Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty rage of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's pandemic motto. Over the past year, the gelato chain has served up plenty of tasty specials, including cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties; 40 of its best flavours; and full tubs of Iced VoVo gelato. It also whipped up its own take on that vanilla and chocolate-layered ice cream cake everyone considered the height of extravagance as a child — and now it's bringing its version of Viennetta back for another round. If you've been indulging your sweet tooth as a coping mechanism — frozen desserts were subject to strict item limits last March, so plenty of folks clearly went big on sugary comfort food — then consider your tastebuds primed for this super-fancy take on the nostalgic favouritte. It's another of Messina's limited releases, with tubs of the rippled gelato creation available at all its stores for a very short period. Wondering what exactly Messina's Viennetta — or Messinetta, as it has been dubbed — entails? It combines fior di latte gelato with choc chips and chocolate fudge, then covers it all with piped vanilla chantilly as well as a chocolate velvet spray. And yes, the end result looks like the dessert you know and love. If it didn't, it just wouldn't be as exciting. The latest release in Messina's new 'Hot Tub' series, Messinetta gelato can only be ordered online on Monday, February 22, with a one-litre tub setting you back $30. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, February 26–Sunday, February 28. Gelato Messina's Messinetta gelato tubs will be available to order on Monday, February 22, for pick up between Friday, February 26–Sunday, February 28 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
As other festivals fall by the wayside, St. Jerome's Laneway Festival just keeps on keeping on. Just a couple of weeks ago Laneway debuted in Detroit, bringing that Melbourne laneways vibe to the Motor City, and now we are thrilled to announce the 2014 lineup for Australia. As we've come to expect from Laneway, it's an intriguing mix of established names, up-and-comers and best-kept secrets, as well as a number of crowd favourites from previous Laneways making a return appearance. The organisers have also forecast a bunch of tweaks to all the venues so that you can get from the mosh to a gozleme in record time, and grab a cider on the way back from the toilets without missing half the festival. Laneway has gone from strength to strength over its 11 years, adding dates in New Zealand and Singapore as well as Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth from its humble beginnings in the back of a bar in Melbourne. It's a festival that knows exactly what it is trying to do, and who its audience wants to see, and I reckon this lineup is going to blow a few minds. In alphabetical order: Adalita Autre Ne Veut Cashmere Cat Cass McCombs Chvrches Cloud Control (no sideshows) Danny Brown Daughter Dick Diver Drenge Earl Sweatshirt Four Tet Frightened Rabbit Haim (no sideshows) Jagwar Ma Jamie XX King Krule Kirin J Callinan Kurt Vile Lorde (no sideshows) Mount Kimbie MT Warning Parquet Courts Run The Jewels (EL-P & Killer Mike) Savages Scenic The Growl The Jezabels (no sideshows) Unknown Mortal Orchestra (no sideshows) Vance Joy Warpaint XXYYXX Youth Lagoon TICKETS PRESALE: Laneway Festival fans with Visa Credit, Debit or Prepaid cards can get tickets first through Visa Entertainment. Visa Entertainment presale starts noon on Monday, 30 September, through to noon on Tuesday, 1 October (local time), or until tickets sell out at www.visaentertainment.com.au. Visa presale: Noon, Monday, 30 September – Noon, Tuesday 1 October (local time) GP on sale: Thursday, 3 October, 9am (local time)
Update Thursday, October 29: Stormzy has cancelled his Australian and New Zealand tours and will be replaced on the Spilt Milk lineup by Steve Lacy. This article has been updated to reflect this. Originally a flagship event in Canberra, Spilt Milk has now expanded to a three-show tour across Australia with stops in Ballarat and the Gold Coast — and it's finally making its return at the end of 2022. For its grand comeback, the festival has pulled together a world-class lineup geared towards heaving dance floors and big sing-a-longs. Leading the charge: Flume, Steve Lacy and The Wombats. Homegrown hitmaker Flume nabs one of the headliner slots fresh from playing Coachella, while California indie-pop singer-songwriter Steve Lacy has joined the lineup following a huge 2022. He's replacing Stormzy, who was originally on the lineup but has cancelled his entire run of Australian tour dates. Rounding out the headline slots in beloved British rockers The Wombats, who keep proving a hit on our shores — with 15 slots in Triple J's Hottest 100 over the years to prove it. Also on the bill: Ninajirachi, FISHER, G Flip, Genesis Owusu, Mallrat, Spacey Jane, A.GIRL and PEACH PRC, among others — and, from the art lineup, a heap of talent from long-running Spilt Milk partners Studio A. Also, because this fest is also about food, there'll be bites to eat from Firepop, Blackbear BBQ and Burger Head. Following the festival's return to Canberra, it'll head to Victoria on Saturday, December 3, popping up in Victoria Park, before wrapping things up on Sunday, December 4 at Doug Jennings Park in the Sunshine State. [caption id="attachment_851188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] SPILT MILK CANBERRA 2022 LINEUP: A.GIRL Beddy Rays Billy Xane Fisher Flume G Flip Genesis Owusu Hayden James King Stingray Kobie Dee Latifa Tee Little Fritter Mallrat Mansionair Ninajarachi PEACH PRC Spacey Jane Stand Atlantic Steve Lacy Telenova The Wombats Toro Y Moi YNG Martyr Young Franco 1300 Guilty Pleasures by DJ Levins Brittany De Marco and Kaylee Harmer Jack Burton and Clique Miroji Sesame Girl Shaka J Tekido Waxlily Food: Firepop Blackbear BBQ Birdman Burger Head Empire Pizza Ryan Gozleme and more Art by Studio A: Emily Crockford Greg Sindel Katrina Brennan Jaycee Kim Meagan Pelham Thom Roberts Top image: Jordan Munns
Deerhoof's members are evidence that it pays to take risks. In a post-modern world, where it can sometimes feel as though everything that can be said has been said, they continue to come up with arrestingly original ideas. Every album reveals another sonic surprise. Their twelfth self-produced release, Breakup Song, is no exception. This time around, Cuban rhythms fuel the San Francisco noise group's unpredictable melodic adventures. According to drummer Greg Saunier, the album is about "just turning around a sort of bad mood and finding a way to turn it into a good mood." As much as a Deerhoof record can definitely beat back the blues in the comfort of your lounge room, it doesn't match up to the experience of seeing them live. Their edgy creativity takes on a whole new dimension in front of a crowd. https://youtube.com/watch?v=u7DpLne1abo
The 2014 season at Carriageworks will include the Sydney debut of Back to Back Theatre's Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, an internationally acclaimed production that won, amongst others prizes, the 2012 Helpmann Award for Best Play. Audiences are taken on a journey with Ganesh, the Hindu god, travelling through Nazi Germany to try to reclaim the swastika, an ancient Hindu symbol. Alongside this primary narrative swims a second — that of the actors themselves feeling the responsibility of tackling so weighty a subject, whilst struggling under the demands of an unreasonable director. As a show that the Age called "courageous, confronting, intelligent and magisterially considered theatre", Ganesh Versus the Third Reich will get you thinking about history, theatre and the connection between the two. What right does art have to draw on the darkest chapters of history? And when it does, in exactly whose creative hands should it be placed? Back to Back Theatre is a Geelong-based company founded in 1987, made up of a unique ensemble of five actors with perceived intellectual disabilities. Together they devise and create award-winning contemporary theatre that explores powerful social and political issues, including this year's much-acclaimed Sydney Theatre Company show, Super Discount.
From unflinching violence to unbridled sexual passion, some of the most important films in history are the ones that dared to push the boundaries. Doubling down on last year's lineup of controversial cult classics, World Movies presents More Films That Shocked the World from Monday, March 17. This five-day selection of taboo-shattering cinema consists entirely of Australian television premieres. Each one of these films has been the subject of censorship in this country, and when you see them, you'll understand why. It's a program designed to challenge your expectations as well as your limitations, not to mention, at times, your stomach. Prepare yourself people; these films are not for the faint of heart. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vUd_6FF4AtM PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) The film that launched both director John Waters and LGBTQ icon Divine to the far-reaching fringes of the American cultural underground, Pink Flamingos was marketed as an exercise in bad taste; rarely has an ad pitch been so accurate. A pitch-black gross-out comedy, the film tells the story of an overweight transvestite (Divine) with a mentally disabled family who goes to increasingly depraved and then violent ends to defend her title of 'filthiest person alive'. Scenes of coprophagia, cannibalism, bestiality and anal acrobatics earned the ire of Australian censors while at same time helping the film become one of the most notorious midnight movies ever made. Monday, 17 March, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkCTSn8gcL4 I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978) Surely the nastiest pick in the week-long program, this hideously violent rape-revenge tale contains some of the most brutal scenes of sexual brutality that have ever been put to film. Director Meir Zarchi initially self-released the movie after no other distributor would do so. Once it received wider play, critic Roger Ebert labelled it "a vile bag of garbage", a pan that probably ended up helping the film at the box office. Many have debated over the years whether the film is a celebration or an indictment of the sexual violence it depicts. Now, if you dare, you can make up your mind for yourself. Tuesday, March 18, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=IU3P6WXzvXU HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) Based loosely on the crimes of Henry Lee Lucas, this grim, ultra-low-budget serial killer film spent more than four years on the shelf after being completed, as the producers were faced both by a hostile ratings board and the challenge of marketing what they had made. Eventually released in 1990, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is not a particularly gory film yet remains disturbing to this day because of the casual and highly realistic fashion in which the protagonist commits his crimes. By being purposely unentertaining, Henry takes the glamour out of a genre that has fascinated us for decades, raising some pretty prescient questions about our obsession with serial murder. Wednesday, March 19, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=g3hSsK61NsE EMMANUELLE (1974) Released at a time when pornography was flirting with the mainstream, this soft-core sexual odyssey follows the affairs of a young French woman living with her husband in Bangkok, and was sold as a classy alternative to the likes of Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones. Although not well received by critics, the film was a massive hit in both Europe and the US, spawning six sequels and literally dozens of spinoffs, including eight made-for-TV movies set in space. Classy indeed. Thursday, March 20, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=lj0BnsF1FXs CALIGULA (1979) A fitting way to end a week brimming with cinematic depravity. The disastrous story behind this porn-filled epic is more entertaining than the movie itself. A lavish biopic about an insane Roman emperor, the film was plagued by delays and ran horrendously over budget — and that was before producer and Penthouse founder Bob Guccione wrestled control away from director Tinto Brass and decided to shoot several unsimulated sex scenes to be included in the final cut. A perfect example of a production gone to hell, if you ever wanted to see Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole and full penetration in the same movie, then Caligula should be right up your alley. Friday, March 21, 9.30pm
The super-adorable Finders Keepers Markets have been home to Sydney's most creative and quirky designers for more than six years. The independent hip-fest is returning to their home at Eveleigh's Australian Technology Park for three days this December — just in time for Christmas. The biannual, designer-centric, come-one-come-all mini-festival has managed to bridge the gap between local market and exclusive exhibition, creating a space for independent designers to engage with the wider community. You'll be able to nab some marvellous treats difficult to find anywhere else. From bespoke leather goods to bespoke stationery, upcycled journals to upcycled bicycle parts, every stall will be a unique shopping experience that combines innovative design with grassroots feel-goodery. As usual, there will be live music, a cafe, a bar and thousands of other Sydneysiders celebrating independent art and design. Plus, it's probably the only place you can knock off all your Christmas shopping with a glass of wine in hand while downing a pork crackling gua bao from Mr. Bao. Finders Keepers will run over three days, from Friday, December 11 to Sunday, December 13. It will be open from 6 - 10pm on the Friday, 10am - 6pm on the Saturday, and 10am - 4pm on the Sunday. For more information and a full list of designers, visit their website.
Tasmania's sinister winter music and arts festival Dark Mofo scrapped its 2020 festivities due to the pandemic, but that cancellation has turned out to be a one-off. The event returned in 2021 — amid controversy over an artwork that was announced and then ditched — and it has just confirmed that it'll be back again in June 2022, too. Next year's festival will run between Wednesday, June 15–Wednesday, June 22 in Hobart, if you're already thinking about how to spend the frostiest part of 2022. Run by the Museum of Old and New Art, it'll be funded by $2.5 million from the Tasmanian Government, plus another $2.5 million from MONA owner David Walsh. And, it'll also receive dedicated marketing support from Tourism Tasmania. The event's program won't be announced until sometime in autumn — usually it drops in April or May — but it's set to explore "the ideas of rebirth, reincarnation, and new life". "After the death of the 2020 festival, and a near-death experience in 2021, we're beginning the next era of Dark Mofo," said Dark Mofo Creative Director Leigh Carmichael. "As the world emerges from the darkness of COVID-19, we're hoping Dark Mofo 2022 will provide opportunities for us to reconnect and celebrate winter in the manner we'd become accustomed to prior to the health restrictions around travel and events." [caption id="attachment_800592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lusy Productions[/caption] Previous years' lineups have seen a fantastical combination of musical performances, performance art and large-scale installations come together. In 2019, the program featured the likes of artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, American musician Sharon Van Etten and one of the world's largest glockenspiels, for instance. In 2021, the program included a vibrating chamber filled with light, guided night walks through Hobart led by teenagers, 49 search lights beaming up into the sky and multiple performances by Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore. Dark Mofo will run from Wednesday, June 15–Wednesday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. The 2022 program will be announced in autumn. Top Image: Jesse Hunniford.
Hope you're feeling hungry, because Taste of Sydney is back. One of the biggest, tastiest gastronomic events in town, this four-day foodie festival, which starts cooking on Thursday, March 9, will once again welcome some of the biggest names in Sydney's restaurant scene to cook up their signature dishes in Centennial Park. This year they've broken up their selection of restaurants into the precincts they reside. Representing Paddington (where everything seems to have opened this past year) will be two of Sydney's newer restaurants: Tequila Mockingbird and Saint Peter (which we named as one of our favourite new restaurants of last year). Respective chefs — Regan Porteous and Josh Niland — will make their Taste debut alongside Guillaume Brahimi, who'll be representing Paddo pub The Four in Hand. The CBD will be brought to Centennial by Bouche on Bridge and — another of our favourite restaurants of 2016 — Mercado, and Turkish eatery Anason will rep Barangaroo. If you've been in previous years, you'll have sampled dishes from Porteño, Kensington Street Social and nel. — these guys will all be returning with new noms for 2017. When you're not busy stuffing your face (but let's be honest, that's why you're there), you can also try your hand at cooking school, learn some skills alongside one of the aforementioned chefs in a masterclass, or up your wine knowledge with an expert from The Wine Society. Tickets cost $25, which will get you entry to the festival and access to some workshops and free tastings. You'll have to purchase food separately, but it's still a pretty good way to try some of Sydney's fanciest food without committing to a whole meal (and hefty bill). TASTE OF SYDNEY 2017 LINEUP Saint Peter Mercado Bouche on Bridge Tequila Mockingbird Porteño nel. Anason Kensington Street Social Gastro Park [competition]612435[/competition] By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal. Image: Alana Dimou for Bouche on Bridge.
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, took this concept and ran with it in its anthology crime series Criminal — which first premiered last year. Love interrogations, but not so fussed about all the stuff around them? Then you'll want to glue your peepers to this, because it's all about heated chats in police interview suites. In fact, that's all it's about. And, after a first season that spanned 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 is coming back for a four-episode UK-based second season. While the first batch of episodes featured David Tennant and Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell among its British cast, this time around the show has enlisted Game of Thrones' Kit Harington, Catastrophe and Game Night's Sharon Horgan, The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar and Wild Rose's Sophie Okonedo to answer a barrage of tense questions. Once again, expect claustrophobic, cat-and-mouse-style confrontations — and twisty narratives that rarely go in the direction expected. The show's second season will hit Netflix on Wednesday, September 16. Check out the season two trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHBrjgDjes Criminal's second season will release on Netflix on Wednesday, September 16.
Alaska Projects, the artist-run space nestled inside a parking lot, will be hosting Conor O'Shea's Repeat/Patterns exhibition starting Wednesday, April 30. A recent graduate from Sydney's National Art School, O'Shea has previously contributed to a number of group shows and exhibited as part of the Damien Minton Gallery's Graceland with the late Martin Sharp. O'Shea's Repeat/Pattern doesn't exhibit individual artworks but rather is one entire body of work. Intended to be viewed as a visual essay, O'Shea's exhibition features images of planets, lights and universal forms against a wall of patterned houndstooth. Repeat/Pattern will transform Alaska Projects into one enormous optical illusion of sorts, with his paintings, silkscreen and photographic prints as well as a projection and single wall graphic. Head there from 6pm on Wednesday, April 30.
No matter what their colour, condition, or quality, Rutherford Chang wants your iconic 1968 Beatles 'White Album'. Although it was only sold as a limited edition item, the White Album sold over 3 million copies back in the day. The album was unique in its simplicity with a purely white cover and only an embossed script of the band's name and a serial number to distinguish it from a plain piece of cardboard. However, the period of 45 years proves to completely transform these indistinguishable albums into individuals each with their own personality. After a lifetime of differing experiences, alternate uses, and completely separate wears and tears, these plain white albums now share rich historical stories through the text written on their covers, the scratches in the music, the yellowing on the corners, and even the mould on the surface. These intricacies, these signs of love, rejection, kinship, or heartache are exactly what Chang is interested and why he was inspired to collect as many of these White Albums as possible for his exhibition: 'We Buy White Albums'. What he calls his 'anti-store' is set up in SoHo, New York and being featured by the artistic workspace Recess. Rather than selling these aged vinyls, Chang is offering to buy any White Album for a fixed price, no matter what their condition. Chang was fascinated by the concept of mass customisation. Although the white albums start off as homogenised products, each as identical and monotonous as the next , he "noticed how personalised every copy of the White Album has become over the course of the last half century and wanted to compare different copies.” While some copies may have been played religiously every night for a decade, some were played once then discarded and others may have been passed down a long line of buyers and sellers, rocked out at in clubs, provided background music for parties, or even experienced the blossoming of love or the breaking or hearts. Each individual album has been distinctly shaped through its history, which is evident through the imperfections in both its physical appearance and audio quality. The 'We Buy White Albums' Exhibition is on show until March 9; however, Chang is determined for it not to simply reach a standstill there. He has collated over 697 records to date and doesn't intend to simply discard the treasures like so many have before him. Following the closing of the anti-store, Chang will press a double LP of all the songs from 100 different albums layered together in a single audio sequence. Each discrete record has developed its own unique character with scratches and warps at various points in the songs. The resulting track will be like hearing hundreds of Beatles albums at once, with the individuality of each standing out above the next. Via Wired.
If you're heading out for a night of Mardi Gras partying on Saturday and you're already planning your Sunday recovery meal, Heaps Gay and Absolut are offering up a Sunday roast like never before — and keeping the party rolling — with a huge day of food, drinks, music and performance. The Roast is a one-off feast heading to USyd's The Refectory on Sunday, March 6 with an all-star cast of chefs and entertainers. On the menu will be a colourful take on the traditional Sunday roast created by fan-favourite chef Anna Polyviou. Joining Polyviou will be Mangarai First Nations queen Tyra Bankstown and the Blak Moles, QTPOC ballroom and dance collective House of Silky, local legend DJs Stereogamous (Paul Mac and Johnny Seymour) and classical performers Timothy and the Heart Strings. Plus, attendees can expect some special-guest appearances throughout the event. Better yet, the extravagant event is raising money for a good cause with 100% of ticket sales being donated to Acon, Australia's largest HIV, sexuality and gender diverse health organisation. Acon has been working to help ensure members of the LGBTQIA+ community can live their healthiest lives since 1985. The Sunday lunch will kick off at midday and run until 5pm, at which time you'll have to make the difficult decision on whether to kick on or bee-line home to get in a few hours rest before the week begins after your weekend of partying. Tickets are $108 and includes a four-course meal with matching cocktails and a full day's worth of entertainment.
For the entire glorious, autumnal month of April, the inner west's ravenous hordes will be just a hop, skip and a jump away from Josh Arthurs' extraordinary burgers. Yep, Burgers by Josh is taking over the kitchen at the Annandale Hotel for a whole four weeks. The event is a logical follow-up to the pub's two February Bush Burger pop-ups, which both sold out. Needless to say, the menu will be loaded with Josh's well-known creations, from the Fat Tony — a wagyu patty piled with provolone cheese, pickled Spanish onion and rocket — to the Infamous Primo, a wagyu pattie with American cheddar, house-made pickles, Thousand Island dressing, iceberg lettuce, beer battered onion rings and crispy American bacon, topped with a jalapeño popper. And, because it's a takeover, there'll be some extra additions in the form of weekend brunches. Expect breakfast burgers, peanut butter jelly toasties and more. Meanwhile, the hotel is developing a drinks menu designed to complement Josh's offerings. So gear up for all the big, fizzy, American flavours, from boozed milkshakes to spiked spiders. But if you're looking for some fruit at a burger pop-up at a pub, rest assured there'll be freshly squeezed juices too.
'Escape room' has been a bit of a loaded term for the past 18 months or so. We all know how crucial lockdowns are to stopping the spread of COVID-19, but we've all dreamed about escaping our own four walls during stay-at-home stints, too. And, if you're a fan of actual escape rooms — the themed spaces where puzzle buffs track down clues, solve mysteries and try to sleuth their way out the doors — you haven't had too many chances to enjoy your favourite pastime during the pandemic. You mightn't be able to head to a physical escape room at the moment — you could be in lockdown in Sydney or Brisbane, or it hasn't been a priority after Melbourne's last stay-at-home stretch, for instance — but one Australian venue wants you to keep enjoying its mysteries within your own house. Arcadium Adventures set up shop in Spring Hill in Brisbane in 2020, complete with a bar and different spaces for patrons to puzzle their way through. Now, it's also releasing online mystery kits for you to enjoy at home. A Most Mysterious Convention is the first kit in a planned series, and it'll task you with figuring out a secret message — all by printing out and reading the materials provided, and also by doing some cutting and punching of holes (with a hole punch, of course). You'll be solving puzzles in the process, too, with the whole experience expected to take between 90–120 minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arcadium Adventures (@arcadiumadventures) If you get stumped, you can also access the Arcadium Archives online for hints and clues as part of the $20 kit price. And, if you'd prefer to get a physical copy that you don't have to print out yourself, you can get one posted to you for $28. Obviously, you now have something else to add to your to-do list while you're spending more time at home. Yes, your streaming queue can wait for a few hours of puzzles. For more information about Arcadium Adventures' A Most Mysterious Convention kits, or to buy one, head to the venue's website. Top image: Arcadium Adventures.
With Australia's borders firmly shut, international travel has been relegated to the realm of dreams, and it looks like it'll be staying there for a good long while. But if you're happy to pretend you're taking a getaway, Qantas has been offering up several products to help. First, it sold its pyjamas, amenity sets and other in-flight goodies. Then, it moved onto fully stocked bar carts. Now, the Aussie airline has released a luxe range of athleisure wear — the type of thing you'd don if you were heading off on holidays, obviously. Launched in collaboration with Australian designer Martin Grant, the new collection has a retro feel, too — because fondly recalling better times gone by is another thoroughly 2020 pastime. A number of Qantas' vintage logos are splashed across range, so you can choose between old-school lettering or the famed kangaroo motif. The collection spans a cashmere jumper, a hoodie, sweatshirts, t-shirts and a beach tote. Colour-wise, the range highlights the company's red and navy colour scheme, as well as grey and wattle yellow. And yes, it's definitely designed to make you feel nostalgic. "This collection is all about classic shapes, comfortable styles and materials that are kind on the environment. But the hero of the designs are the iconic logos that evoke so many fond memories for Australians," said Grant. If wearing an airline logo will make you feel like you've jetted far, far away, a word of warning: this limited-edition collection doesn't come cheap. If you're paying cash, you can expect to fork out $425 for a yellow or navy sweater, $275 for a navy hoodie, $250 for grey sweatshirts, $150 for a navy or grey t-shirt, and $350 for a navy beach tote — or part with a heap of Qantas points. You can buy Qantas' athleisure-wear collection online, using cash or points.
While there'll be a rather lavish $13 million on the line, the Everest Carnival's headline day offers plenty of action off the track with food, drink, live entertainment and, of course, the infamous fashions. Held Saturday, October 13 at Royal Randwick, The TAB Everest Day will host various pop-up bars and lounges, including the Heineken 3 shipping container and the Gordon's Pink Gin bar. When hunger strikes, pop down to the Royal Randwick's casual dining precinct, The Mews, where a bevvy of food trucks will be serving up Vietnamese eats, burgers and juicy American barbecue. And those dressed to impress can also take part in the Harrolds Fashion Chute, the Everest Carnival's fashion competition that could have you jetting off to Europe for free. Do your best modelling and get your photo taken on the Octagonal Lawn to go in the running. Don't disappear at the end of the day either — former One Direction star Liam Payne will be performing a 45-minute concert for all Everest Day ticket holders.
Head to the Northern Territory at any time of year and Uluru awaits, as well as the Tjoritja gorges and Kings Canyon. So does stunning new nightly light show Wintjiri Wiru, plus Bruce Munro's Field of Light and Light Towers installations. But only a visit in April involves basking in Parrtjima — A Festival In Light's stunning glow — and, if you're keen to head along to its next event, the must-attend First Nations arts, culture and storytelling festival has just locked in its 2024 dates. The region's luminous Indigenous arts fest will return from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, as once again set against the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges. It's too early for program specifics, but it'll look stunning as always no matter what's on the bill. There will be a big change, however: a different team delivering Parrtjima's 2024 events behind the scenes. While the details there haven't been unveiled as yet either, the new partner will combine "innovative technologies with traditional storytelling methods," as per the festival's announcement — and is also someone with "a proven track record in creating bold and creative experiences". Rhoda Roberts AO will still curate the festival, with 2024's theme set to focus on interconnectedness and its importance in Aboriginal cultures. "Everything is living in Aboriginal culture and in the old ways, the approach was one of sharing and working together," said Roberts. "Our ancestors were living under strict social structures and belief systems where everything was interrelated from the land and waterways to our sky country. Along with resilience that's tinged with laughter, interconnectedness blankets the wisdom of generations that we are reminded to experience and absorb." If you're new to Parrtjima, which just might be Australia's most luminous festival, it features installations in breathtaking surroundings, plus music, talks, films, workshops and more. 2023's focus was 'Listening with Heart', as inspired by the artwork surrounding the Statement from the Heart — with that piece depicting Uluru-Ku Tjukurrpa, the Uluru story of connection, as created by a group of artists from Multijulu as led by Maruku artist Rene Kulitja. So, Kulitja worked with other of artists for Parrtjima to turn the Statement from the Heart artwork into a large-scale immersive light and sound installation. Accordingly, Parrtjima attendees were plunged in the world of the Aṉangu people of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands surrounding Uluru. This year's festival installations featured ancient songlines, plus Indigenous viewpoints on Country, as well as connecting to First Peoples' strong links with the land, water and sky. Two things that are also always on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attractions, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. As for the music program, 2023's lineup overflowed with First Nations talent, including Docker River Band, Eastern Reggae Band, Emily Wurramara, JK-47, KAIIT, Karnage and Paul Ah Chee — and Radical Son, Richard J Frankland, Discovering Leerpeen Mara, Rowdy Birds, The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band and The Merindas. Details of each year's fest usually start dropping late in the year prior — we'll update you with more of what's in store for 2023 as it's announced. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light will return from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, 2024, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If you've been dreaming of a getaway in a cabin on the snow, a multi-day hiking adventure or a weekend in a luxe glamping resort since the lockdown began in late March, you'll be happy to know your dreams are one step closer to becoming a reality, with the news that holidays within NSW are set to be allowed from June 1. According to the ABC, the NSW Government has today, Tuesday, May 19, confirmed that regional travel within the state will be allowed "for any reason" from the first of next month. Just in time for the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend — and the start of the snow season. The NSW snow season was scheduled to kick off on June 6, and the Australian Ski Areas Association is hopeful it'll be able to proceed as planned. If it does, though, it's likely there'll be new reduced limits on the number of people allowed inside resorts and restaurants, in line with the Federal Government's three-step road map, which suggests gatherings of a maximum of 100 people in its final step. NSW's new restrictions — introduced on May 15 — currently allow for outdoor gatherings of up to ten. If Perisher and Thredbo do open, it looks like there'll be plenty of snow, with the slopes already looking like this: https://twitter.com/PerisherResort/status/1259270178170302464 While regional travel for Sydneysiders will be on the cards in just two weeks, it's likely crossing the border will still be a few months off. Queensland's Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday that reopening for interstate travel might not happen till September, a sentiment echoed today by South Australia's Premier Steven Marshall. Staying local for now, though, isn't such a bad thing with many of NSW's regions hit with a double whammy of devastating bushfires and COVID-19, and desperate for visitors to come with an #emptyesky. It's expected Premier Gladys Berejiklian will make an official announcement about regional travel within NSW tomorrow. For now, though, it's time to start planning. Top image: Thredbo
A friend of mine works in an op shop. A proper one, not an overpriced 'vintage' one. A few months ago she showed up to the pub with a collection of books which had been donated, one of which was a colouring book for medical students, complete with every element of human anatomy you'd ever need to know. We sat tipsily entranced by the semi-coloured-in pictures of lungs and kidneys and feet, the outspread arms of nerve cells and the fragile spiderweb-like bone structure of the hand. Bodies are funny things. We're often quick to forget what's under the surface, what's holding us together and propelling us forward. Japanese illustrator Wataru Yoshida has recently captured this idea in a startlingly beautiful way, in a series of posters entitled Composition of Mammals. The images combine photographs of different mammals, including humans, overlaid with the ethereal shadows of their skeletons and vital organs. The series was created as part of an imaginary exhibition at the National Musuem of Nature and Science in Tokyo, aiming to show the mystery and fascination of how delicate even the strongest of bodies is when you peel back the skin. [Via Design Bloom]
UPDATE, MARCH 18: Due to concerns around COVID-19, Disney has announced that The Woman in the Window will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, May 14, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. They start off in text, drawing in readers with their mysteries, twists and psychological thrills. They focus on women in murky situations, and make that fact known in their titles. Then, after literary success, they jump to the big screen. That's the path that Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train both took — for better in one case, for worse in the other — and now it's The Woman in the Window's turn. Based on the 2018 novel by AJ Finn, The Woman in the Window follows Dr Anna Fox (Amy Adams), a psychologist who also suffers from extreme agoraphobia. After befriending Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), the woman who lives across the street, she cries foul when her new pal disappears — but neither Jane's husband Alistair (Gary Oldman) nor the cops (including Widows and Child's Play's Brian Tyree Henry) are willing to listen. As well as firmly falling into clear genre — aka mystery-thrillers that reference women in their monikers — The Woman in the Window is obviously taking some cues from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. And, in the just-released first trailer, director Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Darkest Hour) doesn't shy away from that comparison. Whether it's worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as one of Hitchcock's best films or suffers a fate closer to The Girl on the Train won't be discovered until the movie releases in May, of course. But, The Woman in the Window has amassed a wide-ranging cast, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Avengers' Anthony Mackie and Wyatt Russell (Overlord) all popping up. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0hTmzISOlQ The Woman in the Window was due to open in Australian cinemas on May 14, 2020; however it'll now release on a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you when one is announced.
Not content with winning an Emmy, two Golden Globes and a pair of Screen Actors Guild Awards for playing Shiv Roy on Succession, Australian actor Sarah Snook has just added a 2024 Laurence Olivier Award to her mantle for her starring role in the West End season of stage sensation The Picture of Dorian Gray. Or roles, to be precise. The production, which hails from Sydney Theatre Company, tasks its lead with playing all 26 characters in the adaptation of Oscar Wilde's gothic-literature masterpiece. For her current stage date, which started earlier in 2024 and runs until May, Snook has stepped into a tale about a sinister portrait that lets its subject stay young and beautiful. This take on Wilde's work was first staged Down Under with Eryn Jean Norvill doing the honours, premiering in Sydney 2020, and also hitting theatres in Melbourne and Adelaide. "It's an incredible honour to be on the stage in the West End and this is not something that I thought would come along with that. It's billed as a one-woman show but it's not. It's the crew who are on stage with me all the time every night, and they are a vital and constant support and inspirational," said Snook when she received her award, with the ceremony taking place on Sunday, April 14 in the UK — so in the early hours of Monday, April 15 Down Under. "So thank you to the crew for being there in this show with me. A huge immeasurable thank you to Kip Williams and your very big brain, and your specificity and precision and your inspiration — and I just thank my lucky stars I get to play inside that mad world you've created every night," Snook continued. The Picture of Dorian Gray also won Marg Horwell an Olivier for Best Costume Design. Among the rest of the night's winners, Stranger Things: The First Shadow took home Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play, Sunset Boulevard nabbed Best Musical Revival, Dear England scored the award for Best New Play and Operation Mincemeat did the same for Best New Musical. On the page, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exceptional, as well as astute and unnerving, as it follows the selling of its namesake's soul in order to keep indulging every corporeal whim, urge and desire. There's a reason that it just keeps getting adapted for the screen and in theatres, after all. But there's never been a version like Sydney Theatre Company's, with the London run at The Theatre Royal Haymarket marking Snook's return to West End after debuting in the 2016 production of The Master Builder. This version of the story uses video and theatre to help its star play so may characters. Williams, who adapted Wilde's text into the phenomenal production and also directs, has travelled to the UK with the new season as well. Taking the show to London is part of a partnership between STC and Michael Cassel Group, which is all about sharing the former's works around the globe. A similar path — from Australia to the UK, but originating from the Griffin Theatre Company — worked out spectacularly for Prima Facie, too, with the British production starring Killing Eve's Jodie Comer winning Best New Play and Best Actress at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards. Check out a trailer for the West End season of The Picture of Dorian Gray below: The Picture of Dorian Gray is playing The Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, London until Saturday, May 11, 2024 — for more information and tickets, head to the play's website. Images: Marc Brenner.
Over summer, plenty of folks spent their time getting reacquainted with their couches while watching gossip-fuelled, 19th-century-set antics. After launching on Netflix on Christmas Day, the first season of Bridgerton caught the attention of 82 million households around the globe in its first four weeks. Yes, that sounds like something Lady Whistledown would love to gossip about in her society papers. As a result — and to absolutely no one's surprise — more Bridgerton is coming. When you become Netflix's most-watched original show ever, beating out last year's favourites such as The Queen's Gambit and Tiger King and the debuts of older series like Stranger Things, that's bound to happen. But viewers can actually look forward to quite a few more episodes, with the streaming service just announcing that it has renewed the show for seasons three and four. No, the show's second season hasn't streamed as yet, and doesn't even have a release date at present. But Netflix is falling head over heels for its episodic adaptation of Julia Quinn's novels and committing to many scandal-filled instalments to come. That'll either give you even more chances to dive into Bridgerton's high-society hijinks, or give you a reason to see why everyone you know has been talking about the show this year. For the unacquainted, the first season follows the ins and outs of Daphne Bridgerton's (Phoebe Dynevor) quest to find a husband, her dalliances with the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), the controversy in the Featherington household and all the other dramas that come with Regency London's marriage market — plus whatever else inspires Lady Whistledown to put pen to paper. Check out the trailer for the show's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpv7ayf_tyE The first season of Bridgerton is available to stream now via Netflix. The show's second, third and fourth seasons don't yet have release dates — we'll update you when details come to hand. Top image: Liam Daniel/Netflix.
There were rumours of a new Enmore opening by the Porteno crew in an old hair salon last year and it's finally happening. Say hello to Stanbuli — a kind of Turkish tapas bar opening on Enmore Road on December 9. With former Porteno chef Ibrahim Kasif behind the pass, you just know that the dishes cooked over hot coals will be top tier, but what else can we expect from Stanbuli? The restaurant aims to give diners a good ol' Meyhane experience — drinks and meze basically. Proving Turkish cuisine isn't all kebabs, Kasif will be serving up tavern classics like fish sandwiches and stuffed mussels. As for the charcoal cooked meats, expect things like seftalia — little sausages wrapped in caul fat. It would just be wrong to have meze without raki, a Turkish aniseed spirit, so we're expecting a few varieties on the wine list. Stanbuli is hidden behind the pink and purple façade of Marie-Louise Salon, which has somehow stayed untouched since the 1950s. Its interiors have been done by Sarah Doyle, the vintage queen and one of the co-owners of Porteno along with her husband Elvis Abrahanowicz and Joe Valore. On the bottom floor, you can dine at the marble bar seating or at the bar itself with its overhanging glasses and Turkish coffee trays. There's also table seating upstairs if you're dining with a larger group. The Porteno crew have been pretty damn busy recently with Continental Deli opening in Newtown and the soon-to-be-revealed revamp of The Unicorn, and it looks like they've got a pretty convincing gem in Stanbuli. It's one of a slew of new restaurants (think The Gretz and Bauhaus West) solidifying Enmore as one of Sydney's most serious eating suburbs, and its location close by the Enmore Theatre makes it a prime contender for satisfying your post-show hunger. Stanbuli is located at 135 Enmore Road, Enmore and is open Wed – Sat 6pm – late; Sun noon – 10pm. Via Good Food Image: Andrew Quilty.
Joseph Stalin liked The White Guard. Which is odd, because it's a sympathetic portrayal of his enemy, the counterrevolutionary coalition of tsarists, nationalists and other conservatives who tried and failed to oust the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. One imagines Stalin licking his lips in delight at the sad fate awaiting these loving, erring, human characters. He gave its writer, Mikhael Bulgakov (of whose oeuvre you're most likely to have encountered the surreal satirical novel The Master and Margarita), a post at the Moscow Arts Theatre, where he was allowed not-quite-free reign. The White Guard is a work of microhistory, examining a big public moment through the lens of small, private lives. The Turbin family are bourgeois intelligentsia in Ukraine's capital of Kiev, and each of its members and hangers-on embodies a particular political attitude, from loyalist to pragmatist to dorky, insulated poet. They all gravitate to the play's sole woman, Lena (Miranda Otto), who just wants everyone to live. Much like in Chekov's Uncle Vanya, the last Andrew Upton adaptation on this stage, these Eastern Europeans parley within a broadly Australian vernacular and are at their most wonderful when they get drunk and start flirting. The adaptation is good, containing poetry (young soldiers are "children who hold their rifles like spades and think 'we are going to the seaside'"), casual absurdity ("ahh, the Ukraine") and brilliantly translated satire ("This coat is neutral. Neither Bolshevik nor Menshevik, just essence of prole"). The tone shift into military farce in the second act is unexpected and enlivening, although it does somewhat jar with and diminish the subtle gravity of the Turbins' home life at the play's centre. This is an accessible adaptation with classical production (including a graceful domestic set by Alice Babidge that unfurls like a sail) and richly hued performances (from the likes of Jonathan Biggins, Darren Gilshenan and members of the Residents). At the same time, The White Guard's nearly three hours feel like 13, its emotional resonance comes infrequently, its intellectual value is fuzzy, and it seems like nothing happens (yes, even with a revolution going on). But the reviews out of England for the recent National Theatre take on this adaptation were positive, so perhaps that's the generation gap speaking. The White Guard's place in the STC season seems to be to satisfy a traditionalist theatre crowd who don't want to raise umbrellas as shelter from stage rain and body parts.
Lee Mingwei invites you to join him in an act of destruction. On April 23, he'll be recreating Pablo Picasso's famous Guernica (1937) at Carriageworks as part of the 20th Biennale of Sydney. Painted in oils, it's considered one of history's most powerful anti-war artworks and was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque village, during the Spanish Civil War. Instead of oils, Mingwei will be using sand to replicate Picasso's lines exactly. Once his work is done, you'll be given permission to walk all over it. And then, Mingwei and his collaborators will pick up brooms and start sweeping the sand into new shapes and forms. As you watch the original artwork being destroyed — and a new one being created in front of your eyes — you'll find yourself contemplating the relationship between destruction and creation, between precise lines and organic forms, and between past and future. "I used Picasso's Guernica as the departure point for a different view of the damage done when human beings are victimised," Mingwei said in his artist's statement. "Instead of simply being critical...I wanted to use the concept of impermanence as a lens for focusing on such violent events in terms of the ongoing phenomena of destruction and creation." Image: Lee Mingwei, 'Guernica in Sand', 2006 and 2015.
By the time that 2022 is out, lovers of Studio Ghibli's films (aka everyone) will have two places to visit if they'd like to get as close as humanly possible to walking into the animation house's gorgeous frames. Already, you can head to the Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka, a city on the western outskirts Tokyo — and you really should; it's as magical as it sounds, giant catbus and all — but now Ghibli's very own theme park has officially set a November launch date. Come November 1, the new location in Nagoya's Aichi Prefecture — which is around a three-hour train trip from Tokyo — will start spiriting away Ghibli fans across its 200-hectare expanse. The studio initially announced that it was creating its own theme park back in 2017, and originally planned to open in 2020. Then, in 2018, it pushed back its launch timeline to 2022; however, this is the first time it's set a specific date that everyone can mark in the calendars. The opening day of the Ghibli Park was announced today. pic.twitter.com/01vhPGuJgq — スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) January 27, 2022 The Aichi Prefecture Expo Park spot is already home to a replica of Satsuki and Mei's house from My Neighbour Totoro, and it's gaining plenty of other attractions as it becomes a fully fledged Studio Ghibli thee park. Totoro features heavily, understandably, with the site even initially described as having a My Neighbour Totoro focus. However, you'll also be able to check out a life-sized version of Howl's Moving Castle, the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart, Kiki's home from Kiki's Delivery Service and a village area that pays tribute to Princess Mononoke. Also slated to feature: nods to the cat from Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns, buildings with design elements that take their cues from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and a super-sized garden that'll make you feel like you're one of the tiny characters in Arrietty. There'll also be a permanent exhibition room, a special exhibition room, a video exhibition room, a playground, and a shop and cafe, so you'll have plenty of places to explore, eat and browse. Expect more nods to Ghibli's various features to follow, recreating other aspects from its three-decade-old body of work — and possibly its most recent movie, Earwig and the Witch, too. And if the end result is even half as wondrous as the studio's aforementioned museum, then fans are in for a treat. There, you can also climb up to the building's rooftop garden to see one of the robots from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and watch exclusive shorts (including a sequel to My Neighbour Totoro) in a cute little cinema. Indeed, the museum is such a tourist attraction, you have to buy tickets over a month in advance — and experiencing the rush of folks in the merchandise-packed gift shop will make you feel like a susuwatari (Totoro's gorgeous little balls of floating soot). [caption id="attachment_799539" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Studio Ghibli[/caption] Incorporated into the existing parklands, the Studio Ghibli theme park will be heavy on greenery and the natural surroundings, which matches the environmental messaging that plays a prominent part in Ghibli's movies. The site will also encourage "enjoying walking", according to the draft concept outline, while aiming to offer "a one-of-a-kind park loved by more people". We don't think either will be difficult. If you're now planning a Ghibli-centric holiday, you'll need to cross your fingers that Japan's border rules change before November to allow foreign nationals to enter the country — something that's currently suspended until at least the end of February 2021. And if you won't stop dreaming about the Studio Ghibli theme park anyway, the Aichi Tourism Bureau has released a trailer — which is largely an ad for the surrounding area, but also features Satsuki and Mei's house prominently. Check it out below: The Studio Ghibli theme park is slated to open on November 1, 2022. For more information, keep an eye on the animation company's website.
Written by One Man, Two Guvnors farce-spinner Richard Bean and directed by Louise Fischer, Harvest is about four generations of Yorkshire pig farmers struggling to keep their farm and put food on the table over the course of the 20th century. This might sound like staid material, but in an Australian theatrical landscape littered with countless rejiggings of Greek myths, Shakespeare and other classics, it’s rather nice that for this production at least, Hamlet’s aversion to physical labour appears to have gotten the better of him and Menelaus must have forgotten his wellies. On the other hand, Harvest is also four generations of Yorkshire pig farmers ‘owting’ and ‘nowting’, with varying degrees of success over the course of two and a half hours. Conversation is dominated by pigs, paddocks and ploughing (with the occasional nod to procreation), and though there’s no shortage of wit, there are relatively few surprises and not quite enough plot to justify a time span of 90-odd years. There are two constants in Harvest. The first is William Harrison (Jeremy Waters), a perennial scamp whose dream it is to oversee a thriving pig farm. With time’s passing, he transforms from a 20-year-old lad squabbling with his brother over which of them should fight in the First World War to a mischievous wheelchair-bound centenarian who still knows his way around a shotgun. Waters’ performance is very well executed, retaining the roguish essence of his character despite significant physical transformations. Bishanyia Vincent’s Laura, who is also called upon to age 60 or 70 years, is equally impressive. A wonderfully sniffy performance is turned in by Peter Eyers, whose Lord Agar is a lurking toff attempting to reclaim the Harrisons’ farm, which his father lost in a bet many years ago. The second constant is the modest sandstone cottage in which this large chunk of time passes. Bethany Sheehan has constructed the set with a great deal of care and detail; for every few decades that elapse, a small army of cast members march on in a blackout and age the house appropriately — linoleum covers the stone floor and a television takes the place of the wireless. The kitchen table, an ongoing joke due to the travesty of its positioning, remains, for the most part, exactly as is. Harvest may not quite work as a generations-spanning epic, but there are several nice moments throughout and the cast work hard to keep it chugging along. Bean has chosen a difficult location for his play and is well aware of it. As a middle-aged William remarks in the second half, “Pig farms are known for their dangerous levels of excitement. We should put a sign up.”
In showbusiness, nepotism is as inescapable as movies about movies. Both are accounted for in The Souvenir: Part II. But when talents as transcendent as Honor Swinton Byrne, her mother Tilda Swinton and writer/director Joanna Hogg are involved — with the latter working with the elder Swinton since her first short, her graduation piece Caprice, back in 1986 before Honor was even born — neither family ties nor filmmaking navel-gazing feel like something routine. Why this isn't a surprise with this trio is right there in the movie's name, after the initial The Souvenir proved such a devastatingly astute gem in 2019. It was also simply devastating, following an aspiring director's romance with a charismatic older man through to its traumatic end. Both in its masterful narrative and its profound impact, Part II firmly picks up where its predecessor left off. In just her third film role — first working with her mum in 2009's I Am Love before The Souvenir and now this — Swinton Byrne again plays 80s-era filmmaking student Julie Harte. But there's now a numbness to the wannabe helmer after her boyfriend Anthony's (Tom Burke, Mank) death, plus soul-wearying shock after discovering the double life he'd been living that her comfortable and cosy worldview hadn't conditioned her to ever expect. Decamping to the Norfolk countryside, to her family home and to the warm but entirely upper-middle-class, stiff-upper-lip embrace of her well-to-do parents Rosalind (Swinton, The French Dispatch) and William (James Spencer Ashworth) is only a short-term solution, however. Julie's thesis film still needs to be made — yearns to pour onto celluloid, in fact — but that's hardly a straightforward task. As the initial movie was, The Souvenir: Part II is another semi-autobiographical affair from Hogg, with Swinton Byrne slipping back into her on-screen shoes. This time, the director doesn't just dive into her formative years four decades back, but also excavates what it means to mine your own life for cinematic inspiration — aka the very thing she's been doing with this superb duo of features. That's what Julie does as well as she works on the film's film-within-a-film, sections of which play out during The Souvenir: Part II's running time and are basically The Souvenir. Accordingly, viewers have now spent two pictures watching Hogg's protagonist lives the experiences she'll then find a way to face through her art, all while Hogg moulds her two exceptional — and exceptionally intimate and thoughtful — movies out of that exact process. Julie's graduation project is also an escape, given it's patently obvious that the kindly, well-meaning but somehow both doting and reserved Rosalind and William have been pushed out of their comfort zone by her current crisis. Helping their daughter cope with her heroin-addicted lover's passing isn't something either would've considered might occur, so they natter away about Rosalind's new penchant for crafting Etruscan-style pottery instead — using small talk to connect without addressing the obvious, as all families lean on at some point or another. They provide financing for Julie's film, too, in what proves the easiest part of her concerted efforts to hop back behind the lens and lose herself in her work. Elsewhere, an array of doubt and questions spring from her all-male film-school professors, and the assistance she receives from her classmates is quickly steeped in rivalries, envy and second-guessing. More than once, queries arise about why Julie makes particular choices — and seeing how Swinton Byrne responds under Hogg's meticulous direction is one of the key reasons that The Souvenir: Part II is as powerful and compelling as it is. Like everything in the film, it's a revelation in layers, which unpeel far deeper than merely asking Swinton Byrne to be her director's on-screen surrogate. An introvert, Julie is visibly unaccustomed to the scrutiny that comes with her ambitious project, and with needing to handle her inner hurt under a spotlight. Swinton Byrne makes that plain quietly but repeatedly, all while conveying how Julie's self-hesitation slowly dissipates the longer she goes on, the more she struggles with, and the more mistakes she makes and solves. How this process echoes through her work, shaping both it and Julie herself, ripples through to a disarmingly intense degree — and with crucial aid from cinematographer David Raedeker (Swimming with Men) and production designer Stéphane Collonge (God's Own Country). There's no shaking the grief of it all, of course. As a musing on mourning, plus a perceptive glimpse at how the bereaved are expected to soldier on despite placating words offered otherwise, The Souvenir: Part II is shattering. Amid movie-within-movie sequences that'd owe thanks to David Lynch and Charlie Kaufman if they weren't so clearly diffused through Hogg's own lens — and after the other glimpse at the industry that comes via Richard Ayoade's (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) returning Patrick, now successful, pompous AF, helming a huge movie musical and an enormous scene-stealer — the all-encompassing chaos that loss begets is laid bare. It's what drives Julie into bed with one of Patrick's stars (Charlie Heaton, Stranger Things), and sees her place perhaps too much on her own film's leading man (Harris Dickinson, The King's Man). In another of the feature's standout moments, it's also what causes her to misunderstand the sympathies of her editor (Joe Alwyn, Mary Queen of Scots) when support becomes hard to find. The Souvenir was a fated romantic tragedy. It was a vehicle for its director to work through her memories, too, and immortalise what she's now decided to keep; yes, that title is oh-so-telling. The Souvenir: Part II is a meditation upon loss, heartbreak and life's worst existential and inevitable woes, and also a way for Hogg to sift through her memories about all those memories, not to mention the new ones she conjured up when she first turned them into a movie a few years back. It's as smart, sensitive and stacked as an immensely personal piece of cinema can be, and it's also thrillingly savvy about how subjective everything it shows and interrogates needs to be by necessity. Cinema isn't short on memoirs, many of them wonderful — recent Oscar-winners Roma and Belfast, for example — but The Souvenir and its just-as-phenomenal sequel are in a bold and brilliant realm all of their own.
Walsh Bay hotel Pier One is dipping its toes into the Harbour City's ocean of oysters-on-a-budget dining options. The Sydney Rock oyster has been thriving in the waters of NSW for thousands of years. Today, they're a fine dining delicacy, and most have forgotten the history of the oyster as a historic food staple. Now, in partnership with oyster experts East 33, Pier One has set out to educate Sydneysiders about the rich past and versatile world of the Sydney Rock Oyster. This summer, Pier One will be serving Sydney Rock Oysters from its own dedicated oyster harvest area at Cape Hawk. East 33's network of 41 estuaries, stretching from Byron Bay to Wonboyn Lake, will provide Pier with a seasonally rotating selection that will be shucked freshly in the kitchen or even tableside for a touch of theatre. To demonstrate the oyster's versatility, Pier One will be serving its Sydney Rock Oysters in three variations: freshly shucked; charred with smoked wagyu fat and coconut vinegar; and torched at tableside served with yuzu custard. For those looking for a slightly more casual experience, Pier One's PIER Bar will be celebrating oysters during sunset hour with $2 oysters from 5–6pm, Mondays to Fridays. Keeping with the fresh, summer atmosphere, you'll be able to chase your oysters with new PIER Bar signature Mini Margarita Oyster Shooter Flights. For the cherry on top, the hotel will open the Oyster Hotline in homage to its namesake's aphrodisiac qualities. Overnight hotel guests will be able to order a half-dozen ($39) or a dozen ($79) oysters to be delivered to their room within thirty minutes, complete with a bottle of champagne. Orders from the oyster hotline are "for emergencies of a more romantic nature", says Pier One. [caption id="attachment_976645" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption]
In absolutely epic news, The Lansdowne is coming back to life. It was a huge blow to the Sydney gig scene when the iconic Chippendale live music venue closed back in 2015 — and with so many venues since following suit (largely linked to the lockout law restrictions), its resurrection could not have come at a better time. The venue has been bought up and renovated by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, owners of Mary's Newtown and The Unicorn Hotel. Fans of the space won't have to wait much longer for the reveal, as they plan to open the doors for the Queen's Birthday long weekend this June. While details on the fit-out and menu have not yet been revealed, we do know that the entire top floor will be dedicated to live music and that they've worked closely with the producers of the new ICC to ensure top-notch acoustics. We're also hoping they'll give it a good scrub while still maintaining its dive-like appeal and cheap schooeys. The Lansdowne's revival is being supported by the many now-famous Aussie bands that first found their feet at the joint — including You Am I, The Living End, Hard-On's and The Preatures — and it will again act as a 'gateway venue' for the next wave of musicians to make their mark on the Sydney music scene. The highly influential Rule brothers of The Music and Booze Co. (previous owners of The Annandale Hotel) will look after all band bookings, so you know they'll be getting some seriously solid gigs in. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is stoked as well. "To see an iconic venue like the Lansdowne returning feels like it could be a real turning point for live music in Sydney...and we're looking forward to working with the new owners wherever we can," she said. With so much devastating closures over the past few years, this is a huge win for Sydney's culture and nightlife and we could not be more stoked about this news. Image: Jack Steel.
When this year's Sydney Film Festival rolls around, it'll do so with Oscar nominees, festival award winners and Sundance hits, plus the world premiere of an important Australian documentary. Throw in plenty of famous faces, a few more local flicks and a heap of acclaimed docos, and another busy fest is in store — and that's just from the event's first 23 titles. While the annual festival won't reveal its full 2019 lineup until May, it has unveiled a sneak peek of what's in store between Wednesday, June 5 and Sunday, June 16. As always, Sydney cinephiles should start getting excited. Also recommended: getting ready to spend 12 days in packed cinemas around the city. After staying local with its 2019 retrospective — a showcase of ten films by trailblazing female Aussie directors, as unveiled last week — SFF is also keeping close to home with some of its early standouts. Fittingly, Sydney audiences will be the first in the world to see The Final Quarter, a documentary about the horrific racism faced by former Sydney Swans AFL player Adam Goodes, as well as his determination to call it out and the response he received. The festival will also screen Animals, the Alia Shawkat-starring new film from 52 Tuesdays director Sophie Hyde, as well as She Who Must Be Loved, an insightful doco about Indigenous filmmaking pioneer Freda Glynn. On the star-studded front, Sydneysiders will finally get to see Claire Denis' High Life, the stellar sci-fi flick that sends Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche into space in a bleak but enthralling way, and screened around the rest of the country at the Alliance Française French Film Festival. Also headed towards SFF-goers' eyeballs is the Aussie premiere of Dev Patel-starring thriller The Wedding Guest, Matt Bomer as a weatherman in Papa Chulo and Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie dallying with a haunted dress flick in In Fabric. The latter, which marks the latest film from Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy's Peter Strickland, is definitely worth your attention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0LUasriQ2o Other highlights include Aretha Franklin concert film Amazing Grace, which has taken decades to reach cinema screens; more music with A Dog Called Money, a doco about PJ Harvey; and this year's two-time Academy Award nominee Never Look Away, which is inspired by the life of German artist Gerhard Richter. The Kleptocrats explores the funnelling of dirty money into The Wolf of Wall Street — yes, the Leonardo DiCaprio film — by members of the Malaysian government, Midnight Family delves into Mexico's healthcare system, and Thai drama Manta Ray follows a fisherman who rescues a refugee. And then there's Italian crime flick Piranhas, the Berlinale screenwriting winner about teen gangs on the streets of Naples, as well as offbeat Japanese comedy Jesus, which stars Tokyo-based Aussie comedian Chad Mullane as a hyperactive doll possessed by the spirit of Jesus Christ. The 2019 Sydney Film Festival will run from June 5 to 16. Check out their currently announced titles by heading to the festival website. The full program will be released on May 8.
Bill Murray. Zombies. As movie-goers learned ten years ago, it's a winning combination. But Zombieland is no longer the only way to see the beloved film star enter the realm of the shuffling undead. Thanks to upcoming comedy The Dead Don't Die, Murray dwells in a world of re-animated corpses once more — and it's now his job to fight them. The latest flick from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, this zom-com spends time with a trio of small-town cops (Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny), who discover that their new case has quite the twist. As the movie's first trailer tells us, "in this peaceful town, on these quiet streets, something terrifying, something horrifying is coming". Yes, that something is zombies, the undead or ghouls, as Driver's character explains. Cue plenty of comic battles against brain-munching foes, as well as plenty of appearances by famous folks — including Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Sara Driver, Selena Gomez and Carol Kane, plus Iggy Pop, RZA and Tom Waits. Murray (Coffee and Cigarettes, Broken Flowers), Driver (Paterson), Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive) and Buscemi (Mystery Train) have all worked with Jarmusch before, as has the movie's trio of musicians, but don't go expecting something familiar here. As all of the above flicks have shown, and Night on Earth, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and documentary Gimme Danger too, the writer/director has never been fond of making the same film twice. The Dead Don't Die will hit Aussie cinemas on October 24. But if you're in Sydney, you can catch it at this year's Sydney Film Festival, where it will screen over three sessions on June 14, 15 and 16. There are still tickets available to them, so we recommend booking them in now. In the interim, prepare for a wacky yet deadpan addition to the zombie fold, complete with Murray hanging out in a cemetery and Swinton playing a sword-wielding mortician. Check out the deadly trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs5ZOcU6Bnw The Dead Don't Die will hit Australian cinemas on October 24, 2019. It will also screen at Sydney Film Festival on June 14, 15 and 16. You can get those tickets here. Updated: May 20, 2019.
Let’s face it; doing crazy stuff is always better when there’s a good cause to back up the bonkers. Case in point: Abseil For Youth, in support of the Sir David Martin Foundation (SDMF), is calling up to 250 fearless folk to scale down the 33-storey BT Tower building in the CBD on Friday, October 17, and Saturday, October 18. Now in its fifth year, this time around Abseil for Youth is aiming to raise $400,000 for the Triple Care Farm rehabilitation program, which tackles addiction, homelessness, mental health issues, depression and self-harm in seriously disadvantaged youth. The SDMF, established by then Governor of NSW Sir David himself, relies entirely on community and individual generosity to help raise funds for said projects. So if the opportunity to see Sydney from a whole new angle tickles your fancy, you too can help improve the lives of young people across Australia. To register, go to the Abseil for Youth website.
If the cold has got you a little blue this winter, then a dose of sidesplitting comedy could be just what the doctor ordered (as well as that flu shot). Luckily, the Art Gallery of NSW is adding some homegrown comedy to its usual Wednesday night Art After Hours routine. In conjunction with this year's Archibald Prize, Late Night Laughs will take over the gallery for four Wednesday evenings over the next month — July 17, 24, 31 and August 7 — with one Aussie comedian and a musical performance each night. On July 17, award-winning comedian Aaron Chen will take the stage. Earlier this year, Chen was awarded the Director's Choice Award at Melbourne International Comedy Festival. So, he's a pretty big deal. Following Chen is Sri Lankan-born blues artist Roshani. Then, on July 24, the affable Nikki Britton will take the stage. Britton's career has included the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Oxfam Gala, ABC's Comedy Up Late and The Comedy Channel's Just For Laughs Festival. Performing after Britton will be Australian Egyptian musician Mariam Sawires, with genre-defying tunes. At its third instalment, Late Night Laughs will host rising star Dane Simpson (Deadly Funny competition finalist 2015). He's appeared on Have you been paying attention? as well as ABC's Comedy Up Late. After some hilarious gags, you'll be treated to acclaimed jazz artists Joy Yates and Dave MacRae, too. Rounding out the program, on August 7, is Sydney-based comedian Rose Callaghan. The award-winning comic is a regular on Triple J and ABC Radio, plus, the powerhouse also won Best Comedy at the Sydney Fringe Festival. After Callaghan and her witty banter, you'll be treated to local jazz musician George Washingmachine. Each and every week of Art After Hours: Late Night Laughs is free and no bookings are required. Just show up and be prepared to laugh — a lot. Late Night Laughs is part of AGNSW's Art After Hours program. The comedy series will run each Wednesday, from July 17 to August 7, and is in conjunction with the Archibald Prize.
It has been almost two years since a Marvel movie hit the big screen. If you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you've probably been feeling their absence. But, since the beginning of 2021, you've likely also been heading to Disney+ to check out a few new small-screen adventures. First came WandaVision, which focused on Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision's (Paul Bettany) story after Avengers: Endgame. It added something different to the MCU, overtly aping classic sitcoms such as I Love Lucy, Family Ties and Malcolm in the Middle as it puzzled its way through Wanda and Vision's small-town life — and had everyone wondering why Vision was even walking and talking post-Endgame at all. Now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is also telling a story set after the last Avengers flick, this time with Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's eponymous characters. Based on its first episode so far, it's much more conventional than WandaVision. It doesn't boast a fabulous performance by Parks and Recreation's Kathryn Hahn, either. But, it does explore the everyday existence of both Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, who'll team up over the rest of the show's six-episode season. It seems that plenty of people were keen to see what happened next for Wilson and Barnes, and to keep adding a new Marvel episode to their weekends after WandaVision wrapped up. Debuting last week, on Friday, March 19, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's first episode has become Disney+'s most watched premiere ever. Although the streaming platform hasn't given any actual numbers — which tends to be the case when such services boast about their viewership, as Netflix has also demonstrated — it has announced that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier earned the feat between Friday and Sunday, and was also the most-watched title overall globally over the three days. That means that more folks took a look than when WandaVision premiered, and when Star Wars series The Mandalorian did too, although those shows sit second and third on Disney+'s list of biggest opening weekends. Over The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's remaining five episodes, the series will bring back Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo and Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter. As seen already, Wyatt Russell (The Good Lord Bird) is also joining the MCU as John Walker. And yes, the MCU's fourth phase will include more TV shows after this — such as Loki, which hits in June; Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury; and a series set in Wakanda. For now, if you haven't viewed the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier already, you can check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWBsDaFWyTE The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is available to stream now on Disney+, with new episodes added each Friday for the next five weeks. Top image: Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Put one foot in front of the other, keep going, and you’re on a journey — and sometimes an adventure that captures attention. Add a few interesting incidents, and/or intentions fuelled by self-discovery, and you might just have a book and then probably a film. In fiction, it worked for Forrest Gump; in reality, it worked for Into the Wild. It is in the footsteps of the latter, not the former, that Wild follows, as it turns the true trek of Cheryl Strayed into a cinematic hike. In 1994, Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) was 26 and struggling with her lot in life, lingering grief inspiring a raft of destructive decisions. With her marriage in tatters, and her daily routine in the doldrums, she opted to take time out to achieve what seemed an impossible feat: walking the 1770 kilometres of the Pacific Crest Trail alone, and truly coming to terms with her identity and existence in the process. Of course, helmer Jean-Marc Vallée and scribe Nick Hornby don’t just jump from point A to point B in telling Strayed’s tale on screen, nor is the considerable physical feat the point of their film. As might be expected from the linear-averse director of Cafe de Flore, as well as the emotionally astute screenwriter of An Education, flashbacks during Strayed’s wander prove as crucial as the walk itself. The usual array of dire events and moments of discovery furnish the familiar storyline, one that continually emphasises its message of persevering regardless of the circumstances. So too do glimpses of the naturalism that flavoured Vallée’s last feature (and one also based on real-life circumstances), Dallas Buyer’s Club, as well as Hornby’s witty way with words. There may be few surprises in the movie that evolves as a result, but that doesn’t mean that the voyage it depicts isn’t worth taking. Expressive cinematography and fine-tuned editing help immerse the audience in Strayed’s fractured yet persistent mindset and rough yet picturesque surroundings, creating an offering of style and sensitivity in charting a predictable triumph over adversity. As awards bodies have duly noticed, however, Wild is less remarkable for the plight it portrays and its manner of doing so, and more worthy of praise for the accompanying performances. Eschewing glamour, playing a real figure and inhabiting a gruelling experience are all common fodder for accolades and attention, yet Witherspoon is as committed to getting to the heart of her endeavour as the character she plays. Laura Dern radiates empathy and earnestness in the role of Strayed's mother, even if her scenes are tinged with tragic cliches. Indeed, that’s the film from the start of its travels until the end: weighty but always apparent, contemplative while laced with truisms, and making more than a modest attempt at striving for something beyond the usual.
The pinnacle of Christmas lunch is the delicious dessert, so Work-Shop and Maria Mayhew of Black Star Pastry are giving Sydneysiders the chance to make the perfect pudding this festive season. This particular sweet treat can be tricky and fiddly to get just right, so the workshop covers everything from prepping the calico to serving suggestions. It's everything you need to know to create a family of happy Christmas campers. Mayhew discovered her passion for pastry later in life, and has made a name for herself with unique twists on classic cakes, including vegan beetroot and marmalade cake, and pumpkin loaf. She completed her apprenticeship at Black Star Pastry in Newtown, one of Sydney's best patisseries. For owner-operator Christopher Thé, baking is all about creating the perfect edible moment to share with others, and their famous Christmas pudding is the perfect example of this. Work-Shop are all about proving fun and affordable short courses in everything arts, crafts and life skills. The class in Christmas cheer will go down at their Chippendale base on Wednesday, December 11, at 6.30pm, so buy up tickets at Eventbrite to learn how to cook up the ultimate pudding on the ultimate holiday.
There's been a major trend in the past few years of film screenings with full symphony orchestras playing the score live – the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are doing it for Star Wars in December. But instead of just playing along, New York's Morricone Youth write original 're-scores' for famous films in their own trademark prog/Krautrock/space-age surf style, adding a whole new dimension and context to films you've loved for years. This year's festival sees them take over Carriageworks in their Australian debut, working their magic on George Miller's original Mad Max and George Romero's iconic Night of the Living Dead. Image: Chic Stringer, courtesy of Kennedy Miller Mitchell.
Gone are the days when travellers checked into hotels with the sole purpose of sleeping. It seems everyone wants a bit extra with their holiday, be it a gardening course, an onsite brewery or a window onto the underwater world. And while those types of overnight experiences are all well and good, if you're a pop culture fan, you might want to set your sights on Walt Disney World's 360 vacation concept in Orlando. The latest addition to the globe's accommodation wonders, it'll let you live, breathe and sleep Stars Wars — staying not only in a themed hotel, but onboard a spaceship. To answer the obvious question: no, you won't actually be going into space (although that idea isn't as out-of-this-world as it may sound). You will have a blast pretending that you're headed to a galaxy far, far, away, though. We're happy to report that the resort is taking the immersive part very seriously, with the new hotel — called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — allowing patrons to embark upon a two-night adventure on the starcruiser Halycon. Disney first announced this addition to its growing theme park realm back in 2017; however the huge entertainment company has just dropped specific details for all those wannabe Jedis clamouring for a unique holiday. First step: leave your real life at the door. Upon check-in, guests become a citizen of the galaxy — which means that, every minute of every day of your stay, you're a part of the Star Wars story happening around you. You'll hang out in the Atrium, where crew and passengers gather; operate the Halycon's navigation and defence systems, with plenty of guidance; and learn how to use a lightsaber, because an immersive Star Wars-themed stay wouldn't be complete without wielding a glowing weapon. You'll also sleep in spaceship cabins, drink in the passenger lounge and try to sneak into the crew-only engineering rooms. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will form part of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Walt Disney World's new sprawling zone dedicated to the space-set franchise — which, after opening at Disneyland in California earlier this year, is now open in Orlando as well. For now, the hotel doesn't have an opening date, although you can sign up to register your interest. If you're keen, you'll have to be committed to the experience, as the "every minute of every day" comment may well include sleeping hours — the dark side never sleeps, after all. Image: Disney/Lucasfilm via Disney Parks Blog.
The Australia Day debate has again erupted, with a Melbourne council voting to drop all references to Australia Day and to ditch its annual citizenship ceremony in favour of a culturally sensitive event that acknowledges the loss of Indigenous culture. Yarra Council made the call at last night's town hall meeting after ongoing discussions with local Indigenous representatives. "The overwhelming sentiment from our Aboriginal community is that January 26 is a date of sadness, trauma and distress. They have told us that this is not a day of celebration, but a day of mourning," said Yarra Mayor, Cr Amanda Stone in a statement. The council had also commissioned a survey of nearly 300 non-Indigenous people in Yarra, which showed that 78.6 percent of respondents supported the concept of a January 26 event to acknowledge Aboriginal experiences. "In the last 12 months there has been a groundswell of community support for change from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people across the country. The community is looking for leadership on this issue," said Cr Stone. "People can still have their barbecues and parties on the January 26 public holiday, but I hope our stance encourages people to stop and think about what this date really means in the history of our nation. "A celebration of national identity should be inclusive of all Australians. 26 January is not an appropriate date because it marks the beginning of British colonisation and the loss of culture, language and land for Australia's First Peoples." However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced his disapproval, criticising Yarra Council. "An attack on Australia Day is a repudiation of the values the day celebrates: freedom, a fair go, mateship and diversity," the PM said in a statement, reported by the ABC. "I recognise Australia Day, and its history, is complex for many Indigenous Australians but the overwhelming majority of Australians believe the 26th of January is the day and should remain our national day." The council vote has seen a swag of recommendations approved, including adopting a communications plan to better educate people on the Indigenous experience surrounding January 26, and referring to the day as January 26 until there's a nationally adopted term to use in its place. Yarra Council's also moved to use their publications and social media channels to officially support the #changethedate campaign, and will explore ways to lobby the Federal Government on the issue. The controversial decision follows on from Fremantle Council's move to hold its official 2017 Australia Day celebrations two days later than normal, on January 28, though it looks as though these changes by the Yarra Council will be the most extensive we've seen yet. Image: City of Yarra.
Love to twirl underneath the shimmering lights of a mirror ball along to the sweet sounds of disco? Us too. And soon, we'll be elevating those dance floor dreams to do it all atop a Sydney highway — for free. As part of Elevate Sydney — the city's new six-day celebration on the Cahill Expressway — a disco-fuelled event is taking over the sky-high stage on Thursday, January 2. So, bust out your favourite flares. For the event, the road will be transformed into a glamorous 70s nightclub filled with live entertainment, excellent tunes and non-stop dancing, of course. Sydney's fabulous drag queen Courtney Act will be taking you back to the fabulous sounds of disco as the Elevate Discotheque host. Plus, Sydney disco royalty, Marcia Hines and Leo Sayer, will be stopping by to make sure you feel like dancing. Keen to start the New Year with some 70s glitz and glamour? While the event is free, you need to book a ticket to attend. Tickets are available from Thursday, December 2. For more information and to stay up to date, visit the website.
Thanks to you-know-what, The Metro Theatre hasn't hosted any live music events since early 2020. You could say a grand reopening is well overdue — and, thankfully, one is finally here. For Sydney Solstice, The Metro is throwing a heap of tune-filled nights, including a seven-day weekend event and an epic celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. The latter, dubbed Mardi Gras Pride Weekender, is a series of performances championing queer-identifying artists. At Express Yourself — Queer Discovery (June 18), you can see the likes of singer-songwriter Alex the Astronaut, rapper BVT and emerging electro star Nik Navy, as well as Faustina Agolley who'll be hosting the shindig. Then, on Saturday, June 19, cut some serious shapes at Spin-Off — a competition in search of up-and-coming LGBTQIA+ DJs — or catch fabulous drag queens at My Drag Story. [caption id="attachment_814137" align="alignnone" width="1367"] Destination NSW[/caption] Top image: Destination NSW
When you think of French composer Claude Debussy, you're more likely to arrive at the dreamy, mellifluous 'Clair de Lune' than the melodramatic stampede of opera. But at the turn of the 20th century, the French composer decided to dabble. Adapting Maurice Maeterlinck's play about a woman found wandering in the forest by a prince, Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande added to his already burgeoning reputation as an innovator. It was written in part as a response to the popular operatic traditions of the second half of the 19th century — and, more specifically, Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. In contrast to these dramatic works, Pelleas and Melisande favours subtlety. It is devoid of arias and has a libretto written in prose rather than verse, creating an ethereal atmosphere that is dark in its eeriness. It has made Pelleas and Melisande, Debussy's only opera, completely original and one that completely revolutionised the art form. To mark the 100th anniversary of Debussy's death, Victorian Opera is staging a two-night run of the opera at St. Kilda's Palais Theatre. Featuring Siobhan Stagg as Melisande, Angus Wood as Pelleas and the Australian National Academy of Music orchestra, this is a great chance to remember (or get to know) one of the seminal works of this symbolist composer. Tickets to Pelleas and Melisande start from $35. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Victorian Opera website.
If you've been saving your money the last couple months and are wondering where to spend it, head down to the Makers and Shakers Market on Saturday, October 12. Making its return to Sydney, it'll feature 60 high-quality stalls, so you'll definitely find something you like. The market provides an open platform for local makers to sell their handmade wares, gourmet foods and lifestyle products. Stallholders change with each market, but you can expect to start your shopping with a coffee or kombucha, then look for stunning ceramics. Next, perhaps scope out some chunky, colourful jewellery — before finishing up by adding a little plant life to your home. That's just a taste of the kind of goodies on offer. While you're wandering the stalls, you can tackle your post-shop hunger as well. The market will run from 9am–3pm, and tickets are $2 and kids under 12 are free. Image: Alana Dimou.
The films we like to classify as big, dumb fun haven't had a great run of things so far in 2018. They've made money, definitely, but the balance has been out. Be they clangers like Pacific Rim: Uprising or mindless popcorn offerings like Rampage, there's been a lot of big and even more dumb, but the fun has been noticeably absent. The latest contender, Skyscraper, fares a little better, although ultimately its preposterous script and story render it little more than a passing diversion. Set in Hong Kong and starring Hollywood's most bankable star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Skyscraper is a thriller centred around The Pearl, the world's tallest and (supposedly) safest building. Johnson plays Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent turned high-rise security expert who finds himself in the midst of a convoluted terrorist plot to steal a valuable flash drive by setting fire to The Pearl in order to flush out its billionaire owner. Allusions to both Die Hard and Towering Inferno have been embraced by the film's distributor, so much so that they even created homage movie posters. Sadly, Skyscraper possesses neither the wit and gritty action of Die Hard nor the suspense of Inferno to see it come close to either. As always, Johnson does his level best to keep the film entertaining. But he's robbed of his usual charm-fuelled asides, left instead to deliver bizarre non-sequiturs like "if you can't fix it with Duct Tape, y'aint using enough Duct Tape" (this also ranking as perhaps cinema's most unexpected product placement). The movie's villain, too, is entirely forgettable – and whilst it might be unreasonable to hope for another Hans Gruber, writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber could at least have endeavoured to give us something a little meatier than the generic hired gun he serves up. Refreshingly, Neve Campbell appears as Johnson's wife, who proves a far more capable action-movie heroine than the traditional spouse-in-distress. Multilingual, combat-trained and a surgeon, she's the first to clue in to the terrorists' plot and doesn't back down when the guns are pointed in her direction. And then there's that jump. Every poster, promo spot and trailer has focussed on Johnson's physics-defying leap from a towering crane into the blazing building. Every part of the sequence is ludicrous, from the impossibly short space of time it takes for Johnson to ascend the crane in a free-climb, to the Olympic gold medal everything a leap of that magnitude would win, to the police shooting at him from a helicopter despite him being unarmed and no threat to anyone. Of course, in the end he does land the jump and the crowds both on screen and off cheer in unison. It's an A+ example of big, dumb and fun existing in perfect harmony. The great shame is how few of these moments exist in Skyscraper despite a setting of such scale and design offering so many more possibilities. At the end of the day, there's not much of Skyscraper that holds up to any real level of scrutiny. Still, as a park your brain at the entrance type distraction, it mostly gets the job done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9QePUT-Yt8
By now, the folks behind Beyond Cinema are real pros at throwing a fine film-themed shindig. They've thrown an extravagant Great Gatsby party at a mansion in northern Sydney, held a Mad Hatter-style tea party in the Royal Botanic Garden and recreated Titanic on Sydney Harbour — and this November, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! is getting the immersive theatre treatment. This time around, guests will be carried away to a cabaret club in 1899 Paris. At Harold Zidler's world-famous house of risqué entertainment, you can expect dancing, singing and absinthe drinking. These events generally don't focus on the actual film screening, but usually there's the option to purchase a film ticket at an additional cost if you want to relive the whole heartbreaking whirlwind of Satine and Christian. The exact details of the event are still scarce, but if you've seen the film 608 times, you'll know what to expect. Fancy dress is, of course, a must. The exact date and location has not yet been revealed, but you can sign up to be the first to get these details — along with pre-sale tickets — over here. Or, if you're keen to book similar tickets right now, another Beyond Cinema is already set to transport you to 19th century France with an immersive singalong screening of Les Miserables this December. Beyond Cinema's Moulin Rouge! event will be held sometime in November at yet-to-be-revealed Sydney location. You can sign up for more info here.
Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and tastebuds across Australia thanked them. Then, it kept bringing the OTT dessert back when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness across the year. In fact, the dessert fiends have been serving them up for exactly 12 months now. That's a milestone worth celebrating, which Messina is doing by releasing a new birthday cake cookie pie. Chocolate chips are involved, as they usually are, but this dessert also includes a layer of vanilla custard, plus birthday cake crumbled on top. Yes, sprinkles feature as well. Of course they are. Hang on, a cookie pie? It's a pie, obviously, but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time, you'll enjoy the scent of vanilla and birthday cake as well. The new pies will be available for preorder from 9am on Monday, April 12 — which is your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the indulgent birthday cake cookie pie will cost $25. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $35, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $41 and $45 respectively. The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, April 16–Sunday, April 18. You can preorder a Messina birthday cake cookie pie pie from Monday, April 12, to pick up from April 16–18.
In the pandemic's early days, Disney skipped cinema releases for three films — Soul, Luca and Turning Red — due to lockdowns, restrictions, and picture palaces either temporarily closing or having capacity limits. Instead, all three movies went straight to streaming platform Disney+. Wish you'd gotten a silver-screen experience while viewing this trio — or any one of them? Enter the new Pixar Film Fest to give you that chance. From Thursday, February 22–Wednesday, March 13, for a week apiece at various locations around Sydney, it's debuting Soul, Luca and Turning Red in cinemas for the first time Down Under. Oscar-winner Soul sports a premise that resembles Inside Out, which has a sequel arriving on the big screen in 2024. Instead of emotions having emotions, souls do. Rather than Amy Poehler (Moxie) doing voice work, Tina Fey (Mean Girls) does. And director Peter Docter (Up) helmed them both. But Soul is definitely its own feature — and takes quite the existential trip as it follows aspiring jazz musician-turned-music teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx, The Burial) after an accident where his soul leaves his body.It's releasing in cinemas from Thursday, February 22–Wednesday, February 28. Next up is Turning Red, which'll get projectors whirring from Thursday, February 29–Wednesday, March 6. The setup: what'd happen if the Hulk was a teenage girl, but became a super-cute red panda? Or, finding a different riff on the ol' werewolf situation, what if emotions rather than full moons inspired a case of not-quite-lycanthropy? Rounding out the lineup is Luca, which is similarly about transformation. This one takes place in Italy over a gorgeous summer, also spins a coming-of-age tale and nods to Frankenstein as well. Here, teenage sea monsters Luca (Jacob Tremblay, Orion and the Dark) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) just want to fit in, but know that the village they decide to call home wouldn't accept them if they don't take on human form. Cinemagoers can catch it from Thursday, March 7–Wednesday, March 13.
"The text of this edition of the play differs somewhat from the text on the school curriculum," declares the program for Belvoir's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Whether it's because of this or because so much is obscured by that first reading through the fog of school-age naivete, but watching this production of the Ray Lawler-penned Australian classic, one thing suddenly becomes clear: Seventeenth Doll is about sex. Lots of sex, plus relationships, growing up, blindness to change, and the fantasies we sustain to make our lives liveable. Basically, although we may relegate the play to a time of outdated and cringe-inducing Australian parochialism, the characters and story of Seventeenth Doll are strikingly, achingly contemporary. It's 1953, the 17th summer seasonal sugar cane cutters Roo (Steve Le Marquand) and Barney (Dan Wyllie) will be returning from Queensland to bunk in Olive's Carlton home for the lay-off. Olive (Susie Porter) calls it her "five months of heaven every year". Onlookers would say it wasn't "a decent way of living". Each year they party and piss their savings away, and although the fourth member of their merry band, Nancy, has recently gone off, married and left them, Olive has recruited widower Pearl (Helen Thompson) to take her place and is determined that this summer should be no different. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is an exceptionally well-written play. As well as all the randy-ness (always gripping and relatable), the tension created by the missing Nancy hangs heavy in the air and provides a graceful catalyst for the events that unfold. Open up the script and the language is dense as Old English, only furnished with an expansive ockerism. Yes, it features at least one boorish Aussie larrikin, but he's deconstructed, long before we made a habit out of doing that sort of thing. It's worth our being reminded of why this story is a part of the Australian literary canon. Although Seventeenth Doll will get its due adaptations one day (ooh, with boom-time miners? Touring indie rockers?), you can't beat seeing it like this, with its full richness and realism brought out by director Neil Armfield. There's an intricately decorated home interior set by Belvoir artistic director Ralph Myers, a covetable wardrobe of '50s wiggle dresses and pussy-bow blouses, and a bewitching deployment of that most underutilised sense, smell. The cast deliver lines that could have been obscured by a nearly dead language with clarity and feeling, and the performances are stellar, particularly Porter's super-sympathetic portrayal of the sometimes desperate Olive, the uptight and awkward comedy Thompson brings to Pearl, and Robyn Nevin's wonderfully scene-stealing presence as Olive's matter-of-fact mother, Emma. We like to get swept along in nostalgia for 1950s America. The Australia of that era may be dowdier, but this production says it's time we gave it a fair go.
