Even if you're reading this on a device, it's probably about this point in the article (I don't take it personally) that you've started groping around absentmindedly for your secondary gadget – a mobile, tablet, whatever, as your attention span announces that it's finished grazing here and is ready to migrate to the next digital savannah. In part, this behaviour is driven by a glut of choice. But what if you were using it as a way to deal with your child disappearing? Darlinghurst Theatre's latest show tells the story of Theresa, CEO of the company responsible for creating the Drum, a device which is leaving the iPhone in the dust. When her daughter vanishes while they're on holiday, Theresa finds herself bereft of one of the only meaningful human connections she has. Initially, social media is purely a means for Theresa to find her daughter. But gradually she finds it becoming something more. Not a replacement, necessarily. A bridge, perhaps. But why am I telling you this? It seems ironic to not just give you the link.
Women, adventure and filmmaking go hand-in-hand, even if the world doesn't often recognise it. The best surfing and skydiving movie ever made — that is, the original Point Break — was directed by a pre-Oscar-winning Kathryn Bigelow, for example. At the Women's Adventure Film Tour, she has plenty of fantastic female company. Australia's first film festival dedicated to inspiring ladies doing exciting and extraordinary things, the cinema showcase launched in Sydney in May, and now it's doing a national tour. On its trek, attendees can expect a high-octane onslaught of documentary efforts from Telluride's Mountainfilm festival, all highlighting real stories about women. The fest's selection also draws from a variety of cultures, touches upon a range of sports from around the world, and shows ladies either going full daredevil or stepping beyond their comfort zones — because adventure means different things to different people. A collaboration between Mountainfilm and female-fronted collective She Went Wild, it stops by The Orpheum on September 5, with tickets $25 for adults.
It was true 20 years ago and it's still true today: if you're going to take a bright, bold and utterly outlandish trip into a futuristic vision of space, you really want to take it with Luc Besson. Two decades after the French filmmaker rode a multi-pass to sci-fi space opera infamy with The Fifth Element, he's back doing what he does best. And while Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can't quite match its cult classic predecessor, it has a vivid, energetic and involving time trying to do so. This isn't just a case of same director, same tricks, however. While there's much that looks and feels familiar about this account of intergalactic cops on an interstellar adventure, Besson is adapting one of his strongest sources of inspiration rather than simply reliving past glories. That'd be '60s French-Belgian comic Valérian et Laureline, which the writer-director first discovered as a kid, and which clearly left an imprint on his aesthetic. It also reportedly influenced the original Star Wars, though George Lucas' flicks didn't feature Rihanna as an enslaved blue blob who shape-shifts while singing and pole-dancing. More's the pity. As great as a film about the scene-stealing pop star would be, she's not the main point of focus. Instead, the decidedly human Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his partner-in-crime Laureline (Cara Delevingne) take centre stage. He's laid-back (but still law-abiding), while she's a feistily determined risk-taker. It's the 28th century, and they're enjoying a simulated stint at the beach while they hurtle towards their next mission. But Valerian's virtual sun and sand is interrupted by a vision of a similarly scenic planet in peril. When the duo is charged with recovering a highly coveted converter that can replicate any substance en masse, they discover the link between Valerian's dream, the task at hand, and the fact that colossal space station Alpha — a meeting place for all of the galaxy's inhabitants — is under threat from unknown enemies. With Clive Owen's megalomaniacal military chief, Ethan Hawke's slimy pimp, and a vast array of extra-terrestrial lifeforms all part of the action — to say nothing of inter-dimensional shopping, psychic jellyfish, genocide, government conspiracies and repeated marriage proposals — any description of Valerian's plot is going to sound over-the-top. And for the most part, that's how it plays out on screen. That said, just as this is a story about breaking the rules in the name of peace, love and understanding, Besson shows that he too is willing to break with convention behind the camera. "Style over substance" is the usual cry when a film pairs eye-popping visuals with a scant or silly plot. But Besson wears the label like a badge of honour, gleefully demonstrating that a barely convincing narrative and nearly two hours of sci-fi spectacle can still entertain. Of course, that's often the space opera's lot. Dune, John Carter, Jupiter Ascending — they've all been there and done that in engaging (albeit divisive) fashion. It's also a genre of film that's often more concerned with appearance and atmosphere than performance, though DeHaan does a great early '90s Keanu impression (whether knowingly or not), and Delevingne proves a beguiling presence, constantly rolling her eyes. Ultimately, they're like the people you meet on holiday. You won't mind spending time with them, but you're more interested in just taking in the sights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbN9fPU_u0
Sample Food Festival is once again taking over the Bangalow Showground on September 2 for a day filled with the region's best producers. The festival is all about keeping it local, showcasing the creative cuisines of northern New South Wales. Set just outside of Byron Bay, over 200 stallholders will attract over 17,000 visitors each year. Since its debut in 2011, the festival has been dedicated to bringing together local restaurant owners, farmers and producers. Prior to the main event, there are four days of dinners and special events to get patrons excited. The region's top restaurants will also compete for the 'Gold Fork' awards and collaborate on special events. Expect to meet food lovers from all over the country who've come to share their passion in a meeting of the minds.
Got something on your chest? Feel like having a whinge? Do you have a grievance to air, criticism to offer or an objection to make? We all do, and whether it's as big as reacting to today's current political climate or as trivial as protesting the lack of 24-hour cheese shops (when you want cheese, you want cheese), the Complaint Department wants to hear from you. No, an official body hasn't been created to listen to the world's troubles — though, if you think one should be, you could always complain about that. Instead, the Complaint Department is an artwork being crafted by a six-musician collaboration calling themselves the Complaint Ensemble, who will turn a selection of your gripes into an orchestral performance. The end product will be unveiled at this year's Underbelly Arts Festival in October; however the call for complaints is open now, so prepare to unleash your pet peeves via their online form. Whatever your worries, huge or tiny, your words could become a specially created composition — be it a commentary, a consolation or even an optimistic gesture.
Talented pooches have been barking their way to big screen stardom since the birth of the medium, and Cannes Film Festival even gives out awards for ace pupper performances. Now, Australia has a new dog-themed cinema showcase. At the Top Dog Film Festival, doggos and puppers cement their status as humanity's favourite movie stars in a touring program of eight pooch-centric shorts. For two hours, dogs will leap across screens in a curated selection of heartwarming flicks about dog-powered sports, dogs in space, dogs hiking through the desert, senior dogs and more. The festival hits Sydney on August 15 and 16 as part of its national run, headed for one-night-only showings the Randwick Ritz and Hayden Orpheum respectively. Rushing after tickets the way your best four-legged friend rushes after a frisbee is recommended. Given how much we all love watching dog videos online, not to mention attending pupper-centric shindigs in general, this one-night-only event is certain to be popular.
Broken Heel Festival is back, taking over the historic mining town of Broken Hill for a weekend full of drag, divas and disco from Friday, September 8 through Sunday, September 10. Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in this annual tribute to the iconic Australian film, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, by celebrating the movie's 23rd anniversary with a blowout party that rocks for three days straight. Join festival hosts Philmah Bocks and Art Simone across the city's three most colourful locations — The Palace Hotel, The Silverton Hotel and the Silver City of Broken Hill. Drag queens and kings from around the country will come together for a lineup of entertainers, cabaret performers, comedy, opera and live music. Highlights include an opening night party featuring an ABBA cover band and a Priscilla-themed DJ set, plus a chicken and champagne breakfast to keep you in the party mood. Cast from the the movie will be in tow including actor June Bennett who played Shirl in the famous drinking scene, plus the Priscilla Bus from the million-dollar musical will be on display. On Saturday, join the locals along the main strip in the 'Lap of the Main Drag in Drag' street parade and competition. Everyone is welcome and glitter is encouraged.
In 1997, the biggest selling album in the world was Spice by the Spice Girls. Wherever you went — from to New Zealand to Latvia to Lebanon — you couldn't escape thinking about what you really, really wanted, or about what happens when 2 Become 1. After all, Spice topped the charts in no fewer than 17 nations and sold 19 million copies. Now, it's time for you step into the spotlight. Over two nights, as part of its Sideshow Festival, much-loved live music venue The Newsagency is hosting Spice: A Singalong. You're invited to dig out your coolest crop tops, your most multi-coloured lycra and your sexiest stilettos, and belt out the biggest pop hits of the 90s. Leading proceedings will be a quintet made up of five local vocal talents: Libby Wood, Alison Avron, Steph Kerby, Benjamin Kiehne and Sepora. Spice: A Singalong sold out when held as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival, so get your tix quick. To nab yourself a discount, book in a group of five or grab a ticket for the Britney singalong at the same time.
Whether you've been to Wollongong before, or Wonderwalls' return tempts you there for the first time, you'd best expect the unexpected. That's what happens when a street art festival blows in, takes over the city's outdoor spaces and literally paints the town red — and every other colour imaginable. Going big for its latest outing, this year's fest won't just let local, national and international artists loose on a number of walls around town. As well as doing that, it'll unleash their talents on bigger walls than normal. From November 24 to 26, the likes of New York's Jason Woodside, Queensland's Ian McCallum and Kiama's Claire Foxton will be painting spaces reaching more than 10 metres in height and 20 metres in length, live and in front of your very eyes. To see all of their ace creations, just follow the Wonderwalls map. Other highlights include a virtual reality component, allowing visitors to don headsets and make their own digital murals, plus artist discussions and street parties. On the latter front, One Day Sundays will roll in for an afternoon and evening to remember, sending the fest out in hip hop style. It's free, it takes place from 1pm on November 26 on the Wollongong Central Rooftop, and DJs Raph Lauren, Klasik, Klue and Sir Robbo will be taking care of the tunes while the site gets a new mural.
If you're a film buff, then you're also a travel buff. Even if you don't venture further than your nearest cinema, you're often journeying to other countries when you sit down to watch a movie. Thanks to the Cine Latino Film Festival, the sights and sounds of Latin America await Australian filmgoers in November, taking them on a trip to Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Australia's second Spanish-language film festival (after the Europe-centric Spanish Film Festival), the Cine Latino Film Festival will bring 26 titles from Central and South America to Aussie screens in November. The fun kicks off with You're Killing Me Susana, a marital comedy featuring Mexican star Gael García Bernal. Other highlights span a variety of genres and nations. Audiences can check out Inseparables, the Argentinian remake of French film The Intouchables, or get an authentic glimpse into prison romance in the Dominican Republic with Woodpeckers – about inmates from neighbouring jails communicating via their own form of sign language. Elsewhere, Cannes Critics' Week hit Gabriel and the Mountain combines documentary and drama to tell the true tale of a Brazilian traveller; Tales of Mexico asks eight filmmakers to spin stories about Mexican history; and Lost North tracks a man trying to find his girlfriend across the 900 miles between Santiago and the Bolivian border. Other notable titles include Peruvian musical-comedy Crazy in Love, Colombian paramilitary thriller Guilty Men, and Ecuador's submission to next year's foreign-language Oscar category Such is Life in the Tropics, about a battle between a land owner and squatters. The festival will also shine a particular spotlight on Argentinian and Mexican filmmaking in two specific program strands. The latter is a collaboration with the Hola Mexico Film Festival, while the former will thrill fans of familiar faces, with The Secret in Their Eyes star Ricardo Darín playing an Argentinian president in The Summit, and Gloria's Paulina García going soul searching in The Desert Bride.
Artist Katerina Teaiwa brings her solo exhibition Project Banaba to Carriageworks from November 17. A Banaban scholar and Associate Professor in Pacific Studies at ANU, Teaiwa's scholarly and artistic work focuses on the history of phosphate mining in the central Pacific and the displacement of indigenous Banabans. Quick history lesson: Banaba Island in the Pacific Ocean was destroyed by phosphate mining and rendered uninhabitable, causing the total relocation of its people to Rabi Island, Fiji in 1945. Project Banaba commemorates the island's history, with the show's run coinciding with the 72nd anniversary of the Banaban people's displacement on December 15. Working closely with curator Yuki Kihara, Teaiwa has combined new work with rare textual, photographic and filmic historical archives in a rich, multimedia exhibition. The show also interweaves personal narratives, says Teaiwa, revealing the political injustice generations of her family experienced, and, in her words, "how the rock of Banaba, te aba, the body of the land, and the body of the people, was viewed and transformed by powerful imperial interests." The show promises to be an unsettling – but important – reminder of the ongoing impact phosphate mining has had on present-day Pacific communities. Image: Tearia in the Teaiwa family Kainga, Tabona, Rabi Island, Fiji. By Katerina Teaiwa, 2014
Pizza dough. Even the most accomplished home cooks struggle to get it just right. But the expert pizzaiolos (and pizzaiolas) at Fratelli Fresh on Bridge Street want to change that. On the first Saturday of every month, the restaurant will host a pizza masterclass. The intensive two-hour class will start with the dough — you'll learn to make it, stretch it and toss it. Next, you'll get a rundown on the best toppings to use (just don't ask for pineapple). Finally, you'll cook your pizza in the restaurant's Neapolitan woodfired oven. You'll then be able to eat your masterpiece — with a complimentary glass of wine — at the end of the class. Want to recreate the Napoli-style pizzas for your friends and family? Fratelli will send you home with a ball of dough, so you can impress, without the stress.
After shining a spotlight on films that engage with social justice and human rights issues for the past decade, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is back for another packed lineup of topical titles for 2017. Screening in Melbourne before bringing a selection of highlights to Sydney from May 23–27, HRAFF's tenth anniversary program boasts four features and a selection of shorts. HRAFF 2017 will open with Constance on the Edge, a documentary filmed over ten years following Constance, a South Sudanese refugee who was resettled in Wagga Wagga in 2005. Other films showing include The Freedom to Marry, a doco that follows the landmark US Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality, the story of two Iranian DJs trying to produce techno music where it is forbidden, and Check It, a film about queer black youth fighting back against prejudice and violence in Washington DC.
Like cakes? Don't like animal products? Baked treat-eating vegans of Sydney, rejoice — the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale is upon us. The initiative takes place around the globe over the second half of April, and come the 22nd of the month, it's Brissie's turn. From 10am, Glebe's The Cruelty Free Shop will be selling an array of vegan cakes, cupcakes and just generally tasty baked goodies out the front of their Glebe Point Road store. It'll be run by the Vegan Society NSW, who'll receive all of the profits from your purchases. Yes, indulging your sweet tooth will help the vegan cause in several ways. If you needed any extra motivation, you've got it. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own container with them so that they can take their wares home, and you're encouraged to arrive early too — while the sale is due to run until 5pm, it'll close before then if all of those mouth-watering morsels have sold out.
When Table 19 begins, it would have you believe that there's nothing worse than being stuck at the random table at a wedding. There is. It's watching a film about being stuck at the random table at a wedding. Sure, in both situations you're stranded in a place that you mightn't want to be. But at least one has food, drinks and dancing to help pass the time. For those sitting in the cinema, prepare for an experience that's awkward, tedious, cliched and sappy, as the newly single Eloise (Anna Kendrick) heads to her oldest friend's nuptials. She was once slated to be the maid of honour, but dropped out when she was dumped via text message by the bride's brother (Wyatt Russell). Relegated to the worst berth on the seating chart that she helped plan, she's soon sharing a table with a bunch of guests that "should have known to send regrets, but not before sending something nice off the registry". Eloise's fellow undesirables include an ageing former nanny (June Squibb) thrilled to have even been invited, a hormone-fuelled teen (Tony Revolori) whose mother has told him to look for love, the obligatory weird cousin (Stephen Merchant) who's kindly but has a secret, and a bickering couple (Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson) who don't know why they're there. Obvious revelations and cheesy life lessons follow, flowing as freely as champagne and hors d'oeuvres. We suppose you could commend director Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound) and writers Jay and Mark Duplass (Jeff Who Lives at Home) for their effective recreation of an unpleasant situation, right down to the stylistic and structural choices that give the audience the same limited view of the main celebrations as the characters. No one should be rewarded for laziness, though, and if Table 19 excels at anything, it's that. The fact that everyone spends much of the movie arguing about what their table assignment means isn't the least bit amusing or entertaining, nor does it offer any real commentary about America's obsession with status. Instead, it simply feels like an attempt to pad out a by-the-book script that jumps between misfit comedy and rom-com, but doesn't stray from the familiar path with either. It won't come as a surprise that this slice of supposed hilarity peddles a message about the joy that can arise from unexpected connections and making the most of a bad situation. Alas, as great as Kendrick, Merchant, Squibb and company have proven in the past, here they're average at best, and in some cases downright awful. Without any signs of character development, Kendrick's signature persona wears thin; you really have seen her do this all before. She fares better than some of her co-stars, however, who might find themselves wishing they didn't RSVP for their parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BrKGHl5EXQ
With winter in full swing, taking time to smell the (few) flowers is a good way to cure the winter blues. Luckily, there's one flower that livens the streets in winter — cherry blossoms. Only in bloom for two weeks of the year, these pink floral pom poms garner praise around the globe. So, in celebration of the pink Japanese flora, Sydney's Auburn Botanic Gardens is throwing the largest cherry blossom festival in the state. Running from Saturday, August 17 to Sunday, August 25, the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival will honour the flower and celebrate Japanese culture, with food, music, workshops, movies and even an anime-themed laser tag arena. Because these babies only blossom once a year, we're giving you the chance to enjoy the festivities in complete VIP style. If you get your lucky mitts on this prize, you'll be getting the royal treatment for the day. You can tuck into your choice of lunch, desserts and bevs. To sweeten the deal, you'll also skip the queues for any stall, show, activity or attraction, plus get a VIP tour of the gardens. All you have to do is pick the day — we'll sort the rest. If you're keen to get the VIP treatment at this year's Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival, enter your details below to be in the running. [competition]732214[/competition]
Lobster has long been the fancy champagne of the seafood world. For most of us, it's the kind of dish that you can only justify having when you really feel like going all out and treating yo'self — but, for the next few weeks, the indulgent crustacean-based meal is gracing Betty's Burgers' menu. Combining fresh lobster meat, the chain's special mayonnaise, shallots, chives, lemon and spice, Betty's new lobster roll is now on offer at all of its 22 Australian stores. If your stomach is already rumbling, you can tuck into one for $19 — or combine it with fries and a glass of wine for $29. You'll need to get in quickly, though, with the lobster roll only available for a limited time. Just how long you'll be able to nab one for hasn't been revealed, but it's expected to only last a few weeks. Known for its Shake Shack-style burgs and frozen custard desserts (called concretes), Betty's is making a foray into lobster to celebrate its beachy roots. While you can now grab a Betty's burger at six Sydney outlets, four Melbourne spots, four Brisbane outposts, one Toowoomba eatery and one location in Adelaide, the company first began in Noosa, and then expanded to the Gold Coast. Betty's Burgers' lobster roll is available at all 22 Australian stores for a limited time. For more information and to find your nearest store, visit Betty's Burgers' website.
No plans for Valentine's Day and no interest in making any? You're in luck. Go about your usual business this Wednesday — that is, as far as humanly possible away from red roses, schmultzy songs and pashing pairs — and you could still be in for a nice little surprise. That's because Penguin Random House is planning on helping you to escape — by setting you up with a book, instead of a person. After all, books can't talk back and, if they end up being not what you thought they were, you can always put them back on the shelf. Said books will be dropped in bundles on trains and at various sites all over Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this Valentine's Day. There's no way of knowing where you'll find them and what you might find yourself reading. The idea is to do away with pre-conceived ideas, promoted by particular genres, authors and cover art. The publishing house is scattering the books in partnership with Street Library, Sydney, and Books on the Rail, which launched in Melbourne in early 2016 and regularly circulates books on Melbourne's public transport. If you find one, take it home and read it — just remember to pop it back on the train when you're done.
March might mark the beginning of autumn, at least according to the calendar, but Sydney's weather isn't playing along. More than halfway through a month that usually enjoys an average temperature of 25 degrees, the mercury is set to hit 40 in parts of the city today. That's the top temp listed by the Bureau of Meteorology — a forecast that has been rising over the past 24 hours after Saturday's temperature made it to a maximum of 32 degrees. If the thermometer does soar that high, or even up to 38, it'll put Sydney in historic territory. Weatherzone reports that it'd be the city's hottest day this late in the season for 78 years, with one of its meteorologists telling the Sydney Morning Herald that such levels have only been reached eight times in March in the past 159 years. https://twitter.com/weatherzone/status/974176218235912192 Accordingly, anyone looking forward to cooler temps after a particularly long, hot summer — one that saw the city experience its second hottest day ever, in fact — will need to wait a little longer. Indeed, finding somewhere frosty to spend the day, whether in air-conditioning or in a well-shaded pool, is recommended. Unsurprisingly, a total fire ban has been issued for greater Sydney and beyond. With 2017 ranking as Sydney's second hottest year on record, and 2018 proving a scorcher so far, sweltering temperatures are continuing to prove an ongoing trend. As for a reprieve, Monday is set to top out at 30 degrees, then drop to a maximum of 23 with showers from Wednesday to Friday. Via Weatherzone / Sydney Morning Herald.
Back in August last year, Merivale slipped the news that it'd be taking over much-loved northern beaches pub The Collaroy. It then closed the doors to the beachside boozer so it could undergo a revamp — and now, it's finally set to reopen. During the past few months, the Justin Hemmes-led team has been busy sprucing up The Collaroy — but it maintains that the pub's easy-going, community-friendly atmosphere will remain intact. Just like before, you'll feel comfortable taking a dip at the beach, before spending the rest of the day (and maybe night) drinking at your leisure. Downstairs, executive chef Jordan Toft has organised a menu that will change throughout the day. Kick into the morning with the ultimate post-surf feed: brekkie pizzas. They'll be accompanied by coffee, juice and house-made pastries. Lunch will see cafe-style fare come to the fore, with healthy bowls like muesli with dried fruits, nuts and coconut yoghurt, ortoasted faro with avocado, boiled egg, rocket, haloumi, olive oil and lemon. When darkness falls, the kitchen goes into gastropub mode, serving up things like anchovy toasts with pickled shallot and hearty pub meals, which will change daily. On Monday, you might be digging into lamb and eggplant moussaka, then, on Tuesday, pork and fennel sausages with roasted pumpkin and green garlic. Meanwhile, upstairs, where the beach views are uninterrupted, there'll be two bars and an open kitchen. Go for a woodfired pizza created by Italian chef Vincenzo Biondini or a burger from the bar menu. If you'e looking to get a bit fancier, take a seat in the restaurant, to linger over oysters, local seafood, charcoal grill and salad. Taking care of the drinks menu is a team of bartenders from Merivale's other venues; look out for plenty of crisp whites, roses and summery cocktails. The acquisition of The Collaroy is a sure sign that Merivale is planning to beef up its northern beaches portfolio — it already operates The Newport and Bert's in Newport and has just closed Papi Chulo in Manly to make way for a second Queen Chow. This is on top of the group's other recent buys: Woollahra's Hotel Centennial, Bondi's Royal Hotel, The Vic on the Park in Marrickville and The Tennyson on Botany Road. The Collaroy will open at 1064 Pittwater Road, Collaroy soon. It's taking bookings from 19 May here.
You might've tried O Tama Carey's Italian fare at Surry Hills' Berta back in 2013. You might've tried her Sri Lankan hoppers at Carriageworks Farmers Markets last year. You might've even caught her one-off appearance at Delfino Aperitivo. And now, you'll be able to catch Carey six days a week when she finally throws open the doors to Lankan Filling Station this Friday, July 27. The all-day hopper eatery, which has set up shop on 58 Riley Street, East Sydney, is one of the most highly anticipated openings of the year. Especially since Carey has kept fans on the edge of their seats since it was first announced back in January. But, now that it's here, what's on the menu? First up: hoppers. If you're not already acquainted, they're a bowl-shaped savoury Sri Lankan crepe made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk. They're meant to be eaten with your hands — torn, ripped and dunked into one of many curries or sambols. At Lankan Filling Station you can order them one of 12 ways, including plain, with a boiled egg and filled with dhal, fish or mutton curry. Carey suggests you start with hoppers as a base, then build up your meal by adding curries — a white potato curry with turmeric and green chilli, perhaps — sides and a range of sambols and pickles. You can also start your meal with one or two (or many) of the Sri Lankan 'short eats', featuring the likes of deep-fried crab balls and turmeric-battered cuttlefish. Sri Lankan fare can be notoriously spicy, and Carey hasn't held back on her new menu — cue, deep-fried chillies and the fiery prawn red curry with tamarind. Luckily, she's implemented a handy heat-factor legend, ranging from one to five chillies. Speaking of the legend, there's no gluten free symbol — everything is gluten free, bar two dishes . One of which (sorry coeliacs) is Carey's famed love cake. Spicy, sweet and syrupy, it's made using a traditional Sri Lankan recipe of semolina, cashews and rosewater. If you can't eat it, you have five other desserts to choose from, including watalappam, a baked jaggery custard with cashews and sesame seeds. Find Lankan Filling Station at 58 Riley Street, East Sydney, from Friday, July 27. Opening hours will be Tuesday–Friday 12pm–10pm, Saturday 10am–10pm and Sunday 10am–4pm.
In a time when old school Australian pubs are being bought up and renovated faster than Bob Hawke can down a schooner, it's nice to report that some Aussie institutions are really thriving. And North Sydney's Rag and Famish is no exception. Opened in 1860, The Rag and Famish is one of Sydney's oldest pubs. There are a few stories surrounding its name, some say it was chosen to reflect the owners disdain of the armed forces, as it was then a slang term for the Army and Navy Club, while another yarn is that it comes from the quote, "if you come here too often, you will waste all your substance and you will be in rags before you die." Thankfully, The Rag is no longer reducing its patrons to squalor — in fact, due to a recent revamp and new executive and head chefs coming on board, it's doing quite the opposite. While the decor still nods to the original fit-out, there is a new, modernised food and cocktail menu available in the restaurant upstairs, as well as a selection of craft beers, which is anything but traditional. Here are some top picks of the new and improved Rag and Famish menu to enjoy next time you find yourself in North Sydney. LEMON AND RICOTTA RAVIOLI WITH BALTER'S CAPTAIN SENSIBLE MID-STRENGTH Gone are the dire days of pub food being synonymous with the stodgy combo of overcooked meat and a lacklustre selection of vegetables on a plate. In stark contrast to its traditional fit=out and decor, the menu at the Rag and Famish restaurant is markedly modern and experimental. Celebrate the evolution of the Australian pub by ordering the lemon and ricotta ravioli served with squash and kale ($28). The delicate dish is the perfect balance of buttery goodness and fresh flavours, ideal for a revamped pub lunch, especially when paired with a cool glass of Balter's Captain Sensible mid-strength. PORK BELLY WITH THE HILLS COMPANY'S CLOUDY APPLE CIDER As the days get cooler, sometimes the only thing worth going outside for is a generous feed, especially of the slow-cooked variety. The Rag's glorious chunk of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and crackling ($39), served alongside zucchini, fennel, scallop and yuzu, has got your back. Team the succulent pork number with a chilled glass of The Hills Company cloudy apple cider, because everyone knows there's nothing truer in this world than the unwavering friendship of pork and apples, right? CORN-FED CHICKEN WITH YULLI'S DOLLY ALDRIN GUAVA BERLINER WEISSE If you're after something on the lighter side of decadent, try the tender corn-fed chicken ($35) served with spiced cauliflower, goat's cheese, fig, almond and jus. And speaking of jus, make sure to pair that roasted chook with a juicy Yulli's Dolly Aldrin guava berliner weisse. The tart wheat ale will cut through the creamy cheese and sit nicely with the sweet fig and almond, making for a still decadent but refined chicken dinner. Winner winner. EYE FILLET WITH 4 PINES' AMERICAN AMBER ALE As the sun officially sets on spending long evenings dining al fresco, we can look forward to cosy nights by the fire tucking into heartier fare. For those after something a little more wholesome, the chefs at the Rag and Famish have you covered with their tender eye fillet ($42), served on a bed of potato boulangerie and coated with a robust jus, forgo the predictable red wine and red meat pairing, and opt for a 4 Pines American amber ale to accompany your fare. CHEESE WITH AKASHA'S MOSAIC IPA In days gone by, the humble cheese plate was always that conspicuous option on the dessert menu, nestled between flourless chocolate cake and the creme brulée. But these days, it's not uncommon for folk to embark on a multi-day pilgrimage for a well-crafted cheese board. If you've got a hankering for a dessert of the savoury kind, the cheese plate ($22) at The Rag is particularly handsome, consisting of an ample selection of locally and internationally sourced numbers which pair perfectly with an Akasha Mosaic IPA. Make your next pub feed one from the new Rag and Famish menu. And don't forget to pair it with a local brew.
Throughout May, a huge selection of restaurants are serving up exclusive menus, offering generous discounts and sharing primo culinary intel as part of American Express delicious. Month Out. The program of events is extensive with experiences that cover a range of price points making it accessible for all foodies, no matter your budget. Whether you've got a spare $20 to get your fix or you're willing to splurge on an immersive one-off dining experience, we've found something to suit all price tags — from budget to blowout.
It's always a good time at the Sydney Cricket Ground. And with the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season in full swing — and the Sydney Swans in flying form — we've got the perfect excuse for one lucky footy fan to head to an upcoming Friday night blockbuster. We've teamed up with the Sydney Swans to give away a double pass to the Swans' round 11 clash on Friday, May 27, against the Richmond Tigers. It promises to be an enthralling encounter, with the Swans one of the form teams of the competition this year and the once-mighty Tigers always a tricky match-up for any team. [caption id="attachment_852471" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Phil Hillyard[/caption] In addition to prime seating, you'll also score a $250 food and drink voucher to spend at The Pavilion before the game. The Merivale-operated venue is one of a number of dining outlets the hospo giant runs at the stadium as its exclusive hospitality partner and features a range of brasserie-inspired plates that are a world away from typical stadium food — think Sydney rock oysters, poached chicken and farro salad, and steak frites. There's also a handy wine menu featuring mostly Australian drops, with selections available by the glass and the bottle. So whether you're a Swans superfan or you haven't watched the footy since Buddy kicked his 1000th goal a few weeks ago, this is one prize you won't want to miss. And if you want to keep the good times going after the game, check out one of these excellent watering holes within walking distance from the SCG. [competition]852222[/competition]
UPDATE, APRIL 10: Big Poppa's temporary bottle shop has extended its hours and is slinging bottles from its Darlinghurst store from 2–6pm today, Friday, April 10. Its free cheese deal, with customers able to nab 300 grams of free cheese with a mixed or straight case of six wines, is still available, too. Before you head out of your house, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health. Darlinghurst's home of wine, cheese and hip hop Big Poppa's is currently closed to dine-in service, in line with the Australian Government's current regulations surrounding non-essential indoor venues, but thanks to new temporary liquor licensing laws, it's allowed to sell booze via takeaway and home-delivery. And it's doing so in true Big Poppa's fashion. The bar is currently selling a heap of its wines for "banging deals" (their words, not ours, but we tend to agree). The takeaway list features 14 pages of bangers, including plenty of wines in the low $20s, a fun pét-nat from Hunter Valley's Ari's Natural for $35, a $27 Konpira Maru skin-contact semillon, some fun chilled reds and a lush 2008 Dom Perignon for a casual $250. There are also heaps of fun packs starting at $150 and running all the way through to $1000, and Big Poppa's wine glasses going for $12 a pop. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-lSqN7Dwt7/ The Big Poppa's label wines — a pinot grigio and shiraz — come down to a bargain $16 when a dozen is purchased, too. Oh and if you order a mixed or straight case of six wines or more you get 300 grams of free cheese. Yes, free cheese. Just let them know if you prefer soft, hard or blue and it'll be added to your pack. The wines are available to pick up from the store and free delivery is also available within five kilometres of the bar on certain days of the week, for orders of 12 bottles of more. Check Instagram for updates on when Big Poppa's is open and delivering. Big Poppa's is selling wine, available to pick up or delivery within five kilometres of the bar. Check Instagram for opening and delivery times. To pre-order, email cheese@bigpoppa.com.au. You can check out the full wine list over here. If you are going out to pickup wine, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.
Just one month ago, Randwick City Council reopened its beaches as the state's COVID–19 restrictions began to ease. Today, Wednesday, May 27, the council has been forced to close them once again — but this time it's because of plastic debris. The Council announced in a Facebook video earlier today that council crews were working to clean up the flotsam and that "beaches will remain closed until further notice". "People are strongly encouraged not to enter the water due to the risk of larger submerged items still in the surf," a Council spokesperson said in the post. It's possible the beaches, which include Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra, will remained closed for the rest of the week, too, with the Council saying it's expecting more material to wash up "over the coming days". https://www.facebook.com/randwickcitycouncil/videos/180172266662223/ While the Council didn't specify the type of debris, The Guardian reported that face masks and plastic containers were among the items washing up on shores after 40 shipping containers fell of the APL England, which was on en route from China to Melbourne, on the weekend. As well as Randwick's beaches, the ABC is reporting that the ship's debris has also washed ashore at Bondi and several beaches along the Central Coast. While no other beaches are closed due to debris at the moment, we'll let you know if this changes. Randwick City Council's beaches will remain closed until further notice. For updates, keep an eye on the Council's Facebook page. Top image: Randwick City Council
"I always think of myself not so much as a painter but as a medium for accident and change," said Francis Bacon, one of the most studied figures in post-war British art. A painter whose work meditates on sensations of a debilitating painful human condition, Bacon's work centralises an intensely emotive self. Francis Bacon: five decades is the first major retrospective in Australia of rare works including some 50 paintings drawn from 37 international collections, source material from Bacon's studio and documentary film. The retrospective surveys the life and work of Bacon to liberalise the way audiences understand the artist's deeply personal fascination with the human body and unwitting radicalisation of 20th-century art. In the 1940s most of Bacon's work stablised on the theme of entrapment: offering poignant renditions of power struggles between the self and violently intense human emotion. Embodied by visions of screaming figures in cubic and cage-like structures, the artist's might to immobilise viewers through sadistic undertones is immediately striking. A study for a figure at the base of a crucifixion is one work from an early Bacon triptych that resonates with the artist's interest in the sensation of feeling. A headless anthropomorphic figure whose mouth is gasping for air is projected against visceral orange-red, and instead of attempting to decode what the artist himself felt, viewers become increasingly preoccupied with their own emotional reaction to the disturbing work. Conquered by experimentation with subject matter and technique, the works produced by Bacon in the 1950s saw the figure become progressively isolated. Untitled – Half length figure in sea invites viewers to acknowledge human detachment from a modern world and epitomises Bacon's interest in isolation. The torso of a non-descript, but presumably male figure, is almost obliterated by the force of gestural waves that engulf him. Of particular interest to this work is the fact that themes of bathers and the ocean have strong reverberation in the art-historical cannon, but do not feature as key in Bacon's body of work. Both the position of the work across Bacon's career, and the subject matter within the work, represent isolation in the extreme. In the 1960s, Bacon's compositions became more daring, drawing on the circumstances of life, his lovers and close friends. The retrospective's most recognisable work from this decade is From Muybridge 'The human figure in motion: woman emptying a bowl of water/paralytic child walking on all fours'. Referenced in the work's title, Eadweard Muybridge was an English photographer known for pioneering motion series, and a figure whose photographic sequences repeatedly inspired Bacon's work. Ode to Bacon's obsession with collecting visual information, From Muybridge highlights the artist's fondness of working from photographic material over using live sitters. Many who know Bacon's work will know that the 1970s were a time where monumental triptychs reigned king, memorialising the artist's lover George Dwyer. The death of Dwyer, in a hotel room from an overdose, on the eve of Bacon's retrospective at Paris' Grand Palais is the subject of much of the artist's work from the '70s until his death. Moving forward into the '80s, Bacon's work seemed to pulsate around metrics of truth and honesty over idealised beauty. Interestingly, though, the artist's Portrait of John Edwards moves further beyond reality by rejecting the biology of human form. It is said that this portrait fuses the body of George Dwyer and head of John Edwards, the artist's closest friend in later life, in an effort to memorialise two of Bacon's most cherished companions. The chaos and drama found in Bacon's earlier work has been replaced by sober control realised by the sensual and tender treatment the artist has afforded his subject. "We are born and we die but in between we give this purposeless existence a meaning by our drives." And meaning he has given us. Francis Bacon was a prolific painter of people, of personal suffering and of his subject's existence in the depths of their own emotive holdings. Bacon's work is extraordinarily far reaching without any illusion of narrative; viewers must piece together the artist's distortion and fragmentation of human form themselves to make sense of his work. Unlike individual works, Francis Bacon: five decades connects the artist's private musings with their explosions into his art to offer a perfectly cohesive story about the sensations of the human condition. Image: Three Studies for a Self Portrait by Francis Bacon. © The Estate of Francis Bacon
In the breakout movie of 2022, Michelle Yeoh was everything and everywhere. Multiverses are like that. Now, the Oscar-winner voices a space-robot peregrine falcon in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and viewers should wish that this only existed in Everything Everywhere All At Once's kaleidoscope of realities. Alas, in this very realm, the newest Transformers film is indeed flickering through projectors. The toy-to-screen series it belongs to is now seven live-action entries in and — apart from 2018 spinoff-slash-prequel Bumblebee — largely still as dull as a smashed headlight. Set in 1994, the current instalment is a sequel to the last 1987-anchored franchise flick, which focused on the yellow-hued mechanised alien that can morph into a car, and also a prequel to 2007's saga-spawning Transformers. It draws upon the Transformers: Beast Wars animation, comics and video games, too, and feels in every frame like a picture that purely exists to service intellectual property that does big box-office business (2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon and 2014's Transformers: Age of Extinction each made over a billion dollars). Michael Bay, Hollywood's go-to director for maximalist action carnage, might've been enthusiastic about Transformers when he started the silver-screen series nearly two decades back — the Ambulance filmmaker was definitely devoted to crashing together pixels replicating chrome in all five titles he helmed, including 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight — but these movies can't be anyone's passion projects. They show zero feeling, and seem to keep rolling out because the saga assembly line has already been established. New faces and a new guiding force behind the lens can't dislodge that sensation with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The five-person team responsible for the script give no signal that they even wanted to. The feature's latest two leads do resemble people better than most flesh-and-blood characters in the Transformers world, welcomely, although one gets a sick-kid backstory and another a bad boss. Were the Transformers themselves asked to write the most cliched screenplay they could? Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) and Dominique Fishback (Swarm) are Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' prime living-and-breathing figures, running, chasing and palling around with Autobots as Shia LaBeouf (Pieces of a Woman), Megan Fox (Good Mourning), Mark Wahlberg (Uncharted) and Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) all have before them. Ramos plays former solider Noah Diaz, who has that ailing younger brother (Dean Scott Vazquez, also an In the Heights alum) and massive medical bills to prove it. Fishback is archaeology intern Elena Wallace, whose vapid boss (Sarah Stiles, Billions) constantly cribs from. Both of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' on-screen stars are excellent actors — Ramos was in Hamilton's debut Broadway cast, while Fishback has a BAFTA nomination for Judas and the Black Messiah — and the film benefits from their presence. Still, even the best thespians can only do so much when they're primarily tasked with rushing around and peering upwards at CGI chunks of walking, talking metal. That dashing and staring, and befriending extra-terrestrial machines in general, is the result of doing things that neither Noah nor Elena are meant to. They're strangers with Brooklyn in common, and soon trying to save existence as well. He gets light-fingered for a payday, attempting to steal a Porsche that's actually the Autobot Mirage (voiced by Pete Davidson, Bupkis). After hours, she's examining an unusual artefact with intriguing markings, which happens to be a key that lets the Transformers warp between different worlds, including back to their own. That discovery sets off a beacon in the sky, earning the attention of Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen, whose time in the role hails back to the OG 80s animated TV series) just as Noah and Mirage are getting acquainted. Also paying notice: Scourge (Peter Dinklage, Cyrano) from the nefarious Terrorcons, who wants to use the pivotal device to bring the planet-devouring (and -sized) Unicron (Colman Domingo, Fear the Walking Dead) to earth. The mission: fend off those evil shapeshifting droids, protect the gadget at all costs and, gratingly, talk about it while mentioning Autobots, Terrorcons and the transwarp key as much as possible. Director Steven Caple Jr (Creed II) endeavours to give Ramos and Fishback more character-building moments than their franchise predecessors, but they're always saddled with spouting rote, jargon-laced dialogue that somehow needed The Flash's Joby Harold, BMF's Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters, and The Meg's Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber to write. Given the hefty cast list, there's a wealth of talent reciting bland lines, including Ted Lasso's Cristo Fernández, Loot's Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Poker Face's Ron Perlman among the Transformers. The latter voices Optimus Primal, the gorilla-esque leader of the Maximals, aka the animal robots that the movie's title references — and just one of the moves that the film makes to create a Hasbro Cinematic Universe. As plenty of franchises are woefully guilty of recently — see: the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania for one of the worst examples — Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has its focus on the future over polishing up its current instalment. Indeed, too much that's meant to give this robo-battle personality is lazily sprinkled in, such as the hip hop needle drops because it's the 90s (cue: A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, the Notorious BIG and LL Cool J) and pop-culture references (such as Super Mario Bros on Game Boy). A self-aware mention of Marky Mark leaving the Funky Bunch for acting falls flat, as does calling out Indiana Jones while aping that franchise's cave-searching adventure plots in Peru. In fact, namechecking Mario when it's been given the big-screen treatment again in 2023, plus Indy when that series' latest picture hits cinemas the same month as this, just reminds viewers that they might want to be watching other films. Much of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts incites that reaction anyway, especially its visually uninspired special effects and action sequences that look about as appealing as throwing household electronics in a bin. When they're undisguised junk for the eyes, every aspiring and actual blockbuster that follows Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse this year will spark one question: why is this live action? When animation can look as astonishing as all things Spider-Verse do, and when CGI can be as dreary as it is here, surely these space robots should go back to their cartoon roots. Thankfully, with 2024's Transformers One, they are. Unlike The Transformers: The Movie managed to score, no future animated flicks will ever boast Orson Welles among its voice cast, though — he loaned his tones to Unicron in that 1986 effort — but they also can't be as tedious as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
If your plan was to commute to work on the train this rainy Monday morning, we've got some bad news — thanks to the wet weather and staff shortages there are hefty delays on five train lines. T1 North Shore, T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T5 Cumberland and T8 Airport South Line are all affected by delays in both directions, with a spokesperson for the Transport Management Centre telling the SMH that passengers should allow for plenty of extra travel time. Rail replacement buses have been organised for all affected lines, with passengers being urged to check Twitter and the Transport for NSW website for continued updates. https://twitter.com/TrainsInfo/status/1049033728251424768 For more details and updates, check Transport for NSW. via SMH. Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Lockout laws got you down? Then make your way to Eleven Nightclub on Oxford Street for Sydney's new pop-up dancefloor. Launching on Friday April 22, the cheekily named Church promised to "put an end to nights in purgatory with a heaven for your senses." And now, they're making it a regular pilgrimage. Operating from 9am through to 3am on selected Friday nights, the pop-up will feature old school hip hop and R&B tracks, along with cocktails by Harbourside Coffee. Drinks will be available all night, and everyone who gets there before 11pm gets a free beverage for their troubles. Entry is $10 and is restricted to persons over the age of 21. Sorry young 'uns, but your time will come. The organisers are also touting additional surprises on the night. For more information about the Church pop-up dance floor, check out the event on Facebook. Image: Eleven Nightclub.
After a sold-out season at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in 2017, Muriel's Wedding The Musical is returning in 2019 for two short months at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. The return season follows the show winning a slew of awards at this month's Helpmann Awards, Australia's annual awards for live entertainment and performing arts. Muriel's Wedding The Musical picked up five gongs across the two nights of awards — July 15 and 16 — including Best Original Score, Best Music Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design and Best Choreography in a Musical. Its awards made up half of Sydney Theatre Company's total of ten — which was more than any other company. A Global Creatures production (in association with Sydney Theatre Company), the musical adaptation of Muriel's Wedding is like a perfect high school reunion — maximum 80s nostalgia without having to tell any of your old friends you're in HR now. When Muriel Heslop realises that the small town of Porpoise Spit has nothing in store but grim futures, she decides to take off, with only her parents' chequebook, a couple of ABBA albums memorised note for note and a vague sense that the wider world has something that she is hungry for. PJ Hogan, who wrote and directed Muriel's cinematic adventure, has adapted and updated the script for the stage, while Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall have built the music around ABBA's towering back catalogue. There's a real buzz around Muriel. Sure, it's a chance to re-immerse yourself in the unadulterated joy of Muriel's hijinks, but it's also because Muriel hasn't stopped holding the mirror up to our desperate, fame-hungry society since she first hit the screen. As director Simon Phillips points out: "Muriel's governing delusion is becoming a celebrity and becoming famously married. The world has caught up with Muriel." Muriel's Wedding The Musical is running from Saturday, June 29–Sunday, September 8 at Sydney Lyric Theatre. If you're based in NZ, book your trip to Sydney now with Virgin Australia — the airline is offering one-way fares from Auckland and Wellington, starting from $202 (offer ends August 6, 2019). Image: Jeff Busby.
While old Dick Trois once spoke of the winter of our discontent, there is no doubt you'll be very satisfied when Kevin Spacey and Sam Mendes hit the Lyric Theatre this summer. It's been 12 years since the pair worked together, playing hide and seek amongst rose petals and suburban teens in American Beauty, and this time Spacey and Mendes are locking lips with the Bard's political thriller, Richard III. The arch-villain of royal machinations must be a delight for Spacey to play, given his talents as a shape-shifting actor. Richard III marks the final in a three-part international theatre series called The Bridge Project. Directed by Mendes, this series consists of three classical works (the first two being Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale) co-produced by BAM (New York), Old Vic Theatre (London) and Neal Street Productions, with the purpose of touring the large-scale productions to cities around the world. Richard III will be arriving in Sydney on the back of a sold-out London season for a very limited 11 performances. If you can't afford the ticket price, ask a relative. Throw them in the tower if they don't acquiesce. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TwtwnuSu9rA
Australia has an illustrious cinematic history. Indeed with The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) Australia arguably gave the world its first narrative feature. This and a dazzling collection of silent gems from around the world will be presented at the State Library this month as part of Australia’s Silent Film Festival. 
From Charlie Chaplin wreaking havoc in The Rink, to Buster Keaton’s The General; the fantastical mind of Georges Méliès and the awe-inspiring Fritz Lang, the greats from the silent era will be on display. And while every cinephile is familiar with the master of montage, Sergei Eisenstein, it is very exciting to see a contemporary Soviet filmmaker, Dziga Vertov push the boundaries in the Man with the Movie Camera (1929).Screenings will be introduced by a variety of local film critics and academics, and many will also include a live musical accompaniment. What a wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience the very beginnings of cinema. https://youtube.com/watch?v=g8ibRrWYNJ8 https://youtube.com/watch?v=C5GWXQ8AZ7E https://youtube.com/watch?v=7rqmqvIKB-Y https://youtube.com/watch?v=brVO2l4bONc
Coming of age in the suburbs of Perth is proving to be an angst-ridden journey for Zadie. There's uninvited house guests causing trouble, cute boys to avoid and siblings to keep out of strife — not to mention the white neighbours' racially charged compliments. Add in a nightly pelting of oranges on the family home and you've got the makings of a juicy comedy with a squeeze of mystery. Orange Thrower is the award-winning debut play from interdisciplinary artist Kirsty Marillier (who also stars as Zadie), with direction from Zindzi Okenyo (Masquerade, Girl in Tan Boots). Performed through the lens of Zadie's post-apartheid South African identity, this stunning piece of theatre has seen audiences from Perth to Sydney connect to its themes of love, celebration and yearning for acceptance. Keen for a joyous hit of comedy and culture? Orange Thrower will play at Parramatta's Riverside Theatres from Wednesday, March 30, till Saturday, April 2. For more information and to nab tickets, visit the website. Images: Brett Boardman
There’s something a-brewing in Sydney’s bar and restaurant scene. Between the rise of the foodie blogger, pop-up stalls featuring the world’s best food and gourmet food trucks, the lines between food of the street and fancy kind are being blurred. You might experience the best meal of your life from a takeaway box or find a world class chef slogging away at a tiny hole-in-the-wall. The revolution is happening, friends. So we’re not at all surprised to announce that the guns from Mojo Record Bar are opening a tiny, chill, no-fuss CBD venue wherein you’ll find some of the city’s biggest names in the industry. The Easy Eight may only have capacity for 60 patrons, but it's going for big impact. The bar, which has only been open for about two weeks, borrows tried and tested themes from Mojo (think great music and a chill vibe) and combines them with a gastropub ethos — sans the pretension. Styled up like an authentic U.S. diner, it's located in the laneway off Clarence Street, which you've probably frequented a few times on visits to Baxter Inn. The big names come in with the menu, which has been created by Harry Stockdale-Powell and Jack Bathurst, who between them have worked at some of the biggest venue in town, including Rockpool, Bacasse Marque, Sepia and Toko. According to Harry, the concept for Easy Eight was born from the desire to drink and hang out in a low-key environment, but have access to come damn fine food options at the same time. Isn’t that all anyone wants in life? But down to the brass tacks. The menu will feature indulgent dishes like lobster mac 'n' cheese, New York-style deli boards and beef-dripping roast potatoes with salted chilli — which is the kind of fare that will make your poor drunk brain explode with pleasure. And rest assured you will be drunk, because here’s a rundown of the drinks list. Alongside the immaculate beer selection, you’ll find a Popcorn Old Fashioned (served with popcorn-infused bourbon and maple syrup), the Apple Pie (apple, vodka and pie crust) and the Fairy Bread Fizz, which is basically a meal in itself with vodka, lemon, egg white, sugar and hundreds and thousands. Yeah. This is the kind of magic that happens when chefs get together, get creative and democratise good food. A thousand points to Easy Eight. The Easy Eight, 152-156 Clarence Street, via the laneway at the back of Baxter’s Inn, is open now.
This is the End might just be the biggest in-joke in Hollywood. Its writer, director and star, Seth Rogen, plays 'Seth Rogen', whilst Jonah Hill plays 'Jonah Hill', James Franco plays 'James Franco' and Emma Watson plays, well…you get the picture. Thankfully, though, you'll also get the jokes, and no matter how 'in' or self-referential they might be, the movie invites the audience to share in the laughter. Set in the Hollywood hills, Rogen and his friend Jay Baruchel (played by Jay Baruchel) head along to a party at James Franco's mansion, where — just a short while later — the biblical Rapture commences and, quite literally, all Hell breaks loose. As their friends and fans perish around them (the cameos are too numerous to count, though highlights include Michael Cera, Channing Tatum and Rihanna), the young celebrities hole themselves up inside and try to outlast the End of Days, rationing everything from a Milky Way bar to various types of weed. To their credit, no egos are too precious and everyone plays up to their reputations: Rogen's an amiable stoner, Hill is impossibly nice and Franco holds nothing back in portraying himself as a pretentious, egocentric wanker. They're joined in the house by Baruchel, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride, with the latter contributing to about half of the movie's funniest moments. Inevitably, as a Rogen film, This is the End features a significant amount of stoner humour, dick jokes and one inconceivably long scene involving Franco and McBride hurling imaginary semen at each other and everything else around them. It's the kind of comedy you feel guilty laughing at while it's happening, and then later can't remember why it made you laugh so much. But laugh you do all the same. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ILnE7dEhCcc
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard at the Hayden Orpheum this March and the Randwick Ritz this April, with one movie marathon to rule them all. Round up the Fellowship, stock up on lembas bread for sustenance and hide your finest pipe-weed from the Southfarthing for one sitting of all three of Peter Jackson's beloved OG Tolkien film adaptations. Kicking off with The Fellowship of the Ring and ending with The Return of the King, this cave troll of a marathon clocks in at over nine hours plus intermissions — with the journey starting at 11am on Sunday, March 14 at the Orpheum and 10.30am on Saturday, April 3 at the Ritz. If you make it through breakfast and second breakfast to the final handful of endings, you can pat yourself on the back and smash a ringwraith screech at the nearest person on your way home (note: do not actually screech at people). Tickets are the precious and come in at $25–30 for the whole ordeal. And, you'll be watching all three films in remastered 4K versions — so expect to see Middle Earth in more detail than you've seen in before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_WZxJpHzEE
Does the bulk of comedy lie in the gutter? Comics guru Scott McCloud thinks the magic of comics sits in the gutter-like spaces between panels. With the brain bridging the gap between the before and the after, ideas are spliced together into a single thing that lives and writhes, shocks and excites. Comic Dave Gorman taps into a similar mechanism to make you laugh, with Microsoft's best/worst information tool in Dave Gorman's PowerPoint Presentation, on as part of Just for Laughs 2012. In Gorman's hands, PowerPoint (the devil's presentation software once identified by the US Army as a great way of putting journalists to sleep — they call it 'hypnotising chickens') becomes a way of taking complex things and making them funny. Not unlike current fan favourites This American Life, Gorman describes his style as a 'true story show', proving that the star moments of his comic narratives actually took place. But, believe it or not, this should be an evening of comedy with more than you can cram into a few bullet points of dependent clauses.
It is from a painting that Belle springs, inspired by the study of Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin Elizabeth Murray. When the canvas was commissioned in 18th-century England, Dido's placing on equal footing defied convention. Though bonded by blood and brought up in privilege, Dido's heritage as the illegitimate daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay and an enslaved African woman coloured her as inferior to her relatives. In bringing the fictionalised story behind this important image to the screen, director Amma Asante and writer Misan Sagay infer the details of their subject's rallying against inequality. Within lushly staged period confines, they tell a tale of a sidelined but never surrendering heroine, blessed with freedom yet intent on navigating discriminatory practices and engrained racism in a time in which slavery was considered crucial to the country's continued economic prosperity. Dido is introduced as a child (Lauren Julien-Box), taken by her father (Matthew Goode) to his uncle, William Murray, Chief Justice and 1st Earl of Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), upon the death of her mother. William and his wife (Emily Watson) are apprehensive on account of Dido's interracial status but agree to raise her alongside Elizabeth (Cara Jenkins), the other grand-niece in their care. As a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, Dido (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) watches as Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) navigates the necessary courtship formalities to find a husband, wanting her own romance even when warned of its impossibility. Asante and Sagay set the scene for a Jane Austen-style depiction of social mores and romantic dramas, the restrictions placed upon women of the time and their need to marry to secure their futures on display. Dido's unique standing, immersed in the intricacies but set apart from their necessities, adds a different perspective to the seen-before antics. Her own love triangle with the social-climbing Oliver Ashford (James Norton) and idealistic vicar's son John Davinier (Sam Reid) is couched in her quest for fair treatment. The interweaving of the landmark Zong massacre trial, requiring an assessment of the worth of the enchained by William, adds historical weight. With its protagonist straddling two worlds with uncertainty, and its content endeavouring to combine melodrama and commentary into a cohesive whole, it is unsurprising that the film wavers in balancing its layers of duality. Though competing components are filmed with a handsome eye, assembled in the service of an affecting outcome, and performed with elegance and importance by a talented cast, dissonance lingers. The ideas reach for something more; however, the execution remains handsome yet standard. That discord is a minor trifle in an effort shaded with style and substance – but, for all its striving and success, Belle simply filters politics into a pretty portrait. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OuIwa3a1KVw
The Taste of Coogee Food and Wine Festival has quickly become a prominent weekend on Sydney's culinary calendar. Last year, over 40,000 attendees gathered at Coogee Oval to enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat by the ocean. This year's festival will coincide with the Father's Day weekend, running over two days on September 1 and 2. Across the weekend attendees will savour nosh from a growing list of over 100 contributors, including Mr Bao, Sofrito Paella, Turkish Gözleme, Dust Bakery and Frencheese, the latter who'll be serving up gooey, melted raclette. Beer, wine and spirit tastings will be conducted throughout the festival, too, by the likes of Batch Brewing Co., Yulli's Brews, Peterson Champagne House, Aperol, Pokolbin Cider House and more. There'll also be live entertainment — and entry is only a gold coin donation. Taste of Coogee will run from 10am–8pm on Saturday, September 1 and from 10am–6pm on Sunday, September 2.
It's getting hard to remember a time in Sydney when Carriageworks was just a railyard and not the cool and cutting-edge arts powerhouse of today. The venue was in the spotlight this year when it hosted Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia and the Sydney Contemporary art fair, the latter of which saw it bust open a new wing, doubling the existing physical space to an intimidating 12,000 square metres. Attendance is up four-fold since 2011, and now you can start tallying up the number of times you'll be visiting in 2014 (answer: many, so many), since next year's program has just been announced. "In 2014, Carriageworks unveils an artistic program that is ambitious, risk taking, and above all is artist-led and unrelenting in its support of artists," says Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah. "We remain committed to delivering distinctive, high-quality urban cultural experiences to our audiences." Carriageworks opens the year with the Sydney Festival in January, for which its hosting Christian Boltanski's Chance. Taking up the public space last year filled by Waste Not, Chance is a work of a similar scale. To walk through it is to reflect on the thin barrier between life and death, and it also gives you a chance to win a prize. The epic art continues in March, when Carriageworks become a Biennale of Sydney major venue partner for the first time, hosting multimedia works by the likes of Tacita Dean. Later in the year, the space also hosts Taiwanese-American artist Tehching Hsieh's durational performance art work Time Clock Piece, for which the artist punched a time clock in his studio on the hour, every hour for one whole year. It sounds like the worst Julie & Julia-esque blog project ever, but as art, it's been hugely acclaimed. MBFWA returns to make fabulous use of the industrial Carriageworks caverns from April 7-11, showcasing the latest collections from the Asia-Pacific's finest designers. This year, one fashion house is going especially arty, with Romance Was Born presenting a special exhibition. Working with multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Baumann, they'll be exploring their bold and unmistakable wonderlands beyond the textile. Other major events to make landfall at Carriageworks are design talkfest Semi-Permanent and a new creative summit called REMIX, which sounds positively Vivid-esque. The event is global, however, and set to be held in five "creative hubs" worldwide in 2014 — London, New York, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Sydney. Prefer to do your thinking over a bottle of red? Sustainable food and wine festival Rootstock is happening at the venue in February. Eclectic performances — especially those that may fall in the gaps between traditional venues — are at the heart of Carriageworks, and there's plenty on throughout 2014. Ganesh Versus the Third Reich is making its Sydney debut after winning the Helpmann Award for Best Play last year, and the local Ever After Theatre Company are producing an uber-relevant work called Social Network Stories to premiere at the venue. A new wave of opera comes via Sydney Chamber Opera, composer Michael Smetanin and writer Alison Croggon, whose Mayakovsky redeems Stalin's favourite poet. Dance-inflected works are many and exciting, including Lemi Ponifasio's spiritual and ceremonial Stones in Her Mouth, French contemporary dancers Compagnie Didier Theron in their first visit to Australia and a new solo piece by Byron Perry that is performed within a real, large-scale camera obscura. An intriguing hybrid work is Rizzy Maharajah's 18th Birthday Party, a live concert and film experience by Carriageworks' inaugural associate artist, S. Shakthidharan. To see the full program and get more information, check out the Carriageworks website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VKndizmSGI4
There are a staggering array of activities you can do at Strike Bowling Bar these days, aside from the company's namesake attraction. Sure, you can throw a heavy ball down an alley, over and over again — highly recommended if it's your birthday and you're turning ten. You can sing Christmas Karoleoke, a great way to meet like-minded individuals that also find this kind of behaviour acceptable. Or, you can be locked up in a murderer's dungeon with 50 minutes to make an escape. Way to up the ante, Strike. Escapism is an interactive real life game where you and your team need to find hidden objects and solve riddles to escape a locked room. There are three puzzle rooms to choose from: The Garden, Butcher’s Burrow and Forensic, depending on your age, interest and perceived skill level. Our team signs up for Butcher’s Burrow (difficulty 8) because we consider ourselves a pretty bright bunch, an assessment which later proves incorrect. Another Concrete Playground team went for Forensic — a Se7en-meets-Zodiac style of investigator set-up, where you're trying to identify a serial killer before they find you. Pitched at difficulty 9, if you're good at code-breaking you'll love this one; logic and ability with numbers will be your best allies. But we signed up for the Saw-like scenario, of course. Let's set the scene: For Butcher's Barrow, "You’ve been kidnapped and chained up. You can smell the fear in the room. How did this happen? Why did you end up here? There’s a severed hand on a plate. You might be next. Now is not the time to be afraid. Now is the time to make your escape." I’m personally feeling quite confident, I've broken into my house without keys a number of times, so I’ve got this guys. Before we go in, we're frisked with a metal detector and our mobile phones are confiscated and locked away in a box. We're then blindfolded and led to our creepy prison. When the blindfold is removed it’s still dark, we’re alone, there’s blood on the walls and the sound of our evil captor who's just next door. An intense 49 minutes later (we wouldn't spoil the whole thing would we?) and we're on the final puzzle, trying to figure out the passcode to unlock the door, secure our freedom and save our dignity. We fail our challenge; in fact we're told that 80 percent of teams fail, which is kind of consoling. Kind of. What happens if you don’t make it? Our creepy captor, who is also a Strike staff member, does decide to let us go after all — and we get to keep all our limbs too. He's also nice enough to let us know where we went wrong. That final clue! It was right in front of us! You’ll kill yourself for missing it. Choose your escape scenario: The Garden (Difficulty 7, players 2 - 8) Butcher’s Burrow (Difficulty 8, players 2-6) Forensic (Difficulty 9, players 2-6)
A New Year's Day tradition, Field Day is returning to The Domain to kick off 2023 and it's bringing an absolute slam-dunk of a lineup with it. Following an all-Australian program in 2022, the summer festival has enlisted some international heavy-hitters for its first full-strength lineup since the start of the pandemic. The festival will bring together a far-reaching mix of pop, hip-hop and just about all corners of the electronic music sphere, starting with Diplo, Denzel Curry, Kaytranada, Aitch and Dom Dolla atop the bill. On the dance-focused side of the lineup you'll also find Honey Dijon, Partiboi69, Charlotte De Witte, Holy Goof, SG Lewis, Patrick Topping and Bicep who will be performing their live show. Curry and Aitch will be joined by a host of fellow rappers including Shygirl, Tkay Maidza, JK-47, A.Girl and online sensations Yung Lean and Yeat. [caption id="attachment_864623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yeat[/caption] Also on the lineup: Benee, Remi Wolf, Cloonee, JNR Choi, Ninajirachi, Jennifer Loveless and teenage duo Glaive and Ericdoa on their first trip Down Under following a meteoric rise over the last three years. Over the years, Field Day has hosted the likes of Calvin Harris, Tyler, the Creator, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino and Disclosure. In 2022, the local lineup included appearances from Peking Duk, Hayden James, Hot Dub Time Machine and Mallrat. Tickets always prove popular for the January 1 festival, with registrations for pre-sale — which kicks off at midday on Wednesday, August 17 — open now. [caption id="attachment_864398" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Denzel Curry[/caption] FIELD DAY 2023 LINEUP Aitch Benee Bicep (Live) Charlotte De Witte Cloonee Denzel Curry Diplo Dom Dolla Glaive & EricDOA Holy Good Honey Djon JNR Choi Kanine Kaytranada Partiboi69 Patrick Topping Pretty Girl Remi Wolf SG LEwis Shygirl Sofia Kourtesis Tkay Maidza YEat Yung Lean A Little Sound A. Girl Jennifer Loveless JK-47 Ninakirachi Waxlily Field Day will hit The Domain on Sunday, January 1, 2023. Pre-sale registrations are available until 7pm on Tuesday, August 16, with pre-sale tickets on offer from midday on Wednesday, August 17. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
Are you a seasoned boatie who's happiest when the anchor's aweigh? Did you binge Below Deck and discover a thirst for the superyacht lifestyle? Or, do you just enjoy the finer things in life? Well, The Harbour Lounge at this year's Sydney International Boat Show is the event to add to your calendar, stat. The locale: a private VIP precinct aboard 60-metre superyacht The Jackson. The sips: bubbles at the Mumm Sparkling Bar, flights of Penfolds' best and cocktails laced with locally crafted spirits. To eat: Bites from the premium all-day grazing menu. Indulge in it all with your $399 ticket. How you enjoy the onboard experience is up to you. Lean in to the aquatic life and remain afloat, enjoying your vantage of Cockle Bay's luxe lineup of superyachts (some of which are making their international debut). Or, come and go as you explore the wider show — up your know-how at demos, check out the latest gear and enjoy live entertainment. It's time to grab your pool of pals for a lush day on the water, or invite your nicest clients and set your corporate catch-ups afloat. The Harbour Lounge moors in Darling Harbour from Thursday, July 18 till Sunday, July 31. Head to the website to book your ticket.
Spice Alley is set to expand its offering next week when Japanese diner Kyo-to joins Kensington Street's Southeast Asian foodie laneway. To celebrate the new stall's launch, head chef Jason Chan (Queen Chow, Papi Chulo and Felix) will be slinging his signature chicken katsu sandos for just $1 a pop. Or $5, if you pair it with a bottle of Asahi. The cheap eats are on offer November 26–28 from 5–7pm. The mini double-decker sando is piled high with crumbed chicken, shredded cabbage and Japanese mustard greens, all on a Hokkaido milk bun. As well as Asahi, surprise cocktail deals will be on offer on the Wednesday — with DJ Charlie Villas on the tunes, too. The wider rotating menu at Kyo-to will feature a range of ramen, including tonkatsu, truffle and charred duck varieties, as well as ramen noodles in XO sauce with pork belly, and a honeybug, scallop and roasted garlic ramen. You can also expect yakitori, karaage chicken and a range of dons and udons, such as clam udon noodles in kombu butter. The $1 katsu sando is on offer to the first 100 people each night and limited to one per person, so get in early or miss out.
I will admit to not knowing any astronauts or showjumpers or firemen, or even any cops for that matter, but I have met my share of ballerinas and marine biologists, and also this one thoroughly demoralising dude who worked for the U.N "on the strategic planning staff in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General," and some models and some people well on their way to qualifying as surgeons. On these grounds, I feel like the 'When I Grow Up' predictions of childhood do have a reasonable chance of playing out. And you absolutely do find people who are working actors, directors, musicians, writers or artists too, it's just that they more often than not have another job or three to keep them going. So how do you find the space and time and money to sustain a creative practice in Sydney these days? As part of Vivid Creative Sydney's fringe program, Queen Street Studio is holding a panel discussion on this very topic. Hosted by QSS director and co-founder James Winter, the evening will bring tips and tales of survival and strategy in visual arts, performance and the wonderful world of the ARI. Panellists are Fran Barrett, a member of Brown Council and current director of Serial Space; artist/performer/writer/curator Rosie Dennis; Sian McIntyre, who is a director of The Paper Mill exhibition space; contemporary artist and intervenor into public space Sebastian Goldspink; and Michelle Kotevski, independent filmmaker and Executive Producer of Urban Theatre Projects. Image by Leah McGirr
