Calling all Sydney musical theatre fans. All lovers of cabaret, too. You'll find both on offer at Hayes Theatre, with the venue specialising in independently produced works — and staging a season filled with between eight and ten mainstage shows, a cabaret season and a selection of one-off performances each year. This is where you'll see the next generation of performers, creatives and producers unleash their talents. In the future, you'll probably be able to say that you saw their work at Hayes Theatre before they were a household name, actually. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Can we get some music for this sushi restaurant? Because we've got news that'll have you doing your happy dance. For the first time ever, Nobu is opening up its menu offering to serve an all-you-can-eat sushi feast. Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, you now have the opportunity to eat all the premium sushi your heart desires. Book your next lunchtime visit to the Crown Sydney's luxe sushi-slinging venue from 12pm and you'll find the new Gochiso lunch offering, available as of Thursday, October 19. The exclusive meal deal — crafted specifically for the sushi lovers out there — arrives as a new initiative to expand Nobu's dining experience by opting for the more casual long lunch approach. Take your pick from the wide-spanning sushi selection including Nobu's much-loved crowd favourites like the black cod miso and the spicy tempura prawns, its inventive house tacos and fresh cuts of sashimi. You can also order additional dishes from the a la carte menu to customise your feast. The exclusive buffet-style deal — which you'll find presented elegantly on Nobu's 10-metre-long sushi counter — will set you back $95 per person so be sure to head in hungry. And make your booking early as the kitchen is only open until 3pm for its lunch service.
Keen for an escape? The Kittawa Lodge strikes the ideal combination of rugged, remote bliss and immense luxury. Set on 96 pristine acres amid King Island – perched in the choppy waters between Tasmania and the Victorian mainland – this dramatic retreat offers a premium stay amongst the windswept dunes, perfect for when you need to add some more tranquility to your life. This lavish off-grid accommodation is stepping things up throughout winter with the return of its acclaimed Guest Chef Series. Making the trip to King Island are renowned culinary talents, Rosheen Kaul (Etta) and Stephen Nairn (Omnia, Yugen Dining, Yugen Tea Bar). Expect a three-night foodie retreat, as these experiences blend luxury, adventure and world-class dining in the heart of Tasmania's wild beauty. With a maximum of eight guests taking part at a time, this is your chance to indulge in ultra-exclusive dining in absolute peace. Featuring a menu designed by Kaul and Nairn, breakfasts, gourmet picnics and intimate dinners will spotlight local produce alongside Tasmanian wine pairings, signature snacks and curated cocktails. As the former Head Chef of Etta, not to mention an award-winning writer and food personality, Kaul has long been an influential name on the Australian culinary scene. Celebrating her Asian heritage through Australia's seasonal produce, her first cookbook, Chinese-ish, took home a prestigious James Beard Media Award. Meanwhile, Scottish-born Nairn is the current CEO and Culinary Director of LK Hospitality, where he plies his experience gathered in respected European kitchens and New York City's three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. The return of the Guest Chef Series arrives on the back of a new launch – the Kittawa Retreat – representing a significant expansion to the Lodge's accommodation offering. Designed for shared trips without compromising privacy, this new two-bedroom stay is ideal for families, friend groups or even couples that want a little more space to spread out. Luxe inside and out, amenities include an open-air hot tub with panoramic ocean views and a private cellar stocked with top-quality tipples. Guests can also book bespoke experiences, from guided yoga to private four-course dinners. "Our vision for Kittawa Retreat was to create an experience that feels both deeply personal and uniquely Tasmanian. Every detail, from the curated artwork to the plush, layered interiors, has been designed to immerse guests in comfort, beauty, and the raw natural splendour of King Island," says Kittawa Lodge owners Aaron Suine and Nick Stead. If you decide to make the trip to King Island, there's no shortage of optional extras, like 60-minute in-lodge treatments and guided meditation sessions. If it's more adventure you seek, you can book in for a guided expedition to the south of the island or even rent an AWD vehicle to curate your own remote escape. The Kittawa Lodge Guest Chef Series runs across various dates from Wednesday, May 28–Tuesday, August 5. Head to the website for more information. Images: Oscar Sloane / Gareth Sobey.
The two-kilometre coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama is always a stunning Sydney sight no matter when you mosey along it, but it's especially impressive during Sculpture by the Sea. Once a year since 1997 — except during the pandemic's early days — the outdoor art event displays large-scale pieces with the ocean as a backdrop. Understandably, it isn't just one of the annual highlights of Sydney's cultural calendar, but of Australia's. That excuse to soak up the great outdoors in the Harbour City returns again in 2023, from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. On the agenda once more: 100-plus artworks by Australian and international sculptors, all along a two-kilometre walk. But this is the 25th Sculpture by the Sea, so it's celebrating notching up that milestone with pieces by artists who displayed at the event back at its beginning. Paul Bacon, Stephen King, Michael Le Grand, John Petrie, James Rogers and Margarita Sampson earn those honours, bookending a quarter-century run. Sculpture by the Sea 2023 will also feature works by Philip Spelman and Ron Gomboc, who reach double decades displaying at the event; Lucy Barker and Ayako Saito, who hit a decade; and Chinese artist Chen Wenling. Discovering exactly who'll be showing what and where is part of the fun of taking the spring stroll, but this year's event won't be short on talent. As always, the exhibition is set to draw a crowd. Each year, Sculpture by the Sea attracts approximately 450,000 visitors over 18 days, with the same number of art lovers expected this time around. The past few years have been particularly eventful for the exhibition, which had to sit out 2020 like oh-so-many festivities around the world, then tried to make a comeback in October 2021 but also had to scrap those plans due to the pandemic. It did successfully stage a CBD spinoff, Sculpture Rocks, in autumn 2021, however. Even before the current global health situation interrupted its annual plans, organisers were also at loggerheads with the Council over the construction of a new path back in mid-2019, and were scoping out alternative locations for the long-running art exhibition. In fact, it was only early in 2021 that the parties came to an agreement to remain in Bondi until 2030, with the organisers and Council agreeing to a ten-year deal. Amid all of the above, the Sculpture by the Sea team also branched in 2022, opening the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. It's a permanent 100-kilometre collection of outdoor art along the Snowy Valleys Way, passing through the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba, the hamlet of Tooma, plus the Tumbarumba wine region's cellar doors. Sculpture by the Sea will return to the Bondi–Tamarama coastal walk for 2023 from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. For more information, head to sculpturebythesea.com. Images: Charlotte Curd, Reni Indrawan, Clyde Yee, Jack Bett, Jarrad Seng, W Patino, G Carr and Samantha Burns.
Even megastars get hungry — which is where chef to the stars Tom Morrison steps in. This seasoned kitchen pro has cooked for the likes of the elusive chanteuse Mariah Carey, Sk8ter Boi songstress Avril Lavigne and occasional elf Orlando Bloom, but Morrison's skills extend beyond merely feeding A-listers. Now, everyday Sydneysiders will be able to sample his food as he turns his talents to that most universal of morsels, the humble sandwich. These, however, are no ordinary sangas. From Tommy Panini, his hole-in-the-wall pop-up venue in Brookvale, Morrison is serving up his version of the Campanian street food staple, the panuzzo — an Italian sandwich featuring bread made from pizza dough. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tommy Panini (@tommypanini) "We wanted to offer something different," Morrison explains. "Not just another sandwich, but a culinary experience that combines the best of pizza and sandwiches." These pizza-sandwich hybrids have been enjoying a viral moment on social media recently, but Morrison has gone to great lengths to ensure his panuzzi stand out from the digital crowd. Rosemary and garlic-infused oil is used to make the dough, which is then combined with rich and creamy fior di latte, produced by Marrickville cheesemongers Vannella. The bread is then baked in much the same way as a Neapolitan pizza — in a woodfired pizza oven, heated to around 400 celsius — to achieve that tell-tale bubble and char. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tommy Panini (@tommypanini) The fillings take their cues from hearty Italian flavours, such as the chicken cotoletta (the Stivale answer to a schnitzel), spiked with Calabrian chilli mayo, sundried tomato tapenade, zippy hits of zucchini pickle and finished with a generous shaving of parmigiano. There's also a classic mortadella panini on the menu, stuffed with layer upon layer of the ever-popular Italian luncheon meat, dressed with fresh pesto, ricotta and a sweet surprise — house-made pistachio praline. Salami also gets a shout, combined with a roast carrot and capsicum tapenade, nduja, silky fior di latte and peppery rocket, and for meat-free option, there's a Lebanese twist featuring green-pea falafel. However, be warned: should you acquire a taste for these celeb-worthy sandos, you'll need to make the most of them while you can. Morrison's pop-up will only be offering its takeaway panuzzi until the end of spring. Find Tommy Panini at 4/515 Pittwater Road, Brookvale, open Tuesday–Friday, 10:30am until sold out, until the end of spring. Head to the venue's Instagram account for details.
You've seen the animated movie, watched the photorealistic (and CGI-heavy) remake and hummed along to the stage show. You know all the words to 'Hakuna Matata', and you instantly get nostalgic whenever the phrase "circle of life" comes up in conversation. The next item to tick off on your list, Lion King fans? Sipping your hot beverage of choice out of Frank Green's Lion King-themed keep cups (and saying "no worries" to doing the environment a solid in the process). Teaming up with Disney, the sustainability-focused Australian brand is launching a limited-edition range of cups and reusable bottles inspired by the 90s flick and its beloved characters. Design-wise, you can choose between Rafiki's cave painting of baby Simba, the future king's face, adult Simba or, back in his cub days, the young lion with Timon and Pumbaa. There's also an animal-print option, if you can't quite bring yourself to choose between the other styles. The cups and bottles come in different hues depending on the design, so you could be drinking coffee from a coral-coloured bottle or a khaki-toned cup. You also have choices regarding size, with each design available in small (295 millilitres) medium (595 millilitres) and large (one litre). Priced between $46.95–64.95, The Lion King range joins Frank Green's other Disney-themed wares, which also includes Winnie the Pooh, Frozen and Wall-E — and both Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The new designs hit the brand's online shelves from Tuesday, May 18, but you can pre-order now until stocks run out. Once you have one in your hands, it's up to you whether you want to hold your coffee over your head like you're standing atop Pride Rock. Frank Green's Lion King range is available to preorder now, before going on sale from Tuesday, May 18.
Remember the days when the only meat-free options on menus were side salads, fries and sad-looking garlic bread? Us too. While some days definitely still call for carb-loading, Sydney's growing list of plant-based cafes means the options available now are anything but beige. And to help you find your new favourite, we've create this round up of Sydney's very best vegetarian and vegan cafes — home to tasty grain bowls, vege burgers and plant-based pastas and pizzas. [caption id="attachment_798216" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] DAILY GREENS, PADDINGTON If veggie-packed shakshuka on hearty, homemade bread, fresh pastries, and vanilla-whipped ricotta with raspberry preserve sound like your thing, make sure you visit Daily Greens in Paddington. Feeling creative? There's also an option to build your own bowl, complete with an extensive list of ingredients for you to customise your own warm or cold dish — here, selections include baked tofu, charred cauliflower, spiced crispy chickpeas and dressings like avocado ranch or miso caramel. When the sun is out, soak up the rays in the plant-based cafe's leafy courtyard which has a tree growing right through its centre. [caption id="attachment_707088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Ali[/caption] KHAMSA CAFE, ERSKINEVILLE The inner west is arguably Sydney's ground zero for plant-based dining, and Khamsa Cafe is the kind of place you'll want to visit more than once. At this all-day diner, every plate of photo-worthy Palestinian food is generously packed with fresh, flavoursome ingredients. Must-tries include the signature Jerusalem Bowl, stacked with hummus, baba ganoush, quinoa, fattoush, falafel and cauliflower and a mushroom-packed shawerma pastry. There's also a range of traditional sweet and savoury pastries — think a musakhan with sumac, mushroom and onion and semolina cake with orange blossom syrup — as well as a rotating daily lunch special of a traditional Palestinian dish. The best part? You can take your dog along with you, too. It is a clear front-runner for the best vegan and vegetarian cafe in Sydney. CORNERSMITH, ANNANDALE This thriving, family-run casual dining spot is living proof that from little things big things grow. Starting as a humble eatery, the Cornersmith empire now includes cooking classes, cookbooks and plenty of homemade pickled and preserved goods to take home. The Annandale plant-based cafe has a simple, seasonal menu which includes decadent toasties, fresh salads and a particularly delicious tahini granola bowl with roasted pears. You'll can sit down and enjoy your meal in the friendly, laidback surrounds or preorder an adorable picnic box to enjoy in one of the nearby Sydney parks. SHIFT EATERY, SURRY HILLS Surry Hills locals love Shift Eatery. Office workers and city dwellers alike frequently crowd the pavement waiting for a lunchtime pick-me-up from Sydney's first meat-free deli. The Sydney vegan cafe's ethos is simple: it's all about making the shift to a plant-based diet as easy as possible. And that's exactly what it does. Known for its meat-free takes on popular dishes — think a plant-based reuben and meatball sub — this cafe will have even the biggest sceptics converted. Sample the self proclaimed 'best vegan bacon and egg bagel in the whole world' and find out if it's as good as a traditional one. Spoiler alert: it's better. [caption id="attachment_613611" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] TWO CHAPS, MARRICKVILLE Two Chaps is the kind of place you can visit on the reg and yet dine on something different every visit. The cosy Marrickville plant-based cafe and bakery has an ever-changing, seasonal menu designed to reduce food waste, support local producers, and keep its hungry customers coming back for more. While the dinner menu's fresh, homemade pasta packed with nuts and vegetables has amassed a cult-like following, things during the day are just as delicious thanks to some of Sydney's best plant-based doughnuts and homemade pies. And did someone say dulce de leche-filled brioche? Whether you stop in for a little pick-me-up or a full-blown feast, you'll walk away feeling satisfied. RUBY LONESOME, PETERSHAM This little local cafe has a whole lot of heart — and a simple menu featuring meat-free versions of all the classics. The Cheeze Burger will have you asking why you didn't try plant-based earlier, while specials might include the melt-in-your-mouth Sloppy Jocelyn — it will get all over your face but is so tasty you won't mind. Order the Big Boi for breakfast if you're hungry or a Buddha Bowl if you're looking for something lighter, then peruse the countertop for super cute and tasty take-home goodies like pickled veggies, relishes, cashew cheese and daily-made baked goods. Heck, even order yourself an entire fairy bread cake, really indulging at one of Sydney's best vegetarian and vegan cafes.
Living up to its name, Daily Greens is good for you — particularly if you like sustainable, zero-waste food in a relaxed courtyard setting perfectly designed to capture the best of the warmer weather. Bright, airy, and leafy, this disarming spot on Glenmore Road offers some of the best salads in town. If you're thinking that means a compromise on flavour or nourishment, one look at the extensive menu will surely have you salivating. Choose from a selection of warm or cold bowls such as the Fun Guy, Funghi, which comes loaded with mushrooms, almonds, corn chips, quinoa, cabbage, kale slaw and cherry tomatoes, or the Avo and Lentils with fresh avocado, shredded carrot wild rocket and roasted almonds for a satisfying, flavour-rich lunch. There is also a build-your-own option so you can let loose some creative flair with your own choices of bases, dressings, fillings, toppings and textures to meet all your hunger cravings. Seasonal sandwiches, soups and daily specials round out the menu, plus 24-hour cold-brew coffee to wash it all down. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
It's news that we knew was coming, even if we were dreading it: iconic Sydney venue Frankie's Pizza has officially announced when it'll be shutting its doors — and it's less than a month away. The underground CBD bar, pizza joint and concert venue's last night of service will be on Sunday, December 11 before it closes to make way for the Hunter Street metro station. This final night also coincides with Frankie's tenth birthday, and will follow a run of farewell shows kicking off on Thursday, December 1 with a night that's labelled The Beginning of the End. Following this, FreakFlag Events is hosting The Final Feast on Sunday, December 4; Frankie's World Famous House Band will play one last gig on Monday, December 5; TNT Trivia will come to a close on Tuesday, December 6, offering a grand prize of a year's worth of Young Henry's beer; and on Wednesday, December 7, 2000s Australian rock icons Wolfmother will be performing at the venue alongside Hard Rock Karaoke. Frankie's first announced it would be closing last year, confirming that it was to be demolished to make way for the new Metro Station alongside neighbouring Sydney stalwart Malay Chinese Takeaway. A favourite among laksa-lovers in Sydney, Malay Chinese Takeaway has also locked in its closing date — Friday, December 9. The longstanding Hunter Street spot has, however, announced that it will then be reopening in the new Sydney Place precinct on top of Central Station once it is complete. In a statement on Instagram, the Frankie's team announced: "Here it is folks, the Final Campaign. We thought this venue would outlive us. We've seen trends come and go and steadfastly stood for RocknRoll through it all." "With the unstoppable momentum of Sydney City's 'infrastructure evolution' set to demolish Hunter Street in early 2023, we have decided on a date to depart," the statement continues. With live entertainment every night of the week, visits from rock 'n' roll legends like Dave Grohl and Debbie Harry, and one of Sydney's best pizza slices, the bar has had a huge impact on Sydney's live music scene. Across its tenure at Hunter Street, Frankie's has played host to musicians of all sizes — from local rock bands cutting their teeth to international acts looking for an authentic Sydney venue to visit while touring the country. Head to the Frankie's Pizza Instagram for the full details on its farewell celebrations (or commiserations). [caption id="attachment_637648" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frankies. Image: Katje Ford.[/caption] Frankie's Pizza is open 4pm–3.30am Monday–Sunday. Its last day of service will be on Sunday, December 11. Top image: Katje Ford.
One of the most-stunning parts of New South Wales, and Australia, now boasts a new reason for locals, Sydneysiders and interstate visitors to make a date with its spectacular scenery — and a new way to get immersed in its heritage-listed wonders. Everyone should visit the Blue Mountains at least once in their life. Everyone should combine that trip with soaking in Blue Mountains National Park. And now, everyone should also hike along Blue Mountains' Grand Cliff Top Walk. Back in 2019, it was announced that the popular trail — which passes many waterfalls and lookouts on Gundungurra Country, and offers up some dazzling views of the national park and its many eucalpyts— was getting up upgrade to the tune of $10 million. It's taken some time, but the results have been unveiled. Walking the full new stretch now means taking a two-day, 19-kilometre journey, including along more than 4000 steps and ten kilometres of track that have been newly added. Among the highlights: the rainforest, falls such as Wentworth Falls and Katoomba Cascades, and peering out over the Jamison Valley towards Mount Solitary, for starters. You'll also potentially spy everything from lyrebirds and yellow-tailed black cockatoos as you wander between lookouts, including on restored 100-year-old sandstone paths. And, the Three Sisters Aboriginal Place is on the walk as well. If you're keen to experience the entire new Grand Cliff Top Walk, it's suggested that you take an 11-kilometre stroll on the first day, beginning at Wentworth Falls, with Gordon Falls at Leura your destination. Then, on day two, you can enjoy an eight-kilometre walk that kicks off at the same spot, heading to Scenic World at Katoomba via the Three Sisters. The entire route is planned around access and accommodation, so the idea is that folks can spend two days putting one foot in front of the other is scenic surroundings without needing to carry a huge backpacks or take camping equipment with them. Walkers will also find public transport handy at either end, as well as dining options. If that still sounds like a massive endeavour, you can make your way along sections of the track as half-day or full-day walks instead. There's also guided tour options, starting with a two-hour hike with a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger. Find the Grand Cliff Top Walk in Blue Mountains National Park, starting at Wentworth Falls and ending at Katoomba. Head to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website for further details. Images: R Brand.
As lockout laws push weekend revellers further outside the CBD, Newtown's King Street has long offered an alternative to areas like Kings Cross. Drinks are served until the pub shuts and the music is… well, the music is still pretty strictly policed. But the times, they are a-changing, according to Bourke St boss and new owner of the newly revamped Botany View Hotel, Paddy Coughlan, and we should be looking to the south. South King Street, that is. The Sydney Park-end of Newtown's main drag hosts a slew of pubs that have carried the 'Keep Newtown Weird' flag for years, keeping the music loud and frequent, and punters happy with a good brew, great company, and especially live music. "I think that south end of King Street represents all that used to be good about Newtown in general, and a big part of that was live music," says Coughlan. "We need to support and foster music venues." Under his ownership, the Botany View Hotel — which has undergone a low-key revamp, including a relaunch of the dining room — hosts live music every Friday and Saturday night to keep up the area's gig scene. Reviving the old vibe, for Coughlan, means maintaining the authentic edge of a pub's pub. "I like to think people come to our pubs for the authenticity of what we're doing, not because we've overthought every piece of furniture," he said. The Botany View also aims to rehash the grub at the pub, looking to nail down a menu that the everyday punter can get behind with good quality produce and reasonably priced food. Though, with two of his other venues — The Lord Gladstone and The Lady Hampshire — serving their fair share of tacos and burgers, Coughlan has made this menu more "considered". The menu is less snacky, and leans towards knife-and-fork dining with dishes like the cauliflower tagine, a soft-shell crab spaghettini and a 'fancy' schnitzel with parsnip puree and chicken jus. They also do platters, including a vego one with zucchini fritters, haloumi, falafel and babaghanoush, and a $10 lunch menu Monday to Friday. The revival of King Street's south end is already underway, with Coughlan pointing out stalwarts like the Union Hotel and the Sydney Park Hotel, as well as the Botany View Hotel, as part of "our own little community" — although we're sad to see the Newtown Social Club gone, which has reopened as a mini golf bar. With pubs like these continuing to support live music, good feeds, and cheap beers, Coughlan is confident the "that old Newtown vibe" is on its way back. "The already strong sense of community will get stronger," he says, which is something we can all raise our lighters to. Images: Kimberley Low.
Saint Peter, Paddington's much-adored seafood restaurant, has expanded. But instead of opening a second eatery, owners Josh and Julie Niland have founded Fish Butchery, a swish retail space devoted to premium-quality Australian fish. Forget all about your stock-standard seafood shops — with their mountains of ice, predictable species and tiny selection of cuts, Fish Butchery is a beautifully-designed adventure, without an ice cube in sight. And, rather than merely choosing from the fillets on display, you can ask the butcher to prepare the exact cut you need, just as you would at a traditional meat butchery. "Fish retail hasn't been reimagined for decades," says Josh, who's also head chef at Saint Peter. "It has long existed as a wet bar — an ice counter — with fish piled on top. But water tends to shorten a fish's shelf life, change its taste and promote odours." Consequently, at both Saint Peter and Fish Butchery, all seafood is dry-handled from whoa to go. Every fish is dry-scaled, filleted, pin-boned and presented in a fan-free cool room, kept at 0-2 degrees celsius. There's also a waste-free policy and a focus on under-represented species, which, Josh says, "is part of our ongoing dream to encourage people to eat a wider variety of fish. We want to make those lesser-known varieties not just a restaurant experience but commonplace at home. They taste great, so our aim is customer enjoyment but also to support sustainable fishing." Keep a look out for species you mightn't have tried cooking before, such as leatherjacket, tommy ruff and mahi mahi. The Nilands source these and others from a variety of suppliers, including the Sydney Fish Market, Nicholas Seafoods and independent fisherpeople, such as Bruce Collis, Neil Perry's go-to. And, should you not feel like cooking, you can grab takeaway fish and chips. It'll be one of Fish Butchery's only cooked offering (including some weekend specials, like a pink ling pie). "It was a logical step for the restaurant to add a butchery to its armory," says Josh. "It'll make the restaurant more efficient by centralising all cutting to one area, while enabling us to offer a product unrivalled in Sydney." First two images: Cody Duncan.
Stunning art always endures, as A Streetcar Named Desire has for nearing eight decades now. Tennessee Williams' tale of Southern belle Blanche DuBois, her sister Stella and the latter's husband Stanley Kowalski first premiered via a Broadway production starring Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando, and has repeatedly returned to stages since. Indeed, this southern-gothic heartbreaker has trodden the boards worldwide with everyone from Glenn Close (Black in Action), Cate Blanchett (Black Bag) and Frances McDormand (Women Talking) to John C Reilly (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Joel Edgerton (Dark Matter) and Paul Mescal (Paul Mescal) in its cast. Four Oscars also came the way of Elia Kazan's 1951 film, where he adapted the play that he'd directed in theatres into a screen classic with much of its originating stage cast. Spectacular theatre can make that leap to screens — but the stage productions themselves have historically only lived on via memory and reputation. No matter how immersive and exceptional, and how urgent and unforgettable as well, theatre performances are live and therefore fleeting. They're tied to a specific place and usually solely experienced in the moment. NT Live did its part to help change that over 15 years ago, when it began filming National Theatre productions in the United Kingdom — expanding to other companies, too — then beaming everything from new Shakespearean stagings and Danny Boyle's (28 Years Later) take on Frankenstein to Fleabag and The Importance of Being Earnest into cinemas globally. In 2014 when he unleashed his Gillian Anderson (The Salt Path)-, Ben Foster (Long Day's Journey Into Night)- and Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon)-starring version of A Streetcar Named Desire at The Young Vic in London, Australian playwright, stage and opera director, and filmmaker Benedict Andrews was well-aware that he was taking on a classic, a masterpiece, and a play that ranks among the 20th century's best and has burned itself into memories. He'd done so before at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin. He didn't initially know, though, that he'd be joining the NT Live ranks, that audiences worldwide would be able to catch it on the big screen, and that they'd still be watching 11 years later. In Australia, Andrews' Streetcar returned to cinemas from Thursday, June 19, 2025. "The play is very dear to my heart, but the nature of theatre is usually that it's ephemeral," he tells Concrete Playground. "Theatre's usually ephemeral and that is its beauty — that it usually just exists in this brief compact with the audience and the viewer when the play comes to life nightly. So it's weird that it's released in cinemas again. It's great though — because I found during COVID, they re-released it for free online at some point, and it found a whole new generation of viewers," the Australian continues. "Not just people who didn't live in London or New York, so couldn't see it there, but I'm having conversations with people in in really far-flung and diverse places, and maybe of a different generation who are seeing it, and discovering the play for the first time through that production." "I've had people tell me that — like a young actress tell me that seeing this production when she was in high school made her want to become an actress. So it's great it's out in the world again, and on cinema screens." [caption id="attachment_1010339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI.[/caption] Complicated relationships, desire, raw emotions that can't be contained: these themes have recurred in Andrews' work. They all scorch and sear as Blanche's once well-to-do life keeps shattering, leading her to take the titular transport to Stella and Stanley's two-room New Orleans apartment, and to the toxicity — verbally, emotionally, psychologically and physically — of being in her brother-in-law's orbit. If you'd like to think of the trio's altercations, and those involving Stanley's friend and Blanche's hoped-for beau Mitch (Corey Johnson, September 5), as a traumatic merry-go-round, Andrews has taken that idea literally in this staging. Tying into Blanche's alcoholism and downward spiral, this aesthetically striking production is both in the round and revolves, the skeleton of the Kowalskis' powderkeg of a flat exposed to theatregoers as the show constantly rotates. Sculptural sets, spaces that actors are required to interact with rather than just stand upon, are equally a regular element in Andrews' stage creations. See also: his Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2017, another dance with a Williams great for The Young Vic that was also immortalised by NT Live. Streetcar's iteration is arresting, but that label perhaps best applies to Anderson as its Blanche — a part that she'd been wanting to step into since she was 16. While she'll always be The X-Files' Agent Dana Scully, The Fall's DSU Stella Gibson and Sex Education's Jean Milburn, among the immense range of roles before and after always relying on the kindness of strangers, Anderson's portrayal here is one that you'll always remember her for as much as the above once you've seen it. 2026 will be three decades since Andrews kicked off his career as a theatre director with Wounds to the Face and Storm From Paradise in Adelaide. From the South Australian capital, he went to Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir and Malthouse Theatre — and to London's stages, New York's as well with both A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and also Munich, Berlin, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and more. Opera beckoned. On the big screen, he was behind 2016's stage-to-screen adaptation of Blackbird as the Rooney Mara (La Cocina)- and Ben Mendelsohn (Andor)-starring Una, then 2018's Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding)-led Seberg. Alongside digging into his Streetcar journey, including whether thinking about the cinema experience is part of directing a stage production that will be filmed and then show in cinemas, Anderson's stellar work, and ensuring that the play's themes and emotions are always bubbling, we also explored his path to here with Andrews in our in-depth discussion. On Whether the Possibility of a Stage Production Being Filmed for the Big Screen Changes Anything About Andrews' Approach "No, no, no, never. In the case of Streetcar, I didn't know. I guess NT Live branching out of the National Theatre stuff, because this was a Young Vic production, was fairly uncommon at the time. I've had two productions filmed, I think, only — which have both been Tennessee Williams. They also filmed the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. And no, I don't and probably I wouldn't at all. Well, I've had a bunch of operas films since as well — and I never think about it. When I've worked with the team on it, I talked to them about it like they're filming a boxing match or a football game. So we discussed what their setup would be, and with them having watched the production. Obviously Streetcar is very special because of the revolving stage, and what that means to try to shoot that or capture that, but I discuss it with them more like they're going in to shoot that, to capture the live experience of it. Rather than, because I'm also a filmmaker, rather than thinking about this filmmaking, I see it as much more of almost a functional recording that they happen to do very well — like if you watch boxing at the Olympics or you watch a well-filmed AFL game, you want it to capture the highlights and the moments, and give you the enhanced sense of being there. I think I'm trying to do that. So then, when I'm in the rehearsal room, no, I'm not thinking about that at all. I often, when I'm in a rehearsal room, I give myself and the actors very fundamental challenges to work with and overcome. And those challenges, I think, are about — they're like a kind of drill to drill very deeply into the core of the play. Rather than just assuming we can access that play by selling this kind of difficulty, I think then it allows you to access the raw matter of the play in a new and immediate way. So the revolve in the Streetcar production was exactly that. I felt it was the perfect metaphor for the play. It begins when she takes this schluck of alcohol. It reflects her addiction and the sense of what it means to be in her downward spiral with her. But it also is very visceral. Every single audience member gets a different perspective on what's happening in that room, as it constantly — the in-the-theatre experience of it — moves in and out of long shot and closeup, and literally every seat is seeing a different way into this cage where this encounter is going on between Blanche and Stanley. And we had that on throughout rehearsals. It's not some big decorative thing that's put on at the end. If it's going to be this drill, we have to learn to work with it. And the effect of it was so disorientating that the actors would go home and the room would be spinning. And I remember my apartment in London spinning when I went back after being it on all day. I think they would to take motion-sickness tablets, and so on. Beyond that, it's just also: how do you use it? What does it mean to be on and off it? And all that. So when you're so busy with the play and busy with helping the actors unlock it and find its raw heart, which all of them do, but particularly the four, the quartet, of Blanche and Stella and Stanley and Mitch, there's so much to be busy with in that that I'm not thinking about that. But in a similar way, I'm not really thinking about the audience, even the theatre audience, when I'm making something — until I'm in previews. I'm sort of the first audience, and the other people in the room are the tuning rod through which the players get to charge through. And then you hope you get that to such a point of intensity and feeling that then it's ready to share with a larger body of people." On How Staging a Play on a Revolving Set Gives Every Audience Member a Different Immersive Experience "I'm constantly thinking about that. And part of this is the acceptance that you cannot control that it will not be the same for everybody. To take the football analogy again, if you're sitting behind the white sticks at one end, you're seeing a different game from somebody sitting in the centre line, except then that it's moving, so you're rotating that perspective. But you have to accept that no audience member will literally ever get the same view of the show, so that even if audience member X bought exactly the same seat two nights in a row, just because of the slight variation in the motion of that thing, they're going to — maybe on a certain line, Blanche is going to be on the side angle one night, and on the next, she's going to be momentarily obscured by the shower curtain coming past. But that was part of it — that enhanced voyeurism of that, but it's like an active voyeurism, like you're aware that you're watching this fight in this cage, but also this very, very painful to watch, at-times unraveling and madness, this coming apart, of this woman and this family, and the sexual violence when that begins. But I think it meant that the audience had to really lean in and be complicit with it. So to answer your question, I'm thinking about the overall implications of that. Like if I was making a static picture from the front, that works — actually, that changes, the static picture changes from the position, the ideal centre-perspective position where the king used to sit, it actually changes as you move further away and the perspective disintegrates. So there's sort of something radical and democratic in how people watch it. That cinematic effect of the wipes, and that you would each see different perspectives — but in the end, everybody united in the same moment. That's what I think is also really interesting. I think about it in the moment, when the Cat Power song plays at the end, when she walks out — one of the most-extraordinary moments in 20th-century theatre, this speech when she talks about, she's so broken after the rape and after knowing she's being evicted and her psyche can't cope with it anymore, but to cope with that she invents this beautiful fantasy of this man feeding her a grape on a on a boat. And she, her genius is that she invents this, and Tennessee Williams' genius at this most-broken moment, she invents and becomes the perfect actor, playing this dignified role of this woman going to meet her gentleman caller. When we know, and probably she does, that it's the doctor and nurse coming to take her to the mental asylum, which is just going to be fucking hell. A woman like that does not belong in a place like that. It's completely heartbreaking. But the apotheosis when she invents this character, and walks out with such grace and dignity — and then in our production, where Gillian does that circle, that last circle to the Cat Power song, I think for the audience, having watched just this truly extraordinary thing that she goes through, the gift and self-sacrifice, nightly self-sacrifice of Gillian's performance, at that moment, the entire audience is just completely gathered and at one. So I think there's something about having fractured that perspective, then feeling them come together at that moment of apotheosis. I think you're always thinking about that, how to activate that, whatever then the device you're using is. It's a bit of a similar thing in The Cherry Orchard that I just recently staged, where there's also an audience all the way around. But the actors don't have fixed positions. They change what they're doing nightly. So again, the show is constantly evolving and changing and organic, but at the same time, directorially it's still very tightly held. Even if I'm fracturing that viewpoint in Streetcar between all these different viewpoints, I want, ideally, every viewpoint to be perfect — the perfect frame at every moment." On Casting Gillian Anderson in a Role That She'd Wanted to Play Since She Was a Teenager — and Giving Her Another Iconic Part That She'll Always Be Remembered For "This was my second time staging it. I staged it at the Schaubühne in Berlin a couple of years before, in German, and I always wanted to have another crack at it. And weirdly enough, that production of Streetcar was seen by David Lan, the then-Artistic Director of The Young Vic, where we staged Streetcar. And from that, he invited me to come and work in London — and I did first an opera for him, and then a production of Chekhov's Three Sisters, which also had Vanessa Kirby in it as Masha. And Gillian saw that, and said to David 'I want him to direct me in Streetcar'. So when we met to talk about that, she told me how she'd always been thinking about Blanche and always knew she wanted to play Blanche, and I could sense that profound hunger in her to do that. And I already had the plan in my skin. They're wildly different productions. We had a revolve in that, actually, but they're wildly different productions. But it was interesting to have that as a framework — so the first one was like sort of a rough sketch, and then the second one was much more elaborate. So it was just a beautiful kind of confluence of me feeling very close to the play — really, really hungry to do it in English — and then finding, for me, the perfect actress for it at exactly the right time in her life to want to do it. And it was a process and then a production just full of enormous trust and risk. I think from our very first meeting, we felt that we had found each other. I knew she trusted me to take her somewhere. And I knew she wanted to be taken somewhere. I think she and we are very, very, very, very faithful to the play, but even in the UK at that period, at that time, even doing a non-period production of a classic that didn't look like all the other previous productions and all that — she also clearly had an appetite to be in a contemporary production. I guess one thing I try, if I'm approaching a classical play, is to treat it as if it might be a contemporary play. And if I'm approaching a contemporary play, I treat it as if it should be a classical play and will be a classical play. And she clearly believed that there was no attempt to turn, to drag, the play or the production a safe place. She had, as I said, an enormous appetite for risk. And you can see in the performance. So I think why it's memorable, as you say, is she puts herself on the line in every single performance. She's talked about that a lot, I gather, since — what that meant. And I think particularly when we were in New York, what that was like to get under Blanche's skin every night. She's also talked about it, so I won't. But also, she's talked about a kind of confronting or accessing her own history of addiction in the role. And to really do Blanche, I think that is important, because it is the story of someone who is addicted to alcohol and addicted to sex, and trying to deal with the legacy and the brokenness of her own family and her own history through that." On Ensuring That A Streetcar Named Desire's Senses of Guilt and Sadness Is Always Bubbling, and Its Volatility as Well, Alongside Its Exploration of Compulsiveness and Addiction "I think ultimately that's about trusting the players. As such a loaded masterpiece, it is — every single moment of the play, he found such an extraordinary collision of these, of Blanche and Stanley. And I think two sides of himself, Tennessee Williams, but also two sides of his own desire, two sides of his own profound sexual hunger. And it means that everything under the play is just so volatile. And I think often, too, these great plays — whether it's from ancient Athens or Elizabethan London or this — these great plays come at moments of huge historical change, often after major wars. And this play is a of flowering of that new America. It's the same time where the great Arthur Miller plays come as well. And in post-war America is a changing society that's becoming the kind of muscular empire we now see disintegrating. And I think that everything in the play is really loaded. So it's about trusting that, encouraging the actors to access it. In this production, I guess there are a few structural things done, in that Blanche usually leaves the stage — and she does not leave the stage. She's briefly absent in the first minute, I think, before Stella runs out and then she arrives with the suitcase. And then she's very briefly gone the at the end. But even when she and Mitch go to the fairground or whatever, they're still onstage in this production. So that was, I guess, part of also the compact with Gillian, was: what is it like to expose, to put every single moment of this woman's crisis under the microscope and not give her anywhere to hide? So, even during the scene changes, the costume changes between scenes, she's exposed and literally exposing herself while doing them, and she has to stay in that. So I think it's also structurally thinking of the play as this last downward spiral of this, that's been going on for some time — maybe even generations within her family, and the legacy of slavery and corruption in her family. And then she's the last one left. She's the last queen of this ruined nation who comes into exile, into the camp of her enemy, Stanley. And I think it's also been just about what that process in the rehearsal room is, and making sure that it's understood that every night they're going out there to chase it down. And when the play is big enough, then that process never finishes. They're going out to meet each other and the play and the audience afresh every night, and to play the game to the hilt." On the Challenges of Live Theatre, and the Extended Run of Interrogating a Story and Its Emotions Night After Night That It Affords — and Andrews Once Saying That It and Film Are the Same Thing "I'm not sure in the end they are the same thing, either. I think probably what I meant when I was saying that once is that they tap into the same place. And that that someone like [Ingmar] Bergman, who spent his artistic life moving between the theatre and the cinema and not making a binary between the two of them, but that they could be a conversation in which he's exploring ongoing questions — I think that is really, really an ideal for me. But one thing that, of course, is entirely different is that cinema is made by a frame and a camera recording the world. And the shot of the poppy shaking in the garden, cut to the hand of the trembling actor, cut to something they say on their face: that creates the meaning, that creates the story, that creates your feeling. And you collect it during the shoot, but it is then cut up and reconfigured in the edit room, and that is the art and the architecture of cinematic storytelling. So the swaying poppy is just as important as their closeup on the actor's eyes. In the theatre, whatever images there might be onstage or whatever — even if there's an emptiness onstage, even if the actor is absent, it's about the absence of that actor. The actor is everything in the theatre. And it's where I come from first. It is my home and it is my emotional gymnasium. And it's this very beautiful, privileged space, like a little island where we go to reflect on the world and reflect on being human and reflect on being alive, to deal with emergencies and crisis — both political, personal, whatever — but within the permission of this safe room. So you can go into the places emotionally that would send you to the madhouse, like they do Blanche, or put you in prison like if you were to follow through with what happens in that room. But it's a room where we then have permission to think through, play through, work through, together as a collective, without the big, beautiful apparatus — that was a Trumpian sentence — without the extraordinary apparatus that cinema has. You need, even if you're reduced, stripping it right down, it needs this village of people and technical equipment to make it. The theatre needs nothing in the end. Just a circle of viewers and the players. And I guess as I then started to make — I made my first film just after Streetcar, I made Una in the months after Streetcar the first time — and as I've started to move more between the two mediums, I think it's become even more precious, this sense of the fragile, the gift of being in a room with people and exploring these things, but also the idea of this fragility and the idea that if I'm going to do theatre, I don't want to hide behind anything. So my theatre was already pretty raw, but I think since then it's become even more about — in every show I've done since COVID and since my last movie, the audience has been lit. They are to a degree in Streetcar, but in recent plays like The Cherry Orchard, they're lit by this same forensic white light. You're very aware of them sitting there. The actors sit amongst the audience and step up and play from that. So this essential liveness and this essential experiment of theatre, that it's a nightly process, an experiment, I think has become even more important to me — or, if you like, it's always there, it's always there in theatre, but it hides behind a lot of bullshit often." On Whether Taking Either A Streetcar Named Desire or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to the Big Screen as Films Appeals, as Andrews Did with Una "Probably not with either of those. The Streetcar, the Kazan one, I'd rather film the play like this. I think it's different if it's a new play. I think things have to undergo a transposition, right, and Una undergoes a significant transposition. It's not filmed theatre. You could even say some things that are closer to filmed theatre, like the Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or something, still that makes a transmutation of form. And so I think more, sometimes I think about two things. To take a story — and this is something I've talked to with some actors about; I've talked about it with Cate Blanchett, who's somebody I've worked with a few times, and also with Nina Hoss [Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World] separately, who, both of those who are great theatre actresses and great film actresses — this idea that if you've played a role in theatre, you've lived it so completely and you've explored it in so many different ways compared to [film]. This isn't comparative. I think they're both significant. But compared to filming for and performing for the camera, which is like you're doing these short little sprints — you're doing these little bits that are then cut up — but when you've lived it in the theatre, I think they recognise, the wealth of having done that, what it might mean to do that in another, to take all that, take the character, rewrite it for another form. Weirdly, it happened when Cate had done Streetcar herself, right, for Liv Ullmann, and then did the Woody Allen film [Blue Jasmine]. She's sort of playing Blanche in that. And that's really interesting. To rather than say you're just copying the same thing, to say you grow a new creature from it, but using the same logic and ideas. And then the other one that I'm starting to think about for a future project — and maybe this is because of the NT Lives. Like I said, they film them themselves and that's great, and they're really excellent things to have out there, and they reflect the moment of the theatremaking. But there's one where then I as a filmmaker and a theatremaker might take the production, and not make it as a film, like the Kazan version of Streetcar, but do my own cinema version of filming the production. So like the Paul Schrader Mishima or something, right, which has that artificiality in it — but do bring the camera into the theatre space that's constructed, and make this boutique object from that. So I'm very curious about that. And I think NT Live proves that there's an audience for that as well." [caption id="attachment_1010340" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David M. Benett/Getty Images.[/caption] On Andrews' Dream When He Was Starting Out as a Director Three Decades Back — and How Even Imagining NT Live Wasn't Possible "No, I didn't. I mean partly, some of those things were impossible to even conceive of then. The world has changed so much. Also, I think my ambition has always been of a different kind. I never began thinking 'oh, I would like to work in these places. I would do this'. I was always just obsessed with making work. So those first works in the Red Shed in Adelaide, they were all-consuming. At the same time then, on the nascent internet or however, I was sort of Googling different — well, it was probably pre-Google — looking for radical theatremakers in the world. And in 1999, getting to travel and go and meet them and see their work. So for me, it's always been a hunger for the work and about the work. And all of the opportunities that have come — right from, I guess, first going and working, being invited from Adelaide to become a resident at Sydney Theatre Company, then being invited to come and work at the Schaubühne in Berlin, and then going to London and so on — they have always come from the work, from somebody seeing the work, recognising the work and inviting me to build on that. I've never looked and said 'I want to be working on these stages' or be there — other people work like that, but for me, it really comes from the work. I think back then, I loved cinema very much and was very influenced by cinema, and thought that I would like to make a movie one day but was busy with theatre for a lot longer than I thought — and absolutely consumed with theatremaking, but I guess I always hoped that I would do that. And to move between those two worlds — we mentioned Bergman — that still remains a goal. And to make a movie that can have the effect on people that Streetcar has, I don't think I've quite done that yet. That can be very, very true to itself — very true to itself — and also have audiences lined around the block to see it when we did it in London, and people still wanting to see it in the cinema. I'd love to find that sweet spot in a movie, and I feel there's still a lot of work to do there — and that theatre is a place I can keep returning to for now. That's a really beautiful, safe home to explore in. So it's always about the work for me." NT Live's A Streetcar Named Desire returned to Australian cinemas from Thursday, June 19, 2025. A Streetcar Named Desire images: Johan Persson.
Swap your swimmers for a scarf, and head down to Bondi this month. From Tuesday, July 17, Bondi Pavilion will be transformed into a carnival playground for the sixth annual Bondi Feast festival. Across ten nights, a lineup of over 160 artists, comedians, actors and foodies will grace Bondi's shores, with over 40 shows set to be performed across six spaces, accompanied by a pop-up bar and restaurant. Enjoy a glass of hot mulled cider, and catch a show in Bondi Feast's brand new Festival Garden and decadent Parlour Tent. There'll be impromptu musical performances, interactive Jenga, and private storytellings in the lifts of Bondi Pavillion. Bondi Feast will feature comedic appearances and cabaret shows from the likes of cabaret queen Trevor Ashley, Damien Callinan who will publicly explore his obsession with swing dancing in his show Swing Men, and an appearance from the celebrated Double Denim female duo for everything 90s, high energy and, of course, denim. MasterChef's Callan Smith will be taking the theatre into his own hands with a pop-up restaurant featuring a menu of the delicious and unexpected. Tickets for each show range from free to $30, with a few freebies ensuring your venture into the brisk winter air will not see you leave disappointed.
An exciting venue celebrating music and Japanese cuisine is coming to Solotel and Matt Moran's Barangaroo House in September. Rekōdo is a new restaurant and vinyl bar set to arrive on level one of the expansive multi-storey restaurant and bar from Friday, September 16, offering up top-notch eats, sake and tunes curated by some of Sydney's most beloved musicians. Starting with the food, Head Chef Paddy McDermott's menu will be based around vibrant and inventive Japanese-style dishes. Guests will be able to keep things light with the likes of DIY tuna belly, avocado and roe temaki hand rolls, or kimchi and fontina cheese taiyaki waffles. Looking for something a little more hearty? Feast your way through Rekōdo's whole fried snapper or mondanyaki noodles — or the charcoal-smoked red miso eggplant, which will arrive to your table still cooking in a donabe clay pot. "Leaning into the music vibe of Rekōdo, I'd say we're going for a 'high fidelity' approach to the menu — familiar flavours but having a little fun in the way they're presented," says McDermott. While the food may be enticing, the most exciting element of Rekōdo is the music. Boasting a huge collection of vinyl records, the venue will enlist the curation skills of a different tastemaker each month to select the tunes. Kicking things off will be Meg Mac, showcasing the eclectic music taste that has inspired her beloved catalogue of ballads. Following Mac's reign as the curator, Donny Benét and Lazywax are already locked in to take over the speakers in October and November respectively. "I'm obsessed with all the amazing voices in the world, so I've included some of the singers I love like Sam Cooke, Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield, Enya, Leon Bridges and my new local discovery Telenova!" says Mac. "One of the things I love about vinyl is the artwork. I like to put the covers up on my piano when I'm writing, it helps inspire me and I can swap them around depending on what mood I'm in. So, I'm excited to flick through some of these covers at Rekōdo next month!" And yes, there will be vinyl dance parties. Acclaimed local DJs Ayebatonye, Adi Toohey and Soul of Sydney DJs are among the roster of talent that Rekōdo has pulled together, all hopping on the decks and get the party started each Thursday–Sunday. Rounding out your visit to Barangaroo's new multi-faceted space is the drinks list. Bar lead Pauric Kennedy is pulling together a now 20-strong list of sakes which will be able to be ordered by the glass, as a tasting flight or in cocktails. Add brown sugar umeshu, tangerine and elderflower tonic to your sake and you have a refreshing Tokyo Tipple, for instance "The Rekōdo experience is about mixing sound, drink and good times with shared friends," co-owner and restauranteur Matt Moran says. "Paddy has done a great job creating a menu that reflects this, with a mix of small and larger dishes all designed to share so you can tailor it to whatever vibe you're after." Rekodo will open on Friday, September 16 at Level 1, Barangaroo House, 35 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo — operating from 12pm–12am Tuesday–Saturday and 12–10pm on Sundays. Images: Steven Woodburn.
Forget microwave dinners. Come the not too distant future, you could be cooking your food in the washing machine. A university student in Tel Aviv has recently devised a new type of instant meal that cooks sous-vide style in the laundry along with your dirty socks. How very appetising. Created by Iftach Gazit of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, the Sous La Vie bags are made from waterproof Tyvek paper, and contain a sealed inner plastic bag — ensuring you don't end up with mixed veggies in your undies, or soap in your salmon teriyaki. "In sous-vide, the food is cooked in a bath-like device at temperatures usually around 50 to 70 degrees Celsius," explains Gazit in a blog post. "The same conditions can be found in a washing machine." "Instead of following a sous-vide recipe and cooking a piece of meat at 58 degrees Celsius for two and a half hours, just set your washing machine to 'synthetics' for a long duration program," he suggests. "Cooking vegetables? Set your machine to 'cotton' for a short duration program." In addition to being a convenient — if rather disconcerting — option for those of us who don't have a lot of time to prepare food, Gazit also believes that his invention could help those who are sleeping rough, pointing out that all night laundromats often double as impromptu accommodation for the homeless. "They offer a hassle-free shelter," he explains. "So why shouldn't you be able to cook some food while there?" It's not clear if and when Gazit's product will ever hit the market, or whether it would ever really be embraced by consumers. Still… surely you'd be curious to try it at least once. Via Dezeen.
This funky cafe/bar is held in high regard by the locals, because despite being around for so many years, its friendly demeanour has yet to falter. Grind Espresso is a favourite for local celebrities — players from the Cronulla Sharks can often be seen milling around, enjoying an espresso and some smashed avocado (with eggs, of course, for protein). The cafe fare here is simple but delicious, with BLTs and scones frequent favourites on the menu. Drop by and sit at the dive bar-style couches, or perch around a refurbished barrel for some coffee drinking and people watching. Images: Caitlin Morahan.
Following in the footsteps of Toshiro Mifune, the Japanese acting icon and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator, isn't an easy job. But enlisting Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4) to tread where the Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Yojimbo star once did is a genius move in television's second adaptation of Shōgun. James Clavell's bestselling 1975 novel has reached the small screen before, in 1980. Back then, with Mifune as war hero Lord Yoshii Toranaga, it told its tale in five movie-length parts. Now, boasting the resolute and restrained Sanada in the role (and also as one of the show's producers), it returns 44 years later as a sweeping, dazzling and thrilling ten-episode miniseries — streaming on Disney+ Down Under from Tuesday, February 27 — that perfects many things, its casting high among them. Sanada has equally well-chosen company; picking him, Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as Shōgun circa 2024's leads is a masterstroke. The 17th century-set series makes plenty of other excellent decisions, but getting its core trio right is still pivotal. Richly detailed, the samurai series knows how to thrust its viewers into a deeply textured world from the outset, with complex performances at its centre an essential anchoring tactic. Sanada's Toranaga is among the political candidates vying to steer the future of the country. Jarvis is John Blackthorne, a British Protestant sailor on a Dutch ship that has run aground in a place that its crew isn't sure is real until they get there. And Sawai is Toda Mariko, a Japanese noblewoman with her own complicated history, who is also tasked with translating for the Englishman. Each of Shōgun's three key characters encompasses much more than their basic descriptions, of course. The portrayals that bring them to the screen make that plain from the moment they're each first seen. Weight and heft have long lingered in Sanada's layered performances — be it in his turns in J-horror's original Ringu films, or in Sunshine, Lost and Westworld — which befits a regent with his own plans for his nation, separate from his fellow council members, a year after of the death of the last supreme ruler. He cuts a contemplative but determined figure, who is as canny with strategy as with seizing opportunity; Blackthorne's arrival sees him in both modes. Reminiscent of Tom Hardy (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Jarvis brings raw bluster and astonishment to his part at first, then slowly dawning understanding. As for Sawai, she exudes duty, stoicism, shrewdness and sorrow as a woman whose choices are so rarely her own. When it opens, Shōgun finds feudal Japan in crisis mode given its heir is to young to rule, Toranaga facing enemies and Blackthorne among the first of his compatriots that've made it to the nation, the latter much to the alarm of Japan's sole European inhabitants, all Catholic and from Portugal. While it is indeed still a story where a Westerner enters as an outsider, then becomes enmeshed in the daily goings-on, this Shōgun doesn't ever present Blackthorne's as the only or chief perspective. Sanada is the show's first-billed talent. The series' devotion to unravelling its narrative with Toranaga, Mariko and Blackthorne evenly at its heart never wavers. And, nor does its exploration of perspective — because what a splintering Japanese society means to one of its leaders, an interloper fresh to its shores and someone accustomed since childhood to be at its whims ("we live, and we die; we control nothing beyond that," Mariko says more than once) is completely different. Early in, creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo (on her first TV credit) don't let the fact that "barbarian" is flung around by almost everyone escape attention. Usually it refers to Blackthorne, as used interchangeably with "anjin", the Japanese term for pilot. Toranaga swiftly gleans how handy the Brit's 500 muskets and 20 cannons will be if the acrimony directed his way by his regent counterparts results in war. His new vassal lives at his direction, then, as does Mariko. She'd prefer to surrender her life than exist without her disgraced family or stay with a warrior husband (Shinnosuke Abe, Keiji Shichinin) that she feels nothing warm for, but honour dictates otherwise. It's obligation, too, that has her convince her spouse's niece-by-marriage Usami Fuji (Moeka Hoshi, Turn to Me Mukai-kun) to submit to a heartbreaking decree, which is how Mariko is introduced. In another of the dialogue's aphorisms, people are compared to pebbles that are pushed here, there and everywhere by the elements. It isn't just the metaphor that lands, but also the granularity; Shōgun looks and feels intricate, and is staged and plotted to match. Spies, love, loyalty, courtesan life, gardening practices, earthquakes, rabbit stew, duplicitous allegiances, ambition in a variety of forms, how gravely one's word can be taken: they're all weaved in. In its overarching narrative, Toranaga is beckoned to Osaka, where his main rival Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) wants to put him in his place to snatch up overseeing the country for himself. That's truly the framing, however, as is Blackthorne initially washing up in a fishing village. Although Toranaga declares several times that he's not after the titular position, Shōgun is another series for the streaming pile that's about fighting for supremacy, as Game of Thrones and Succession both famously were. As with just the former, it's another grand and gripping epic. While it's impossible not to see those links, knowing that both battling over who'll grasp power and traversing sprawling worlds are among pop culture's favourite things right now (and for some time) doesn't make Shōgun any less impressive. Rather, Marks and Kondo's spin on Clavell's book is a reminder of how magnificent and mesmerising such efforts can be when they're at their very best. The scale is immense, and yet there's no skimping on intimacy. With authenticity as its guide, the minutiae is meticulous, demanding that the utmost notice is paid to everything at all times. The scenery alone is so exquisitely and sumptuously shot that it'll doubtless inspire tourist pilgrimages. Shōgun is visceral, too; gore is also no stranger from the get-go, when being boiled alive proves one way to deal with Japan's newcomers — and frequently from then on, including via seppuku. This is potent, thoughtful and immediately engrossing viewing, and lavish and precisely made also. As skilled at giant setpieces as it is at plunging into political scheming and emotional yearning, Shōgun makes getting drawn in instantaneous. Check out the trailer for Shōgun below: Shōgun streams via Disney+ from Tuesday, February 27. Images: Katie Yu/FX.
If furniture could talk, the couch from Friends would have plenty to say. For a decade up until 2004, the orange-hued lounge played a pivotal part on everyone's favourite 90s sitcom, as Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe whiled away the hours in Central Perk, reclined upon the sofa's comfortable-looking cushions, drank copious amounts of coffee and nattered non-stop about their lives. As far as on-screen seats go, it's up there with the most famous. And, almost two decades since the show went off the air, it's now in Australia. The Friends Experience has brought that bright-coloured sofa Down Under, finally hitting our shores after stops in New York City, Long Beach, Detroit, Birmingham and Brussels. This isn't the actual couch that Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer plonked their butts on for ten seasons, but it is a replica — as is much at The Friends Experience. That includes a version of Central Perk itself, as well as the fountain, Monica's kitchen, and Chandler and Joey's recliners. Why? Nostalgia and all those snaps everyone is going to take, obviously. Keen to sit where your TV besties once did (or on a settee that resembles the one they sat on, to be precise)? Then you can do just that from Friday, September 1 until the end of summer at The District Docklands in Melbourne, where The Friends Experience is making its Aussie debut. We can't promise that the sofa will always be empty, like it magically was whenever Monica, Rachel and the gang wanted to grab a caffeine hit, but you will be able to see and touch the replica either way. Yes, a version of the couch has done the rounds Down Under before, but that's not going to stop Friends diehards from heading along. Also, this is an official dive into the Friends world, complete not just with set recreations, but costumes and props, plus a gift shop filled with merchandise if you need a souvenir. Could you be any more excited? Images: Nico Photography / Fiona Hamilton. Updated Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
So nice, they're doing it twice. After hinting at a move into the city last year, Odd Culture Group has confirmed it will make its CBD debut with two new venues: an underground daiquiri bar and discotheque, plus a neighbourhood osteria, both set to land on York Street in early 2026. The openings mark the group's first foray into the CBD, following years spent building a loyal following across the Inner West and Inner East. Since the group's inception in the thick of the 2020 lockdowns, Odd Culture has carved out a reputation for community-driven — and tightly conceptualised — venues, including its eponymous Newtown wine bar Odd Culture, Bistro Grenier, Pleasure Club, The Duke of Enmore and The Old Fitz, the latter two among the best pubs in Sydney. Now, under newly appointed CEO Rebecca Lines (pictured below), the group is taking that neighbourhood-minded ethos into a part of town better known for power lunches and after-work drinks. For Lines, that contrast is exactly the point. "The biggest challenge in the Sydney CBD district is that it can feel transient, plus there is intense competition, rising costs, and a guest base that's often time-poor and choice-rich," says Lines. "You need to earn loyalty quickly, and I believe that's also the opportunity of this district — the CBD has huge energy, diversity, and frequency of trade if you get it right." [caption id="attachment_1077335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ethan Smart[/caption] While specifics remain under wraps, the two York Street spaces will lean into experience as much as hospitality. One will descend underground into daiquiris and late-night dancing, while the other will take a more relaxed approach. Both aim to inject warmth and personality in a district that can often skew transactional. "Our 'neighbourhood charm' has never just been about the postcode but rather how people are welcomed, remembered, and looked after," says Lines. "For us, the opportunity is to bring warmth, personality, and genuine hospitality into a part of the city that's often more transactional. Our goal is for the venues to be a moment of respite from the corporate world, with a bit of neighbourhood charm where people feel known, welcomed, and want to return to." It's a calculated move at a time when the CBD continues to navigate post-pandemic recovery and cost-of-living pressures. The numbers are trending in the right direction, though: a City of Sydney October 2025 Economic Insights Report recorded a 7.2 percent increase in overall CBD consumer spend in September 2025 compared to 2024, while the 2025 SevenRooms Hospitality Report found diners are increasingly seeking out "experience-led dining", with 82 percent more likely to book venues that offer something extra to justify the spend. It seems the times just may suit a group that has long blended food, drinks and entertainment. [caption id="attachment_1077337" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ethan Smart[/caption] Odd Culture's two CBD venues are set to open on York Street in early 2026. For more information, head to the group's website.
Celebrated Middle Eastern fine diner AALIA has opened an intimate, wine-first offshoot right next to its main dining room. Overlooking Harry Seidler's modernist MLC Centre on Martin Place, AALIA Wine Room is a walk-ins-only destination in its own right rather than a scaled-down restaurant, offering a more relaxed way to explore the flavours and philosophy that have earned AALIA its two hats. As the name suggests, the focus here is firmly on the wine. An expansive list curated by sommelier Sarah O'Dwyer features more than 230 bottles from emerging and established producers around the world, while a 30-plus by-the-glass selection encourages exploration of lesser-seen varietals and contemporary winemaking techniques. For those keen to dig deeper, Discovery Hour invites guests to settle in for a series of sommelier-selected pours revealed tableside. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Paul Farag distils AALIA's produce-driven Middle Eastern cooking into a tight menu of wine-friendly snacks and small plates. Expect refined, pared-back dishes that echo the flavours of the main restaurant without attempting to replicate the full experience, from basturma, pickled chilli and quail egg gilda to kibbeh nayyeh with rhubarb and buckwheat, and pickled kokotxas with tamarind and Aleppo pepper. A weekday lunch service takes an even more casual approach, reworking familiar favourites through an AALIA lens. Dishes like Murray cod shawarma with toum and pickles, steak frites with café de Cairo butter and a classic beef cheeseburger make AALIA Wine Room a solid option for a smart midweek lunch. Split across two levels, the 42-seat venue mirrors the existing AALIA aesthetic — warm timber, banquette seating, mood lighting and eye-catching tiles all feature — with subtle nods to the modernist masterpiece just beyond the windows. Images: Jiwon Kim.
After nearly two decades of continuous service — no mean feat in Sydney's fickle dining scene, even without a global pandemic getting in the way — Bronte Road Bistro served its last plate of steak frites in January 2026. In its place comes Bronte Road Fish. While it's from the same crew behind the original bistro, this iteration is a decidedly more casual affair, trading duck à l'orange and French wines for tuna smash burgers, silky soft serve and margarita slushies. The menu, by Chef-Owner Matt Barnett, is as straightforward as it gets: a fish burger, tuna smash burger, prawn katsu burger and mushroom burger sit alongside fish and chips, salads and soft serve (with optional toppings). Barnett also spent time perfecting his potato scallops, striking a balance between shattering crunch and moreish umami. [caption id="attachment_1073233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Co-Owner Stewart Parson has assembled a tight drinks edit featuring a handful of wines by the glass and bottle — plus a small selection of cellared reserves — alongside $10 beers and crowd-pleasing cocktails priced at $12, including margarita slushies, gin and tonic on tap and RTD spritzes made in collaboration with Marrickville's Ester Spirits. Just up the hill from Bronte Beach in Charing Cross, the venue occupies a cosy cottage with a relaxed neighbourhood feel. A sunny courtyard shaded by a yellow-and-white striped awning makes it an ideal post-swim stop, whether you're settling in for a burger and slushie or popping by the soft-serve window on your way home. [caption id="attachment_1073234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption]
In need a domestic getaway? How about a sojourn down south to Tasmania? Jetstar is back with another sale of flights for way, way less — this time teaming up with Tourism Tasmania and connecting Aussies in six major cities to Hobart and Launceston for as little as $45 one way. The sale is already underway and set to run until 11.59pm Monday, March 16, or until sold out. Melbournians can fly to Launceston from $45 and Hobart from $66, the cost of the average dinner these days, while Sydneysiders can book seats to Launceston from $55 and to Hobart from $73, or drive to Newcastle and fly to Hobart from $61. Coming from Brisbane? Launceston flights are from $96, Hobart from $112 — or head to Gold Coast airport to fly to Hobart from $105, and Adelaide to Hobart is just $87. The discounts are eligible for flights between Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, December 16. [caption id="attachment_1043520" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kunanyi (Mt Wellington), Hobart[/caption] There's more than enough to do in Tasmania during those months. In April, the Autumn Festival will see the Derwent Valley and Central Highlands transform into autumn colours and themed events, followed by TrailGrazer, a three-day festival celebrating the flavours and growers of northwest Tasmania. Late May and early June see Hobart celebrate its UNESCO-listed status as a city of literature and invite readers and writers to revel in the craft during the Island Readers and Writers Festival. Then in mid-June, Tasmania's legendary midwinter solstice festival, Dark Mofo, returns for another year of fiery, late-night hedonism to fight off the winter chill. [caption id="attachment_998155" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dark Mofo[/caption] In August, Tasmanian Whisky Week puts the island's award-winning distillery scene into the spotlight through tours, masterclasses and peeks behind the scenes of the (literal) Tassie spirit. Then later that month, the focus shifts to science via the Beaker Street Festival and its big discussions on even bigger ideas. And if you're holding off for a springtime trip, the Wynyard Tulip Festival blooms into a family-friendly celebration for one day only in October. The Jetstar Tasmania Sale is on now until 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, March 16, or until sold out. Visit the website to book your flights. Images: supplied
If you live in Manly, your ferry commute home just got a little bit more bearable (a whole lot tastier). Harbour City Ferries has just opened bars on the four vessels that service the northern beaches suburb, and they're being helmed by local craft brewers 4 Pines. The on-board bars are a first for a Sydney public ferry — until now, you could only buy a bev on privately owned services, like the Manly Fast Ferry. The 4 Pines Ferry Bars can be found on the four Manly ferries: Collaroy, Narrabeen, Freshwater and Queenscliff. The brewery's core range will be kept on-board, including sips like the Indian Summer Ale, the In Season IPA and the Brookvale Union Ginger Beer. While booze will only be available from 4–8pm each day, non-alcoholic drinks and a food menu available at other times. Those that rush to work will especially find a lot to love — think, smoothies, frittatas, granola yoghurt pots and the Le Pig toastie, made with leg ham, gruyere, cheddar and Dijon mustard. All the food will be whipped up by the 4 Pines kitchen. According to Sydney Harbour Ferries Managing Director Martin Kearney, the move is about improving the onboard experience. "We have listened to what our customers want and believe the bar service on Manly ferries adds an enjoyable dimension to the journey of regular commuters and visitors to our city," Kearney said. The 4 Pine Ferry Bars are now open on the four Harbour City Ferries Manly services, with alcohol served between 4 and 8pm.
Maybe it's a budget thing. Perhaps you can't get time off work. Your diary just mightn't be able to spare a whole three days in Byron Bay, plus travelling there and back. Can't make it to Splendour in the Grass in 2023? There are plenty of reasons why that might be the case, but the festival's official sideshows are here to help cure your FOMO. This year, everyone from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lewis Capaldi to Little Simz and Tove Lo are hitting stages around Australia outside of their Splendour sets — and Loyle Carner, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Noah Cyrus as well. Keen to see your favourite act do their own show? They might be on this list, albeit with the usual Sydney- and Melbourne-heavy focus. As is almost always the case with sideshows to Byron-based fests, Brisbane doesn't get a look in. If you're located in the Sunshine State and you're keen, Splendour or a trip to the New South Wales and Victorian capitals is in your future. Sam Fender's only sideshow is in Perth, however, and Lewis Capaldi's already on-sale sideshows only have tickets remaining for his Perth stopover. For folks in Adelaide, Loyle Carner is coming to South Australia, and Capaldi as well, but his solo gig is already sold out. That said, Secret Sounds, the crew behind Splendour, is also bringing its winter festival Spin Off back to the City of Churches, complete with SiTG acts Hilltop Hoods, Pnau, Tove Lo, BENEE, iann dior and Noah Cyrus. Yeah Yeah Yeah's sideshows come after the band was meant to make the trip to Australia for 2022's Splendour, complete with their own concerts, but had to drop out. Lizzo's Australian arena tour isn't on this list given that it was announced before Splendour, but that's another way to see the fest's talent without a trip to Byron. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2023 OFFICIAL SIDESHOWS: YEAH YEAH YEAHS With Automatic Thursday, July 20 — MCA, Melbourne Monday, July 24 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney SAM FENDER Thursday, July 20 — HBF Stadium, Perth LITTLE SIMZ Wednesday, July 19 — MCA, Melbourne Friday, July 21 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney TOVE LO With Blusher Wednesday, July 19 — Forum, Melbourne Tuesday, July 25 — Roundhouse, Sydney LOYLE CARNER Saturday, July 22 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, July 25 — Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide Thursday, July 27 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne IANN DIOR Wednesday, July 19 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Saturday, July 22 — Metro Theatre, Sydney RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE Thursday, July 20 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Friday, July 21 — 170 Russell, Melbourne NOAH CYRUS With PJ Harding Sunday, July 9 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sunday, July 16 — 170 Russell, Melbourne SUDAN ARCHIVES Saturday, July 22 — Liberty Hall, Sydney Tuesday, July 25 — 170 Russell, Melbourne DEL WATER GAO Friday, July 21 — Howler, Melbourne Saturday, July 22 — Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney LEWIS CAPALDI (on sale now) With Noah Cyrus Friday, July 7–Saturday, July 8 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney — SOLD OUT Tuesday, July 11 — RAC Arena, Perth Thursday, July 13 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide — SOLD OUT Friday, July 14–Saturday, July 15 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — SOLD OUT Splendour in the Grass will take over North Byron Bay Parklands from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23, 2023. The festival's sideshows are popping up across Australia in July, with tickets on sale from 9am, Tuesday, May 9 — and presales from Monday, May 8.
The world's first wandering institution dedicated to showcasing the creative efforts of ordinary folks is coming to Australia. That'd be the The Museum of Everything, which will head to Tasmania for a ten-month stint filled with pieces that you won't find in any other gallery. Launching during MONA's Dark Mofo in June, then running through until April 2, 2018, the exhibition will feature over 1500 works in themed spaces, taking visitors on an informal journey through human making. Drawings, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, collage, photography, assemblage, found objects and installations will all be on display during its first trip to our shores. Starting in London in 2009, and touring to Paris, Venice, Moscow and Rotterdam since, The Museum of Everything aims to improve the profile of art that falls outside of the usual channels. Forget famous names — you won't find them here. Instead, lining its walls are works crafted by untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and and otherwise unclassifiable artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Indeed, the people responsible for the kind of pieces favoured by the travelling display are compelled to channel their creativity into new, different and experimental works, but they don't fit the conventional definition of artists. As founder James Brett explains, "our artists do not create for the markets or museums. They make because they must and— from Henry Darger to Nek Chand Saini — have something vital to say about the essence of their lives". Image: George Widener, c. 2007, courtesy of The Museum of Everything.
Every single week, new releases grace the country's cinemas, spanning instant masterpieces, forgettable dreck and everything in-between. But as glorious as the silver-screen experience is — for watching a film, there's absolutely nothing like it — that's not the only place to see an ace movie. Plenty of standout flicks are now dropping in your streaming queue every single month without gracing a picture palace first. Sometimes, they've had small film festival runs beforehand — but definitely not always. Back in the day, these would've been dubbed 'straight to video' and come with an air of suspicion. But bypassing cinemas has never been synonymous with terrible films. It certainly hasn't been in 2022 so far, with the first six months of the year delivering a heap of highlights — 15 that we've picked, in fact — that rank among the year's best. Here's the full rundown of the straight-to-streaming gems that you need to catch up with. The added bonus: you can watch them all from your couch now. KIMI For the second year in a row, Steven Soderbergh has made one of the year's best movies and it has completely bypassed Australian cinemas. Unlike last year's No Sudden Move, however, Kimi was always destined for streaming. The latest in his series of paranoid thrillers that also includes Contagion, and once again female-fronted as Haywire, Side Effects and Unsane were too, this Zoë Kravitz-starring standout takes its cues from smart devices, humanity's increasing dependence upon technology, and the kinds of events that a virtual assistant like Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant might eavesdrop on. As a result, Soderbergh has crafted another movie that riffs on a growing area of real-life interest, then turns it into a tense, potent and devilishly smart feature. A bonus: focusing on a protagonist who doesn't feel safe leaving her house, Kimi couldn't better capture how the pandemic has felt without overtly needing to be a COVID-19 film. Kravitz (The Batman) plays Angela Childs, who works for Seattle-based tech corporation Amygdala from the comfort of her own sprawling loft — and from her own audiophile's dream of a computer setup — listening to snippets of conversation captured by smart speaker Kimi for quality assurance. In one clip, she hears what she believes to be a horrible crime and is compelled to follow up; however, her bosses aren't thrilled about her probing. Complicating matters: after being the victim of an assault a couple of years earlier, Angela suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, making leaving the house to investigate a fraught task. As he did to particularly stellar effect in Unsane as well, Soderbergh styles his latest psychological thriller after its protagonist's mindset, making unease and suspense drop from every aesthetic choice — camera angles and placement, jittery frames and a voyeuristic perspective all included. Kimi is available to stream via Binge. FRESH Finally, a film about dating in the 21st century with real bite — and that's unafraid to sink its teeth into the topic. In this hit Sundance horror-comedy, Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, and once again gets entangled in a romance that'll leave a mark; here, however, the scars aren't merely emotional. Swiping right hasn't been doing it for Fresh's protagonist, as a comically terrible date with the appropriately named Chad (Brett Dier, Jane the Virgin) demonstrates early. Then sparks fly the old-fashioned way, in-person at the supermarket, with the curiously offline doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy). Soon, he's whisking her away to a secluded spot for the weekend — a little too swiftly for Noa's protective best friend Mollie's (Jojo T Gibbs, Twenties) liking, especially given that no one can virtually stalk his socials to scope him out — and that getaway takes a savage and nightmare-fuelling twist. If Raw met Ex Machina, then crossed paths with American Psycho and Hostel, and finally made the acquaintance of any old rom-com, Fresh still wouldn't be the end result — but its tone stems from those parts, as do some plot points and performances, and even a few scenes as well. First-time feature director Mimi Cave doesn't butcher these limbs, though, and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn (Ibiza) doesn't stitch them together like Frankenstein's monster. As anchored by the excellent Edgar-Jones and Stan, there's care, savvy, smarts and style in this splatter-filled, satirical, brutal, funny, empowered and sweet film. Its twists, and its cutting take on predatory dating, are best discovered by watching, but being turned off apps, men and meat in tandem is an instant gut reaction. Fresh is available to stream via Disney+. COW As its name so clearly explains, Cow devotes its frames to one farmyard animal — and it's one of the most haunting films of the past few years. It's the third feature to take its title from a four-legged critter in the past 12 months, after the vastly dissimilar Pig and Lamb. It's also the second observational documentary of late to peer at the daily existence of creatures that form part of humanity's food chain, following the also-exceptional Gunda. And, it also joins 2013's The Moo Man in honing its focus specifically upon dairy farming, and in Britain at that. But the key to Cow is Andrea Arnold, the phenomenal filmmaker behind Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights, American Honey and the second season of Big Little Lies. She sees Luma, her bovine protagonist, with as much affection and understanding as she's ever seen any of the women who've led her projects. While watching, viewers do as well. Starting with the birth of Luma's latest calf — and, in the beginning, taking detours to see how it's faring as well — Cow unfurls with the rhythm of its agricultural setting. It's the rhythm of Luma's life, too, as she's milked and fed, moos for the offspring that's taken away too quickly, and is soon impregnated again. There's no doubt where the documentary is headed, either. There's simply no shying away from the fact that Luma and cattle like her only exist for milk or meat. Without ever offering any narration or on-screen explanation, Arnold stares at these facts directly, while also peering deeply into its bovine subject's eyes as often as possible. The result is hypnotic, inescapably affecting, and also features the best use of Garbage's 'Milk' ever in a movie. Cow is available to stream via DocPlay. I'M YOUR MAN Since 2013, any film that's involved making an emotional connection with artificial intelligence has brought Her to mind. Since 2014, any movie about human-android relationships has conjured up Ex Machina as well. And, since 2007, any flick that focuses on the companionship that a lonely human soul might find in an artificial companion has walked in Lars and the Real Girl's footsteps, too. In smart, perceptive and warmly humorous German gem I'm Your Man, however, it's a woman who is opening her life to a male presence — an AI-run robot designed to be her perfect match — and she's not too happy about it. Archaeologist Dr Alma Felser (Maren Egger, I Was at Home, But) is merely and begrudgingly testing out the technology that brings Tom (Dan Stevens, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) into her life, for three weeks at the behest of her boss at Berlin's Pergamon Museum, and solely for the good of science. I'm Your Man is a rom-com, which means exactly what viewers think it does going in: that Alma slowly starts rethinking her position on Tom. But that's about the only aspect of this thoughtful, witty and yearning exploration of what it means to be human and to truly connect that does what's expected. Fresh from winning an Emmy for directing Unorthodox, German filmmaker Maria Schrader helms a charming and insightful take on what's beginning to be an oft-considered topic, and is unpacked in a moving and delightful way in her hands. Her film is also extremely well cast, with Egger thoroughly deserving her 2021 Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance as Alma, and Stevens pitch-perfect as the supposed robotic man of her dreams — who just wants love himself. I'm Your Man is available to stream via Binge. HELLBENDER Meet the Adams family — no, not the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky characters that've featured on pages and screens for decades (including in two terrible recent animated flicks), but the filmmaking collective comprised of couple Toby Poser and John Adams, plus their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams. The quartet might be missing a letter from their well-known counterparts' names, but they're just as fond of all things horror. Case in point: their second feature Hellbender, a self-financed standout that's both a spellbinding tale of witchcraft and a clever coming-of-age story. It starts in a house in the woods, and also spends most of its time there. It includes the arrival of an unexpected stranger, shattering the status quo. But formulaic and by-the-numbers, this must-see isn't. In making first-rate use of its setting, and of a cast that's primarily comprised of Adams family members, it's also a masterclass in lockdown filmmaking. In the most expected aspect of Hellbender, the film's name does indeed refer to a punk-metal band, with 16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams, The Deeper You Dig) and her mother (Toby Poser) its sole members. No one else has ever heard them play, either, given that Izzy is both homeschooled and confined to the family's sprawling mountainside property, as she has been since she was five. Her mum tells her that she can't venture into town or around other people due to a contagious autoimmune disease; however, when a lost man (John Adams) wanders their way and mentions that his teenage niece Amber (Lulu Adams) lives nearby, Izzy gets the confidence to go exploring. As both written and directed by three out of four Adams family members — all except Lulu — Hellbender proves an impressive supernatural affair from its opening occult-heavy prologue through to its astute take on teen rebellion. Here's hoping this Adams family spirits up more DIY horror delights soon, too. Hellbender is available to stream via Shudder. APOLLO 10 1/2: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD In 1969, the year that Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is set, writer/director Richard Linklater was nine years old and living in Houston, Texas. This lovely animated film happens to follow a boy around the same age in the same city — and trust the filmmaker behind Boyhood, Dazed and Confused, and the glorious trio that is Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight to make viewers who weren't there then (who weren't even alive and have never been to America, too) to feel as nostalgic about the place and era as he clearly does. As narrated by his Bernie and The School of Rock star Jack Black, the film's entire middle section dances through memories of the time and city with infectious enthusiasm, but its biggest dose of affection radiates towards the technological promise of the 60s. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions were rocketing into space and it patently felt like anything was possible, a sensation so marvellously captured in each second of Apollo 10 1/2. Jumping back into the rotoscoped animation that served Linklater so well in Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, this loving ode to years and moods gone by also sports a delightful premise. As his older guise (Black) explains, young Stan (debutant Milo Coy) was an ordinary Houston kid with a NASA-employed dad (Bill Wise, Waves), doting mum (Lee Eddy, Cruel Summer) and five older siblings when he was approached by two men (Shazam!'s Zachary Levi and Everybody Wants Some!!'s Glen Powell) to help them with a problem. In the lead up to Apollo 11, it seems that NASA accidentally built the lunar module a couple of sizes too small, so they need a kid — Stan — to help them by going to the moon to test things out before Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins make their famous trip in a bigger version. That fantastical idea feels ripped from Linklater's childhood dreams, and it well might be; it also makes for a warm and charming entry point into a movie that's as much about life's ups and downs, the bonds of family and the wide-eyed optimism of youth as it is about heading to space. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is available to stream via Netflix. THE JANES In the perfect version of 2022, watching The Janes would resemble unpacking a time capsule. In this documentary's frames, remnants of life during 60s and 70s America flicker across the screen — visions of what the US was like for women before the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling. But, devastatingly, that's not how viewing this Tia Lessin (Citizen Koch)- and Emma Pildes-directed film feels like now thanks to recent developments with America's current conservative-skewed highest judicial body. Accordingly, this powerful doco might just offer a window into the possible future by cataloguing a dark and heartbreaking part of the past. Its focus: members of Chicago's The Jane Collective, who stepped in to provide safe, affordable but also highly illegal abortion services when terminating pregnancies, and therefore giving women agency over their choices and their very existence, was a crime across the nation. Fellow 2022 highlight Happening has charted the same territory at around the same time, but in France and fictionalised. Back in 2020, the phenomenal Never Rarely Sometimes Always examined the situation in the US recently — well, before this year's Supreme Court ruling undoing Roe v Wade — as well. Each of the above, and The Janes as well, unsurprisingly makes for harrowing, infuriating, heart- and gut-wrenching viewing. In this instance, the film sticks with current-day talking heads and archival footage to step through why the service provided by Jane, aka the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation, was necessary and important. The brave and heroic women involved talked through the details with clarity and potency, as do some of the men who assisted, whether as husbands who were also lawyers, doctors, or construction workers-turned-abortionists. Of course, unlike in the times chronicled, women never come second to men in this gripping and resonant doco. The Janes is available to stream via Binge. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH With Freshman Year, Cooper Raiff cemented himself as a talent to watch, both on- and off-screen. The writer, director, actor, editor and producer wore many hats on the likeable romance-meets-coming-of-age film, and he wore them all impressively and effortlessly. With Cha Cha Real Smooth, he hands over splicing duties, but he's just as ace in every other guise yet again. Winner of the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, in the prestigious event's US Dramatic competition, this comedy also focuses on the fact that no one really knows how to handle life — this time centring its tale around the just-out-of-college Andrew (Raiff, Madeline & Cooper). The character returns home after graduating with the sole aim of making enough cash to follow his girlfriend to Spain, but falls into a gig hosting Bar Mitzvahs for his younger brother David's (Evan Assante, Dinosaur World) friends. Andrew falls in another way, too: in love with Domino (an exceptional Dakota Johnson, playing a mum again after The Lost Daughter), mother to Evan's classmate Lola (debutant Vanessa Burghardt). Lola has autism, is bullied by the other kids and usually finds herself ignored at parties, somewhat happily so; however, Andrew makes her feel comfortable and accepted, which doesn't go unnoticed. His growing fondness for Domino is complicated, though. So is the object of his affection herself — and, while more than half a century ago The Graduate splashed in a similar pool, Johnson brings her own shades and depths to a woman who is yearning for stability yet rallying against it. Everything also remains complex about Cha Cha Real Smooth's portrait of being a fresh college graduate with everything ahead of you and zero ideas of how what to truly do — and proves always-earnest as well, a description that applies to Raiff's work as Andrew and this low-key, insightful and charming movie alike. Cha Cha Real Smooth is available to stream via Apple TV+. FIRE ISLAND Pride and Prejudice, but set on New York's Fire Island. That's it, that's the queer rom-com that shares its setting's name. Fire Island, the movie, even comes with its own Mr Darcy — here called Will and played by How to Get Away with Murder's Conrad Ricamora, who should enjoy the same career bump that Colin Firth did in the 90s when he stepped into the part in a far-more-faithful TV adaptation. Updating Jane Austen isn't new, of course. Bridget Jones' Diary, also famously starring Firth, did the same with Pride and Prejudice. Stone-cold classic Clueless, which gets a shoutout here in a perfectly co-opted line of dialogue, did it with Emma, too. One of Fire Island's best traits is how new yet comfortable it feels, though, like thumbing through a favourite but seeing it afresh — with hot tubs full of praise deserved by director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night, Driveways) and screenwriter/star Joel Kim Booster (Loot). Booster also boasts a writing credit on The Other Two, one of the best new TV comedies of the past few years — and that bitingly smart, laugh-a-minute tone shines through in Fire Island, too. He takes Austen's tale about love and class and steeps it within the queer community, its subdivisions and subcultures, and issues of race and socio-economic status that ripple through, as they do in America and the world more broadly. That's what Booster's self-confident Noah finds himself navigating on a week-long annual getaway with his best friends, and after he decides to put his pal Howie's (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live) romantic prospects above his own. If you know the OG story, you know what happens next, including Noah's path towards the initially stern, quiet and standoffish Will. The end product here is witty, funny, heartwarming and sincere, as well as supremely well cast, energetic from start to finish, and bursting with queer pride. Fire Island is available to stream via Disney+. ASCENSION Ascension may not be one of this year's Oscar-winners, losing out to the also fantastic Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), but it'll always be among 2022's nominees. More than that, this two-time Tribeca Film Festival winner will forever remain one of the most arresting documentaries of the past 12 months as well. Helming her first feature-length doco, filmmaker Jessica Kingdon turns her gaze to the Chinese dream — and what she sees, while situated in a very specific cultural context by design, is a clear and easy sibling to its American counterpart. That's part of the statement her film makes, all just by watching on patiently but meticulously as people go about their lives. Starting with factory recruitment on the streets, then moving into mass production, then climbing the social hierarchy up to the rich and privileged, Ascension explores employment and consumerism — and what they mean in an everyday sense in modern-day and modernised China. It's a portrait of the needs that make working on assembly lines a necessity, and of the dreams that inspire every climb, rung by rung, up the societal ladder. Some folks build sex dolls, their uncanny valley-esque forms adding an eerie mood. Others take lessons on etiquette for service jobs, including about not letting your face betray your emotions, and the tone is also unsettling. Observational to a mesmerising degree, Kingdon's exceptional film lets its slices of life and the behaviour, attitudes and patterns they capture do the talking, and they all speak volumes. Indeed, what a clever, telling, incisive and surreal story they unfurl. Ascension is available to stream via Paramount+. THE HOUSE Not to be confused with well-cast but decidedly unfunny Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler-starring comedy of the same name, The House dedicates its weird and wonderful stop-motion animated frames to three tales all set in the same abode. In the anthology film's first chapter from directors Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef, a poverty-stricken family mocked by richer relatives luck into a deal with an architect, which results in the movie's central dwelling being built — and its new inhabitants getting more than they bargained for. In the second part by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, a developer, who also happens to be a rat, finalises his renovations and readies the place for sale; however, two odd prospective buyers won't leave after the first viewing. And in the third section from Paloma Baeza, the home towers above an apocalyptic future flooded with water, with its owner, a cat, struggling with her fellow feline tenants. Each of The House's films-within-a-film hail from a different creative team, boast different voice casts and splash around their own aesthetics — and they're all a delight. The constants: the titular structure, the fabric-style look to the animation (even as each director comes up with their own take) that makes you want to reach out and touch it, and mix of creativity and emotion in its dark-skewing stories. This is a movie that questions the comfortable mindset that bricks and mortar are expected to bring, and where where just trying to get by is recognised as the struggle it is in a variety of wild and inventive ways. And as for that vocal talent, Matthew Goode (The King's Man), Mia Goth (Emma.), Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown), Susan Wokoma (Truth Seekers) and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker all do ace work. The House is available to stream via Netflix. TURNING RED What'd happen if the Hulk was a teenage girl, and turned into a giant, fuzzy, super-cute red panda instead of going green and getting ultra-muscular? Or, finding a different riff on the ol' werewolf situation, if emotions rather than full moons inspired a case of not-quite-lycanthropy? These aren't queries that most folks have thought of, but writer/director Domee Shi certainly has — and they're at the core of Pixar's Turning Red, her debut feature after winning an Oscar for 2018 short Bao. As many of the animation studio's movies do, the film takes its title literally. But, it also spins the usual Pixar question. Turning Red does indeed wonder what'd happen if red pandas sported human-style emotions; however, the Disney-owned company has been musing on people becoming other kinds of critters of late, with particularly astute and endearing results here. The movie's focus: 13-year-old Chinese Canadian Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang, also making her film debut). The year is 2002, and she loves meeting her strict but doting mum Ming's (Sandra Oh, The Chair) expectations, hanging out with her pals and obsessing over boy band 4*Town. And while her mother doesn't approve of her friends or her taste in music, Mei has become accustomed to juggling everything that's important to her. But then, after a boy-related mishap, the red panda appears. Mei goes to bed feeling normal, albeit angsty and upset, only to wake up looking like a cuddly creature. Like werewolf tales about teenage boys tend to be, Turning Red is all about puberty and doesn't hide it — and whether it's tackling that head-on, pondering generational trauma or showing its rampant love for boy bands, it sports sweetness, soul and smarts. Turning Red is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. HUSTLE When well-deserved Oscar predictions came Adam Sandler's way for the astounding Uncut Gems, the actor and comedian said that he'd make the worst movie ever if he didn't win one of the Academy's shiny trophies. He didn't, and then Hubie Halloween arrived — and now Hustle. No, neither is the most terrible film on Sandler's resume. In Hustle's case, it happens to be home to one of his best performances. He has plenty to his name, including in Punch-Drunk Love, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and, of course, Uncut Gems, so it's in good company. There's also an element of art reflecting life in this new sports drama, even though basketball isn't what Sandler is famous for IRL. He knows more than a thing or two about only being seen one way, however, when his talents span much further. Whenever he branches away from the style of comedies that made his name, starting with Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, he knows plenty about being the underdog, too. On-screen, Stanley Sugerman is Hustle's underdog. A scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, he jets around the world scoping out new talent in the hope of finding a future match-winner, but it's not the job he wants. He loves basketball, he used to play and he's long dreamed about being a coach — but when good news arrives, then tragedy strikes, then the calculating Vince Merrick (Ben Foster, Galveston) takes over as the team's owner, it seems he'll be on the road forever. Bo Cruz (real-life NBA player Juancho Hernangómez) might be his ticket to better things, though, if he can get the Spanish construction worker signed or drafted. There's nothing that's surprising about director Jeremiah Zagar's (We the Animals) choices, or screenwriters Taylor Materne (video game NBA 2K20) and Will Fetters' (A Star Is Born) either, but Hustle remains a strong and lived-in character-driven drama as much as a tense against-the-odds sports film — and it's as entertaining and engaging to watch as the playoffs. Hustle is available to stream via Netflix. LUCY AND DESI Icons celebrating icons: when Amy Poehler directs a documentary about Lucille Ball, as she does here, that's the end result. It's fitting that Lucy and Desi includes a letter read mere days after Desi Arnaz's death, about his ex-wife and longterm professional partner, that included a touching line: "I Love Lucy wasn't just the name of the show". Poehler loves Lucy, too, understandably. Watching the compilation of clips curated here — spanning Ball's movie career in the 30s and 40s, as well as her TV shows such as the pioneering I Love Lucy, follow-up The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, and later sitcoms The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy — it's impossible not to see Ball's influence upon the Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation star, and upon the generations of female comedians that've followed Ball. Lucy and Desi loves Arnaz as well, though, and truly adores the pair's tumultuous love story — one that changed the course of comedy history. Forget Being the Ricardos, the average-at-best Aaron Sorkin film that inexplicably earned Oscar nominations — including for its one-note performances — and doesn't even dream of being funny. A deeper, meatier, far more interesting dance through Ball and Arnaz's life comes from Lucy and Desi, which benefits not just from Poehler's affection and her eagerness to ensure that her subjects' personalities shine through, but also from previously unreleased audio tapes of the pair talking about their ups and downs. Recent interviews pepper the film as well, including with daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, and the iconic Carol Burnett. Still, this doco's points of focus truly do speak best for themselves, whether chatting frankly or seen in all of those wonderful sitcom snippets. Lucy and Desi is is available to stream via Prime Video. THE FALLOUT As a next-generation scream queen, Jenna Ortega has had an eventful 2022 so far. She proved one of the highlights of the latest Scream, in fact, then popped up in Foo Fighters horror movie Studio 666. And, she also made a firm impression in 70s-set, porn-shoot slasher X. Similarly a recent highlight: The Fallout, which earned both jury and audience awards for Best Narrative Feature at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, and is horrifying in a completely different way to its star's other roles of late. To be precise, it's devastating. Here, the former child actor plays an American teenager who endures what must be every American teenager's worst nightmare, then understandably struggles to process the aftermath. Surviving a school shooting isn't something that anyone should be expected to come to terms with, to move on from, or to slide easily back into their everyday life — including going back to the same classes — after, obviously. When that terrifying incident occurs, Vada Cavell (Ortega) happens to be in the bathroom. As soon as the first shots are heard, she's hiding in a toilet stall with the school's resident dance star Mia Reed (Maddie Ziegler, thankfully worlds away from Music), and both emerge physically unscathed. But the trauma and emotional scars run deep, with The Fallout chronicling Vada's post traumatic stress disorder-affected headspace in the days, weeks and longer that follow. Written and directed by actor-turned-feature filmmaking debutant Megan Park, this is an immensely powerful portrait of grief on several levels — for classmates lost, lives forever changed and innocent views of the world instantly shattered. Every choice made by Park, and also by Ortega and Ziegler, plunges viewers into their Vada and Mia's internal tussles, including the score by Finneas O'Connell. The Fallout is available to stream via Binge. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly. We've also picked our top 15 movies that hit cinemas in the first half of 2022, as well as the 15 best new TV shows and 15 best returning TV shows of the year so far.
Escaping is the aim of every holiday. When you temporarily swap your own four walls for somewhere further afield, your daily worries should float away. Tokyo in general is great at evoking that sensation; however, the best place in the Japanese capital for forgetting that real life exists is digital-only art gallery teamLab Borderless, where being surrounded by and immersed in art is taken literally. After being closed for a year and a half to move to a new location, this must-visit spot on any Japan itinerary has finally reopened. As at Friday, February 9, teamLab Borderless now resides at Azabudai Hills with an array of stunning works — some brand-new, some familiar, all glorious. So, if your 2024 resolutions involve seeing spectacular art and travelling, this is one of the best ways to tick both boxes. Everything from bubbles and jelly to flowers and oceans now awaits, plus waterfalls and a tea house pouring cuppas adorned with blooming flowers as well. When it initially launched in 2018, teamLab Borderless instantly became a Tokyo favourite. It was also anointed the most-visited single-artist museum in the world during its first year of operation. Expect that to happen again in central Tokyo, where it has relocated to from its past Odaiba base. Sadly, you no longer need to cross over Tokyo's gorgeous Rainbow Bridge to get there — but your eyes will have much to feast on inside. If you were lucky enough to mosey around the OG spot before the pandemic, you'll know that the Borderless experience involves vibrant, constantly moving, always-changing interactive digital art keeps that keeps glowing and rearranging before your eyes. As the name makes plain, nothing is fixed or static here. Pieces move from one space to the next, and interact with other works. Sometimes, several different projections and installations mingle together. For attendees, peering at the end results isn't merely a passive experience, with the venue encouraging patrons to "wander, explore and discover". This is a place where terms like breathtaking, kaleidoscopic and delightful are all earned, and where the art is worth a trip to Tokyo to see all by itself. Borderless 2.0 spans both evolved and brand-new artworks. Accordingly, even if you've been before at its old digs, you won't just be seeing the same things (even though they're definitely worth enjoying more than once). Standout pieces include the jaw-dropping Light Sculpture series, which cycles through an array of light formations and colours, as well as an eye-catching mirrored infinity room-style space titled Microcosmoses — although, to be fair, everything is a standout here. Among the world-premiere installations, there's also Bubble Universe: Physical Light, Bubbles of Light, Wobbling Light, and Environmental Light, which is comprised of spheres that look like soap bubbles and jelly, and moves through various colours. With Flowers and People — Megalith Crystal Formation, you can spy florals bud and blossom, then wither and decay, repeating that pattern endlessly. And thanks to Black Waves — Megalith Crystal Formation, the sea gets a nod. Attendees can also enjoy Giant Solidified Spark, which is a sphere made from rays of light — plus Wall Without a Wall, which you'll see as a wall even though nothing physical exists. For younger visitors, plus those young at heart, Sketch Ocean turns drawings into art that swims before your eyes. And after proving a hit at the original site, the tea house ensures that every time that you sip a hot beverage in future will feel flatout average — blossoming projections on your cup while you drink will do that. teamLab might be best-known for its Tokyo site, but it doesn't only operate in Japan. A second teamLab Borderless has already been open in Shanghai since 2019, and others are slated for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Hamburg in Germany — the former without an exact opening date, the latter slated to launch in 2025. The organisation also operates a different museum in Macao, and has its first teamLab Phenomena on the way for the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, again targeting a 2024 launch. The list goes on, with teamLab's works a drawcard wherever they pop up. teamLab Borderless Tokyo: MORI Building Digital Art Museum is now open at its new location at Azabudai Hills, Garden Plaza B B1F, 1-2-4 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo — for more information, visit the museum's website. Images: teamLab, Exhibition view of teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM, 2024, Azabudai Hills, Tokyo © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery.
Beyond the patrolled boundaries of Thredbo lie thousands and thousands of hectares of wild mountains, covered in sparkling, powdery snow — untainted by tracks, crowds or lifts. And this winter, Thredbo is taking skiers at every level on a bunch of backcountry adventure tours. Whether you're a newbie who's only ever skied downhill or a hardcore mountaineer, ready to conquer more steep chutes and tight lines, there's a trip for you. Here are five that'll have you strapping on your skis. SIGNATURE HILL If you're not an expert skier, then travelling beyond the well-trodden boundaries of Thredbo might sound terrifying. The good news is that this adventure is designed with you in mind. Under the guidance of an alpine veteran, you'll get a solid intro to backcountry exploring. This includes familiarising yourself with specialist gear, learning how to 'skin' — a technique that allows you to walk in skis (even uphill) — and discovering how to stay safe by reading the terrain around you. Signature Hill is in the Karels Area, and you'll get to spend 3.5 hours exploring it, covering three kilometres and climbing 250 metres. This trip is a prerequisite for the others on this list. BOGONG CREEK Once you've conquered Signature Hill, you'll be ready for Bogong Creek. This escapade transports you into a magical section of Thredbo's backcountry for an entire day. Prepare to spend seven extraordinary hours journeying through a mindblowing variety of terrains of perfect, untouched snow. While you're at it, your guide will hone and develop your mountaineering skills, helping you build confidence. By the afternoon, your newfound moves are bound to come in handy, when you'll be meeting some increasingly challenging (but still very fun) terrain. All in all, the Bogong Creek trip carries you along seven kilometres, encompassing a vertical climb of 800 metres. MOUNT KOSCIUSZKO You might've climbed Mount Kosciuszko in summer, but summiting its peak during winter — surrounded by endless, endless white — is another thing altogether. What's more, getting there isn't as difficult as you might imagine — despite Kossie's peak being the highest point in Australia. The route involves blissfully gentle slopes, so the journey's more about gliding along, taking in the epic scenery, than it is about tricky manoeuvres. In fact, skiers of all levels, from beginners to pros, are welcome. Expect to be out and about for seven hours, covering a total of 14 kilometres and climbing 600 metres. Should time be on your side, you'll stop at Seamans Hut on the way home, a shelter built in 1929 by the family of W. Laurie Seaman who, along with his friend Evan Hayes, tragically died nearby in 1928. ETHERIDGE RANGE This is where matters get serious. Etheridge Ridge is right next to Mount Kosciuszko, but the terrain is way more challenging. We're talking sharp drops, difficult spots and obstacles. Luckily, you'll be in the care of an expert guide, so this is definitely an opportunity to take your backcountry prowess to a whole new level. Many of the runs are on the short side, which means you and your crew will most likely establish a skin track before sessioning along the entire ridge. This is an all-day, seven-hour, 15-kilometre long trip, which includes 1000 metres of climbing and a lunch break at Seamans Hut. Ready to take it on? Be sure to have some advanced skiing skills under your belt. LEATHERBARREL CREEK Leatherbarrel Creek gives you the ultimate in backcountry touring. Hidden away in a valley at the southern end of the Main Range, this area is real wilderness and feels like another world — certainly a long way from Thredbo's busy slopes. Every sort of terrain imaginable is on offer, from dreamy long runs lined with snow-capped trees to vast open bowls to steep chutes. Whichever way you look, you'll be casting your eye over unbelievable scenery. The only catch is, you'll need expert-level skiing ability to handle it. Leatherbarrel Creek is an all-day, seven-hour, 15-kilometre excursion that climbs 1500 metres. Check out more backcountry adventures in Thredbo here.
If your New Year's resolution for 2026 is to travel more, your ideal excuse to stop wishing, dreaming and romanticising and to start planning, booking and doing is right here. If you're hankering for an adventure in Asia or an oceanic paradise, or even a luxe staycation here in Australia, IHG Hotels is offering the discount you need to turn inspiration into action. The 'Your Year of Travel' sale, which is on now until Wednesday, February 4, is offering a 20% discount on bookings made directly on IHG channels (and 25% for IHG One Members) for stays at more than 270 participating hotels until Monday, August 31. Said participating hotels include Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental, Vignette, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, voco hotels, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Garner hotels across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Micronesia, Southeast Asia, South Korea, and the Pacific Islands. So, by the time autumn rolls around and brings its typical cold and wetter weather to Australia, you could be jetting off to chase the warmth by the sea in Fiji, Koh Samui or The Maldives, getting a cultural fix in Osaka or Japan's tropical Okinawa Islands, travelling with your tastebuds in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore — or just enjoying a luxurious stay in your home city if you can't quite afford the flights just yet. If you're not already an IHG One Member, this might be the ideal time to sign up. New members receive 500 points on registration, add that to the 25% discount on bookings during the sale period, and the math checks out for maximising the value on a maximum-relaxation holiday. IHG Hotels 'Your Year of Travel' sale runs from now until Wednesday, February 4, on bookings for select hotels and stays up until Monday, August 31. T&Cs apply, visit the website for more information. Images courtesy of IHG Hotels.
When it comes to history's legendary painters, Claude Monet's name stands out above most. Now, for the first time ever, Australian audiences are invited to experience the painting that the entire Impressionist movement was named after as the National Gallery of Australia exhibits Monet's world-famous masterpiece, Impression, sunrise. As well as a striking collection of other Monet paintings, the exhibition features works by an array of artists who inspired or followed Monet into leaving behind the studio and painting 'en plein air'. From JMW Turner to James McNeill Whistler and Eugène Boudin, other contemporaries of Monet featured at the NGA include Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, one of the few female painters among the Parisian Impressionists. With their visible brush strokes and incredible depictions of light and its subtle changes, many of these works have been gathered from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which almost never loans its collection. Running until Sunday September 1, Monet: Impression Sunrise is undoubtedly worth taking a wintertime road trip to Canberra for, so grab your pals and hit the road. [caption id="attachment_697155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claude Monet, Impression, sunrise (1872), courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Christian Baraja SLB.[/caption] IMPRESSION, SUNRISE The masterpiece after which the Impressionist art movement was named, Impression, sunrise was finished in 1872 and showcases the early techniques of Monet who was in the midst of his creative development. Painted while he was looking out across the harbour in Le Havre from his hotel window, the piece is not particularly symbolic of Monet's later work, but still features some instantly recognisable attributes, such as how the water, sky and reflections all melt together. When it was displayed at an exhibition in Paris in 1874, art critic Louis Leroy famously borrowed the term "Impressionist" from the work's title for his review. And while it wasn't meant to be a compliment, the name stuck. [caption id="attachment_725378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Waterlilies (1914–17), courtesy of the NGA.[/caption] WATERLILIES During the last 30 years of Monet's life, the 'Water Lilies' series became his obsession. Monumental in its scope, the series includes 250 works that capture Monet's beloved garden at his home in Giverny, France. The later years of Monet's life were perhaps his most prolific, but there could have been even more in the 'Water Lilies' series — in 1908 as he prepared for a new exhibition in Paris, Monet decided that 15 of the paintings failed to meet his expectations and chopped them in half. However, the many works that we still do have elegantly present the light and shadow that bounced across Monet's garden. [caption id="attachment_725140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] On the beach at Trouville (1870), courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.[/caption] ON THE BEACH AT TROUVILLE Created during the summer of 1870, this work is one of five beach scenes that Monet painted during his stay at a popular beachside resort. Overlooking the English Channel, this work captures what is most likely Monet's wife Camille, while in the background scores of families from French high-society enjoy the bustling holiday destination. With grains of sand found still embedded in the paint, some of the paintings in this series are considered to be incomplete sketches for a larger body of work, while others were later finished to Monet's almost impossibly high standards. [caption id="attachment_725470" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Haystacks, midday (1890), courtesy of the NGA.[/caption] HAYSTACKS, MIDDAY Widely regarded by critics as possibly his most stunning series, Monet produced around 30 paintings between 1888 and 1891 showing haystacks at various times of the day and in different weather conditions. Considered by the artist himself to be some of the most challenging paintings he ever produced, these works depict a great sense of optimism as the verdant countryside was seen as a great hope compared to the failing French economy of the era. As with sand from the beaches of Normandy in his coastal paintings, you can still see fragments of grass hidden within the paint throughout the Haystacks series. One painting from 'Haystacks' recently sold for almost $160 million, which shows some people clearly can't get enough of its beauty. [caption id="attachment_725377" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Train in the snow, locomotive (1875), courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.[/caption] TRAIN IN THE SNOW, LOCOMOTIVE This artwork was painted during Monet's time living in the small village of Argenteuil, which would soon rapidly grow in size as a new train line direct to Paris brought great interest to the area. Having stood out in the cold for hours for this work, Monet was well known to brave just about any weather condition to capture the perfect moment. Many of his later works featured aspects of technology, with modern bridges, trains and city life becoming common subjects. But, this earlier artwork from 1875 was created before Monet became increasingly experimental and as he sought to find a way to avoid the prevailing Western painterly perspective. Monet: Impression Sunrise is running until September 1 at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Head to the website to purchase tickets and for more information.
One of Australia's most celebrated artists is the subject of a new exhibition on its way to Sydney after a premiere at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria. Co-presented by NGV Australia along with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, John Olsen: The You Beaut Country celebrates the incredible work of the eponymous painter, who for more than 50 years has captured the breathtaking Australian landscape in a way that few other artists ever have. On display at AGNSW from March 10 until June 12, the exhibition is focused primarily on Olsen's output from the 1960s, after the artist spent three years travelling around Europe. Alongside these works visitors will find a number of more recent pieces, including paintings, prints and watercolours. As always, the exhibition will be complemented by a number of gallery events, including a public conversation with the artist hosted by the Gallery's director Dr Michael Brand, guided tours and artmaking workshops that draw on Olsen's art for inspiration.
Scott Gault and Katie Shortland have slurped countless bowls of ramen since their first trip to Japan, back in 2010. Gault's trained one-on-one with renowned ramen masters, while Shortland's wrangled approximately 35 kilos of books and magazines about the cult noodles back home from their many ramen pilgrimages. So it's safe to call the husband-and-wife duo's Redfern ramen joint RaRa a serious labour of love. The 28-seat izakaya-style eatery takes its design cues from the plethora of Japanese microbreweries and cafes the couple have visited over the years. Think warm timber accents, a slight industrial edge and full-length windows to capture the noodle-making magic unfolding in the open kitchen. Then menu's a testament to the pair's own ramen obsession and Gault's well-honed skills, having studied in kitchens and classrooms usually reserved for teaching only Japanese speakers. At RaRa, a special pressure cooker is used to nail that full-flavour broth without the 14-hour wait time, and noodles are made fresh each morning with a 380-kilogram Yamoto machine that's been shipped in from Japan. Those noodles have a bit more length and strength than those you might find in Japan, catering to us Aussies and our more relaxed pace of noodle slurping. A one-time vegetarian himself, Gault has set out to pack a flavour punch right across the board, so expect to be just as impressed by the vegan soup as the signature meat-based creations. On the menu, you'll find three styles of free-range pork tonkotsu, highlighting the kitchen's nose-to-tail approach, available in shio, black garlic or with smoky, Japanese chilli oil. The vegetarian ramen comes in either a vegan shio or a miso style, with soy milk lending a flavour reminiscent of pork. There's also a soupless noodle dish called maze soba — akin to Japanese spag bol, without the mince — plus local cans, Yulli's Brews on tap and a range of natural wines championing young producers. Opening in early September 2018, RaRa has already proven a hit with locals. So much so that many nights you'll find a line stretching along Regent Street, with wait times as long as an hour on Friday and Saturday nights. It's certainly worth the wait, but if you'd like spend more time slurping and less time in line, we suggest heading in early. Images: Luisa Brimble.
A stunning new dining experience has arrived in Sydney's inner west, courtesy of restaurateur Bill Drakopoulos (Ormeggio at The Spit, LuMi Dining, Ripples Chowder Bay, Chiosco by Ormeggio and Jardin St James). The Fenwick, a heritage-listed waterfront building, has reopened as a cafe and gallery. It boasts sweeping harbour views, seasonal fare and exhibitions by local and international artists. The tiny sandstone space was built in the 1880s and was originally used as a tugboat store. Heaps of private development proposals were rejected before the building was finally acquired by the former Leichhardt Council in 2003 (now part of the Inner West Council), thanks to a campaign by local Balmain East residents. After a restoration that cost millions, The Fenwick is now finally open to the public. To us, the space better resembles a chapel — think a pitched roof, exposed timber beams and large barn doors that open out to views across Barangaroo, the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park. At the simple yet sleek cafe, co-owner and executive chef Davide Rebeccato (Aqua Dining) is serving up modern Australian eats with a focus on seasonal dishes. For breakfast, expect scrambled eggs served on French toast and topped with prawns and eggplant; pulled pork breakfast burgers with fried egg and cabbage slaw; and poached eggs on sourdough with haloumi, mushrooms, avocado and kale. Apart from all those eggs, you can tuck into homemade granola with fresh fruit and berry compote pancakes with banana, coconut and pistachio crumble. More refined fare is on offer for lunch, including pickled sardines, burrata with prosciutto and figs, and jalapeño kingfish with tiger milk. Larger plates feature snapper tail served in a lemon and garlic butter sauce; fish stew with fregola, olives and capers; and wild mushroom and black truffle gnocchi. For the morning, the cafe is slinging Little Marionette coffee and cold pressed juices. Once the arvo hits, a specialty cocktail list will accompany lunch — it includes the Chamomile Kicker (chamomile-infused gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice and egg), the Lavender Martini (gin, Amaro Nonino, lavender syrup and lime) and the Dark Chocolate Negroni (gin, Campari, Regal Rouge vermouth and dark chocolate bitters). Jugs of Pimm's Cup and rosé spritzes are also up for grabs, as are heaps of local and international wine by the glass and bottle. Level two houses the public gallery, which will be open daily and offers regular exhibitions featuring local and international artists. Creative events held in partnership with other local galleries and community groups are also on the docket. Keep an eye on this space for upcoming exhibitions and events.
UPDATE MARCH 30, 2017: Suey Sins owner Eli West has responded by posting a statement on Facebook. Over the past week Suey Sins has been subject to criticism regarding its concept and theme. I acknowledge all of the raised concerns and feedback surrounding Suey Sins theming, as well as those who have voiced their opinions. I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused. I would also like to emphasise that it was never our intention to upset or offend. The theme and character Suey Sin is fictitious, however I understand that offence has been taken to image references made of Anna May Wong. Further, whilst I acknowledge there has been offence taken in regards to images of staff members wearing the traditional Qipao dress these were for our annual Chinese New Year party and opening week of trade. Circulating images portray only a small portion of our multicultural team. As a young female leading a predominantly female team the glorification and exploitation of women of any culture is not something I condone or intended in Suey Sins theming. The voices of those offended have been heard and as a team we will be taking action to remove image references of Anna May Wong. Due to the nature of the comments on the said original image of Suey Sins staff members, we did out of a duty of care for our staff remove the image from Facebook shortly after the comments no longer remained constructive In an increasingly globalised world, and multicultural society like Australia it is important we continue to share, embrace and exchange other cultures with one another, which is what Suey Sins sought out to do and will continue to do. Again, I sincerely apologise for any offence that has occurred. Should you wish to provide any further feedback of a constructive nature please continue to inbox these through. Thank you for your understanding. In the time elapsed between launching earlier this month and opening their doors this morning, Sydney cocktail bar Suey Sins has placed itself firmly at the centre of public debates surrounding cultural appropriation, deeply rooted racism, and media ethics. While the venue's owner, 25-year-old entrepreneur Eli West, has said that she was aiming for an "old world charm" theme, members of the public have struck out on social media, saying that the apparent "sexy, pre-war Shanghai" theme is nothing more than wanton cultural appropriation, and nothing less than subtle racism that ignores the dark reality of Chinese culture during the British colonial era. While West initially stated in one of the bar's press releases that she wanted to open a bar that "doesn't take it-self [sic] too seriously," public reaction has suggested that perhaps it would have been more prudent to take cultural appropriation at least a little bit seriously. While the Chinese mainland was never colonised by the British, the effects of imperialism shaped China's culture, especially in the wake of the Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion. With particular reference to the bar's staff uniform (traditional qipaos/cheongsams), activity on social media, and the thematic styling of the venue, Suey Sins has been accused of "continuing negative colonial ideologies", and "racist fetishisation of a marginalised women [sic] for a dollar" on their Facebook page. Suey Sins' initial press release stated that the the name for the venue comes from a "famous Shanghai call-girl ... a quintessential icon of the 'Shanghai Naughties'." "I have spent most of my life travelling in Indonesia, and have some Chinese heritage and I like to think I may be related to a character very similar to Suey Sin," explained West in the same press release. "I love the idea of this seductive, alluring woman who had old world charm and poise but also knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. I see a bit of that in myself and the young women who will drink here." Unfortunately, as Pedestrian reported yesterday, the search for the existence of a "famous Shanghai call-girl" called Suey Sin has been somewhat fruitless. Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Diaspora, edited by Chee-Beng Tan, suggests Suey Sin was a Chinese woman working in the film industry in Los Angeles in the 1920s. So, not pre-war Shanghai, or a 'call girl', but the timing is right. On the walls of the venue, there is also a collage of Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong who, during her illustrious career, was passed over for a role playing a Chinese woman by MGM in 1935 in favour of German actress, Luise Rainer. Compounding the backlash the venue has faced, management has taken to deleting negative comments and reviews from their Facebook page (a significantly problematic no-no), and offering a pallid ghost of an apology that focuses on their mission to "create a venue that focuses on delicious Asian fusion inspired street style food and creative beverages for all to enjoy". The apology doesn't touch on the issues with the thematics and styling of the venue from whence the backlash originated. From the mural (and bar logo) featuring a naked woman, to the implication that rampant prostitution that catered for increased global trade (and traders) in China at the time was "seductive" and "alluring", public opinion has been that the bar ignores the fact that portraying Chinese women as nothing more than sex objects is damaging to both Chinese culture, and to the cultural status of women. Here are the staff in their Suey Sins uniform: And, for the record, this is how the bar is marketing their menu on Instagram (and quietly, mie goreng is Indonesian. Mee goreng is the Malaysian spelling of an Indonesian dish, although the dish is, granted, derived from Chinese chow mein): MEE-please, MEE-so hungry, MEE-Goreng Spring Rolls! Another Suey Signature dish #sueysins A post shared by Suey Sins (@sueysins) on Mar 16, 2017 at 1:27am PDT Chinese history during the 1920s is not best characterised as "sexy" or "old world", but is instead more appropriately viewed through the lens of the warring political ideologies that shaped the country. In 1923, civil war started brewing as Chinese nationalists clashed with the growing Communist party. The civil war, in part, came about as a result of the power vacuum left by the abdication of the last emperor, Puyi, in 1912. The last Qing emperor's abdication led to decades of warlord factionalism and a civil war that technically still hasn't ended. It would be unfair and incorrect to suggest that West intended for her bar to offend, as it's always a bad business to open a venue that people won't like. However, considering the reaction the public has had, current debates surrounding the alteration of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, Hollywood 'whitewashing' in films such as Ghost in the Shell, and the misrepresentation of women in both media and society, offence has been caused and documented, despite the dubious strategy of removing negative comments on social media. At the time of writing, The Social Group, who runs the publicity for Suey Sins, informed us that the venue did not wish to comment at this stage. UPDATE MARCH 25, 2017: Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Diaspora, edited by Chee-Beng Tan, suggests Suey Sin was a Chinese woman working in the film industry in Los Angeles in the 1920s. So, not pre-war Shanghai, or a 'call girl', but the timing is right. This article has been updated to reflect this.
UPDATE, AUGUST 13, 2020: Inception's tenth anniversary season has now undergone so date changes, it almost feels like something out of the movie's twisty plot. It'll now kick off on Thursday, August 13. We've updated this article to reflect that change. With Sydney's cinemas shutting down for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and beginning to reopen at the start of July — the idea of watching a movie in a darkened theatre in 2020 currently feels a bit surreal. From Thursday, August 13, that'll just be the first level of your dream-like film-going experience. Expect at least four others, with the dreams within dreams (within dreams within dreams) of Christopher Nolan's Inception returning to the big screen. Ten years after it first hit cinemas, the acclaimed mind-bender is back — to mark that anniversary; to help get everyone in the mood for Nolan's new movie, Tenet; and to give film-lovers something else to watch as Aussie picture palaces slowly relaunch. It's actually popping up just a fortnight before Tenet, which has had its Australian release pushed back a few times now. So, has the re-release of this twisty Nolan action-thriller, but now it's locked into the calendar. As written and directed by Nolan, Inception became a fast favourite a decade ago for plenty of reasons, including its dream-hijacking premise, its eye-popping visuals and its fantastic cast. In case you've forgotten the setup, it follows professional thief Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), who steals secret information from his targets' subconscious while they slumber — with help from the likes of Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger and Michael Caine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFNwbQXGMu4 Inception's tenth anniversary season is screening at various cinemas from Thursday, August 13, with exact dates and times differing depending on the venue — check out your local picture palace for details.
Firework envy? Australia? Never! Not until now, that is. For the first time ever, the Brits have something we don't for New Year's Eve — the world's first smellable, taste-able firework display. When Big Ben hits midnight on December 31, the sky over South Bank on the River Thames will explode with not only the usual sounds and colours but a cascading fruit salad made up of strawberry flavours, banana confetti, peach snow and enormous 'zesty Spanish orange' bubbles. The brains behind the operation are culinary spectacular experts Bompas & Parr. This month, their epic gingerbread reconstruction of London's "lost and unbuilt architecture" has had crowds dropping jaws around Selfridges’ Oxford Street windows. Bompas & Parr have described their NYE plans as a “massive responsibility”. “The closer we get to it, the more we realise the scale of what we’re doing,” they said. “Hopefully, what we’ll be doing, is giving people the best night of their life.” Given that revellers are bound to be fighting for a spot at South Bank, event partner Vodafone has organised a synchronised augmented reality experience that will be streamed internationally. Plus, in another first, London’s original New Year’s Eve fireworks app will go live at midnight, with the download available 24 hours before. Via PSFK
When you scroll through Netflix's menu, everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton might catch your eye. Over on Disney+, you could make a beeline to The Mandalorian and WandaVision, while Amazon Prime Video may pique your interest if you're keen on The Boys or Tales From the Loop. But, if you're fond of homegrown films and television programs, you might've noticed that the huge range of streaming platforms on offer Down Under don't typically fund, create and make available all that much new Australian content. The current situation is somewhat better than it was. When Netflix officially launched in Australia back in 2015, its buffet of streaming movies and TV shows noticeably lacked new original local content (indeed, it took more than two years for the popular platform to finally announce that it was making its first Aussie series, Tidelands). It still doesn't overflow with Aussie fare, although it did give Aunty Donna its own delightful comedy. Fellow streamer Stan has been beefing up its catalogue with Aussie movies and shows, though, with the likes of No Activity, Wolf Creek, Bloom, Bump, After the Night, A Sunburnt Christmas, Relic and True History of the Kelly Gang among the local titles joining its ranks. If a group of Australian creatives has anything to do with it, however, there'll be much more local content added to streaming platforms in the future. High Ground's Simon Baker, Hungry Ghosts' Bryan Brown and Justine Clarke, and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt)'s Marta Dusseldorp are all part of the Make It Australian campaign, which is lobbying the Australian Government to implement quotas. The proposal: that all streaming services operating in Australia that have at least 500,000 subscribers are required to spend 20 percent of their local revenue on new Aussie dramas, documentaries and content for children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E If the idea sounds familiar, that's because it has been under consideration before, and for some time — with a green paper on the topic published in late 2020, and a consultation period currently open — but nothing has come to fruition as yet. This time around, the group behind the move put forward their case at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, March 16, particularly noting the importance of Australian audiences being able to watch local stories as streaming platforms grow in popularity. Similar quotas are in place regarding Australian programming on both commercial free-to-air television and pay TV — although requirements were altered in 2020 due to the pandemic. And if you're thinking that the Aussie screen industry seems to be in good shape at the moment considering that a huge number of Hollywood titles are being filmed here at present — including everything from Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder to Nicole Kidman-starring TV series Nine Perfect Strangers, plus new movies directed by Ron Howard and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts soon to shoot — the current situation isn't the norm. Big productions have been coming to our shores during the pandemic given that Australia's COVID-19 case numbers are low, protocols are in place and it's safe to film here as a result, but that isn't guaranteed to continue once life returns to normal in the US. For more information about the Make It Australian campaign, head to its website. For more information about the media reform green paper, head to the Australian Government website.
This shopfront-turned-cafe is the passion project of two Italian brothers, Nick and Jo, who were born and raised in Manly. You'll find them here every morning, serving up home-style favourites alongside Jo's own coffee blend, Escobar, or at the local pub later in the afternoon. Taking the opportunity of a downtrodden strip, these lads have moved in and set up a hipster haven with odds and ends of retro furniture, display shelves filled with stuffed toys and figurines, bright, bold artworks and a fixie, which hangs along one wall. But there's more to this place than just the two of them. Their mum, Rita, is cooking out back and her Baked Bacon and Egg ($12) comes highly recommended. In fact, there's few dishes that don't have a name to them: Drew's Mushies ($12) is a plate of pan-roasted mushrooms with herbs and marinated feta, served up on toast, while Scott's 'Pesto In It' Jaffle ($6) is described as 'like Joe's Goey Egg but with pesto in it'. It's easy to feel at home fast, and we can see why almost everyone in here is on a first-name basis. Belgrave Cartel is clearly the haunt of regular locals. Nick tells us about his favourite trio, who apparently have nicknamed this place 'the anti-taste cafe'. With it's jumbled furniture and lounge room feel, it's a far cry from the shiny cafes that line The Corso. That's not to say, however, that the food isn't tasty. The Jaffles ($5-8) are the signature dish, available all week. We'd recommend the Benno ($8), aka Eggs Benedict in jaffle form, or the Green Eggs and Ham ($8), eggs and toasted leg ham topped with Rita's homemade pesto. While the coffee should be your top priority, there's also a good range of teas, served up in Japanese tea pots. On weekends, the full breakfast menu is available, including Rita's aforementioned Baked Eggs with a twist of bacon, served up on Sonoma toast. Next time around, we vow to try the Brekkie Bruschetta ($13), with pan-roasted cherry tomatoes, rocket, ricotta and parmesan on toast, and the Corn Fritter Stack ($13), with avocado salsa and feta. If you're after something simpler, take your pick from the Seinfeld Selection ($4.50): Coco Pops, Nutri-Grain or Corn Flakes. From Wednesday through to Sunday Belgrave is also open late for Italian-inspired dinner and classic cocktails (including a mean espresso martini). So everyone can get a piece of the Cartel action.
Prepare to party like it's 1945 because Bopp & Tone has arrived on Carrington Street. The latest, and first CBD, venture from hospitality group Applejack (Della Hyde, The Butler, Endeavour Tap Rooms), the bar and eatery takes both name and inspiration from the founders' grandfathers — Keith 'Bopp' Evans and Anthony 'Tone' Adams — revisiting the era of optimism and opulence enjoyed by post-WWII Australia. Without the food rationing, we hope. Inside, award-winning design firm Luchetti Krelle (responsible for a tonne of restaurants, including Manly Greenhouse, ACME and Matinee Coffee) has helped to create a welcoming old-world space that nods stylishly to the past, combining marble, panelled timber, velvet booths and hanging light fittings, as we've come to expect from most Applejack venues. It looks similar to te CBD's other post-WWII bar, Kittyhawk. In a plus, it also has a sizeable terrace filled with greenery for al fresco dinners and drinks. From the kitchen comes a contemporary Australian menu, prepared by chef Sa Va'afusuaga (The Botanist), with influences from across the Mediterranean. The woodfired grill and charcoal oven get a thorough workout, and are used to deliver dishes like free-range spatchcock and chargrilled whole calamari from the Hawkesbury River. Va'afusuaga has also included a bistecca alla Fiorentine steak on his food lineup for $135 — a bold move, considering Bistecca, around the corner, is a restaurant dedicated to the Tuscan dish. The cocktail offering works to the same Oz-Mediterranean brief, featuring classics reimagined with Aussie ingredients — including a martini made with tomato — while the wine list champions sustainably produced drops from both overseas and closer to home. Bopp & Tone now open for lunch and dinner daily at 60 Carrington Street, Sydney.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAQT0jTFuU AMMONITE Looking at an ammonite fossil is like putting your ear up to a seashell: in their ridged spirals, it feels as if a whole new world could exist. In the latter's case, each one is made from the remains of extinct molluscs from millions of years ago, and lingers now as a reminder of a different time and existence, its compact coils encasing all of its secrets. The striking specimens from the past provide the film Ammonite with its title, and with an obvious metaphor as well — but also an apt one that's brought to life with meticulous delicacy. In the second feature from God's Own Country writer/director Francis Lee, the two central characters in this patient yet always evocative 1840s-set romance are the product of centuries of convention and expectation, with society's engrained views about women both weathering away at them and solidifying their place. In a queer love story that once again arises organically in heightened circumstances, dives into a labour-intensive field with a resolute connection to the land, derives an elemental tenor from crucial locations, watches on tenderly as a new arrival upends the status quo and gifts two lonely souls a connection they wouldn't otherwise admit they yearned for, they're also as tightly wound as the historical remnants they tirelessly search for along the craggy, cliff-lined West Dorset coastline. Lee's impeccably cast, exquisitely acted, solemnly beautiful and moving film isn't just the lesbian counterpart to its predecessor, though. While the movies complement each other perfectly, Ammonite unearths its own depths and boasts its own strengths. Lee has made the concerted decision not just to focus on two women, but to fictionalise the relationship between real-life scientists who find solace in each other as they're forced to fight to be seen as anything other than housewives. Living in Lyme Regis with her ailing mother (Gemma Jones, Rocketman), Mary Anning (Kate Winslet, Wonder Wheel) is no one's wife, and doesn't want to be — but, working in the male-dominated realm of palaeontology, she's accustomed to being treated differently to her peers. As a child, she found her first ammonite fossil, which is displayed in the British Museum. Now scraping by running a shop that sells smaller specimens to rich tourists, she hasn't stopped looking for other big discoveries since. When geologist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle, Mary, Queen of Scots) visits Mary's store, however, he's after her services in a different way. In a casual reminder of just how dismissively women are regarded, she's asked to take care of his melancholic wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan, Little Women) while he travels abroad for work. Roderick thinks it'll be good for Charlotte to learn from Mary, to get outside daily and to have a sense of purpose, but Mary only agrees for the money. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQz0rkNajo THE DIG When Ralph Fiennes first trundles across the screen in The Dig, then starts speaking in a thick Suffolk accent, he's in suitably surly mode, as he needs to be. But, playing forthright and hardworking excavator Basil Brown, the adaptable Official Secrets, Hail, Caesar!, Spectre and A Bigger Splash star also flirts with overstatement in his initial scenes. Thankfully, he settles into his role quickly — and this 1939-set drama about an immense real-life archaeological discovery finds its rhythm with him. Hired by Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman) to burrow into what appear to be centuries-old burial mounds on her sprawling estate, Basil doesn't unearth any old find. His kindly employer has always had a feeling about the small hills on her property, she tells him in one of their friendly, leisurely chats, and her instincts prove accurate, sparking national interest. Adapting the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston, this graceful movie explores Basil's dig, Edith's fight to retain both recognition and the items buried deep in her soil, her increasing health woes, and the keen excitement of her primary school-aged son Robert (Archie Barnes, Patrick). It also follows the circus that kicks up when the British Museum's Charles Phillips (Ken Stott, The Mercy) insists on taking over, and the love triangle that arises between his married employees Stuart (Ben Chaplin, The Children Act) and Peggy Piggott (Lily James, Rebecca) and Edith's airforce-bound cousin Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn, Emma). Whether you already know the details or you're discovering them for the first time, The Dig tells an astonishing story — and while a mid-20th century archaeological dig mightn't sound like rich and riveting viewing, this fascinating feature proves that notion wrong. As well as its true tale, it benefits from two important decisions: the casting of Mulligan and Fiennes, and the involvement of Australian theatre director-turned-filmmaker Simon Stone. After the anger and raw energy of Promising Young Woman, Mulligan finds power in restraint here. Once Fiennes finds his knack as Basil, he's a source of stoic potency as well. Their scenes together rank among the movie's best, although, making his first movie since 2015's The Daughter, Stone ensures that even the most routine of moments is never dull. The Dig abounds with sun-dappled imagery of Suffolk fields, their green and yellow expanse being carved into one shovel at a time, but it's a gorgeously lensed film in every frame. Stone and cinematographer Mike Eley (who also worked on The White Crow, which was directed by Fiennes) rarely shoot anything within view in the expected manner, resulting in a movie that steps back into the past, chronicles an historical discovery, appears the handsome period part, yet also looks and feels fluid and lively as it ponders the reality that time comes for all things and people. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-0w6yTt3lg MY SALINGER YEAR Cinema's recent obsession with JD Salinger continues, with My Salinger Year joining 2013 documentary Salinger, 2015 drama Coming Through the Rye and 2017 biography Rebel in the Rye. The reclusive The Catcher in the Rye author famously wouldn't permit his acclaimed novel to be adapted for the big screen, and that absence has clearly made the filmmaking world's heart grow fonder in the years since his 2010 death — although, in this case, Joanna Rakoff's 2014 memoir was always bound to get the movie treatment. In 1995, fresh from studying English literature at college and newly arrived in New York to chase her dreams, the wide-eyed aspiring scribe (Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) takes an assistant job at one of the city's oldest and most prestigious literary agencies. Landing the role requires lying about her own ambitions, telling her new boss, Margaret (Sigourney Weaver, Ghostbusters), that she isn't trying to become a writer herself. (That's one thing the seasoned agent won't abide; another: any new technology beyond typewriters and telephones.) Joanna soon finds an outlet for her talents, however, when she's asked to reply to Salinger's fan mail. She's advised to send a generic response to the author's aficionados, as has always been the agency's policy, but she's moved to both secretly read and pen personal responses to them instead. French Canadian writer/director Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar, from 2011, was one of that year's tender, touching and thoughtful standouts. But My Salinger Year, which opened 2020's Berlinale almost a year before reaching Australian cinemas, is far more perfunctory — making an interesting true story feel far more formulaic as it should. The filmmaker retains a gentle hand, fills his script with affection for the enthusiastic Joanna, and literally gives a voice to those who've been moved by exceptional literature, and yet the end result spins an adult coming-of-age story just pleasantly and affably enough, rather than strikes much of a lasting chord. It also feels slight while proving overstretched, making obvious statements about art and commerce, the past and the future, and the eternal struggle to maintain a personal-professional balance (with Salinger, or Jerry as Margaret calls him, weaved throughout each point). At the same vastly different junctures in their careers as the characters they play, Qualley and Weaver are the feature's obvious highlights, however. They're placed in a well-worn Devil Wears Prada-style relationship, but their back-and-forth provides the film with its spark (and, for Weaver fans, even recalls her Oscar-nominated supporting role in 1988 workplace comedy Working Girl). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jJNyFuYKQ THE WHITE TIGER Adapted from Aravind Adiga's 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning debut novel, The White Tiger shares an animal metaphor in its name; however, it's another, about roosters and coops, that truly cuts to its core. Like poultry in a cage awaiting slaughter, India's poor are kept in their place as servants, explains protagonist Balram (Adarsh Gourav, Hostel Daze) in the pacy narration that drives the film. At the mercy of cruel and ruthless masters, they're well aware that they're being treated thoughtlessly at best. They watch on as others around them are stuck in compliant lives of drudgery, in fact. But, ever-dutiful, they're unwilling to break free or even defy their employers. That's the life that Balram is supposed to lead, and does for a time — after he ingratiates his way into a driver position for Ashok and Pinky (Bollywood star Rajkummar Rao and Baywatch's Priyanka Chopra Jonas), the American-educated son and New York-raised daughter-in-law of the rich landlord (Mahesh Manjrekar, Slumdog Millionaire) who owns his village and demands a third of all earnings from its residents. The White Tiger starts with a car accident outside Delhi involving Balram, Ashok and Pinky, then unfurls in flashbacks from a slick, unapologetic Balram in the future, so it's immediately apparent that he won't always be kowtowing to those considered above him in his country's strict caste system. It's also evident that his tale, as cheekily told via a letter penned to 2003–13 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, will take the audience on quite the wild journey. The White Tiger's framing device is a little clumsy, and its overt, blackly comic observations about the wealthy taking advantage of everyone they consider below them aren't new — but this is still a savage, compelling and entertaining film with something smart to say and an engaging way of conveying its central message. Thanks to 2005's Man Push Cart, 2007's Chop Shop and 2015's 99 Homes, Iranian American writer/director Ramin Bahrani is no stranger to street-level stories about everyday folks trying to survive and thrive under capitalism's boot, or to the twisted power dynamics that can ensue in society at large and in close quarters. Accordingly, he's a perfect fit for the material here, and brings a constantly probing eye to the narrative penned by his college classmate Adiga. Also ideal is Gourav. The actor is in excellent company, with Rao and Chopra Jonas each finding multiple layers in their characters' lives of privilege and eagerness to regard Balram as a friend while it suits. But as a bright-eyed but still calculating young man trying to work his way up in the world, and then as a cynical experienced hand who has seen much, endured more and knows how he wants the world to work, Gourav is electrifying. It's a performance that's bound to catapult him into other high-profile roles, and it's also the likeable and empathetic yet also ambitious and slippery portrayal this rollercoaster ride of a story hinges upon. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OVB-7gjJ0 MUSIC Sia isn't the first musician to try her hand at filmmaking. Music is barely a movie, however. As co-penned with children's author Dallas Clayton, the scantest of cliche-riddled, Rain Man-esque narratives is used to stitch together ten whimsy-dripping musical numbers — packaged as brightly coloured and costumed insights into the unique way in which the film's titular character sees the world, but really just lavish music videos to new Sia-penned songs performed by the feature's cast. And, awash in rainbow hues, surrealistic outfits and jerky, stylised dance moves, these frequent video clips are actually the most subtle parts of the movie. Sia's regular dancer and muse Maddie Ziegler jumps from the singer/songwriter's 'Chandelier' and 'Elastic Heart' videos to play Music, a nonverbal teenager on the autism spectrum, with such pronounced mannerisms that her performances feels like a caricature from her first wide-eyed stare. As the girl's just-sober, on-probation, much-older half-sister Zu (and acting in her first screen role since 2017), Kate Hudson stamps around with a shaved head that's supposed to signify the character's alternative credentials — and, as her character scowls about her new responsibilities to her sibling, drops phrases such as "people pound" and flits around town dealing drugs to fund her dream of starting a yoga commune, she's just as forceful. Music starts with its headphone-wearing namesake's daily routine, which has been carefully established by her grandmother Millie (Mary Kay Place, The Prom), and is maintained with help from the kindly local community. But then tragedy strikes, Zu is called in to look after Music, and she quickly establishes that she knows far less about what she's doing and about her sister than Millie's doting neighbours, such as boxing teacher Ebo (Leslie Odom Jr, a Tony-winner for Hamilton) and building mainstay George (Hector Elizondo, one of Hudson's co-stars in 2016's also abysmal Mother's Day). The movie might bear Music's name, but it tells Zu's story. Controversy swelled around the film when its first trailer dropped in 2020, with Sia called out for the fact that the neurotypical Ziegler isn't from the autistic community — and it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the first-time feature director happily uses Music as a catalyst to spark Zu's growth, rather than as the movie's actual protagonist. Zu's journey involves learning not to resent her sibling or dump her on others (something that should be self-evident) and falling for Ebo, while Music becomes little more than her sidekick. By the time that Sia shows up, playing a version of herself and purchasing pills from Zu to send to Haiti as an act of charity, Music has already outstayed its welcome; however, her brief on-screen appearance hammers home not just the film's indulgence, but the fact that the movie is really just an advertisement for a concept album above all else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLnk8YriCQ SHADOW IN THE CLOUD In Shadow in the Cloud, a passenger on a plane spies a gremlin peering at them from outside the aircraft — and science fiction fans will know that in 1963 with William Shatner, in 1983 with John Lithgow and in 2019 with Adam Scott, The Twilight Zone got there first. The second of those instances, in Twilight Zone: The Movie, was produced by filmmaker John Landis. In what's hardly a coincidence, the script for Shadow in the Cloud is co-credited to Landis' controversial son Max (Chronicle, American Ultra). Plenty of details have been changed here, with the second feature from director and co-writer Roseanne Liang (My Wedding and Other Secrets) set in 1943, primarily taking place on a B-17 bomber from Auckland to Samoa and focusing on Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz, Greta). From the outset, the film also endeavours to draw attention to gender politics. After its airborne scenes, it gets gleefully absurd, too. Still, after some initial intrigue, Shadow in the Cloud kicks into gear with a been-there, seen-that air that can't be shaken, even as the movie tries to fly into over-the-top B-movie territory. It doesn't help that, while endeavouring to mixing feminist sentiments with gonzo genre flourishes, it spends far too much time letting men voice their utter surprise that a woman could be caught up in this narrative. Those comments echo as Maude sits in the ball turret hanging beneath the aircraft. She's hitching a ride with an all-male crew (including The Outpost's Taylor John Smith, Hawaii Five-O's Beulah Koale, Love, Simon's Nick Robinson, Operation Buffalo's Benedict Wall and Avengers: Endgame's Callan Mulvey) for a secret mission that she isn't allowed to let them in on, and they're none too happy about the situation. So, that's the only space they're willing to give her. They're content to chatter away obnoxiously about her, though, and to dismiss her worries as hysterics when she spies a critter wreaking havoc outside. This part of the picture is enough to give viewers whiplash. In the tension-dripping creature-feature tradition, and as a Twilight Zone remake, Maude's experiences during the flight are the film's best. If her anxiety-riddled time with the gremlin had been stretched out to movie-length and packaged with example after example of how society overlooks women, they could've had real bite, too. And yet, the way the movie's sexist dialogue is used to make a girl-power point proves near-excruciatingly clunky and cliched, rather than clever or meaningful. Imbalance plagues the film over and over, actually — as evidenced in the 80s-style synth score that sounds great but doesn't quite fit, its constant tonal shifts, Moretz's performance, and the overall feeling that the movie thinks it has nailed the combination of out-there and astute. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1 and January 7. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman and Summerland.
For those who don't feel like braving the hordes of people at Tropfest in the Domain this Sunday, an excellent alternative may be catching Evil J & Saint Cecilia at Low Bar. Their Sydney gig, alongside Griffith Goat Boy, is a warm up in preparation for hitting the road to support Eddie Vedder, the gravelly-voiced troubadour of Pearl Jam fame. Evil J & Saint Cecilia are an Australian folk-pop outfit based sometimes in the US, with one of the most intriguing and unrevealing artist bios I've yet to read. Written in the form of a poem, it explains that "as girls they had sung together/The songs of olden days/Saint Cecilia from the ocean shallows/Howled with the soul that dwelled in the branches shadows/After centuries of hiding in the forest shade/The Evil J had taken on a plant like form." Make of that what you will. Their single 'Silver Spoons' has been doing the rounds at FBI Radio of late, and it's definitely worth a listen. Incidentally, the band features Eliza Jane Barnes, and while she's probably sick to death of having it talked about, her dad is Jimmy Barnes. And she's inherited some damn fine vocal chords.
Make tracks to Chippendale's creative space Sew Make Create if you're looking to start a new project. Run by fashion designer Melissa Tan-Lu, the shop is a collaborative haven for every kind of artist and maker. There's a huge range of classes on offer for those looking to upskill or take on a new hobby. The classes focus on hand-crafted, eco-friendly designs — think hand embroidery and quilting workshops, introduction courses to sewing, crocheting and basket weaving, scent blending and even lampshade and macrame classes. You can also use the space in your own time, with hourly sewing machine hire on offer too. You can check out upcoming classes here. Sew Make Create is open 10am–5pm every Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.
If ever there was a quintessential basement speakeasy, it's surely Burrow Bar. Its thick limestone walls, low-slung ceilings and compact dimensions paired with crimson, tufted leather banquettes, candle-lit bistro tables and charismatic bartenders are a Prohibition-era dream; a secret party bunker just beyond the vice squad's reach. Not that it's a crime to enjoy one of Burrow Bar's innovative signature cocktails, although the dad puns they use to name their cleverly crafted drinks — such as the Make Amaro Great Again or the Can't Believe It's Not Bitter — ought to be illegal. Then again, a tongue-in-cheek spirit is very much part of this small bar's big personality — owners Chau Tran and Bruce McDonough are passionate exponents of mixology as entertainment, so expect to see some theatrics (and even occasional pyrotechnics) from the team as they assemble your beverage. Alongside the cocktail offering, you'll find a considered yet streamlined selection of wines and a showcase of Australian beers, including brews from Marrickville's Wildflower, the Mornington Peninsula Brewery in Melbourne and Queensland's Bacchus Brewing Co. Located one floor above the bar, modern Vietnamese joint Cash Only Diner provides the surprisingly substantial menu of bar eats. These range from quick and tasty snacks, such as Vietnamese pâté and house-made pickles, to more substantial plates like a green apple and mango salad with tiger prawns, or seared duck breast served with traditional fermented bean curd sauce and pops of fragrant finger lime. We'd also venture to claim that it's the only cocktail bar in Sydney where you can order a bowl of bún bò huế to your table. Appears in: Sydney's Best Underground Bars for 2023
According to the BucketFeet philosophy, "Art is not meant to hang in an expensive gallery, it is meant to travel and be seen." Why hang paintings on your wall when you can wear them in the street? BucketFeet, a Chicago-based company, sells artist-designed footwear. Every one of their products is a unique piece, envisioned by an artist and realised through ethical production methods. The artists involved collect royalties from every shoe sold. Launched in spring 2011, they're now selling in 12 countries, and the best news is, they've just hit Australian shelves. Co-founders Raaja Nemani (who doubles as CEO) and Aaron Firestein (chief artist) first met in Argentina, where Raaja was escaping the world of finance via extended international travel and Aaron was working as a photographer with a sideline in putting Sharpie to sneaker. "[Aaron] designed a pair of shoes for me that inspired a pair of shoes we later launched with BucketFeet called 'Cuadras', based on the city blocks of Buenos Aires," says Raaja, who went on to wear the shoes across six continents and gather the attention of footwear lovers at every stop. "I think what made the shoes special were the stand out colours he used, which you wouldn't necessarily think go together. They were so unique and original, and while I'm not the craziest dresser, I always like to wear a unique piece — usually a cool pair of shoes or a cool hat. Lately, it's been BucketFeet!" Now launching their SS14 line, they've clocked up more than 100 shoe designs by 70 artists. And those artists are a diverse bunch. "It doesn't matter where you're from or what social class you fit into," says Aaron. "For example, we have worked with artists from the favelas of Rio who work jobs as pizza delivery boys during the day and paint at night, just because they love it so much. We've also worked with people who get artwork commissioned by big companies like Disney, Dr. Pepper or Sony for their marketing campaigns. Art is the unifying factor and, if the person has talent, we want to work with them. Everyone's got a story." The artists involved earn US$250 upfront for their work and then $1 per pair of shoes as well as royalties for as long as the shoes are sold. The payment system is the same no matter how many shoes are sold, or through which channels. "On a global scale, our give-back is substantial," says Raaja. "More than the financial element, we drive awareness and exposure to our artists. We think this is more important than money. There's something to be said about applying artwork to shoes and then having a person walk around in those shoes. The art travels, it is seen by new people, and I think that is what matters most. To get into a pair of Bucketfeet, check out their website or their Australian stockists, Monster Threads.
The creative process of artists is as fascinating as it is mysterious. Songwriters are a famously cagey breed of individuals and are often particularly guarded as to the true meaning behind their music. Yet, bizarrely, these same songwriters seem to possess an irrepressible urge to share their innermost feelings with thousands of people through the medium of song. These quotes from ten songwriting legends provide a fascinating insight into what drives these musicians to be musicians. Whether it's because they weren't good enough for art school, because they are an emotional train-wreck or because they are just a wee bit insane, here is a little peek into why musicians do what they do and what inspires their art. David Bowie “I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human. I felt very puny as a human. I thought, ‘Fuck that. I want to be a superhuman.’” Tori Amos “Some people are afraid of what they might find if they try to analyze themselves too much, but you have to crawl into your wounds to discover where your fears are. Once the bleeding starts, the cleansing can begin.” Bob Dylan “Songs, to me, were more important than just light entertainment. They were my preceptor and guide into some altered consciousness of reality. Some different republic, some liberated republic… whatever the case, it wasn’t that I was anti-popular culture or anything and I had no ambition to stir things up. I just thought of mainstream culture as lame as hell and a big trick. It was like the unbroken sea of frost that lay outside the window and you had to have awkward footgear to walk with.” Richey Edwards - Manic Street Preachers “We started at a time when rock’n'roll was dead over here. The UK was in the grip of dance, rap, and the acid house thing. All that Manchester sound stuff that sounded so contrived… The only real rock’n'roll was coming out of America. We were consciously reacting against all that. Our friends laughed at us because they said there was no audience for us. But we felt we had to do something to bring back rock’n'roll, so that’s how the Manic Street Preachers came about.” Michael Gira “[Music] was a kind of sado-masochism. I would take the things that were painful to me and elevate them and, through the mantra of music, make them into a release.” Sonic Boom “I think a composer is literally an antenna to take in feelings, emotions etc and analyze, re-synthesize and then broadcast out to other humans. We felt we were making music (in the mid ’80s) for a sector of society including ourselves who seemed uncatered for. We could only imagine that there were other people out there wanting something more than what was currently on offer and in the realm which interested us. Luckily, we slowly seemed to find the other alienated types seeking something special from the music in their lives — i.e. not aural wallpaper as music is sometimes used.” Leonard Cohen “It seems like the height of folly to decide to solve your economic problems by becoming a singer. But I’d always played guitar, and I’d always sung. And I’d played in a country-western band, in Montreal… I came down to New York, and I didn’t have very much success in getting the ear of anyone. I visited some agents and they’d say, ‘Turn around, kid… let’s have a look at you. Aren’t you a little too old for this game?’ I was 32 at the time. I think I was eating very little; I was about 116 pounds…and going to all the clubs, and listening and playing and writing. Just the ordinary cliche of a young writer in New York.” Nick Cave “I kind of came in through the back door. I was always something of an imposter, I guess, because I couldn’t really play music or sing very well and it was some years before I was able to do anything that was worthwhile musically. I did music because I failed art school. If I hadn’t failed art school I probably would have carried on and been a moderately successful painter.” Jarvis Cocker - Pulp “If somebody told me in 1981 that it would take 13 years to get recognized, I would have been horrified. I guess it was self-belief that kept it going all the time, because for a long time nobody else seemed to like it. But we thought we were doing something that was worth doing, so we kept doing it and hoped that the world would come round to our way of thinking.” Patti Smith “These things were in my mind from the first moment I entered the vocal booth: The gratitude I had for rock and roll as it pulled me through a difficult adolescence. The joy I experienced when I danced. The moral power I gleaned in taking responsibility for one’s action.”
Dark Mofo might be taking a breather in 2024, but Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) will still be embracing summer at Mona Foma. The sunny counterpart to the Apple Isle's moody winter fest has locked in its 2024 return from Thursday, February 15 to Sunday, February 25 in nipaluna/Hobart and from Thursday, February 29 to Saturday, March 2 in Launceston. It has also dropped one helluva getaway-worthy lineup. [caption id="attachment_923130" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andreas Neumann[/caption] Back in October, Queens of the Stone Age were revealed as the first act on Mona Foma's program for the year. They're joined by Courtney Barnett, TISM, Paul Kelly, Mogwai, Shonen Knife and Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, for starters. If you don't know where to start, the quintessential Mona Foma experience is the Mona Sessions. On the evenings of Friday, February 23 to Sunday, February 25, you can catch live music from international artists on the sprawling museum lawns. Arrive on a camouflage ferry before exploring one of Australia's most innovative museums. Then, enjoy back-to-back performances by Scottish rockers Mogwai and Japanese band Shonen Knife, joined by fellow overseas talents Holy Fuck, Wednesday, Michael Rother + Friends (playing Neu! songs) and Lonnie Holley with Moor Mother and Irreversible Entanglements. Now that TISM are back playing live together, the Australian legends will bust out 'Greg! The Stop Sign!', 'Whatareya' and 'Ol' Man River' at Cataract Gorge. The Ron Hitler-Barassi-led band are part of a free one-day event at the stunning site during Mona Foma's Launceston weekend, as are Cash Savage and The Last Drinks. Head along and you'll also enjoy morning meditations to start the day and hear from Mulga Bore Hard Rock and FFLORA + Grace Chia. [caption id="attachment_926553" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steve Cook[/caption] More on the music program: Darren Hanlon, Bree van Reyk and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra are teaming up; French Korean siblings Isaac et Nora will perform Latin-American songs they've learned by ear; and Barelona-based producer Filastine and Indonesian singer Nova will provide live tunes on a 70-tonne sailing ship to muse on the climate crisis. DJs will get spinning beneath James Turrell's Armana at Mona and artists will be hitting up the Frying Pan Studios to jam and record. Emeka Ogboh's contribution to the festival is another big highlight. In the immersive exhibit Boats, the Nigerian artist ponders migration in a sensory experience that boasts its own gin — made with native Tasmanian and West African botanicals — alongside snacks, conversation and a sound installation. [caption id="attachment_926554" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wei-Tsan Liu[/caption] Also set to impress: Taiwanese artist Yahon Chang will be painting on a 20-by-15-metre canvas at Princes Wharf 1 with a human-sized brush in a performance that'll blend calligraphy, art, meditation, kung fu and tai chi. Other program standouts include the world premiere of Justin Shoulder's Anito; Dancenorth's latest production Wayfinder, which includes Hiromi Tango on design duties and music from Hiatus Kaiyote; the return of party venue Faux Mo at The Granada Tavern; and a Street Eats food and drink market pop-up with a lineup of musical guests. [caption id="attachment_784488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MONA/Jesse Hunniford, Robin Fox laser installation at the Albert Hall, Launceston, Mona Foma 2019[/caption] Nab your tickets now at the Mona Foma website. You can also book your getaway package through Concrete Playground Trips. Top images: Moshcam, Pooneh Ghana, Akira Shibata. All images courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.
The Porter House Precinct has been making eye-catching moves in recent times, adding to its impressive lineup of venues spanning five reimagined heritage levels. Following the September launch of Victor Liong's Lee Ho Fook, guests can now discover Bar See See on the top floor, a baijiu-led lounge exploring the contemporary edge of China's national spirit. Recounted through innovative cocktails and cultural storytelling, Bar See See pairs Moutai-forward creations with a stellar whisky, beer and spritz selection. Meanwhile, a standout wine offering curated by the Trippas White Group's sommelier, Louella Mathews, ensures the well-rounded drinks menu strikes a carefully considered tone. That's also helped by the venue's debut guest residency, with husband-wife bartending duo Priscilla Leong and Paul Hammond kicking things off behind the bar. Better known as The Flowing Bowl, they've collaborated with the likes of Chanel, Asia's Best 50 Restaurants, Rèmy Cointreau International and Lexus Australia. Perhaps most significant of all, Priscilla claimed the prestigious Bartender of the Year Award in 2022, sealing her status as one of the country's biggest talents. For Bar See See, the pair has shaped a series of signature drinks and classics. Yet the staff's pick is extra seductive — a Moutai Chun 1992 and Loch Lomand 18 Year Old Single Malt infusion heightened with osmanthus and goji. While the drinks program is the main event, guests will also encounter a succinct Asian-inspired bar menu by Lee Ho Fook executive chef, Brad Guest. With friends or on a date, Sydney rock oysters with shallot and ginger vinegar, salt and pepper lotus chips, and spiced red skin peanuts are just some of the highlights to enjoy. As for the design, expect the 100-seat space to lean into its Moutai inspiration, guided by the spirit's flying fairy motif and Rorschach symmetry. "Bar See See is about reimagining Moutai for modern drinkers, says Venue Manager Nance Liong. "It's a space where curiosity meets craft — where you can explore something ancient, but in a way that feels fresh, social and very Sydney." Bar See See is now open from 4pm on Wednesday–Sunday at The Porter House Precinct, Level 3A, 203 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Head to the website for more information. Images: Anna Kucera.
