It's an annual event of the deliciously boozy variety. As the name suggests, World Whisky Day gives this beloved dark spirit its own global day of festivities. Sydney's Japanese-inspired laneway bar Tokyo Bird is renowned for their selection of over 80 whisky varieties, making it the perfect venue to celebrate the nectar of the gods, with a whisky-focused celebration on Saturday, May 20. From 1pm, let bar manager Yoshi Onishi take you on a two-hour whisky flight, using whiskies from around the world. Book in for a session and you'll be given four whiskies to try, along with tasting notes (and top-notch banter, we're sure). The standard session costs $30, but you can upgrade your flight on the day — go for a selection of the world's best for $40 or slap down your credit card for a selection of old and rare Japanese drams for $160. Food will be available to purchase separately. Tokyo Bird is one of our favourite whisky bars in Sydney. Read the whole list.
No Jews were harmed during the making of this film.Left to the end of the credits, this little disclaimer speaks volumes about both the subject matter and tone of A Serious Man. Indeed the Coen brothers’ latest film feels like an elaborate in-joke, born of their own Jewish upbringing and therefore fairly exclusive for any gentiles in the audience. From the opening bizarre, Yiddish fable, A Serious Man unfolds into a damning morality play. It’s 1976 in Midwest USA and physics professor Larry Gopnik’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) life is about to implode. His dogmatic wife Judith (Sari Lennick) is leaving him for Sy Albeman (Fred Melamed), a man who sounds like the slimiest of talkback radio hosts. Larry’s teenage kids are apathetic to the point of tyrannical, and his useless brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is epitomised by the constant draining of his sebaceous cyst. Meanwhile Larry is on tenterhooks waiting to receive tenure, with university life further stressed by a disgruntled South Korean student seeking a passing grade. Just how Larry survives such a systematic undoing makes the film in equal parts unsettling, pointed and hilarious. The Coen brothers’ precision â€" written and visual â€" is remarkable, and yet the film is so unapologetically self-reflexive and autobiographical that it tends towards indulgent. Moreover the Coens are infamous for their physical and psychological (mis)treatment of characters. And this combination makes for an almost alienating viewing experience, though one that will probably develop further resonance (like most Coen brothers’ films) upon repeated viewing. Nothing is sacred in A Serious Man: the Coen brothers gleefully dismantle the institutions of marriage, religion and even a Bah Mitzvah. However, all serve to illustrate the profound and pervasive impact of their Jewish childhood…so perhaps the Coens didn’t quite come through unscathed after all.https://youtube.com/watch?v=tcUTv3LH3ss
Usually, IKEA's food game is as unmistakably Scandinavian as its hard-to-pronounce furniture names — headlined, of course, by those iconic Swedish meatballs. But come Thursday, February 11 in Tempe and Rhodes, the retailer is shaking things up and taking a jaunt to the other side of the globe, dishing up an Asian-inspired feast in celebration of the Lunar New Year. The dinner is set to run at different times — at 5pm in Rhodes, and at 5.30pm and 7pm in Tempe — and arriving hungry is recommended. On the menu, you'll find classic dishes like dumplings, spring rolls, and deep-fried eggs in sweet and sour sauce. There's both beef and vegetarian hot pot, tofu salad with chilli and sesame, hokkien noodles and honey soy chicken wings, and even sweet offerings like fruit salad, chocolate wafers and coconut rice pudding with mango sauce. Adult tickets to the buffet feast are $29.95, though IKEA Family members can nab theirs for just $24.95. And, you could even squeeze in a spot of pre- or post-dinner flatpack shopping while you're there. [caption id="attachment_757260" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Images: Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons.
No longer just the realms of Monica Trapaga yazz residencies and kiddie-aimed pantomimes, the Twilight at Taronga series is taking it up a huge, cred-worthy notch. Kicking off a frankly kickass lineup set to play mega concerts at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, Bright Eyes' soul-searching dreamboat Conor Oberst, twee monarchs Belle and Sebastian, the one and only Rufus Wainwright and Powderfinger's legendary nice guy Bernard Fanning are just the tip of Taronga's genuinely killer program — spanning each Friday and Saturday night from Friday, January 30 through Saturday, March 21 after hours at the zoo. Being one of Australia's most high-fiveworthy zoos, Taronga's drummed up an Australian contingent worth crossing seas for: Paul Kelly presenting Merri Soul Sessions, You Am I, Sarah Blasko, Dan Sultan, Something For Kate, Little May, Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders, Hiatus Kaiyote and more are all confirmed to front that top notch Sydney Harbour backdrop. And Ken Done's designing the marketing collateral, because 'straya. One of the most contemporary lineups the Twilight at Taronga series has seen in its 19 years running, the feathered, furred and finned will have plenty to choose from this summer. Whether the giraffes are Conor Oberst fans or the bilbies get into some sweet Belle and Sebastian remains to be seen. And you should see the also-announced Melbourne Zoo program — they get the motherflippin' Village People. TWILIGHT AT TARONGA 2015 PROGRAM: Friday 30 January – BERNARD FANNING, supported by Little May Saturday 31 January – BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, supported by Special Guests Friday 6 January – PAUL KELLY PRESENTS THE MERRI SOUL SESSIONS featuring Clairy Browne, Kira Puru, & Vika and Linda Bull, supported by Hiatus Kaiyote Saturday 7 February - YOU AM I, supported by Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders Friday 13 February - SARAH BLASKO, supported by Luluc Saturday 14 February - ANTHONY CALLEA presents Ladies & Gentlemen, The Songs of George Michael, supported by Caterina Torres Friday 20 February - THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, supported by Caravana Sun Saturday 21 February – THE BAMBOOS, supported by Katalyst with special guests (Original beats set) Friday 27 February - BOYS IN THE BAND – 50 years of hits! Saturday 28 February - BJORN AGAIN Friday 6 March – CONOR OBERST, supported by The Felice Brothers Saturday 7 March - RUFUS WAINWRIGHT performing The Best of Rufus Wainwright, supported by Lucy Wainwright Roche Friday 13 March – DAN SULTAN, supported by Benny Walker and Pierce Brothers Saturday 14 March - JAMES MORRISON BIG BAND Friday 20 March – SOMETHING FOR KATE, supported by Jen Cloher Saturday 21 March - ROSS WILSON and Mental As Anything Tickets for Twilight at Taronga's full program go on sale 9am, Friday, October 31 over here.
Dust off your best flapper dress or pinstriped suit, because a monthly prohibition party is headed to Sydney shores. The Blind Barber is a speakeasy-style pop-up by the Beyond Cinema folk — who also brought The Greatest Showman circus soirée to a secret Sydney location, an extravagant Great Gatsby party to a mansion in northern Sydney, the Mad Hatter's tea party to the Botanic Gardens and recreated Titanic on Sydney Harbour. Now, the group will throw its first non-film-inspired party, and it'll go down every month starting on Saturday, October 19. There will be casino tables to gamble at, bootleg cocktails to sip on and dancing all night long — with live bands playing jazz and throwback 1920s hits. And you can expect to bump into some of the period's most notorious characters, gangsters and crooks while you're at it. [caption id="attachment_711479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beyond Cinema's Great Gatsby event.[/caption] As with all Beyond Cinema events, lavish dress-ups are a must — for this one, think flapper dresses, bob hairdos, feather boas, pinstriped suits and suspenders. While the party's exact location will be kept under wraps (as usual), we do know that it'll be near North Sydney in an underground space, with plenty of secret rooms and tunnels to explore. Entry is $30 per person, or you can nab one of two packages on offer: canapés and cocktails for $65 per person, or the VIP dining experience, which takes place in a secret underground chamber and includes a three course feast for $90. The October edition of the Blind Barber will be the first in a monthly series of these secret parties. To be the first in the know and to purchase tickets, sign up here. The first Blind Barber pop-up will take place on Saturday, October 19. General admission tickets with go on sale at 9am on Friday, June 7 via the website.
In 1973, Columbia University behavioural psychologist Herb Terrace embarked upon a radical scientific experiment: to raise a chimpanzee as a human child in an attempt to teach it sign language. The possibility that man might be able to communicate with another species was as exciting as it was unsettling, potentially redefining what it was to be human and directly challenging the prevailing theory that language was unique to homo sapiens. So began Project Nim, named after its baby chimpanzee subject: 'Nim Chimpsky' (in a none-too-subtle jab at Noam Chomsky, the face of the linguistics establishment). In what would become a tragically recurrent and traumatising event in Nim's life, the newborn chimp was wrested from his mother's arms and given to bohemian grad student Stephanie LaFarge, a former pupil (and sexual partner) of Terrace. From day one LaFarge lovingly and enthusiastically raised Nim as one of her own children, even breastfeeding him for the first few months of his life. The footage from these early days of the project is utterly absorbing, with Nim's curiosity and playfulness as endearing as it is conspicuously 'human'. Add to that his rapid adoption and use of American sign language and you begin to feel like Terrace was indeed onto something absolutely remarkable. Working against him, however, were numerous methodological failings and — more importantly — irrepressible animal instinct. For all her affection, LaFarge's permissive and unregulated approach to Nim's education proved too unscientific for Terrace, compelling him to again extract Nim and relocate the entire project to a sprawling country estate. Yet nothing could suppress Nim's unavoidable maturation into an adult chimpanzee. With the strength of five men, he became increasingly dangerous, eventually attacking one of his teachers with terrifying ferocity. Believing the research had faltered, Terrace immediately cancelled the project and returned Nim to captivity, where he was then sold into animal experimentation. Directed by James Marsh (Man on Wire), Project Nim explores mankind's enduring fascination with our closest animal relatives and the ethically murky area of animal testing. If it all sounds terribly familiar, that's because it is. The recent critical acclaim for Rise of the Planet of the Apes lay not with the action-packed rebellion during the film's climax but rather with the compelling and intimate relationship between James Franco's character and Caesar, the chimpanzee he'd raised from birth in his home away from the laboratory. Both their friendship and Caesar's education rang eerily true, so much so that when Caesar ultimately spoke (redundant spoiler alert), it almost seemed plausible. These chimps, fictional and real, brought out the best and worst of mankind, demonstrating the undeniable and unsettling distinction between human and humane. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yxQap9AAPOs
With talk of building a utopia and working on the basis of 'doing everything', Bababa International cannot fairly be accused of lacking ambition. Thankfully, there seems to be an engine of thoughtful multi-tasking and active generosity behind the collective's drive. Ticked off from the 'everything' list of things to do so far are: - Set up a temporary site in Hong Kong offering free manicures and pedicures to anyone. - Replace stolen public sculpture with handmade replica. - Invite the Older Women's Network Theatre Group to perform their songs at the MCA. - Build domestic lodging into the ground of a public park. - Establish an impromptu kitchen and deliver free curry via bicycles to anywhere in Sydney. - Continue becoming everyone's new best friends via their stomachs by hosting free public breakfasts every Saturday for the duration of their residency at Firstdraft. Next up is Soap City, a project involving the production of bars of soap inscribed with maps leading visitors to an off-site shower on the rooftop above a doggy day care centre. While bathing was historically always a public and social domain, after the idea of showering was introduced washing has come to exist as a private act, and this sort of public/private intersection is what Bababa are drawn to. When asked about their reliance of the ideas of the Situationist International, Bababa say they engage with some of the theory "without dragging them into it". They are more interested in the hypothetical and fanciful proposals of the movement than the slogans and rhetorical critiques. In an age when being subversive is rarely subversive any more, their brand of city vandalism is one which strives to be useful rather than rebellious, encouraging active engagement, imaginative reuse of urban space, and advanced social interaction. Soap City opens at Firstdraft Gallery on Wednesday night at 6pm and runs until September 26. Go clean yourself up and make friends with Bababa.
The words "indie pop" have in many circles become synonymous with hipster pretentiousness. Last Dinosaurs ain't that kind of indie pop. Coupled with their taste for button-up shirts and primary coloured jeans, the Brisbane quartet have taken the template supplied by such indie darlings as Vampire Weekend and Bombay Bicycle Club, cranked up the guitar histrionics and added some shout-along choruses plus a bunch of irresistibly funky, off-kilter grooves to give us a sound that has had critics salivating and brought them sold-out concerts across Australia and Europe. Then of course there is the Brisbane quartet's insatiable taste for causing havoc on stage. The boys' growing reputation for putting on unforgettable, dance-till-your-feet-hurt shows has set them apart from the glut of indie pop outfits that seem to clog every other bar and venue in Sydney. In honour of their debut album In A Million Years celebrating its first birthday this month - an album that The Guardian described as a "possible contender" for best Australian album to reach British shores in the last twenty years - Last Dinosaurs are bringing their guitar-powered pop to UNSW's Roundhouse. Book online before tickets become extinct. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EqGs36oPpLQ
Pyrmont will score a lavish new restaurant this July when two culinary heavy hitters of Australia's most exciting chefs join forces for the first time. Sydney's lauded chef Chase Kojima (Sokyo, Gojima) and Melbourne's acclaimed Lee Ho Fook chef Victor Liong are coming together to open Chuuka, a new Chinese-Japanese fine diner at Jones Bay Wharf. In the space that used to be home to Flying Fish (which has just moved across the road to The Star), the two chefs will combine their respective specialties and techniques (Chase in Japanese cuisine and Liong in Chinese) to create a cross-cuisine menu that goes well beyond your standard Asian fusion. "We're finding links between the two cuisines and seeing that the similarities marry quite seamlessly," says Liong. "Japanese cuisine is considered quite refined and Chinese cuisine has a reputation of being flavourful but quite heavy. So, we're trying to showcase both cuisines in a different way by bringing more flavour into Japanese and more refined elegance into Chinese food, for example." The restaurant's name plays to this cultural exchange and nods to the historic culinary influence of the late-1800s Chinese immigrants in Japan. This menu will feature an amalgamation of flavours and traditional cooking techniques, all while using fresh Aussie produce. While the menu is still being finalised, Sydneysiders can expect it to be seafood heavy. "We're looking at using a lot of large fish and shellfish like lobster and mussels, as well as local vegetables like king oyster mushrooms that you just can't get in Melbourne," says Liong. Dishes that are in the works include pickled mussels with daikon and edible flowers; thinly-sliced cuttlefish with ginger; and a crispy eggplant dish adapted from Lee Ho Fook's spiced red vinegar version. An "interactive" course with a whole duck is also on the cards. "We found some dishes pop up in both cultures — but where they originate from is almost complete different," says Liong. The two chefs will be looking to "balance the bold Szechuan flavour with the elegant look of the Japanese" with dishes like the bang bang (or bon bon) chicken, which will see strips of pounded chicken topped with spicy Szechuan sauce, chopped peanuts and spring onions. The two-level interior is set to be pretty luxurious, too. The ground floor will have a 60-seat restaurant, wine room and outdoor bar — all of which are arranged to amplify the venue's encompassing views across Darling Harbour — while a 70-seat private dining space will take up the upstairs floor. Chuuka is the first off-property restaurant for The Star Sydney, which plans to continue to expand as a luxury entertainment group beyond its Pyrmont casino and hotel. We'll update you with more details closer to the date. Chuuka will open this July at Jones Bay Wharf, 26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont.
What happens when you get rare approval for extended, late-night trading hours? Well, if you're anything like 70s-inspired enoteca Alberto Lounge, you celebrate by throwing a big ol' party. That party's taking over the bar on Sunday, November 24, promising eats, beats and boozy treats right through until midnight. From 4pm, you'll catch DJs spinning a soundtrack of throwback Euro grooves, drink specials including a $10 negroni and complimentary serves of Alberto's signature mortadella sandwiches. There'll be 'Nature Morte' t-shirts by Sydney-based print-maker Allie Webb up for grabs, while the kitchen dishes up its full food menu all night long. Alberto Lounge is now open an extra hour until 1am Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and an extra two hours until midnight on Sundays. To match, a refreshed DJ program is set to kick on until late every weekend. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights will remain the same, with the venue open until about midnight. The bar was opened late last year by the folks behind Restaurant Hubert, Frankie's and Shady Pines Saloon. Its new hours are another small win for Sydney's nightlife and live music scene, with tough lockout laws on track to be rolled back right across the CBD by the end of the year. Venue images: Kitti Gould.
While some people insist on reading the book before they see the movie and then espousing the benefits of the literary word over that of the cinematic creation, others prefer to just go and see the film. Well, in the case of Tolstoy, the books are fairly heavy going. Particularly when every character insists on having twelve different Russian names with which they are referred to throughout the narrative, leaving you a bit lost as to who actually is going to get the girl. While The Last Station is based not on one of Tolstoy's books but instead on the last weeks of his life, it does occasionally play like some good Russian melodrama. Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy) has been selected to act as the great Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) secretary, heading to live with the commune subscribing to the great author's philosophy. Meanwhile Tolstoy's wife Sofya (Helen Mirren in a fantastically over-the-top role) is worried that her family will no longer be provided for after Tolstoy's works are given back to the people, as proposed by the commune. Amongst the scheming machinations between the wife, the friend (Vladimir Chertkov, Paul Giamatti) and the bewildered secretary, Tolstoy is slowing down, giving up on the rich life of an aristocrat. The film manages to make Russia look luscious and green (though it was filmed in Germany) and posits an idyllic, pre-Revolution Russian countryside. It also is just a spectacular film. Helen Mirren is thoroughly enjoyable as the highly strung and larger-than-life Sofya, and McAvoy's Valentin is boyish and reserved. This movie is lovely; it feels that it belongs in a symbiotic relationship with a nice cup of tea and a scone. It's that kind of film. Everyone puts in their best performances (as evidenced by the many Oscar nods), and you strongly get the sense from Tolstoy's dying days, Russia, and indeed the world, lost a talented soul. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nkQK7gjre8Y
Never underestimate the importance of casting, or its influence. When a famous name barely appears at the beginning of a film, you can bet they'll turn up again later. When someone notable doesn't seem to have all that much to do, they'll likely become not just noticeable, but crucial. And when two actors best known for recent memorable roles are cast opposite each other, bringing some baggage with them might just be part of the plan. The latter proves the case with Angel of Mine, which pits The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander against The Handmaid's Tale's Serena Joy. Kim Farrant's film isn't related to either the Swedish crime franchise or the huge dystopian TV hit, so that's not what literally happens— however with Noomi Rapace playing an unstable woman called Lisbeth, and Yvonne Strahovski portraying someone fighting for her family, the obvious springs to mind. Such comparisons aren't to Angel of Mine's detriment. While the Melbourne-shot movie is actually an English-language remake of 2008 French picture L'Empreinte de L'Ange, which is based on a wild true tale, both stars remain in their element. Rapace's career hasn't ever soared beyond the heights of her Dragon Tattoo days, but she's always been at her best playing complicated characters who are driven to exorcise their internal demons. Strahovski's fame took off when she became a resident of Gilead, and grappling with the complexities of womanhood and motherhood definitely suits her. Unsurprisingly, the two make a formidable duo, which is exactly what the story calls for. Adapted into English by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Luke Davies (Lion) and seasoned TV scribe David Regal (Rugrats), the psychological thriller not only unravels the ties that bind women and their children, but also explores how societal expectations can be a stumbling block for the fairer sex. When Angel of Mine introduces Rapace's Lizzie Manning, she's hardly anyone's ideal mum. Still grieving the loss of her infant daughter, she's separated from her husband Mike (Luke Evans) and shares custody of the primary school-aged Thomas (Finn Little), although her son would rather spend all of his time with his father. Things don't improve when, following a birthday party for one of Thomas' friends, Lizzie becomes obsessed with seven-year-old Lola (Annika Whiteley). Haunted by the girl, who looks just like her own daughter might if she had survived, Lizzie tries to befriend Lola's well-off parents (Strahovski, as well as Richard Roxburgh) to immerse herself in their lives. Just a few decades ago, the thriller genre was filled with tales about feverish fixations: by one-night stands (Fatal Attraction), vengeful nannies (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) and over-enthusiastic friends (Single White Female), to name a few examples. Angel of Mine fits the same mould, to a point. Just how it deviates from that trend is part of the film's twists and turns, and therefore best discovered by watching — but as she demonstrated with her debut movie Strangerland, Farrant doesn't trade in standard narratives. Instead, the Australian filmmaker is fascinated by women's reactions to traumatic situations, how the world wants them to act during their most upsetting moments, and what happens when they stick to their guns. While saying anything more about the storyline is saying too much, how this idea ties into Angel of Mine proves one of its strongest elements. That said, the movie's ending is saddled with a hard task. Before its revelatory finale, the film sometimes struggles, relying so heavily on its leading ladies that it can miss the mark elsewhere. There's an uneasy air about Angel of Mine, which is wholly by design, however there's a difference between framing that's purposefully tense and unsettling, and scenes that become clumsy rather than disquieting. Still, given that Rapace and Strahovski turn in such stellar performances, no one can blame Farrant for pushing the pair, the characters' thorny friendship and their differing responses to a difficult situation firmly to the fore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hui0KpDzAwY
If you like your live tunes just as much as you enjoy sipping vino and tucking into top-notch eats, then here's one for the calendar: a brand-new festival combining food, drink and entertainment set against the picturesque backdrop of Albury. From the minds that gave us BeerFest Australia, Sip & Savour Albury is set to make its debut from Saturday, February 4–Sunday, February 5. Headlining the musical side of things, you've got renowned acts like Kate Miller-Heidke, Josh Pyke, Lisa Mitchell and Telenova, treating audiences to tunes both new and classic. Enjoy the sounds from the comfort of your picnic rug or while kicking back in one of the al fresco lounge zones. [caption id="attachment_884250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Pyke[/caption] There's a whole lotta sipping to be done, too, with producers like Bridge Road Brewers, Michelini Wines, Bright Brewery and Brown Brothers showcasing their finest, and even pouring complimentary tastings. Adult tickets to the QEII Square fest start from $55.35, including three hours of tastings — and you'll savour the region's diverse food scene, too, as you graze your way through an array of local produce and restaurant fare. There'll also be plenty of take-home goodies for those keen to stock their pantries. MasterChef Australia alum Hayden Quinn will be making a special guest appearance, hosting a series of demos and masterclasses heroing some of those top local ingredients. And if you want to get even more hands on, check out the program of workshops and classes led by local experts. Top Image: Jo Duck
If you've ever spent hours falling down the wildlife and nature video rabbit hole online late at night, this one's for you. National Geographic's Symphony for Our World will combine the best of the footage from the organisation's 130-year archives with a live orchestral performance, synchronising the triumphant moments of both music and nature under one spectacle. And, that soundtrack will feature a Hans Zimmer-flavoured score and feature a live choir as well. The natural history footage will be drawn from years of past images, drawing from Nat Geo's shots from all over the world. The accompanying symphony will be created by Bleeding Fingers Music, featuring the work of composers such as the legendary Hans Zimmer, as well as Austin Fray and Andrew Christie. Just like the recent Planet Earth II Live in Concert, Zimmer's score especially will make you feel things you didn't know you could about animals you'll never meet. A five-part composition that'll tour Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Symphony for Our World will take the audience on a journey from the sea, along the coastlines, across the land, through the mountains and then finally into the sky, with differing orchestral movements for each world environment. It's the story of our planet, but brought to life in a different way — so why not get out of the house and off YouTube and go see some fully immersive nature.
If you live on the fringes of Sydney it can sometimes feel like all the fun stuff is just out of reach — programmed for a weeknight after the last train home has left the station. That sense of isolation can mean that young music fans can miss out on seeing their favourite acts live on stage, even the ones that grew up around the corner who've gone on to bigger (not better) crowds in the big smoke. Here to bridge that gap is record label founder Johann Ponniah (pictured above), who set up I OH YOU. He grew up in Campbelltown and decided to create a music festival at Campbelltown Athletics Centre (a running track that locals would know from their school athletics carnivals) to bring some of those local acts back to a big stage in the Macarthur region. Local boys The Rubens, who grew up down the road in Menangle, are headlining the festival alongside Melbourne rapper Illy. There'll be two stages with genres that span hip hop to dance-punk. From 1–10pm you can hear from Alex the Astronaut, Mallrat, Trophy Eyes, WAAX, GRAACE, Clypso, Lex Deluxe and DJ sets from DZ Deathrays and Northeast Party House. The event is open to ages 15+, and as it's the first of its kind there's the hope that it'll attract more and more big-named artists in years to come. The Rubens image: Ali Lander-Shindler.
Sydney, we know you love a food pop-up. Right now you're gearing up for Carriageworks' first spring night market and getting ready to cast your foodie eye over Wolli Creek's brand new makers and growers market. And we've got another one for you to add to your list. After two supremely successful June and July events, Gelato Messina is bringing their own mini food festival, Messina Eats, back for a third instalment. And this time they're going Filipino. Messina has teamed up with Melbourne Filipino BBQ masters Hoy Pinoy to create a meaty, smoky menu. They're known for their skewers which are always a big hit at the Night Noodle Markets and Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market, so naturally they'll be grilling some of those (both chicken and pork belly), along with Sisig na Baboy (chopped pork over flatbread) and chicken adobo fries. And for dessert? Purple yam soft serve with jackfruit puree, coconut jellies and puffed rice crunch served on a caramel custard base. Yurm. The whole thing will go down over two days on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 in the carpark at Messina's Rosebery HQ. They'll be open from noon for lunch and dinner until sold out. Messina Eats will run from noon until sold out on September 3 and 4. Find more information here. UPDATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 Due to heavy rain, Messina Eats have pushed the event back one day to run September 3-4. The above copy has been amended to reflect this.
I remember thinking country music was mega uncool when I was a teenager. And I suppose it is, if you judge it by, say, Garth Brooks or Lee Kernaghan — you know, douche bags in stupid hats. Brooks is the worst of them all. I picked up this amazing book from an op-shop about him, which is full of great slogans like "The greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself.” Douche. Anyway my point is, thank the lord Jebus (to use the correct vernacular) a friend of mine introduced me to Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons and contemporaries like Gillian Welch and Ryan Adams — people that made music that tapped into the rich history of blues, bluegrass, dixie sounds and folk and combined these with the provincial simplicity and purity of real country music. Some of them still had stupid hats, but they didn't bullshit. Wilco embody this alternative approach to country music. After 16 years of making amazing records, they are absolute legends. The two original members — head honcho Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt — along with a cast of others, have brought country to a lot of younger people that may have never have listened to it otherwise. They are stopping in Australia, still touring their seventh record, Wilco, which came out in June 2009. The album is hailed as one of their most accessible, and the State Theatre will be an amazing setting to see these luminaries. As a just-announced bonus, Liam Finn will open the proceedings.
Time travel is complex. There’s always the danger of being your own grandfather, being Eric Bana or being ethically puzzled. At the MCA, the current show by Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro touches on the more complicated aspects of couriering a time machine. In sympathy, as part of its regular Thursdays Late program, the gallery’s Time Travel Bazaar will host a series of talks across November where speakers will hold forth on the metaphysics, cinematics and art practices of time and travel. It’s exactly the sort of engaging ideas fest to make you come back from December and recommend it to yourself. Don’t be late for this short season. Image by Kaja Kozlowska.
From this Saturday, September 2, you'll be able to sit back with a gin cocktail at Busby's Bar in Sydney's picturesque Royal Botanic Garden. The pop-up bar — which will run all summer next year — will serve brunch, lunch, snacks and drinks Thursdays through Sundays. Start with a coffee and a pastry at breakfast, move on to a picnic box at lunch and end with a charcuterie board and draught beer at dinner. Named after 19th century viticulturist James Busby, the bar will be situated in the garden's historic Victoria Lodge with sprawling views across Sydney's sparkling harbour. If the crowds at the other harbourside venues are anything to go by (hello, Opera Bar), you'll have to get in early to nab a seat. To get there, enter through Victoria Lodge Gate via Mrs Macquaries Road. The bar is currently open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am till 6pm. From October 1, the bar will extend its opening hours until 7.30pm. Updated: September 14, 2017.
If you're doing Fringe Fest on a budget (and you have a lot of stamina when it comes to keeping awake) All (H)ours is the show for you. As you might've guessed from the name, this one doesn't close — you have 24 hours to drop by and catch the action. The show will see creatives from multiple states come to together to take over George Place Foyer for a whole day and night. Expect to watch and listen to a dancer, musician and video artist, who will constantly shifting between movement, sound and vision. You're welcome to swing by whenever — for as long or as brief a time as you like. All (H)ours is a brand new production by House of Sand, a creative partnership between siblings Charley Sanders and Eliza Sanders, whose shows and performances aim to "gather people and ideas and build epic imaginative creations". Image: House of Sand
Local creperie Four Frogs prides itself on providing Aussies with delicious and authentic French crepes. Since 2012 when the first outpost popped up in Sydney, Four Frogs has been building a cult following of French expats and Sydney locals addicted to their crepes and galettes. Currently, you can find three Four Frogs scattered across Sydney in Circular Quay, Randwick and Lane Cove. Mosman used to also be home to its own creperie, however the building was demolished, taking the crepe specialist with it. Luckily, Four Frogs has found a new home in Mosman and to celebrate it's throwing a grand reopening party with free crepes. Now located in an 80-seat venue at 155 Middle Head Road, the new addition to the Four Frogs family will be hosting the reopening celebrations on Monday, December 6, with the free crepes on offer from 3–5pm that day. If you just can't wait until the Monday, the new Mosman spot is officially reopening from Friday, December 3. Throughout its reopening weeks, you can head along for French martinis, cider and illustrated postcards from Four Frogs' illustrator Gill Cameron.
Rallies and marches take place every January 26, not only addressing concerns about the date of Australia's national celebration, but also protesting the ongoing discrimination that has been faced by Indigenous Australians since white settlement — a topic that covers a large number of issues. In 2021, events will take place all around the country; however, heading along in-person isn't the only way to take part. In Brisbane, a rally and march will be held from 10am AEST, starting at Queens Gardens on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets in the CBD. But if you're not able to attend, you can stream it from home. There are a number of reasons why you mightn't be able to make it physically, whether you're avoiding large gatherings during the pandemic — the march and rally is asking attendees to wear masks and abide by social distancing, though — or you're located out of town. So, watching along is as simple as heading to Get Up!'s Facebook page from 9.50am AEST/ 10.50am AEDT, with the whole event streaming live.
George Bernard Shaw's 1893 play Mrs Warren’s Profession is an excellent study of money and power in the prostitution business, which needs no translation into the current day. It makes sense, then, that Sarah Giles' production at STC's Wharf 1 is a straightforward period piece. Her creative team has exercised restraint in all areas and her directorial hand is light — this is a more refined offering from her than the interesting but crass Mariage Blanc playing late last year. Designer Renee Mulder has adorned the stage with an intricate rose-covered brocade backdrop symbolising the pretence of feminine fragility that both women are expected to exhibit but plainly find too daft to maintain. Its removal midway is a fitting reflection of their very different but similarly defiant choices to disregard society's expectations of them. Composer and sound designer Max Lyandvert uses sound effectively to provoke moments of rupture during scene changes rather than creating an emotional soundtrack. This is a feminist play in so far as it portrays two savvy female heroes who recognise and criticise hypocrisy. The real feminist statement of the night was Helen Thomson as Mrs Kitty Warren. Voice coach Charmian Gradwell has some serious dialect chops if we go by Thomson's brilliant negotiation between Received Pronunciation and Kitty's native London accent. There are few actors performing at Thomson's level in Sydney at the moment — she hits the ball out of the park and it is riveting to watch. Her ability to glide from cavalier brashness to feigned superiority to child-like devastation is masterful and very moving. Her tumult is contrasted by Lizzie Schebesta's cool performance as estranged daughter Vivie Warren. While the two are emotional opposites, they are well matched as intellectual sparring partners. Shaw's dramatic device of the errant mother shocking her pious daughter takes the shape of a balanced argument occurring inside a compelling plot rather than an abstracted lecture. Both women are unsentimental in their views on prostitution, and while Vivie takes the higher moral ground, it is not out of naive idealism but rather out of self-respect, which is conversely Kitty's defence for her own decision to continue in her profession. The play's triumph is that neither woman is at any point a victim. Giles' production seems to reflect the same commonsense that the Warren women share. Shaw's play has all the elements of a histrionic domestic soap, but thankfully we are presented with a direct, sharp narrative. Giles has put Shaw's text front and centre and has given each scene clear definition. This is a smart show and a must-see for Helen Thomson's performance alone. Mrs Warren's Professional is back for a return season from July 4-20, 2013.
We’ve all had moments when we feel like fashioning a bed under the desk at work a la George Costanza or locking ourselves in a cupboard to get away from it all, but few of us have the chutzpah to actually do it. Paul Gilchrist's Cristina in the Cupboard follows the trajectory of someone who does. Cristina (Sylvia Keays) comes from a middle class family and has had a pretty normal life so far, until she decides to withdraw from the world to contemplate life. There’s some confusion about why she's doing this — she uses Jesus and Buddha as the precedents to defend herself to her family and then talks of searching for Leviathan. She’s certainly no Ahab, driven to distraction in search of the white whale; in fact she doesn’t seem to have a driving force to speak of. Her rejection of the world is quiet rather than adventurous and Keays portrays an alarmingly self-contained unit. Gilchrist has no qualms presenting the themes in his plays in binary simplicity; Rocket Man played out the opposition between artistic fulfilment and usefulness, in Lucy Black we saw an argument between reason and intuition and in Cristina in the Cupboard the debate is between isolation and engagement. This straightforward rhetorical structure is a charming trademark of subtlenuance’s work, but the arguments in Cristina in the Cupboard do tend towards repetition and there’s only so much philosophising we can digest before something dramatic needs to happen. Gilchrist reveals his writing process with lines like, "you’re mixing metaphors" and "why would the leviathan have claws?". These notes in the margin don’t have much of a place in the final script. While the script may amble somewhat, Gilchrist's direction of the cast is tight and the actors all seem to be having a ball. Helen Tonkin playing Cristina’s pragmatic mother is a standout, making light work of a number of dense monologues. Her wry humour and direct delivery will snap you out of any ascetic compulsions you might be harbouring.
Seeing people at their worst on stage is never fun, but it is the prerogative of theatre to show the full gamut of human behaviour. The Share by Australian playwright Daniel Keene is a glance at the punishing lives of three young men, Tex (Scott Marcus), Sugar (Thomas Conroy), and the Kid (Tim Spencer). It's a slice of life more than a drama; there's very little context, not much at stake, and no real dramatic drive. If it's meant to be more of a documentary snapshot than a drama, it succeeds. But the leanness of the play is not a strength. Not knowing who these characters are or what drives them makes it difficult to understand their behaviour. It feels at times as if the script has been too severely edited. As an example, there is no immediate reaction to the Kid's admission of having committed a sexual crime, so Tex's subsequent treatment of him seems purely cruel rather than retributive. Director Corey McMahon's handling of the Kid's confession monologue is excellent. Spencer delivers it with bare simplicity as Tex and Sugar stand with backs turned to him. But as gutting as the monologue is, it is not supported structurally by the rest of the play. There's not much leading to and from that critical moment. Keene uses banter between Tex and Sugar as a dramatic device to attenuate the horror, but because it's so obviously a device, it seems tacked on. It's perhaps unfair to compare a one-hour play to a two-hour film, but what Justin Kurzel's Snowtown manages to do with similar subject matter is to incorporate the characters' humanity into the terror, such that John Bunting's charm is integral to his psychopathy. Tex, on the other hand, in The Share, is one moment meek and mild, the next properly sadistic. It doesn’t make sense. This is a function of the writing, but Marcus playing Tex also struggles to carry a consistent character. Conroy playing Sugar is the warm, beating heart of the production, and without him it would be all icy winds over the tundra of human destitution. Thank goodness he's there. McMahon's production is solid but falls short of weaving any magic over a script that is not in control of its subject. The play was presumably chosen for its 'gritty raw edginess', but it lacks gravity and is too compact to be affecting. Photo by Lauren Smeaton.
Tamarama Rock Surfers' artistic director Leland Kean has done something striking with David Williamson's 1971 play, The Removalists, currently playing at the Bondi Pavilion. He has interpreted it as a psychological drama, emphasising the play’s darkness over its comedy. It’s an interesting take and a solid production, but there are two reasons it doesn't quite work. The first is that without charm, the ocker Aussie male is unfamiliar, and the second is that the comedy of the first act is essential for the second act's violence to be a dramatic shift. Designer Ally Mansell has set the scene beautifully, sourcing bona fide '70s carpet, filing cabinets and glassware to send us back in time. She’s succeeded in turning the large Bondi Pav into a space of stifling domesticity. Impressively, she’s gone down to the detail of creating a believable longneck of Melbourne Bitter from the time. Costume designer Rita Carmody has also triumphed in her fidelity to the era, with the standout costume being Kenny Carter's circulation-limiting footy shorts and mighty Hawks jersey. We're introduced to small-time policeman Sergeant Dan Simmonds (Laurence Coy) explaining the lay of the land to new recruit Constable Neville Ross (Sam O'Sullivan). Simmonds's standard operating procedure is to only take cases if they look interesting. Interest arrives in the form of impeccably dressed upper-class socialite Kate Mason (Caroline Bazier), reporting an incident of domestic violence against her meek younger sister Fiona Carter (Sophie Hensser). The debacle that follows is certainly not dull for Sergeant Simmonds or the audience. Williamson's 1971 play belongs to a group of works that began testing the edges of the Aussie bloke, an uncouth but basically benign figure in Australian culture. Along with Jack Hibberd's play White with Wire Wheels (1967) and Ted Kotcheff’s film Wake in Fright (1971), Williamson's play identifies the cardinal violence underneath the ribald, relentlessly hospitable surface of the 1970s breed of Aussie male. Crucial to each of these works is the initial congeniality of the breed. Just as the protagonist of Wake in Fright encounters oppressive hospitality at every turn, Constable Ross in The Removalists fails to resist an aggressive interest in his personal life from his superior; a power play disguised as affection. Kean's direction of this opening sequence is slow and stern, and the power that Simmonds gains here over Ross is never fully established, preventing the satisfying status flip between the two in the second act. Simmonds presents as an oddball rather than tolerable buffoon, and while the characterisation of abusive husband Kenny Carter (Justin Stewart Cotta) is a powerful depiction of a nasty man, he’s not the dangerously charming husband we can imagine Fiona falling for. Williamson defines the Aussie male as a mix of charisma and violence, but this production doesn’t quite balance the two traits. Comedy is a lure to devastation. And because this device is so key to The Removalists, the omission of the play's humour flattens the dramatic arc. Sam Atwell playing the Removalist hits a peppy note that lifts the production to a more engaging level. Being confronted with violence is more upsetting and informative if carried out by characters we care about.
Wintery bohemia has a new home this month, and it's not Melbourne. With self-frying Brits and power walkers in off-season retreat, Bondi will be transformed into a carny playground of comedians, theatre types, musicians and foodies, all sipping restorative mulled Batlow cider from July 13-27 for Bondi Feast. It may even be an opportune time to celebrate the one-month anniversary of the Dark Mofo nude swim (nothing is planned, but it is my humble suggestion that you all take your clothes off). Curated by Phil Spencer and Zoe Norton Lodge and presented by the Tamarama Rock Surfers, the festival features a selection of short plays and storytelling events from leading local writers such as Kate Mulvany, Jessica Bellamy, Lachlan Philpott, Nick Coyle, Nakkiah Lui and Kit Brookman. Comedians Asher Trevealen, Jennifer Wong and Michael Hing will be doing shtick galore, and if they're not funny enough you can head along to a $10 dollar '80s Physique Aerobics class on July 20 and laugh at yourself in lycra. After an auspicious start last year, the festival is taking the 'feast' side of its mantle even more seriously, with a different Bondi stalwart, food truck or catering superstar making a pop-up offering each night from 6pm. Veggie Patch, Misschu, Fuego de la Tierra, Bondi Harvest, Food Adventura and the Beach Burrito Co. are all in the mix. The entertainment side of things, too, comes in courses. Each performance clocks in at an hour or under, so you still have time and appetite to fit in one or two more the same evening. There's even some food-performance crossover for good measure, with shows like Shabbat Dinner (from the exciting team-up of writer Jessica Bellamy and director Anthony Skuse), which serves up said dinner while deconstructing the role of women, food and family in Jewish culture. With over 100 artists and 40 performances occurring in the one place over ten days, Bondi is growing some serious artistic balls. For the frugal consumer of culture, tickets are available at bargain prices of $15 per show or $40 for a festival pass, and the general glow of festival cheer is free, as is the music in the Bondi Pav bar from Thursday to Saturday.
Songs for the Fallen is one of those excellent finds that gives you faith in human ingenuity. It is one of many artistic imaginings of the life of Marie Duplessis, the 19th-century Parisian courtesan best known as the protagonist of Moulin Rouge. Sheridan Harbridge has devised the original piece with fellow actors Ben Gerrard and Garth Holcombe, director Shane Anthony, and composer/musican Basil Hogios. The team is obviously dynamite together as the result is a hilarious, self-aware piece of sophisticated debauchery. We enter the dinky Old Fitz Theatre to find designer Michael Hankin has decked it out with a luscious, satin-covered bed of sin in front of a gorgeous red velvet backdrop and theatrical 19th-century music hall facade. There is of course also a fourth wall, but this is taken down pretty quickly, as Harbridge declares to delighted audience member Linda that she's "taken it down and it's not going up again!" Self-reference in theatre can sometimes be painful and indulgent, but here any references to the show itself are pointed and funny. For example, as Harbridge switches from a French accent to posh Australian, she tells us she simply can't be bothered keeping the French up. Fair enough, she has a lot else keeping her busy. Men, in particular — many men. Gerrard takes the lion's share of playing the gentleman customers, while Holcombe narrates nobly from upstage, translating the words pomme and frites ad infinitum. This farrago of a show has pop tunes galore, most of which have been composed by Hogios with Harbridge's lyrical input. Using a microphone bound in pink velvet and white satin ribbon, Harbridge bursts into song in many awkward positions and is supported royally by Hogios at his little musical station in the corner. His opening sequence is particularly clever, as he morphs his way seamlessly between baroque interpretations of Nirvana and Blondie on what sounds like an electronic harpsichord. Like the burlesque master Meow Meow, Harbridge has a gift for being at once vulgar, intelligent, and elegant. It's a rare thing. She and her gang of bohemians have produced a triumph of indie theatre.
Hail is something remarkable; it is the kind of film which completely reimagines how powerful cinema can be. Attracting attention when it won the Age Critic's Award for Best Feature Film at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, it is one of the most powerful films this country has produced in the past couple of years. The film is fundamentally a love story. Danny (Daniel P. Jones) gets out of jail and moves back in with his girlfriend Leanne (Leanne Letch). They love each other in a way that is disarming and moving even in its simplest guises, existing in a world of the everyday: smoking, eating together, arguing, and making up. And then suddenly everything good is taken away from Danny, and eaten up with malevolence, he embarks on a journey of vengeance and violence. Hail is the first feature from director Amiel Courtin-Wilson, best known for the documentaries Bastardy and Catch My Disease. The film is the product of a six-year collaboration with Daniel P. Jones. Danny had only been out of prison a few days when they first met at Melbourne's Plan B theatre company on a project designed to rehabilitate prisoners. Hail is inspired by Danny's real life, with the love interest in the film, Leanne, played by Danny's real-life partner. The struggles he faces, like trying to get a job and simply trying to deal with the bastard tormenting him in his head, are a distillation of Danny's life in the years since he left prison. Fiction intrudes halfway through the film, although the boundary between fiction and reality, between documentary and feature film is increasingly blurred. And although Danny and Leanne aren’t professional actors, Hail doesn't have that lingering trace of awkwardness that other films have when non-professional actors are fed dialogue that doesn’t sit easily in their mouths. While the first half of the film can feel laborious at times — a little like listening to the argument of two people holding a bag of goon on the last bus home at night — the second half sweeps you up, proving what a remarkable film this really is.
It's cold in Norway during winter. That shouldn't come as a surprise — and, given that it's both set and shot in the Scandinavian nation, neither should the thoroughly frosty look of The Snowman. From the film's opening image, nearly every frame is dusted with the kind of iciness that only comes from particularly chilly climes. And yet, when a cop connects a series of seemingly random murders, her big discovery stems from the fact that it's snowing when each death occurred. Viewers can be forgiven for groaning loudly when this revelation is made. Faced with a screen full of white flakes for two long hours, if you find yourself thinking "isn't it snowing almost constantly?" then you certainly won't be alone. If you also start to wonder how observing the weather passes for smart police work in the world of the movie, or who thought that'd make an interesting plot point, that's understandable too. Then again, the hero of The Snowman goes by the name of Harry Hole, so perhaps it's best not to expect too much of the movie around him. Spied sleeping in the snow more than once, Harry (Michael Fassbender) is the type of grizzled drunk of a detective that gets away with being intoxicated and unreliable because he's supposedly brilliant — not that The Snowman dedicates any time to explaining why that is. After his latest bender, he partners up with aforementioned snow-spotter Katrine (Rebecca Ferguson) to investigate the slayings of a spate of Oslo women. When the duo aren't piecing together obvious clues, Harry is wading through his snowstorm of a personal life, involving his kindly ex (Charlotte Gainsbourg), her teenage son (Michael Yates) and her new plastic surgeon boyfriend (Jonas Karlsson). Bad storytelling, bad monikers, bland characterisation, by-the-numbers backstory, barely interesting procedural drama: there's an avalanche brewing in The Snowman, and it's of the generic and cliched kind. Indeed, the Nordic noir does come with its own intriguing case to solve, though it has nothing to do with the on-screen narrative. Rather, the mystery surrounds how such a dull flick sprang from such promising pedigree. Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), scripted by Peter Straughan (Frank), Hossein Amini (Drive) and Søren Sveistrup (The Killing), and based on a best-selling book by Jo Nesbø (Headhunters), it's not as though the production is short on talent. A whole series of Nesbø's novels actually revolve around the unfortunately named Harry, although don't expect a whole series of films to follow suit. With Scandinavian crime a hit on the page, on TV and in cinemas, The Snowman is clearly designed to start a new detective franchise, but the final product will surely cause those hopes to melt. At least Fassbender proves suitably frosty, playing his part with a solemn demeanour and never threatening to thaw out. Alas, it's still not nearly enough to make audiences actually care about his character or anything that he does against the icy Norwegian scenery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jBaPtX6NYY
Google 'Young Blood' and the first thing to come up is some kind of Skin Care product. Icky, right? The Young Blood Designers Market is less ewww and more yeoowww! thanks to hot-to-trot trinkets, tidbits, and utensils, straight from the drawing pads of talented young designers. Past participants include the quirkily named High Tea with Mrs Woo (are we invited?), the bowerbird aesthetic of Felicity Gleeson, ghost & lola jewellery, Artisan Markets' favourites Rebound Books plus many more. And ok, so things are actually made first. But you get the gist. Hopefully you'll find something superior to plasma eye-peels. If not, take to the craft table yourself and make your own custom tea towel for a gold-coin donation.
As emotional punch-ups go, Mike Bartlett’s Cock (directed by Shane Bosher) is brutal. There’s plenty of sharp wit and awkward charm, but this is a love triangle in which everybody’s hearts get properly stomped on and it’s impossible to tell whether it’s the lovers or the competing parties who are visiting the most damage upon each other. When John (Michael Whalley), a young gay man, rather skittishly informs his long-term boyfriend, M (Matt Minto), that he’d like to put their relationship on hold, it is with no small surprise that he almost immediately finds himself neck deep in an affair with W (Matilda Ridgway), a divorced woman with the faintest notion that John might be ‘the one’. With a jilted M circling and a smitten W dreamily planning his future, John, desperate not to have to choose between them, decides not to decide. He leads both of them as far up the garden path as he can before M and W decide to force the issue. At the exceedingly awkward dinner party that ensues, John is forced to make a hard and fast decision not only about his partner but about his sexual identity. Like all prizefights, Cock is performed in the round in a stark white room with functional lighting and no props. That said, the actors have no trouble filling the space. Whalley’s nervous and naive energy makes his John endearing and sympathetic, even as he begins to employ some fairly detestable measures against those he claims to love. Minto’s M is brusque and sarcastic; he belittles and mocks John mercilessly, so familiar with his partner that he bothers to conceal few of his numerous flaws. Ridgway produces an excellent performance as W; her warm, focussed calm is a natural counterweight to John’s scatterbrained back-pedalling. Once the gauntlet has been thrown, though, she also shows herself more than capable of going blow for blow with Brian Meegan, who despite being hauled in at the last second as a replacement, emanates a quiet power as M’s father. His measured intractability is of great value at the dinner party, where everyone else is busy losing their heads. Bartlett’s work has no easy answers to offer about love or identity; one might argue that the end finds John just as conflicted as he was at the beginning. While Cock explores the difficulty of the fight to find love, it is also under no illusion that, once attained, the act of love itself can be just as big a slugfest. Bosher’s stripped-back production works particularly well in a space where the audience can see the sweat. This is an intense night of theatre, but well worth it, particularly if you can bag ringside seats.
A performance that would make Michael Scott quake in his parkour-specific boots, Frameshift uses urban infrastructure and scaffolding as a stage and playground. Co-produced by Korean and Australian performers, Frameshift combines aerial and physical theatre, light and b-boy dancing. From Korea comes both Creative Dandi — who combines urban architecture with vertical dance — and the internationally acclaimed b-boy group and hip-hop experts, Drifterz Crew. They'll both work in collaboration with the Australian Stalker Theatre to fuse technology with acrobatics and explore the concepts of community and infrastructure in this visually stunning experience. Through dance, you'll be taken on a journey of self-discovery, travelling through time and space from Korea in 1926 to 2016 to 2106. And that's not all, you'll also be immersed in iridescence as interactive technology turns body movement into light projections. Frameshift is an awe-inspiring Australian-first performance — and it's all for the sweet price of $0. Presented by Art & About Sydney, a series of pop-up performances produced by City of Sydney, the show will take place at Customs House running from 8.30–9.30pm daily on Friday, February 16, Saturday, February 17, and Sunday, February 18. So mark your calendars and get in quick, this is a free production you don't want to miss.
Cooking kick-ass vegan food with Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez, a behind-the-scenes tour of Lune Croissanterie and verbally deconstructing lasagne with Massimo Bottura. It sounds like regular programming for Melbourne's annual celebration of food — but it's not quite. Forced to postpone its physical March festival because of COVID-19, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has just launched The Online Edition, allowing avid home bakers and food fanatics around the country to dial into chats, masterclasses and trivia sessions with some of the world's best chefs from the comfort of their kitchens. And for lucky Melburnians, there are some IRL food specials available to order every day, too. Running from Monday, May 25–Saturday, May 30, MFWF: The Online Edition is taking place entirely on Zoom and Instagram Live. Those who've spent lockdown with a Sméagol-like obsession for sourdough can get their fix with Baker Bleu's Mike Russell, while those who prefer their carbs flaky and filled with butter will want to log on for chats with Helen Goh — who's worked alongside Yotam Ottolenghi for over a decade and co-authored Sweet — and Australia's Queen of Tarts Philippa Sibley, as well as the aforementioned tour of Lune with the inimitable Kate Reid. On the topic of Lune — look away now, if you're not in Melbourne — the croissanterie is recreating some of its biggest hits for the festival, including the Lune Reuben croissant, which you can pre-order for pick-up or delivery via the Lune website. Elsewhere on the IRL menu: foie gras ice cream from Leonardo's Pizza Palace and Black Axe Mangal's Lee Tiernan, a one-off six-dish menu from Bar Saracen, an oyster and champagne pairing, and a menu of Torino-style dishes from Mister Bianco designed to eat while watching the classic 60s flick The Italian Job. [caption id="attachment_697090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lune by Marcie Raw[/caption] Back on the virtual program, expect a lineup of talks with international talent, including René Redzepi — who's just (temporarily) transformed his world-renowned Copenhagen fine-diner into a burger and wine bar — former co-editor of famed food magazine Lucky Peach Chris Ying and Lee Tiernan of London's Black Axe Mangal. More locally, The Everleigh's Michael Madrusan will teach us how to drink better, culinary idol Tony Tan will take us on a tour of his new cooking school and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura will show us the art of the one-pan dish. While The Online Edition has less hot chip parties and Queen Victoria Market takeovers than its scheduled predecessor, it's certainly not short on talent. The program has been pulled together by MFWF CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha and Creative Director Pat Nourse, who both have decades of experience in the food industry and will be hosting many of the virtual talks. Of the new program, Loucas Bosha said in a statement: "Our aim with this virtual festival is to highlight the capacity that hospitality has in Victoria and around the world to bring us closer, even when we can't get together in the same room. It's about sharing ideas, about sharing experiences and above all about supporting our community so that we can all come back swinging." Melbourne Food and Wine Festival: The Online Edition runs from Monday, May 25–Saturday, May 30 on Instagram Live and Zoom. To check out the full program, head to the website. Top image: Daniel Mahon
Sydney's intimate, boutique Golden Age Cinema is teaming up with Four Pillars Gin for a mini booze and film festival (aka one of the best kinds of fests there is). Each Wednesday night from February 2–23, the 56-seat Surry Hills spot is hosting double bills paired with gin cocktails. It's quite the lineup, too, with a little something for everyone on the bill. The festival is called Summer in Cinema, so that's the kind of tone it's going for — so expect pools, beaches, summer holidays, gushing fire hydrants and all-round steamy days to be a big feature. First up on February 2 is a teen dream-themed double of Dazed and Confused and Almost Famous, with 70s coming-of-age tales clearly getting a whirl. Then, come February 9, it's time for the pool-centric The Graduate and Boogie Nights — well, the both do feature memorable moments with, in or by pools — which'll also mark the former's 55th anniversary and the latter's 25th. Next, on February 16, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window will heat up the screen, accompanied by Spike Lee's iconic Do the Right Thing. And finally, February 23 brings the Miami-set pair that is the Neve Campbell-starring Wild Things and mob standout Scarface. These flicks will all get a beverage to match, made with Four Pillar's juniper spirits. The first screenings each evening kick off at 6pm, then the second starts between 8.10–8.20pm — but we suggest you get there a little earlier for the drinks. Tickets cost $22.50 for each film. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan.
Rapid Prototype 3 plans to bring to Legs on the Wall's Lilyfield headquarters some of three-dimensional printing's make-sure-things-get-made-right attitude of print out, check out and recycle. Each instalment is a 'scratch' night with benefits all round: fun for you, feedback for the artist. They're each working at the junction of live art, interaction and tech, so testing is necessary to get all the kinks ironed out and all the robots suitably compliant. The night is part of Legs on the Wall's Open Source program. The follow-up to last year's ventures at 107 Projects and Alaska Projects, this one will feature Michaela Davies, who uses fine electric muscle stimulation to cause fine movements — such as those required to play an instrument. The Macquarie University Performance Innovation Team reveal a technology that might make you forget what a bad dancer you really are, while Applespiel and zin collective test out some of the interactive features of their upcoming Underbelly Arts projects.
Alejandro G. Inarritu follows his Oscar-winning Birdman with a down-and-dirty western inspired by true events. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the role that many believe will finally win him his Oscar, The Revenant is a violent, unrelenting slog through the mud and snow of the untamed American frontier. It's raw and elemental and masterfully shot, capturing bloody, frenzied action with astounding fluidity and grace. Sounds incredible, right? Actually, that's where you'd be wrong. For all its viscera, and despite its technical merits, this over-hyped backwoods adventure left us feeling bored. Now admittedly, that boredom took a while to set in. For much of the first hour of the film's two and a half hour running time, it's hard not to be floored by what Inarritu and his long-time cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have achieved. When a hunting party comes under attack by a Native American tribe, the camera weaves and pivots in and out of the action, dodging extras and arrows in a series of long, unbroken takes. Later, DiCaprio's character Hugh Glass is almost mauled to death by a grizzly bear, in another bravura one-shot sequence that will leave audiences wondering how Innaritu pulled it off. Like Birdman, this is bold, ambitious filmmaking, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't initially impressed. But the comparison to Inarritu's previous film is an importance one to make, for the reason that Birdman feels like more than just a technical exercise. Strip away the showy camerawork, and you still have characters and ideas that are actually worth caring about. The Revenant, on the other hand, has neither. With Glass on the edge of death, Captain Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) has the villainous Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) stay behind so that the dying man might receive a proper burial. Fitzgerald promptly buries Glass alive, and murders his teenage son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) for good measure. But of course Glass doesn't die, and instead hauls his wounded backside through the unforgiving wilderness so he might get his chance at revenge. As you might have gathered, the narrative is pretty thin – but that wouldn't be an issue if we could get behind the characters. DiCaprio, to his credit, gives it everything he's got, wheezing, snarling, screaming and putting his body through the ringer. It's exactly the kind of performance that Academy voters love, and to a certain extent it's easy to see why. But again, there's a difference between what's bold and what's actually interesting. As hard as DiCaprio tries, he never succeeds in making Glass anything other than a one-dimensional protagonist, who we're meant to root for simply because the screenwriters put him through hell. The borderline insane Fitzgerald proves a little more interesting – and like DiCaprio, Hardy commits fully to the role, reaching yet again into his seemingly bottomless bag of absolutely baffling accents. In the end though, Glass and Fitzgerald are just archetypes – a goody and a baddy destined to hack one another to pieces. Because the duality of man. Or something. There are times when style alone is enough to carry a movie. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them. Without characters to latch on to, or much in the way of deeper thematic content, the novelty of Inarritu's formal work eventually begins to wear off. Strange as it may seem given their disparate settings, but the recent film to which The Revenant suffers most by comparison is Mad Max: Fury Road. Both movies deliver immersive action and stylish cinematography, but only one manages to couple it with awesome characters and a modicum of brains. Plus, y'know, Mad Max had female characters with actual lines of dialogue. So there's that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRfj1VCg16Y
UPDATE: THURSDAY, JULY 16: The Parking Lot Social has been postponed. No official tickets have been sold for the event. Drive-in cinemas have long been a part of the movie-going landscape, but they've been experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to COVID-19. In fact, the whole drive-in concept is proving a go-to way to keep folks entertained in this time of social distancing, with the idea expanded to live gigs as well. That's just the beginning, it seems. Thanks to The Parking Lot Social, the drive-in premise now encompasses huge parties too. When the new Australian event rolls around the country between July and September, attendees will sit in their cars, sing karaoke (well, 'car-a-oke', as it's being called), dance at a silent disco, play trivia and bingo, and laugh at standup comedy — and watch flicks, see live bands and grab a bite to eat from food trucks as well. Basically, the event mashes up of a whole heap of entertaining pastimes, combining them in one place while complying with physical-distancing measures. Weekend evenings will have an in-car party vibe, while movies will screen late to folks kicking back in their vehicles. Plus, there'll be separate dedicated midweek nights for films and comedy. The brainchild of the folks behind Big Bounce Australia, aka the world's largest inflatable theme park, The Parking Lot Social will also feature two 12-metre-tall big-screens, a huge stage, a 16-metre-tall fire hydrant that shoots rainbows and inflatable gorillas. Exactly where in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra all of the above will be popping up hasn't yet been disclosed; however it'll do so in venues in that can accommodate 250 cars each evening. Ticket costs haven't been announced yet either, nor has the music, movie and comedy lineup. That said, The Parking Lot Social has revealed that it will settle in for multiple nights at every stop, and that it'll also feature an all-ages 'Social Kids' event for families as well. THE PARKING LOT SOCIAL 2020 DATES Sydney — July 9–19 Melbourne — July 23–August 2 Brisbane — August 6–16 Canberra — August 20–30 Adelaide — September 3–13 The Parking Lot Social tours Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra between July 9–September 13. For further information, or to register for early-bird tickets, visit the event's website.
Making music can be just as political as personal for some, especially if you're Melbourne trio The Basics. Their 12-year career has seen the band go through its fair share of ups and downs, with 1000 shows locally and abroad and even a three year hiatus from the music scene (seeing frontman Wally De Backer embark on a little ol' solo venture as Goyte). Then, 2014 casually saw The Basics' Tim Heath and Kris Schroeder enter the Victorian political sphere as the Basics Rock'n'Roll Party (BRRP), to many a divided opinion. But stronger than ever with brand new material, The Basics are headed back to the stage, hitting Sydney with two back-to-back shows to launch their brand new EP 'The Lucky Country'. Using music to spread their messages of innovation and education, these boys are going from strength to strength (tackling an election while recording a bunch of stellar tracks at Abbey Road). Supported by fellow Melburnians The Gun Barrel Straights, these gigs promise a high-energy set from the reunited De Backer, Heath and Schroeder.
Enjoying a glass of wine might come with plenty of medical benefits, but having a tipple isn't typically an exercise-heavy pastime. You sit. You drink. You get up, top up your beverage and repeat. You usually don't walk particularly far, let alone run. Then came the Grapest 5K run, a new series of wine-tasting fun runs that kicked off around Australia in 2017. Asking participants to put in the hard yards before getting some boozy rewards, it was such a hit that it's coming back for yet another round in 2019. How does it work? Grapest consists of two sections. First, you sprint, jog or set forth at whatever pace suits you best, making your way through scenic vineyard surroundings. Then, you walk another kilometre — yes, in addition to the first five, or ten if you're feeling extra energetic — while stopping at tasting stations along the way and sampling the good stuff. The latter part, they're calling a "wine waddle". Don't worry, if you're not up to the active stuff and you're simply keen on wandering and sipping, that's an option (although it does defeat the idea of combining fitness with throwing back drinks). 2019's events are scheduled for February 23 at Crooked River Wines in Wollongong, March 30 at Long Point Vineyard and Art Gallery in Port Macquarie and April 13 at Bunnamagoo Estate Wines in Mudgee — and registrations open on September 30.
Rumour has it that Valentine was an alcoholic soldier who spent his nights whoring around in bars, wooing a stream of women over the course of his life that would put an aqueduct to shame. However, by the light of day old Valentine needed to be looking his finest in polished military brass, so it was not often that a lady ever awoke to the sight of her nocturnal paramour. Instead she'd spy a single piece of paper, covered in his sugared script; a promise of a future visit and of his undying love. These became known as Valentine's Day Cards. Whether you're tired of recycled lines from drunken lotharios, or indeed you're a Don Juan waiting to get pissed and pick-up, there's no better way to spend St Valentine's Day than to crash the Vanguard in your finest bowties and dresses. Spurred on by the Delta blues rhythms of The Snowdroppers, along with their special guests The Frowning Clouds and Lanie Lane, you'll be in for a real humdinger of a Monday morning. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_m384fQ4yjQ
Sydney musicians go head-to-head with Sydney community radio and media personalities in one of Sydney's most offensively friendly matches. This Sunday, August 17, the third annual charity AFL match known as the Reclink Community Cup kicks off in the hallowed turf of Marrickville's Henson Park (home ground of the Newtown Jets). As always, the Western Walers (the musos) take on the Sydney Sailors (the media) — and the Sailors have taken out the title two years in a row, so there's Waler hell to pay. Based around a Melbourne event of the same ilk (the Rockdogs play the Megahertz), the Community Cup was originally started in 1993 by Jason Evans when two pubs challenged each other to an AFL match to raise funds for charity. With the Sydney instalment raising funds for Reclink — a kickass charity dedicated to helping people who are experiencing mental illness, disability, homelessness, substance abuse and social and economic hardship — Community Cup isn't merely a weekend muso runaround. Reclink does some pretty top notch work with Australia's most vulnerable and isolated people, introducing sporting and arts programs to those in need through 580 national agencies. Legends. Counting the likes of Brett Kirk, Adam Spencer, Damien Lovelock and Dan Sultan as coaches and players over the years, the annually-held Reclink Community Cup is a surefire Good Time date on the calendar for audiences and players alike. This year's official ambassador is Sydney Swans' Jude Bolton. This year’s team captains are ex-AC/DC legend Mark Evans for the Walers and Adam spencer for the Sailors. Having officially launched a few weeks ago at The Vic on the Park, the whole shebang's run by Reclink, Australia Post, 2ser FM - Real RadioER , FBi Radio, theMusic.com.au, Young Henry's, The Vic, Newtown Social Club and Troy Horse, alongside Marrickville Council and AFL NSW/ACT. Gates open at midday at Henson Park, entry's by gold coin donation and you can bring your pooches — the venue's totally dog-friendly (but smoke free y'all). There's plenty of pre-match day happenings foot as well; head over to Young Henry's Brewery for a pre-game fundraiser on Sunday with every dollar spent on middies and tasting paddles going to Reclink from 5pm to close. Drinking and watching the Sydney music industry play AFL for a bloody good cause? Sounds like a right royal Sunday. Check out the official Community Cup Facebook page for official event news and more pre-match day events.
Sometimes art events in aid of community awareness about something or other can be a little naff. Sometimes they're all about the artists acting heroic while pretending they are not waiting for that commercial gallery to call â€" oooh ouch! But sometimes, when the artists involved are attempting something of a particularly spectacular magnitude, such projects can be both really great and worthy of their cause. Artist and undergraduate architect Mathieu Gallois and graduate architects Caz Comino and Vesna Trobec are marking the beginning of their fundraising drive for global organisation Habitat for Humanity (ultimate goal a million big ones), with a concept driven exhibition in the foyer of CarriageWorks. As part of 1 House = 1000 Homes seven community organizations â€" Ghana, Philippines, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Namibia and Sri Lanka â€" have been invited to propose how they would spend the proceeds of the sale of one Australian house (said house/s coming from the kind benefaction of Australian property developers, well that's the idea anyway). In an attempt to highlight global wealth disparity, 1 House = 1000 Homes will exhibit the seven proposals in a huge installation, combining large-scale sculpture, photographs, video and animation. So if you know any super nice property developers maybe take them on a date to CarriageWorks...
Like the producers of expensive Swiss watches, artisanal chocolate and complicated pocket knives, Movenpick ice cream is committed to Switzerland's seemingly national standard of perfection. If you haven't yet sampled the gourmet brand's indulgent flavours, (made from real Swiss cream), then what better time to taste test than on the country's national day? On August 1, Movenpick is offering the first 250 customers to their NSW, Victoria and Queensland stores a complimentary scoop of Switzerland in a cone (or a cup, if that's more your thing). Be torn between 24 flavours, such as velvety caramelita, crunchy meringue in double cream or their famous classic Swiss chocolate. Head to the following stores for your free scoop: NSW: Bondi, Darling Harbour, Manly, Newcastle. VIC: Doncaster, Boxhill, Melbourne Central, QV Melbourne (Highpoint). QLD: Brisbane CBD, Brisbane Emporium, Portside, Surfers Paradise, South Bank, Broadbeach, Cairns, Carindale, Harbour Town, Paddington, Indooroopilly. Opening times and locations vary; see the website for details.
El Camino Cantina is known for its colourful interiors, cheap Tuesday tacos and giant margaritas, including at its venue in The Rocks. Those oversized drinks are a huge drawcard, and they're on offer every day — but every now and then, the lively Tex Mex chain throws a huge Ritapalooza festival. Sydneysiders, it's that time again. From Monday, October 24–Sunday, November 27, El Camino's The Rocks outpost is celebrating those easy-to-down slushie margs with a five-week-long festival dedicated to the frozen cocktail. Head by from to sip 24 limited-edition flavours — there'll be varieties like Skittle, Hubba Bubba and marshmallow available. Also on the menu: classics like mango, strawberry and passionfruit — and other more creative varieties like Wizz Fizz, Jelly Belly, Lifesaver, fairy floss, salted caramel, popcorn, grape Nerd and fairy bread as well. Even better: you can nab them as part of four-flavour and metre-long 12-flavour tasting paddles. El Camino's ten-cent Wing Wednesday tradition will be on offer throughout Ritapalooza as well, plus $2 tacos on Tuesdays. Really love your 'ritas? Opt for the Palooza party package for $99 per person, which covers a three-course menu — including a range of limited-edition fajita flavours — and a two-hour beverage package.
If you're angling for a smooch with someone special this Valentine's Day, you might as well line up a spectacularly photogenic backdrop for the occasion. And we doubt you'll find any quite as OTT as the one that awaits at The Grounds of Alexandria. The lush greenery-filled venue is turning the charm up to 100 for lovers this romance season, unveiling a shimmery laneway installation that's sure to sweep just about anyone off their feet. Sticking around for only a limited time, it's decked out in a rainbow of iridescent hues and comes complete with a neon-lit kissing booth to spark that ol' romantic spirit. But the real theatre happens at 9am and 11am each day, when a bunch of glistening bubbles are sent cascading over the entire space. Brownie points for aesthetics, right there. As usual, The Grounds is whipping up a couple of themed treats to match this latest installation and you'll be pleased to know they're rocking as much unicorn-hued sass as the laneway itself. Amp up the romance with a two-person buttercream-topped lemon sponge cake from the cafe, or opt for a couple of the Potting Shed's Make Me Blush cocktails: a glittery blend of gin, Chambord, raspberry and lime, finished with a crown of fairy floss.
We all know by now that pastry chef Anna Polyviou doesn't do things by halves — and will use any excuse to create something OTT and sugar-filled. This festive season, she proves this once again with the return of her giant gingerbread train. The four-metre train combines 1000 kilos of gingerbread bricks, 500 kilos of lollies, 100 kilos of fondant, lollipops, candy canes and untold quantities of icing. It gives sugar high a whole new meaning. Polyviou also collaborated with cake engineer Verusca Walker (what a job title) to include various moving parts to the train. You'll find this fantastical creation in the Lobby Lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney. That's not the only festive thing happening there throughout December. The Lobby Lounge will also be home to a festive high tea. Designed by Polyviou, this feast will feature three tiers of decadent bites. You'll start with savoury bites like croque monsieur, Yamba prawn brioche rolls and smoked turkey breast, before moving on to the sweet treats —think gingerbread passionfruit caramel, peach melba, festive scones and something described as 'Christmas in a Jar'. And, if those sugar cravings aren't yet curbed, be sure to check out the festive candy store in The Lobby Lounge, too. The perfect spot to pick up gifts for the sweet tooths in your life, the pop-up sells mini gingerbread houses ($65), Christmas puddings ($22), fruit mince tarts ($12.50 for six) and Christmas trifles ($135). The gingerbread train and pop-up store are open every day in December from 7am; the festive high tea is available daily from 11.30am–1.30pm, 1.45–3.45pm and 4–6pm. You can make a reservation for the high tea here.
If a fresh bread roll, an expertly grilled patty and a slice of melted cheese is your idea of a perfect meal — or some variation of the above — then you probably have May 28 permanently marked in your diary. Each and every year, that's when the world's burger-lovers celebrate their favourite food. We're not saying that burgs will taste better on that date, but if you just can't get enough of the trusty dish, it's definitely time to celebrate. This year, to mark the occasion, 100 restaurants across Australia are offering up to 50 percent off burgers for two days via Deliveroo. On Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, you can get burgs delivered straight to your home or office — or home office — for cheap. Lunch, sorted. Melburnians have 35 burger joints to choose from, including Royal Stacks, Hello Sam, Egg Fix's four locations, Chew Burger, LA Burgers and Carl's Jr, while Sydneysiders have 21, with the likes of Johnny Bird, Belly Bao, Moo Gourmet, Bondi Relish and Outback Steakhouse all getting on board. Brisbanites have eight options for their half-price burger fix: Hashtag, Moo Free, Big Roddy's in Fish Lane and The Valley, Brunchbox, The Burger Joint, Seoul Bistro and The Columbian Coffee Dealer. You can check out the full list here. To get your fix, all you need to do is jump on to Deliveroo and find your closest burg favourite and order. [caption id="attachment_556040" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Royal Stacks[/caption] Top image: Johnny Bird by Parker Blain
Paddington's Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery has nabbed a solo exhibition by one of Australia's most lauded contemporary artists — and you can see it in person right now. Running from Thursday, August 20–Saturday, September 19, Patricia Piccinini's The Gardener's Eye showcases new works that ask the viewer to reimagine their relationship with nature. At the centre of the installation is a hyper-realistic, life-sized sculpture entitled Sapling (2020). It depicts artist Dennis Daniel with a 'fleshy plant creature' over his shoulder. The unusual sculpture was inspired by a Wurundjeri group's effort to save a 300-year-old tree that was growing outside a petrol station near Melbourne, as well as a women named Margit who fosters orphaned tree kangaroos in Queensland. For Piccinini, both situations — and the sculpture — represent the relationship between humans, animals and plants, which is a central theme in the artist's work. Sitting in the gallery space alongside the artwork are a series of smaller creature-like sculptures titled Shoeforms (2019), which explore the 'naturalisation of technology'. Finally, the walls are adorned with a collection of drawings that explore the artist's fascination with birds and human hair. If you can't make it to the gallery in person, a virtual viewing is also available through the website. Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery is open from 10am–6pm Tuesday–Friday and 11am–6pm Saturday. Images: Installation view, Patricia Piccinini: The Gardener's Eye, Rosyln Oxley Gallery, Sydney. Photos by Luis Power.
Last August, Melbourne's Yarra Council made waves when it unanimously voted to stop recognising January 26 as Australia Day. Now, Sydney's Inner West Council wants to follow suit, as it becomes the first in the city to formally consider dropping its Australia Day celebrations, with Greens councillor Tom Kiat planning to move the motion at next week's council meeting. The proposal is in support of the Greens' national campaign to change the date of the holiday, though, as The Sydney Morning Herald reports, it looks to be a futile one. It's likely Labor will block the motion, to save the council from being stripped of its right to hold citizenship ceremonies altogether, as has been the case for interstate counterparts who've dumped their own Australia Day celebrations in the past. Councillor Kiat's pushing for an Indigenous-led commemorative event in place of the usual January 26 festivities, also calling for the council to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day and to actively lobby the federal Government to change the date. Labor's expected to vote against Councillor Kiat's proposal, in favour of an opposing motion by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne (who is also Labor). This means it's very unlikely the Greens will get enough votes to pass their motion. Mayor Byrne's calling for Australia Day to remain on January 26, while also proposing an Indigenous affairs package, involving a $5000 funding grant for an Aboriginal languages pilot program and a memorial to recognise the Indigenous victims of British colonisation. Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Kimberley Low.
