Thank you, Germany, for giving us yet another reason to splurge on our favourite fermented beverage. Oktoberfest is getting an Aussie do-over this year, as Oktoberwest takes over Sydney's inner west, the craft beer capital of Australia. You'll find Young Henrys, Willie The Boatman, Wayward Brewing Co., The Grifter Brewing Co., Batch Brewing Co, Sauce Brewing Co, and Malt Shovel Brewery providing the beer. Aside from the opportunity to sample limited edition brews, there'll also be food trucks, Brewery Bingo and an absolutely killer party. Oh, and of course there'll be tunes. Nostalgia cover band Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of a Tony Hawk Pro Skater Cover Band will blast the beats while you sit back with your pint, while DJ Don Benet will do his best Kraftwerk impersonation, providing some much-needed German vibes. Keep an ear out also for The Lockhearts, local band Scabz, as well as Frenzel Rhomb's Lindsey McDougall, with more to be announced.
All those bright-eyed pedestrian-friendly CBD plans we'd been looking forward to could be left out to dry. Reported by the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, the state government has proposed to make driving in the CBD that extra bit easier; getting rid of hundreds of parking spots and loading zones, and even narrowing the footpath in certain areas for reduced pedestrian space. Seriously. Narrowing the footpath. As passive aggressive and unnecessarily expensive as that sounds, the state government is maintaining the footpath narrowing (along with 17 other CBD projects making up the Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement Plan) will help future traffic flow through the city — clashing with the pedestrian-focused aims pushed by Lord Mayor Clover Moore and the City of Sydney Council. The planned footpath narrowing is proposed for Market Street near George Street for one, that's right, near Pitt Street Mall — an area which attracts more than 4000 pedestrians per hour over lunchtime and afternoon peak periods, according to the City of Sydney. However the government is steadfast on this one, with a Transport for NSW spokeperson saying, "This proposal would remove some of the most heavily used pedestrian space in this busy retail area. The additional lanes will be important for east-west traffic movement when part of George Street is pedestrianised for light rail." Ah, the ol' light rail. Cyclists, this isn't good news for you either. NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay has said that future cycleways in Sydney's CBD may have to share the road with these loading zones; one example is a part-time, peak-hour-only cycleway down Castlereagh Street. Because there's no way, no way that's going to be unsafe for bike riders needing to merge back into main traffic streams to avoid Mount Franklin deliveries. They'll be fine. Think parking in the CBD was tough and exxy now? SMH is reporting some 265 parking spots and loading zones will be ditched in afternoon peak times to increase traffic flow (it'll be 132 spots around lunchtime and 192 for morning peak periods). The state government plans come as a genuine surprise for some Sydneysiders, particularly after NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay announced a pedestrian-friendly move for the CBD in May this year. As of the end of 2014, according to Gay, a significant section of the CBD will receive a decreased speed limit of 40km/h — a 10km/h reduction on the current 50km/h. The limit will apply to the area bordered by Castlereagh, Pitt, Kent and Hay Streets. You can think of it as a major extension of the 40km/h section that already applies in The Rocks. The main motivation for the legislation was increasing pedestrian deaths. Seven have been killed in the CBD since 2008 — three of those in the past year and six of those in the area outlined here. The Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement Plan, developed by Roads and Maritime Services and Transport for NSW, can be seen on display until January 9. Details over here. Via SMH. By Shannon Connellan and Jasmine Crittenden. Images: Market Street, Kerrie - in Sydney - Flickr: [1], Castlereagh Street, Adam.J.W.C..
A swaggering hero with something to prove and an aloof maiden for the winning are good, solid elements of a ballad, and as 'The Ballad of Leila and Lee', Yellow Moon has these down in it's 17-year-old 'Stag' Lee (John Shrimpton) and Silent Leila (Layla Estasy). There's adventure and romance and obstacles to overcome, there are repeated refrains, there's a fairly loose representation of time, and there's a focus on storytelling that sees the actions reimagined rather than taking place. The four actors shift between describing and performing the characters, both retrospectively, and they get to intervene, to depict a scene and then, effectively, take it back. "But of course that's not what happened,” the audience hears after some of the scenes where the characters seem to be making the most progress, until, finally, a “that's exactly how it was.” It's self-conscious and melodramatic, but then, people are. Especially teenagers. The love story, filtered through Leila's self-harming fixation with tabloid glamour and Lee's awkward sexual bravado, holds together an episodic plot based around horribly bad choices and timing, through a world whose adult inhabitants (played by Danielle Cormack and Kenneth Moraleda in several roles each) aren't doing much to help them. The alternations between lyrical, choreographed passages of exposition and fairly straight-up depictions of key events and conversations can be a little jarring, and there wasn't much tension to the suspense, but the performances were credible and engaging and the play managed to tell a story and explore characters and experiment with form, which is really quite a lot to do.
They've changed the home entertainment landscape and monopolise our couch time, but streaming platforms still like to keep everyone guessing. Surprise drops have become the latest trend, especially when it comes to blending movies and music — such as Beyonce's Homecoming documentary and The Lonely Island's Unauthorised Bash Brothers Experience on Netflix, and Donald Glover's Guava Island on Amazon Prime. And that's just this year. Announced this week and hitting your queue in mere days — on Thursday, June 27 — add Anima to the list. It too has a significant pedigree. Sharing the same name as Thom Yorke's third solo album, which'll drop on the same day, it's scored by the Radiohead frontman and directed by Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. Netflix is calling Anima "a short musical film" and a "mind-bending visual piece" which is "best played loud" — and considering it also stars Yorke, it's safe to consider it a 12-minute music video. In the just-released teaser, the film is dubbed a "one-reeler", which the clip then goes on to define as "a motion picture, especially a cartoon or comedy, of 10–12 minutes duration and contained on one reel of film; popular especially in the era of silent film". Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNYJ_BJJbzI This isn't Anderson's first Radiohead-linked collaboration, with his films There Will Be Blood, The Master, Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread all featuring scores composed by the band's lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. He also helmed 2015 documentary Junjun, about the making of Greenwood's album of the same name, and directed Radiohead's 'Daydreaming', 'Present Tense' and 'The Numbers' videos. Yorke has also been working in film lately — on the score for last year's Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake of Suspiria. Anima drops on Netflix on Thursday, June 27. Images: Netflix / Darius Khondji.
There's no one quite like Frank, the person, and there's nothing quite like Frank, the film. The former, as played by Michael Fassbender while wearing a papier mache mask, is a soul seemingly eccentric but really just looking for the essence of creation and contentment. The latter is quirky by design but beautifully bittersweet by execution, revelling in all life's failures and flaws. Frank leads an experimental rock band with the fittingly unpronounceable name of The Soronprfbs, and that's exactly where Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) finds him. Downtrodden in his dismal everyday routine, Jon wants desperately to be a musician but lacks the opportunity and the ability to extend himself. His unlikely encounter with his new friend with the obscured face brings both, one fruitful, the other less so. As the reconfigured group ventures from the Irish wilderness to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas in search of musical fulfilment, the solace they find comes from internal, not external, forces. Written by journalist turned screenwriter Jon Ronson (of The Men Who Stare at Goats fame), Frank is inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the comic persona of musician Chris Sievey. Read our full review here. Frank is in cinemas on June 19, and thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have ten double in-season passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=IblHV2x64f8
It's been a tough couple of years to be in the music festival business, with the pandemic wreaking havoc on our daily lives, and COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions limits the kinds of events that have been able to take place. Wollongong's Yours and Owls knows this all too well, but back in April 2021, it was able to go ahead — becoming the first major music festival that New South Wales had seen in over a year, as well as the first to allow dancing as well. For its 2022 edition, however, the weather has gotten in the way. Due to take place this coming weekend — in Stuart Park from Saturday, April 2–Sunday, April 3 — this year's Yours and Owls has now been cancelled. Announcing the news in a statement, organisers said that "with the exciting news last month regarding restrictions lifting, we thought we had a smooth run into the 2022 festival; however, mother nature has a different plan. With total exhaustion and sadness, we announce the cancellation of Yours and Owls 2022 due to flooding." "With the amount of water that has landed on Stuart Park in the past few weeks, the flash flooding we experienced in The Gong over the weekend and the forecast for the rest of this week, we simply cannot safely execute this year's event," the statement continued. "We have been pumping water off the site, developing other management and mitigation plans, even using the SCG's famous Super Sopper, but nothing has been a match for the formidable force of La Niña. After lengthy consultation with relevant stakeholders and emergency services and no appropriate alternate event site in the area, we are left with no option other than a full cancellation." Hilltop Hoods, Benee, Bliss & Eso, Flight Facilities, The Jungle Giants, Peking Duk and Violent Soho were set to top this year's bill, giving festival-goers quite the array of big-name acts to look forward to. The hefty lineup went on, too, including Faker, Ruby Fields, San Cisco, The Meanies, Sycco and more. And, Yours and Owls' 2022 fest had moved to a bigger site as well — well, back to a familiar site — both in terms of space, and being able to accommodate more people. If you're disappointed, obviously the festival's organisers are, too. "We share your disappointment and apologise for any inconvenience caused; we would love nothing more than to be gearing up to hang with you all this weekend for Gong Christmas," the Yours and Owls team said in their statement. "The past few years have been an unprecedented shit fight of biblical proportions for the live music industry. We want to thank all our staff, contractors, suppliers, artists, industry colleagues, stakeholders, the local Gong community, and all of you who bought tickets to Yours and Owls 2022 for your continued support; it means the world to us." Ticketholders will receive full refunds, and will be contacted directly by Moshtix. Yours and Owls will no longer take place on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 at Stuart Park, Wollongong. All ticketholders will receive refunds via Moshtix. For more information about the event, head to the festival's website.
Heading to the beach is all about sun, sand and taking a dip in the sea — and for Queenslanders this summer, it's now about two types of surfing. Selected spots across the state will be trialling a new system called Life-Fi, which enables sunbathers to connect to the internet for free while they're lazing about between the flags. The real aim of Life-Fi is actually to save lives. It gives beachgoers an incentive to keep close to lifeguards, with nearly 80 percent of the more than 5000 rescues that have taken place since January 2017 occurring outside of the red and yellow flags. The system also allows surf lifesaving clubs to communicate directly with folks sunning themselves by the shore — sending alerts from lifeguards on duty about ocean conditions, currents and marine creatures; conveying weather updates and live UV ratings; and offering general surf safety tips. Spearheaded by Surf Life Saving Queensland, Life-Fi has already been trialled at the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club, and will now roll out to ten other clubs along the coastline. Four mobile units will also be dispatched throughout the state as they're needed. Exact locations have yet to be announced, although you can expect popular beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts to feature. The portable self-contained wireless network is available in six languages (English, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Japanese and Thai), ensuring that overseas tourists making the most of Queensland beaches can still receive safety warnings. Announcing the expanded trial, Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones noted that tourism was a key motivator. "If we can make people feel safe, we know we'll lure more people to the beach." For more information, visit the Life-Fi website. You can also use NetShare Pro.
Stealing from the rich isn't just the domain of Robin Hood. In Hustlers, it's exactly what a group of strip club employees decide to do, too. Fed up with putting up with wealthy, lecherous Wall Street types who happily rip off everyone they can, including ordinary hard-working folk, the gang of gals hatch a plan to even the score. And, they know that if they ring up extra charges on their clientele's credit cards, the fleeced men are highly unlikely to report it. It's the type of tale that can only be true, with Hustlers based on an article on The Cut about the real-life ladies who started swindling white-collar crooks between dances. It's also the kind of story that needs a killer cast to bring it to life, so the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Constance Wu, Cardi B and Lizzo are doing the honours. As written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Meddler), the film's stacked roster of stars also includes Riverdale's Lili Reinhart, Scream: The TV Series' Keke Palmer, The Handmaid's Tale's Madeline Brewer, Parks and Recreation's Jon Glaser, and Luke Cage's Frank Whaley. Oh, and Usher. Check out the trailer below — which, fittingly, is set to Cardi B's 'Money': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_dfc0iqmig Hustlers releases in Australian cinemas on October 10.
Oh, 2021. To be honest, we can't say we'll miss you — so let's end this traumatic year with a bang. Whether you're eager to see the back of 2021 with a few champagnes in hand, or looking to set a cheerier tone for 2022 by bouncing into it with DJ tunes and a good ol' d-floor session, a slew of Sydney bars, pubs and restaurants are happy to help. We've compiled a list of Sydney's best restaurants, rooftop bars and experiences to ring in the New Year with style — no matter your budget. And, if you've still got some fight in you, there are some sneaky kick-ons included come New Year's Day. [caption id="attachment_828769" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vic on the Park's beer garden[/caption] FREE Waywards at the Bank: Put on your dancing shoes and get ready for two jam-packed levels loaded with live bands and DJs. With a lineup like Breadclub, Dom Alessio and Adam Lewis, you won't be able to resist having a boogie. The best part? Entry will be free all night and the party won't stop until 4am. The Bearded Tit: Redfern's most eclectic and colourful arts bar is hosting a Tit's NYE Party full of performers and wondrous DJs. Hosted by Betty Grumble, you're guaranteed to be delighted and entirely entertained for the whole night. Vic On The Park: The perfect place for all punk fans — kicking off from 8pm is an impressive lineup including punk act, These New South Whales. With Itchy and the Nits and Astrodeath supporting, you won't be able to resist dancing your way into the new year. Marly Bar: One of Newtown's most beloved bars is hosting a Deuces Ball with some of Sydney's best hip hop and afrobeats DJs spinning the decks all night. Tickets aren't necessary, so there's nothing left to do but grab a seat, get comfy and order some juicy burgers, mac 'n' cheese and crinkle-cut fries. UNDER $50 The Lansdowne: With two levels of live music and a rooftop, The Lansdowne Hotel is hosting one of the biggest NYE parties in the CBD. With Bodega Collective and the Swanky Array team set to take over the venue, join the fun from 9pm till late. Harbord Hotel: From Las Vegas to Ibiza and Bali, DJ Generik has been creating waves with his energy and distinctive house music style. Generik is no stranger to the stage, and has regularly opened for Calvin Harris in the past. The party kicks off at 5pm and tickets include three drink tokens (your choice of house beer, wine or spirits) that are redeemable before 7pm. 101 George Street: Bid farewell to 2021 alfresco-style under the fireworks. Tickets include a drink on arrival and access to all the best fireworks vantage points harbourside. With DJ Nitecall spinning a sophisticated mix of obscure funk and Euro groove, good vibes are guaranteed for the entire night. UNDER $200 Cafe Freda's: Cafe Freda's is running two jam-packed sessions with live entertainment playing throughout the night. With an option of a 6pm seating or a 9:15pm until countdown seating, this will surely make for a special evening in the bright lights of the CBD. The dinner session includes a full dinner set menu and NYE cocktail on arrival, while the party session comes with a grazing snacks menu, cocktail and a glass of bubbles at midnight. NYE in the Park: With tickets still available, this is one of the best events to get the most bang for your buck. Headliners include ILLY, PNAU, Spacey Jane, The Presets and What So Not — just to name a few. The best part? You'll get to experience the full firework show without having to battle the crowds at Sydney Harbour. Wharf Bar: Enjoy front row seats for the local harbourside fireworks before Touch Sensitive takes the decks. The music marathon continues on New Year's Day with homegrown heroes Winston Surfshirt warming up the dance floor from 3pm till midnight. Butter Block Party: Sydney's most hyped dining concept, Butter, has gained a cult following for their stores which combine rare sneakers, fancy champagne and hot fried chicken. Now, they're throwing their very first exclusive outdoor, openair courtyard party to say goodbye to 2021. There are three different ticket packages (silver, gold or platinum) that include a range of goodies from a beverage on arrival to a feast of canapes. Monopole: Travel back to the 80s with a nostalgic lineup of classic snacks, vintage wines and greatest hits. Think devilled eggs, prawn cocktails and a show-stopping bombe alaska to finish. Dress to impress and dance the night away until 2am. Details here. Smoke Bar at Barangaroo House: The team at Barangaroo House have teamed up with Patrón to host a night to remember. With an all-star line-up including Late Nite Tuff Guy, Lazy Wax and Ariane, there's something for everyone. Tickets include canapes (think oysters, beef tartare tartlets and crispy chicken), live entertainment & a Paloma spritz on arrival. Frank Mac's: Calling all gin lovers – say farewell to 2021 with a boozy celebration right in the heart of The Rocks. Tickets include a drink on arrival, bubbles at midnight, and most importantly, unique access to George Street for the spectacular fireworks displays. Did we mention that the cocktail bar also serves more than 100 juniper blends sourced from all corners of the globe? You're welcome. Bookings are available here. [caption id="attachment_830236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taronga Zoo via DNSW[/caption] BLOWOUT Sydney Tower Eye: Arguably the best seat in the city for Sydney's iconic firework show – enjoy 360-degree views of the city as you countdown to the New Year with a truly unforgettable experience. With a glass of champagne in hand, choose one of two time slots (9pm or midnight) and decide how high you want to go. Botswana Butchery: Following in the footsteps of its popular sister restaurants in Queenstown and Auckland, Botswana Butchery is Sydney's newest premium CBD rooftop. Entry is inclusive of a premium four-hour food and beverage package full of free-flowing G.H. Mumm Champagne, beer, wine and spirits. Taronga Zoo: Don't feel like braving the crowds in the CBD? Secure a spot at one of Taronga Zoo's vantage points instead and enjoy a front-row seat of the Harbour fireworks. Guests are welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the event, or alternatively, grab a bite to eat at the Food Market – there will be a variety of snacks (hot chips, homemade meat pies and sandwiches) as well as both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on offer. Hickson House: The legends at Hickson House are no stranger to a celebration, with the part working distillery and part destination cocktail bar set in the former Saatchi & Saatchi garage – the location of many infamous warehouse parties. DJs Lavida and Aidan Bega will be in charge of the tunes, with canapes and cocktails set to be served throughout the evening. And to make things more memorable, tickets also include access to view the fireworks at Campbells Cove – less than a minute's walk from Hickson House. Opera Bar: Opera Bar is back again with another iconic harbour-side party – and it's set to be better than ever. With live music and entertainment from Bermuda Social, Soulphonics, Dark Horse and Natural Selector, you'll be able to dance the night away with non-stop entertainment. Tickets are inclusive of an unlimited amount of food from multiple stalls, so grab a bite to eat as you watch the sun set behind the Opera House and count down the hours until 2022. Aria: Aria is hosting two luxurious NYE dining experiences set against one of the best views of Sydney Harbour. For $300, you can enjoy a four-course dinner from 5pm – think wagyu striploin 9+, murray cod and smoked eel parfait. The early seating gives you plenty of time to wander off to your next destination or catch the 9pm fireworks. Alternatively, Aria's NYE Main Event kicks off from 7:30pm and will set you back $1,450 per head – don't worry, you won't be having any regrets after feasting on executive chef Thomas Gorringe's six-course tasting menu. It features plenty of champagne and wine throughout the night and, most importantly, you'll get to watch the fireworks happening mere metres away.
Across the front of a quiet, dark stage, a strip of white. On it balance an ashtray, a cocktail (looking as exactly like a cocktail as one could hope) and a pair of sandals. The scene is set for a lonely holiday, an absurd isolation that is both cruel and ironic. Yet this is only the first of 10 seemingly disconnected scenes through which our protagonist, Lotte, travels in her search for peace, love and a little bit of understanding. Botho Strauss's play is anti-narrative at its best: episodic, disconnected, disorienting and almost Kafkaesque. Martin Crimp's translation strips back even further, disposing of much of the play's setting, cold war East Germany. Instead, Crimp uses this historical dead end as a jumping off point for a kind of any-place, no-place. It's a risk, leaving audiences even less to cling to, but this production manages to make that step a success. Cate Blanchett is surprising in her role as Lotte. Bizarre, intimidating, hilarious, pitiful and endearing, she fills the stage like some sort of crazed angel. To lose sight of Lotte in this would be to lose sight of the production itself, but Blanchett ensures this is entirely impossible. Not that her supporting cast isn't working hard creating some of the production's best moments. Belinda McClory is delightful as a woman destined for celebrity, trapped in a small town. We cross our fingers and hold our breath in the hope that Josh McConville, as a chess-loving nano-technician, might be Lotte's salvation. Johannes Schütz's minimal and intense stage design is another of the highlights. The familiar yet disconnected elements and their altered ratios feed directly into the thick sense of the uncanny that director Benedict Andrews has created. The feeling that the payoff is eternally out of sight while the details are overwhelming is difficult as an audience. We suspect this is the point. There are no answers, and barely even a sense of a question, to this production. It is, as it intends to be, the minutiae of life, frustratingly impossible to dismiss or alter, magnified into absurd proportions. Image: Chris Ryan and Cate Blanchett in Sydney Theatre Company’s Gross und Klein (Big and Small), photographer Lisa Tomasetti
Started in 2007, Underbelly Arts is the festival weekend that's a fortnight, that's a biennial. Probably Sydney's leading event for fresh interdisciplinary and interactive art, it is better known to audiences as those big days of playtime on atmospheric Cockatoo Island. But Underbelly Arts doesn't spend two years sleeping; it uses that time to foster the development of new work, a lot of which has come to fruition by festival time. The festival is divided into two crucial parts. Following the week-long Lab, which brought visitors onto the island to see the works in progress and be art guinea pigs, the second part — the Festival weekend — is on. It consists of two days of performances, art and adventure for the visiting public, held on August 3 and 4. The same works are on each day, although the Saturday is augmented by talks and panels by day and parties by night, while the Sunday adds some kid-friendly activities to the schedule. The Art Workers make reference to Chaplin’s Modern Times in Art Work, and Abdul Abdullah and brother Abdul-Rahman explore their past Bankstown digs in Project HOME. Art Month 2013 co-curators Penelope Benton and Alexandra Clapham will unpack Tableau Vivant, the latest incarnation of their ongoing art dining projects; Applespiel will weave alternative takes on the idea of 'history', the adjective 'true' and the place 'Cockatoo Island'; while Andrew Burrell and Chris Rodley channel Jonathan Harris for Everything is Going to Be Okay :) Brixels revitalises the idea of Breakout, as well as the idea of playing Breakout on a wall, Nothing to See Here reshapes the city’s landmarks with ideas from an unbuilt Holocaust memorial, while the Lot engage with Cockatoo Island’s landmarks in Mammoth: the Anti-Artifact Project. Tickets are on sale now. The Festival sold out last time around and, all in all, it's an even bigger lineup in 2013. Read more about eight pioneering Underbelly Arts projects in our feature. By Zacha Rosen and Rima Sabina Aouf. Image by Prudence Upton.
The breakout, Australian comic (and later movie) 30 Days of Night gave you solid vampire terror for your month of entertainment. With 30 days and 30 nights, local creative hero Queen Street Studio (and many of that studio's alumni) offer double that to span its Chippendale space's farewell lunar cycle. Though less vampires. Despite the ample time-frame, this farewell offers a packed program, with performance instruction from the likes of aerial experts Strings Attached, Siren master Kate Gaul or the Fondue Set. Free how-to classes also abound, including a serving of stage combat, and a dose of jamaican dancehall dance. Not to mention a final, family show from FraserStudios' resident artists, a pop-up bar and a history of the studios' three and a half years on site. But the star of these closing weeks is its collection of performance. Thursday nights belong to freshly made performance art, while Fridays and Saturdays are wilder, $10-at-the-door ensemble pieces. The Tin Sheds are running ghostly, sleeping-bag-heavy camping tours, Double Trouble plan a night of double acts and there's a final bacchanal of the greatest group-dances ever assembled (instructions included) at the Modern Social. It's a grand program to cast your eye over, but a fitting farewell for a brief and essential piece of Sydney's creative life. Image by Leah McGirr.
HSBC Sydney 7s is returning for another year from Friday, February 1–Sunday, February 3, taking over the Spotless Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park for the first time. The three-day party weekend spans heaps of high-energy rugby matches, a live music lineup and fancy dress aplenty. This year, the tournament will feature its very own music festival, with a dedicated tent set to host live acts across the weekend. Headliners include Tkay Maidza, DJ Tigerlily, L-Fresh The Lion and Yolanda Be Cool, with heaps of supporting acts on the docket, too. As always, 20 of the world's best international men's and women's rugby sevens teams will go head-to-head to be crowned the tournament champions. The stakes are high for both Aussie teams this time — not only are they defending their 2018 titles, but also fighting for entry to the 2020 Olympics (the top four teams at the end of the HSBC World Series will be at the games in Tokyo next year). Plus, one of the best aspects of heading to a rugby 7s day is the chance to don a silly outfit. There's no theme this time round, so use it as an opportunity to show off as much team pride as you can muster. Grab your mates, start planning your get-ups and get prepared for a full on weekend of festivities. Single day passes start at $37 and two-day passes at $60. Both include entry into the stadium and festival tent. Plus, you'll get free train travel to and from the stadium all weekend — just show your ticket at the barrier. To purchase tickets, head this way.
Sometimes, you need to take a break from your city, to get out and soak up the sun somewhere new. Sydney's sun-plenty northern beaches are the perfect destination, they're bursting with, well, beaches where you can ride the waves, catch some rays and let your worries dissipate. Moreover, there's a thriving foodie scene. Come the weekend, the folks on the beaches will be set up at cafes overlooking the sand, a specialty brew in one hand and a healthy breakfast burrito in the other — and you should be, too. To help you out, we've partnered with Qantas and curated a list of the best cafes on the northern beaches, perfect for your next cuppa. Get away from everything stressful at home, relax, and make the most of your Sydney escape.
When The Fast and the Furious took Point Break's premise and swapped surfing for street racing, it seemed like one of those easy Hollywood knockoffs that would speed into cinemas and then race right out of viewers' memories. Eighteen years, seven sequels, plenty of Coronas and a whole lot of talk about family later, we all now know that wasn't the case. It's the high-octane franchise that just keeps tearing up tyres and tearing across silver screen, and it has yet another new addition. The first Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw reunites two of the series' newer players: Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs, the government agent who has been a F&F staple since 2011's Fast Five, and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, the villain from Furious 7 who starts buddying around the gang in 2017's The Fate of the Furious. Directed by John Wick and Atomic Blonde's David Leitch, it's basically an excuse to put the two action heroes in the same movie again, watch as they bicker and banter like a muscular odd couple, and throw in the usual world-saving, car-racing antics. It also sounds like box office catnip —complete with the ridiculous stunts that the franchise has become known for, this time featuring a helicopter, a long chain and a truck in one of them. After releasing a first sneak peek earlier this year, the film has now revealed an extended three-and-a-half minute trailer. Check out the new clip below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ7PAyCDwEg Because two of today's biggest stars isn't enough for this initial foray outside of the main F&F stable, Hobbs & Shaw also features Idris Elba as the flick's villain — plus Helen Mirren reprising her role as Shaw's mother, and The Crown's Vanessa Kirby joining the fold as his sister. Johnson reportedly wanted Hobbs to not only have some family as well, but to have an incredibly high-profile family member; however bringing Aquaman's Jason Momoa on board didn't work out due to scheduling conflicts. Fans of Vin Diesel and the original gang, don't worry. Ninth and tenth F&F films are due in 2020 and 2021 respectively, so Dominic Toretto and company will be back to live their lives a quarter mile at a time once more. Also on the agenda is a female-focused spinoff focused on the ladies of the franchise, because this series remains furious about stretching out its run for as long as possible. Hobbs & Shaw opens in Australian cinemas on August 1. Image: Universal Pictures
Since late in 2019, when Disney launched its own streaming platform, fans of its animated classics, beloved hits and many, many super-popular franchises have been able to binge their way through the Mouse House's back catalogue from the comfort of their couch. For a few weeks in October and November, however, movie buffs are being asked to leave their houses to check out a selection of the company's famed titles — all thanks to the new pop-up Disney+ Drive-In that's coming to Sydney. Yes, a streaming service is running a drive-in. Or, to put it another way, a product designed to get everyone watching on small screens at home is now endeavouring to lure viewers out to watch its flicks on a big screen from their cars. That's a very 2020 situation, with Disney+ teaming up with Openair Cinemas to make it happen. The drive-in will arrive in Sydney — at the Northern Private Carpark of Bankwest Stadium, to be specific — on Thursday, October 22, screening films every night (except Tuesdays) until Sunday, November 15. As for what'll be screening, the Disney+ Drive-In is working through the Mouse House's hits, screening single features each night. On the bill: Star Wars flicks The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, plus throwback titles like 10 Things I Hate About You, Mrs Doubtfire, Mighty Ducks and Edward Scissorhands. If you really love your Disney movies, you can also expect live-action and animated versions of Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as sing-along Moana, The Little Mermaid and the first Frozen film. You can croon tunes to The Greatest Showman, too, and watch Pixar's gorgeous Coco. Plus, Marvel fans can look forward to Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue80QwXMRHg Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be available onsite — or you can bring your own. It's strictly a no-alcohol affair, though. And, ticket-wise, you'll be paying per car; however, prices vary depending the number of people in your car. Disney+ Drive-In presented by Openair Cinemas hits Sydney, at the Northern Private Carpark of Bankwest Stadium, on Thursday, October 22 — with its season running until Sunday, November 15.
If you're a firm believer that the best cabaret shows also happen to be the most immersive, then prepare to check in to L'Hôtel. A French-themed production that's filled with burlesque, circus and aerial performances, it's taking over the Sydney Opera House this spring — and turning the venue's studio into a French hotel. Obviously, you won't be able to slumber at the iconic spot for the night. That said, you will find yourself surrounded by a dinner theatre experience that takes its theming extremely seriously. So, you'll watch, eat, drink and feel like you've been spirited away to a hotel called L'Hôtel, complete with a lobby setup and a cast of characters that call the spot home. Accordingly, as L'Hôtel works its magic, you'll dine away, with the performance taking place around you. That'll include peering behind closed doors, into the lives of the production's characters, all while sipping GH Mumm champagne and tucking into fine French food that'll be delivered by the show's wait staff ensemble. [caption id="attachment_857580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] L'Hôtel first premiered at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2021, selling out its season, and now heads to Sydney from October 12–November 13. And, it comes with quite the pedigree, with Craig Ilott directing — after doing the same on Smoke & Mirrors, which nabbed three Helpmann Awards. Among the cast, you'll recognise singer, songwriter and actor Brendan Maclean (The Great Gatsby); Parisian-based jazz singer Caroline Nin; aerialist Masha Terentieva, who has performed with Cirque du Soleil; and Belgium's Florian Brooks, a specialist in juggling and manipulation. And, there's Australians Beau Sargent, Bri Emrich and CJ Shuttleworth, too, plus American dancer, choreographer and pole artist Bentley Rebel. [caption id="attachment_857579" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudio Raschella[/caption] L'Hôtel will play Sydney Opera House's Studio from October 12–November 13, 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets — with pre-sales from 8am on Wednesday, June 15 and general sales from 9am on Friday, June 17 — head to the Sydney Opera House website. Top images: Claudio Raschella.
Since 2013, artist Meg Minkley has been painting and drawing her way through pain. Her ongoing art therapy project A Drawing A Day started as a means of dealing with having been raped while travelling in Mexico, and went on to help scores of other rape survivors. Its latest incarnation, which opens at 107 Projects on Wednesday, September 14, is a response to the loss of her "best friend and cousin" Sarah, who suddenly passed away in her sleep from diabetes at the age of 28. Titled Dear SarBear, the exhibition deals with grief, memory and dreams. On some of the works, Minkley collaborated with her four- and six-year old niece and nephew, Liam and Ava. So you can expect lots of colour, as well as portraits of pet flamingo, Gracie, who, Ava says, lives in the sky with Sarah. Minkley is also co-founder of FemFound, a non-profit organisation dedicated supporting survivors of rape. It was established with the help of a successful Pozible campaign, which raised more than $15,000 earlier this year. Running until Sunday, September 25, Dear SarBear is free to attend, but will also be raising funds and awareness for Juvenile Diabetes Australia.
When James Lowe, the chef and owner of Michelin-starred Lyle's in London, visited Ester in Chippendale, he felt he'd discovered his 'spirit animal restaurant'. He subsequently invited Ester's chef and owner Mat Lindsay to fly over to join him for an edition of his Game dinner series. Now, the two are collaborating again. This time they're in Sydney, to create a chapter in Vivid's Chef Series at Ester. Over three nights, the duo will cook up an eight-course storm featuring the best Australian produce they can get their hands on. Prepare for super-fresh seafood, bold flavours and plenty of fire — the two chefs both love cooking over it. Tickets, at $250 per person, are available online. You can add matching wines for $150. Looking for other spots to dine during Vivid? Check out Vivid Fire Kitchen on the Goods Line, the Sydney Opera House Forecourt Food Village and Nigella Lawson's multi-course dinners in the Muru Giligu pedestrian tunnel.
"It's actually a western" is a fairly common call these days, directed towards everything from superhero films to horror flicks. In the case of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the comparison really sticks. In the latest biting black comedy from writer-director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths), a horrific tragedy inspires a determined crusade, as a lone hero commits to doing whatever it takes to see justice done and a small town gets caught up in the chaos. Shots are fired, in the form of controversial signs, scuffles with dentists, cursing at priests, and hurling both people and Molotov cocktails through windows. Clad in faded boilersuit rather than cowboy hat and holster, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) leads the charge. After spotting a trio of weathered billboards on the rarely used Drinkwater Road outside of the titular locale, she hires them out with the purpose of sending one hell of a message. Still mourning the death of her teenage daughter seven months earlier, and equally furious and frustrated about the lack of progress in the local police investigation, Mildred arranges for the signs to bear three statements. "Raped while dying," reads the first. "And still no arrests?", asks the second. "How come, Chief Willoughby?", pleads the third. The origins of the film's fantastic title might be immediately apparent, but the directions that Three Billboards heads in from there are far from predictable. The movie wears its rage as prominently as Mildred wears her wilt-inducing glare, while at the same time chronicling her grief with empathy and understanding. It's a delicate balance, never downplaying either her ire or her pain, and it's one that McDonagh gets just right. It also proves essential as Mildred crosses paths with other townsfolk, such as the well-respected Chief (Woody Harrelson) named on her signs, and the easily angered Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell), who's known for his brutal racism more than his law-enforcement prowess. Packed with dark, hilarious, nigh-unprintable dialogue, McDonagh's script mightn't be subtle, but it is teeming with complexity — much more than some of its seemingly simplistic takes on race and gender might initially indicate. Taking his cues from gunslinging revenge tales gone by, the filmmaker crafts a complicated rumination on humanity's contradictions, including the way that the right intentions can still lead to murky outcomes, and vice versa. His storytelling approach demonstrates a similarly stark contrast in action, convincingly flitting from scathing to thoughtful to loud, foul-mouthed and attention-seeking, and back again, in an instant. From the second that McDormand's Mildred locks eyes on the billboards, there's no doubting the movie's other big standout. It's hardly surprising given the actress' track record, but it bears highlighting all the same. While Harrelson and Rockwell are in terrific form, they've got nothing on McDormand, who seems certain to pick up another Academy Award nomination more than 20 years after scoring her first playing the polar opposite type of role in Fargo. She's in total command of the movie from beginning to end, though in true western style it's the small gestures, more than the witty speeches, that really leave a lasting impression. The range that she shows — whether in a momentarily faltering gaze, an unthinking act of kindness in a confrontational situation, or a look of troubled realisation — many actors can only dream of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aZ3r-84EQc
Exploring the world in person isn't on anyone's agenda at present, but that doesn't mean you can't improvise from your couch. After hitting up online tours of the planet's best museums and landmarks, then checking out a heap of travel live-streams, you can now journey around the globe via a heap of Netflix documentaries screening for free on YouTube. Viewers can watch all eight episodes of 2019 nature series Our Planet, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough — and ventures to 50 countries to explore the huge array of different habitats present across the earth. Or, you can feast your eyes on documentary feature Chasing Coral as it follows a team's efforts to invent the first time-lapse camera that's capable of recording coral bleaching events as they happen. In total, ten different Netflix titles have made the leap to YouTube — meaning that, even if you don't have an account with the streaming platform, you can still watch. The move is part of the company's efforts to help teachers and parents find informative and educational options for children; however viewers of all ages can take advantage of the free material. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGZc8ZjFY4 Other freebies include Ava DuVernay's Oscar-nominated documentary 13th, which explores race relations in America; Knock Down the House, about the campaigns of four women — all progressive Democrats — running for US congress; and the first season of Abstract: The Art of Design, featuring profiles of illustrators, architects, shoe designers, photographers, stage designers and more. Or, you can check out select episodes of Explained, spanning topics such as music, the world's water crisis and cricket, and Babies, which covers the obvious subject — or view three short films, including Academy Award-winner Period. End of Sentence., about access to sanitary products in India; The White Helmets, following volunteer rescue workers in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey; and Zion, about Zion Clark, a wrestler born without legs. To view Netflix's free selection of documentaries on YouTube, visit the streaming platform's YouTube channel. Top images: Our Planet, Netflix.
Australia's blistering temperatures have made it pretty darn clear — summer is far from over. But while pretty-in-pink frosé has played superficially sophisticated thirst-quencher of choice these past few months, it's now time for the garden party favourite to hand over the 'cool girl' reins to someone new. Behold, frozen Riesling, or 'freezling'. That's right, the wine slushie concept has been blasted into a whole new realm in Sydney, with Christian Blair (ex-Eau De Vie) and his Annata crew launching a collection of frozen, Reisling-based cocktails they've naturally christened The Freezling Project. Just look: Head into the Crows Nest bar and be among the first to sample this lineup of frosty, boozy treats, featuring the likes of a skin-contact Riesling blended with Nashi pear and ginger, and a Clare Valley variety dressed up with dragonfruit and elderflower. There are five of these Riesling creations to cool down with, each one priced at $12. Find Annata at 69 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest.
Now that Sydney has reopened and Christmas almost here, you're probably keen to make a splash. Yes, watching fish, turtles and plenty of other marine creatures literally splash about definitely counts. And that's exactly what's on offer at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, all thanks to its luxe underwater festive dining experience. Available up until Wednesday, December 22, Sea Life's private dining packages will serve you up a three-course meal — and two hours of drinks — while you escape into an underwater world. You can choose from one of two locations, too, so prepare to pick between the Heart of the Reef, the venue's 360° glass tunnel that's filled with hundreds of fish, sharks and turtles; or Turtle Beach, which comes with a floor-to-ceiling viewing window into the Oceanarium. You'll tuck into grazing platters stacked with smoked salmon, marinated olives, bread and dips to start with, then move onto mains that include marmalade and nut-crusted glazed double-smoked ham, plus turkey breast with pancetta and sage stuffing — as served with steamed green beans, roast potatoes, and pumpkin. Desserts span steamed Christmas pudding with brandy custard and Christmas pavlova with mango, strawberries, passionfruit and shaved chocolate. And, beverage wise, there's sparkling, red and white wines, and beer. You'll also get after-hours access to the aquarium but, unsurprisingly, the whole experience doesn't come cheap. You'll be paying $225 per person, with a minimum of ten people required — so this is a treat yo'self kind of Christmas under the sea experience.
Lighten your run with Mizuno, then lighten your spirits at the Blackmores Recovery Village. The Sydney Running Festival is a celebration of one of the most scenic urban running routes in the world. It's also one of Australia's most comprehensive long-distance running events. A 42.195 kilometre full marathon is the headliner, with a $10,000 cash prize on offer for the first runner across the line, and $2500 going to the winner of the wheelchair division. If you think you're ready for the big one, you'd best be at the starting point (Bradfield Park, Milsons Point) when the gun goes off at 7.15am. If a half-marathon is more your speed, you need to be up even earlier, as it's scheduled to start at 6.15am. Male and female champions will be taking home $1000 each. Then there's the 9 kilometre Bridge Run, and last on the list is the three-and-a-half kilometre Sunday Telegraph Family Fun Run, which kicks off at 7.50am. Depending on how energetic you are, you'll find yourself jogging past one, or all, of Sydney's iconic landmarks, from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair. Entry fees vary, from $40 for Early Bird adult entry into the Fun Run to $155 for standard entry into the marathon. The event is run by not-for-profit organisation Athletics Australia, so all proceeds go towards supporting and promoting the practice of athletics across the nation. Over $10 million dollars have been raised since the festival was inaugurated in 2001.
Sail away from the hustle and bustle of Circular Quay and the CBD, and take in the fireworks from the harbour with this New Year's Eve cruise experience. For a cool $565, you'll be treated to three hours on Glass Island's luxury two-storey barge, a drinks package of sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, shiraz, blanc de blanc and prosecco, as well as a selection of beer and cider, canapés, an extravagant food station and, finally, views of the midnight fireworks from a primo spot on the harbour. The night will be topped off with a glass of Moët at the stroke of midnight. If you're really looking to drop some serious cash, VIP packages with bottle service are available, too. The Glass Island cruise will leave King Street Wharf at 8.45pm and arrive back at 12.30am.
Petersham's The Oxford Tavern is going full sour this spring — and not just with its beers. The Rise 'N Brine festival will return for a second year, taking over the pub for three days of pickle-themed food, booze and even entertainment from Saturday, October 3 to Monday, October 5 (a public holiday). To start off, the bar will offer a few pickle-flavoured beers, which have been brewed for the day by local craft legends Batch, Yulli's Brews and the pub's own Oxford Brewing Racket. Other booze options include a pickle-y cocktail menu, which includes a slushie version of the classic pickleback — aka a shot of Jameson chased with pickle juice. And the pickling doesn't stop there, either. The pub has also created a special menu of pickle-inspired eats to tuck into — think jumbo pickle poppers, Cuban sandwiches, reuben spring rolls and pickle pops. A pickle eating competition hosted by local favourite McClure's Pickles and a pickle toss are also on the docket. With COVID-19 restrictions, the bar has limited capacity and booking are essential. Tickets will cost you $10 a pop, which includes a beer or pickleback slushie on arrival. Rise 'N Brine has sessions running from 12–2pm and 2.30–4.30pm across all three days.
Encircled with golden hula-hoops, splashed with pink neon and baring all in bikinis, The Turk in Italy (Il Turco in Italia), as directed by Simon Phillips, is opera about as bright, bold and downright funny as it gets. In 2014, the seldom-performed opera buffa celebrates its 200th anniversary, having been written by a 22-year-old rock star Rossini and debuted at La Scala, Milan in August 1814. Its last Sydney performance was 40 years ago. Phillips, in league with designer Gabriela Tylesova, transports the action to a flamboyant, stylised 1950s on the seaside. La Dolce Vita aesthetics blend with pop culture references; vintage fashion cuts take on brilliant hues and larger-than-life dimensions. Think ruffled swimsuits, fluoro inflatable mattresses, Dior-inspired dresses, snakeskin boots and Elvis lookalikes. A spectacular, skewed-angled, ice-cream cone-shaped double revolve serves as beach, house, bar, nightclub and hillside. Enter would-be poet and playwright (and barman) Prosdocimo (Samuel Dundas). On the prowl for a comic plot, he’s delighted to discover that his rather rotund, much-anguished boss Geronio (Conal Coad) is plagued by suspicion of his wife’s infidelity. The hunch is abysmally well-founded: the moment we meet Fiorilla (Emma Matthews) she is looking out to sea, binoculars in-hand, investigating the talent on an incoming Turkish ship. Captain Selim (Paolo Bordogna) presents more than she bargained for; however, their hot and heavy banter spiralling into infatuation. The catch (apart from Geronio, of course)? Selim’s first love, and one-time sex slave, Zaida (Anna Dowsley) rumbles onto the scene in her gypsy caravan. In the best possible way, Phillips squeezes every conceivable comedic moment — physical, linguistic and musical — out of the work. He goes so far as to offer a bold translation of Felice Romani’s original libretto, slipping in Aussie slang and substituting monosyllabic expletives for more poetic expressions of rage. Double entendres drive home slapstick humour; Benny Hill-style ‘tits and bums’ jokes abound. It’s silly, ridiculous, absurd at times, and utterly, utterly hilarious. It’s opera that makes you laugh. Really laugh. Out loud. Matthews steals the show. Not only is her coloratura magnificent, she plays the sexpot to give Brigitte Bardot a run for her money. She’s irresistibly fun and outrageously flirtatious. Bordogna — sufficiently suited-up, facially haired and charismatic enough to pass for Prince — meets her with his fluent baritone and ladies’ man appeal. Coad embraces Geronio’s fragility and eccentric hilarity in equal measure, while tearing through an array of technically tough bass lines. Young mezzo and member of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program, Dowsley makes her main stage debut as Zaida. Her singing is warm and agile, and she’s magnetic to watch. It’s a performance charged with promise. Dundas — the loveable, roguish barman — displays on-the-mark comedic timing and consistently powerful, articulate vocal lines. Finally, there’s Luciano Botelho, who plays peripheral character Narciso. As marginal to the main plot as his part might be, his resounding tenor places him very much at the centre of attention when he’s in solo mode. A particularly funny scene involving wriggling into an Elvis costume while in a minute, makeshift changing room has the audience in stitches. The verdict? Go! The good news is that standing room and student rush tickets, both available on the day of each performance, are just $44.
It has been a couple of years since The Jungle Collective first started taking over Australian warehouses and slinging plenty of plants, all thanks to its huge sales in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. These leafy excuses to fill your home with greenery always have a bit of a celebratory vibe, and they just keep coming, with the outfit's next Sydney outing happening across the weekend of Saturday, January 18 and Sunday, January 19. Gorgeous green babies are the main attraction — and more than 170 varieties of them, too. You'll pick up everything from fiddle leafs and monsteras to giant birds of paradise and rubber trees, as well as oh-so-many ferns and hanging plants. You'll also be able to shop for designer pots and get expert advice from the horticulturalists onsite. Oh, and if you bring your dog with you in a bag — taking inspiration from New York's subway — you'll receive $5 off your purchase. It's all happening at Precinct 75, at 75 Mary Street, St Peters, with sessions held at 8am, 10am, 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, plus 10am and 12pm on Sunday. Entry is free, but you'll need to register for a ticket — which you can do from 12pm on Monday, January 13.
Truck Stop by Lachlan Philpott was commissioned by Q Theatre, developed in Penrith, and is playing at the Seymour Centre in Sydney until late June. In 2011, Philpott's Silent Disco was so well received that students danced on the stage during interval in a rush of theatrical bonhomie. Truck Stop doesn't have an interval, so control yourselves. Also, it's a bit hard to jive to the theme of teenage prostitution. Philpott is tackling a brittle topic in Truck Stop, using real stories and interviews with Penrith high school students as the basis for this dramatisation. Sam (Eryn Jean Norvill), Kelly (Jessica Tovey), and Aisha (Kristy Best) are a trio of self-named SKANKS (lending their initials to the acronym) whose lives are dominated by the sexualisation of pop culture and advertising. Ringleader Sam's overt raunchiness is reflective of a wider raunch culture, also described by Ariel Levy in her book Female Chauvinist Pigs. Levy points out that now it's girls as well as boys who notch up sexual quantity in favour of quality. Sam and Kelly take this to the next level when they leave school one recess to hang out at the local truck stop. Philpott has mentioned elsewhere that he's trying to avoid a moral stance on the story, but he doesn't quite manage to do so. The piece is didactic insofar as the general structure is a psychological whodunnit — what made them do it? It searches for a cause that we can learn from and blame. Philpott's text treats the protagonists as patients rather than agents, which is thankfully counteracted by well-rounded characterisations from the cast. There's a kind of paternalism in Truck Stop that is absent in shows like Once and for All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are so Shut Up and Listen by Ontroerend Goed, which is much more by teenagers for teenagers. That said, the piece is as entertaining as it is educational, and the performances are all together great, with the shapeshifting Elena Carapetis (who plays all the supporting roles) acting as the real binding agent for the ensemble.
Donut Papi is no stranger to new and inventive flavours. The Sydney favourite has been creating doughnuts packed with flavours like pandan, matcha, milo and bittersweet calamansi since its pre-Redfern days as a mainstay at Sydney markets. Since opening a brick-and-mortar store, the doughnut haven has been able to push its creations into even more experimental territory. The latest new flavour combo from Donut Papi is a collaboration with Cointreau that's given your typical circular treat a boozy makeover. The limited-edition range includes two unique flavours — both centred around the humble margarita. The first is orange Cointreau margarita flavoured, which takes a plain doughnut and adds orange glazed icing, plus a pipette of Cointreau to inject into the doughnut. Flavour number two combines a ginger glaze with coconut flakes and its own pipette of Cointreau, of course. The easiest way to get your hands on these limited-time desserts is to head in-store to Donut Papi's Redfern Street home where you can pick up an individual margarita doughnut for $8 a pop or $63 for a nine-pack. While you're there you can also nab a signature pandan and coconut-glaze doughnut, a blueberry bear claw or a sticky cinnamon scroll. Donut Papi also delivers to postcodes within 15 kilometres of its Refern digs. You can check out the full list of postcodes the store delivers to at the FAQ page. The margarita doughnuts will be available until Saturday, September 10, meaning you can purchase a cheeky nine-pack of these boozy treats to bring along to any Father's Day celebrations you have lined up, or send some to the father figure in your life if they live in the inner-city or the Inner West. Donut Papi is located at 34A Redfern Street, Redfern. Its Cointreau margarita doughnuts are available until Saturday, September 10.
We're Bastards is a new work by actor and writer Oleg Pupovac in the same vein as Neil LaBute’s Bash trilogy of plays and Tracy Letts’s Bug. The naturalistic play invites us inside the troubled heads of 'white trash' siblings Joe Jnr and Darling Mae, who enjoy drinking, smoking and fighting. The Old 505 space is transformed into a living room in cosy disarray; a hideous brown sofa sits in the centre and an upstage book shelf is adorned with a confederate flag, framed pictures of Jesus, and Joe’s high school sports trophies. A coffee table in the centre sports empty Budweiser cans and Joe’s tin of snuff. Growing up with a single mother in Anniston, Alabama, Joe (Pupovac) and Darling Mae (Tara Clark) fight over their different versions of their crappy upbringing. Darling Mae visits their mother’s grave regularly while Joe prides himself on remembering her as a neglectful, alcoholic failure. The struggle is a familiar one — brother and sister form a strong, semi-erotic bond as they try to overcome a difficult shared past, a dynamic Steve McQueen nailed so well in Shame when Carey Mulligan playing Sissy says to her brother, “We're not bad people. We just come from a bad place.” Pupovac’s text is straightforward and his plot turns are fairly predictable, but that’s just fine because the show is well executed. Glen Hamilton’s direction is tight, though the challenge presented by the climax occurring in the first scene is that the pace falls away somewhat towards the end. Pupovac is a talented actor underneath that greasy undercut and Clark is every bit his match. Luke Carson playing Baby Daddy is used sparingly in one scene only and we’d like to see more of him. The performances are what make We’re Bastards a good piece of theatre — these actors know what they’re doing.
If you've always wanted to climb the Harbour Bridge but thought it was a little too touristy, or that it'll always be there and there's no point in rushing, now's your chance to do it a little differently. Between January 21 and March 6 this year you can not only don the famous BridgeClimb suit and hike up the stairs, pose for a cheesy photo and enjoy the view — you can do karaoke while you're up there. Your karaoke sesh will happen at the peak of the bridge, 134m above Sydney Harbour, in a custom-made karaoke suite. The views of Sydney Harbour, the city and the Opera House will be breathtaking, the tunes, not so much. After belting out your favourite song solo (or in a group if you're a little shy), you can climb down the Bridge and relive the experience by watching an eight-second video of your performance. Tickets include one BridgeClimb that runs for around two to three hours, a group photo, one of those blue BridgeClimb caps and a free pass to the Pylon Lookout. Adult prices range between $248-373, depending on the time of day and year you decide to go. Although it's the most expensive option, we recommend you climb the Bridge at sunset in summer and belt out a tune while you're there. Karaoke at sunset. Nothing better.
Lime Cordiale are showing some love to some of Australia's biggest regional hubs on a new tour that will see them performing in RSL clubs and intimate venues along the east coast. Spanning eight shows stretching between the Sunshine Coast and Frankston, the Fantastical Country Club Experience will deliver the band's catalogue of beloved hits, plus tracks from their upcoming third studio album, to cities and towns that are often missed on major national tours. The tour will kick off just north of Sydney with a pair of shows at the Dee Why RSL on Friday, March 17 and Sunday, March 19. From there, Lime Cordiale will head to Wollongong's Waves, Beer Deluxe in Albury, The Pier in Frankston, Venue 114 on the Sunshine Coast, Panthers Port Macquarie and, finally, The Coliseum in Rooty Hill on Sunday, April 15. Two of the stops — Dee Why RSL on March 19 and Venue 114 on Saturday, April 8 — are all-ages affairs, meaning Lime Cordiale fans young and old on the Central Coast and the Sunshine Coast can head along. The infectious five-piece will be joined by upcoming singer-songwriter Aleksiah on all eight dates, as well as Gold Coast musician Bella Amor in Dee Why, Wollongong and Albury, and sunny four-piece Coterie across the final four shows of the tour. Lime Cordiale recently landed four songs in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2022 including 'Holy Moley', their latest in a series of collaborations with the multi-talented British actor, DJ and musician Idris Elba. Their upcoming album hasn't been given a name or release date yet, but it's set to feature recent singles 'Colin', 'Country Club' and 'Facts of Life'. LIME CORDIALE'S FANTASTICAL COUNTRY CLUB TOUR 2023: Friday, March 17 and Sunday, March 19 — Dee Why RSL Friday, March 24 — Waves, Wollongong Friday, March 31 — Beer Deluxe, Albury Sunday, April 2 — The Pier, Frankston Saturday, April 8 — Venue 114, Sunshine Coast Sunday, April 9 — Panthers, Port Macquarie Saturday, April 15 — The Coliseum, Rooty Hill Lime Cordiale will tour the east coast of Australia in March and April. Tickets to the 'Fantastical Country Club Tour' are on sale now.
Gone are the fuzzy sound systems, sketchy parking lots and bourbon-fuelled teenage make-out sessions, as the classic drive-in movie theatre lands in Sydney with a contemporary, creative and challenging twist. This November a secret location within three kilometres of the CBD will play host to a drive-in experience for the genuine enthusiast with Downtown Drive-In. Organisers are keeping relatively tight-lipped on the details, but guaranteed is an innovative selection of films spanning a season of three themed nights. A new release, a sentimental favourite and a more mysterious “lost cinephile’s treat” are the three film categories confirmed for the exciting pop-up event. It’s been 60 years since the drive-in theatre took America by storm, which has allowed for both time and technology to facilitate a far superior model. This one will come with top-notch projection and cinema-quality sound, plus an undercover area to reduce the chance of Sydney’s unpredictable summer weather ruining the interior of your dad’s ’59 convertible. More modern luxury rides will also be up for grabs through event sponsor Audi, and for those without any wheels at all there is standard seating available too. Entry prices are set at $50 for a vehicle or $25 per person for standard seating. Stay tuned for the announcement of the venue, theme and schedule, not to mention custom food and drinks menus that will pay subtle tribute to the films. You can sign up for more information at downtowndrive.in
Time flies when you're slurping up mussels and listening to the sounds of jazz, as the folks at South Melbourne Market well and truly know. The Coventry and Cecil corner mainstay has been celebrating both for seven years now at its annual festival. The latest will take place on March 7 and 8, with the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returning to serve up a mollusc-focused street party. Oh, and more than six tonnes of mussels. It's free, it'll fill your stomach with locally sourced seafood, and it'll offer up a feast of other treats, including sweets, tipples and dance-worthy tunes. When it comes to enjoying the tasty sea creatures, Claypots, Köy, Paco y Lola, Simply Spanish and Bambu are just some of the eateries popping up — and whipping up an array of different mussel dishes. Seafood lovers will be able to dive into everything from mussel paella to wok-cooked drunken mussels. And you'll be eating for a good cause. The shells will be collected by Shuck Don't Chuck and used to help restore Port Phillip Bay's shellfish reefs. Taking care of the entertainment are local singer Loretta Miller, Alma Zygier, La Nuit Blanche, Margie Lou Dyer and a New Orleans-inspired seven-piece called the Horns of Leroy. Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival runs from 12–10pm on Saturday and 12–8pm on Sunday. Image: Simon Shiff.
If lockdown's seen you devouring books faster than ever, you might be looking for some fresh literary inspiration right about now. And one place you're guaranteed to find it is among Melbourne Writers Festival's 2021 program, which is now set to be reimagined as an all-virtual lineup. The festival's IRL events have been scrapped due to Melbourne's latest lockdown, but in good news — the extended digital program will run from Friday, September 3–Wednesday, September 15. It'll shine a spotlight on some of today's most engaging international literary voices, through a series of conversations, readings, author chats and panel discussions, all streamed online. Among them, Rumaan Alam unpacks his eerily-pertinent dystopian tale Leave the World Behind; Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri speaks about the literary construction of Whereabouts; Natasha Brown explores the issues of race and class stirred up in her lauded new novel Assembly; renowned philosopher AC Grayling ponders the great paradox of human inquiry while chatting about his release Frontiers of Knowledge; and the tales of a cast of young creatives come alive as Brandon Taylor shares insight into his short story collection Filthy Animals. Plus, on September 3, a specially commissioned short documentary series Writers on Film invites audiences on a guided tour into the lives and worlds of local authors Jennifer Down, Sophie Cunningham and Tony Birch. [caption id="attachment_823151" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Natasha Brown, author of 'Assembly'[/caption] Top images: Jhumpa Lahiri, author of 'Whereabouts' and Rumaan Alam, author of 'Leave the World Behind.
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.
MCA's tradition of after-hours schmoozing with art, music and glass of wine in hand, ARTBAR, is back for another year. They're always a fun way to spend a Friday night, thanks to the rotating cast of curators who continuously find fresh, eclectic ways for audiences to interact with what's on show. Artist Tom Polo fills the January 30 edition with an evening promising all manner of jokes, gags and lols — including a TV Tunes Dance-Off and stand-up from Dayne Rathbone. As a visual comedian of sorts, Polo's work frequently draws from vignettes of the everyday, whether its collaging hilarious tidbits from eavesdropped public transport exchanges or his paintings of abstract portraiture. Speaking of portraits, for an extra $10, visitors can also view MCA's latest exhibition on American painter Chuck Close.
To be at Jingle Jangle is to be transplanted to a different time and place. Maybe the dimly lit walk through the dingy Spanish restaurant La Campana into Good God Small Club is a portal, as you are removed from any signs of 2010 or of Sydney's vacuum of decent club nights. The music policy is strictly 1920's- 1960's and it's all about well dressed, capable dancers drinking Pimms and lemonade for refreshment before tearing up the dance floor. The gracious hosts Smokey La Beef and Smart Casual usually hold down the decks, inviting special guests to play their selections. This month sees Melbourne Garage/Rhythm and Blues rockers The Frowning Clouds tripping up The Hume to provide a live soundtrack, Owen from Straight Arrows dropping 45's, as well as the resident DJ's. So put on your dancing shoes and get down to the best portal in town.
Social media can get you anywhere, or so the story behind Marvel's latest movie and the actor playing its eponymous character demonstrates. Back in 2014, Simu Liu tweeted at the comic book company-turned-filmmaking powerhouse, asking "how about an Asian American hero?". In 2018, after Black Panther's success, he tweeted again — querying "are we gonna talk or what?" with the #ShangChi hashtag. Now, the Kim's Convenience star leads the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 25th feature, and the first to focus on a hero of Asian descent in its 13-year run to-date. He's the face of the franchise's latest step forward, both in terms of inclusion and representation, and in keeping the MCU's ongoing narrative forever hurtling onwards. Liu anchors a film about history and destiny, too — one that's about breaking free from the past and committing to the future — and he heartily embraces the occasion. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings itself flits between offering up a lively picture that strives to carve out its own space in the series, and simply serving up more of the usual Marvel template but in enticing packaging, however. Liu first graces the screen as Shaun, a San Francisco valet who's happy parking cars with his best pal Katy (Awkwafina, Breaking News in Yuba County), even though they both know they could follow other paths. While the film shows Katy's family decrying her lack of ambition, Shaun has a keener awareness of what he isn't doing — because he's really Shang-Chi, the son of centuries-old warlord Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung, The Grandmaster), who leads the shadowy Ten Rings criminal organisation and wears the mystical bracelets it's named after. Shang-Chi also has the otherworldly Jiang Li (Fala Chen, The Undoing), the former guardian of an enchanted village filled with dutiful warriors and mythical creatures, for a mother. But when she died when he was a child, his life changed. After the grief-stricken Wenwu obsessively trained him to become an assassin and see vengeance, Shang-Chi fled for the US, where he's lived since. Then, initially via a postcard from his Macau-based, underground fight club-running sister Xu Xialing (debutant Meng'er Zhang), and then thanks a violent visit from his dad's henchmen, he's forced into a family reunion that puts the fate of the universe at stake. It's telling that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actually begins by honing in on Wenwu, laying out his backstory and pushing glorious Hong Kong cinema legend Leung — a star with seven Wong Kar-wai films, such as In the Mood for Love and 2046, to his name — firmly to the fore. Marvel has loved daddy issues since Iron Man launched the MCU in 2008. It also adores complicated histories, and stressing the idea that heroes are forged from such complexity. And, it likes anchoring its sprawling on-screen world in as much lore and as many links to the past as it can. That's all accounted for in Shang-Chi's opening move, but so is pure movie-star physics. Leung is never less than magnetic in every feature he's in, including here. He's an actor with breathtaking presence, which has seen him prove one of cinema's most commanding figures for four-plus decades. The power and texture he brings to conflicted characters improves any film and, even with Liu handling his leading role with all the charisma and energy demanded, Leung is always the biggest highlight of every scene he's in. In other words, writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy, Short Term 12) has cast two essential roles devastatingly well — and maybe better than he intended in one case. Liu remains the star of the show, and the movie sets him up for more MCU appearances, of course. He crosses paths with other faces from the franchise, there's zero doubt that he'll be a key part of the saga moving forward and, based on this likeable-enough debut outing, audiences will want to spend more time in his company. But watching Leung constantly leads to yearning for more of Leung. The same applies when the great Michelle Yeoh (Gunpowder Milkshake) also pops up after Shang-Chi openly nods towards Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Marvel's decision to add a martial arts movie to its roster, and to populate it with Asian cinema superstars, can just remind viewers of all the exceptional works that the genre and those talents already made long before Hollywood blockbusters paid them notice, in fact. Shang-Chi brings other films to mind repeatedly, including via valet hijinks that ride in Ferris Bueller's Day Off's tyre treads, and a phenomenal bus scene — the movie's standout, and the beneficiary of dazzling fight choreography — that's more than a little like Speed-meets-Nobody. When a franchise spans 25 instalments and shows no signs of stopping, seeing echoes of past flicks comes with the territory as well, with Shang-Chi boasting the focus on character that makes the better MCU entries stand out, but also remaining happy to descend into the overblown CGI that's always been one of the series' worst impulses. It doesn't quite possess Black Panther's world-building flair, but it wants to. It can't exactly make its genre fit as well as Black Widow did with the spy realm, either. And, sometimes it feels like it's doing the bare minimum that Marvel thinks is necessary with this titular figure, and with committing to an Asian hero, as Captain Marvel illustrated before it with the saga's first solo female lead. When Shang-Chi soars — when Liu and especially Leung shine, the wuxia-inspired action choreography does the same and building engaging characters is the film's main motivation — it makes for vivid viewing. When it finds genuine emotion in Shang-Chi and Wenwu's thorny relationship, and celebrates the MCU's latest otherwise-overlooked sister (with Xialing joining Black Panther's Shuri and Black Widow's Yelena), it beats with heart, too. When it breaks out a sense of humour, which happens often in Cretton, Dave Callaham (Mortal Kombat) and Andrew Lanham's (Just Mercy) screenplay, it mostly mines an entertainingly goofy vibe (although it does lean a little too heavily on Awkwafina doing her Crazy Rich Asians sidekick schtick). That's the film's first two-thirds. When Shang-Chi regurgitates the standard formula, complete with a special-effects onslaught of a finale that favours pixels more than the fantasy flicks it's trying to ape, it surrenders a better movie to an average one. Here's hoping that Liu's tweets ultimately give rise to something more as the MCU keeps on keeping on.
The terrace garden atop the Paramount Recreation Club is seeing out March in style, with a sunset session featuring DJs, natural wine, refreshing cocktails, craft beer and fun snacks. On Saturday, March 27, a slew of both up-and-coming and established DJs represented by booking agency Fruit Bowl will hit the decks from 3–8pm — all while you get sipping. On the bill: Ben Fester, Bobby Vibe Positive, Casey, Champain Lyf and Cousin, plus Deepa, Eureka, Freda, Freda and Jackson, Honey Point, IV Drip and Niku. There'll be market-style food to snack on as well, so expect to slurp down oysters, tuck into Japanese-inspired skewers from the hibachi grill and and enjoy The Rec Club signature salads as you watch day turn to night. Entry is free, but it's a first come, first in kind of deal, so arriving early is highly recommended. Images: Declan Blackall Photography / PRC Media.
Sydney's Australiana-themed Redfern Surf Club is turning one this week. And it's celebrating in a big way. The colourful cocktail joint is throwing an all-day bash on Saturday, August 24 with dunny tunes, tinnies and $10 cocktails and whopping $250 bar tab up for grabs. The party will kick off at noon with $6 tinnies by Young Henrys, natural wines by the South Coast's Nattie by Nature and cheeseburgers by The Lord Gladstone. Punk rock band Beerwolf and a few special guests will take the stage during the arvo, then DJs will keep the party going until late — including The Delta Riggs and Money For Nothing. The music doesn't stop at the bar, either. It also extends to the toilet, where Dude Ranch by Blink-182 will be played on repeat. While you're in there, you can also select albums for future bathroom rotation (if that's your kind of thing). And one very lucky punter will also nab a $250 bar tab — just make sure you get in before 4pm to go in the running. Redfern Surf Club First Birthday will run from midday–midnight. Images: Patrick Stevenson
Unless you're the artist, most art installations are pretty hands-off — until now that is. To celebrate the launch of its limited-edition ceramic bottle, The Kraken Black Spiced Rum is hosting a special party that'll let you get your hands dirty. For just one night, the Waterloo eatery will be transformed into a dark, art-filled den — appropriately dubbed The Kraken's Lair. Here, you can let it all out as you smash some ceramics (so make sure you wear enclosed shoes), then watch as artist Pamela Irving creates a new installation with the very ceramics you just destroyed. To reward your hard work, tuck into some canapes and enjoy four exclusive cocktails featuring Kraken Rum. Plus, you can get down with live music from DJ Jimmy Niggles and a surprise performer. With tickets at just 35 bucks, you can get some mates together or find yourself a date for an unusual — and affordable — night. Awaken the Kraken will take place on Thursday, October 10. To purchase tickets, head this way.
Ang Lee’s tribute to the 40-year anniversary of Woodstock is not quite the film you’d expect. Based on the memoirs of Elliot Tiber, Lee’s movie is much more a family drama in the vein of his previous film The Ice Storm or even Sense and Sensibility, than a nostalgic case of ‘thank you for the music’.

Instead of taking to the stage, we go behind the scenes of this historic event: to Elliot (Demetri Martin) and his cash strapped, eccentric, immigrant family who wind up hosting the hoard of hippies in their run down motel. Entirely ignorant of the extent of this cultural tsunami, Elliot and his indefatigable parents (Henry Goodman and Imelda Staunton) end up going on one far out trip. 

Shot with vibrancy and splashings of 60s split-screen flourish, Lee and cinematographer Eric Gautier display an obvious affection for their subject matter. Even the act of recording the event is captured in eager reflexivity, with reporters, photographers and film crews wandering in and out of screen; no doubt a nod to Michael Wadleigh’s Academy Award winning, epic documentary Woodstock.

Liev Schreiber is quirkily soft as a worldly transsexual, while Emile Hirsch brings a poignant humour to his Vietnam veteran. Feature film newcomer Martin evokes a hint of Dustin Hoffman in his unfulfilled everyman Elliot, and almost holds his own against Staunton’s pocket-rocket of post-war immigrant angst.

Taking Woodstock is a curious microcosm set within the transformative macrocosm of 1969 America. Those looking for a music driven, band tribute will surely come away disappointed, but audiences willing to journey behind the line up may well enjoy spending some time with the unlikely patrons of this watershed event. Taking Woodstock @ Yahoo!7 Video
Walking into Shady Pines Saloon is like being transported into a bustling dive bar in the south of the US. The warm lighting country music soundtrack and array of knick-knacks lining the walls all combine to American-themed charm of the hidden Darlinghurst venue. On Sunday, July 17 the beloved bar is leaning into the sound of Tennesee and hosting nine straight hours of country music tunes. Six local acts will take to the stage from 2.30pm, with sets from Buffalo Grass Boys, Matt Ross, James Van Cooper, Adam Pringle, and Jamey Foxton. If you're not familiar with the acts, there's no need to worry. All you need to do is don your best cowboy hat and strap in for a night of twangy guitars and heartfelt ballads. To sweeten the deal, there will also be $2 tins of beer on offer, alongside all of Shady Pines' signature cocktails and small-batch whiskey. Entry is free, as long as you can find the unassuming Foley Street entrance. [caption id="attachment_653449" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shady Pines by Leticia Almeida[/caption]
Court is being called in northern Sydney next month, as the annual St Ives Medieval Faire returns on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23. Ladies, lords, kings, queens and knights will descend on St Ives Showground, transforming it into some sort of Game of Thrones-meets-A Knight's Tale realm — though sadly, there'll be no joust between Jamie Lannister and William Thatcher (but wouldn't that be a show). There will, however, be a feast fit for royalty and plenty of medieval theatrics —and we're giving one lucky lord or lady access to a rather noble faire experience. As the chosen winner, you will receive the royal treatment for yourself and three of your most loyal ladies- or lords-in-waiting. Upon arrival at the front gates, you'll be led by horse-drawn carriage to the Royal Court VIP marquee tent. You'll get $100 to spend at the private bar, plus a drinking horn to fill with mead or one of three brews, which Victorian craft beer legends Two Birds have custom-made for the Faire. There'll be an all-day grazing table available when you get a bit peckish, but don't go overboard on the bellytimber: a kingly, long table lunch awaits. Noble guests will feast on a buffet meal of old-world delicacies including hock and pea soup, chicken, parsnip and fig pies, spatchcock, suckling pig and cherry torte. You'll also get top-notch seating for the premier event of the day: the jousting tournament. (Yes, it's still a thing.) Jousting masters from across Australia and Europe will don full armour and compete in the only solid lance jousting competition in the Southern Hemisphere. After experiencing all the medieval gallantry, you can then meet the jousters post-match, including Lady Caroline from Sweden — the first female to take part at St Ives. Make sure to also leave time to explore the rest of the Faire to really immerse yourself in the festivities, which feature birds of prey and archery demos, markets, folk music and a Trebuchet catapult. To enter, see below. [competition]684393[/competition]
If your favourite kind of art is the stuff that's contemporary, independent and far from boring, your collection could soon be in for a boost. The Other Art Fair is bringing its boundary-pushing exhibit to The Cutaway from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, July 24. What's in tow? Accessible art (read: affordable, starting at just $100) and good-time vibes (courtesy of live DJs, diverse street eats and a fully stocked bar). A far cry from the pretentious art fairs of old, Saatchi Art's touring event will this year showcase works from 120 contemporary artists, with the supporting program covering everything from live tattooing to drawing classes and curator-led tours. If you fancy browsing artworks with a drink in hand, you'll have plenty of options. A pop-up bar is set to pour exclusive sips and there'll be an array of food stalls to choose from, too. Whether your love of art is long-held and you've curated a collection to rival the best, or you simply appreciate artistic expression and are looking to discover emerging and independent artists (and perhaps procure your first forever-piece), The Other Art Fair will have thousands (literally) of impressive pieces for you to discover. The Other Art Fair will hit The Cutaway from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, July 24. To secure your tickets, head to the website.
Balmy spring nights, classic flicks and botanical-driven cocktails. If that sounds like your kind of midweek situation, you're going to want to snap up tickets to this month's Canvas Cinema series. The Golden Sheaf is teaming up with your mates at global gin brand Bombay Sapphire, hosting outdoor cinema screenings across four Thursday in October in the pub's fairy light-lit upstairs Canopy Bar. There's big love for inspirational classics in this movie lineup, kicking off with 2002 biographical drama Frida on Thursday, October 3. You'll also catch Academy Award-winning film, Lost in Translation (October 10), seminal hit Almost Famous (October 24) and a glimpse into the world of fashion photography with documentary, Bill Cunningham: New York (October 31). To match, Bombay Sapphire will be offering a range of gin and tonic options, complete with a diverse choice of garnishes, as well as cocktails like the rhubarb and vanilla gimlet. You'll enjoy it all from atop one of the Bombay Sapphire velvet couches, and you can get snacks delivered right to your seat, too. Tickets are just ten bucks, which includes the film screening and a gin and tonic on arrival. Further drinks and snacks are available to purchase on the night.
Set in an English country house in the 1920s, Noël Coward’s Hay Fever is a comedy of errors about a bunch of bohemians who play act at life. In Rosane McNamara’s production at the New Theatre, a handsome troupe of actors gives a rollicking rendition of the farce. Retired actress Judith Bliss (Alice Livingstone) deals with the dreariness of the country by turning daily life into a grand drama. Her family knows the score and graciously oblige as her supporting cast. Guests to the country house take slightly longer to comprehend the rules. There’s nothing wrong with frivolous plays — watching beautifully dressed people say witty things can be extremely enjoyable, but this production could do with a good lick more shine. The costumes fall on the gypsy side of bohemian and the set is extensive but unpolished. Similarly the accent work could be a notch tighter. In a play about surfaces, minor details become major and the casualness of the design elements in this production is immediately noticeable. You could argue that staging Hay Fever in 2013 is pertinent as a social critique of the hypocrisy and self-importance of middle class creative types, but Coward’s text doesn’t hold up to that kind of time travel. This is more of a quaint peek at a time gone by when people spoke delightfully and wore gorgeous things. That said, there’s still a lot to admire in the performances. Tess Haubrich is fantastic as the charismatic, direct Myra, guest of Judith’s son, Simon. Haubrich’s accent is polished and she effortlessly shifts gear between temptress and affronted prude during her frisson with Judith’s husband, David (James Bean). Livingstone pulls off the eccentricity of a self-involved fading beauty with a fine swag of histrionic gestures; a trembling hand here, a raised eyebrow there — she is warm and funny, though slightly too jocular at times. Hay Fever is good, entertaining drama, and with a bit of a spruce in the costume department, it could really sparkle. Image by Bob Seary.
It's not every festival feels like a country weekend fete that just happens to be headlined by say, The Shins. Fairgrounds, Australia's country boutique camping festival descends on the small NSW town of Berry each December. Taking over the local Berry Showgrounds, Fairgrounds boasts all the trimmings of a major music festival with the essence of a local fair. And this December, it's back for another two-day round. Running over December 8 and 9, the two-day festival is making a triumphant return. In a huge coup for the small festival in its third year, they've secured big time festival favourites The Shins and Future Islands to headline, alongside local legends Client Liaison, D.D Dumbo, Holly Throsby, Jen Cloher, Royal Headache's Shogun and more. Oh, and casual founding Pavement member Spiral Stairs. With a strong focus on the local NSW South Coast area, Fairgrounds isn't just about the tunes. Last year local nosh, market stalls and the local swimming pool played equally starring roles at this multifaceted festival — something we're sure made Berry residents pretty happy. Between dips in Berry's local pool (within the festival grounds), punters feasted on local delights, including fresh rock oysters harvested less than half an hour from the festival site. But we know what you're here for. Here's the full lineup. FAIRGROUNDS 2017 LINEUP: Aldous Harding Client Liaison D.D Dumbo Future Islands Hockey Dad Holly Throsby Japanese Breakfast Jen Cloher Marlon Williams Noname The Shins The Teskey Brothers You Am I Jess Locke Leah Senior Press Club Shogun (Royal Headache) Spiral Stairs (Pavement) Fairgrounds runs December 8–9 at Berry Showgrounds, NSW. Tickets on sale from Moshtix at 9am, Tuesday, August 22 (presale Thursday, August 18 — sign up to the newsletter for this). Festival entry is $160, with camping $220, with shuttle $198. Kids under 12 attend free with an adult. Image: Andy Fraser.
