre-long Calacatta marble bar where you can really analyse the cocktail list with the bartenders to determine the beverage your heart truly desires. On the drinks menu, you'll find the signature martini served straight out of the freezer and garnished depending on your preference, as well as sours, cobblers and a twist on an Old Fashioned. Executive Chef John Giovanni Pugliano has pulled together a snack menu that will have you cancelling your dinner reservations elsewhere. Oysters, finger sandwiches, goats cheese and caramelised onion croquettes, prawn cocktails and pork terrine all make appearances alongside caviar and mandarin cheesecake. These vibrant cocktails and stellar eats are all calling to be enjoyed poolside, and hotel guests are in luck with the Arches fare available at the new rooftop pool. This inner-city oasis now boasts built-in cabanas and sun-soaked day beds, as well as booths set up to accommodate a spread of snacks from the lobby bar. Pristine white pool club-style walls surround the timber deck, giving the sky-high swim spot a sense of privacy without shutting it off from the sun and the surrounding skyline. The new-look 369-room hotel and all of its fresh amenities are open now. Rooms start from just over $350 a night and include access to the Ten Stories restaurant, Arches on Market, the rooftop pool and the wellness and spa facilities, all in the heart of the Sydney CBD. Swissôtel Sydney is located at 68 Market Street, Sydney. Restaurant images: Steven Woodburn
Not even Australia's balmy December temperatures can keep us from embracing the ironic ugly Christmas sweater trend. Christmas in July is here, my friends, and so too is a new line of OTT Yuletide-themed pullovers from the Colonel. Yep, KFC has just dropped its 2022 Christmas jumper range — and this time, there's a matching outfit for the furry mate in your life, too. Available to snap up from today, Friday, July 1, the limited-edition designs are primed for cheesy family photos, rocking a cheery red-and-white pattern and emblazoned with a cheeky nod to fried chicken: "Tis The Seasonings". Both the human sweaters and the pet versions come in a range of sizes, so you're sure to find a good fit no matter how hard you — or Murphy— have gone on the winter comfort food this year. What's more, there's zero shame to be felt in this daggy knitwear purchase, since all profits from the jumpers are going to support KFC's charity partners, The Black Dog Institute, ReachOut Australia and Whitelion. While Santa might not be squeezing down the chimney any time soon, KFC has also pulled together a new Festive Bangers playlist to get you in the mood. You can find it over on Spotify. And if the matchy-matchy outfits have left you and your pooch really wanting to cash in on that Christmas in July spirit, KFC's also releasing a limited-edition themed festive feast, featuring a family-sized feed that includes the new Christmas Cranberry and Christmas Mayo Stuffing dipping sauces. KFC's new Christmas in July sweaters are available to buy online, clocking in at RRP $59.95 (plus postage) for the human jumpers and RRP $34.95 (plus postage) for the pet designs.
This year, one of the biggest events on the Sydney calendar is a joint birthday party for an 18-year-old and a 40-year-old. Homebake has announced their 2013 lineup, and while there's plenty of bands to get excited about, the biggest changes are to the festival itself: to celebrate their 18th birthday, the festival's been expanded to three days instead of one, and the location's moved from The Domain to the forecourt of the Opera House, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary around the same time. As usual, the lineup celebrates the best of Australian music, both past and present. The 2013 lineup includes The Presets, Paul Kelly, Eskimo Joe, Beasts of Bourbon, Gurrumul, Architecture in Helsinki, Birds of Tokyo, Bernard Fanning and The Rubens. Tickets go on sale at 9am Wednesday, 26 September (so prepare to set your alarm for 8.50am and press F5 repeatedly until you see that 'Buy Tickets' link), and they're expected to go fast. While the smaller space will definitely make for a more intimate festival experience, it does mean that tickets for each day will be strictly limited due to capacity. You can check out the full lineup here.
The Lansdowne Hotel's storied history is set for another chapter, with the team over at the Oxford Art Factory announcing that it has agreed to take over the reins. The OAF crew revealed it has reached an agreement with the beloved venue's owners, putting a halt to plans that would have seen the Chippendale spot close down. Back in February, longtime custodians Mary's announced they would be stepping away from the beloved pub and live music venue, following news that the owners were turning the upstairs live music space into hostel accommodation. The announcement stated that live music would cease at the venue in April; however, gigs have continued through May, sparking speculation that the venue could be saved. Oxford Art Factory CEO and Founder Mark Gerber has now confirmed that the OAF team will be stepping in to take over the venue. "Oxford Art Factory can confirm the rumours. We are pleased to announce that we have agreed with the owners to put aside any plans that could see the demise of this iconic venue of Sydney and Australia's live music and arts scene," the OAF crew said in a statement. The Lansdowne has stood proudly on the corner of Broadway and City Road for decades, acting as a breeding ground for local up-and-coming bands from the 80s and 90s through till today. After closing in 2015, it was revitalised two years later by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary's. Gerber and co also revealed that renovations on the venue have started, with plans to give the pub a makeover complete with improved ammenities, bathrooms and audio-visual systems, alongside new food and drink offerings. "Music and art can never die. They make us stronger and live longer!" said Gerber. "Sydney doesn't need to lose any more live music venues; it has suffered enough. The lockout laws and COVID-19 have severely impacted a once flourishing and vibrant nightlife, and I wasn't going to let yet another music venue fall by the wayside — not on my watch!" To celebrate the good news, The Lansdowne will play host to a free Rejuve(nation) party on Saturday, June 25. The gig will run for 12 hours from 5pm–5am, and will feature a lineup of local favourite bands and DJs. You can expect more details be announced soon. The Lansdowne Hotel is located at 2–6 City Road, Chippendale.
It might located right in the heart of North Sydney's buzzing city centre, but Green Moustache feels far from it. Instead, this fresh-faced bar and restaurant has embraced Mother Nature, and is filled with an abundance of greenery and plant life. It's a well-executed lushness that's not all too surprising given this is the latest venture from Andrew Utiger and Matt Erby — the minds behind fellow North Sydney foliage den, Treehouse. Sporting primo rooftop views, the pair's new light-filled venue is destined to be a bar of choice for Sydneysiders looking for a warm and lush hideaway this winter. A roll call of hospitality guns are managing the spot, including co-owner David Maisey (Treehouse, Merivale, The Palisade Hotel), who oversaw the menu, which will be executed by chef Peter Fitzsimmons (Chin Chin) and pastry chef Alfredo Jr Peralta (Nomad). Wines have been chosen by sommelier Julien Perrimond (Bambini Trust Restaurant and Wine Room) and bartender Aby Dedej (Ivy Pool Club) will be shaking, mixing and stirring a drinks list that packs a punch. The food menu runs from breakfast through dinner — six days a week. Mornings might mean the likes of haloumi-topped bruschetta with pesto or a loaded brekky bowl, while later visits promise caramelised sticky pork with shredded coconut and snake beans — or a pasta starring hand-picked blue swimmer crab, chilli and lemon. Those heading here in winter will find comfort in the scotch fillet paired with artichoke chips and duck fat-roasted potatoes.
Tired of stale old superhero stories with their predictable Hollywood plotlines? Wouldn't you rather watch a movie about a half-man, half-fish instead? If your answer to either one of those questions is yes, then it's time to dive into the program at KOFFIA, aka the Korean Film Festival in Australia. Merman comedies aside, the lineup at this year's festival is packed full of highlights. Held at Event Cinemas on George Street, genre fans can scream through exorcism flick The Priests, and be pushed to the edge of their seats by supernatural thriller The Wailing. We're also extremely keen for zombie apocalypse tale Train to Busan, which is only screening in Sydney. Viewers after something a little less on the gruesome side won't be disappointed either. This year's program boasts a number of Korean rom-coms, headlined by Cho Sung-kyu's disarming relationship farce Two Rooms, Two Nights. For the full KOFFIA program, go here.
Switch its modern-day Texas setting for the American frontier of several centuries ago, and its noble thieving heroes for gunslingers roaming the range, and there's no mistaking it: Hell or High Water is a western through and through. These days, every second film or thereabouts is deemed a contemporary take on the genre, from Mad Max: Fury Road to The Dressmaker. Director David Mackenzie doesn't take on the Old West lightly, however, and his sun-scorched drama proves to be the genuine article. Bullets fly, law and order collides, and the distinctively dusty US landscape looms large over morally murky exploits. It all harks back to times (and films) gone by, while also proving ever-so-relevant to today. Sons of Anarchy actor turned Sicario writer Taylor Sheridan cleverly steeps every recognisable western element in timely commentary on our have-versus-have not society. Brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) fall into the latter category — but as the movie's title intimates, they're determined to make a change. Their primary opponent: the banking system. Specifically, a local financial establishment that happily gave their mother a reverse mortgage on the family farm, and now wants to swoop in and take it all away. So the siblings react Robin Hood-style, holding up the bank's various branches to raise the funds needed to retain control of the property. Of course, rangers Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are soon on the brothers' trail, one trying to hold on to the past by staving off retirement, the other grinning and bearing his colleague's old-school ways. In a film built dirt-up from the tiniest of details — a parade of sepia-tinted small towns here, a slow drawl masking unspoken pain there — paying close attention to the furrowed brows of Pine and Bridges is highly recommended. Like the film they inhabit, their characters are broken men moulded from familiar pieces. And yet the actors still manage to convey depths that trump the feeling that you've seen it all before. Watching them weather their respective battles — against systems trying to keep them in their places, against their internal demons, and against each other — is quietly revelatory. Though tasked with the least nuanced role of the three main players, Foster also ensures his ex-con character is more than simply a unhinged comic foil to his morally conflicted brother. To put it simply, it's stellar work from most involved. That applies to Mackenzie as well, who provides not only an evocative sense of the genre he's happily playing with, but balances Hell or High Water's solemn tone with his lightness of touch. The journeyman filmmaker continues to serve up new highlights such as his previous prison effort Starred Up, and now this. He's ably assisted by the fine work of cinematographer Giles Nuttgens, as well as by a soulful score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
UPDATE, May 7, 2021: Us is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. With his Oscar-winning directorial debut Get Out, Jordan Peele gave the world a powerful metaphor for everyday, engrained oppression. In the sunken place, the film's black characters are sent falling down an endless rabbit hole while their lives are controlled by wealthy white folks. African Americans are forced to watch from a cavernous expanse of darkness, all as someone else pulls their strings. Robbed of agency, they become passengers in their own journey, rather than drivers of their fate. The movie's brilliant blend of scares and social satire gives more flesh to the scenario, but the mechanics are straightforward: one race is sent plummeting; the other climbs higher through their subjugation. Peele's concept isn't a one-time idea, as his sophomore film shows. Us doesn't feel like Get Out redux for even a split second, but it does give another clever and chilling dimension to the notion of flailing versus prospering — and another example of who's doing both. This time, the writer-director puts class under his magnifying glass, while still training his gaze firmly at his country. It's not by accident that the movie's title can be read as U.S., aka the United States. That's not supposed to escape anyone's attention. Perhaps the greatest trick that Peele pulls, however, is slicing into the horror of just peering in the mirror and thoroughly detesting what's looking back. After a quick glimpse at an ad for 80s charity campaign Hands Across America, Us' 1986-set prologue sends a young girl (Madison Curry) into an actual house of mirrors. "Find yourself" the funhouse at the Santa Cruz beachside amusement park promises. She does, although not in the usual way — and as flashbacks remembered by the adult Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) reveal, she's left forever shaken by the process. In the present day, Adelaide returns to the Californian spot with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). She's wary and worried as her family pals around on the beach with their better-off friends, the Tylers (Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon). Later, Adelaide tries to explain her visible unease to Gabe, confessing that she has always felt as if her other self was coming for her. With the arrival of the Wilsons' doppelgängers on their driveway that night, her words are proven accurate. Decked out in matching red jumpsuits, wearing lone tan gloves and clutching golden scissors, the sinister doubles call themselves 'the tethered' — and they're here to cut that name to ribbons. What begins as a tense, terrifically staged home invasion soon becomes much more, as Adelaide and her loved ones face off against their murderous counterparts. The terror that follows boasts more angles than the reflective maze that starts this unnerving story. It also contains more twists and turns than the abandoned and unused tunnels buried beneath the U.S., as pointedly referenced in the film's opening title card. Finally, it features more meticulously deployed pop culture references and nods than might be expected in a movie that remains so thoughtfully distinctive. Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. He's similarly adept at using every tool in his arsenal. After giving It Follows such a disconcerting look, cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does so again here, especially while shooting in domestic spaces. Aided by a few choice song selections that range from NWA to the Beach Boys, Get Out composer Michael Abels conjures up another needling score designed to set viewers on edge. But it's the way that Us' agitated, anxious mood refuses to dissipate that marks the movie as something special. The narrative and its ideas are undeniably creepy and, even when some aspects initially seem a tad too obvious, the film resonates long after viewing. Us' tone, images and sounds reach further, however, truly and deeply creeping under the audience's skin. The simple sight of four shadowy figures looming over a house in the dark of night instantly demonstrates how effective Us is in a visual sense. Choreographed movements of the balletic, stilted and frantic kind do as well. They also highlight Us' other key element, because central to the malaise is Peele's cast. Their characters might battle themselves, but the actors never do the same, always making their dual roles feel like individual creations. If Daniel Kaluuya can earn an Academy Award nomination for Get Out, there's no reason that Nyong'o can't achieve the feat for her twin parts as both a fraught, complex victim and a calm, unrelenting aggressor. Her performance as Red, Adelaide's mirror image, is as delightfully disconcerting and affecting as the doppelgänger's gravelly, haunted voice. From Duke's transformation from goofy dad to non-verbal brute, to Joseph's expressiveness as both a too-cool teen and a psychopathic killer, to a particularly flighty then unhinged turn from Moss, Nyong'o is also in great company. Of course, that's one of the movie's mischievous tricks: as it delves into the divide between 'us' and 'them', it puts everyone in the same unsettling situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo
For the past 37 years, everyone that's wanted good neighbours to become good friends has wished they were living in one spot: Ramsay Street. Since 1985, the cul-de-sac in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough has been beamed into homes around Australia, and further abroad, unfurling the always melodramatic, often chaotic, sometimes downright wild antics of residents named Charlene, Harold and Madge and more. Some folks don't have to dream about living on the nation's most famous TV street, though. For a small portion of Aussies, feeling like you're on one of the country's big soap operas just comes with the address. Indeed, if you happen to reside on a Ramsay Street somewhere across the country, the shadow of Neighbours has been inescapable — and now that the long-running series has been cancelled after almost four decades, with its final episode set to air on Thursday, July 28, Ramsay Street inhabitants nationwide can celebrate with a free meal. To mark the last-ever instalment of Neighbours — which is set to see a hefty cast of well-known Aussie names return, including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Margot Robbie and more — Menulog is giving away free food to folks who really do live on a Ramsay Street somewhere in Australia. If you happen to be in love with someone called Scott, that's obviously a bonus. No, you don't need to have been through an amnesia spell or a shock return from the dead, or know someone who has. [caption id="attachment_844968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Manon van Os[/caption] You don't need to have been held hostage, been through more than one tumultuous wedding, or managed a bikini store called Bounce — all things, among oh-so-many others, that happened to the one and only Jarrod 'Toadfish aka Toadie' Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney). And if you're wondering why we're bringing him up specifically, that's because he's the face of Menulog's Ramsay Street giveaway, fittingly. Here's how it works: if you have the right address — with or without the Toadie-style Hawaiian shirt — you can head to Menulog between Monday, July 25–Monday, August 1. That's where you'll find a $20 voucher code in the 'For You' section if you're eligible, which you need to redeem within those dates. Also, you have to spend more than $20 in your order. Hey #Neighbours fans 👋 We wanted to confirm when you'll be able to watch the finale in the UK & Australia. Both us here in Australia and our friends @NeighboursTV in the UK will be a spoiler free zone until everyone has had a chance to watch our incredible final episode. pic.twitter.com/fBQRmU10ST — Neighbours (@neighbours) July 4, 2022 Obviously, if you were wondering what to eat at 7.30pm on Thursday, when the final-ever Neighbours episode goes to air on 10 and 10 Peach, now you know. And if you need a dose of Neighbours nostalgia in the interim, you can also check out Toadie revisiting the famed roadway below: Menulog is giving away $20 vouchers between Monday, July 25–Monday, August 1 to folks who live on Ramsay Streets around Australia. If that's you, head to the Menulog app and the Menulog website.
Has anyone checked if the team over at Gelato Messina HQ is, in fact, sleeping? Not only has it been whipping up sell-out cookies pies — with new flavours almost every month — it's been dropping specials so frequently you'd think its mantra was a chorus by Snoop Dogg. We've had an Iced VoVo gelato, a super-fancy Viennetta and, now, a collab with long-time friends Hoy Pinoy. Messina has previously teamed up with with the Filipino barbecue and street food experts for Messina Eats events and they're both frequent stallholders at the always-popular Night Noodle Markets. Whether or not the markets will go ahead this spring — with many restrictions on gatherings still in place — is up in the air, but the two food experts are letting you recreate a small part of it at home this winter. They're releasing Messina X Hoy Pinoy dinner packs for $65, which come filled with a heap of sweet and savoury snacks. Inside, you'll find two sticky pork skewers, chicken adobo and sticky rice and popular Messina dessert Coco Phangan. The latter comes with coconut and pandan sticky rice, mango sherbet, salted coconut sauce and toasted coconut flakes, and looks like this: You will need to finish off each dish at home, but there's nothing more difficult than a little boiling, a little baking and a little creative plating. The packs are available to pre-order from 10am on Wednesday, August 12 to pick up from select Melbourne and Sydney stores between Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15. The packs are available from Newtown, Parramatta, Penrith, Rosebery, Tramsheds and Bondi in NSW — and from Richmond, Windsor, Fitzroy and East Brunswick (Deliveroo only) in Victoria. If you're in Melbourne, keep in mind you are only allowed to travel five kilometres from your home. Gelato Messina X Hoy Pinoy dinner packs will be available to pre-order from 10am on Wednesday, August 12, for pick up between Friday, August 14–Saturday, August 15 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
In 2023, the Darling Harbour outpost of global hotel chain Sofitel (that also made our list of the best hotels in Sydney) unveiled its lavish new two-storey spa, delivering a fresh dose of relaxation high among the Sydney skyline. Joining the Harbour City's existing impressive supply of luxe spa experiences, and pairing its relaxation experiences with sweeping water views, the Sofitel SPA Darling Harbour offers an array of facilities and wellness journeys — all housed within a "quintessentially Sydney" space. Soft timbers, sandstone and marble finishes welcome guests into the latest addition to Sydney's wellness scene, which boasts seven roomy treatment spaces. Also on offer: a bespoke standalone bathtub with harbour views, an infrared sauna, a meditation zone and a contemplation deck sitting on level four of the hotel. While traditional experiences like massages, facials, body wraps and exfoliation are all available, the flagship offerings from the spa are its package deals — or wellness journeys. Take the signature half-day journey, for example, and you'll combine exercise, nutrition, treatment and introspection, getting a holistic experience that's meant to leave guests refreshed head-to-toe. French beauty brand Biologique Recherche and fast-rising Australian company Waterlily have been enlisted to provide the spa with its cosmetic treatment products, each of which will be personalised to every guest's needs. Plus, the spa sits alongside the hotel's previously opened level-four infinity pool. The swimming spot is heated year-round and offers guests the ability to enjoy a dip while soaking in panoramic views of Darling Harbour and the Sydney CBD skyline. Images: Anna Kucera
Getting philosophical about existence can mean bobbing between two extremes. At one end, life means everything, so we need to make the absolute most of it. At the other, nothing at all matters. When genre-bending and mind-melting time-loop comedy-drama Russian Doll first hit Netflix in 2019, it served up a party full of mysteries — a repeating party overflowing with chaos and questions, to be precise — but it also delivered a few absolute truths, too. Fact one: it's possible to posit that life means everything and nothing at once, all by watching Natasha Lyonne relive the same day (and same 36th birthday party) over and over. Fact two: a show led by the Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star, and co-created by the actor with Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland, was always going be a must-see. Russian Doll's first season wasn't just one of the best TV shows of 2019, but one of the smartest, savviest and funniest, all while making the utmost of its Groundhog Day-meets-The Good Place setup. It tasked Lyonne's chain-smoking, acerbic and misanthropic New Yorker Nadia Vulvokov with cycling through the same date again and again, experiencing both gruesome and mundane deaths, and attempting to work out what this whole life business is all about. It was dark, heartfelt, amusing and innovative, as well as clever and compelling, especially in examining fate, logic, life's loops, wading through limbo, what counts in the time we have and if anyone can ever truly make a difference. (Also, it made the world appreciate how Lyonne pronounces "cockroach", something that never, ever gets old.) It took three years, but Russian Doll has finally returned for its seven-episode second season. The glorious news for sweet birthday babies who've gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the mornin' comes: it's smarter and weirder than its predecessor, and just as delightful. In the process, it achieves a tricky feat, because making more of a show that's already about duplicating the same events could've proven a lazy and easy rehash. Indeed, Russian Doll season two stresses another key fact: that taking a leap, twisting even further, and seeing life's ups and downs as a trip is always better than treading water. At the end of Russian Doll's first season, self-destructive video-game designer Nadia closed the live-die-repeat dilemma plaguing both her and mild-mannered fellow NYC-dweller Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett, You). The pair found a way to wind up "the one about the broken man and the lady with a death wish that got stuck in a loop," as Nadia describes, and the series came to such a glorious conclusion that no follow-up was really necessary. But in season two, death isn't the problem. Instead, time is. It was an issue before, given the duo couldn't move with it, only back through the same events — but now, via the New York subway's No 6 train, Nadia and Alan are speeding into the past to explore cause and effect, inherited struggles and intergenerational trauma. "Inexplicable things happening is my entire modus operandi," Nadia notes — with Lyonne as dynamite as ever in the wisecracking, angry-yet-tender, career-reshaping part — but it's also Alan's as well. They're now time prisoners, and their efforts to improve the present through the past leave sizeable ripples upon the pair themselves. There's no party as a catalyst, but there's still a birthday, with the narrative unfolding as Nadia's about to turn 40. Reaching that age has long been shorthand for reflection, crisis, taking stock of regrets and rethinking the future; however, it doesn't usually mean hopping to Berlin and Budapest from years gone by to learn not only how to stay alive, as the first season covered, but how to truly revel in every heartbeat regardless of whether it counts for something, nothing or everything. It's impossible to imagine how Russian Doll would work without Lyonne at its centre. Its mood, humour and look are so tied to the actor, who spits out sharp lines as naturally as breathing, wears the hell out of Nadia's overcoat and cascading crimson curls, and ensures that the flimsy chasm between being carefree and reckless is layered and relatable. Season two sees Lyonne also take over showrunning duties from Headland — and writing and directing three of its episodes, including its first and last instalments — so the fact that it dances so firmly as one with its leading lady is unsurprising as well as thrilling. Barnett's Alan doesn't get as much screentime as viewers would like as a result, but he's just as adept at making a splash in the time he has as he was in season one. (Add that to the show's list of truths across its entire run, clearly.) Sprawling and surreal, inventive and heartfelt, and somehow both skeptical and sentimental, Russian Doll is many things in season two, as it was in its debut airing. Now, it's also home to more of the always-welcome Chloë Sevigny (The Girl From Plainview) as Nadia's late mother Nora, the similarly returning Greta Lee (Sisters) as party-throwing pal Maxine, plus Schitt's Creek and Kevin Can F**k Himself star Annie Murphy and District 9's Sharlto Copley as series newcomers. Naturally, the twists that lead the latter two into the story are best discovered by watching, but they arise within a show that jumps backwards and keeps questioning that move simultaneously. That comes through stylistically — see: the visual cues taken from 70s cinema — and in snappy dialogue, profound themes and wily plot developments that muse on constant change versus hard-earned acceptance. Yes, Russian Doll is definitely back, entertainingly so, and serving up another wonderful on-screen matryoshka doll of life-pondering insights and time-twisting trickery for audiences to entrancingly unstack. And, it inspires its own IRL loop for beguiled viewers, too — because once you're done watching it, you'll want to cycle back and start all over again. Check out the full trailer for Russian Doll's second season below: The second season of Russian Doll is available to stream via Netflix. Read our review of the first season. Images: Netflix.
Big relaunches. Amusing takes on huge pop-culture hits. An interactive — and cocktail-fuelled — theatre experience that spreads across multiple rooms. A nod to Kate Bush, too, because it wouldn't be a fringe festival without it. Across Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30, all of the above are on the agenda at Sydney Fringe Festival. So is a free street party to get things started, and more than 460 events filling spaces around the Harbour City. When Darlinghurst's Eternity Playhouse hosts shows again for the first time in more than a year, it'll do so as part of the fest's 2025 Off Broadway Hub. That's where you'll find the well-timed Stranger Sings! The Musical Parody spoofing the Netflix hit through song, and getting Sydney laughing along with its 80s nods just a few months before the series starts unveiling its final season. Fittingly, Eternity Playhouse will also welcome Kate Bush Unmoored, which hails from the folks behind Radiohead Uncovered. In total, 2900 artists are involved in the 2025 lineup, which is taking over four precincts and ten festival hubs — the return of the Yagali First Nations Hub at the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists and the Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney among them, plus the Dance Hub settling into Sydney Dance Company's Neilson Studio again and the Cabaret Hub moving to Marrickville Town Hall. Expect everything from Adam Nobilia reading from Australia's Least Wanted, his memoir about spending ten years working as a Special Education Teacher at Long Bay Jail, then, through to LA-based drag queens Lorelei and Annie Biotixx with their variety show Queen Out (Verb), a mix of drinks and live performance with Dorothy in Oz, and local and international talents unleashing new dance pieces. A fringe festival classic, the circus, will find a home at Fool's Paradise, a two-tent pop-up at the Entertainment Quarter. This destination has a program of its own, with acrobatic standouts like Elixir Revived from Head First Acrobats, burlesque entries like Something Wicked, R18+ comedy and even an adults-only bubble show. If you've been to a multisensory Broad Encounters experience before — so A Midnight Visit, Love Lust Lost or Maho Magic Bar, for example — you'll be excited about When Night Comes. This time, the Union Bond Store at 6–8 Atherden Street is your destination, and you'll be sipping tipples and watching theatre all at once. That aforementioned free shindig in the streets has a date with The Rocks at the beginning of the fest, complete with live tunes, while Bondi Pavilion is the place to champion contributions from artists living with disability, neurodivergent talents and creatives who are deaf. Plus, select shows from international fringe festivals, such as Shit Theatre: Or What's Left of Us and Twenty Million Thousand Leagues Under the Sea will get the star treatment at Touring Hub. Doomscrolling deep dive I Watched Someone Die on TikTok, spoken-word performance Takatāpui, Wright & Grainger's Orpheus and Helios, circus at The Entertainment Quarter, open access literature festival Parramatta's Lit!, gothic revenge drama Way Back When: they're on the program, too. Images: Sean Breadsell, Jeff Busby, Dream Syndicate, Jason Matz and Daniel Boud. For more information on Sydney Fringe Festival or to get tickets, visit the website.
No one likes leaving their pet at home when they go on holiday. No one loves moving interstate with them flying in the cargo hold, either. A solution might be on the way, however, with Virgin Australia announcing its intention to allow small dogs and cats in the cabins of its aircraft — as long as it gets the regulatory tick of approval to do so. At present, all pets except authorised service and assistance dogs can't join humans while they're soaring through the skies. Instead, they fly underneath amid the luggage. But everyone who shares their life with a pooch or mouser knows that they want to do everything that people can do. In fact, they think they're people. Here's one way they'll be able to, ideally within 12 months. If it is signed off by the aviation powers that be, this will be the first time that an airline in Australia has allowed pets in its cabins. There will be rules, of course, including the fact that only small dogs and cats will be permitted, that the option will only be available on selected domestic routes and that pets will have to stay in a Virgin Australia-approved pet carrier under the seat in front of you for the whole flight. There'll also be designated rows for folks travelling with pets — which mightn't suit your cat if it isn't fond of dogs, or vice versa. And, if you're dreaming of your pupper or feline sitting on your lap or walking around the cabin, that obviously won't be allowed either. On the ground before you hop on the plane, then once you disembark, your pet will need to stay in its carrier as well, other than at the relief areas that will be part of Virgin's terminals. There's no word yet which routes will soon allow four-legged friends for company, or how much bringing them onboard might cost — but there will be a fee. The current arrangement with service and assistance animals will continue, so they'll still be permitted to travel in the cabin without an extra cost. Virgin Australia also will still transport pets in the cargo hold. "We expect the pets in cabin concept will prove a popular offering and we look forward to working with Virgin Australia to make it a reality," said Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus. Tell your pet to pack their suitcase — and start asking them about their dream interstate holiday. Virgin Australia hopes to allow small dogs and cats in its cabins on select domestic flights within the next 12 months. We'll update you when more details are announced. For more information about Virgin Australia's current pet policies in the interim, head to the airline's website. Images: Alex Coppel.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. X When the Scream franchise posed the question it'll forever be known for, it skipped over a key word. Ghostface is clearly asking "do you like watching scary movies?", given the entire point of frightening flicks is seeing their thrills and chills, and being creeped out, entertained or both. We all know that's what the mask-wearing killer means, of course, but the act of viewing is such a crucial part of the horror-film equation that it's always worth overtly mentioning. Enter new slasher standout X, which splashes its buckets of viscera and gore across the screen with as much nodding and winking as the Scream pictures — without ever uttering that iconic phrase, though, and thankfully in a far less smug fashion than 2022's fifth instalment in that series — and firmly thrusts cinema's voyeuristic tendencies to the fore. That name, X, doesn't simply mark a spot; it isn't by accident that the film takes its moniker from the classification given to the most violent and pornographic movies made. This is a horror flick set amid a porn shoot, after all, and it heartily embraces the fact that people like to watch from the get-go. Swaggering producer Wayne (Martin Henderson, The Gloaming), aspiring starlet Maxine Minx (Mia Goth, Emma), old-pro fellow actors Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow, Pitch Perfect 3) and Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi, Don't Look Up), and arty director RJ (Owen Campbell, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and his girlfriend/sound recorder Lorraine (Jenna Ortega, doing triple horror duty in 2022 so far in Scream, Studio 666 and now this) are counting on that truth to catapult themselves to fame. Hailing from Houston and aroused at the idea of repeating Debbie Does Dallas' success, they're heading out on the road to quieter climes to make the skin flick they're staking their futures on, and they desperately hope there's an audience. X is set in the 70s, as both the home-entertainment pornography market and big-screen slashers were beginning to blossom. As a result, it's similarly well aware that sex and death are cinema's traditional taboos, and that they'll always be linked. That's art imitating life, because sex begets life and life begets death, but rare is the recent horror movie that stresses the connection so explicitly yet playfully. Making those links is Ti West, the writer/director responsible for several indie horror gems over the past decade or so — see: cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers — and thrusting a smart, savage and salacious delight towards his viewers here. Yes, he could've gone with The Texas Porn-Shoot Massacre for the feature's title, but he isn't remaking the obvious seminal piece of genre inspiration. In this blood-splattered throwback, which looks like it could've been unearthed from its chosen decade in every frame (and was actually filmed in New Zealand rather than Texas), West pays homage to a time when flicks like this did pop up with frequency — while slyly commenting on what's changed to shift that scenario. He also explores the process of filmmaking, of putting both sex and death on-screen, and the conversation around both, all while his characters decamp to a quiet guesthouse on a remote property where they start making the film-within-the-film that is The Farmer's Daughter. Upon arrival, gun-toting, televangelist-watching, pitchfork-wielding owner Howard (Stephen Ure, Mortal Engines) is instantly unfriendly. Wayne hasn't told him why they're really there, but he's soon snooping around to see for himself. Also keen on watching the bumping 'n' grinding is Howard's ailing wife Pearl, who he warns his guests to stay away from, but is drawn to the flesh on show. Read our full review. RIVER Some actors possess voices that could narrate almost anything, and Willem Dafoe is one of them. Move over Morgan Freeman: when Dafoe speaks, his dulcet vocals echoing atop gorgeous imagery of the world's waterways as happens in River, being entranced by the sound is the only natural response. He's tasked with uttering quite the elegiac prose in this striking documentary, and he gives all that musing about tributaries and creeks — the planet's arteries, he calls them at one point — a particularly resonant and enthralling tone. Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa) knew he would, of course. She enlisted his talents on her last documentary, Mountain, as well. Both films pick one of the earth's crucial natural features, lens them in all their glory at multiple spots around the globe, and wax lyrical about their importance. Both make for quite the beguiling viewing experience. Thanks to writer Robert Macfarlane, Dafoe has been given much to opine in River — and what he's asked to say is obviously even more crucial than the fact that it's the Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Card Counter, The French Dispatch and Nightmare Alley star expressing it. The subject is right there in the title, but the film's aims are as big and broad as an ocean, covering the history of these snaking streams from the planet's creation up until today. "Humans have long loved rivers," Dafoe announces, which seems like a self-evident statement; however, not one to trade in generalisations without evidence, River then unpacks exactly what that means. It also uses that idea as a foundation, but paired with another, which Dafoe also gives voice to — this time as a question: "as we have learned to harness their power, have we also forgotten to revere them?". The answer is blatant, lapping away at the souls of everyone who lives in a river city and passes their central watercourse daily without giving it a second thought. Indeed, that plain-as-day response ripples with even more force to anyone who has been struck by the waterways' power when natural disasters strike, a fact that hits close to home after Australia's disastrously flooded summer across Queensland and New South Wales — timing that the movie isn't overtly trying to capitalise upon, given it first started doing the rounds of film festivals in 2021, and has had its March 2022 date with Aussie cinemas booked in for months. A documentary doesn't have to tell viewers something wholly new to evoke wonder, though. Conveying well-known truths in unforgettable and affecting ways has always been one of cinema's key skills, whether working in fact or fiction. River's sentiments won't come as a surprise, but it still feels like a fresh splash of water upon a parched face. Dafoe's narration and the film in general hone in on the importance of rivers to human civilisation since its very beginnings, starting with the unshakeable reality that rivers have made much in our evolution possible. Also just as pivotal: the devastation we've wrought in response since we learned to harness all that water for our own purposes, irrigate the land far and wide, and take an abundance of H2O for granted, which River doesn't ebb away from. The prose is flowery, but never overdone; its eager quest for potent poetry, or to be mentioned in the same breath as Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, always feels attuned to the awe it holds for its eponymous streams. It's also on par with Dafoe, Peedom and Macfarlane's work back in 2017 on Mountain, which was similarly hypnotic — and became the highest-grossing non-IMAX Australian documentary ever made, a claim to fame it still holds today. Read our full review. NOWHERE SPECIAL If the way that cinema depicts cancer was plotted out on a scale, Babyteeth and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl could easily demonstrate its extremes. One sees its protagonist as a person first and a patient last; the other uses terminal illness as a catalyst for other people's sorrows and struggles (the "dying girl" part of its moniker, right there at the end, is oh-so-telling about how it regards someone with cancer as little but an afterthought). Nowhere Special thankfully sits at the Babyteeth end of the spectrum. That said, its premise screams weepie, and being moved by its story happens easily. But there's an enormous difference between earning that response through an intimate and delicate story about a person's plight — and, here, their quest to provide for the person dearest to them after they're gone — and merely treating their life-and-death tussle as easy grist for the tear-jerking mill. Nowhere Special follows a 35-year-old single father in Belfast, John (James Norton, Little Women), who needs to find an adoptive family for his four-year-old boy (first-timer Daniel Lamont). His cancer has progressed, and now the doting dad and window cleaner's days are numbered, so he's determined to save his son Michael from more sorrow than his absence will naturally bring — in a situation that's pure emotion-courting fodder, but never manipulatively treated as such. Indeed, writer/director Uberto Pasolini opts for understatement and realism, including over overtly endeavouring to incite the kind of non-stop waterworks that most movies with this premise would eagerly turn on. The filmmaker's last feature, 2013's Still Life, was also just as beautifully measured and tender without mawkishness. Although the gap between his two latest pictures is sizeable time-wise, Pasolini hasn't lost his touch for making sensitive and affecting cinema. Suffering an illness that's turned fatal, and possessing little energy to get through everything that comes with being a single father, John's own fate isn't his primary concern. Nowhere Special takes time to dwell in the routine that marks its protagonist's remaining days — washing panes of glass, making the most of the time he has left with Michael, trying to secure his son new parents, feeling exhausted by all of it but still soldiering on while he can — which seems both mundane and extraordinary in tandem. The always-unspoken fact that life goes on even when it doesn't lingers throughout the film, as stark as a freshly cleaned, newly gleaming window, and contributes to the prevailing bittersweet mood. That's Nowhere Special's baseline. As it charts John's efforts to get Michael the best future he possibly can without himself in it, it soaks in the ups and downs of the pair's life together, recognising that it's both ordinary and remarkable — because all lives are. The search at hand is a difficult one, even when pursued with the best of intentions — by John and with the help of social worker Shona (Eileen O'Higgins, Misbehaviour). Unsurprisingly, finding the right people, or person, to entrust your child to forever is a heartbreaking job, and the weight of what John grapples with never fades from the film's emotional landscape. Features that treat ailing characters so considerately may be uncommon, and they are; however, pictures that willingly face the complicated questions, worries and fears that come with knowing your existence is about to end are rarer still. It might come as little surprise that Pasolini found his tale in reality, reportedly after reading a newspaper article about a man in the same circumstances as John, but how gracefully, attentively and still unflinchingly Nowhere Special fleshes out its story never fails to astonish. Read our full review. RRR The letters in RRR's title are short for Rise Roar Revolt. They could also stand for riveting, rollicking and relentless. They link in with the Indian action movie's three main forces, too — writer/director SS Rajamouli (Baahubali: The Beginning), plus stars NT Rama Rao Jr (Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava) and Ram Charan (Vinaya Vidheya Rama) — and could describe the sound of some of its standout moments. What noise echoes when a motorcycle is used in a bridge-jumping rescue plot, as aided by a horse and the Indian flag, amid a crashing train? Or when a truck full of wild animals is driven into a decadent British colonialist shindig and its caged menagerie unleashed? What racket resounds when a motorbike figures again, this time tossed around by hand (yes, really) to knock out those imperialists, and then an arrow is kicked through a tree into someone's head? Or, when the movie's two leads fight, shoot, leap over walls and get acrobatic, all while one is sat on the other's shoulders? RRR isn't subtle. Instead, it's big, bright, boisterous, boldly energetic, and brazenly unapologetic about how OTT and hyperactive it is. The 187-minute Tollywood action epic — complete with huge musical numbers, of course — is also a vastly captivating pleasure to watch. Narrative-wise, it follows the impact of the British Raj (aka England's rule over the subcontinent between 1858–1947), especially upon two men. In the 1920s, Bheem (Jr NTR, as Rao is known) is determined to rescue young fellow villager Malli (first-timer Twinkle Sharma), after she's forcibly taken by Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson, Vikings) and his wife Catherine (Alison Doody, Beaver Falls) for no reason but they're powerful and they can. Officer Raju (Charan) is tasked by the crown with making sure Bheem doesn't succeed in rescuing the girl, and also keeping India's population in their place because their oppressors couldn't be more prejudiced. There's more to both men's stories because there's so much more to RRR's story; to fill the movie's lengthy running time, Rajamouli hasn't skimped on plot. Indeed, there's such a wealth of things going on that the film is at once a kidnapping melodrama, a staunch missive against colonialism, a political drama, a rom-com and a culture-clash comedy — involving Bheem's affection for the sole kindly Brit, Jenny (Olivia Morris, Hotel Portofino) — and a war movie. It's a buddy comedy as well, starting when Bheem and Raja join forces for that aforementioned bridge rescue, yet don't realise they're on opposite sides in the battle over Malli. It's also as spectacular an action flick as has graced cinema screens, and as gleefully overblown. Plus, it's an infectiously mesmerising musical. One dazzling dance-off centrepiece doubles as a rebuff against British rule, racism and classism, in fact, and it's also nothing short of phenomenal to look at, too. Spectacle is emphatically the word for RRR — not quite from its scene-setting opening, where Malli is ripped from her family, but from the second that Raju shows how well he can handle himself. That involves taking on a hefty horde of protesters single-handedly with just a stick as a weapon, because extravagance and excess is baked into every second of the feature. Super-sized is another term that clearly fits, because little holds back even for a second. And a third word, if the film bumped up its moniker to the next letter in the alphabet? That'd be sincere. An enormous reason that everything that's larger than life about RRR — which is absolutely everything — works, even when it's also often silly and cheesy, is because it's so earnest about how determined it is to entertain. You don't use that amount of slow-motion shots if you don't know you're being corny at times, unashamedly so. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24; and March 3, March 10 and March 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive, Studio 666, The Batman, Blind Ambition, Bergman Island, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, The Souvenir: Part II, Dog and Anonymous Club.
To many people, the words ‘art exhibit’ recall hushed voices, polite chatter, and snooty, bespectacled gallery staff. Not so Startled Art’s first pop-up exhibit in Manly, where punters can expect a quirky kaleidoscope of artworks created by emerging Aussie artists amid a setting of Astroturf, pink flamingos, lollipops, and Post-It notes. Founded by Freshwater local Lena Peacock, Startled Art was born when this frustrated curator couldn’t find her dream job and decided to launch a curated site for buying and selling affordable art (a cool thousand is the ceiling for the most expensive pieces) solely from emerging Australian artists. Eschewing a traditional gallery space, the exhibit will be hosted in The Space, Manly, where A3-sized mixed-media, paintings, and interactive artworks will rub shoulders with Mojitos and Bloody Marys. Expect a kooky Mad Hatter-themed opening night — complete with live music — where loud, rambunctious chatter and surprises will be the norm.
The final piece of the puzzle for the food and drinks offering at 25 Martin Place — formerly known as the MLC Building — is Kazan Dining. Kazan invites diners to experience the art and theatre of Japanese cuisine. It's an appropriate theme, with the restaurant sitting within the unique circular space above the Theatre Royal, making it a perfect spot for a pre- or post-show meal. The slick, big-boned space is inspired by the staging for Japanese Noh, a classical performance style that combines dance and drama. On this type of stage, there is no curtain separating performer and audience, and this element is reflected in Kazan's open-plan space that features minimal barriers between chefs and diners. Design-wise, both the main dining room and the 10-seat private space feature seamless intermingling of the old and new, with the building's beautifully preserved heritage elements given new life thanks to a number of thoroughly contemporary touches. The contemporary feel also extends to Kazan's menu, which features a tight selection of sashimi as well as sushi (in both nigiri and maki roll form), robatayaki and share plates. There's also a considered dessert selection featuring a yuzu pavlova and the Kazan fondant served with coffee ice cream and miso caramel. There are subtly incorporated nods to Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cuisine in signature dishes like confit duck breast with mustard soy, light orange essence and sansho pepper, Saikyoyaki Glacier 51 Patagonian toothfish with corn purée and umeshu kumato tomato, and robata-grilled lamb cutlets with aji amarillo and cucumber yoghurt. All this culinary performance is overseen by head chef Shinya Nakano, an alum of grand Melbourne fine diners Kisume and Nobu. Kazan is open five days a week for lunch and dinner, with three-course set lunch ($55), four-course dinner banquet ($95) and two-course pre-theatre ($60) menus also available. Appears in: The Best Japanese Restaurants in Sydney
If it's a challenge you seek, try travelling the depths of Scandinavia on a budget. Many are deterred from visiting the region based on how expensive it's known to be, but we're here to tell you that even the most frugal person who dreams of traversing these extrafjordinary countries can make it happen. And it's hella worth it. Travelling through Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland is never going to be as budget-friendly as backpacking around Southeast Asia, but there are always ways to cut down on expenditure — whether it's kayaking down a fjord, teaching yourself Swedish or eating Norwegian hot dogs for every meal. Here are our top tips. [caption id="attachment_604853" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Holbergsgade, Copenhagen, Denmark. Image: Tony Webster via Flickr.[/caption] GET ON YER BIKE Well, someone else's bike. Public transport tickets in Scandinavian countries pummel the wallet. A two-hour bus ticket in Oslo or Copenhagen will cost you about AUD$20. Instead, hire a bike. You can find them for as low as AUD$40 a day. These cities are seriously built for cycling; in Copenhagen bikes outnumber cars, and it's unrivalled as the world's best city for cycling, with endless and impeccable bike lanes and parking. If you're staying in an Airbnb, don't be afraid to ask if your host has a bike you can borrow — just give them a little extra cash for it. [caption id="attachment_604839" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Svolvær, Lotofen Islands, Norway.[/caption] LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION Most of the time, hostels are more expensive than renting an Airbnb. Even the cheapest of Airbnb's are great alternatives — Scandinavians have an embedded sense of style, so most apartments are a pleasure to stay in. From our experience, they're often decked out with chic furniture and kitchen utensils you never knew existed. If staying in an actual building is too mainstream for you, try a 'botel' (a boat converted into a hotel). The canals of Stockholm's Södermalm are lined with long budget-friendly botels such as The Red Boat and Mälardrottningen. [caption id="attachment_604830" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Tjuvholmen, Oslo, Norway.[/caption] MAKE USE OF THE NATURAL WATERWAYS Mother Nature favoured Scandinavia with plunging fjords and glistening lakes — and they're totally free to swim in. You don't need to be in the countryside to find these either — salvation by H20 can also be found in the big cities. Stockholm's canals, amazingly, are clean enough to swim in. Notable spots include Långholmen and Liljeholmsviken. Oslo's city centre has a fjord at its doorstep, and in the summer people flock to Tjuvholmen, a small beach located near the Opera House for their dose of refreshment. [caption id="attachment_604841" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Aurland, Norway.[/caption] WHEN IN NORWAY, GO COUNTRY To travel to the fjord-packed lands of Norway ignites something in everyone. Don't be surprised if you spot seven waterfalls at once, or are startled by a gang of elk galloping by. Getting to the countryside may not be cheap, but you'll find yourself immediately inspired. Even if you're not usually a hiker, you'll get into it here. Norway, Sweden and Finland also have this nifty little law known as 'the freedom to roam', which guarantees everyone's right to access uncultivated lands. This means you can virtually camp anywhere that isn't classified as private property. So buy yourself a tent and get going. [caption id="attachment_604831" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Triangeln Station, Malmö, Sweden.[/caption] BOOK TRANSPORT TICKETS IN THE COUNTRY'S NATIVE LANGUAGE Sure, this is a little risky. But if you book a ticket in English, chances are the price will rise. It's the equivalent to waving your arms around screaming 'hi, I'm a tourist, exploit me!'. For instance, booking an overnight ferry on Hurtigruten from Norway's iconic Lofoten Islands up to the northern city of Tromsø will cost you about $350 if you book in English. Ain't no one got money like that for one night in a pitch black cabin with no window — even Jack had it better on the Titanic. Book in Norwegian, and you'll save about $150. You'll find that Scandinavian languages have some level of mutual intelligibility with English. But if you're still not 100 percent sure, ask a local to assist you. [caption id="attachment_604855" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Chris Street via Flickr.[/caption] CHOOSE A KAYAK OVER A DAY CRUISE Kayaking is significantly cheaper than day cruises of fjords and canals. You'll see the same thing — and arguably more — on a kayak. Plus, it's an opportunity to work off all that softis (an addictive Norwegian soft serve ice-cream) you guzzled down the day before. [caption id="attachment_604859" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: David Blangstrup via Flickr.[/caption] MAKE SUPERMARKETS YOUR BEST FRIEND Food in these countries is notoriously expensive, and if you're eating out, it adds up quickly. And while you should save some moolah to tuck into a few local delicacies — Swedish meatballs, anyone? — native food isn't really the region's strong point, so you won't be missing out on too much. Cook at every chance you get. Aldi, Rema 1000, Coop and Netto are a few supermarkets look out for. Speaking of groceries, buy them in Denmark and take them overseas. 'Don't leave without going to the supermarket!' is a common phrase for Danish people leaving the country to hear. Denmark's goods are significantly cheaper than anywhere else, so stock up before moving on. [caption id="attachment_604846" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Malmö, Sweden.[/caption] GO TO MALMÖ Malmö is Sweden's cosmopolitan underdog. It's the country's third largest city and has too much to offer. Firstly, going there after spending some time in Stockholm is totally relieving on the money front. Secondly, it's plump with modern museums, medieval buildings and stunning parks — you'll never be bored. And thirdly, the city is made up of 150 ethnicities, meaning the variety of cuisines on offer is extensive. You'll find Middle Eastern wraps almost every 300 metres, as well as your breakfast croissants and baguettes. It's also a great point of access to Copenhagen. All it takes is a 25-minute train ride over the Øresund Bridge to cross countries. [caption id="attachment_604857" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Ruocaled via Flickr.[/caption] MAKE USE OF IKEA Yes, we're serious. Among the many amazing things to come out of Sweden is the glorious adult's playground, IKEA. The store offers a free shuttle bus from Stockholm's city centre, where you can indulge in a meal of Swedish meatballs topped with lingonberry, gravy and complemented with mash potato, all for a whopping AUD$6. [caption id="attachment_604851" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Francisco Antunes via Flickr.[/caption] EAT HOTDOGS Cheap, tasty, everywhere. Top it with some sprøstekt løk (Norwegian dried onion flakes) and you'll be laughing. And totally satisfied. [caption id="attachment_604832" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Oslo Opera House, Norway.[/caption] FIND FREE ACTIVITIES (YES, THERE ARE SOME) Scandinavia has no shortage of insane buildings — there's enough to impress the biggest design aficionado you know, right down to those with no interest in architecture at all. You could spend hours waltzing around Oslo's iconic Opera House, or visiting Holmenkollen, one of the city's old ski jumps that has been converted into a museum. That's among endless design, naval, and Viking museums scattered around each country. [caption id="attachment_604850" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Danish Design Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark.[/caption] SEEK OUT STUDENT DISCOUNTS The joys of being a student. If you're lucky enough to still be one, you can get discounts on selected transport tickets, museum tickets and more. An International Student Identity Card (ISIC) will be accepted at most places, but others will accept your university student card if you're lucky. Caterina Hrysomallis is a food and travel writer based in Melbourne, and is pretty nifty with a budget. All photos are her own unless otherwise stated.
Footscray's Mr West is known for many things: its craft beer-packed bottle shop, its dog-friendly bar, its charcuterie boards and its espresso martini and negronis on tap. Previously, you had to visit the Melbourne bar to try said cocktails, but now you can have them delivered to your door. In 1.5-litre 'bagnums', no less. Made with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, Boston Black cold drip coffee, stout and vodka, the Good Spirits espresso martini packs a serious alcohol- and caffeinated-punch. The Good Spirits negroni is made with Poor Toms dry gin, Campari and Mr West's house-blended vermouth. It's suggested you serve the latter over ice with an orange garnish, but straight-up in a mug is okay, too. Each 'bagnum' (a portmanteau of 'bag' and 'magnum') costs $99 and contains 12 serves of espresso martini and 20 serves of negroni, which works out to be about $8 a serve for the former and $5 for the latter (a bargain). As an added bonus, the espresso martini bag also comes with a mini Parisian cocktail shaker, so you can froth up your drink a little before serving. If you're located in surrounding suburbs in Melbourne, you can get the bagnums delivered to your door within an hour from 1–7pm daily for a $7.50 flat rate. Sydneysiders and Brisbanites can get them shipped in three-to-ten days from $12. Mr West's online bottle shop doesn't just have oversized cocktail bags, either. You'll also find a whole heap of craft beers, natural wines, local and international spirits, sakes and so much more. Those wanting to commit to more regular drinking can also sign up to Mr West's subscription service Good Booze Project, which sees boxes of three, six or 12 wines and beers delivered to your door every month. You can order a Good Spirits espresso martini or negroni bagnums via the Mr West online shop.
Canberra music, food and art festival Spilt Milk is set to return to the capital this November, celebrating its third outing with a suitably huge lineup, announced this morning. Heading up the bill is none other than US hip hop star Childish Gambino, fresh off the back of a #1 Billboard Charts debut for his single This Is America. He hasn't yet announced any other Australian shows, but Spilt Milk isn't billing his appearance as an exclusive, so chances are he'll announce at least a few more shows. (We've still got out fingers crossed that he bring his Pharos festival here after New Zealand.) He'll be joined at the capital's Commonwealth Park on November 17 by fellow international stars, UK pop legends The Wombats and LA producer RL Grime. There's also plenty of homegrown goodness on the menu, with the likes of Sydney singer-songwriter Vera Blue, indie-pop sensation Jack River, dance floor darling Hayden James and Canberra's own high-energy duo Peking Duk all set to take the Spilt Milk stage. But the musical lineup's not to be outdone by the rest of the program, with a ripper serve of visual art, tasty eats and pop-up bars on the cards. Get ready for a multisensory feast, as Hamburg-based artist Stefanie Thiele leads a team of local talent in creating a wondrous playground of installations and art experiences. And keep those taste buds satisfied throughout the day, with eats from the likes of Dirty Bird Food Truck, Bao Brothers, Happy As Larry and Chur Burger. If you fancy being a part of Spilt Milk round three, you'd best not dilly dally — the festival's debut event in 2016 sold out in a mere 18 minutes, while the following year's tickets were all snapped up within nine minutes. This year, Canberra locals will get first dibs, with Homegrown tickets on sale July 1. After that, pre-sale tickets will be available Australia-wide from noon on July 3, with a general admission release on sale at 12pm, Thursday, July 5. In the meantime, here's what you came for — the full lineup for Spilt Milk 2018. SPILT MILK 2018 LINEUP Blanke Camouflage Rose Channel Tres Childish Gambino Cub Sport Ebony Boadu Hatchie Hayden James Jack River Kinder Kira Puru Kwame Manu Crook$ Methyl Ethel Miss Blanks Moaning Lisa Peking Duk RL Grime Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Shockone Skeggs Thandi Phoenix The Jungle Giants The Wombats Thundamentals Vera Blue Willaris. K YG ARTISTS Faith Kerehona JBR Roskoe Stefanie Thiele VOIR (With more to be announced) FOOD Bao Brothers Eatery Chur Burger Dirty Bird Food Truck Happy As Larry Sofrito Paella Spilt Milk Festival will run on Saturday, November 17 at Commonwealth Park, Canberra. Tickets go on sale next week at spilt-milk.com.au. Image: Cole Bennetts.
Michael Bay movies, Michael Bay movies, whatcha gonna do? Since the action-film director leapt from commercials and music videos to his big-screen debut Bad Boys more than a quarter-century back, there's only been two options. Slickly and unsubtly dripping with gleeful excess, his high-concept flicks embrace explosions, chases, heists, shootouts, jittery chaos and perpetual golden-hour hues with such OTT passion that you surrender or roll your eyes — having a blast or being bored by the bombast, basically. Too often, the latter strikes. That proved true of all five of his Transformers films, which are responsible for more cinematic tedium than any filmmaker should legally be allowed to crash onto screens. That his pictures are lensed and spliced as if lingering on one still for more than a split second is a heinous crime usually doesn't help, but it's what Bay is known for — and yet when Bayhem sparkles like it mostly does in Ambulance, it's its own kind of thrilling experience. Following a high-stakes Los Angeles bank robbery that goes south swiftly, forcing two perpetrators to hijack an EMT vehicle — while a paramedic tries to save a shot cop's life as the van flees the LAPD and the FBI, too — Ambulance is characteristically ridiculous. Although based on the 2005 Danish film Ambulancen, it's Bay from go to whoa; screenwriter and feature newcomer Chris Fedak (TV's Chuck, Prodigal Son) even references past Bay movies in the dialogue. The first time, when The Rock is mentioned, it's done in a matter-of-fact way that as brazen as anything Bay has ever achieved when his flicks defy the laws of physics. In the second instance mere minutes later, it's perhaps the most hilarious thing he's put in his movies. It's worth remembering that Divinyls' 'I Touch Myself' was one of his music-clip jobs; Bay sure does love what only he can thrust onto screens, and he wants audiences to know it while adoring it as well. Ambulance's key duo, brothers Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, The Matrix Resurrections) and Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal, The Guilty), are a former Marine and ostensible luxury-car dealer/actual career criminal with hugely different reasons for attempting to pilfer a $32-million payday. For the unemployed Will, it's about the cash needed to pay for his wife Amy's (Moses Ingram, The Tragedy of Macbeth) experimental surgery, which his veteran's health insurance won't cover — but his sibling just wants money. Will is reluctant but desperate, Danny couldn't be more eager, and both race through a mess of a day. Naturally, it gets more hectic when they're hurtling along as the hotshot Cam (Eiza González, Godzilla vs Kong) works on wounded rookie police officer Zach (Jackson White, The Space Between), arm-deep in his guts at one point, while Captain Monroe (Garrett Dillahunt, Army of the Dead), Agent Anson Clark (Keir O'Donnell, The Dry) and their forces are in hot pursuit. Everything from Armageddon, Pearl Harbour and The Island to 2019's Netflix flick 6 Underground has trained viewers in what to expect from Ambulance — plus the movies name-checked in Ambulance's frames, obviously — but Bay is also the filmmaker who gave cinema 2013's exceptional Pain & Gain. His latest doesn't reach the same savvy heights, and it's both boosted by its hearty embrace of Bayhem and occasionally a victim to it, but it's rarely less than wildly entertaining. As the director's best efforts have long shown, he boasts a knack for heist-style films. Capers about break-ins of various sorts, even into Alcatraz, suit Bay because they're typically about chasing hefty scores no matter the cost. Ambulance was made for only $40 million, which is a fifth of most Transformers movies and somehow around half of non-Bay-directed recent release Morbius' budget, but bold moves with eyes on a big prize aren't just fiction in Bay's orbit. When Ambulance works, it enthrals with its shameless hug of classic Bay trademarks — putting them to fitting use, rather than simply splashing them around because that's his familiar schtick. Drone shots (yes, Bay has discovered drones) are frequently a bane of modern filmmaking, trotted out just because they can be, but they careen and prowl here to add urgency, capture the on-the-road frenzy and plot out LA. Bay's fondness for constantly circling camerawork, as seen when director of photography Roberto De Angelis (Faces Places) can't even shoot Will asking Danny for cash without revolving around Abdul-Mateen and Gyllenhaal, also conveys the many non-stop onslaughts crucial to the movie. In that specific scene, the relentless motion expresses the toll of Will's ongoing struggle for funds, the heady excitement of Danny's lifelong grifting and also the continually spinning dynamic between the two brothers. Of course, Ambulance's pièce de résistance is all that time spent in its key mode of transport, intensely zipping and zooming around the City of Angels like Bay is making Point Break-meets-Mad Max: Fury Road (and after attempting to riff on Heat first). His commitment to kinetic and frenetic practical effects and stunts instantly makes the movie's stellar midsection stand out — and yes, that Bay's overall aesthetic and approach now looks worlds away from the franchise action fare that monopolises blockbuster cinema at present is part of what makes Ambulance feel like such a treat. Given this was never going to be a flick with clever dialogue, as those nods to The Rock and company make plain, Abdul-Mateen, Gyllenhaal and González all get their finest moments to shine while speeding along as well. All three turn in charismatic performances that invest one-note parts with flair and as much depth as they can in the circumstances, but it's Gyllenhaal in villainous mode who's always utterly mesmerising. Just like Bay, he's having a ball, it shows and it's infectious. Absent, thankfully, is the filmmaker's past fondness for leering at women (see: the first two Bad Boys movies and anytime Megan Fox appears in the Transformers flicks for especially egregious examples). Instead, that's swapped for ogling LA, its skyscrapers and landmarks, and the chases that blow past them — but Ambulance is still noticeably a sausage fest. It also can't resist overextending its running time at 136 minutes, resulting in a dragging finale. And, it throws in law enforcement- and military-worshipping patriotism that comes as no surprise from the helmer of the dire 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and clumsily leans on stereotypes with queer and Latino characters. Ambulance's rough patches are eclipsed by its rush, rollicking, dash and dazzle, though, inherent absurdity and all — even if welcoming Bayhem as the current pinnacle of action cinema sounds as preposterous as, well, hijacking an ambulance.
What will open with the Australian premiere of one of this year's Sundance hits — an Aussie movie that won one of the prestigious fest's audience awards, no less — and also feature a huge music celebration right at its centre? The 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival. Just under three months out from the Victorian capital's annual cinema showcase, MIFF has revealed its first two titles for this year, both with strong local connections. Launching the festival for 2023 is Noora Niasari's Shayda, which is set and shot in Melbourne, marks the Tehran-born, Australian-raised writer/director's feature debut and tells an autobiographical tale. Seeing Niasari leap from participating in the MIFF Accelerator Lab for short film helmers to opening the fest, the movie follows an Iranian woman and her daughter who seek refuge at a suburban Melbourne women's shelter. Cate Blanchett's Dirty Films executive produces, while 2022 Cannes Best Actress-winner Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (Holy Spider) and Australian great Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) star. Since returning to in-person fests after two pandemic-affected virtual-only years in 2020 and 2021, this is MIFF's second homegrown opener in succession. In 2022, Goran Stolevski's coming-of-age feature Of an Age did the honours. Of course, Shayda will have ample company when it comes to local titles in 2023, including the also just-announced Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story. The documentary will enjoy its world premiere at MIFF, as the festival's first-ever gala screening from its regular Music on Film program. Celebrating the late Australian record executive and promoter, who passed away in 2021, Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story steps through its namesake's life and career. Unsurprisingly, it has plenty of well-known names joining in to pay tribute, with featured interviewees spanning Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Sting, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Jimmy Barnes. And, when the Paul Goldman (Suburban Mayhem)-directed doco plays MIFF mid-fest, it will score red-carpet events across multiple Melbourne venues. As for what else will screen in the festival's 71st year, the rest of the program will start being revealed in early June, ahead of the full 2023 MIFF lineup drop in July. Whatever ends up on the bill after Shayda and Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story, they'll join a fest that'll continue its 2022 format of playing in cinemas in Melbourne (from Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 20) and at regional Victorian locations (from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 and Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20), and also once again expand its audience by bringing back online platform MIFF Play (from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 27). Shayda's opening-night session will screen on Thursday, August 3, with tickets for MIFF members available from 8am on Tuesday, May 23 and general public sales from 10am on Thursday, May 25. If you're keen to see Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story, it'll premiere on Thursday, August 10, with tickets available at the same times as Shayda. The 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 20 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 and Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide with MIFF Play from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 27. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 11, visit the MIFF website.
The changes of the past couple of weeks have hit Australia's hospitality industry hard. First, there were the tighter restrictions on venue numbers and spacing; then the government's closure of all non-essential businesses means hospitality venues were forced to shut their doors and rely solely on whatever takeaway service they had operating — or adapt and launch new ones. As a result, a huge number of hospitality workers have been left without jobs. According to website I Lost My Hospo Shift, as of Thursday, April 23, 2594 Aussie hospo workers had lost their jobs and 13,237 shifts had been cut, equating to around $2.1 million in lost wages this week alone. Thankfully, some industry legends are coming to the rescue, lending a helping hand in the form of a few much-needed free feeds. And they're not just helping out unemployed hospo workers either, they're providing free meals to frontline health workers, international students and those just generally doing it tough right now. In Sydney, James Thorpe — co-owner of Petersham's Oxford Tavern and The Taphouse in Darlinghurst — announced both his venues will continue serving up free takeaway meals for any struggling hospo workers. "If you are a casual hospo worker who is currently underemployed, I will pay for your meal," he said in a post on The Taphouse Instagram page last week. "Simply make yourself known at the bar with your RSA in tow (or just let us know where you work if a cafe worker) and our team will hook you up with a menu." https://www.instagram.com/p/B95Th-Np__4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Meanwhile, Newtown restaurant Hearth & Soul made a comeback especially to throw some support behind struggling Sydneysiders. Owner Rachel Jelley closed the venue in November, but has thrown open the doors for a series of free Friday meal services, catering to both staff and employers in any industry who've lost jobs or income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside a crew of volunteers, she's serving up a rotating menu of produce-focused dishes from 12–2pm each week, inviting diners to register via the website. "These are the people who have been working tirelessly to provide you with the dining-out experiences you love," Jelley explained. "They've also been cutting your hair, doing your physio, making your coffee and baking your croissants, and now their livelihoods have simply evaporated overnight, in silence. So, I want to feed them." https://www.instagram.com/p/B9-5LUHjva2/ Over in Enmore, Colombo Social is a Sri Lankan restaurant that provides employment opportunities and support to asylum seekers and refugees. But in response to these turbulent times, it's now expanded its focus, teaming up with Mission Australia and a bunch of other local charities to feed as many vulnerable community members as possible. The kitchen's being put to good use, whipping up over 4600 hot, nutritious meals for free to those who are hungry or struggling to feed their families. Italian chain Fratelli Fresh is also donating 650 meals every week to healthcare workers via its Feed the Front Line program, which is running until the end of June. You can donate a meal for $10 over here, too. Then, there's the group of Manly venues that have banded together in an effort to feed vulnerable hospitality workers. Via a new Go Fund Me campaign, spots like The Cumberland, The Hold, Hugos Manly and 4 Pines are raising money to fund free meals for those in the industry who've lost income and work. Impacted workers are invited to get themselves verified, then to register for any of the nightly-changing, home-delivered dishes. The meals are created using leftover food stocks donated by local restaurants. And Chippendale local Sneaky Possum has transformed into soup kitchens, dishing up free feeds to hard-hit hospitality staff with complimentary hospo meals from 8pm nightly. Down in Melbourne, Attica has set up its own soup kitchen. It's selling $25 Thai-inspired chicken broths, with $5 from each one sold going towards preparing food for unemployed hospitality workers on temporary visas. The crew from Brighton barbecue restaurant Coal Blooded Griller are drumming up donations to enable them to whip up free meals for those in need. Having already raised over $3500, they're able to serve hundreds of ready-to-heat, two-person food packs. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_N8a2rg0wD/ Meanwhile, Essendon burger joint Dribbles is handing out four free meals each week to people who've lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. It's currently taking nominations for the freebies via its Facebook and Instagram. Newly-hatched non-profit event organisation The Issue X has made a mission to shed honest light on the issues and obstacles faced by the hospitality industry. And in these troubled times, it's turned its attentions to our city's hard-hit hospo staff, especially those on temporary visas who can't bank on any government support. The Issue X team knocked up a heap of nightly meals for those in need. And Brunswick's Viet-inspired restaurant Shop Bao Ngoc is giving back to its hard-hit hospo community by offering up a nightly changing meat-free dish, available for contactless delivery within three kilometres of the venue. The crew's encouraging a $10 donation for the meals — think, tofu pad thai and vegetable shepherd's pie — but say no one will be turned away for lack of funds. You can even pay it forward by donating money towards someone's future feed. https://www.facebook.com/baongocbrunswick/photos/a.439164586552477/841547599647505/?type=3&theater In the Brisbane suburb of Annerley, South Indian restaurant Sankalp is lending a hand by cooking up a swag of free vegetarian meals each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The dishes are on offer to international students and any locals in need, to collect from the restaurant between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Having pivoted its business in response to new public health regulations, Gold Coast eatery The Henchman is now operating as both a takeaway restaurant and food store. For as long as is possible, the owners are inviting anyone feeling the pinch to pop by and fill a bag with pantry supplies, on the house. And on the Sunshine Coast, a group of Noosa Junction venues have joined forces on a mission to support both their local hospo community and international students staying in the region. Together, eateries including Pasta Pronto, Bombetta and Moto are serving a stack of free breakfasts, lunches and dinners, across a range of daily offers. If and when you do decide to head out to get food, remember to follow the Australian Government Department of Health's social distancing guidelines. Know of any other restaurants, cafes or bars doing their bit to help the community? Let us know at hello@concreteplayground.com.
