Western Sydney's Parramasala Festival is back for another year, and it's set to be the most diverse yet. The free annual event, which celebrates and showcases Sydney's many cultures, will take place in Parramatta across three action-packed days. Expect a colourful combination of music, dance, food, film and theatre, all spread throughout Prince Alfred Park, the Parramatta riverbank and the Riverside Theatres. Highlights of the program include free performances by Thandi Phoenix, Remi and Sampa the Great the vibrant opening night parade, a Long Table Brunch, bellydancing workshops and a mini music festival. You can check out the full program of cultural and musical events here. The huge variety of food options on Market Street is another major drawcard and gives you an excuse to stuff yourself with curry, dumplings and gozleme. Whether you live in Parramatta or have been meaning to visit more, this is the weekend to get amongst it. Image: Salty Dingo.
Veganism is no longer a fad. One of your friends is probably vegan. Vegan eateries run rife throughout Sydney, no longer restricted to Newtown's King Street. With ethical concerns, breaking news stories about farming atrocities and climate change giving people more and more reasons to change their eating habits, there's a been a considerable rise in vegetarians and vegans — often meaning more likeminded buddies to survive pot luck dinner parties with. More and more people are 'waking up' to the realities of food production, primarily through reading Jonathan Safran Foer and watching groundbreaking, important documentaries like Food Inc. But this abrasive, slapped face strategy can turn a lot of potential vegans off. Marking its Australian premiere at a special Sydney event this Saturday, feature documentary 'Live and Let Live' attempts to enlighten without frightening; a thorough examination of our relationship with animals, the history of veganism and the reasons people go vegan (whether ethical, environmental or health-related). Produced by Marc Pierschel, the documentary checks in with six individuals who have decided to stop eating animals or animal products for their own reasons and assesses how veganism has impacted their lives. In addition to the premiere screening of 'Live and Let Live' guest speakers Dr Glenn Singleman (professional basejumper and doco maker) and psychologist Clare Mann will dig into the film's core topics. Sydney blues and roots festival favourite Jasmine Beth will revisit tracks from her eponymous EP in a smoky-voiced acoustic set, ahead of her first full-length album due for release later this year. There'll be tasty vegan treats on offer, including faux bacon, vegan chocolate, new types of vegan cheeses, aromatic herbal teas and a plant milk bar. And to top things off you can wander through art installations and bid in the silent auction aiding Peanuts Funny Farm Animal Sanctuary. https://youtube.com/watch?v=10MK7v6Mhjc
If ever your heart could be hugged by a live show, Tiny Ruins will leave yours well and truly cuddled. Following the release of their enchanting folk release Brightly Painted One, the native New Zealanders will head to Australia to crank out their softly spoken repertoire in a national tour. As well as giving their newest album a big ol' run around, Tiny Ruins will revisit tunes from their 2010 release Some Were Meant for Sea as well as their 2013 EP Haunts. Expanding her solo flight into a touring trio, Tiny Ruins' Hollie Fullbrook now hangs with bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer as a trio. The threesome haven't had a holiday for quite some time, touring for the past few years through Australia, Europe and the US in highly coveted support slots for Fleet Foxes, Beach House, Joanna Newsom and Father John Misty to name a few. But now's no time for Tiny vacationing, with a national tour ready to kick off this July. The NZ folksters have plenty of Aussie radio feature albums, festival slots and critical accolades under their belts and have been gaining traction over the past few years with folk lovers worldwide. But Tiny Ruins are no stage hogs, inviting their buds Shining Bird and Aldous Harding along for the ride this time. Sydney favourites Shining Bird have spent the last year gaining high fives Australia-wide after the release of their debut album Leisure Coast gained the crew some serious festival appearances. Shining Bird aren't dudes to waste a touring opp, combining their support spot with their brand new 7" single. Aldous Harding is one of those Kiwi musical talents we'll casually be calling our own in a few years. You may not have heard much from her yet, but this Christchurch folk queen is just about to drop her debut album and counts this support slot on her first tour of Australia. Be sure to check her out — by all accounts, she's killin' it across the Tasman. Her self-titled debut so far has just the one single, 'Hunter', with the rest to be released on July 25. These shows are sure to be a very chilled affair — perfect for red wine, big jumpers and melodious swaying. Words by Shannon Connellan and Meg Watson. https://youtube.com/watch?v=jnqc4falhGk
2013 is the year organisers were promising Future be their "biggest festival lineup yet", and after rifling through the massive line-up pinata, it seems they have indeed delivered. After an already big 2012 outing, Future Entertainment has topped that with a bill straddling nearly every sub-genre of pop or dance, ensuring they'll draw not only a larger but a more diverse crowd. 2013's Day of the Dead-Set Awesome will be headlined by English electronic dance commanders The Prodigy, grime MC Dizzee Rascal, indie rockers Bloc Party and reformed rockers The Stone Roses, making it more of a Brit-fest than a Mexican one. Other exciting acts joining the bill include Harlem femcee Azealia Banks, Rita Ora, electro house mainstay Steve Aoki and our own The Temper Trap. And PSY will also be there, just in case you feel like contracting a South Korean virus without actually paying for a ticket to his own upcoming show. Thanks to the Jack Daniel's Barrel House, we have a double GA pass (valued at $350) to the Future Music Festival to give away. To go in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
GRAPHIC Festival — with its melange of comics, animation, illustration, music, multimedia and storytelling — puts on some of the most new and daring events in the country. In past years, the program has included Gotye's live animated album preview for Making Mirrors and Elefant Traks' Dr Seuss-inspired concert. The headliners are here in abundance in 2013, and they're mainly drawn (ha) from the world of comics. The man most credited with introducing comics as a 'serious' medium and Pulitzer Prize winner for Holocaust-themed Maus, Art Spiegelman, will present a hybrid of slides, talk and music in a performance specially commissioned for the festival. The event, called WORDLESS!, will see Spiegelman share his own history while expounding on the depth comics are capable of. The writer and cartoonist sneaks so much emotion and revelation into humble, scratchy packaging that this special, premiere event should be no less than spectacular. Sydney-based New Yorker Phillip Johnston provides the music, bringing his experience scoring silent films such as The Adventures of Prince Achmed to Spiegelman's inspiring imagery. Art Spiegelman's WORDLESS! with Music by Phillip Johnston in on at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, on Saturday, 5 October. Thanks to the Sydney Opera House, we have three double passes to giveaway. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
The two shows on now at Stills Gallery are by established, mature photographers creating their own dreamworlds and representing fantasy and identity in ways that provoke enthusiasm as childlike as their mysterious subjects and a Lacanian freak-out. Mark Kimber's All That Glisters series is framed in smoothly finished black and mounted deep under immaculate glass. The 40x40 prints themselves are of — deep breath — seagoing outer-space rock-star Victoriana collectibles in diorama. They're shiny, with little glitter-encrusted gold men in them and glossy fires and glassy waters in the tableaux, light reflecting off the hermetically encapsulated domes. It's like he's made snow globes of images from exploits imagined for a grown-up future then photographed them in a grown-up way, making fun of the images but preserving them as complete and inviolable. Inscrutable rather than impenetrable, the creature-masked children of Between Worlds almost seem to be superimposed on Polixeni Papapetrou's crisply coloured landscapes. Captured in motion, engrossed in an adventure, the pictures' ornately vintage-costumed inhabitants don't evade or deflect scrutiny but seem unaware of it. The larger-proportioned animal heads situate them in a 105x105 fairytale and subvert the usually authoritative gaze of the observer. Stuck in the Symbolic order, the viewer is confronted with a staging of Imaginary they may conceive of but cannot properly enter. It's beautiful, but a bit like not being invited to play.
Future Music have popped the line-up piñata, revealing what they promised would be their "biggest festival lineup yet". 2013's Day of the Dead-Set Awesome will be headlined by English electronic dance commanders The Prodigy, grime MC Dizzee Rascal, indie rockers Bloc Party and reformed rockers The Stone Roses, making it more of a Brit-fest than a Mexican one. Other exciting acts joining the bill include Harlem femcee Azealia Banks, Rita Ora, electro house mainstay Steve Aoki and our own The Temper Trap. Having set the standard with 2012's hefty bill, the Future Music organisers have really confirmed the festival's pulling power this time around. And PSY will also be there, just in case you feel like contracting a South Korean virus without actually paying for a ticket to his own upcoming show. Future Music Festival 2013 dates: Brisbane – Saturday March 2 Perth – Sunday March 3 Sydney – Saturday March 9 Melbourne – Sunday March 10 Adelaide – Monday March 11 https://youtube.com/watch?v=i3Jv9fNPjgk
Do you enjoy open-air cinema, a few coldies and good company? We certainly do and we want you to join us. It was only a matter of time before we sought out such activity and we're in luck. Let us present to you Summer Movie Nights at the Beresford. Every Monday from October 2012 through to March 2013, the Beresford are inviting you to free screenings of cult, rom-com and comedy classics. Set in the venue's outdoor courtyard, we're most certainly feeling the joy of the cinema outdoors. During the featured film (7 – 9pm) you can also snag $15 pasta dishes and $5 Heinekens. Yes please. And for all those 'tache fiends out there, we'd definitely recommend heading the Beresford's way for their own version of Movember. With a line up including Brewster's Millions, Shaft, The Artist and The Bird Cage we wish you a joyous time gazing at the upper lip art on the leading men in these films. Visit the Beresford’s website for monthly screenings.
Those masters of dark yet joyful surf rock are back with a one more album and one less band member. After weathering a near-breakup, this newly downsized dup are returning to Australia for a full national tour to usher in the lazy summer months. If one thing's for sure, fans will get something different from what they've seen before. The band's new album Encyclopedia is a blunter, simpler take on their classic sound. The Drums' own brand of misanthropy is more persistent and when paired with their characteristic whistling and hand clapping give the band a new eerie quality. In the face of original member Connor Hanwick's desertion earlier in the year and a fan base that seems to have gradually forgotten their favourite kings of the summer roadtrip soundtrack, The Drums have come back with a new kind of emotion behind the same sound. Get set for a new incarnation of The Drums, clapping their hands and shaking their fists. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nWc4mZoGK2k
In breaking-stop-everything-tell-your-friends news, The Barber Shop is making things a little more extravagant for the single gentlemen of Sydney. Australia’s first barber shop/bar and the 2014 Bartender Awards' Bar Operator of the Year, the Barber Shop has teamed up with Chivas to celebrate their very first birthday, and the romantic among you reap all the rewards. If you take a Tinder date to the party, you'll get a free cheese board. FREE. CHEESE. BOARD. Part of a flurry of birthday pampering options created especially for the occasion by Chivas and the Barber Shop — whisky tasting flights, cocktail-paired haircuts, hot shaves, face scrubs, acid jazz — the bar has created a special menu for the second half of the evening: over 40 gins to choose from, sharing plates by David O'Brien (ex-Merivale). But the pièce de résistance for us? When you're booking your table, tell 'em you'll be on a Tinder date and they'll throw in a cheese board for zilch — served with cornichons and baguette. But hold up. There are a few factors at play here, most only dependent on how much you care about strangers' opinions of you. Firstly, if you get a cheese board without being on a Tinder date, you're going to look like you're on a Tinder date anyway; a kind of Scarlet Letter sitch where you're branded with the cheese plate. So if you're one to get shuffly about everyone knowing you're on a Tinder date, maybe take it to Shady Pines for the free peanuts. Next, are you going on Tinder to specifically to get a free cheese board? In which case, should you be up front with your date about this? Should you be changing your profile deets to not mislead poor, innocent Tinder users who thought you were here because you liked their holiday selfie? You monster, using people for delicious, delicious cheese. This is serious, people. If you're going to score a free cheese board, you'd better know what's up or innocent people are going to get hurt. Don't run any birthdays now. Find The Barber Shop at 89 York Street, Sydney. The birthday sitch? The Chivas Ultimate package is $125 and includes Chivas signature cocktail, haircut, hot towel shave, face scrub and Chivas Whisky Tasting Flight (12yr, 18yr and 25 yr). The Chivas Experience is slightly less at $98 and includes Chivas signature cocktail, haircut, and hot towel shave. (All appointments from 2pm receive complimentary White Rabbit White/Dark Ale, MOAR freebies). Bookings essential via 9299 9699 (or website). And remember to tell them it's a Tinder date if you're after that cheese board.
Have you ever felt the urge to cover a yacht in mirror tiles? Artists Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich did, and the result was the boat Celeste. The pair have sailed this mirror-ball vessel along the British coast, collecting and transmitting local sounds along the way from the boat itself. The boat for the Sydney incarnation of Celestial Radio is newly made — Celestra is doing the sailing duties — but its sister vessel's modus operandi remains intact. Taking inspiration from pirate radio of the 60s, the artistic pair have put music from Sydney musician James Brown together with Sydney sounds and words into an hour's loop of radio, broadcast from the yacht 24 hours on 95.9FM. During the day the yacht will flit between bridge and Opera House, occasionally brushing up to the MCA itself to schedule, reflecting Sydney back to itself in borrowed light and sound. Visitors without radios can borrow FM headsets from the Celestial Radio booth outside the MCA. A film on the adventures of the Celeste off the Isle of Skye will be screened at the MCA the night of March 29.
This weekend you’re in for quite a treat. Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well is coming to Sydney directly from Britain’s National Theatre. The screenings are part of a new initiative called NT Live, which sees theatrical treasures beamed around the world in high definition. Alas the ‘live’ component isn’t exactly true of the Sydney screenings* â€" the production was filmed on October 1st â€" but the experience certainly evokes the dynamism of a performance captured live. The event begins with an introduction to this, the pilot season of NT Live. Hoped to be a theatrical/cinematic hybrid that will broaden the appeal and the accessibility of the National Theatre, NT Live then brings you into the wings to meet the play’s director Marianne Elliott. Then, after learning more about the play and the history of the National Theatre itself, it’s on with the show. 
All’s Well That Ends Well is not one of Shakespeare’s best-known works. And this probably heightens the cinematic adventure of NT Live, as you discover this wonderful play in a new way. The story of fearless and love struck Helena, who goes to great lengths to win the affections of a haughty Count, All’s Well That Ends Well sees Shakespeare toying with the tropes of folklore and fable. Elliot’s direction and Rae Smith’s gorgeous costume and production design certainly heighten this fairytale atmosphere, with Helena even donning a red cloak as she sets off to win her man. Adapting to Robin Lough’s screen direction is at first a curious experience. For audiences so used to taking in the entire stage, the close ups and framing might at first seem jarring, but much like Shakespeare’s mellifluous language, the live editing takes on a rhythm of its own. With wonderful performances, brilliant banter and a lot of laughs, All’s Well That Ends Well is well worth a trip to the cinema. * All’s Well That Ends Well will also be screening this weekend at the Hayden Orpheum and the Dendy Opera Quays. Click on the links for booking details. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BTGXH1Y-PTA
Maru stuck in too-small cardboard boxes. Grumpy Cat being genuinely unable to help the shape of his own face. Lil Bub hangin' with Whoopi Goldberg. Sure, you could load all three of these superstars on your screen right now, but what if some know-your-freakin-audience genius decided they'd take things next level make an entire film festival of internet cat videos? Celebrating their love of cats and videos of cats doing stupid, stupid things, RSCPA NSW are hosting their second Cat Film Festival at Glebe's Bicentennial Park on Sunday, October 4. Even if you thought cat videos jumped the shark with Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud, you've got to admit this feel-good festival takes things to a whole other level. Here's how it went down last year: From short films to six-second Vine videos, the screening will visit all your favourite feline celebrities and raise funds for the RSPCA. But the night won't just be sitting and pointing every time Grumpy Cat hates on life or Colonel Meow looks like the demon from the end of Fantasia. You can visit the 'Cattoo Parlour', nom on some tasty food truck treats, adopt a pet in the 'Kitten Cuddle Cube' or throw back some milk in the Cat's Meow Club (for a little extra kibble). Tickets to the Cat Film Festival are available via give2gether and are $20 for adults, $10 for children and $50 for the Cat's Meow VIP Club. The festival gets going at 6pm on October 4 at Bicentennial Park on the Glebe foreshore. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Believe it or not, it's been 14 years since Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga first hit the big screen — and since tweens across the globe collectively fell in love with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, too. The pair's careers have rocketed since, with KStew hopping between everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels and Spencer, and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to Tenet and The Batman. They'll always have that undead franchise on their resumes, though. Forgotten what the five vamp films are like? Love them and want to see them on a big screen again? Just adore movie marathons in general? Whatever reason you have, the Twilight Saga Movie Marathon wants you to sink your fans in. Stewart, Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and all-star supporting cast that spans Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen and Bryce Dallas Howard will all feature on Saturday, August 6 as the five blockbusters hit the silver screen once more at Sydney's Palace Chauvel Cinema. Tickets cost $30, and the lengthy journey of glorious supernatural light-erotica will kick off at 6.30pm as Bella lands in Forks, Washington in the original Twilight film. From there, it's all love triangles, revengeful vampires, and half-human babies as New Moon, Eclipse and the two-part Breaking Dawn features run back-to-back.
Campfire Collective is a boutique arts production group, and they’re sticklers for doing things properly. That means they make new stuff happen that otherwise just wouldn't exist — switched-on, intelligent, DIY kind of stuff. Lately, they've curated a season of Late Night Library, organised a bunch of alternative stand-up comedy nights, and hosted storytelling workshops for writers and performers to hone their skills. Now they're turning over the stage to you. Forget that it's in a library; Bites After Work is a night where real people tell real stories around the proverbial campfire. The collective will also share their own last-minute tips, techniques and tricks to help you tell your story. It's free, but book online or call 8512 4250.
The Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Eternity Playhouse seems perhaps a curious choice for the staging of Vanessa Bates’ new play Every Second. The former Baptist Church, now a 200-seat theatre, is the home to this new play about infertility, IVF and families. Set on a raised spiralling platform designed by Andy McDonell, the production circles around the various topics, elliptically and directly, confronting them from various angles and various positions. Based on Bates’ own experiences, Every Second is characterised by the playwright's trademark warmth and good humour, her direct dialogue which scintillates as it hits us with its emotional punch, and a healthy dose of grace and heart. A kind of ballet for two couples, the play follows Meg (Julia Ohannessian) and Tim (Simon Corfield) as they try to conceive a child naturally (with the help of various herbal concoctions and a strict diet). Set against their story is that of Bill (Glenn Hazeldine) and Jen (Georgina Symes), a somewhat older couple who take the IVF option, in all its humiliating and invasive glory. As each woman’s fertility cycle rolls around, so too do the tensions between the couples, until a series of undignified experiences makes them reconsider everything. Directed by Shannon Murphy, Every Second has a bold directness and a mischievousness that dances through the play’s 90-minute duration. To Murphy's and Bates’ credit, they are not afraid of going to the potentially confronting corners of the topic, and although they are largely played for the humour inherent in the physical on-stage 'reality' or for their pathos, we sometimes get more than we bargained for. A particular highlight is the ballet which forms the play’s centre point, and features the cast in variations of body-hugging clothing, protective headgear and outrageous antics. Murphy’s cast are all strong, from Hazeldine’s loving and eager-to-please Bill and Symes’ stoic and long-suffering Jen to Ohannessian’s headstrong and endlessly optimistic Meg and Corfield’s reluctant and hesitantly obliging Tim, whose plight we discover late on in the piece. Dressed in Rita Carmody’s functional and simple costumes, lit with warmth and mood by Verity Hampson, and featuring Tiernan Cross’s simple and melodic music, Murphy’s production is assured, considered and allows this new play to shine and breathe. Some scenes seem slightly overwritten, a case of saying too much when we don’t know what to say, but if anything it highlights the truth that lies at the heart of Bates’ play — how do you keep it all together emotionally when you can’t have what you’ve always thought you’d have? Ultimately, Every Second is a wry and witty comedy about relationships, looking out for each other and swimming upstream in the face of all the odds.
Red envelopes and firecrackers are strewing the streets of Chinatown, bowls of incense and fruit are lining the front of your favourite Chinese diner, and before you can say kung hei fat choi (Chinese for 'happy new year'), there's a lion dancing in your doorway. This is the year of the snake, a sign of introspection and intuitiveness but also stylishness and exceptional good taste — Jessica Mauboy, David Wenham, and Audrey Hepburn are just a few of the characters born under it. Whether you're keen as a cracker to cheer on the parade floats, dying to slip on your glad rags for the jazzy Dragon Ball, or just want to gorge yourself on a Lunar Feast, you'll find it on our list of top ten things to do during Chinese New Year 2013.
Over the past decade, Melbourne's Chin Chin has well and truly earned a spot among the city's food institutions. Now, it's celebrating turning the big one-zero in style with an extended spread of tasty birthday festivities — both in its hometown and at its Sydney sibling restaurant. Here, it all kicks off on Monday, June 7, when the restaurant fires up for the spice-fuelled Chilli Inferno dinner, matching inventive plates like seafood pad khaprao and a pork belly dry red curry with a special curation of cooling cocktails, beer and wine. On Tuesday, June 8, plant-based feast The Garden of Eatin' serves up a meat-free spread of bold southeast Asian fare with matched drinks, while Wednesday, June 9 sees Chin Chin Executive Chef Benjamin Cooper treat diners to his ultimate dinner — featuring a parade of boundary-pushing dishes that never made it onto the menu. And on Thursday, June 10, Sydneysiders are invited to one heck of a wrap party, starring a roll call of Chin Chin's favourite collaborators from across the years. Expect a night of high-energy celebrations, complete with tunes and artistic delights from the likes of Estée Louder, DJ Sveta and I Am Offerings, plus a food and cocktail lineup heroing some of Chin Chin's best-loved flavours. Tickets to each of the four events are $165 per person each and they're expected to sell out fast. Book yours by heading online.
How better to experience the fun, food and festivities of Chinese New Year, than on the back of a rickshaw? This year, Sydney's 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is celebrating the annual cultural extravaganza with Rickshaw Tales, a series of rickshaw food tours, which'll see punters jump aboard their artist-commissioned vehicle for a roving foodie fest through Haymarket. Local multidisciplinary Chinese-Australian artist Louise Zhang is the talent behind the rickshaw's visually-arresting get-up, with her candy-coloured globular painting and sculpture style suggestive of vibrant Asian desserts and sweets. The highly visible rickshaw will be doing tours for two people at a time on weekends and Thursday nights across the CNY festival, from January 28 through to Tuesday, February 14, when they'll do a special Valentine's Day tour. For a very reasonable $33 per person, riders will be pedalled around Chinatown in style with commentary by 4A Director Mikala Tai via video. Participants will gain a swag of insight into the area's culinary offerings, with the ticket price inclusive of snacks at each restaurant, café, and hole-in-the-wall they stop at along the way. Prefer to experience it all on foot? Rickshaw Tales will also host a series of small group walking tours for $22, guided by 4A's team of Chinatown experts. Either way, you better get booking — the rickshaw rides will no doubt be snapped up quicker than a dozen Emperor Puffs. 4A's Rickshaw Tales tours will take place on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Thursday nights between January 28 and February 14. Book here. Image: Sven Scheuermeier.
Bangarra Dance Theatre embraces the Indigenous narration of modern-day Australia, and explores the construction of cultural identity through form-fusing choreography. With studios based in the arts precinct at Walsh Bay in Sydney, its productions have sold out across the States and Europe. Belong, the newest double-bill from Bangarra, is thematically challenging, technically accomplished, and tendon-achingly transportive. It fuses traditional and contemporary dance styles to investigate the concept of identity as it applies to contemporary Indigenous Australians. The premise of Belong is that to make sense of the enduring present, people must connect with the problematic past. Belong explores the energy and creative fluidity of Indigenous mythologies through movement, music and lighting; it asks innately compelling questions about social identity and cultural authenticity. Comprised of two separate sections, Belong begins with Elma Kris' new work, 'About', her second work for Bangarra. Kris' choreographic development since "Emeret Lu" as part of True Stories in 2007 is apparent in her deft and confident exploration of the connection between Indigenous communities and their physical environment. The opening segment, featuring Kris herself dancing the part of the Storyteller, is visually and thematically arresting; a reformation of contemporary island dance movements which delves into the legends and lore of the Torres Strait wind spirits. It deals with the ways in which totems and kinship interact with the art of story-telling, and whirls the audience through the movements of the wind, sky and sea. 'ID' asks tougher questions about just what it takes to achieve a sense of belonging. Choreographed by Stephen Page, who is an active mentor of creative artists and the Artistic Director of Bangarra, 'ID' is more of a psychological exploration than a mythological one. Painful rites of passage, like posing for school portraits, provide vehicles for Page to highlight how debate over degrees of Aboriginality based on skin colour have created internal division in Indigenous communities. The cut-out costumes, the set design and the dramatic lighting all enhance the capacity of the dancers to give physical expression to the ghosts of the past. Our ever-present search for identity is explored both within and across generations. The dancers of Belong literally embody that exhilarating sense of connection and emotional frustration which we collectively feel when identifying with a culture, community or country.
Initiated by Sydney Institute students and presented by A Series of Fortunate Events, Bizarre Bazaar has a cult following of style-conscious Sydneysiders. The twilight fashion market reclaims a Sydney laneway (or, on colder occasions, an indoor space) on odd Thursday eves to showcase the quirky garments and new collections of numerous local designers, including ATAT, Moons of Apollo, Roger and Peach, Blessed are the Meek and Auckland Stockholm. Bizarre Bazaar also plays host to pop-up bars, meaning that you can pick up a bevvy after pawing over discounted threads and channelling Patsy Stone in the free photo booth. So break open your piggy bank and bring your designer dreams to the latest Bizarre Bazaar location, if for no other reason than to collect your free goody bag and chill out to crispy beats.
Well, this sounds entirely delightful. The Bookbinder comes to Belvoir from Trick of the Light Productions, a small New Zealand outfit who appear to specialise in puppetry, modelmaking and reaffirming the existence of magic. A chap who has made his living binding books is after a new apprentice. He's pretty sure there's one in the audience, but they need to be made of strong stuff. You see, the last boy who wanted to become his apprentice was sent on a quest and we're not entirely sure what happened to him. Whether we'll find him or be gobbled up by monsters is anyone's guess. If you hadn't gathered already, this is theatre aimed at a younger audience. But as a joyful, simple and complete diversion from the broken-down shitfight of adult life, it might be just the ticket you need.
At first glance, mid-week raving and healthy living don’t seem to go hand in hand. The energetic people behind Morning Gloryville are here to turn that preconception on its head with their ingenious way to start your day in style. From 6.30 to 10.30am on the last Wednesday of the month at Paddington Uniting Church, Morning Gloryville will host a monthly all-ages, drug- and alcohol-free rave to kickstart your day. Music will be pumping with an eclectic mix of '90s dance, jungle beats and soul tunes; you’re encouraged to jump around and shake those cobwebs loose before heading to work. Local DJs Klue, DJ Tricky and Person Three will be storming the decks, along with a dance team to get the party going. But it’s not just the furious dancing that's helping you start your day off on the right foot. The Morning Gloryville sessions will also include yoga, massage, fresh smoothies and healthy food. The recommended dress code is simply 'dress to sweat', but loads of colour and festivalwear is also encouraged — anything to help you seize the day. The only real rule is sobriety; let your inner dance monster show the world what it’s made of unimpeded by plonk. The Morning Glory rave was started in London’s Shoreditch — where else — by Sam Moyo and Nico Thoemmes. "We’ve noticed the habit that when people start getting really serious jobs or have a family, or if they want to live free of alcohol and drugs, then they almost stop partying and stop dancing in that way. We thought that was a shame," says Thoemmes. "Morning Glory is a revolution of conscious clubbing. For us it’s really important to get people embodied and dancing and moving freely." It has since gathered a global following with offshoots in Barcelona, New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam and now Sydney.
You’ve probably heard about the anti-burqua mural in Newtown. Artist Cigdem Aydemir was opposed to it and, in fact, lodged a complaint. In the course of her opposition, she attended a public meeting in Erskineville where a man raced up on stage wearing a niquab of his own. Tearing it off, he declared things hidden underneath niquabs were a security issue. (A longer account is here.) Finding the idea absurd, Aydemir — who had worn a hijab herself for 10 years — has spent the years since that meeting stuffing more and more ridiculous things under black veils in the name of art. Extremist Activity documents her attempts. For Blue Room a curved, pointed umbrella draped with black cloth walks down a street, looking for conversation, while Extremist Activity (ride) covers a rickshaw completely in black fabric: two game passers-by lift the corner and hop in for a ride. In the Extremist Activity (shop) series, she wanders around a supermarket with a magnificent protrusion (a shopping trolley) under her clothes, absconding it until the cash register. Other photos show her smuggling a room, a full-size swing set and a stepladder under her clothes, until, finally, Extremist Activity (mount) has her niquab enveloping an enormous climbing sphere in Victoria Park. A pair of eyes — serious, yet ridiculous — stare out from under the needle where her body brings the black fabric to a point. Last Saturday, Aydemir staged a performance (video) at the gallery where she encouraged the general public to climb underneath a giant, communal niquab, each face peering out of holes in the cloth. (Unfortunately, no more performaces are planned during this show.) The feeling from under the cloth — that this was a giant kids’ game of parachute — perfectly captured the feel of her wider show: pointed, absurd and lots of fun. Image: Extremist Activity (ride), 2011 by Cigdem Aydemir. Lambda print, 55 x 36.5 cm, performance in Sydney. Photograph by Alex Wisser.
Having been a constant presence on Pittwater Road for nearly ten years, White House Flowers was a Manly institution. It recently moved to Brookvale, with founder Kye Carqueville passing the reins over to Mel Anderson and Jess Hapl. It's hard to miss, with vibrant bunches of flowers spilling from the store's interior onto the pavement outside. The team favours slipper orchids, ranunculus, and hydrangeas, but are always experimenting and exploring new palettes and designs. You'll want to have these blooms in your house at all times.
Autumn weather is a real sweet spot for outdoor activities. The temperature hasn't dropped so far you need to heavily rug up, but you're also not running the risk of a sweltering summer day. For those in the shire looking to get out-and-about this autumn, a weekend-long market is popping up in Cronulla from the team behind the Ryde Wharf Market. Originally slated for Easter, the event was postponed due to heavy rain. Cambridge Markets is returning to Sydney's south coast this weekend, taking place at the coastal Don Lucas Reserve and featuring over 180 stalls from a range of vendors. If you're heading down for a bite to eat, you'll find food stalls serving Israeli, Spanish, Thai, Italian and South American cuisine, as well as locally grown produce to take home and whip up your own culinary creation. As with any good market, there will be a range of stalls selling handmade goods from designers, brands and producers such as sustainable Sydney fashion company Saint Jane, Savannah Estate winery, vegan dip maker TLV and local distilleries Buffalo Vale and Mobius. Live music will soundtrack the weekend and the kids will be thrilled by the rides and amusements. Market organiser Madelienne Anderson expresses the importance of local markets and their role in supporting small businesses. "By supporting the sort of micro businesspeople who sell at our markets, they are helping a wide network of families to thrive, and buying things they can't get elsewhere," Anderson says. The markets will be open 10am–3.30pm on both Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16.
A new all-day cafe has just popped up on Oxford Street with a dreamy pastel interior and a line-up of Italian eats. To celebrate its opening and the co-owner's birthday, Poppy Planet is giving away free coffee all month. All you have to do is head inside and mention the phrase 'Happy Birthday' when ordering your coffee and you'll be treated to your caffeine fix free of charge. Along with your free coffee, feel free to pick up one of the cafe's tasty brekkie items including zucchini fritters, granola in a cup and a stacked bacon and egg roll, or come back for dinner where you'll find a range of antipasti, pasta and spritzes. The free coffee promotion is limited to one per person so choose which day you're in need of a free coffee pick-me-up carefully, just make sure you take advantage of the promotion before the end of this month.
If it weren't for the spellbinding work of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle), the artistry and sheer beauty of anime may never have received the global recognition it so sorely deserves. And while the fantastical world of EVANGELION is yet to gain Miyazaki levels of cinematic attention, it has managed to garner the sort of cult following of which only sci-fi fans appear to be capable. It's story about a 14-year-old boy taking on intergalactic aliens with the help of a giant, piloted robotic humanoid, makes it easy to see why the mere utterance of the word "Evangelion" tends to have comic book fans frothing at the mouth. For a unique insight into how these hand-drawn masterpieces become silver screen magic check out the Evangelion Art Exhibition, which drops into Sydney soon, and Melbourne later this month. With an amazing collection of original production art, character drawings, tapestries, books and filmic artifacts, this unique exhibition will take you behind-the-scenes into the mysterious world of Japanese animation and the far-out universe that is Evangelion. Get your hands on a copy of EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE or EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE if you want to find out what the fuss is all about. The Evangelion Art exhibition is open 11-4, Monday to Saturday.
If laughter is the best medicine, why are doctors and pharmacists still allowed to practise their quackery? Surely I can limp my broken leg into David O'Doherty's show and, with the final pants-saturating guffaw, dance about in the aisle like a Southern revivalist on ice? The day that Des Bishop banters about the craic in his spiritual homeland is the day I regenerate my crystallised kidney and you can bet I'll be happy for it. So, when the laugh clinic hits Sydney next year, expect a mass healing greater than anything provided by Dr Jesus. Whether its groin pimples cured by Jason Byrne, or Dom Irrera's sure-fire lung cleanser, you will go home happy from this Festival. And if you don't, Shane Mauss will inject you with his own brand of "shut up and stop whining" that will guarantee no-one will ever have to hear about how sick you are, ever again. Though, maybe go see a doctor before spreading your communicable filth at the Opening Night. Just in case.Image by Julia Andersonhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=Vi0LhopENCg
You might not have wrangled a trip to Japan for its famed cherry blossom season this year — or can't make to Auburn's Cherry Blossom Festival — but you can find some blossom magic unfolding right in the middle of the city. World Square is embracing some serious flower power for its annual Cherry Blossom Festival, serving up a program of free events up until Sunday, September 1. You'll be transported from Sydney to Japan thanks to the festival's augmented reality experience, which will allow you to join a Taiko drumming circle and even get up close and personal with some virtual Nara Park deer. Elsewhere in the program, you can learn to craft an origami bookmark, take an expert-led calligraphy workshop, catch a traditional dance performance and even discover the secrets of anime illustration. Meanwhile, there will be $10 Cherrytini cocktails, a Hokkaido Pafu pop-up serving up cheese tarts with special toppings, and limited-edition sakura soft serve ice creams from Oh Matcha. That's all among a blizzard of real and faux blossoms, of course. The festivities will run from 8am until 10pm each day.
Things are really kicking off with one of world football's biggest events coming to town — and we've got a pitch for you. Football teams from around the world are descending upon Aussie soil to duke it out for the FIFA Women's World Cup, so it should be your top priority to tune into all of the action. With the month-long fare taking over Sydney, you'll be searching for a spot to celebrate the wins, nurse the losses or simply feel the electricity of each game alongside other avid fans. If you need an assist, Kitanda Bev's & Bites has got you covered. In true Brazilian fashion, the cosy hangout spot is celebrating all things FIFA-related with screenings of the Brazil team's games paired with exciting specials. On Monday, July 24, the vibrant bar and eatery will be opening just for Brazil's first game. The game is kicking off at 9pm, but you can head in from 6pm and be treated to an exclusive World Cup menu. the offer includes $10 skewers, with a choice between halloumi, rump steak and the specialty chicken hearts, plus $10 croquettes. There will be a happy hour that will run for the whole night, so you can sip on $15 caipirinhas and $16 beer jugs as you enjoy the match against Panama. Brazil's second match is going down on Saturday, July 29, but if you were hoping to head in for that match, the Surry Hills favourite is already booked out. Rounding out the group stages, Brazil will take on Jamaica on Wednesday, August 2. For this match, Kitanda is offering its weekly Wednesday deal of $10 croquettes and spritzes with happy hour between 5–7pm. Head to Kitanda's Instagram to keep up to date with more deals and screenings as the tournament continues into the finals. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kitanda Bevs & Bites (@kitanda_sydney)
It's easy to DIY print these days, what with relatively cheap digital printers for when you want to turn those Fiji photos into a trio of canvases for the living room wall. But what if you're after something with a more hand-made aesthetic? Cue The Rizzeria, a collective of Sydney self-publishers and printmakers based in Marrickville's creative studio space Join the Dots. The group owns a RP3700 Risograph, a machine that can photocopy or receive files via a computer, like its digital counterparts, but that prints using a custom-made stencil, one colour at a time. The gradual process of layering the eco-friendly ink means some layers mismatch, adding character to the finished piece. Lucky for us, the Rizzeria team regularly make the machine publicly available through open workshops, like September's Print It Yourself. Just bring along a design (or use one of the templates available) and let the experts guide you through the hands-on process to create your own invites, posters, CD covers, greeting cards and more. Check out Rizzeria's Intagram for some inspiration.
Based heavily on the Mossad’s extraordinary real-life capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960, The Debt combines a compelling factual premise with absorbing fictional elements reminiscent of Franklin J. Schaffner’s The Boys From Brazil. It tells the story of three Israeli agents sent to East Berlin in 1966 to track down and capture the notorious Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, aka the "surgeon of Birkenau" (played by Jesper Christensen of Casino Royale). Vogel’s real-world equivalent, Josef Mengele, infamously conducted cruel experiments on concentration camp victims during the War before successfully evading capture for the rest of his life in South America, and Christensen’s performance eerily captures every last bit of that same guile and malevolence. The Debt’s story unfolds over two different eras: the ‘present day’ of 1997 in which the now elderly agents live as national heroes revered for their past courageous efforts, and protracted flashbacks to 1966 East Berlin where the brazen events actually took place. Each agent is played by two actors in the film: one young, one old, with a clear emphasis on shared mannerisms rather than physical similarities. Paired up are Helen Mirren with Jessica Chastain, Ciaran Hinds with Sam Worthington and Tom Wilkinson with Marton Csokas, with the younger cast definitely afforded the better half of the script. Their scenes covering the confirmation of Vogel’s identity are utterly tense and unsettling, while those dealing with his capture are gripping and action-packed. Chastain’s performance is the standout, with her interactions opposite Christensen offering the movie’s most engaging scenes. Worthington on the other hand seems entirely miscast, especially given his world-beating inability to do accents, however he brings a solid physicality and vulnerability to his character that sits well enough with the story. Mirren, as always, is a delight to watch on screen although her scenes lack much of the depth that her younger counterpart enjoys. Written by Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn and Peter Straughan, the script was adapted from the 2007 Israeli film Ha-Hov and directed by John Madden of Shakespeare in Love fame. It’s an unconventional story in that the heroes aren’t out to save the world, nor even their own country. Instead, they’re simply out to cover their own tracks and it’s that selfish nature of their motivations that presents an uncommon, ambiguous and fascinating morality tale for a movie of this nature.
Even though the weather has been quite mild for winter, the chilly nights have been a bit of a buzzkill for outdoor events in Sydney. But with spring ready to shine its rays of sun all over our pale faces — and the nights getting incrementally longer — the folks at Luna Park prepare to launch the second season of their rooftop cinema. Running from September 7-30, the cinema will be worth battling any weather for; from the rooftop of Luna Park you'll have an unobstructed view of a lit-up Sydney Harbour. Plus, they'll provide blankets to keep you cosy and noise-cancelling headphones so you can hear the film over the clamour of the Wild Mouse. The cinema comes complete with a rooftop bar serving up wine, warm pretzels and, of course, popcorn. Over the course of three weeks the cinema will show a mix of new releases, family-friendly films (during the school holidays) and the requisite Labyrinth.
UPDATE: APRIL 29, 2020 — Banff Mountain Film Festival 2020 Tour has rescheduled its Sydney screenings to Wednesday, July 29–Wednesday, September 9. The below article has been updated to reflect this. In need of some new procrastination material? Well, you're in luck. Google image search 'Banff' and spend a few minutes (or half an hour) taking in the gorgeous pictures of snow-capped mountains, aqua water and towering pines. It's impossible to not daydream about holidaying somewhere far-flung and exciting while ogling these picture-perfect views, as we're sure you'll agree. Thankfully, you'll have the opportunity to slip into this magical world without ever leaving Sydney. A selection of venues are hosting Banff Mountain Film Festival's 2020 tour — the event's latest stopover, after beginning back in 1976. Its stunning cinematography attracts film buffs and adventurers alike, making the festival mighty popular across the world today. Every November, hundreds of films enter the competition with the cream of the crop chosen to entertain and amaze festival goers. Some of the featured flicks battled it out in categories including Best Film on Mountain Sport, Best Film on Mountain Environment, Best Film on Mountain Culture, Best Film on Exploration and Adventure, People's Choice Award and more. Check them out at Chippendale's Seymour Centre between Wednesday, July 29–Sunday, August 2, Cremorne's Hayden Orpheum between Wednesday, August 19–Saturday, August 23, and at the Randwick Ritz from Tuesday, September 8–Wednesday, September 9.
THE Rodriguez is coming back to Australia. Touring nationally this October and November, the 72-year-old enigmatic legend was last here in 1981 playing with Midnight Oil, after touring in the late '70s to small success. Now he's riding a wave of newfound support back to our biggest venues, thanks in part to two South African fans. Most people had no idea who Sixto Rodriguez was until the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man dropped in 2012, prompting longtime fans to shake a fist and spin a bitter "I told you so." A self-taught guitarist, Rodriguez played around the traps in Detroit during the '60s but saw no real success in the States with his two albums Cold Fact (1969) and Coming from Reality (1971). Different story in South Africa, where he was pretty much bigger than Elvis — inspiring South African anti-Apartheid activists and musicians alike (unbeknownst to Rodriguez himself). One of music's most mysterious heroes, Rodriguez was even thought to have died until two Cape Town fans in the late 1990s, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom went to find out if the rumours were true (cue Oscar-winning doco). The man also has a cheeky bachelor's degree in philosophy from Wayne State University, he ran for political office and he's had to work construction jobs to support his family. Undeniable and relatively unknown legend. Rodriguez will play Brisbane Convention Centre, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne's Palais Theatre, Adelaide's AEC Theatre and Perth's Kings Park and Botanic Garden. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyE9vFGKogs
First, the bad news: after a tumultuous week, Sydney's Night Noodle Markets have pulled the pin on its plans for this week. Now, the good news: this isn't a cancellation but a rescheduling, with the event shifting its run to Wednesday, October 12–Sunday, October 16. In a statement posted on Instagram today, Friday, October 7, organisers said that they're "not going to let La Niña rain on our parade. We are pausing for a few days to let the park dry out." "We reopen on Wednesday 12th October at 5pm and run all week until Sunday 16th October. We can't wait to see you next week for more deliciousness". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Night Noodle Markets (@goodfoodmonth) The beloved event finally returned this week for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic, opening at a new home in Prince Alfred Park on Tuesday, October 4. Sadly, the markets then received yet another dose of bad luck courtesy of the heavy dose of rain that's struck Sydney over the last couple of days. After cancelling Wednesday night's festivities at the last minute due to the weather, organisers' hands were again forced on Thursday, calling the event off for the second night in a row. Now, in unsurprising news, the whole week is a write-off. This isn't the first time that La Niña has had an impact on the markets this year; the event was originally set to make a comeback in March, but had to be postponed then due to wet weather. When the markets return from Wednesday, October 12, it'll again host stalls from the likes of Gelato Messina, Hoy Pinoy, Brendan Pang's Bumplings, Bangkok Street Food, Shallot Thai, Roll Up, Raijin, Calabang and Donut Papi — the best of which we've previewed for you. The postponed Night Noodle Markets will run from 5–10pm Wednesday, October 12–Thursday, October 13; 5–11pm on Friday, October 14; 4–10pm on Saturday, October 15; and 4–9pm on Sunday, October 16. Make sure you follow the event on Instagram for regular updates or any further news. The 2022 Sydney Night Noodle Markets will run from Wednesday, October 12–Sunday, October 16 in Prince Alfred Park, Chalmers Street, Surry Hills. To stay up-to-date with any further changes, head to the event's Instagram page.
The first of the two plays from acclaimed LA playwright Andy Hyman on the double bill at the Darlinghurst Theatre, Drake the Amazing, takes us back to the golden age of performance, to a time before 3-D movies, computer games and on-demand TV. This is the story of Alden Drake (Scott Sheridan), a talented but somewhat feckless monologist, who shines for one night only, with an explosive performance inspired by his love for the unforgiving Claudette (Kate Skinner), assistant to the show's hard-nosed impresario, Mr Nielson (Nicholas Papademetriou). The play evokes a long-forgotten era, the heyday of American vaudeville theatre and a time when people were still moved by the magic of live entertainment. With just a simple set, consisting of plush red curtains, and with luggage trunks as the only props, the actors' enchanting performances allow us to suspend disbelief and be carried away by this simple tale of love. It is funny, moving and nostalgic in equal measure, and all moved along by the catchy narration of Aster (Andrew Johnston). The theme of innocence is taken up again by the second play, La Dispute, a rewriting of Marivaux's 18th-century tale of love and infidelity. A brother and sister (Ben Wood and Annaliese Szota) take their partners (Patrick Sherwood and Danielle Abi-Hanna) out for a night to remember: they are going to observe the climax of their father's sinister social experiment. Initially repulsed, the partners soon find themselves increasingly fascinated by the spectacle unfolding before their eyes. The question to be answered: who cheated first, girls or boys? The mode of investigation: two boys and two girls, raised in isolation for 20 years, except for the care of a nanny Carise (Zoe Carides). They are released into the forest, where they will encounter each other for the first time. Manufactured so that that initially each boy and each girl meets just one other of the opposite sex, pairings form quickly between Egle (Stacey Duckworth) and Azor (Carl Batchelor) and between Adine (Polita Cameron) and Mesrin (Julian Curtis) respectively. However, their fidelity is tested almost immediately, as they are then forced to meet the others, one by one. Their innocence is both funny and touching, yet are they really innocent? Or rather, who is guilty? These questions are left essentially unanswered, but it is an absolute joy to watch the obvious pleasure these self-obsessed individuals take from seeing themselves reflected in others for the first time. Though somewhat disparate in character from one another, these two plays nevertheless provide a thoroughly enjoyable and quirky exploration into the themes of love, innocence, betrayal and transformation. More importantly, they are a celebration of the joy of theatre.
After two bumper years and three singles, Melbourne foursome Kingswood decided to go all out when it came to their debut full-length album, Microscopic Wars. So they made an appointment at Blackbird Studios with Grammy-winning producer Vance Powell (The Raconteurs) and jumped on a plane to the US. Before heading into the studio, they spent three months living and working together in Nashville; then spent the rest recording whatever they damn well felt like on the day. With the album set for release on August 22 via Dew Process, single 'Sucker Punch' has already been attracting many a rock-loving ear — and tickets for Kingswood's national tour (running August 20 to October 24) are selling like hotcakes as a result. Their sizeable Aussie following has been built up through an array of festival appearances and support slots — Splendour in the Grass billed them on the main amphitheatre stage and they've toured with the likes of The Living End, British India and The Saints. Sydney's first show (August 27) has sold out but you can still get your hands on tickets for the second, scheduled for the day before on August 26. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHjnOlQQ49U
Margaritas remind us of warm summer breezes, tropical vacays and bevvies in beachside cabanas. While jetting to an overseas island is still off the cards, at least it's summer and the salty-sour cocktail tastes just as good here. And now is the perfect time to head to your favourite tequila watering hole to order a marg in celebration of National Margarita Month, running throughout February. To celebrate, top-notch tequila brand — and one of the last tequila-producing haciendas in the world — El Jimador is getting behind bars across the country by offering a heap of drink deals over the next 28 days. Whether you want to celebrate with a classic margarita, try a spicy watermelon number or stay cool with a Tommy's, all participating bars are slinging them — and some for a steal. And, you can bet your fine tipple will be made with El Jimador's range of 100 percent agave tequilas. This means you can knock off work and make a beeline to the local pub, or head to a beachside bar to catch the sunset — with a cheeky marg in hand, of course. Or, go all-in and head to a neighbourhood Mexican restaurant that's serving up margies galore. Wherever you want to go, just be sure to check out this handy map showing all the participating venues around town. To check out the full list of participating venues, head here.
Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Don Johnson, Chief Wiggum, Turner, Hooch — roll them all together and you get BINGO Unit, a new work from Team Mess that rewards our greediness for crime dramas by letting us sink further into one. Their interactive theatre/film/game/everything experience is an almost heart-hurtingly good improvement on the classic formula — like a cronut is to a donut, to put it in official police words. In a set-up modelled on studio back-lots, participants get to dust for fingerprints, kick in doors, go on stakeouts, eat donuts (no, really), study lineups, solve mysteries and enter a courtroom standoff. Team Mess are fondly counting off the cliches (bingo!) that we can't help but know from lives lived in proximity to television. The work was a huge success at last year's Next Wave Festival in Melbourne, gaining the group a Green Room Award nomination in the category dedicated to Creative Agency for Audiences (ie audience interaction that is not scary, not forced and not pointless). BINGO Unit is part of Performance Space's Show Off season of experimental works that have made a strong impression at their recent premieres. The River Eats is a costume- and multimedia-based journey with a loveable monster that too was a hit at Next Wave, while I'm Your Man, set entirely in a boxing gym, was one of the unforgettable highlights of 2012 at Sydney's Belvoir. Photo by Lucy Parakhina.
Spring may be more than a week old, but that doesn't mean clear skies and light breezes are the norm just yet. Thanks to a clash between two pressure systems — a deep low pressure system, and a high pressure system — the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting blustering winds across Sydney for the next two days, with gusts potentially reaching 90 kilometres per hour. BOM has issued a severe weather warning for the possibly damaging winds, noting that they're expected to be especially heavy on the afternoon and evening of Monday, September 9. The gusts will stick around on Tuesday, but they're expected to ease throughout the day. The Bureau is specifically cautioning about winds of around 55–65 kilometres per hour in Sydney, and advises that stronger gusts are possible. If you're in Hunter district (including the central coast), plus Sydney, Illawarra, the south coast and the mid north coast, take note. Areas along the coast — particularly those with a southerly aspect — at the most risk. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1170891313140641793 As well as weathering more than a stiff breeze, Sydneysiders will experience cooler temperatures, with the mercury only reaching 17 degrees on Monday and 18 on Tuesday. It'll bounce back up to 25 on Thursday, then settle in the low-to-mid 20s for the rest of the week. On Facebook, NSW SES recommends that residents secure loose items, and move vehicles undercover or away from trees — as it does whenever it's windy. If you're not only venturing out of the house today, but to the airport, the conditions have been interfering with planes flying into and out of the city, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting delays on domestic flights due to the blustery weather.
After a Kings Cross-wide event back in July, Keep Sydney Open is heading to Darlinghurst for a day-to-night takeover of the area's best venues. Alongside the Darlinghurst Business Partnership, the collective will take over 16 (and counting) Darlo nightlife venues for a precinct festival on Saturday, October 21 from 3pm all the way through to 3.30am. You'll be able to go between venues such as Shady Pines Saloon, Golden Age, The Unicorn, Brighton Up Bar, The Cliff Dive and Stonewall, each of which will be throwing their own parties all through the afternoon and night. Some events will be ticketed while others, like markets and outdoor activations, will be free to attend. Who will you find having a mad boogie within these venues? Well, that's all set to be revealed soon with more and more locations being added. Keep an eye on the Facebook event for full program and ticketing updates. So keep October 21 free and stay tuned. Image: Kimberley Low.
UPDATE: Thursday May 6, 2021 — New COVID-19 restrictions have been announced. We'll keep you updated on this event as the situation changes. For the latest information, visit NSW Health. From the shaken to the stirred and everything in-between — this May, the country's world-class mixology scene will be celebrated in a very big way at a brand-new month-long drinks festival. The inaugural Australian Cocktail Month is set to kick off Saturday, May 1, descending on venues across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide with a diverse lineup of crafty collaborations and exclusive concoctions. Here in Sydney, 18 venues will help the event make its grand debut, including local favourites The Lobo, Dead Ringer, PS40, Maybe Sammy and Jangling Jacks. They'll spend the month whipping up creative-charged festival cocktails (and mocktails) using drops from both local brands — think: Brix Distillers, Mr Black, Starward and Regal Rogue — and international labels like 1800 Tequila, Bombay and Glenfiddich. To get among the best of it, grab a $20 Australian Cocktail Month ticket and enjoy full access to all of the participating venues' cocktail creations. Alcoholic drinks will be priced at $14 a pop, with low-alcohol and booze-free options clocking in at $10. [caption id="attachment_556073" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jangling Jacks[/caption] Top image: PS40, Alana Dimou.
Ever wanted to travel back in time? See the world as it truly was, not as the remnants of artefacts depict? You're in luck, because Garry Starr's award-winning one-man show Greece Lightning promises to throw you from the edge of your seat and into the thick of ancient Greek mythos, drama and hijinks. Having previously captured the hearts and laughs of Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year, Starr will now take the stage at Sydney's Fringe Festival in September, followed by Melbourne Fringe Festival in October. So Sydney folk, catch him while you can. The one-hour show follows Starr through an odyssey of time, space, and mythos as he attempts to reenact the entirety of ancient Greek mythology in less than 60 minutes. The aim of the whole thing? Starr wants to boost tourism to current-day Greece in order to "save his homeland from economic ruin". Damien Warren-Smith, the man behind Garry Starr, says "This is Garry at his most outgoing, his most engaging, his most ridiculous — and I can't wait for Sydney audiences to join him on his Herculean quest to bring mirth where there was once only myth." Along with some glowing reviews — "Sidesplittingly funny physical comedy" from the Sydney Morning Herald and "Comic genius" from the Guardian — Smith boasts quite the comic resume. In 2018, he won Best Comedy at Greater Manchester Fringe and Brighton Fringe, as well as copping a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. While just last year he won the Pick of the Fringe Award at Adelaide Fringe. Not too shabby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qXOWpKMXRo Catch Greece Lightning from September 1– 30 at Spiegeltent Festival Garden.
It's 29 years since Queen last had Aussie crowds belting out their favourite lyrics at a live show. In that time, the Brit legends have endured the tragic loss of Freddie Mercury and struggled to find a replacement. In fact, since his death in 1991, no fewer than eleven singers have made appearances with the band, including David Bowie, Annie Lennox and Robbie Williams. However, it's 2009 American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert who's made the grade for this year's world tour. Before heading to Australia, he'll front Queen over the course of nineteen dates throughout the US. "The thought of sharing the stage for a full set in Australia is so beautifully surreal," Lambert said. "I'm honoured to be able to pay my respects to Freddie's memory. He's a personal hero of mine and I am deeply grateful for the chance to sing such powerful music for fans of this legendary band." The tough part, of course, will be getting your hands on a ticket. New shows have been added but the seats have been pretty much snapped up quicker than you can say "Yeah, I'm smelling like a dried fish bone." https://youtube.com/watch?v=HgzGwKwLmgM
I could summarise Paranoia's plot. But to do so would be to compile a stock-standard litany of signposts of the corporate espionage genre: Dastardly capitalists who'll stop at nothing to retain their market share! An ambitious upstart from a working-class family who is recruited to steal secrets and quickly realises he's out of his depth! A hot love interest who our hero must lie to in order to retain his compromised position spying in the belly of the beast! Sinister henchmen who appear in little more than silhouette! Hard-edged, Matrix-style, millennial typefaces for the opening credits! The film equivalent of Getty stock images of New York's time-lapsed skyline at night! And finally, a mediocre title bluntly aimed at edginess: 'Sniper'? 'Hunted'? 'Suspect'? No, it's Paranoia! Here, the wide-eyed protagonist is Our Liam (Hemsworth), direct from Summer Bay via The Hunger Games, and our scheming tech billionaires are autopiloted by Gary Oldman (with an inexplicable Cockney accent) and Harrison Ford, who appears to be possessed by a necromancer. All of these actors are totally interchangeable — Hemsworth could be traded for Chris Pine or Ryan Reynolds, and Oldman or Ford could be any old guy with credibility for hire. Who's swindling who?! Have the tables turned? Fear not, each 'twist' is signalled from a pantomime-long distance. And remember, we're in a pro-Facebook, post-GFC era now, so we'll need just enough references to 'cutbacks' and 'socially networked devices' to make some token social commentary. But beyond the name dropping, terms like 'insider trading' are merely fuel for the generic, white-collar thriller fire. Paranoia really is so cliched and tiresome, it could be a minor work of cinemasochistic genius by Australian, Legally Blonde director Robert Luketic. No, the best thing for this sort of exercise in filmic pollution is to stealthily organise your cinema trip around a genre-based drinking game with a group of friends. Gratuitous Apple Mac product placement? Drink! Garden variety corporate-speak ("Competition breeds innovation!" "We need more R&D!")? Drink! Hey, maybe this movie's not so bad after all. Maybe the filmmakers were playing us for dupes and intend Paranoia to have a long and healthy DVD afterlife in the 'so bad it's good' category of home viewing. The tables have turned! Or have they? https://youtube.com/watch?v=kiwTRLwmm4w
As the brains behind celebrated Paddington restaurant Saint Peter and more recently the new-school fish shop Fish Butchery, Josh Niland has earned himself a reputation as one of Sydney's kings of seafood. Now, the chef is adding another fish-focused offering to his stable, with plans to open a weekly Fish Butchery market stall at the Carriageworks Farmers Market. Launching this Saturday, August 11, the new venture will riff on its Oxford Street sibling, celebrating sustainably caught fresh seafood, expertly butchered and ready to cook. There'll be an oft-changing haul to choose from, as well as dinner packs, with all the trimmings necessary to create the likes of a bouillabaisse, a native curry, or a four-person family fish feast. Those less inclined to hit the kitchen will also find a rotating selection of grab-and-go snack options, like his coveted hot fish pies. Find Niland's Fish Butchery stall at Carriageworks Farmers Market each Saturday.
Maybe you've used all of your Dine and Discover vouchers already. Perhaps you've got a few left to redeem now that the expiry date has been extended to July 31. Either way, 500,000 New South Wales residents will be able to score themselves another $100 to spend on food and entertainment — yes, more free money — under the NSW Government's just-announced new plan. Wondering what makes these vouchers different from the last lot? They'll only be able to be used in the Sydney CBD, and in the 2000 postcode, to be exact. Also, they'll only be able to be redeemed on Fridays. Other cities, such as Melbourne and Brisbane, have already launched their own Friday-focused plans to tempt folks back into their inner-city spaces — because everyone is still in work-from-home mode when the weekend approaches, it seems — and now it's Sydney's turn. Announced today, Friday, June 18 by NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, the vouchers will again cover dining and entertainment experiences, this time to help boost the CBD economy. "We have listened to businesses and know that it's time to make Fridays fun again and ensure the Sydney CBD doesn't just survive but thrives," Perrottet said. So far, the voucher scheme has been given an obvious name — TGIF — and, timing-wise, it is expected to roll out before summer. Mostly, the vouchers will operate in the same way as Dine and Discover, so you'll access them through the Service NSW app, you'll need to be 18 or over to nab them, and you can't use them on alcohol, tobacco or gambling. Indeed, all of the same eligibility criteria will apply, except one — because you'll be able to combine these vouchers together and even use all $100 worth in one transaction. [caption id="attachment_757524" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bar Totti's, Nikki To[/caption] Details about how to register your interest for the new program, and other pertinent specifics, are set to be revealed in the near future — with more information also likely to be revealed in next week's NSW budget. Responding to the announcement, Sydney Gabriel Metcalf, CEO of Committee for Sydney — aka the independent think tank behind the latest plan to reignite nightlife in Kings Cross — said that Sydneysiders might want to have long Friday lunches to use the vouchers. "In these tough economic times, it's practically a civic duty. We call on the good people of NSW to support their CBD restaurants and use these new vouchers. Have one meal for yourself and one for the country." NSW's new TGIF vouchers will be rolled out by summer 2021, with exact dates and details yet-to-be revealed. To keep an eye out for further information, head to the NSW Treasury website. Top image: Barangaroo House by Kitti Smallbone.
Beautiful things come from chance meetings. Think of the liger, or Charlotte Gainsbourg. It is in this serendipitous spirit that Phillip Glass and the Kronos Quartet will embrace Dracula, the original 1931 film. I suspect that good things will come of the match. Philip Glass is well renowned for the way in which he blends avant garde composition with pop (recall his recent visit to our shores with adaptations of Leonard Cohen's poetry.) And aside from possessing a name perfect for the occasion, the Kronos Quartet will supply their adventurous approach to string instruments. As if this weren't enough, what venue could be better suited than the magnificent State Theatre? Those petrified of horror films, like myself, are advised to attend the early evening screening. Braver souls will choose to don their capes for the midnight performance.
