Feel like dining in the sun with a side of sweeping views? Round up your mates and head to The Glenmore. The Rocks' favourite rooftop bar has launched a series of bottomless lunches, taking place on the first Sunday of the month. To kick things off, you'll get a cocktail on arrival, followed by two hours of French rosé. You'll be sitting down to a family-style feast, too. The menu changes regularly — think ceviche tacos with avocado and charred corn, or whipped chicken liver parfait to start, followed by smoked salmon salad, Turkish-style spiced chicken or grilled steak with caramelised onion butter as mains. Sides-wise, there'll be dishes such as curried potato salad and roasted cauliflower. To check out the full sample menu, head over here. You can also catch some live music while enjoying your lavish spread. And don't forget about those stunning views across the harbour and the Opera House. This boozy feast costs $85 per person, with two sittings available at noon–2pm and 1–3pm. Bookings are limited and can be made here. [caption id="attachment_738610" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Images: Steven Woodburn
Fashion, art, homewares and handcrafted goods as far as the eye can see — that's usually what's on the agenda at The Village Markets on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. The event is taking a break under current circumstances; however that doesn't mean that you can't shop from home. In fact, that's where its first Insta Market comes in. Across the weekend of Friday, March 27–Sunday, March 28, the Village Markets Insta Market is showcasing designers, artists and curators — and highlighting just what you can buy with the click of a few buttons while sitting on your couch. Whether you're after new threads, something to pop on your shelf or some goodies for your pet, you'll find it here, as well as special offers and discounts. And, because it's all online, it's available to everyone — even if you're not in southeast Queensland. By taking part in the Insta Market, you'll also be supporting more than 70 creative small businesses — who, like many folks across many industries at present, have seen their whole lives change suddenly. If that's not a great excuse to spend a couple of days scrolling through your Instagram, then we don't know what is.
Legendary Sydney crew Mary's are giving you plenty of reason to celebrate this month. First up, it's just announced the opening of Mary's On Top — a rooftop bar at much-loved party venue The Lansdowne — on Thursday, June 4. Also on that day, it's reopening its doors to punters after having to close dine-in service due to COVID-19. Sure, you could get it delivered, but you missed out on the good times that got served up with your burgers and fries. So, you can bet the boys will be celebrating. Co-owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham know that lots of Aussies have had their salaries reduced during the crisis, so they're temporarily reducing the price of food at all Mary's venues. For a week, you can get 30 percent off food at Mary's outposts in Newtown, Circular Quay, Castlereagh Street and Mary's On Top, with the deal valid for sit-in meals as well as via Deliveroo. Expect favourites such as the Mary's burger, the fried chook and the much-loved mash and gravy being dished up for a fraction of the usual cost, plus vegan fare at Circular Quay, the CBD and Mary's new rooftop venue. The brand's grungy, rock 'n' roll attitude will be alive and well, too. And it would be rude not to at least glance at the top-notch, very fun wine list. Mary's is offering 30 percent off food at its Newtown, Circular Quay, Castlereagh Street and new Mary's On Top outposts from June 4–10. You can find your closest Mary's and check out the menus here. Images: Kitti Gould and Mary's
If you've been making plans to revamp your style, but haven't been able to rustle up the coin or are sick of online shopping, here's your chance. Hugo Boss is hosting a mega sale at its outlet stores. You'll be able to score a further 30 percent off menswear, womenswear, footwear and accessories. Whether you're after a suit for a special occasion later in the year or looking to level-up your WFH wardrobe stat, Hugo Boss's mid-season outlet sale will have you sorted for a fraction of the fashion label's usual prices. You'll have to get in quick to score though, with the sale running from Wednesday, May 27 until Sunday, June 28 (or until stocks last). In Sydney, you can head to Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre and DFO Homebush to get these quality threads for such a steal. Current opening hours at all BOSS outlets are 11am–4pm. Hugo Boss mid-season outlet sale will run from Wednesday, May 27 till Sunday, June 28, or until stocks last (excludes new season stock). To find your closest outlet, visit the website.
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, Australian's Asian eateries have been doing it tough — even closing down, in some cases — with patron numbers plummeting across the board. Sydney's Chinatown hasn't been immune; however if you're hankering for some sweet and sour pork or kung pao chicken, the Lord Gladstone is giving you an extra incentive to head out to dinner. First, make a date with whichever Chinatown restaurant takes your fancy. Then, mosey on over to the Lord Gladstone with your receipt in hand. Flash that piece of paper at the bar on the same day as your meal, and you'll score your first round of drinks for free. By 'same day', you'll need to make your way to the Lord Gladstone before midnight hits to nab your free beverages. It's the perfect excuse for a nightcap, though — and another reason to support an area that's struggling at present.
In early June, beachside favourite Bondi Beach Public Bar reopened to the public and celebrated with 50 percent off all food and happy hour prices for a heap of beers, wine and cocktails — all day, every day until the end of June. Because the team knows many of our wallets are looking a little slim right now, it's decided to extend the offer until the end of July. This means you have another 31 days to swing past the Campbell Parade pub for $5 tacos, $10 burgers (beef, fish, buttermilk-fried chicken and vego) and $16 steaks, as well as $6 select wines and beers and $12 margaritas, negronis and espresso martinis. BBPB has also brought back the tunes. While you can't get up and dance — no mingling allowed at hospo venues just yet — you can sit and shimmy along to DJ Levins on Good Life Fridays and Public Affection on Saturdays. You can either book a table (for a minimum of three people) or walk in, with online reservations over here. Top image: Kitti Gould
The MCA's after-dark, adults-only art party is back — but not as you know it. While usually we'd run amok in the Circular Quay museum, this time we'll be having art-filled fun from our couches. Yep, for the first time ever, Artbar is going digital — and it won't cost you a dime. The one-night-only event is a collaboration between the MCA and the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, which is currently exhibiting across multiple Sydney venues. Much like the citywide arts festival, this season's Artbar is titled Nirin and is celebrating First Nations artists, connected by themes of ceremony, ritual and tradition. It's going down this Friday, June 26 and will kick off at 7pm with a Welcome to Country by artists Julie Bukari Webb and Corina Norman from the Blacktown Native Institution. [caption id="attachment_773774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline Garcia by Jacquie Manning. All images courtesy and © the artist.[/caption] You'll also learn how to cut some serious shapes in a digital dance class led by self-described "culturally promiscuous" interdisciplinary artist Caroline Garcia and catch a gig by the Tamil drummers from the Parai-Yah! Project (STARTTS and Tamil Arts Australia). You'll get to visit Tongan Australian artist Latai Taumoepeau's studio and take virtual tours of the Biennale exhibitions at the MCA, too. There'll also be a live set by female DJ MzRisk, coming straight from the MCA rooftop terrace to your living room. All up, expect a night full of art, music and performances, which will foster the ideas of ceremony and tradition in experimental and boundary-pushing ways. To attend this late-night art shindig from the comfort of your home, you can register for exclusive offers and first access here or head to the MCA website. You can also join its Facebook event to keep up with the latest and join in conversation as the event's happening. The live-stream will run from 7–10pm. MCA Artbar: Nirin is running from 7–10pm on Friday, June 26. For further details — and to tune in — head to the MCA website. Top images: Blacktown Native Institution Site, Dharug traditional owner Shanaya Donovan at the opening of BNI handover, 2018, image courtesy of Landcom, Sydney and DSMG, Sydney, Photograph: Joseph Mayer; MCA, Photograph: Liam Cameron; and Latai Taumoepeau, 'The Last Resort', 2020, Photograph: Zan Wimberley, courtesy of the artist.
On January 26 of this year, Yuin rapper and host of Triple J's Blak Out launched We Are Warriors, a platform dedicated to inspiring and empowering Indigenous youth through a system of role models. "After experiencing racism as a kid, my Mum spoke to me three of the most powerful words I have ever heard – We Are Warriors. It instilled a fire inside of me, a sense of pride and this unimaginable desire to be successful and show the world that WE ARE WARRIORS," said Nooky. "This journey has led me to launch a platform to highlight prolific Indigenous excellence across music, fashion, sports and everything in between; a celebration of Blak excellence to empower young people in our community." As part of Vivid Sydney, Nooky is taking over the Oxford Art Factory with a huge roster of talent who share the We Are Warriors vision. On the lineup, there are local favourites like Triple One, Ziggy Ramo and The Terrys alongside the likes of Dallas Woods, Akala Newman, Jade Le Flay, Jayvy, Muggera, Roman Jody and Scraps. Plus, you can expect some special guests to pop-up throughout the night. All profits from the tickets to the We Are Warriors enterprise will go towards supporting workshops, mentoring programs and support for Indigenous youth and young Indigenous creatives. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq-B-GhrDJs
To write notable things, does someone need to live a notable life? No, but sometimes they do anyway. To truly capture the bone-chilling, soul-crushing, gut-wrenching atrocities of war, does someone need to experience it for themselves? In the case of Siegfried Sassoon, his anti-combat verse could've only sprung from someone who had been there, deep in the trenches of the Western Front during World War I, and witnessed its harrowing horrors. If you only know one thing about the Military Cross-winner and poet going into Benediction, you're likely already aware that he's famed for his biting work about his time in uniform. There's obviously more to his story and his life, though, as there is to the film that tells his tale. But British writer/director Terence Davies (Sunset Song) never forgets the traumatic ordeal, and the response to it, that frequently follows his subject's name as effortlessly as breathing. Indeed, being unable to ever banish it from one's memory, including Sassoon's own, is a crucial part of this precisely crafted, immensely affecting and deeply resonant movie. If you only know two things about Sassoon before seeing Benediction, you may have also heard of the war hero-turned-conscientious objector's connection to fellow poet Wilfred Owen. Author of Anthem for Damned Youth, he fought in the same fray but didn't make it back. That too earns Davies' attention, with Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) as Sassoon and Matthew Tennyson (Making Noise Quietly) as his fellow wordsmith, soldier and patient at Craiglockhart War Hospital — both for shell shock. Benediction doesn't solely devote its frames to this chapter in its central figure's existence, either, but the film also knows that it couldn't be more pivotal in explaining who Sassoon was, and why, and how war forever changed him. The two writers were friends, and also shared a mutual infatuation. They were particularly inspired during their times at Craiglockhart as well. In fact, Sassoon mentored the younger Owen, and championed his work after he was killed in 1918, exactly one week before before Armistice Day. Perhaps you know three things about Sassoon prior to Benediction. If so, you might be aware of Sassoon's passionate relationships with men, too. Plenty of the film bounces between his affairs with actor and singer Ivor Novello (Jeremy Irvine, Treadstone), socialite Stephen Tennant (Calam Lynch, Bridgerton) and theatre star Glen Byam Shaw (Tom Blyth, Billy the Kid), all at a time in Britain when homosexuality was outlawed. There's a fated air to each romantic coupling in Davies' retelling, whether or not you know to begin with that Sassoon eventually (and unhappily) married the younger Hester Gatty (Kate Phillips, Downton Abbey). His desperate yearning to hold onto someone, and something, echoes with post-war melancholy as well. That said, that sorrow isn't just a product of grappling with a life-changing ordeal, but also of a world where everything Sassoon wants and needs is a battle — even if there's a giddy air to illegal dalliances among London's well-to-do. Benediction caters for viewers who resemble Jon Snow going in, naturally, although Davies doesn't helm any ordinary biopic. No stranger to creating on-screen poetry with his lyrical films — or to biopics about poets, after tackling Emily Dickinson in his last feature A Quiet Passion — the filmmaker steps through Sassoon's tale like he's composing evocative lines himself. Davies has always been a deeply stirring talent; see: his 1988 debut Distant Voices, Still Lives, 2011's romance The Deep Blue Sea and 2016's Sunset Song, for instance. Here, he shows how it's possible to sift through the ins and outs of someone's story, compiling all the essential pieces in the process, yet never merely reducing it down to the utmost basics. Some biopics can resemble Wikipedia entries re-enacted for the screen, even if done so with flair, but Benediction is the polar opposite. It must be unthinkable to Davies that his audience could simply pick up standard details about Sassoon by watching a depiction of his existence, rather than become immersed in everything about him — especially how he felt. Benediction plays like the work of someone who wouldn't even dream of such an approach in their worst nightmares. That's true in Lowden's scenes, with the bulk of the movie focused on the younger Sassoon. It remains accurate when Peter Capaldi (The Suicide Squad) features as the older Sassoon, including opposite Gemma Jones (Ammonite) as the older Hester. When the latter graces the picture's immaculately shot frames (by Harlots, Gentleman Jack and upcoming The Handmaid's Tale season five cinematographer Nicola Daley), he's a portrait of man embittered, and he's utterly heartbreaking. Lowden and Capaldi's performances are as critical to Benediction as Sassoon himself, and Davies as well. They're that fine-tuned, that tapped into the whirlwind of emotions swirling through the man they're playing, and that awash with anger, determination, longing, loneliness, defiance, despair, resentment and tragedy. (Yes, that's a complicated and chaotic mix, and 100-percent steeped in everything that's thrown Sassoon's way). As overseen by Davies, Lowden and Capaldi are also two halves of a whole, not that either actor gives anything less than their all, let alone a fraction of a portrayal. It's devastating to see how and why Lowden's charisma eventually gives way to Capaldi's loathing, but that's the plight that both men are charged with surveying, relaying and helping echo from the screen — exceptionally so. For all of the feeling coursing through Benediction — including when using archival war footage to hark back to the combat that so altered his central figure, rather than taking the 1917 re-creation route — Davies remains a rigorous, fastidious and controlled filmmaker. The feature's 137-minute running time feels as lengthy as it is. While there's a rhythm to Alex Mackie's (Mary Shelley) editing, the movie is methodically paced. Every single image seen is meticulous in its composition, too. Watching Benediction is an active act, rather than a case of being swept away. That matches everything that the film conveys about Sassoon's experiences and the turmoil they caused him, of course. Still, the art of using restraint and precision to stir up big emotions, and to whip and whisk them around so that they're inescapable, is also on display here — and it's one that this exquisite picture's driving force dispenses with as much talent as his subject did with his poetry.
When the end of the year hits, do you get 'Christmas is All Around', as sung by Bill Nighy, stuck in your head? Have you ever held up a piece of cardboard to tell the object of your affection that, to you, they're perfect? Does your idea of getting festive involve watching Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Martin Freeman, all in the same movie? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you clearly adore everyone's favourite Christmas-themed British rom-com, its high-profile cast and its seasonal humour. And, you've probably watched the beloved flick every December since it was first released in cinemas back in 2003. That's a perfectly acceptable routine, and one that's shared by many. But this year, you can do one better. A huge success during its past tours of the UK and Australia (to the surprise of absolutely no one), 'Love Actually' in Concert is returning to make this festive season extra merry. And, to the jolly delight of Sydneysiders, to the Aware Super Theatre at 7.30pm on Sunday, December 19. Here, you'll revisit the Richard Curtis-written and -directed film you already know and treasure, step through its interweaved Yuletide stories of romance, and hear a live orchestra play the movie's soundtrack. And, yes, Christmas (and love) will be all around you. Tickets go on sale at 4pm local time on Thursday, November 11, with presales from 10am local time on Tuesday, November 9.
There are plenty of things that Sydneysiders haven't been able to enjoy for much of this year, all thanks to the city's lengthy lockdown. Saying cheers with your mates with a few brews at a club is obviously one of them — but now that that's back on the cards under the city's eased restrictions, Clubs NSW wants to give you a free beer to celebrate. On Wednesday, November 10, you'll be clinking your glasses with free Together Ales thanks to Malt Shovel Brewers and Batch Brewing Co. You'll need to be double-vaccinated to take advantage of the offer, and you'll also need to register for a coupon first. Also, it's a while stocks last kind of deal, both in terms of vouchers and beer supplies on the day. The offer is valid for one voucher per person, which can only be redeemed on November 10 at participating venues — which includes a lengthy list of spots, such as Club York and Castlereagh Boutique Hotel in the CBD, and plenty of bowls clubs and RSL clubs around the place.
Heading to a movie might be one of the easiest date night options there is, but it has remained a romantic go-to for a reason. Pair the right person with the right film, and the magic doesn't just happen on the big screen. And, some flicks are just guaranteed to strike a chord no matter who you're with. If you'd been thinking about falling back on this tried-and-tested date option for Valentine's Day, we're sure that you're not alone — but you don't need to watch whatever new release has just hit the screen. At Ritz Cinemas in Randwick, Sunday, February 14 will be filled with special showings of swoon-worthy classics. See one, make it a double or, if you're special someone is a bit of a movie buff, turn the occasion into your own day-long film festival. The program starts with a 60th anniversary screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's. From there, other options include 1934 standout It Happened One Night, the Cher and Nicolas Cage-starring Moonstruck, and the mind-bending Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Then, there's also Heath Ledger singing in 10 Things I Hate About You to cap the whole day off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07-QBnEkgXU
Luxe hotel chain QT and beloved (and award-winning) Australian gin producer Four Pillars are coming together for a multi-sensory five-course meal in honour of their new collaborative gin, Ordered Chaos. Appropriately labelled Chaos dinner, diners can head to QT's Gowings Bar and Grill for four exciting dishes paired with cocktails, musical pairings and entertainment, hosted by Four Pillars co-founder, Stu Gregor. To begin the night, canapés including raw scallop, blood orange vinaigrette raw beef and sterling caviar will be served, before the first dish of the night is unveiled: yellowtail kingfish crudo with yuzu creme fraiche, seaweed cracker and saltbush. Across the rest of the of the menu you'll find black Berkshire porchetta, Tinder Creek duck breast with heirloom beets and a white chocolate ball designed to be cracked open, featuring coconut mousse and chocolate crumble. Kicking off at 7pm on Thursday, May 27, a spot at the five-course meal will cost you $175 per person and includes your cocktail pairings for the night. [caption id="attachment_813131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption]
Already known for its bottomless vegan pizza and pasta feasts, Italian restaurant chain Salt Meats Cheese has been upping its cruelty-free food game at a monthly special event. Called Soul Meets Cheers, it serves up an entirely plant-based menu, featuring vegan versions of Italian classics. For the feast's May outing — taking place at all Sydney venues from 5pm on Tuesday, May 11 — it'll be focusing on bites to eat inspired by Venice. Think vegan antipasto platters, bruschetta with fennel dip, risotto nero (which is made with charcoal stock), and beetroot pizza with roasted cauliflower. And yes, that's just a few of the dishes on offer across the five-course meal, which finishes with a raw vegan tiramisu that features cashew cream, coconut cream, vegan chocolate and almonds. Your $49 ticket also includes a glass of vegan wine or beer upon arrival.
Fabbrica, the high-end pasta and wine shop from the crew behind CBD standout Raggazi, is coming together with lifestyle brand Alex and Trahanas to bring Sydneysiders two fun limited-edition pastas to enjoy during lockdown. The pair of pastas are shaped like ropes and yacht sails to coincide with the launch of Alex and Trahanas' new Festa della Pasta range of tableware. The range is inspired by Italian coastal islands and Mediterranean holidays and includes hand-painted ceramics from Puglia, Italy, as well as beeswax taper candles, carved wooden serving trays decorated with gold leaf and woollen knit jumpers. The nautical-shaped pastas are paired with two rich Fabbrica pasta sauces. The first is a cime di rapa ragu with pork and fennel sausage, while the second is a sardine, fermented chilli and olive combination. You can order the pasta and sauce in a two-person pack from Alex and Trahanas' website, pick them up from Fabbrica or get them delivered through UberEats.
When Succession roves over New York's skyline — in its opening credits, as set to that bewitching theme tune, or just during its episodes — it gleams with wealth and privilege. Depiction doesn't equal endorsement, however, with the stellar HBO satire sharply cutting into its chosen world at every chance it gets. As one of the show's supporting cast members, Dasha Nekrasova slides into that realm, too, but that's not her only dalliance with the city's architecture, power brokers and all that both represent. The Scary of Sixty-First, the Red Scare podcast host's feature directorial debut, also savages the rich and seemingly consequence-free. It clasps onto a real-life story that's made that case inherently, abhorrently and monstrously. There's no gentle way to put it, but the fact that Nekrasova plays a woman investigating if a bargain Upper East Side duplex was one of Jeffrey Epstein's "orgy flophouses" says much about this purposefully provocative conspiracy thriller horror-comedy. College pals Addie (Betsey Brown, Assholes) and Noelle (the film's co-screenwriter Madeline Quinn) can't believe their luck when they find the cheap property, even if it does visibly need a clean — and have mirrored ceilings, as well as some questionable lock choices — and even if they don't appear completely comfortable with committing to live together. But from night one, the literal nightmares begin. Soon they're spying blood stains, scratched walls and eerie tarot cards, and feeling unsettled in a variety of ways. Enter Nekrasova's stranger, who comes sporting a dark-web rabbit hole's worth of paranoia and bearing the Epstein news. Addie and Noelle take the revelation in vastly different fashions, with the former seeming possessed by one of Epstein's child victims, and the latter diving deep into potential theories with her unnamed new friend. Letting a headline-monopolising sex offender loom large over the plot is an instant attention-grabber — and, while The Scary of Sixty-First doesn't lunge straight down that path, it feels like Nekrasova and Quinn's starting point. Their movie smacks of conjuring up a controversial premise, then fitting parts around it; thankfully, they have more than one target in their sights, plenty to ponder, and Nekrasova's bold vision bringing it all together. From the outset, there's much to mine about the hellishness of finding somewhere to live in your twenties, and in NY especially. The things you'll settle for in that situation clearly also earns the feature's focus. The same rings true of post-college life and its intrinsic awkwardness in general — and being expected to act like a fully functioning adult, and make pivotal decisions, without yet amassing the experiences to match. By contemplating the hostile real-estate market and the ordeal that is trying to find your place in the world (emotionally, intellectually and physically), The Scary of Sixty-First immediately unpacks power, money and privilege. If Addie and Noelle could afford somewhere else or had other support at their disposal, there wouldn't even be a story. When Nekrasova appears and drops Epstein's name, that excavation digs down several levels. Again, there's no shortage of ideas, directions or tangents to explore, and the script explodes as many as possible. This is a movie about a dead billionaire paedophile, the wealth of theories that've sprung up around him and the 24-hour news cycle that's made his tale inescapable. It's also about how doomscrolling has become routine, the grim routes incessant web searches can take you down, the normalisation of true-crime obsession, the proliferation of conspiracy-driven rhetoric and relentless chaos as the natural state of the world. Addie has an interminably unpleasant boyfriend, Greg (Mark Rapaport, Pledge), who also sparks an array of questions — because even when he's turned off by her descent into inappropriate baby talk during sex, he still sees his own needs as more important than anything else. Indeed, while The Scary of Sixty-First is messy by choice, and also lets its 16-millimetre frames frequently look the part, nothing here is accidental. That's true of outdoor masturbation scenes and out-there theories alike, all of which make a statement. Usually, the movie isn't coy; as the possessed Addie gets more forceful with every action, her sloppy kissing of Prince Andrew's photo couldn't be more overt. Repeatedly, though, the film sends multiple messages at once; when her glistening fingers, fresh from a stint of self-pleasure, caress Epstein's initials outside his apartment building, The Scary of Sixty-First also comments on how taboo such feverish displays of female sexuality still prove on-screen. It's still easy to see the influences coursing through Nekrasova and Quinn's screenplay, and in Nekrasova's directorial choices. If the movie itself was haunted, it'd be by 70s and 80s horror flicks and thrillers, Italian giallo cinema, every picture that's probed New York's underbelly and, quite pointedly, by Eyes Wide Shut and Rosemary's Baby as well. Making his feature debut, too, cinematographer Hunter Zimny synthesises that hefty list of touchstones into a visual style that takes little bits from everywhere, but also fittingly makes it all feel like a dreamy swirl, jittery onslaught and tormented experience. Aesthetically, The Scary of Sixty-First just keeps spiralling from the uncertain and the otherworldly to the uncontrollable, mimicking another of the script's strong observations about 21st-century life. Careening wildly is one of The Scary of Sixty-First's key traits, intentionally so, as also seen in its central performances — Brown, Quinn, Nekrasova and Rapaport all turn in committed portrayals — and its sense of humour. There's no shaking the pitch-black comedy of it all, again by design, but even the film's most absurd moments and farcical touches are steeped in reality in one way or another. Its most nightmarish inclusions are as well, and that's part of the feature's knowing, winking seesaw ride. Yes, a global paedophile ring among the elite sounds like the sickest kind of fiction and an unhinged conspiracy. Yes, there's elements of truth to such horrendous sex-trafficking. The Scary of Sixty-First doesn't always completely come together, but Nekrasova has crafted an uncompromising and compelling movie that acknowledges both, plays like a slap in the face and isn't easily forgotten.
Dining experiences, long lunches and one-off feasts are popping up across Sydney on Friday, December 3. Aiming to give the city's hospitality sector a boost, Open for Lunch is an event series all about spending a day out of the house as Sydney recovers from this year's lengthy lockdown. Sydney dining precinct in South Eveleigh is hosting one such event, complete with a menu curated by Kylie Kwong. Re's Matt Whiley will be on cocktail duty, and you can expect to pair hokkien noodles and five-spiced tofu salad with tipples made with surplus whole fruit, gin, whole mango, ancho chilli and more. The event runs from 10am–10pm, and there'll also be a dance floor — with a mirror ball, and The Original Roman vs Boogie Fingers, Levins vs Joyride, Ayabatonye, Deepa and Tyson Koh on the decks. Elsewhere in the city, YCK Laneways is putting on a luncheon at Barrack Street, Parramatta Square is hosting a 400-person meal featuring dishes from CicciaBella and Lilymu as well as live music, and 600 diners will take to the middle of George Street for a three-course long lunch. Tickets to the South Eveleigh Alfresco Disco are $30 and can be purchased through Ticketek.
Jane Bodie understands mental illness. She doesn’t exploit it for the sake of dramatic impact; she doesn’t romanticise the links between suffering and art. But her characters do. Music, which is making its world premiere at the Stables, could only have been written by someone with intimate knowledge of what it means to live with an unstable mind. “My brother was my hero for most of my childhood,” Brodie writes in the program liner notes. “As an unfeasibly good looking, cool teenager, he began to suffer from a mental illness, tragically pulling the family apart and bringing us back together.” Even though she firmly states, “The play is not about my brother, or a commentary on a specific illness,” there’s no doubt that her personal experience illuminates this sensitive, intricate and truthful work. Adam (Anthony Gee) lives alone in a small, dishevelled studio (skilfully designed for the Stables’ tiny stage by Pip Runciman). Surrounded by piles of letters and unwashed dishes, he spends his time wearing trackies, overcooking one-minute meals and listening to cassettes. Enter Gavin (Tom Stokes) and Sarah (Kate Skinner), two actors working on a play about mental illness and hoping to “study” Adam. Just how much “study” they have to do becomes painfully evident. Ignorant of the achingly narrow line between health and sickness, focused on their own 'art' and "fascinated”, they don’t hesitate to throw themselves into Adam’s life. The results are torturously unpredictable. Under the perceptive direction of Corey McMahon, Gee brings a powerful authenticity to an incredibly demanding role, traversing warmth, humour and explosive anger without losing us for a second. Stokes is a suitably self-obsessed yet well-meaning and potentially not-so-stable Gavin, while Skinner nails Sarah, oscillating from gregarious frivolity to fear. Sam O’Sullivan delivers a subtle and convincing interpretation of Adam’s long-standing and more knowing friend, Tom. Then, of course, there’s the soundtrack. The Clash and Siouxsie and The Banshees tell the story every bit as much as the words do. Image by Kurt Sneddon.
If Shakespeare had lived in the 21st century, there's a good chance he would have been a rapper. Not only was he a master of rhymes, but he had dissing down to a fine art, with gems like "I'll beat thee, but I should infect my hands" (Timon of Athens) and "Thou art a boil, a plague sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood" (King Lear). Chicago-based theatre company The Q Brothers' are all about creating 'ad-RAP-tations' of Shakespeare plays. In their latest offering, Othello: The Remix, MC Othello is a rapper turned music mogul engaged to singer Desdemona — sort of a Shakespearean Jay-Z and Beyonce. After Othello releases up-and-coming MC Casio's latest album on his label, the jealous, Eminem-esque rapper Iago decides he has a beef with Othello because and manipulation, betrayal and murder ensues. The show premiered in Chicago last July, and has since been taken to the UK and South Korea, even winning a Jeff Award for Best Ensemble. Image by Michael Brosilow.
There’s no better place to be during summer’s late-night sunsets than outside enjoying them. With that in mind, North Sydney Oval will be transformed from January 17 into the IMB Sunset Cinema. The opening night gets underway with a screening of the new film by Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Love Actually), About Time, preceded by the soulful, funk stylings of Uncle Jed. Later in the season, look out for popular new releases Gravity, Anchorman 2, August: Osage County, Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street. It’s a great opportunity to take a picnic, kick back and enjoy the show, but the Sunset crew have got you covered for food as well, if you feel like taking a night off the domestic chores. There’ll be Maggie Beer Ice Cream, 4Pines beer, Crabbies Cider and MadFish Wines, as well as mouth watering Crust Pizza available on site. Tickets are available online for the whole season, which extends until March 9, so get in quick to watch the screen go up as the sun goes down.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Flickerfest. It's a nice story that Flickerfest had its humble beginnings 23 years ago at Balmain High School, but its new home on Sydney's most Instagrammable beachfront is a way more awesome place to sip some brews before your screening time. Sunset Bar is this 2014's on-site watering hole, setting up inside the iconic Bondi Pavilion. Besides panoramic sunset views you can enjoy tasty organic food from partners including misschu and a daily 5-6pm happy hour. Crystal Head Vodka, Little Creatures Beer, Pipsqueak Cider, Rosnay Organic Wine and Phoenix are doing the drinks again this year. It's the perfect way to enjoy a sunset dinner and drinks overlooking the beach without getting sand stuck to your rice paper rolls.
The Laugh Stand's FBi Social shows have proved so successful that the team is ready to take over the inner west. Starting December 10, they'll be occupying Glebe's Harold Park Hotel on a monthly basis. Back in the '80s and '90s, the pub was a comedic hub, playing host to the likes of Adam Hills, Ben Elton, Tom Gleeson, Jimeoin and Merrick and Rosso. A star-studded launch party is promised. Queenslander Lindsay Webb will be taking on the role of emcee. Not only has he appeared on Good News Week, The Footy Show and the Sea FM Morning Crew, he also holds the Guinness World Record for the Longest Show by an Individual — 38 hours and 6 minutes. Arizona-raised Sydney resident Tommy Dean is the headline act, with Darren Sanders hot on his heels. Plus, there'll be performances by a handpicked selection of emerging artists, including Andrew Wolfe, Dane Hiser, Scott Dettrick, Michele Betts, Jared Jekyll and Nick Capper, as well as two-for-one meals.
From November 14, for 11 days and 11 nights, Sydney's major icons, from the Bangarra Dance Theatre to the Botanic Gardens to the Opera House, will be transformed for Corroboree 2013. Australia's finest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers, artists, musicians and dancers will gather for a festival that celebrates the nation's rich culture — both past and present. The pop-up Corroboree Club at Wharf 2/3 is the place to experience this new festival's different edge. The cool social hub showcases Indigenous arts without the traditional trappings, and features two sets a night mixing music, comedy, hip-hop, drag shows and Koori-oke. It's curated by David Page (of Page 8 and Bangarra Dance Theatre), whose handpicked selections include Archie Roach, Frank Yamma and Casey Donovan. Corroboree also features a film festival-within-the-festival, featuring the premiere of Warwick Thornton's The Darkside, and an epic new dance production, Dance Clan 3, commissioned by Stephen Page, Bangarra's artistic director. The event will be launched on Friday, November 15, with The Firelight Ceremony, a commissioned artwork that acknowledges Sydney Harbour's custodians, the Eora people. The official lighting will take place at Pier 2 at sunset (7.36pm), with the flame being kept alight until the festival closes. There'll also be talks, walks, art exhibitions, food events, markets and workshops.
Sculpture by the Sea has to be one of the world's most spectacular outdoor exhibitions. The annual event heralds the beginning of the warmer months, with over 100 sculptures by artists from 17 different countries setting up along the beautiful cliff walk between Bondi and Tamarama beaches. 2013 marks the 17th anniversary of the exhibit which seems to grow in popularity every year. Contemporary sculpture and a seriously gorgeous view? It's a pretty winning combo and Sculpture by the Sea certainly doesn't disappoint. Your Instagram account will most definitely benefit from a visit. The most successful works are the ones that take advantage of the setting and actively interact with their surrounds. Matthew Harding's, The Cheshire's Grin, is a standout. The cheerful, slim metallic arc reflects the sky; the sly cat's face has become the ocean. Lucy Humphrey's Horizon has also proven to be a crowd favourite. The large glass orb inverts the sea, horizon and the sky in the most breathtakingly beautiful way. You could stand there and watch the waves roll in, upside-down, for hours. David McCracken's Diminish and Ascend is another must-see. The artist has built a stairway which seems to rise indefinitely into the heavens. It's absolutely spectacular. Many artists have used the exhibition as an opportunity for social and environmental commentary. It's a location that lends itself well to this kind of exploration. One of the most interesting works in this vein is the sculpture by Marina DeBris, Aquarium of the Public Gyre. The large glass box houses a bunch of sassy sea-creatures made from trash. Another benefit of outdoor exhibitions is that the works benefit from varying light and weather. Each of these sculptures is constantly shifting and changing. It's one of those shows you can keep returning to. Each visit will offer you up something new. The downside? Sculpture by the Sea is popular. Really, really popular. The paths aren't overly wide and you're competing with a lot of visitors, tourists and school-groups to see the works. That particular stretch of land is also a very well-known jogging track and you will, most likely, have more than one encounter with a disgruntled runner. That said, this is one of those exhibitions you can't miss. Pack a picnic, a bottle of wine and your camera. Head east. Image: Matthew Harding, The Cheshire's Grin. Photo by Gareth Carr
Art, public housing, gentrification — they're all inextricably linked ingredients in a constantly simmering cauldron of debate about what our urban spaces should or should not look and be like. So, story activist Jordan Byron has decided to shed a little light on the matter by providing the public with an intimate view of the world of public housing. Jordan's curated a travelling installation titled TURF: public housing goes public. It's a purpose-built replica of a public housing unit, showcasing art made by residents. All in all, 21 stories are told through various media, including paint, photographs, video, word and sound. “In gentrified inner city suburbs, public housing and prime real estate are side by side but worlds apart. TURF is where these worlds collide,” Jordan explains. “Most people want nothing to do with public housing — it’s dirty, it’s dangerous, it’s different. Sure it can be all of those things but it’s so much more. TURF opens the doors and invites everyone in to see public housing for what it really is: a cocoon of diversity, dreams and dilemmas.” TURF will be open to the public in two different locations: Gladstone Park, Balmain, from 9am-6pm between Thursday, November 28, and Monday, December 2, and Surry Hills Library Forecourt, from 9am-10pm between Thursday, December 5, and Monday, December 9. There'll be a launch party on Sunday, November 30, with live music, performances, food and drink.
Self-taught Samoan choreographer Lemi Ponifasio and his internationally acclaimed company Mau will return to Carriageworks in 2014 with the Australian premiere of Stones in Her Mouth. Featuring an ensemble of ten Maori women, the piece is inspired by the strong Maori tradition of women authoring poetry and chant. Incorporating Maori language, spirituality, ceremony and genealogy, it explores themes of female oppression, silence, outrage and resilience. Mau has become recognised internationally for their beautiful, unnerving and hypnotic creations grounded in native Pacific cultures and their ancestral, elemental worlds. Stones in Her Mouth — combining choral work, dance and oratory — looks set to continue the company’s habit of sidestepping traditional expectations, refusing to sit neatly within categories of 'theatre' or 'dance' and instead striving to reach a near-spiritual plane through performance. Ponifasio, who was once a philosophy student before he formed his "company of people", told the Australian earlier this year "I try to activate the space. To create a sort of cosmological space where we can somehow realise that we are part of the whole process of earth." To get a little taster of what they do, watch this video of Mau's Carriageworks performance of Birds with Skymirrors.
The First Lady of hip hop, Ms. Lauryn Hill, has been this lineup's biggest talking point. Known not only for her groundbreaking 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill but also for her subsequent 'disappearance' from the music scene, she's back — with plenty to say. Two Opera House shows are scheduled for May 27 and 28 and the good seats are evaporating, so skip the pricey night out this weekend and book yourself in. https://youtube.com/watch?v=T6QKqFPRZSA
Off the Wall is an arty Sydney Street Art Project that is literally going to go off. Off the wall that is. But not before it goes on the wall. Off the Wall gives a public canvas for street-based artists to do their thing on. These exhibitions will explore the true nature of street art. Here one minute, gone the next. Either scrubbed off or painted over. Part one of the series opens Friday, featuring the art of Hules and the Dirt, with photography by Devlin Azzie (to capture the transient works before they disappear). With Dirt, expect loads of skeletal forms, with a lot of black and white. Whereas Hules is concerned with typography and design, using aerosol and various mediums plus a bit more colour. The show launches Friday, September 13 at 6pm. Art by the Dirt.
The Antenna Documentary Festival features the hardest-hitting and most provocative international documentaries created over the past 12 months. Now in its third incarnation, it's comprised of 37 full-length works, ten shorts and seven free Doc Talk sessions. This year will also see a Kim Longinotto Retrospective and a tribute to legendary filmmaker Dennis O'Rourke. Plus, the winners of three major awards will be announced: SBS Best International Documentary, Best Australian Documentary and Best Australian Short. With a fine field to select from, deciding on a top five was no easy task, but here are our picks of the pack nonetheless. 1. THE NETWORK Festival opening night (Wednesday, 2 October) will feature the Australian premiere of The Network. Directed by now LA-based Aussie Eva Orner, who produced 2008 Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side, it follows the establishment of the first television station in post-Taliban Afghanistan. It's a journey driven by hope, underpinned with fear and challenged by the horrors of endless warfare - from suicide bombings to sporadic street battles. 2. ARE YOU LISTENING! If there's something frightening about climate change, it's the potential for entire nations to be wiped out. Current predictions suggest that Bangladesh, for example, won't exist at all by 2113. Filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon explores what this means at grassroots level, following the struggles of a family who, along with 100 others, are forced to inhabit a dyke after their village is destroyed by a cyclone. Simon will appear at the festival as a guest, conducting a Q&A session after the screening of Are You Listening! 3. BA NOI (GRANDMA) This dreamy, at times otherworldly, work combines past, present and future. Vietnamese-born, Canadian-raised filmmaker Khoa Le travels to his homeland, where he speaks with his 93-year-old grandmother and explores New Year's rituals, examining the elements that influence our sense of cultural and familial belonging. Ba Noi (Grandma) won the 2013 Hot Docs Inspirit Foundation Pluralism Prize. Khoa Le will be in attendance as a festival guest, delivering a Q&A after the screening. 4. THE PUNK SINGER What Searching for Sugar Man has done for Rodriguez, The Punk Singer does for Kathleen Hanna. Fearless feminist icon and frontwoman for both punk outfit Bikini Kill and electronica trio Le Tigre, she vanished from the music industry in 2005. Filmmaker Sini Anderson reveals what happened. 5. THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE This year's festival will close with the Australian premiere of The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne. Born into the USA's then segregated Southern States, Payne became a highly successful jewellery thief, having stolen $2 million worth of goods from Cartier and Tiffany's to date. She's now in her eighties and about to go on trial. Filmmakers Matthew Pond and Kirk Marcolina (a special guest of the festival) examine the complex history and identity of Doris Payne. Images courtesy of the Antenna Documentary Festival website.
When preternaturally handsome and implausibly named financial-whiz-kid-turned-Princeton-post-grad Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) loses his last twenty grand in an online poker match, he flies to Costa Rica and is immediately offered an eight-figure salary by preternaturally handsome and implausibly named shady entrepreneur Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). So it's safe to say that having a relatable character and storyline is not a priority for Runner Runner, a film which is largely about attractive wealthy people being attractive and wealthy at one another. As Richie discovers that running an online poker empire in Central America is more fruitful than working hard back in New Jersey, the seedier elements of Block's empire soon present themselves. The dangers, as with the successes, come far too easily, and Richie quickly learns the adage that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. This rather speedy film isn't quite edited in the hyperventilated manner of something like Now You See Me, but there are a number of odd jumps that suggest a fair bit of post-production tampering, and it's this tampering that shows Runner Runner at its most interesting. When Richie tries to convince Rebecca Shafran (Gemma Arterton) to let him into Block's impossible-to-get-into party, he stumbles over some strained charm before finally spitting out his request. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" says Arterton, and we slam cut to Richie strutting his stuff at Block's luxurious pad. Either the writers gave up at that point, or Richie's smooth talkin' jive as filmed wasn't remotely convincing. The lesson is that the quickest way to get into a high-end party is with a fast edit. The film is littered with awkward cuts such as these, and sporadic, clumsy narration from Richie attempts to paste over the cracks. The most prominent sign that these voice overs were written in a hurry comes from the film's absolute highlight, a laugh-out-loud moment in which Richie injects some faux-philosophy into the climax: "This isn't poker. This is my life, and I have one play left. Put all my chips in and-" Apologies for cutting it off there, but I couldn't hear the rest of the quote over my own laughter. To clarify: Richie's life is nothing like poker, and here's a poker metaphor to drive that point home. This is what happens when you write your dialogue the night before the premiere. Look, Runner Runner isn't terrible, and with a runner-running time of 91 minutes, it's far from an endurance test. The problem is that it's so very dispassionate as it goes through the usual rise-fall-redemption motions, it's impossible to really engage with it at all. Ultimately, Runner Runner is really just a movie designed to provide some background noise as you update your Facebook. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UFPqyNvNzvU
Representatives of more than 40 whisky distilleries from around the world will descend upon the Sydney CBD this September, bringing with them samples of 150 single malts from around the world for you to taste. The Sydney Whisky Fair will take place at The Oak Barrel on 6 and 7 September, and will give you a rare opportunity to mix and mingle with some of the biggest names in the trade. According to The Oak Barrel's spirits buyer and educator Dave Withers, an important focus of this year's fair will be the diversity of flavour and character brought to life by the emergence of innovative new micro-distilleries. "In recent times, we have seen a rye whisky from Tasmania, a whisky smoked with Texas scrub oak and even whiskies made with spelt," he says. "These small producers are pushing the envelope and represent the cutting edge of what is being done with whisky. Needless to say, we will have them on taste." A small number of VIP tickets will give connoisseurs access to some of the rarest expressions being poured at the fair, while newbies will have the opportunity to learn the ropes from Withers, the distillers and the many die-hard whisky aficionados in attendance on the day.
If your childhood was filled with love, it's hard to imagine having gone without. But it's important, sometimes, to be shown what that path looks like, because it's a determinant for the future a person can expect to have. In Belvoir's Forget Me Not, a coproduction with Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, 60ish-year-old Gerry (Colin Moody) drinks to obliteration, is mistrustful and belligerent and gets disorientated when his daughter holds his hand. His life has been beleaguered and lonely. And all this time, he had a mother who loved him, halfway across the earth, and he didn't know. Gerry is representative of the some 3000 British children who were removed from their (usually single, underprivileged) mothers between 1945 and 1968 and sent, for some barely comprehensible reason, to Australia, to live in institutions. It's tragic to realise, but the iconic Australian story might be one of stolen children. In Gerry's case, it's his daughter, Sally (Mandy McElhinney), who contacts the family restoration fund and makes Gerry an appointment with Mark (Oscar Redding), a case worker who tracks down Gerry's sweet Liverpudlian mother, Mary (Eileen O'Brien). The last plays from both writer Tom Holloway and director Anthea Williams, And No More Shall We Part and Old Man, each met with general acclaim — and many tears. Their respective themes of ageing and absent parents seem to merge in Forget Me Not, although it's actually a far more multidimensional, measured and impressive play than its predecessors. There are so many tiny details woven into the script that reveal bit by bit the devastating reality of growing up without love, or of growing old without the one you love. The sight of an adult man being unable to eat a slice of cake has never been so heartbreaking. It's also a script about saying a lot with silences, and Williams has been able to realise those wondrously, filling them with tension and longing. It pays to sit close so in these moments you can study the actors' faces, pinched and pulled by subtle prompts. Both marshmallow-in-a-hard-shell Moody and sparkling survivor O'Brien quickly win your sympathy, so you want more than anything for mother and son to connect and get something back from their years of separation. Forget Me Not also has a nice, lazy Susan-utilising set from designer Dan Potra, which creates a repeating language of homeliness and which Moody never seems to fit. Forget Me Not is a real knockout, and the punch lands even if the history seemed previously distant to you.
It's always a big year for our local offshoot from the the global ideas-fest TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design). TEDxSydney is in its fourth year of bringing thinkers and listeners together. And this year it's grown from its usual venue at the Carriageworks to drag its thinkers and listeners to the airier spaces of the Opera House Concert Hall. It comes, as usual, in three parts: a cavalcade of awesome, expert and/or entertaining speakers, an audience of interesting, rich and/or powerful people paying to sit in the the main auditorium and the public at large outside, looking in. We had our turn with rich and/or powerful when we talked to TED-runner Chris Anderson last year, but most of the fun from a TED event comes from ignoring the glitterati and focusing on the speakers on stage. There's a long list of free satellite events at large around Sydney this year, if you'd like to follow the action from outside the Concert Hall. UPDATE: An earlier version of this article said that the Opera House Studio would be a screening site open to for public viewing on the day. It won't be. Concrete Playground apologises for the error. Customs House will be hosting a live site, outdoors on the day.
Do you want to work in the entertainment industry? "Uhhh, is Blue Ivy Carter going to be the first ever black female baby president?" you reply. Okay, mate, no need for the attitude — you'll need to learn to schmooze nicely. You'll also probably need to learn about a bunch of other stuff, too, but luckily for you, young padawan, the Australian Institute of Music is starting a forum series called TILT that's packed full of people with pickable brains. Based on the forum structures of TED and Q&A, the inaugural TILT (which stands for Tomorrow's Ideas Leading Today), hosted by James Mathison, will feature Rdio CEO Colin Blake, National Live Music Coordinator Dr Ianto Ware, and Gizmodo editor Luke Hopewell as well as staffers from Google and Foxtel, plus more to be announced. Make sure you get in early — tickets won't last long.
Put simply, In Possible Worlds is a fantastic exhibition. The show brings together recent works by Elly Kent, Claudia Nicholson, and Tianli Zu, three artists who work in unique blends of traditional and contemporary styles. The trio were chosen by Carriageworks CEO Lisa Havilah and 4A Director Aaron Seeto as part of 4A’s early career artists initiative. The exhibition "encourages us to think of our acceptance of commonplace understandings not as a fixed reality, but as a constant process of exchange and negotiation that opens up possibilities of seeing the world in different ways". And it does so beautifully. Tianli Zu’s works are the highlight. She cuts intricate patterns into sheets of paper, then projects light and "sound animations" onto them. Sort of like the paper cut outs you made as an 8 year old, only way better. The filigree designs cast dark shadows onto the ground. It’s a hypnotic effect. The artist is strongly influenced by Chinese philosophy and the dynamics between dark and light are a central focus in her work. Canberra-based printmaker Elly Kent creates works on paper that incorporate everyday objects found in her home. Her art is heavily inspired by Indonesian Batik techniques, a traditional form of fabric patterning that’s conceptually derived from Javanese understandings of the universe. She blends this with a contemporary approach and the finished product is gorgeous: colourful, almost sculptural works that rise out from the wall. Claudia Nicholson is a Colombian-born, Australian-raised artist. Adopted as a child, her video works are preoccupied with ideas of kinship, cultural dislocation and the construction of a lost identity. They’re filled with a strong sense of nostalgia but the effect is very unsettling. I loved them. 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is a non-profit organisation that supports contemporary Asian and Australian art, encouraging an active dialogue between the two cultures. 4A collaborates with a bunch of organisations internationally to champion the work of Australian and Asian artists. Their programs are consistently thought-provoking, engaging and just plain great. The mix of cultures, media and styles of In Possible Worlds is awesome. This is one exhibition you really shouldn’t miss. Image: Plunge by Elly Kent.
Almost ten years ago, Slashdot gushed about the alternate reality game promo experimenting with games that cross the boundaries of internet and reality. More recently, we’ve gotten excited about augmented reality overlays onto real life cities, from literary adventures to popup art. Troy Innocent’s addition to the 19thInternational Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) conference (huddling under Vivid Ideas umbrella) will be a giant, competitive public treasure hunt, with a sideline some minor civil rearrangement. Zydnei divides its players into three factions — Codex, Oeknos and Dæmon — fighting to repurpose our city’s streets to a greater plan of their own. Volunteers will place coded tags around the city, before players track them down, take them off the walls and claim the tag for their own team. The game is free and runs eight weeks, with new tags added all the time. In Melbourne the winning team regrew the city to their own plan. How will you help reshape Sydney, if you can? Zydnei is free, but you'll need to register here.
It is always great when emerging artists are giving a platform to share their work. And when that platform is one of the best stages in the country? Well, that's even better. Last year, a bunch of independent artists and small-to-medium arts companies got to perform to crowds as part of Sydney Opera House's UnWrapped series. It was such a success that UnWrapped has been upgraded to Festival status for 2019. In May, five more indie theatre gems will take to Sydney Opera House's various stages. William Yang's PARTY (verb) hauls us back into the heyday of Sydney's queer underground scene, while My Urrwai is a very personal retracing of Torres Strait Islander artist Ghenoa Gela's family and political history. Ali McGregor's Yma Sumac: The Peruvian Songbird uses cabaret to resurrect a wild Peruvian soprano and The Director gives us a humorous peek under the coffin-lid of today's funeral industry, courtesy of Scott Turnbull and Lara Thoms. Finally, PYT Fairfield's Playlist blasts pop hits to propel us through the experiences of five young women from western Sydney. Alongside the performances, there'll be a pop-up bar serving show-inspired cocktails throughout the festival season and meet and greet sessions with the artists. Plus, on Saturday, May 18, the artists will gather for a panel discussion on how their life experiences impact their performances. Festival UnWrapped not only gives you the chance to support independent theatre, it gives you the chance to watch it in one of the city's most iconic buildings. Catch these shows while they're at the Opera House so you don't need to find them in the wild. Festival UnWrapped will run from Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 19. For more information on the program and to book tickets, head this way. Images: My Urrwai, supplied; PARTY (verb), William Yang; Playlist, supplied; The Director, Bryony Jackson; Yma Sumac, Rich Hardcastle.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to wake up next to George Gershwin, this show just might be the sweet relief you've been waiting for. Set in the roaring 20s and the probably-would-also-be-roaring-if-not-for-the-Depression 30s, Good Morning, Mr. Gershwin is a beautiful production that mixes tap, ballet, hip hop and contemporary dance against a backdrop of Gershwin's beloved Broadway classics and his opera Porgy and Bess. These guys think they can dance, and they are correct in thinking that. The company is Laurence Olivier Award–winning Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu. These people aren't only amazing dancers, they're also French! Choreography is by José Montalvo and Dominique Hervieu, with music, obviously, by Georgie G. The Financial Times described Good Morning, Mr. Gershwin as "life-enhancing"; I don't know about you but I can really use some life-enhancement, especially if all it takes is to sit quietly in a dark room for a few hours and clap every once in a while, not a downward dog in sight. “Good Morning, Mr. Gershwin! Enhance away.”
Tucked away in The Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, The Gallery is known for its lavish high teas. While we were all trapped inside last year, the venue provided some much-needed at-home indulgence with a lockdown-friendly high tea, and now that we're all back out in the world, it's serving up in-person extravagance with a regularly changing menu. Right now, the current limited-time menu is a truffle-heavy feast. The Truffle and Chocolate High Tea is available 10am–4pm, seven days a week until Sunday, August 7. The treat-filled feast will set back each guest $89, which includes savoury dishes like black truffle and mushroom panna cotta, chicken with truffle rillettes and a salmon and truffle leek tart. Of course, no high tea is complete without a fair share of sweets. Dark chocolate and orange jaffa tart, white chocolate cannoli and mascarpone and chocolate cake are all included in the tea, plus your choice of coffee or tea. Those that want to add a glass of Vranken Diamant Brut NV champagne on arrival can for an extra $20. Head to The Gallery website to reserve your spot. Images: Yusuke Oba
Get ready to go another round with your favourite pansexual, wise-cracking, mass-murdering mercenary. To celebrate the release of Deadpool on Blu-ray on May 25, Fox Home Entertainment are throwing a massive party at The Standard Bowl complete with bowling, DJs and chimi-fucking-changas. It all goes down on the evening of Sunday, May 22 from 6pm. It's invite only and there'll be food and booze, as well as Deadpool-themed giveaways, plus everyone will get a copy of the Blu-ray to call their own. In the words of the man himself, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. [competition]573058[/competition] Image: Fox.
The man behind two of the smartest, sweariest shows on television will open this year's Sydney Writers' Festival with a talk about spin and satire in the world of modern day politics. Armando Iannucci is best known as the creator of two of the funniest political comedies in living memory: the BBC's The Thick of It and HBO's Veep. Both shows have been lauded for their uncomfortably accurate portrayal of contemporary politics. In fact, they're so accurate that Malcolm Turnbull even accidentally adopted one of Selina Myer's slogans during last year's federal election campaign. Whoops! Both shows also beloved among fans for having some of the most entertaining profanity ever uttered on television… and for very good reason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUky4_A7Zw4 Iannucci will be at the Sydney Town Hall on the evening of Tuesday, May 2 with local journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law, for a conversation that has been appropriately titled 'Swearing In'. Tickets are available now, and are $30 for students and pensioners, and $45 for adults. The full Sydney Writers' Festival program will be announced on April 6. The festival runs from May 22-28.
In many ways the world of Nosferatu speaks for itself. As soon as the screen is filled we're immersed in an unsteady shadowland of shifting angles and skulking menace. The origins of the film are less well-known. Pinned as the first vampire film in the history of cinema, director F.W. Murnau based his story off Bram Stoker's Dracula, changing the names and locations, since rights to the book were not granted. Despite Murnau's tactfulness, Stoker's widow sued and a court ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. I mention this only because it's a fact that seems to imbue the film with all the more power, as though we're watching something that escaped history's protocol. Simply put, Nosferatu is a tale of a monster in search of a throat, told through the lens of a German Expressionist. The story takes place in the fictitious city of Wisborg, where elongated and gaunt figures move, fall and are lured through an impossible world of dungeons, doors, coffins and dreams. Like other modernist movements, German Expressionism was one of several trends around the turn of the century that disposed of realism in search of a different version of the truth. Practitioners like Murnau favored distorting the external world in order to express an inner emotional state. This film characterises one of the great examples of this kind of storytelling, holding its own in the sea of schlocky lesbian vampire films and teenage-angst ridden TV-blood suckers. The film is also screening at 2pm Wednesday 7 and Sunday 11 of September. Entry is free, but depending how crowded it is you may need to get tickets in advance. Nosferatu part of a series of films screening in conjunction with Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910-1937, an exhibition currently at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
American singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne, who put pensive folk back on the charts in a big way in 2004 when his single 'Trouble' hit number four on the US charts, is returning to Australia — after ten years of absence. His Just Passing Through tour will take him to Bluesfest in Byron Bay, then down the highway for gigs in Sydney and Melbourne. All shows are in acoustic format, with Ray performing in duo mode, alongside Wilco's legendary bassist John Stirratt. Expect new tunes and a selection of hits. Even though we haven't seen Mr LaMontagne for so long, he's been busy. His seventh album Part of the Light came out in May this year, and, back in 2010, God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise picked up a Grammy for Best Folk Album Of The Year. As you might've guessed, mad, long-tortured fans have already nabbed most tickets. But, thankfully, a second run of shows has been announced. If you've been cursing your luck, jump in quick. LaMontagne will play the State Theatre in Sydney, on April 24 and 25. You can pick up tickets over here.
If more good music and delicious food are among your New Year's resolutions — which is completely understandable — then the CBD's Restaurant Hubert is ready to give you a helping hand. Nightly from Monday–Saturday throughout January, the French eatery is serving up all the favourites from its a la carte menu, soundtracked by live jazz. Yes, its Jazz January program is back for another year. The curated lineup will bring you jazz of all kinds, with musicians hitting up the venue's stage each evening to keep you entertained while you eat. As for the menu, Restaurant Hubert is renowned for its French fare. You'll find Restaurant Hubert specialties including escargots XO, duck a l'orange and chicken fricassée on offer, each of which will transport you to a classy Parisian eatery. Reservations are required, and Jazz January runs from 5pm till close each evening. [caption id="attachment_673758" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts[/caption] Top image: Daniel Boud.
Spooky season is creeping up quickly, which means it's time to make a dash to the costume shop and make Halloween plans stat. One event celebrating the haunted holiday is the Entertainment Quarter's family-friendly, three-day spook fest. Dubbed Halloween Family Fest, it'll have everything from carnival games to thrilling rides, haunted houses, a ghoulish disco, trick or treating, costume competitions and an openair cinema. Of course, there's a global pandemic to be mindful of, so pre-booking tickets is encouraged. You can also expect social distancing measures to be in place, plus numerous hand washing facilities and sanitising stations around the precinct. Halloween Family Fest is taking over the Entertainment Quarter from Friday, October 30–Sunday, November 1. Opening times are 5–9pm Friday, 10am–9pm Saturday and 10am–4pm Sunday. Pre-book your tickets here.
Once a year, Monster Fest treats cinemagoers to a weird and wonderful film festival filled with genre and cult movies — but that's obviously not often enough. So, behold Monster Fest Weekender, aka the fest that the Monster team hosts midyear when it's not rolling out the full shindig. Hitting Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street from Friday, May 13–Sunday, May 15, this three-day affair will screen the films you can't wait till later in the year to see — such as Sundance oddity Hatching, a body-horror flick about a girl nursing an egg: documentary The History of Metal and Horror, which spans everyone from Alice Cooper to John Carpenter; and monster- and OTT scientist-filled stop-motion effort Mad God. Other highlights: a 35th-anniversary session of Miami Connection, a cult martial arts movie that really has to be seen to be believed; a 4K restoration of 1985's Cat's Eye, a Stephen King adaptation starring a very young Drew Barrymore; and Pennywise: The Story of It, which takes a making-of look at the Tim Curry-starring TV miniseries that first brought the creepy clown to screens.
To those in the know, Michael White has long been the epicentre of the London entertainment scene, spreading his producing talents across the stage and screen in everything from Oh! Calcutta! to Monty Python and the Holy Grail to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. To those outside his orbit, his name remains unfamiliar even as his impact is inescapable. Documenting the untold story of his life and legacy, The Last Impresario dwells in the space between both extremes. Australian actress and filmmaker Gracie Otto once fell into the latter category, until spotting White at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. There he sat, surrounded by the who's who of the industry, and her curiosity was instantly piqued. They quickly made each other's acquaintance, formed a firm friendship, and the idea for the film was born. In keeping with her enigmatic introduction to the now elderly entrepreneur, it is not White that monopolises Otto's insider look at his influence, but the myth of the charming man and the many people and projects that came under its thrall. A septuagenarian with declining health, he has a limited ability to tell his own tale, but there is no shortage of famous faces — from John Waters to John Cleese, Kate Moss to Anna Wintour, and Australians Greta Scacchi, Naomi Watts, Lyndall Hobbs and Barry Humphries — able to regale viewers with amusing anecdotes. Of course, much of the fun comes in reliving his celebrity experiences with Jack Nicholson, David Bowie and the like, as meticulously photographed by avid snapper White and further catalogued in decades' worth of memorabilia. His life and the documentary that results is the ultimate act of star-spotting, filtered through a charismatic figure who should be better known than those he interacts with. Scacchi succinctly puts it best; he is "the most famous person you've never heard of". Making her first full-length effort after a series of award-winning shorts, Otto is a naturalistic documentarian afforded ample access undoubtedly aided by her own movie pedigree (in addition to forging her own career, she is the daughter of Bliss's Barry and the sister of The Lord of the Rings' Miranda), yet only occasionally does she overplay her hand. Her visuals are vibrant, her interviews probe, but it is her tone that best impresses, celebrating the feature's subject while never shying away from the underlying melancholy of his less-than-ordinary existence. Two areas skirted around — White's illness and finances — provoke unfulfilled intrigue; however, what does comprise the film paints a very interesting picture nonetheless. The feature's thesis, that they just don't make them like White anymore, is easily proven. In name and in nature, The Last Impresario colourfully charts the final remnants of dying breed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mRbUZA161vc
Sydneysiders love a bake sale and, in delightful news for locals, a bunch of Sydney legends are teaming up for another edition of Bush's beloved pop-ups on Saturday, October 29. The Redfern favourite will be presenting special one-off creations from Donut Papi, Mapo Gelato, Good Ways Deli, Little Fern and Small Talk across a morning of next-level snacks, while also raising money for a good cause. On offer will be Good Ways' roo sausage rolls, plus saltbush focaccia with roo salami from Goose on the Loose, scamorza and lemon myrtle zucchini; coffee milk custard-stuffed doughnuts from Donut Papi; strawberry gum basque cheesecake from Little Fern; and all-native bagels with curried egg from Small Talk. If all of these tantalising creations weren't enough to get you to Redfern on Saturday, Bush is also rolling out a special bake sale menu which will feature wild boar pizza pockets, cheese and Vegemite swirls, macadamia and white chocolate cookies, and chocolate, pepperberry and marshmallow slices. The goodies will be available from 10am at Bush's George Street home, and a portion of all the proceeds are also going to supporting some amazing Sydney organisations. Ten percent of all the money made will be donated to Redfern Youth Connect, and 100 percent of the proceeds from Little Fern's cheesecake are being given to the Women and Girls Emergency Centre. Get in early as they're sure to sell out. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BUSH - 55 George st, Redfern. (@bush.sydney)
The close ties between Italy and Australian can't be ignored. Italians love pasta and wine, and we also love pasta and wine, after all. Accordingly, what better way to celebrate this joyful union than to head along to an Italian street festival on your Sunday. Returning for 2018, Ferragosto will bring a solid dose of Italian culture, food and general entertainment to Sydney's Five Dock on August 19, with food stalls hawking street eats and handmade goodness, as well as dance and music across five stages. Comedian James Liotta will headline — and if you've ever wished you were cruising across Florence on a vespa, there'll be a bunch of fancy Italian vehicles on display. Last year's event drew more than 100,000 people, so it seems that the people of Sydney enjoy Italian culture a fair amount: and with this being Ferragosto's 21st birthday, the obsession doesn't seem to be fading. What's to argue with when it comes to pizza and cannoli, really?
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, so the outfit's next New South Wales outing should come as no surprise — it's hosting another plant sale house party. While all of those gorgeous green babies are the main attraction — and more than 170 varieties of them, too — browsing and buying in an old heritage building isn't something you get to do every day. It's happening twice, across the two days of Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7. 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, get expert advice from the horticulturalists onsite, listen to jungle tunes and even nab a $5 discount if you show up in double denim attire. It's all happening at 260 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, with two-hour sessions held at 8am, 10am, 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, plus 10am and 12pm on Sunday. While entry is free, you'll need to secure a ticket to head along — they'll be available from midday on Monday, April 1.
