US rapper Lizzo has had a big year. A huge year. As well as releasing her extremely well received (and much played) album Cuz I Love You, she's been in Hustlers and is currently on the cover of British Vogue. If you've become as unstoppably obsessed with everything she does as the rest of the world has, then we have good news for you: the lady herself will be coming to Sydney and Melbourne next year to play shows at the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall and Melbourne's The Forum. Lizzo (or Melissa Viviane Jefferson) will fill the venues with her catchy hits 'Juice' and 'Truth Hurts' — and have the crowd hollering, "turns out I'm 100 percent that bitch" — as well as other bangers off her hit 2019 album. This will be her first ever visit to Australia. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ktT5yhq4k/ While she's in Australia, she'll also be heading to Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne with FOMO in early January. There are still tickets to those festivals if you can't make it to her solo shows. If you do want to go to her solo shows, though, you'll need to snap up tickets fast — Lizzo will only be taking to the stage once at the Sydney Opera House (on Monday, January 6) and once again at The Forum (Wednesday, January 8). Her Sydney show will be one of the last performances, alongside Solange's in late Jan, in the Concert Hall before it shuts for major renovations next year. Lizzo will perform at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Monday, January 6, 2020 and at The Forum, Melbourne on Wednesday, January 8. For Sydney, general tickets go on sale at midday on Thursday, November 21, with pre-sale kicking off at midday on Wednesday, November 20 — you can sign-up for the latter here. Melbourne general tickets are available from 9am on Tuesday, November 19, with pre-sale from 9am on Monday, November 18 — sign-up for those here. Image: Luke Gilford
You don't need binoculars or a deerstalker cap to be a sleuth. If you're keen to investigate new cases at the press of a few buttons, all you really need is a stacked streaming queue. TV mysteries and dramas are full of whodunnits, after all. And, while they're filled with on-screen folks trying to get to the bottom of many a thorny predicament, they're also all perfect for letting viewers play armchair detective at home. Perhaps you're excellent at spotting tiny foreshadowing details? Maybe you have a great feel for television's twists and turns? Or, you could just love escaping into a series, lapping up all the minutiae and seeing if you can pick what's going to happen next? Whichever category fits, we've paired up with streaming platform Binge to take care of your next five viewing picks. They'll have you puzzling along as you're watching — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
Sydneysiders — and those planning a trip to the harbour city — can get their cultural kicks IRL again, with most major NSW cultural institutions back in action. And, with Sydney home to so many galleries, museums and art spaces, there's no shortage of arty events to add to your calendar. One to bookmark for the warmer months: A retrospective exhibition on multidisciplinary artist Lindy Lee that's taking over leading contemporary gallery MCA Australia. Titled Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop, it is the most comprehensive exhibition by the artist to date — and it's opening on Friday, October 2. The celebrated Australian Chinese artist has a practice spanning over four decades and works in everything from painting to sculpture. Her Chinese ancestry underpins much of her art; Lee's works are inspired by Daoism and Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism philosophies and she often examines the connection between humanity and nature. From flinging molten bronze and burning paper to allowing ink to spill and rain to transform surfaces, Lee's process is varied, experimental and inquisitive. Expect more than 70 works, including huge installations, vibrant wax paintings and metallic structures — and rarely seen works from the artist's personal collection. You'll also spy a few new commissions, one of which will be proudly exhibited on the museum's outdoor forecourt. To mark the exhibition's launch, Lee will be giving a talk on her art practice on Wednesday, October 7, which you can catch in person or live stream from home. [caption id="attachment_782750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] MCA Australia's exhibition Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop launches on Friday, October 2. The gallery is currently open 10am–5pm Tuesday–Sunday, with COVID-19 measures in place. Entry is free and unticketed. Top images: Lindy Lee, 'No Up, No Down, I Am the Ten Thousand Things' (1995/2020), courtesy of the artist and Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; Lindy Lee, 'The Silence of Painters' (1989), Museum of Contemporary Art, gift of Loti Smorgon AO and Victor Smorgon AC; Lindy Lee, 'Exploding Suns' (2019), installation view, photography by Ng Wu Gang; Lindy Lee, 'Book of Kuan-yin' (2002), courtesy the artist and Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; and Lindy Lee, 'Untitled (After Jan Van Eyck)' (1988), collection of The University of Queensland, gift of Mary Dwyer in memory of Paul Dane Tilley. For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
Best known for his strange modern fairytales, including Delicatessen, Micmacs and, of course, Amelie, Jean-Pierre Jeunet has a particular talent for finding whimsy and madness in the everyday corners of life. He continues that habit in his English-language debut, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet. Mark Twain by way of Jimmy Neutron, this oddball family film lays the syrup on thick, only to cut through the sweetness with a biting critique of America's cultural foibles. Indeed, this flick is so loaded with tacky, tongue-in-cheek American iconography that it could have only been directed by a foreigner (and perhaps more specifically, a Frenchman). Cowboys, box-cars and the mighty Mississippi make up the landscape, as T.S. Spivet rides the rails from Montana to the nation's capital. There, he'll accept a prize from the Smithsonian institute for inventing a perpetual motion machine that could change the world as we know it. Not too shabby, given that he's only 10 years old. The film is an adaptation of Reif Larsen's popular children's novel, The Select Works of T.S. Spivet. It's a natural fit for the imaginative Jeunet, who, like T.S. himself, has often found himself swimming against the tide. Here, his fanciful world consists of impossibly saturated colours, the entire frame cluttered with weird and wonderful stuff. Maps, graphs and diagrams float magically from the screen in 3D, giving us a glimpse at the gears and levers of our hero's brilliant mind. Young Kyle Catlett does a marvellous job as the film's pint-sized protagonist, an undisputed prodigy but still very much a child. Much of the movie's humour is derived from his amusing, unfiltered observations of the colourful characters that inhabit his life — including his taciturn, bull-wrangling father (Callum Keith Rennie); distractible, entomologist mother (Helena Bonham Carter); and moody teenage sister (Niamh Wilson), who dreams of being a beauty queen. His thoughts linger, also, on his twin brother Layton, who died the previous year while the two of them were playing with a gun. It's a sombre recurring note, one that ever-so-slightly sours the images of America's perpetually sunny heartland. So too does a conversation with a trucker (Julian Richings), with whom T.S. hitches a ride. An Iraq war veteran, the man tells his young travelling companion he signed up to see the world. He just wishes he hadn't had to kill people in order to do so. It's only when the boy reaches D.C., however, that Jeunet launches into a full-blown comic satire. The arrival of the theretofore unknown child prodigy — and one with a tragically dead sibling to boot — sends the science world into a frenzy. Before long, trusting T.S. finds himself caught up in a press and public relations scrum, as grown men and women all try to exploit him for their own tawdry, selfish ambitions. Still, while Jeunet can't help but poke fun, the film's primary tone is one of sincerity, humour and good grace, with a late scene between T.S. and his parents striking more of an emotional chord than you expect it to. The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is the sort of rare family film that finds just the right balance between smarts and sentimentality. Great if you have clever kids, or are just a clever kid at heart. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_Km4dZ_jBFE
We all know the drill. You've locked in your tickets, lined up your perfect outfit, and are counting down the days until the show. But there's one thing standing between you and that incredible moment when the lights go down and your favourite artist steps on stage: actually getting there. When it comes to concerts, Sydney Olympic Park is notorious for being a nightmare to navigate. If you've ever been caught in the gridlock, the crowded buses or the hour-long Uber waits, you'll know that getting to a show can kill the vibe before the night even begins. Sure, you could battle your way through it, or (hear us out) you could swap the commute for cocktails, city views, and a five-star floating pre-game on Sydney Harbour with Phoenix One. Moored in Sydney Harbour and presented by Yacht Society, Phoenix One is a 35-metre luxury yacht designed for groups of up to 46 people who want to travel in ultimate style. Forget the queues and chaos. This is how you start your night like a headliner. The two-hour Rockstar Champagne & Caviar Experience is about setting the tone from the first sip. Think of free-flowing champagne, freshly shucked oysters, and complimentary frozen margaritas, all against the backdrop of the Sydney skyline. Add in a curated playlist, sunset views, and an epic onboard sound system, and you've just turned pre-drinks into a main event. As the yacht glides west toward Sydney Olympic Park, you can kick back with premium cocktails, soak in the city lights, and arrive at the venue without the stress of getting there. Sydney's concert lineup is stacked this year, with a bunch of international heavyweights hitting town. And while thousands of people will be stuck in traffic or scrambling for a decent spot to pre-drink, you'll be floating in complete comfort. If you prefer your luxury on a trip outside Sydney, you can also charter the yacht for an overnight escape in the Whitsundays – the kind of escape from reality you've always dreamed about. Wake up to breathtaking views of Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef, indulge in private chef dining, and soak up the sun on deck with nothing but crystal-clear water surrounding you. This is luxury on your terms, whether you're celebrating something big or just need an excuse to escape reality for a little while. Like any luxury experience, private hire spots are extremely limited for Phoenix One. If you're keen to take your pre-game to the next level, plan an exclusive 2-hour rockstar pre-gig experience on Sydney Harbour or take a well-deserved break to recover in the Whitsundays aboard Phoenix One, Yacht Society is here to elevate every moment to iconic status. For more information on bookings on Phoenix One, visit the website or contact info@yachtsociety.com.au By Jacque Kennedy
Before he’d even set foot in Australia, Tim Crouch’s work had played to rapturous audiences throughout the country, from Belvoir Street to the Perth and Melbourne Festivals. Crouch is an internationally acclaimed theatremaker based in the UK, where he creates his own work as well as directing for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and it’s Shakespeare that’s the subject of his show in the 2014 Sydney Festival. In his one-man piece at Carriageworks, I, Malvolio, Crouch drags the “notoriously wronged” steward from Twelfth Night out into the limelight. When I, Malvolio first opened in a Brighton school as part of that city’s festival, Crouch was also asked to make an “adult” version of the same work — now he adapts the piece on the fly in every show, depending on who’s in the house. “If there’s lots of adults the level of interaction becomes more mature and complex, with a younger audience the text changes slightly," he says. "There’s quite a lot of improvisation in this piece, but there’s also quite a lot of strictly scripted words, and it’s in the spaces where the improvisation exists that the piece changes depending on the audience.” His plays for older audiences typically have a strong ideological bent, pushing against the boundaries of theatre’s capabilities. But he’s found that younger audiences are often more attuned, present and receptive. In this respect, he characterises children and teenagers in a similar way to audiences at festivals, where most if not all of his international work is produced. “Festivals are melting pots,” says Crouch, “They are meeting points, because work from around the world gathers in those places. Everyone is much more porous — the audience come back at you more deeply.” I, Malvolio is the fourth in a sequence of five works that began in 2003 with I, Caliban, but Crouch never set out to make a “series”. In these pieces, he liberates characters like Caliban, Banquo and Cinna from the margins of Shakespeare’s plots, letting them take centre stage in their own fluid, transfigured adaptations. He’s keenly aware of the responsibility these works owe to their “host plays”, but each one is still a freestanding work in its own right. “It’s important that they don’t sit in the shadow of the Shakespeare play they come from; they have to be pieces with their own integrity.” Crouch believes that this kind of balance allows an Elizabethan playwright’s distinctive voice to resonate with a modern audience, invoking Harold Bloom’s belief in Shakespeare as the inventor of understanding of what it means to be human. “A character like Malvolio is still an archetype that exists in contemporary consciousness,” he says, “and it’s good for a young audience to understand there’s a continuum from that time to now, and how we think about ourselves as human beings. We can still trace our way back.” Check out our top ten picks of the Sydney Festival for more events. Want to see the adults-only showing of I, Malvolio? It's on January 18 at 10pm. The other shows are suitable for people of most ages (11+). Image by Matthew Andrews.
At the beginning of 2012, when the world discovered that Channing Tatum was starring in a movie about male strippers — and that it was based on his own experiences working in the field — everyone was a little sceptical. Which was understandable. Magic Mike boasts a great director in Steven Soderbergh, and a cast that also includes Matthew Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough and peak McConnaissance-era Matthew McConaughey, but, on paper, it was hardly a sure thing. Of course, once the film hit the screens, it was a hit. More than that — it was a smart and sensitive look at men chasing the American Dream by taking off their clothes. Sequel Magic Mike XXL, which released in 2015, not only repeated the feat but added more depth, and Tatum successfully turned what could've been a forgettable chapter of his pre-fame life into a successful big-screen franchise. Actually, he's turned it into a stage and screen franchise. Yes, Magic Mike was always going to go back to where it all began. In Las Vegas, London and Berlin, Magic Mike Live has been letting real-life male dancers strip up a storm for eager audiences. Not to be confused with Magic Mike the Musical — because that's something that's also happening — the "immersive" dance show is coming to Australia in 2020. When its Aussie leg was first announced last year, the show was set to debut in Melbourne in May 2020; however, then the pandemic hit. After delaying those dates, Magic Mike Live will now unleash its stuff in Sydney from Thursday, December 17. It'll then head to Melbourne from Tuesday, June 8, 2021, with Brisbane and Perth seasons set to follow at yet-to-be-revealed dates. In each city, Magic Mike Live will steam up a 600-seat spiegeltent called The Arcadia. It's the world's largest spiegeltent, because clearly this kind of show has plenty of fans. This is the first time that the performance will be held in the pop-up two-storey spot, which comes with 360-degree views of the stage, a glass lobby, custom bars, a mini food hall, and a lounge area both inside and out. And while it's blazing a trail venue-wise, on the stage, the Aussie show will combine elements of the Magic Mike Live's three other international productions. While Tatum came up with the idea for Magic Mike Live and co-directs the show, the Step Up, 21 Jump Street, Logan Lucky and Kingsman: The Golden Circle star isn't actually one of the performers. Instead, a cast of 20 — including 15 male dancers — will showcase a combination of, dance, comedy and acrobatics. Continuing her role from the films, stage show co-director and choreographer Alison Faulk is behind the sultry moves, drawing upon a career spent working with Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Missy Elliott, P!NK, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin. It probably goes without saying, but if you're already thinking about buying Magic Mike Live tickets, expect to have plenty of hens parties for company. MAGIC MIKE LIVE AUSTRALIAN TOUR Sydney — Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, from Thursday, December 17, 2020 Melbourne — Birrarung Mar, from Tuesday, June 8, 2021 Brisbane — TBC Perth — TBC Magic Mike Live tours Australia from Thursday, December 17, 2020, when it kicks off its shows in Sydney. It'll then hit Melbourne from Tuesday, June 8, 2021, with Brisbane and Perth seasons set to follow at yet-to-be-revealed dates. For more information, or to buy tickets for the Sydney leg, the website. Top image: Jerry Metellus.
If you find yourself thinking back on Law & Order re-runs, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs or Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight, you're probably thinking about one particular type of scene. There's an art to a good on-screen interrogation — to seeing characters verbally spar back and forth, as one probes for answers and the other tries to avoid their questions — that's riveting when it's done well. It's also hilarious when it's done comedically (see Brooklyn Nine-Nine); however, nothing beats a grim, serious, eyes-blazing, nostril-flaring confrontation between a suspected criminal and a savvy detective who are both confined to the same small room. Netflix, in its seemingly never-ending quest to turn every single possible idea into highly binge-able streaming content, is taking this concept and running with it in its new anthology crime series Criminal. Love interrogations, but not so fussed about all the stuff around them? Then you'll want to glue your peepers to this newcomer when it arrives later in the year, because it's all about heated chats in police interview suites. In fact, that's all it's about. The streaming platform is keeping most of the details quiet for now, although the show will tell a dozen different tales across just as many 45-minute episodes — spending three episodes each focusing on cases in France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Criminal will also unfurl its tense arguments with some considerable star power, with David Tennant and Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell among the UK cast. You might also recognise Laurence Anyways' Nathalie Baye and The Unknown Girl's Jérémie Renier in the French instalments, plus Phoenix's Nina Hoss in the German episodes. Behind the scenes, the claustrophobic, cat-and-mouse-style program also boasts a heap of talent, which'll again vary from country to country. Killing Eve writer George Kay and She's Out Of My League director Jim Field Smith will oversee the whole thing, and take care of the British chapters, while The Returned and Spiral helmer Frederic Mermoud, Downfall's Oliver Hirschbiegel and Dark Impulse's Mariano Barroso will do the honours in France, Germany and Spain respectively. While Netflix hasn't released a proper teaser or trailer yet, it has unveiled a cast announcement video which doubles as a foreboding look at things to come: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L82Gx5wrPVs Criminal will drop on Netflix later this year — we'll update you with further details, including an exact release date, as they come to hand. Via Deadline.
Powderfinger may have crooned about sunsets over beaches, but they've got nothing on sunsets over the beautiful Snowy Mountains. That big yellow sphere setting behind snow-capped peaks is a sight to behold, and there's no better way to celebrate that golden hour than with a bev in hand and a band on stage. Corona Sunsets is a global music festival series celebrating sunsets in the world's most iconic mountains, beaches and city centres, and it's returning to Thredbo for 2018. The first event is on July 21, where keen beans can enjoy an icy cold Corona and DJs on the decks — all day, starting with Merritt's Midday Sessions from 12pm til 4pm. House DJs will serve up good tunes from 2pm til 3pm, and Magnifik will be bringing their own brand of deep house, disco and hip-hop soul from 3pm til 6.30pm. Then things will really kick off when certified party-starters Northeast Party House take to the stage, bringing its new-age alternative pop to the masses. The whole thing will happen again on August 18 with Running Touch closing out the bill, instead. To find out more about Thredbo's exciting winter program, head to thredbo.com.au.
It's the election promise Queenslanders fond of an evening out had been hoping wouldn't come true. When the state's Labor Government came to power in 2015, they vowed to combat alcohol-fuelled violence, and to change legislation surrounding the service of booze to do so. In the early hours of this morning — the time Brisbanites will no longer be able to order drinks or enter bars, fittingly — the amended laws were passed through. Most of us want to put an end to anti-social behaviour, but unless you're eager to cut your partying short long before you currently have to, the latest developments bear only bad news. From July 2016, last drinks will be served at 2am — or 3am, if you're hanging out in a designated entertainment precinct. Shots will be banned after midnight, regardless of what you're consuming. And, if you're knocking back a few beverages at home, you'd best grab your supplies before 10pm, because any new bottle-os won't be able to trade past then. That's just the beginning, with new lockout times coming into effect on February 1, 2017. Patrons won't be able to re-enter pubs and clubs after 1am, which is a whole two hours earlier than existing restrictions. Casinos will be exempt, so expect the Treasury — or the new Queens Wharf precinct, once it is up and running — to become the most popular place in the city for late-night revelry. Queensland's tough changes come at a time when the concept of alcohol-related curfews continues to be in the spotlight around the country. Sydneysiders keep coming out in force to show their opposition, with another Keep Sydney Open Rally planned for Sunday, February 21. In Melbourne, a trial of 2am lockouts proved unsuccessful back in 2008, causing Victoria to abandon the idea since. Looks like Brisbane residents now have yet another reason to flock down south.
What Maisie Knew is an adaptation of the classic Henry James novella of the same name. Set in modern-day New York, it tells the story of Maisie (Onata Aprile), a seven-year old girl caught in the middle of a game of custody one-upmanship between her divorced parents, rock star Susanna (Julianne Moore) and art dealer Beale (Steve Coogan). Through Maisie's point of view, we see her parents resort to increasingly immature measures for full custody, as Maisie somehow manages to stay calm amongst all the chaos going on around her. Some more positive parental influence comes via Susanna and Beale's new partners, Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard) and Margo (Joanna Vanderham). (In fact, the True Blood hottie and child star Onata have such a genuine bond it will hit your ovaries hard.) Brought to you by the producers of The Kids Are All Right, What Maisie Knew is touted as "an enchanting drama that explores the tangled complexity and often humorous aspects of contemporary relationships and family life." To celebrate the release of What Maisie Knew on August 22, Madman Entertainment and Papillionaire are giving one lucky reader the chance to get in touch with their inner seven-year-old, on The Sommer, a stylish, fully custom, Boston red, single-speed bicycle with basket, valued at $553, as well as a double in-season pass to see What Maisie Knew. Ten runners up will also receive double passes to the film. To be in the running, all you need to do is email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
While it's been a long time between drinks for international tours here in Australia, overseas artists are beginning to pencil in dates for Australian shows next year. With our vaccination rate on the rise, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing a roadmap towards opening up our borders, 2022 tours are beginning to feel a little more possible. So far, Lorde has locked in February and March dates off the back of her just-dropped album Solar Power, and Splendour in the Grass is shooting for a return next July with three international headliners on the cards. One of those headliners is US hip-hop and fashion trailblazer Tyler, The Creator who has now revealed plans for his own headline tour around Australia and New Zealand in 2022. Tyler, The Creator has announced a set of tour dates alongside his appearance at Splendour's 20th-anniversary festival to support the release of his latest album Call Me If You Get Lost. Australian and New Zealand fans can catch the genre-bending album, which features collaborations with the likes of DJ Drama, Lil Wayne and Pharrell Williams, performed alongside back-catalogue hits from Tyler at four dates throughout July and August. The tour will kick off at Auckland's Spark Arena on Friday, July 22, before heading across the ditch to land at Perth's RAC Arena on Tuesday, July 26. This will be followed by performances at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Friday, July 29 and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, August 2. Accompanying the hip-hop favourite on tour will be R'n'B singer-songwriter and frequent Tyler, The Creator collaborator Kali Uchis. The last time Tyler graced Australian shores was for a series of festival appearances over New Years 2020/21, hitting up the likes of Beyond the Valley and Field Day. The upcoming 2022 arena tour will, however, mark Tyler, The Creator's first set of headline shows down under in over eight years. [caption id="attachment_823366" align="alignnone" width="2556"] Luis 'Panch' Perez[/caption] TYLER, THE CREATOR — CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST TOUR Friday, July 22 – Spark Arena, Auckland Tuesday, July 26 – RAC Arena, Perth Friday, July 29 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, August 2 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tickets for the Call Me If You Get Lost Tour will be available to Frontier Members from Tuesday, August 31. General public sales will open on Thursday, September 2. Find more details at Frontier Touring's website. Top image by demxx
Unless you are lucky enough to unearth a leaked draft of J.K. Rowling's 15th instalment, seldom do we, the public, have a chance to witness the work of the creative elite under construction. (Yes, even this article copped some re-working). Rarer still is to see a leaked draft of a contemporary performance, and so, artistic voyeurs, don't forget your binoculars this Saturday as you peer into the minds on display at STC's Rough Draft #6. The result of a week-long creative binge, five actors will workshop a single scene penned by playwright Rita Kalnejais. Other creative inner sanctums on display include Richard Cottrell (director), Stefan Gregory (sound designer and composer), Alice Osborne (puppeteer), Kate Revz (director) and Kate Champion (choreographer). For the audience, it is an opportunity to dive deep into the creative juices and come out firing in the post-performance Q&A. For the artists, the target is experimentation: to try new collaborations and ideas before a forgiving (cost-free tickets means heckle-free people) and receptive audience. Although tickets are free, you are advised to book ahead.
Time Stands Still does not stop. It does not rest, it does not halt, nor does it falter. It is an animal of its own kind with no respite. It writhes, winks, slinks and blinks in your mind's eye, well beyond the night you saw it. To bear witness is a difficult anomaly: to help the individual suffering in that moment or tell the world and perhaps change something? When injured photojournalist Sarah Goodwin (Rebecca Rocheford Davies) returns to Brooklyn from the Iraq war to her home shared with de facto James (Richard Sydenham), her clipped sentences and heavy sighs and his pandering readiness reveal an all-too-apparent tension. The couple skirt around "the accident" while Sarah grimaces in pain, her face ripped with grazes like 'Diamond Face' in the Bond film, Die Another Day (props to the make-up team). The visit of an old friend and photo editor, Richard Elrich (Noel Hodda) — not to mention the unannounced accompaniment of a sugar-coated twenty-something doll face, Mandy Bloom (Harriet Dyer) — has Sarah panicking. Mandy's hyper-conflated deliberations over why she bought both the 'Get Well Soon' and the Welcome Home' balloons because she couldn't decide between them leave Sarah's eyes simply burning. The meeting of their two worlds is like putting a chihuahua in front of a lion; it throws open the vast divide between the fluffy and trivial west and the pain and grit of the war-torn Middle East. However, time rolls on and people change. How can we help the child dying in the street or the baby elephant cut lost from his mother? If we care too much about fixing the world, can we ever find joy? We don't know the answers, but everyone devises their own truths. American actor Rebecca Rocheford Davies is also the producer who shared discussions of the Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies' scripts with a meet-up group of engaged actors and writers. Once she came across Time Stands Still, she knew it had to be staged. Her rather apt cast choices were informed through watching actors perform, rather than audition, in a more natural sense rather than under pressure. Time Stands Still is downright frank and complete. It resembles a film more than a play and has a way of engrossing you so that reducing it down to a 400-word abstraction proves problematic. The concerns raised are real, manifold and sprouting with questions upon questions. They don't stop.
Australia is no stranger to alcohol subscription services. Signing up to get some top-notch gin or vino delivered regularly to your door turned out to be a pretty popular move last year, after all. But none have taken the concept quite as far as booze retailer Craft Cartel Liquor, which has just unveiled a new subscription that'll send you out an actual craft beer vending machine, followed by a year's worth of refills. Yep, if you thought you had it bad for boutique beer, the El Patron subscription is here to put your obsession to shame. Members will first score themselves a customised vending machine, which'll be delivered to their door. Then, Craft Cartel will refill it with quality independent Aussie brews every three months during your annual subscription, including favourites from the likes of Brisbane's Ballistic Beer Co, Jetty Road on the Mornington Peninsula and Newcastle's Foghorn Brewing. Of course, with up to 400 beers delivered each quarter, this is much more than a solo mission — it's designed to, say, level-up your entire office's after-work drinks game, or offer a crafty addition to your local sports club's beer offering. Just as with the $499 monster-sized 100 Beer Case that Craft Cartel released before Christmas last year, this latest offering doesn't come cheap. In fact, you'll have to rustle up a cool $10,000 a year to afford the annual membership. We hope you have a decently sized work crew or group of beer-loving mates to split that cost with. There are also only four — yes, four — of the vending machine subscriptions on offer, so if you do have the dosh, you'll want to move quick. That $10,000 outlay will get you a few extra perks as well, including a beer pong table, private tastings and tours at a bunch of your local breweries, access to Craft Cartel's premium concierge service, various brewery bar tabs and ten membership welcome packs valued at $2000 a pop. If that all sounds a little much for the bank account, Craft Cartel is also releasing a trio of other new beer club memberships, starting from a far more manageable $20 per month. However, spots for these are very limited, too. Pre-sale for all four memberships — including El Patron — kicks off at 11am this Friday, April 16, with sales open to the general public at 11am on Monday, April 19. To learn more about Craft Cartel Liquor's new memberships — and to sign up for the pre-sale period — head to the company's website.
To celebrate a new addition to its menu, Enmore Road's Arepa eatery is serving up $1 empanadas for one night only on Tuesday, June 11. The street food experts will be selling only 150 of these cheap South American fried pastries, so you'll have to be quick if you want to get one. The empanadas on offer will be Arepa's signature cheese-filled pastries and, as with all of its food, they're gluten free, too. There's a limit of four $1 empanadas per person. If you're running late, you won't miss out completely, as the eatery's full menu will also be available with all of its classic arepas (stuffed corn pockets) — filled with the likes of black beans and pulled pork — and a lineup of local and international beers available. From Wednesday, you'll be able to come back to try the new empanada menu, which includes chicken ($5.50), plantain with cheese ($5) and a vegan option ($4). The $1 empanadas will be available from 5:15pm.
Go to the movies and feel good doing it. Now in its seventh year, The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival will once again shine a light on contemporary human rights issues through a carefully curated lineup of socially conscious films. Rich Hill takes place in the titular Missouri mining town and follows three young men struggling with poverty, mental illness and the turmoil of adolescence. Praised for its empathetic touch, the film won the Documentary Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year. Everyday Rebellion has a somewhat broader subject, highlighting nonviolent protests happening all around the world. From Occupy Wall Street to the Iranian democracy movement to topless activists in the Ukraine, it's a truly global story about people united by courage. Another standout, Light Fly, Fly High offers a unique tale of female empowerment. A member of India's 'untouchable' class, Thulasi dreams of becoming of a professional boxer, only to find many of her toughest bouts being fought outside the ring. For the full Human Rights Arts & Films Festival program, visit www.hraff.org.au.
Ever wonder where beautiful art is created? These little behind-the-scenes peeks into the places in which classic artworks are born fascinate us, home to some of the most stunning and influential artworks of our time. Gustav Klimt's studio - Vienna, Austria Salvador Dali in Port Lligat, Spain. Francis Bacon's studio - London, England. Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence, France Frida Kahlo's Studio - Mexico City, Mexico Norman Rockwell in Stockbridge, Massachusetts Andy Warhol in New York Pablo Picasso in the French Riviera. Joan Miró's studio in Palma de Mallorca, Spain Jackson Pollock's studio in East Hampton, New York.
As it did for the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chili and New Zealand, Google has developed Person Finder for Japan in the aftermath of the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake. Person Finder is an online search tool to help people locate the whereabouts of family members, loved ones and friends that have been caught in the natural disaster. The site has two options: "I'm looking for someone," or "I have information about someone." Those looking for an information on the status of another person can type in a name and receive updates once information about that person is logged in the system. Those who wish to let others know they are safe or have information about the safety of others can type that information into the system for searchers to access. Currently the database holds information on the status of almost 200,000 victims, but is still growing rapidly each day as people gain access to the internet and more people are located.
"This is something unusual for Australia," says EGYBOY. And he's right. Where else can you snack on tasty fried chicken, gulp down a slushie, shop exclusive works by one of Australia's top street culture artists and have him personalise new kicks bought on the night? We can only think of one spot, and it's at the EGYBOY x Butter pop up this week. From Thursday, March 30 to Saturday, April 1, the artist known for his monochromatic colour-block work sets up shop next to Butter in Surry Hills for three nights of finger-lickin', superstylin', beat-pumpin' good times. Every night will see live DJ sets and hip hop music ricocheting around the space, as guests peruse EGYBOY's exclusive works and apparel. Plus if you're early enough, any sneakers bought at the pop up will be customised by EGYBOY on the spot – but beware, space is limited, so if you want some EGYBOY customs you'll want to get in first. You'd be an April Fool to miss this one, especially the launch on Thursday when Butter will be passing round its signature fried chicken and slushies.
The names Sonny Day and Biddy Maroney sound more like superheroes than commercial illustrators, but with their forces joined they become webuyyourkids. Kirstie Sequitin talks to Sonny ahead of their appearance at Semi-Permanent Brisbane. Have you had any negative reactions to the name webuyyourkids? Um, a few. If we had thought more about this before we started we probably would have called our selves something else. I think we get more raised eyebrows and "Sorry, did you say webuyyourkids? " than anything. It's always funny calling up a company up and them asking where you are calling from. What would you call yourselves otherwise? "Fishfingers" could work? How do you come up with concepts for each piece? In particular, the Best Coast print with the skateboarding legs coming out of the head of a cat and Washington's 'Clementine' video... Good question, there's always an idea or something that comes to mind when we first start on an image. With Best Coast, we knew they loved cats so we started there. The skateboarding legs are female and that just seemed like a natural theme there. And we were just trying something new with composition. Most images come together quite naturally. Clementine was just a simple graphic that popped into my head listening to the song and we just filled it out and built it up with references to the dead miner's daughter from the traditional Clementine song. I guess we're lucky it never feels like we have to go looking to hard for ideas or concepts - they usually just reveal themselves when you are considering the band / music / product / company you're working for and the brief you've been given. Who or what's been inspiring you and Biddy lately and how does it come through in your work? Loads of people, I think we are really into a lot of Japanese psychedelic stuff from the 60s and 70s at the moment and I think that's showing up in the work we are making. Tadanori Yokoo, Keiichi Tanaami are probably the most well known. Peter Max and other designers from the late 60s as well. I think that we are trying to simplify the work that we make too - Enzo Mari is an Italian designer from the 50s Biddy recently stumbled across doing a Google and he's great. I think the influence of all these artists' colour palettes and their approach to simple shapes and strange compositions is very apparent in our work. Your work is so multi-faceted, what's your favourite and least favourite medium or aspect of each medium to work with? Sonny - I love drawing in pen and pencil - I only work in mediums I like so can't list any I don't. Biddy - I do everything on the computer, so - Photoshop! Gig posters and animations are the most fun jobs we do. You've got some pretty high-profile clients - Tourism Victoria, Qantas, St Jerome's Laneway Festival, amongst others - how did you catch your big break? Many jobs have come through our agency the Jacky Winter Group - they are constantly working to bring their illustrators work. And the rest is through someone seeing and liking a job we've already done, or us having worked previously with that client before. For example Laneway Festival came to us after seeing our Popfrenzy posters. The Qantas job came to us as we'd worked with the designer previously when we did the Dungog Film Festival poster. We got the Dungog job because the client wanted a picture of a cow and they liked the cow/bull we drew in the Clementine video.... You'll be sharing your pearls of wisdom at Semi-Permanent next Friday, but can you share the one imperative piece of information that every creative should know before they start their career? Do stuff for yourself, make work for yourself and try to have fun. Don't stay up too late. Drink lots of water. That's about six things isn't it? Finally, why is your Nine Lives exhibition called John Carpenter? I don't think I've even seen any of the Halloween movies... It's called John Carpenter because we've made a series of work that are based on some of his classic movies from the 70s and 80s. I wanted to make some images in reaction to those films, and this seemed like a good time to do it. Sonny and Biddy will be talking as part of the Semi-Permanent conference at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre this Friday. Image credit: Les Savy Fav screen print (2011) by webuyyourkids
Mr Pugh reads The Lives of Great Poisoners while glaring over the dinner table at Mrs Pugh. Upright schoolteacher Gossamer Beynon longs to fall into the swarthy arms of barman Sinbad Sailors. Music-obsessed Organ Morgan sees Bach lounging around the churchyard. Polly Garter thinks only of her dear departed Willy Wee while entertaining a parade of lovers who earn her the reprobation of the town. These are just some of the vividly named 60-plus characters you join for a day in the fishing village of Llareggub, which if you read it backwards, will tell you something about the plot. Not a lot happens in the course of one day, but you start it in these characters' dreams, and that means something when you see their trifling tragedies and victories by nightfall. This is Under Milk Wood by poet Dylan Thomas (of Do not go gentle into that good night fame). It's great poetry without the magniloquence, perfect for the salt-of-the-earth Welsh town its evoking, full of rugged language (stamping out in a "heavy beef-red huff") and intuitive neologisms that never quite took off (night is "neddying among the snuggeries of babies"). Originally written for radio and first performed in 1954, it is a 'play for voices', completely without heed for the technicalities of staging. Such plays are sometimes fun for the director but not for the audience, making a bumpy, obtuse ride. Fortunately, Under Milk Wood is fun for both. Director Kip Williams, the plucky young assistant director who stepped up to the plate when slated director Andrew Upton was called away on other business, has given it an amazingly magical staging that uses few accoutrements to create a lot of impact. As we careen from scene to scene, home to home, indistinct dreamspace to indistinct dreamspace, furniture and props roll in and out of view like waves. Their inbuilt tricks and trapdoors create beauty, surprise, and sight gags in spades. Similarly chameleon-like are the cast, a roll call of Australian talent spanning generations. It's woven together by Jack Thompson and Sandy Gore's narration, while Paula Arundell, Helen Thomson, Bruce Spence, Drew Forsythe, Cameron Goodall, Drew Livingston, Alan John and two alternating boys, Ky Baldwin and Alex Chorley, conjure full scenes in seconds. They all play outside gender and age; the kid makes a sweet 85-year-old woman. However, for all that, Under Milk Wood doesn't quite feel alive. It's hard to make it anything but a bit twee and old-timey, a nice treat for the set who yearn to be transported to a quaint Welsh past and the days when Jack Thompson was Cleo centrefold material. "He can read me a bedtime story anytime, if you know what I mean," is what I imagine your mother will say to you after you take her on this little lark.
For the uninitiated, Stickybeak is a festival of feasting which brings together some of the finest people, places and palates from Sydney's hospitality scenes for two days of joyous eating and drinking at the National Art School (NAS). After the raging success of hit-outs from previous years, we're going to go out on a limb and call the 2024 lineup the best yet. Curated by the gin lords from Archie Rose with a little help from their friends at P&V Wine and Liquor, the participating eateries include diverse favourites like Bar Copains, King Clarence and Raja, with drinks courtesy of Archie Rose (of course), P&V, PS40, Grifter and Double Deuce Lounge — among others. [caption id="attachment_933131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flavour-packed dish at Penelopes. Photo by Chad Konik.[/caption] As you may have figured, StickyBeak is the festival for you if food and booze are the passions/obsessions on which your personality is based. This is certainly the case for those of us who write for Concrete Playground. So, to give you an assist with navigating the epic lineup of food and drinks purveyors in attendance, peep our personal picks below. In the meantime, block out Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 in your diary and buy your tickets now. And important note: the generous Archie Rose crew are supplying all ticket holders with gift bags including 3x 50ml bottles (Signature Dry Gin, Native Botanical Vodka and Rye Malt Whisky) along with two of their RTD canned cocktails. Nish Sharma, Editorial Assistant Vendor pick: Penelopes On the menu: Pork & Prawn Sausage Roll | Halal Snack Pack | Bakar Banh Mi | Strawberry Gum Delight According to Nish: "As someone who's grown up immersed in the rich culture of Sydney's Inner West, I have a particular appreciation for any dish that's reminiscent of its charm, and Penelopes delivers exactly that. From its elevated take on familiar favourites and its fusion of Asian, Australian and Mediterranean flavours to its mission to redefine 'Aussie' cuisine, I'm so here for it. Plus, I'll never say no to a cheeky-themed cocktail. Saltbush City Limits, anyone?" Jonathon "JV" Valenzuela, Senior Creative Vendor pick: Penelopes According to JV: "I'm probably going to bookend my StickyBeak experience with visits to Penelopes. As a long-time sausage roll aficionado, I'll beeline there when I arrive to try their pork & prawn take on the bakery classic while my palate is still fresh. And at the end of the day I'll stumble back for a halal snack pack, because is there anything better after a skinful of vin?" Ben Hansen, Sydney Editor Vendor pick: Raja On the menu: Lamb Seekh Kebab | Fried Ricotta Chanar Jilipi | Native Australian Spiced Chai According to Ben: "Raja was one of our favourite restaurant openings of 2023, bringing underrepresented Indian dishes to Potts Point with a former Firedoor chef in charge. This is a golden opportunity to taste the creativity and flavour-forward approach of the Raja kitchen in a more casual setting. The team's going to be serving up a lamb seekh kebab — sign me the hell up. Plus, there will be fried ricotta sweets for all the cheese girlies." [caption id="attachment_909677" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raja[/caption] Alec Jones, Junior Writer Vendor pick: Fabbrica On the menu: Vego arancini | Spaghetti, cacio e pepe | Mafaldine with 'nduja & prawn | Bomboloni According to Alec: "Anyone who claims there's a more comforting food culture than Italian is lying through their teeth, so you'd better believe I'm beelining to Fabbrica. Anything that involves pasta, consider me interested, but if I can grab a serving of oozy cacio e pepe spaghetti and a cheeky glass of a natty wine, I'm well and truly set." [caption id="attachment_942195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fabbrica's mafaldine pasta. Photo by Dexter Kim.[/caption] Orlaith Costello, Content Editor Vendor pick: Redbird and Mapo On the menu: Pork and ginger wontons | Redbird "Sando" | Sichuan Tempura Fried Corn According to Orlaith: "With so many delicious vendors on hand, it's hard to pick favourites, but I would definitely head straight to Redbird for its succulent pork and ginger wontons — washed down with some natty orange or chilled red wine from P&V or a not-so-sneaky G&T. And I couldn't pass by Mapo without snagging a scoop of pistachio or stracciatella gelato." [caption id="attachment_738029" align="alignnone" width="1920"] P&V[/caption] Sally Gunawan, Social Media Lead Vendor pick: Mapo On the menu: Gelato According to Sal: "Mapo consistently delights my palate with its inventive taste combinations. Among them, the black sesame and Pepe Saya butter stand out as my personal favourites. These flavours are delicately balanced, never overly sweet. Mapo continually introduces innovative varieties that are worth waiting in line for. I am so confident in this that I would gladly participate in a blind taste test." Suz Tucker, Editorial Director Vendor pick: Porcine On the menu: Porcine Sausage Sizzle with homemade sausage | Beer Honey Ham According to Suz: "I am a simple gal with simple needs. Give me a sausage sizzle by those ingenious swine merchants from Porcine and two Grifter tinnies and I'm as close to achieving enlightenment as I'm going to get." StickyBeak 2024 is on Friday, March 8, 2024 - Saturday, March 9, 2024 at the National Art School on the Corner of Forbes and Burton Streets, Darlinghurst. Buy tickets here.
Still coming to terms with the fact that the Newtown Social Club's gig-hosting days are drawing to an end? Us too. But — for better for worse — when one door closes, another one opens. And after the live music venue shuts theirs in April, the same doors will swing into action — to reveal a mini-golf bar. Yes, the NSC's bandroom is s becoming an indoor mini-golf course. The new venue is called Holey Moley Golf Club, and it comes to Sydney after opening in Brisbane last September. Set to open in June, the bar will pair putt putt and pints across the two-storey King Street space. Just what each stop on the 27-hole course will entail is yet to be revealed; however Game of Thrones, Super Mario, Alice in Wonderland and clowns all feature up north. Yes, clowns. It's as batshit crazy as it sounds. Importantly, Holey Moley isn't just transporting its Brissie concept to Newtown — and, according to the team, it's not simply filling one of Sydney's many struggling live venues with a gimmick. Cognisant of the history of the site and the state of the industry, the powers that be at Holey Moley's parent company Funlab have advised that music will remain a feature. That'll include weekend gigs, DJ sets, championing local up-and-comers, and potentially even battle of the bands-style comps, all in a space that turns taking to the green into a boozy evening of revelry. Newtown isn't the only spot on Holey Moley's expansion trail either, with an Adelaide venture due to open in May, and a Melbourne joint listed as coming soon on their website. Find Holey Moley Golf Club at 387 King Street, Newtown from a to-be-announced date in June. Keep an eye on their website for more information.
Sure, you’ve seen plenty of films before — but have you smelled one? Well, here’s your chance. The inimitable Odorama experience sends all kinds of scents towards willing nostrils, and it’s coming to Sydney's Golden Age Cinema. The film to smell above all others? Why, it’s John Waters’ Polyester, of course! The cult film to end all cult films, and one intended to be as picturesque as it is pungent, Polyester is the ultimate scratch 'n' sniff movie. When it was released in cinemas in 1981, audiences were famously given numbered Odorama cards to scratch at specific moments, unleashing a wave of odours — some pleasant, some not so. The full bouquet of Polyester features smells ranging from dirty shoes to pizza to new car. Starring the one and only Divine, the film offers a frenzied tale to match its fun gimmick, delving into the anarchic lives of the Fishpaw family. Francine’s world is falling apart, and trouble just keeps on coming. Her husband, Elmer (David Samson), is a polyester-clad pornographer having an affair with his secretary (Mink Stole). Her daughter, Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington), is pregnant by her delinquent boyfriend, Bo-Bo (Stiv Bators). Her glue-sniffing son, Dexter (Ken King), could possibly be the sought-after ‘Baltimore foot stomper’. Francine’s sole ray of sunshine comes in the form a Corvette-driving suitor, the dashing Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter). Since 1981's screenings of Polyster, Odorama has had few outings, so this is an very rare treat. Seeing and smelling Polyester takes cinema to another level. Steel your senses for a trip to the movies like no other. Warning: this may not suit those with weak stomachs. Polyster screens at the Golden Age Cinema on Friday, November 7, at 9pm. For more information, visit the Golden Age website.
Snapping a photo is easy to pick up, but making it a great one is hard to master. If you're just starting out, learning from the best is a pretty sure way to hone your skills. Now, you can get hands-on tips with Eugene Tan of Bondi's famed Aquabumps photography studio at the Explorer sessions. Part of Sunglass Hut's upcoming Face the Sun Sessions, this workshop will not only see you hitting the coast and taking some snaps, but you'll cop some sweet new sunnies, too. On Thursday, November 28, bring your camera down to Bondi for three hours of photography. Start off with a walking and photography tour with Tan before taking some top-notch beach shots of your own. Plus, once you've snapped your heart out, you'll join Tan for some food at Aquabumps Gallery. So, if you're wanting to become a photo whiz and you just so happen to be in the market for new sunnies, too, this is your chance. If catching a sunrise over the ocean sounds like your thing, the sunrise session — kicking off from 6.15am till 9am — is your best bet. Otherwise, have a go snapping some pics at twilight in the 6.30–9.30pm session. Either way, your new pair of shades will keep your eyes sharp (both fashionably and functionally). Each session costs $20 and includes a walking tour around Bondi, hands-on photography tips, breakfast or dinner and a new pair of shades. First image: Bondi Beach by Eugene Tan, Aquabumps
Wander through an army of lanterns against the backdrop of the harbour and Opera House as 90 illuminated Terracotta Warriors take over Hickson Road Reserve. Designed to inspire the same awe as was sparked by the 1974 discovery of the Terracotta Warriors in the tomb of China's first emperor, these beautiful multicoloured lanterns stand at more than 2 metres tall and are a miracle of fabric and wire, created for the 2008 Beijing Olympic games and here on their first appearance outside of China and the UK. You are free to wander among them and find the women and children added by artist Xia Nan to represent inheritance and future. Find them along Circular Quay, at the site of Vivid 2014's giant bunnies. Illuminated from dusk till midnight.
They say you have a second stomach for dessert, but we'd be leaving both of your tummies free for this. Sweet tooths, prepare yourselves. The Shangri-La Hotel Sydney's Sweet Street dessert festival is back, and it's time to dig in. The festival is returning for its fifth year on Friday, June 29, and the hotel's executive pastry chef and high tea aficionado Anna Polyviou is promising a night of wickedly decadent desserts. MasterChef fans will know Polyviou as the mohawk-sporting sweets queen that makes even the most solid of confectionery-competent contestants shake in their boots. Needless to say, girl knows her dessert. Ever the 'food porn' advocate, she'll be serving up eye-widening creations like Popping Caramel (milk chocolate, popping crunch and passionfruit caramel) and Matcha Match (matcha, crunchy cornflakes and strawberry). It should go without saying that they'll taste bloody good too. The lineup also features the stars behind some of Sydney's most renowned dessert items, including watermelon cake creators Black Star Pastry, Uncle Tetsu and his fluffy Japanese cheesecakes and mister macaron himself, Adriano Zumbo. Butter, Koi Dessert Bar, Kirsten Tibballs, Petite Desserts, MakMak Macarons and Petal Met Sugar will also be slinging their sweets. Tickets are $85 per adult (and $45 per child), and you'll get bang for your buck because it gives you eight tokens to redeem desserts at any stall. And if the thought of downing eight sweet treats doesn't have you clutching your stomach in pain, try your hand at the dessert-eating competition. You never know, you could be a cake-guzzling champion in the making. Sweet Street kicks off at 6pm on Friday, June 29. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website.
"Are you making a documentary as well?" Louis Theroux asks the mysterious cameraman who has just appeared outside of his Los Angeles base and started recording his every move. It's a simple question, but it really couldn't sum up My Scientology Movie any better. The British broadcaster isn't all that surprised that he's being followed and filmed —in fact, when he put out an open call on Twitter seeking information for his latest movie, he was warned that it might happen. The organisation established by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard and long-associated with Tom Cruise isn't known for being fond of scrutiny, after all. Theroux himself adopts a different approach: if you can't film 'em, pretend to join 'em. That could be why the Church of Scientology isn't too pleased about his movie. After Theroux's requests to interview head honchos are either ignored or rejected, and his attempts to gain access to their LA headquarters rebuffed, the filmmaker teams up with disgruntled former church bigwig Mark "Marty" Rathbun and decides to get a little creative. Keen to understand what it's really like to believe in thetans, Xenu, auditing and dianetics, he turns to actors to play current leader David Miscavige and even the couch-jumping Cruise in a series of recreations. What follows is a somewhat humorous, somewhat disturbing chronicle of a journalist pursuing a story while he himself is being pursued, interspersed with approximated scenes featuring the kind of unsettling behaviour that helped inspire Theroux's investigation in the first place. In light of the former, the outlandish nature of the latter won't shock anyone — particularly those who have seen Alex Gibney's recent Scientology expose Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, or even Paul Thomas Anderson's thinly-veiled fictional effort The Master. Not knowing whether to laugh or just stare at the screen with your jaw agape is an understandable reaction — helming docos about everything from evangelist Christians and Indian gurus to neo-Nazis and sex offenders has clearly prepared Theroux well. Here, the veteran filmmaker brings his own unique twist to the re-staging techniques that proved so effective in Joshua Oppenheimer's brutal Indonesian genocide documentary The Act of Killing. But My Scientology Movie is more than just a curio fuelled by curiosity. As strange as they sometimes are, every scene helps build a probing portrait of the psychology behind Scientology. Recollections offered by Rathbun and other Church defectors help, but there's nothing quite like seeing the reality, or at least a recreation of it. Showing rather than telling suits both Theroux and his chosen subject well, and makes for a bizarre, funny and downright fascinating final product.
Just when you thought one night stands couldn’t get any more awkward, Australian outfit Unhappen arrive for the Sydney premiere of Rob Hayes' Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve Fucked. Having debuted at Melbourne Fringe earlier this year, what you see is what you get with this one. In a series of connected monologues, Bobby speaks to a succession of cuddly critters — from the domestic to the exotic — that have all been the object of his affection. Awkward Conversations is billed as a dark comedy, but the groundswell of critical favour that surrounded its first outing in Hayes' native England speaks to the work's deeper layers of meaning and sophistication. While the subject matter is fertile ground for crude humour, it's also a situation that allows the writer to explore complex issues involving consent, zoophilia, and the role that sexual identity can play in isolating individuals from society. It's worth seeing out of morbid curiousity alone.
If you've already covered your dining table with jigsaw puzzles, spent hours live streaming koalas and are looking for something else to do with your house mate, why don't you organise a night of friendly competition and whip out some board games. Helping you do just that is Australia's newest subscription service. The Board Game Box, as it has fittingly been dubbed, delivers a new board game to your door each month. You can sign up for one ($20), three ($60), six ($120) or 12 ($220) months, with a $12.20 shipping fee. There's no word on exactly what games you'll be sent each month, but it's promising that boxes will contain "latest releases, as well as the classics board games" and images hint to the likes of Monopoly and chess. Board games not your thing? The same company also offers subscription puzzle boxes, Lego boxes and soap boxes. Check out all of the options over here. If you're sick of being on your screen — sliding down endless Twitter holes and glued to live streams — this may be the perfect antidote. If you can't get enough of your screen, however, check out our round up of the best virtual events. You can sign up to The Board Game Box over here.
Money doesn't grow on trees, but it might just pop up around the corner. At least that's how things work when Treasure Hunter Australia gets involved. Bringing a real-world game to Sydney, adventure-lovers and thrill-seekers are invited to solve cryptic clues about every possible nook and cranny on George Street. With puzzles and location-based hints sent via a custom app, the players who solve the most riddles will climb the leaderboard, with the top ten entering a final showdown. Then, a quiz battle broadcast live on Instagram from a George Street venue will determine who wins the hunt and takes home $10,000. Keen to play? The event kicks off at 1pm on Sunday, August 3. "We created this to bring people together for something fun, outdoors, and genuinely rewarding," says Michael, Founder of Treasure Hunter Australia. "It's not just about the money — it's about the excitement of the chase and doing something totally different with your weekend." Even if you don't score the cash on the day, there are sponsor giveaways and mystery challenges to hunt down and keep you guessing. Think of it like The Amazing Race meets Pokémon GO — except the cute characters are cold, hard cash and prizes. Best of all, every ticket holder is entered into a separate $10,000 cash draw, where everyone has a chance to win. Just know, the event is for adults only, with tickets priced at $49.99 per participant. Stirring up plenty of viral chaos on social media, trust that Treasure Hunters Australia's next massive event will have people searching high and low along George Street, putting their heads together to crack the clues and claim the cash. Treasure Hunter Australia's $20,000 event is happening along George Street, Sydney, on Sunday, August 3. Head to the website for tickets and more information.
Although they’re well-known internationally, Yangjiang Group is a step back from the hype of the art world. Instead of jumping on global trends and mulling over heavyweight and hot-right-now theorists, they draw inspiration from daily activities. Last year, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring the collective to Australia. The subsequent exhibition, Actions for Tomorrow, spans both floors of the gallery. Uprooting calligraphy from class and tradition has long been one of the group’s key preoccupations. For example, the upstairs mural GOD IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE RMB! (2015) merges the neat artistry of calligraphy with the spontaneity of graffiti. Splashed out and space consuming, the work heralds the supremacy of finance over religion. By transforming decoration into politics, the group aims to extract calligraphy from an analysis of form and instead look at its energy. Calligraphy is a similar departure point for Das Kapital Football (2009), a more complex installation which is made up of hundreds of metres of scrunched paper, printed with handwritten passages from Karl Marx’s canonical Das Kapital. The mess of ripped and flattened rice paper is actually the remains of a chaotic soccer match, which is played out in an accompanying video work. With six teams running among mounds of drifting paper, it is near impossible to follow what is happening. It’s also quite difficult to pinpoint where the Marxist themes emerge. Downstairs is Final Days (2015), an installation with an apocalyptic ring to it. Set up like a boutique retail store, racks of clothes are coated in thick layers of white wax. Instead of loose individual objects, the clothes are locked into hard blocks — expanding their dimensions. Across the wall, there are slogans that act as a bleak commentary on capitalism, such as “the worker don’t get paid” and “suicide after sale”. By arresting the perpetual cycle of consumerism, it is as if this mock shop has been frozen into a specific time and space. Of course, it’s interesting to see how this kind of “preservation” stands in opposition to the group’s disavowal of the calligraphic rulebook — where they refuse preservation. Perhaps the convoluted soccer game is an appropriate metaphor for the confusions and contradictions of contemporary life. Generally speaking, the works of Yangjiang Group don’t have the contrived glossy finish that is sometimes seen in contemporary Chinese art — they are more potent and authentic. It is also important to note how ritual and routine feeds into Yangjiang Group’s practice. On a daily basis, the group prepares tea for the gallery staff, chosen according to certain therapeutic properties. It’s the all-encompassing nature of their practice that makes them unique. To cap off the exhibition, Yangjiang Group are hosting a Twilight Garden Party at the Chinese Garden of Friendship, including performance pieces, to celebrate Chinese New Year. Falling on February 14, Valentine's Day, it's also perfect for a date who enjoys food, drink and After Dinner Calligraphy, where the artists transform food scraps from the event into a large-scale piece of calligraphy. Image: Vitamin Creative Space
Every September and October, Germany erupts with brews, food and lederhosen-wearing revellers for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. When that time rolls around Down Under, Australia follows suit. One such festivity is Oktoberfest in the Gardens, which has been throwing big Bavarian-themed celebrations around the country for 13 years — and has locked in a seven-city tour for 2023. Oktoberfest in the Gardens will make return visits to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and add three new stops: Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Newcastle. Across them all, it expects to welcome in over 70,000 people enjoying steins, schnitties and German shindigs. Every city's festival will serve up the same kind of beer- and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans that Germany has become so famous for. So, if you have a hankering for doppelbock and dancing to polka, it's the next best thing to heading to Europe. Oktoberfest in the Gardens boasts a crucial attraction, too — as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it constructs huge beer halls to house the boozy merriment. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, a silent disco, rides and a sideshow alley are all on the agenda. "Australia loves Oktoberfest. COVID was a tough time in the events industry and saw the demise of other events such as Oktoberfest St Kilda and Oktoberfest Brisbane. Our team was very fortunate to be able to run successful events in some parts of the country when others were in lockdown and this allowed us to make it through," said Ross Drennan, co-founder of Nokturnl Events, which runs Oktoberfest in the Gardens. "We're now going all in to really ramp up Oktoberfest in the Gardens and take it to the next level with events all around the country." OKTOBERFEST IN THE GARDENS 2023 DATES: Saturday, September 23 — Pinky Flat, Adelaide Saturday, September 30 — Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast Saturday, September 30 — The Station, Newcastle Saturday, October 7 — Langley Park, Perth Saturday, October 14 — Brisbane Showgrounds Saturday, October 21 — Catani Gardens, St Kilda Saturday, October 28 — The Domain, Sydney Oktoberfest in the Gardens tours Australia in September and October 2023 — head to the event's website for tickets and further details.
Sydney's dining-and-more precinct in Forest Lodge, Tramsheds, has become somewhat of a one-stop-shop for visitors. The old Rozelle Tramway Depot was revamped a few years ago and is now a hub of eating and meeting. It's home to some of Sydney's best-known eateries including Belle's Hot Chicken, Gelato Messina and Bodega 1904, as well as a medical centre, organic health food store and a brewery. On any given week, you can also find Artisan Lane buzzing with markets and workshops. And, from Saturday, October 27 through to the end of November, you'll have another reason to visit: Tramsheds' spring series, RAW. The campaign will see the precinct transform into a hub of seasonal activity highlighted by a 14-square metre suspended sculpture dubbed The Floral Cloud by Loose Leaf. There'll also be the Edible Spring Garden, a three-metre long garden run by Iku Wholefoods chef and co-founder Holly Davis. Davis will be on-site sharing tasters and tips on healthy spring cooking — and you're welcome to take some herbs from the garden home with you. Pumpkin carving will be taking place — it is Halloween season after all — as well as some slightly less wholesome activities in the form of the Archie Rose Spritz Bar churning out free gin spritzes (well, one per person). There'll also be watercolour and floristry workshops on the go, so you can level up in personal skills. And, while you're learning new stuff and eating great food, you can rest assured it's for an even better cause than just your personal development — the Tramsheds vendors are supporting the Drought Angels initiative throughout this period. For the full program and vendor list, or to book your spot in a workshop, head here.
Koi Dessert Bar's edible creations continue to capture Sydneysiders with their "too beautiful to eat, yet eat them we must" vibes. It was only a matter of time before the dessert bar jumped on the high tea bandwagon, and we're glad it finally has. Every weekend in August, it's hosting a winter high tea with reinvented classics and a heap of black truffle to boot. For $65 per person, you get free flowing coffee and tea, plus two savoury bites and four of the eatery's signature desserts — think lemon meringue in a jar, black sesame tarts and a decadent-looking green globe with mango mousse and yuzu curd. Plus, Reynold Poernomo has created WA black truffle and cream-filled scones, and black truffle macarons just for the occasion. He's also turning out oh-so-pretty truffle rose tarts — made from roasted milk chocolate ganache with truffle-infused vanilla topped with rose and caramel cocoa nibs. If you miss out on the winter high tea, despair not. A spring version will return for a month in November, then again in February with a summery twist. The Koi Winter High Tea is available every Saturday and Sunday in August at both Chippendale and Ryde locations. To book, head over here.
While we may not envy the Spanish economy at the moment, it is hard not to covet their history of great architecture and innovative design. And that envy is sure to continue with the recent completion of the Metropol Parasol, not only the world's largest wooden structure but also one of the most beautiful. Designed by Berlin-based architecture Juergen Mayer H, the inspiration for the building came from a 2004 design competition brief which aimed to provide the people of Seville with an architectural heart and a distinctly urban space for the 21st century. The design also had to take into account some recently unearthed ancient roman ruins in the ground beneath. Mayer's winning structure does all of this, as well as housing a market place, a restaurant, walkways and panoramic views of the city, becoming a mecca for locals and architectural buffs alike. New technology was integral in both the design and production processes. The light sculptural curves and flow of the building were largely influenced by digital technology, while the interconnecting wooden panels used to create this effect are held together by a new — and one would imagine — some very strong glue. Marrying aesthetics and functionality, the Metropol Parasol has provided the city of Seville with a new focal point. And some much needed shade.
In the 'so bad it's good' genre of movies, one stands out, and that's Machete. The 2010 film — famously based on one of the fake trailers in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse — was really, bang-on good, going beyond pastiche or send-up to create a modern Mexploitation film that was bags of fun. And since it's all so knowingly B-grade, it's completely fine — excellent, really — for it to spiral out to a sequel, Machete Kills. A further sequel is in the works, too: Machete Kills Again... In Space. Bless you, absurdist self-referential geeks of Hollywood. Machete Kills returns to the story of our laconic, near-immortal ex-federale Machete as he crusades for justice along the Mexico-US border. Lifelong character actor Danny Trejo is again backed up by a WTF cast of celebrities, including Charlie Sheen (or Carlos Estevez, as the credits introduce him) as the president of the United States, Jessica Alba, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Hudgens, Amber Heard, Alexa Vega, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mel Gibson and Lady Gaga. Expect one, two or all of them to die in comic and elaborate ways. Machete Kills is in cinemas on October 24, and thanks to Icon Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
What exactly is tapas? I hear that word thrown around so much, it seems to be quickly becoming completely devoid of meaning. Thankfully, then, tapas is only one small part of what the newly renovated Carrington has to offer. Instead, the Pintxos and Xampanyerias on this menu are opening up a whole new world to patrons. It's no surprise to those in the know that some of the same lads responsible for the Flinders and the Norfolk's reinvention are also behind this venture. Like its predecessors, the Carrington remains fundamentally an old Australian pub: the framework is almost unchanged from the pub of the same name that stood here before. The revised interior, however, is a whole new world, channeling the vibe of the same bars that inspired the food and drinks menus. It's the same mix of faithfulness and irreverence that is quickly becoming a signature: think fish and whales hanging from the ceiling, beautiful patterned wall tiles and paraphernalia everywhere. As soon as you can get a seat inside (and this place looks set to be busy), make sure you do. The Carrington is most certainly a new kid on the block worth trying. To find out more, read the full review here.
It's the scheme that's designed to get New South Wales residents out of the house — to eat, and to enjoy the state's entertainment venues — but while Sydney is in lockdown for two weeks, that's not so easy to do. So, the NSW Government has announced that it is extending its Dine & Discover program. It's also expanding the program to cover takeaway for a short period, too. If the first part sounds familiar, that's because this is the second time that the scheme's cutoff date has been shifted. When it was rolled out the statewide from mid-March, Dine & Discover given a June 30 finish date, giving folks more than three months to use their vouchers. Then, at the beginning of this month, the State Government announced that it was extending the program for until the end of July to give NSW residents even more time. Now, thanks to lockdown, it's tacking yet another month onto the end as well. Haven't used any of your vouchers yet? Still have a couple left to redeem? Haven't registered? Either way, you now have until Tuesday, August 31. That's one big change — and, thanks to another notable tweak to the scheme, you can also now redeem them for takeaway and delivery meals while lockdown is in effect. The NSW Government recommends getting your food delivered direct to your house by whichever restaurant or cafe you're ordering from, but you can also go and pick up your meal if you'd prefer. Crucially, though, the vouchers can only be redeemed if you're dealing with the eatery directly — so they can't be used on orders via third-party delivery platforms. [caption id="attachment_745527" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] By now, every NSW resident should know how the scheme works, but here's the basic details if you need a refresher. For the past few months, the State Government has been handing out food and entertainment vouchers to NSW residents, in an effort to boost patronage at hospitality businesses and cultural institutions that've suffered during the pandemic. Four vouchers are available to everyone in NSW over the age of 18 — two $25 vouchers to use at restaurants, cafes, clubs and other food venues, and another two $25 vouchers specifically for performing arts, cinemas, amusement parks and the like. The vouchers can be used at a hefty number of participating COVID-safe registered businesses, with the full list available on the Service NSW website. You can't use them on tobacco, alcohol or gambling, and you can only use each voucher once, including if your transaction totals less than $25. Also, you'll need to use all of your vouchers separately. To access the vouchers, you'll need a MyServiceNSW account — and the corresponding Service NSW app, so you can use the vouchers digitally. The NSW Government's Dine & Discover scheme will now run until Tuesday, August 31 — and Sydneysiders will be able to redeem their vouchers for takeaway orders during the city's lockdown. For more information, visit the government's website. Top image: Kitti Gould
When June 2023 arrives at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, expect three words to echo with enthusiasm: "be our guest". The Harbour City venue will be home to quite the coup, courtesy of the Australian premiere season of Disney's Beauty and the Beast musical, which is heading Down Under as a newly reimagined and redesigned production. From Wednesday, June 14, the huge show will bring a tale as old as time to Australia to liven up winter — and it marks the latest in a growing line of Disney hits to come our way. Frozen the Musical has done the rounds over the past few years, while the musical version of Mary Poppins has also started floating around the nation. This new Beauty and the Beast first made its way to the stage in the UK in 2021, and reworks the original show that premiered in the US in the 90s — adapting Disney's hit 1991 animated movie musical, of course. Fans can expect the same Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated score courtesy of composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice, including all the beloved tunes such as 'Be Our Guest' and 'Beauty and the Beast'. It also comes with new dance arrangements by David Chase, and with original choreographer Matt West revisiting his work. Who'll star in the local version and whether it'll tour to other Aussie cities hasn't yet been revealed either — but if you're now planning a trip to Sydney's Capitol Theatre next June, whether or not you live in the city, that's understandable. So is crossing your fingers for Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide seasons afterwards. Images: Johan Persson.
There's a newcomer among the sprawling, tourist-trodden bars and bistros on Darling Harbour. Breathing life into the former King Street Brewhouse, the new pub boasts a beer garden, a broad food and drink menu, views of Darling Harbour and an onsite microbrewery. All Hands Brewing House is Red Rock Leisure's next opening in Sydney. The hospitality group are also proprietors of a plethora of large-scale establishments around Australia, including PJ O'Brien and Melbourne's Eureka Skydeck. Like All Hands' neighbours, there's no shortage of space, making this an ideal contender for a Christmas party, a family gathering or after-work office drinks. The site boasts a number of different features, including a beer tasting room overlooking the brewery, and a beer garden right next to King Street Wharf – not to mention the brewery room itself, with a standing capacity of 350 people. Sam Clayton is head of brewing operations — there are eight house beers available including cream pale ale, bitter ale, saison and an award-winning stout. If beer's not your thing, there's a pretty impressive wine list too. The menu, meanwhile, has a Southern, soul food flavour, offering buffalo wings, pulled chicken, pork skin tacos and fried chicken burgers. Being a pub, there's also seafood and steak options. Find All Hands Brewing House at 22 The Promenade, Sydney.
'Male sex addiction' sounds almost tautological. If you're a man, research indicates you already turn your thoughts to sexual intercourse around 13 times a day (or 4,745 times a year). If you're a teenager, that number is so much larger NASA hasn't even invented it yet. But of course the key word is 'addiction'. However often men think about sex, few have the time, ability or — in this case — compulsion to continuously act upon it, and those that do find tend to find themselves trapped in a debilitating, self-destructive spiral. Shame, directed by Steve McQueen (Hunger) and co-authored by Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady), gives us an insight into that cold and lonely world. Michael Fassbender stars as Brandon, an affluent New York City suit (we never find out his actual job) epitomising success and self-assurance to the outside world. He's handsome, confident and irresistible to women — capable of enticing complete strangers into romantic trysts with little more than lingering stares on a crowded subway carriage. Yet there's nothing even remotely romantic about Brandon's encounters. The motivation isn't companionship; it's sex, and when strangers aren't accommodating, prostitutes and masturbation take their place. Allusions to American Psycho's Patrick Bateman are not unwarranted, particularly given the ordered and sterile apartments in which they both reside. Like Bateman, Brandon effectively ghosts his way through a thin and trifling existence, oscillating between observing those around him with marked curiosity and quiet indifference. His condition precipitates detachment: a joyless obsession rendering him an outsider within an exclusive elite. But while Bateman's hunger for sex and violence was propelled by the need to fill a void, Brandon's hunger is the void. His addiction consumes him, along with his time and money, and it's only the unexpected arrival of his impulsive sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), that seems capable of interrupting his paralysing routine. Given its subject matter and tenor Shame would seem a curious film to describe as 'beautiful', yet there's simply no avoiding it. Between the performances, the cinematography and even the tragic plot, McQueen has crafted something sublime here. Both Fassbender and Mulligan are mesmerising as the troubled siblings condemned to lives of disappointment for reasons the film only ever hints at, and the supporting cast (led by James Badge Dale) shines around them. Shame deals with sex addiction without ever becoming a movie about sex addiction, and what we're left with is an intimate and uncompromising character study that lingers long beyond the credits. https://youtube.com/watch?v=62nelnMXW3M
There's really no such thing as normal during a pandemic — and if anyone ever needed a reminder of that fact, look no further than this week's changes to the trans-Tasman bubble. After pausing quarantine-free travel between Victoria and New Zealand for a month due to the former's current COVID-19 cluster, NZ allowed travel to resume just yesterday, Tuesday, June 22. Also happening yesterday: a new pause, this time on travel between New South Wales and NZ. When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the two-way bubble between Australia and New Zealand back in April — allowing Australians to travel to NZ without quarantining upon arrival — she noted that it could and would be paused if and when outbreaks occur. And, that has happened multiple times now. This isn't the first time it has been put on hold with NSW, either, with the same thing occurring back in May during the state's last outbreak. At the moment, Sydney's Bondi cluster keeps growing, which is why the NZ Government has advised that it's stopping its arrangement with New South Wales for the time being. Late yesterday, the NZ Government advised that the quarantine-free travel between NZ and NSW was being suspended, effective from 11.59pm NZ time. "This decision follows a public health assessment today which determined that while the overall risk to public health in New Zealand currently remains low, there are still several unknowns," it announced in a statement. Initially, the pause will be in place for 72 hours, with the arrangement "under constant review". Since the announcement was made last night, it has been revealed that a positive COVID-19 case from Sydney travelled to Wellington on Friday, June 18, then returned to Sydney on Monday, June 21. Six locations of interest in Wellington have also been named. https://twitter.com/covid19nz/status/1407260150247825410 Whether you're a Sydneysider on holiday in NZ or a New Zealander who has recently returned from across the ditch, anyone now in NZ who has been at one of the locations of interest in Sydney is required to get tested, isolate and call NZ's Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to obtain further advice. And, if you're currently in Australia and you've been to one of the Sydney venues identified, you should not travel to NZ. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Somewhere on the timeline of illustration history, the humble comic spread from the sweaty palms of pre-teens and into mainstream and indie media. Film companies pumped millions into realising childhood dreams, while pretty girls with black hair revealed that they were also fluent in the secret language of frames, inks and lettering. Comic books, graphic novels, manga — these galaxies amid the universe of illustrated words had successfully wooed the zeitgeist. Now, Graphic, in its second year celebrating comic books and related cultural media, will show Sydney just how much we need those 'funnies'. Legendary comic artist and writer Robert Crumb headlines the 2011 festival at Sydney Opera House. Responsible for deconstructing the American comic book and revolutionising the form forever, his sexual, shocking and acid inspired illustrations include famous cartoon characters like Fritz the Cat and Keep on Truckin'. To win one of five double passes to see Robert Crumb, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us hello@concreteplayground.com.au by 5pm on Friday, July 15. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FlT4QZchxQw
After introducing stage three stay-at-home restrictions for metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in early July and mandatory face masks for all of Victoria, the Victorian Government has today, Sunday, August 2, announced new restrictions for the entire state as the number of new COVID-19 continues to climb. As of 6pm tonight, Sunday, August 2, a State of Disaster will be declared across Victoria — on top of the current State of Emergency — which will give police additional powers to ensure Victorians are complying with public health directions. A State of Disaster was introduced during this summer's devastating bushfires, too. From 6pm tonight, metropolitan Melbourne will also move into stage four restrictions for six weeks, until at least Sunday, September 13. This will include an 8pm–5am curfew — from tonight — during which you can only leave home to get care, provide care and to go to and from work. Under stage four restrictions, Melburnians will also not be allowed to venture more than five kilometres from their home for exercise or to shop for essentials. Only one person per household will be allowed to go shopping for those essentials once a day. Daily exercise must be limited to one hour and groups must be no bigger than two, regardless of whether they're members of your household. Regional Victoria will move into stage three restrictions — what metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are currently under — from 11.59pm on Wednesday, August 5. This means you'll only be able to leave home for one of the four reasons (shopping for food and essential items, care and caregiving, daily exercise, and work and study – if you can't do it from home), restaurants and cafes will be takeaway-only, beauty parlours and entertainment venues must close and community sport will need to stop. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1289784719215714305 The announcement comes as the state records 671 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, with 73 from known clusters and 598 under investigation. Premier Daniel Andrews says there are currently 760 'mystery cases' across the state and that is Victoria's "biggest challenge". "Those mysteries, that community transmission is in many respects our biggest challenge and the reason why we need to move to a different set of rules," the Premier said. "We must do more. We must go harder. It's the only way we'll get to the other side of this." The new rules won't stop here, either. The Premier says that more announcements will be made about businesses and working tomorrow, Monday, August 3. "Tomorrow, I will have more to say about different industries and there will be three categories," the Premier said. "Those that are business as usual. I want to ensure all Victorians supermarkets, the butcher, the baker, food, beverage, groceries, those types of settings, there will be no impact there. In terms of a number of other issues, they'll be reducing their total output. That will mean there are less people working less shifts... There will be a third category of business and they'll close and move exclusively to a work from home and if they can't work from home the work simply won't be done." Victoria's State of Disaster will begin at 6pm tonight, Sunday, August 2, as will metropolitan Melbourne stage four restrictions. Metro Melbourne's curfew will also begin from 8pm tonight. Regional Victoria will move into stage three restrictions from 11.59pm on Wednesday, August 5. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
If you've had enough of watching countless friends flaunt their European summer adventures on social media, or you've just returned from your own Italian sojourn and haven't quite accepted it yet, Parlour Cucina might have the cure. The QT Sydney's ground floor resident is kicking off a weekly aperitivo hour, aiming to capture the free-spirited essence of Italy with live jazz music and authentic drinks for the occasion. Each Friday, from 5–7pm, you can enjoy a shot of house-made limoncello on arrival and graze on a selection of complimentary Italian nibbles from Executive Chef Michael Box. That's mini arancini, pecorino, hand-cut salami, mini calzone and olives — on the house. If you haven't been down to the newly refreshed Parlour Cucina, this might be the perfect chance to check out the low-lit, elegant deco restaurant and savour some of the traditional Italian fare on offer. There's an extensive wine list catering to any preference, with glasses starting at $9 and bottles capping out at $160, so the vibes can continue well after the limoncello has been sipped.
Few dining experiences compare to a traditional omakase, where highly trained Japanese chefs decide what to serve diners and make their food right in front of them. It's a gastronomical performance like no other. And Chef Kimura, one of the best omakase chefs in the world, has left his Tokyo restaurant (which has received two Michelin-stars five years in a row) to bring his particular take on the experience — specifically, jukusei-sushi (aged sushi) — to Australia. This November, the hospo heavyweight — and third-generation sushi chef — will be taking over the kitchens at Sydney's 20-seat Sushi E (on Saturday, November 5) and Byron Bay hot spot Raes on Wategos (on Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9). Getting a table at his restaurant in Japan is renowned for being almost impossible, so you'll want to nab a seat at one of these dining experiences, stat. At the table, diners will taste dishes that don't often hit plates Down Under. Much of this is thanks to the chef's deft knife abilities — which took him nearly a decade to perfect — his pursuit of premium ingredients and the pure love and dedication he has for his craft. Experimenting with great abandon, Chef Kimura (successfully) sought to cook a path in which he could honour his pedigree and create an unexpected and pioneering culinary experience. What's needed to attain the skill of jukusei-sushi? Enough patience, determination and intuition to put most to shame. More complex than simply knowing how long to age each fish for — 12 days for mehikari, for example — it's learning what to do with each species' unique traits. Few can do what Chef Kimura does, as well as he does it. It's these details that makes this an unmissable dining opportunity for any foodies out there. Not only will you devour these extra-special morsels, you'll see each plated up as your esteemed chef talks to you directly about his produce and techniques. So, secure a ticket and get ready to marvel at a master at work. Chef Kimura will take up residence at Sushi E on Saturday, November 5, across five sittings. Further north, he will be hitting the kitchen at Raes on Wategos for four sittings across Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9.
Every January, the city comes alive with circus, cabaret, thought-provoking theatre and music — and next year will be no exception. Sydney Festival 2020 (running from January 8–26) features more than 70 new and diverse works from homegrown and international artists and performers. We've already picked out our 12 highlights from the program, including Joan Didion's seminal essay brought to life on stage and a reboot of an influential 70s cabaret. Now we're adding to that hit list with nine artworks and shows that you can see and do for less than $40. In fact, four of these are absolutely free! Take a look at our penny-pinching picks of Sydney Festival 2020 that won't cost you more than a couple of lobsters.
Whether it's opening a sprawling art museum, taking over a 400-year-old castle, turning old oil tanks into a digital waterfall, bringing waves of light to Melbourne or planning its first permanent European site, Teamlab's digital installations are never less than impressive. The term definitely applies to the interdisciplinary collective's latest venture, too. And if you find its work soothing, those feelings are bound to kick in with gusto when you're wandering around historic ruins and getting steamy in a sauna. In its latest dazzling permanent attraction, Teamlab has paired up with Japan's Mifuneyama Rakuen Park. If that sounds familiar, that's because the two have collaborated before. From July–November each year, an installation called Teamlab: A Forest Where Gods Live transforms the site into an interactive playground; however, if you'd like to check out the collective's wonders in the same area throughout the rest of the year, now you can. This time around, Teamlab has specifically joined forces with Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel Rakan Bath — so you can head to the latter, then check out the former's works (or vice versa). It's calling the new venture Teamlab: Ruins and Heritage: Rinkan Spa and Tea Ceremony, and describes it as an "art and sauna experience within history and the forest", even though its projections within the tree-lined part of the site are only on offer for five months of the year. No matter when you head by — when international travel resumes, of course — you'll be able to head to Mifuneyama Rakuen Takeo's bath house ruins to see Teamlab efforts. Glowing, colour-changing lanterns have been on display since the new attraction opened in November 2020, and digital flowers have been blooming over the bathhouse walls since December. Visitors can also watch flowers, people and water particles dance across huge megaliths, and feel like they're wandering through a place where time has stopped in the process. Or, you can check out butterflies fluttering through underground ruins. There's also a tea house, Mifuneyama Rakuen Park's usual features — including carvings thought to date back 1300 years, Japan's seventh-largest tree and the stone gate to a castle — plus the spa facilities. Normally, some of these sites are only available to hotel guests; however, Teamlab is selling combo tickets to let patrons enjoy them as part of the new venture. To check out all of the above, you'll need to head to Kyushu, the third largest and most southern of Japan's islands. And, when you're next able to make overseas travel plans, you'll want to book your visit to Teamlab: Ruins and Heritage: Rinkan Spa and Tea Ceremony in advance. That's sound advice for every Teamlab venue anyway, but capacity for the Rakan Bath sessions is limited to ten men and ten women at a time. Teamlab: Ruins and Heritage: Rinkan Spa and Tea Ceremony is permanently on display at Mifuneyama Rakuen. Takeo City, Kyushu, Japan. For more information, visit the exhibition website. Images: teamLab.
