Alain de Botton has been changing the literary and modern-day philosophical landscape since he was 23, publishing books on every subject under the sun. He writes about the world, our place within it and how we interact with not only the environment but each other. He has delivered talks all over the world, including at the Opera House in 2012, discussing what and why we are the way we are. And he's coming back. On March 29, Alain hits the Opera House with his new talk, 'The News: A Users Manual', based on his book of the same name. Among other things, he will discuss our relation to the news, why we find some things interesting, and other things not at all. The news and the media are such huge parts of our lives and, in The News, Alain aims to demonstrate the how and why of our intense relationship them.
If there’s one way to live a satisfying life, it’s quite possibly the taking of a crazy creative idea and turning it into a working, sustainable financial reality. Writers, musicians and artists are often reminded of ‘how hard it is to break into the industry’ and of the challenge of balancing integrity with ‘commercial appeal’. But when you’ve got a great original concept that you want to get off the ground, they’re not the things you want to hear. And they’re by no means imperatives. Just to confirm that, consider buying yourself a ticket to the world’s most inspiring design event and Vivid festival opener, Semi-Permanent 2014. That way you’ll get to spend three days with people who’ve stuck to their artistic guns and hit the success mark. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and ex-Aussie champion Corbin Harris will tell you all about how they built the Hawk brand, while Mr. Brainwash, who you might know from Exit Through the Gift Shop, will give you the lowdown on getting up-close and personal with Banksy. Other guest speakers on the program include John Jay (GX, Portland agency), Andrew Denton, cult artist Tara McPherson and New York filmmaker Cheryl Dunn. Then there’ll be installations, exhibitions, presentations and workshops. FBi is in charge of organising the parties. Tickets go on sale on March 4. Tickets costs are: Professional One Day $195 / 3 Day $445 Student One Day $120 / 3 Day $280 VIP One Day $295 / 3 Day $795
This March is not short of art, that much is for sure. With the 19th Biennale of Sydney and fringe event SafARI both kicking off in March, you'd be forgiven for thinking your slate was full. But your slate is not full. Under the directorship of Scrap Wall, Art Month Sydney is back for a fifth year of opening up Sydney's private gallery spaces. It's a program brimming with interdisciplinary questions and collaborations, grouped around the theme 'Intersections and Parallels'. With a few meaty slices from a handful of Sydney's most envious private collections, it's also about divulging secrets and providing some hot tips for all you aspiring collectors out there. With over 200 galleries throwing their doors open, it's one of the most accessible art events of the year, jam-packed with parties, tours and talks. Check out our picks of the top ten things to see and do at Art Month Sydney.
The recent trend of cinemas screening 'live' showings of stage production is a strange sort of phenomenon. An imperfect marriage of mediums, these shows seem on the one hand like a rather counterintuitive concept, possessing neither the immediacy of theatre nor the aesthetic craftsmanship of film. On the other, it’s a testament to the power of great art that these screenings have proven so popular with audiences, with the quality of the productions transcending the shortcomings of the exhibition. There’s also something nicely democratic about the idea that viewers in Australia can sit down and enjoy a show from the Bolshoi Ballet or the New York Metropolitan Opera — and all for little more than the price of a ticket to an Adam Sandler movie. The latest live show to hit screens around the country is the UK Donmar Warehouse’s production of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. It's one of the Bard’s longer, grimmer and generally less well known works, although perhaps that’s changed in the wake of the recent film adaptation directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, the play tells the story of Caius Marcius Coriolanus, a fierce Roman General whose prowess as a military man is matched only by his woefulness as a politician. Perhaps in acknowledgement of the cross-over nature of her international viewing audience, Josie Rourke, both director of the play and artistic director of the trendily stripped-back warehouse theatre where it’s being staged, casts Tom Hiddleston (Thor) in the lead. It’s a little stunty, maybe, but he’s a great actor either way, bringing both gravitas and humanity to the play’s proud and prickly protagonist. Coriolanus has nothing but contempt for the common man, who the script portrays as a fickle, easily led mob. If the notion of a righteous patrician class is rather outdated, the 400-year-old text’s depiction of the two-faced politicians who connive behind Coriolanus’ back still feels right on the money. Hiddleston’s co-stars include a few recognisable TV figures, including Birgitte Sørensen (Borgen) as Coriolanus’ wife and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) as his sole political ally. The entire supporting cast acquits themselves well, with one huge exception: Emma Freud as herself, the inanely bubbly presenter, whose fawning, superficial interview with Rourke between the end of intermission and the beginning of act two could not be a bigger or more nauseating distraction. Nothing like hearing about how Tom Hiddleston was recently voted MTV’s sexist man alive to put you back in the headspace for a violent Shakespearean tragedy. Perhaps the producers felt they had to spice up their broadcast with supplements. They shouldn’t have. The production is strong enough on its own. Coriolanus will be on screens for a strictly limited season. For a list participating cinemas and screening dates, visit www.ntlive.com.
Calling all artists with a passion for science (or just in need of a basic understanding). One of our favourite community hubs, Work-Shop, is offering Life Drawing through Anatomy taught by Dr. Jo Elms. The class aims to educate the artistically inclined about basic human anatomy and function so they better draw the human figure. Basically, after this, you should wipe the floor with the aesthetes at your next regular art class. Elms is the founder of Artistic Proportions, which she started with the aim to bring scientific understanding to the art world. She holds a Bachelor of Advanced Science and a Bachelor of Medical Studies and infuses her love of science and art with her passion for teaching. Make sure to bring your own charcoal, pencils, paper and erasers.
In past years it feels as if there's been a surge in the sub-genre of romantic comedies that revolve around the 20-something commitment-phobes. Generally they feature a host of characters more attractive than you, resisting relationships for the sake of engaging in meaningless sex. Or, the kind of films Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis did to flush the Oscar winning demons of Black Swan out of their psyches in 2011. Are We Officially Dating (released in the US as That Awkward Moment) can be lumped into this category, while also having a stab at bro comedy. The film follows Jason (Zac Efron), Daniel (Miles Teller), and Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), who after the failure of Mikey's marriage, make a pact to stay single as a gesture of solidarity. Unsurprisingly, all three violate the agreement. Whilst first-time filmmaker Tom Gormican has an admirable goal — to depict the clunky transition from dating to relationship from a male perspective — this film's insipid plot and unfunny jokes make it, dare I say, 94 minutes worth of 'awkward moments', It's essentially a male version of Sex in the City; they're snappy dressers and waltz around Manhattan, fuelling their crude humour with chai lattes. This brand of sex-positivism doesn't have the quite same punch when paired with stereotypical 'dudes' and such a flimsy premise. Venturing out of the PG13 paddle pool and into cinematic adolescence, Efron plays Jason, an apparently sharp-minded graphic designer working at a chic New York publishing house. In a feat of Don Draper-esque brilliance, he impresses a client by drawing an impromptu stiletto for a book cover. (Ah, of course. The essence of woman boils down to footwear. It's psychology 101, folks.) It's difficult to shirk the film's reductive and vacuous depiction of women. Aside from the trio 'rostering' girls to bone at appropriate intervals so they don't get attached, the female characters are poorly drawn. They merely function as narrative goalposts, as if to assure us that there is in fact, a point. Imogen Poots plays Ellie, Jason's humble, bookish and bohemian love interest. Whilst instinctively likeable, a scene in which she reveals her deepest desire — a ridiculously big house in the middle of Manhattan — feels like a contradiction of character. There's also a touch too many penis jokes. In fact, it feels as if scenes are set up specifically for the purpose of penis jokes. For example, when Jason misinterprets a dress-up party and arrives with a sex toy hanging from his fly, leading to much 'cock'tail punning. All in all, if you're planning on a Valentine's Day movie with your significant other, you may want to think about spending your money elsewhere. To impart the film's single slice of wisdom, "Relationships are about being there for the other person." https://youtube.com/watch?v=UrdI3zAnzno
Sit up, you beautiful planet-saving, green smoothie-drinking people, because the world’s largest hippie festival is about to unleash some serious flower power all over the Domain on March 30, 2014. Wanderlust has cemented itself internationally as an all-inclusive celebration of yoga, music and the peace-loving life, offering festivalgoers the chance to chant ‘namaste’ with world-renowned yoga teachers and lifestyle gurus, get jiggy to some uber-radical DJs and musicians, stroll through some sweet craft markets, or simply kick back with a biodegradable glass of organic wine and a tofu burger. There are upgrade packages available for the super-passionate folk, the likes of which include immersive yoga workshops and the chance to meet some world-renowned yoga leaders. Free registration, ticketing and lineup info can all be found at the Wanderlust website.
"And now you want to be my friend on Facebook? Are you fucking kidding me?" The gal who brought us the anthem to sing at exes attempting to Facebook stalk us is releasing her latest album (album number four) on March 14 and heading on tour. She'll be singing 'Lose My Shit', 'Ghost' (featuring Megan Washington) and other new tunes and hitting notes that most of us could only ever dream of. O Vertigo is Kate Miller-Heidke's first independently released album. And how did she make it happen? Crowdfunding. That's one way of getting around it. She hit her target three days after launching the campaign, and some of the lucky donators will be getting a Happy Birthday phone call from Ms Triple-Octave Pipes. The rest of us will attempt to suppress our jealousy. This is one worth heading to. https://youtube.com/watch?v=X0FdR7dEAYU
In one of the funniest scenes in Tidy Town of the Year, Pamela (Victoria Greiner), overcome by an overwhelming need to vomit, staggers across the stage, fumbling with a plastic bag. As it slips this way and that, like a struggling puppy in her hands, she looks like she’s about to explode. Up until now, we’ve only known Pamela as the prim, uptight cleaner of the Traveller’s Rest Motor Inn Motel. But she’s just seen a limbless dead body in one of the bathrooms. It’s a discovery that not only provokes a violent physical reaction but also threatens her life-long dream: to see the fictitious Australian town of Gandiddiyup crowned ‘Tidy Town of the Year’. The scene hinges on a mix of identification, surprise, timing and physicality. One part of us recognises the frustration of wrestling with a plastic bag that will not open; another delights in Pamela’s sudden loss of control. Under the co-direction of Sean O’Riordan and Deborah Jones, Greiner serves a deliciously exaggerated dose of slapstick, without giving away where she’s going. It is these nuances that are imperative to laugh-out loud comedy. Tidy Town of the Year hits the sweet spot on several occasions. However, there are moments when it misses. Here’s the premise. Pamela and co-cleaner Rover (Andy Leonard) are preparing a room in anticipation of the arrival of Tony Clare, Minister for Tourism and Tidy Town judge, when new staff member Hope (Sarah Hodgetts) arrives, carmine-lipped, utterly uninterested in picking up a mop and, apparently, hot for Rover. The discovery of a corpse unleashes not only intense mutual suspicion but the unravelling of personal frailties and dirty secrets. Greiner, Leonard and Hodgetts — all co-writers of the script — embrace their roles with gusto. They’re good to watch and a bubbling energy pervades throughout, while temporal and dynamic undulations, bizarre plot twists and some clever one-liners maintain our engagement. O’Riordan and Jones utilise every corner of the Old Fitz’s tiny stage, arranging the trio in one formation after another, all the while keeping the dramatic action natural. The set (designed by Matt de Haas) is every bit the country town motor inn, complete with bad oil portraits, sepia photographs, poo-brown shag rug and faux-wood fridge. Sound designer Marcello Fabrizi and lighting designer Dimitra Kiriakopolous mirror the dramatic changes with rock songs, revving motor bikes, sudden blackouts and police sirens. It’s fun and fast-paced. But, ultimately, the comic and emotional impact is limited by uneven scriptwriting and some structural flaws. Gags that perform as motifs, such as Pamela’s small-town pride and Rover’s pedantry, are amusing at first but tend to become repetitive rather than developmental. Too often, the characters lapse into stock simplicity, their hidden weaknesses and personal sadnesses conveyed painfully obviously, without any deep or clever exploration. So much is going on at once that the storyline feels as though it's travelling in circles rather than moving forward. All-in-all, it’s a lightly entertaining night out that provokes some genuine laughs, but for the Greiner-Leonard-Hodgetts combo to realise its theatrical potential, we’ll need to see a more meticulous sorting of what works from what doesn’t and a more concentrated focus on narrative cohesion.
Australian hip hop has come a long way over recent years, making an increasingly bigger name for itself — locally and internationally — and moving away from the stereotypical idea that hip hop is all R'n'B, booty shakers and rich people talking about their problems. This is especially reflected in Sydney's inner west, the place of Aus hip hop's humble beginnings and home for many of the country's biggest acts. And with this comes One Day Sundays, a monthly celebration of all things hip hop at the Vic in Enmore. On the last Sunday of every month, hip hop collective One Day Crew take over the decks. What starts out as a chilled afternoon of basketball, live graff art and slow-cooked spit transforms come sunset into an evening scene characterised by a heaving dancefloor (and then some more slow-cooked spit). Following on from a crazy Australia Day special last month, ODS returns on February 23 with another killer lineup, led this time by Melbourne’s Mat Cant (360), as well as One Day regulars Adit, Raph and Joyride. Celebrating One Day Sundays' first birthday (as well as our final weekend of Sydney summer), the ODS February edition is sure to be something special. The party kicks off at 1pm and goes until you're coming up with excuses for a Monday sickie. Image: Colin Lucas.
This unique exhibition at Carriageworks will be accompanied by a series of nightly performances. It will see esteemed choreographer Sue Healey collaborate with photographer Judd Overton to produce a series of live portraits of dance artists. Healey has selected five dancers with very different styles of movement: Martin del Amo, Shona Erskine, Benjamin Hancock, Raghav Handa and Nalina Wait. An accompanying work will also feature video portraits of Australian dance legends Dame Lucette Aldous and Professor Shirley McKechnie AO. By crafting simple and complex choreography, Healey is interested in exploring how we view performance and how we make sense of moving images. Utilising the whole of Bay 20, the exhibition will comprise filmed and live choreography that will play out simultaneously — the dancers will perform against their virtual selves. If you're planning on taking a look at this immersive interdisciplinary project, note that while the daily exhibition is free, the nightly performances will be ticketed.
Thundering into town upon the back of his immense triumphs in literature, and now the world of cult television, Lionel Corn is the kind of author who draws focus with the slightest adjustment of his seating position. It's no wonder that academics, writers manqué and pedantic fans alike want to limply dab him to death with inane questions whenever he speaks publicly. Following a successful stint at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Writers' Festival, The Chaser's Andrew Hansen and Chris Taylor bring the portly form of Corn to the Giant Dwarf. Hansen and Taylor's George RR Martin-like figure is the centre of a show that pokes fun at the rise in 'In Conversation'-type events, of which you'll find no shortage around town.
The most electrifying new movies from Spain and Latin America will heat up Palace Cinemas around the country once again this autumn. The much-loved Spanish Film Festival will celebrate its eighteenth birthday in 2015, with the festival's most diverse and exciting lineup yet. From smash-hit romantic comedies to Oscar-nominated tales of revenge, there’s a film in this year’s program to suit every conceivable cinematic taste. The festival begins with Spain’s biggest ever box-office success, the upbeat rom-com Spanish Affair. From there, audiences can choose between more than three dozen titles, including Goya Award-winning crime film Marshlands, Cannes-selected indie drama Beautiful Youth and the darkly comedic horror flick Shrew’s Nest. Further highlights include a documentary about soccer superstar Lionel Messi, and a movie that brings Bollywood dance numbers to the streets of Barcelona. Closing night film Wild Tales is another major standout, combing six outrageous short stories about people who are driven to the edge — each one funnier and more twisted than the last. For the full Spanish Film Festival lineup, visit the festival website.
Sydney choreographer Martin del Amo seems determined to dislodge dance from its lofty pedestal. His dance theatre is kooky, self-reflective, accessible and has its feet firmly on the ground. Last year he treated audiences to a degustation of bodies and stories with Slow Dances for Fast Times, and now Songs Not To Dance To follows in its quirky stead. Songs Not To Dance To promises to address those ditties discarded by choreographers, for being “too obscure”, “too cheesy” or “too famous”. Dancing side-by-side with Lismore dance artist Phil Blackman, del Amo will let these forbidden songs move him, and we’ll watch the depths to which he goes. Will he work against the music, take the piss or surrender? If Slow Dances is anything to go by, the constant change of pace and atmosphere will keep us laughing heartily and thinking deeply. We'd definitely sign up to see highly trained bodies look a little daggy, which seems very in vogue.
There are some parts of Harry Potter's magical world that we're never going to experience, like invisibility and Butterbeer (though we live in hope). The same can no longer be said about moving pictures. Cinemagraphs, a kind of animated gif, are still photos that visually come to life through a minor and repeated movement of one aspect of the image. The technique was invented by US fashion photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck, and the Australian Centre for Photography is giving you the chance to learn how to do it. Hosted by super cool fashion photographer Christian Blanchard, this intensive weekend workshop will leave you with the skills to move your stills. If the only camera you've ever used is the one on your smart phone, this may not be the course for you (there are a couple of pre-requisites to enrol for the course including Camera Craft 1 and 2 and some knowledge of Photoshop). But if you have those skills and your own DSLR, this is your chance to learn some seriously cool visual effects and literally move people (and random inanimate objects) with your art.
Strolls around the city have been much brighter in recent weeks, all thanks to the addition of some unexpected blooms. The CBD's grey, concrete streets have had a makeover as a part of the City of Sydney's seven-week 'Living Colour' floral display project. But as we leave the warmer weather behind, these flowers need a new home. And you can help out. This Sunday from 8am, St Mary's Cathedral will be the spot to snag some cut-price botanical beauties. For just a gold coin donation, you'll be able to take home everything from petunias to purple sage. Best of all, all funds raised will be heading directly to the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (giving those living with and affected by HIV a much-needed helping hand). Add some colour to your own space and feel good about it too. Who could resist adopting these little blooms that've seen it all?
Frontmen rarely come as charismatic as Henry Wagons. A storytelling character and a half, the Melburnian native has returned from the dark desert highways of the US to bring Wagons' shiny new album to the townspeople. Seeing music as a joyous occasion rather than a moment to wallow in your sorrows, Wagons' shows are downright shindiggerous in their approach. "'Music is a public activity — the very birth of music was designed to be joined in on,'' Wagons told SMH. ''The first music was played at celebrations. The insular emo songwriter in the bedroom is this recent offshoot of what music is at its core. Music for me is for other people. I write it alone, but with the idea of playing it for other people.'' These "other people" make up the remaining five members of Wagons, one of Australia's best and most underrated live bands. Wagons have just released their latest single 'Beer Barrel Bar', taken from brand new, sixth studio album Acid Rain and Sugar Cane and nabbing a four-star rating from Rolling Stone. Landing feature album at 2ser and RTR, Wagons' new release heralds the end of a long period between drinks for the band — Henry Wagons released his own lovelorn ballad-filled solo album in 2013 and spent many months on the dusty highways of America touring his wares. With Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party/Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds) behind the mixing desk and Wagons himself bringing his US-inspired country stomping style to the plate, Acid Rain and Sugar Cane has quite the Nashville twang to it. Best enjoyed with a whiskey in hand and a soulmate far away, the LP is a natural evolution of Wagons' indie country blues into an Ameristralian tavern hootenanny. Supported by Emma Swift + Joseph Liddy and the Skeleton Horse. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WXoiX2bFPDY
Best known for his strange modern fairytales, including Delicatessen, Micmacs and, of course, Amelie, Jean-Pierre Jeunet has a particular talent for finding whimsy and madness in the everyday corners of life. He continues that habit in his English-language debut, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet. Mark Twain by way of Jimmy Neutron, this oddball family film lays the syrup on thick, only to cut through the sweetness with a biting critique of America's cultural foibles. Indeed, this flick is so loaded with tacky, tongue-in-cheek American iconography that it could have only been directed by a foreigner (and perhaps more specifically, a Frenchman). Cowboys, box-cars and the mighty Mississippi make up the landscape, as T.S. Spivet rides the rails from Montana to the nation's capital. There, he'll accept a prize from the Smithsonian institute for inventing a perpetual motion machine that could change the world as we know it. Not too shabby, given that he's only 10 years old. The film is an adaptation of Reif Larsen's popular children's novel, The Select Works of T.S. Spivet. It's a natural fit for the imaginative Jeunet, who, like T.S. himself, has often found himself swimming against the tide. Here, his fanciful world consists of impossibly saturated colours, the entire frame cluttered with weird and wonderful stuff. Maps, graphs and diagrams float magically from the screen in 3D, giving us a glimpse at the gears and levers of our hero's brilliant mind. Young Kyle Catlett does a marvellous job as the film's pint-sized protagonist, an undisputed prodigy but still very much a child. Much of the movie's humour is derived from his amusing, unfiltered observations of the colourful characters that inhabit his life — including his taciturn, bull-wrangling father (Callum Keith Rennie); distractible, entomologist mother (Helena Bonham Carter); and moody teenage sister (Niamh Wilson), who dreams of being a beauty queen. His thoughts linger, also, on his twin brother Layton, who died the previous year while the two of them were playing with a gun. It's a sombre recurring note, one that ever-so-slightly sours the images of America's perpetually sunny heartland. So too does a conversation with a trucker (Julian Richings), with whom T.S. hitches a ride. An Iraq war veteran, the man tells his young travelling companion he signed up to see the world. He just wishes he hadn't had to kill people in order to do so. It's only when the boy reaches D.C., however, that Jeunet launches into a full-blown comic satire. The arrival of the theretofore unknown child prodigy — and one with a tragically dead sibling to boot — sends the science world into a frenzy. Before long, trusting T.S. finds himself caught up in a press and public relations scrum, as grown men and women all try to exploit him for their own tawdry, selfish ambitions. Still, while Jeunet can't help but poke fun, the film's primary tone is one of sincerity, humour and good grace, with a late scene between T.S. and his parents striking more of an emotional chord than you expect it to. The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is the sort of rare family film that finds just the right balance between smarts and sentimentality. Great if you have clever kids, or are just a clever kid at heart. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_Km4dZ_jBFE
Uniting a handful of the Darlinghurst street's vendors, Nightmare on Stanley Street is the pre-Halloween party for the foodie. Nightmarees can explore both tricks and treats at a haunted mental institution (Kubrick's), the Addams Family mansion (Rupert & Ruby) and a scene from 'Return of the Titanic' (Hazy Rose), with live music from 9.30pm. Tickets include your choice of a Halloween-themed drink or dish at each of the venues. Nightmare on Stanley Street is one of the picks from our Halloween party guide. Check out the rest here.
Once a year, Sydney Living Museums hand their keys to the city over to the general public. For one glorious day, we can wander freely into more than 50 buildings that are usually rather tough to access, unless you're some kind of very important person. The Sydney Open list covers more than 200 years of architecture across a range of civic and private purposes. Included are a number of theatres, from the Eternity Playhouse, the former tabernacle where reformed alcoholic Arthur Stace may have been inspired to scrawl 'Eternity' on Sydney's streets, to the grandiose and gilded State Theatre; several present and past financial and political institutions, including the Reserve Bank and Government House; an array of contemporary marvels, such as Harry Seidler's 9 Castlereagh and 8 Chifley; and a bunch of artsy, creative spaces, like Alaska Projects at Stockton House and the William Street Arch, where Underbelly Arts works its magic. If you're keen to take an especially close look at any particular building and learn more about its history, or get inside a place that isn't on the main list, you can opt to take a guided 'Focus Tour'. Purchase your Sydney Open City Pass or book a tour before October 17 to go in the draw to win one of 100 Golden Tickets, which gives you access to an exclusive adventure inside the Queen Victoria Building's ultra-fancy dome.
Mismatched milk crates stand stoic under the spray-painted board which passes for a stage. A plastic sheet painted to resemble a brick wall sags dejectedly in front of the genuine article. On the far wall, Cleopatra seduces impassively, the Queen of the Nile spearheading a column of pokie machines. Location: purgatory? Incorrect. It’s comedy night at The Laugh Hurrah. Is This Thing On? (written and directed by Zoe Coombs-Marr, with Kit Brookman as co-director) tracks the career of Brianna (Madeleine Benson, Genevieve Giuffre, Fiona Press, Susan Prior and Nat Randall), a comedian, from nervous teenager, riffling shakily through handwritten notes, to comedy stalwart, returning to the mic after a long stint away. Played by five different actors, the various Briannas weave in and out of each other’s stand-up sets, existing in the space as memories and ambitions when they’re not dishing out the goods. Obviously comedy consumption is notoriously subjective — everybody needs their funny bones tickled from a slightly different angle to get the desired result. With that in mind, I was disappointed by this show. It felt messy, let down by a structure which didn’t nail its comedic or dramatic elements enough to create a potent mix of the two. Rather than subverting expectations the way a good joke does, the fairly straightforward plot periodically grinds to a halt until the requisite amount of stand-up has been performed before culminating in a hasty climax and a musical finale. Though there is some good material in the script, very little of it is given room to breathe. Every punchline is so swamped by ‘shazams’, awkward pauses and explanations of the humour that there is virtually no opportunity to appreciate the jokes themselves. The Briannas’ heavily exaggerated delivery also means that the content often feels like a parody of the form rather than a celebration of it, making the laughs even harder to locate. The show definitely has its moments — Giuffre finally answers the question that Stevie Nicks put to Rhiannon all those years ago in resounding style, and a woman in the crowd, asked for her profession on three separate occasions, finally makes the improbable jump from ‘semi-retired’ to ‘bricklayer’. Ultimately, however, good comedy is governed by two things: timing and structure, and it is these elements which Is This Thing On? feels like it fails to truly master.
It's a sweltering summer's day in 19th century Russia. Languishing in the heat are a group of twenty-somethings, a teacher with pretensions toward greatness, his wife, a widow about to lose her estate, her stepson, an old flame, a doctor, a grocer, a criminal, a student and various others. All of them are exhausted; plagued by various existential crises. All of them have a general disregard for what happens next. Welcome to Chekhov's first serious crack at playwriting. This adaptation of Platonov by Anthony Skuse (who also directed the play) has mercifully cut two hours from the original, not to mention six characters. Although it's still a sizeable cast, everybody pulls their weight. Charlie Garber's Platonov is especially good. He strolls around the casually and mercilessly rebuking his friends as "small, useless people" and then watching in amusement as they fall over themselves to impress him. They cling to him, beguiled by his talk of a better life. What they fail to notice is that Platonov, a schoolteacher, is just as firmly mired in middle-class torpor as they. Sam Trotman's Sergei, the emptiest of several empty shirts which inhabit the play, is very entertaining with an almost canine desperation for affection and a propensity for spontaneous tears in the face of problems large and small. Sasha, Platonov's thoroughly ordinary and completely satisfied wife, is skilfully performed by Matilda Ridgway. The scene in which she finally confronts her philandering husband is devastating. The set (designed by Skuse), is a sea of wooden chairs of all shapes and sizes. They begin pleasantly clumped in small groups, prepared for a garden party. A chess board and a bottle of vodka are suggestive of the lazy afternoon to ensue. As night falls and despair and desperation take the characters one by one, the chairs are shunted to the side of the stage to form a knot, twisted and chaotic. It's somehow malevolent. Although unquestionably pacier than its parent text, there are still an inordinate number of subplots to sort through over the play's three-hour running time. More than once I found myself wondering whether another two or three characters might have been given the chop without making too much of a dent in the overall narrative. It's a shame, too, that more has not been done to tone down Chekhov's ending. As it stands, the last 15 minutes sacrifice a great deal of excellent character work by veering alarmingly into melodrama. Platonov has plenty to offer, though, particularly as the world regresses to diplomatic attitudes reminiscent of the Cold War (shirtfronting, anyone?). Chekhov's exploration of the Russian, and human experience may have been hauled into the 21st century, but it's still a potent reminder that we're all just "so many wretched souls beneath this heavy moon".
Since Tony Abbott was elected Prime Minister last year, I can count on one hand the number of my acquaintances who have not, at one point or another, volunteered an elaborate or brazenly carnage-laden scheme for offing him (the pacifists outlined similarly detailed plans to emigrate). While these threats are in no way credible, they’re not exactly the idle grumblings of voters whose home team has been banished to opposition, either. They are products of the worst kind of political disaffection, that which breeds apathy and disinterest rather than incisive and reasoned opposition. Kill the PM, written by Fregmonto Stokes and directed by James Dalton for Unhappen, imagines a group of young, naive and poorly organised extremists railing against this sluggish political atmosphere in the most radical way possible. Debates about political assassination generally focus on the morality of killing one person for the benefit of many. The quandary here, though, is whether it can ever be morally acceptable to murder a head of state that the many actually voted for. The set, despite being attributed to Dylan Tonkin, looks like it’s been erected by Dexter Morgan. Concrete walls and musty furniture are hazy behind sheets of plastic which hang from the ceiling or are draped carefully over objects which might later register fingerprints. The quiet menace of the space is enhanced by the dull reflected glare of industrial worklights. Enter Pete (Michael McStay), Flick (Zoe Jensen), Naomi (Lily Newbury-Freeman) and eventually, Rowan (Nicholas Hiatt), four dissidents who have realised that the strongly worded letter isn’t quite the vehicle of political change they’d hoped it could be. Armed with a rifle, they intend to cast the ultimate vote of no confidence when the Prime Minister’s motorcade passes the building in an hour’s time. The fact that there’s a traitor in their midst is the least of the group’s worries. From the moment we discover that the designated gunman is a schizophrenic acrobat in his pyjamas, we’re fairly sure that Our Glorious Leader is going to make it out in one piece. The murder plot becomes largely immaterial, though, as the second half moves to explore the unravelling of the conspirators themselves. Reality quickly loses definition when word reaches that the Reptilians have begun their march on humankind. Through green smoke, the Pregnant Madonna is led away by the headsman and goannas casually munch the carrion of their own kind. Arresting visuals and an excellent sound design by Lucy Parakhina and James Brown, respectively, create a world which, though terrifying, is no more nonsensical or chaotic than the one we’ve just left. The narrative has evaporated but the imagery and the questions that remain are rich and challenging. Kill the PM might sound like an exercise in coarse wish fulfilment, but whether you consider that a major selling point or a reason to decry it, know this: it isn’t. By refusing to provide an easy or coherent conclusion, Kill the PM proves its unwillingness to sink to the level of a revenge fantasy. It shows that both the problem and the solution are far too complex to be solved by a single gunshot.
American artist Nick Cave is most well known for his androgynous, anonymous, nationless Soundsuits — wearable sculptures that are the stuff of brightly coloured, whimsical, otherworldly dreams. Cave — who is not to be confused with our Nick Cave, and proof that the name must just breed weirdness and creativity — sources these sculptures from African ceremonial costumes, Tibetan textiles and popular culture. Cave uses dyed human hair, plastic buttons, sequins and feathers to create sometimes static, sometimes stomping, twisting and dancing living artworks, in a confluence of fashion, performance and sculpture that is also very, very fun and pretty to look at. Cave, who has never recorded a song with Kylie Minogue nor released a movie named 20,000 Days on Earth, is in Australia at the moment and will be appearing in conversation in a free event at Carriageworks on November 13. If you like Cave's pretty fluffy dancing things, and want to hear the artist in his first Australian discussion about them, book your place now — between the people who are genuinely into Cave's work, and the ones who are just a bit confused and overexcited, we don't think they'll last long. And, just to be well and truly clear, here's proof that Nick Cave the artist and Nick Cave the musician are two very different, equally cool people.
When a movie character complains about the flimsiness and predictability of the world, it helps if the film they're in doesn't share the same traits. The character in question is Margo Roth Spiegelman (Cara Delevingne), while the feature is Paper Towns. She's the resident high school cool girl that the boy across the road, Quentin — or Q (Nat Wolff) — has spent years pining over. She's also the central mystery in the latest page-to-screen adaptation based on the work of novelist John Green. Those with a memory for melancholy teen fare might remember the last Green-penned effort to reach cinemas: cancer romance The Fault in Our Stars. Swap illness for aloofness, and a visit to Europe with a drive to upstate New York, and you know the kind of earnest drama you're in for. The same writers bring both films to fruition, and Wolff also features in each — then as the sidekick, now as the star. Here, his Q fondly remembers his younger days palling around with Margot before they grew up and into different cliques, only to feverishly relive them after she climbs through his bedroom window seeking his help for a revenge-fuelled adventure. The morning after, still buzzed from pranking Margot's cheating ex-boyfriend and the friends who knew about his philandering ways, Q thinks his life will change — only to find that the object of his affections has gone missing instead. Cue an attempt to track Margot down sparked by a series of clues she has left behind, with the smitten Q certain that they're signs she wants him to do just that. And cue a film that wears not just its heart on its sleeve, but its fantasies about halcyon high school days where important life lessons are learned. You've seen and heard them all before: try new things, follow your dreams, be yourself, cool kids have problems too, don't pin all your hopes of your teenage crush. The list goes on. Paper Towns barely gives anyone older than 18 a passing glance. Yet as it cycles through the usual house party, road trip and prom moments, it feels more like the calculated, nostalgic product of adults looking backwards than an authentic reflection of youth. That's the territory Green plays in — and while director Jake Schreier cultivated genuine emotion in his previous effort, Robot and Frank, just as writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber did in The Spectacular Now, the author's formula here is clearly at work. Hence the insubstantial and obvious narrative, the hardly memorable characters, and the other cookie-cutter elements — warm tones, a wistful soundtrack and standard performances included. An amalgam of everything those remembering their adolescence wish to recall, as well as everything those going currently through it wish to experience, Paper Towns just wants to be pleasant and neat. And that's what it achieves — however at-odds with its underlying "don't get boxed in" mantra that may be.
He won three Oscars and worked on 285 films. He created gowns for everything from 42nd Street to Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon to An American in Paris, and Oklahoma! to Some Like it Hot, and ranks among the most successful costume designers ever to ply his trade in Hollywood. He's also Australian, born Orry George Kelly but better known as just Orry-Kelly. And, as Women He's Undressed rightly assumes, most people have probably never heard of him. For those who haven't, Gillian Armstrong's latest documentary is here to shed light on a life of glamorous ups and heartbreaking downs during the Golden Age of cinema. For those who have, the movie will surely still fill in plenty of gaps, whether serving up interviews with Orry-Kelly's colleagues and those he inspired, or spilling the beans on his famous friendships and status as a confidant to many a leading lady. Either way, his journey from a small town to the big screen makes for quite the story, as do the exploits that followed. He didn't just dazzle with his prolific designs, but also with his defiance, proudly living as a gay man at a time – and in an industry – that was far from accommodating. In a factual effort that bears more than a little resemblance to Armstrong's Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst, Women He's Undressed doesn't only rely upon talking heads and archival footage, though what it boasts in these areas proves both engaging and illuminating. Instead, it addresses the issue that troubles many docos — not having enough existing content, but not wanting to fill its frames with wall-to-wall secondhand accounts and clips — through cheeky re-enactments. In some films, that's a tactic that doesn't work, but not in Armstrong's skilled hands. She tasks actor Darren Gilshenan (Rake) with both playing and recounting Orry-Kelly's life, with his version of the subject — who is rarely glimpsed in his real guise — speaking directly to the camera. The effect feels more conspiratorial than typical narration, like watching someone talk through their memoir and share all the juicy tidbits that were omitted. In fact, such scribblings are mentioned, as intermingled with an account of his special bond with Cary Grant. More well-known names keep coming up, of course — and with actress Jane Fonda, local designers Catherine Martin (The Great Gatsby) and Kym Barrett (The Matrix), and film critic Leonard Maltin among those offering their memories of and thoughts about Orry-Kelly, there's never any doubt that this is a tribute. If ever a film figure warranted such an adoring approach though, it's this under-sung hero and his brilliant career. Oh, and those ladies he helped in and out of his beautifully made costumes? They included Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Shirley MacLaine and Marilyn Monroe, just to name a few.
National Young Writers' Festival (NYWF) is the four-day writerly celebration that takes over the imaginations of young writers around the country. Directors Alexandra Neill, Jessica Alice and Lex Hirst's colourful program features familiar names like Benjamin Law, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Clementine Ford, Lawrence Leung, Genevieve Fricker, Steph Harmon, James Colley, Patrick Lenton and more (including some other names you might not recognise now but definitely will in the next five years). As well as more serious talks on slacktivism, mandatory detention and identity, NYWF won't be holding back on the life's practical truths, informing young writers about how to get paid as a writer, how to become an astronaut, how to make a sumptuously good sandwich and how to keep a diary and still be cool. Like any good writers' festival, Breakfast Book Club will start each day with impassioned discussion on life changing books, ones that make you plain angry and ones that are so good you turn into a nocturnal creature. Over 60 panels, discussions, workshops, performances and launches will carry you through deep into the evening when you'll get to sit back and relax to late night romance, crime and dystopian readings. Did we mention the whole festival is free? Yep, all of it. Blowing out 17 candles this year, NYWF is growing bigger and wiser by the year. But a festival is never too old for an intergalactic-themed ball and a spelling bee-cross-Hunger Games-style battle of the brains, right? NYWF runs from 2-5 October. Check out the full program here. Image: Alan Weedon.
Okay, so free shipping and a 0 percent chance of being talked into buying a bag you don't need because it would look so cute with those shoes is great, but shopping IRL has plenty of bonuses, too. You'll find pretty much all of them at Fashion's Night Out, which is probably the best idea to come out of Anna Wintour's brain since she decided Seth Meyers should wear a lacey Marc Jacobs dress to the CDFA awards. Fashion's Night Out was initiated by Wintour six years ago to pump money back into the flailing retail economy, and Sydney's own edition is now a firm fixture on the calendar. Excuses you didn't really need to buy a whole bunch of nice new things for spring include pop-up beauty bars, free champagne, complimentary nibbles, gifts-with-purchase, and photo booths, with the majority of them taking place around Westfield and the CBD.
You know that feeling of unsurpassed joy you experience when you are eating at a restaurant and you see the waiter approaching your table with your dish? Good Food Month is that feeling. Spread out over a whole month. Spanning all October, Good Food Month celebrates the joy of food over many diverse platforms — ranging from markets to workshops, talks, tastings and completely unusual, unexpected, food-skewed events. It's also the time when restaurants that we probably couldn't afford open their doors with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert specials. This year, Good Food month will feature Israeli food maestro Yotam Ottolenghi, who'll be doing an exclusive dinner, lunch and talk. The list of things to see (and, most importantly, eat) feels endless, so, as usual, we've handpicked the ten best events that you cannot miss if the thought of food makes you feel giddy with excitement. Read all about them here.
That staple of summer, Maltesers Moonlight Cinema, is back for its 19th season of open-air cinema from December 11 to March 29. It's the casual, picnicky solution to all your summer cinema dreams. After the daytime bustle of joggers, personal trainers and cyclists subsides at Centennial Park, hire a beanbag or simply sprawl out on the grass under the stars. Don't forget some delicious snacks and a few beverages to complete your cinematic experience. It's the perfect way to unwind after a hard day and usher in those balmy summer nights. There's also the option of 'Gold Grass' tickets, which gets you a bean-bed in the front rows and designated waitstaff. The December–January portion of the program is basically a hit list of the summer's biggest flicks. Guardians of the Galaxy and Interstellar will make for perfect viewing under the vast night sky. Ladies will be taking a leading role for a fair portion of the action with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 1, Lucy, and the controversial Gone Girl. Then the latest comedy will be lightening the mood with Dumb and Dumber To, Horrible Bosses 2, and The Interview which sees Seth Rogen and James Franco basically going to war with North Korea. There are a few lesser known titles to watch out for too. The yet-to-be-released Birdman will see Michael Keaton poking fun at his days as the caped crusader alongside a stellar supporting cast, the heartbreaking Still Alice has Julienne Moore tipped for a Best Actress nomination, and The Gambler sees Mark Wahlberg front an adaptation of a '70s classic.
Sydney's rambunctious leotard-loving lads, Bluejuice, are calling it a day. The beloved pop/rock/dance/errrthang ratbags Jake Stone, Stavros Yiannoukas, Jamie Cibej and James Hauptmann are embarking on their final greatest hits national tour to wrap everything up by the end of 2014. "After 13 years of broken bones, broken hearts, sore heads, passive aggression, regular aggression, several arrests, questionable skin infections, and a busload of infuriated tour managers, Bluejuice are announcing they are calling it quits at the end of 2014," says the Bluejuice reps. Since 2001, the beloved Sydney outfit have had one heck of a ride, keeping the chin of Australian music up with three celebrated albums (Problems, Head of the Hawk and Company) on the shelf and still holding the position of most played track on triple j ever ('Vitriol'). Bluejuice have decided to part ways to test the waters in other projects, with the sad intention of giving those leotards a rest. Before they take their final bows, the team will release a big ol' greatest hits album — a retrospective ride dubbed Retrospectable, with all your favourite mid-2000s sticky-floored party go-tos, best bits from their three albums, extra rare content and new single 'I'll Go Crazy', produced by Dann Hume (Sticky Fingers/Alpine). Bluejuice will kick it on their final national tour this September/October. Starting at Adelaide's Uni Bar, the pair will meander through the capitals and rural centres before finishing up where it all started — Sydney (at the Metro Theatre, where many a drunken Bluejuice escapade has roamed before). In one of the most emotionally-charged press releases we've ever seen, Bluejuice's legacy is laid down. "They shall leave behind a body of work of which they are all very proud, and they look to the future with a mix of hope and fear of starvation, not unlike the chick at the end of Children Of Men." Top notch. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ldBhDmvWFXE
Heralding from Argentina, the enigmatic Juana Molina makes her way to Newtown Social Club for a one-night-only performance guaranteed to dazzle. Described as "Spanish-sung folktronica", Molina's performances are as unique as they are playful; full to the brim with experimentation and honest passion in song. Continuing soundscapes full of surprises, never dull or anticipated. Some have attempted to pigeonhole Molina, tried to fit her into a niche genre or have compared her to other songstresses such as Beth Orton or Bjork while trying to describe her sound; one of the most admirable characteristics of Juana is her very selfness, her unique sensibilities and authentic original sound. Molina's always in good company, even as a staunchly solo artist — she's worked with the likes of Vetiver and Vashti Bunyan and has toured with David Byrne and Feist. Molina is also a member of the Congotronics vs Rockers collaboration with Konono N°1, Kasai Allstars, Deerhoof, Wildbirds & Peacedrums and the Skeletons' Matt Mehlan. Busy, busy. Supported by Alyx Dennison + Fieldings. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UC2lFttTOIM
Kryptonite gives exactly what it promises: an insight into Australia-China relations through the lens of an Aussie-guy-meets-Chinese-girl love story spanning 25 years. The new Australian play, by Sue Smith, creates a universe with population two. Lian and Dylan (craftfully brought to life by Ursula Mills and Tim Walter) begin the play as two nameless, suit-wearing figures. Yet, after 90 minutes’ time travel through their turbulent history — their triumphs and tragedies — we are heavily invested in their intersecting lives and cultures. The plot zooms back and forth in time, unravelling cultural complexities between Lian and Dylan and the larger relationship they stand for: China and Australia. The jump between eras in Australian history, politics and fashion is fun. Walter endears Dylan to us, in board shorts and thongs in a university tutorial in 1989. He is free-spirited, loveable, with aspirations of activism (hindered only by his own white privilege). He inevitably has to exchange his university soapbox for the all-consuming bureaucracy and doublespeak of politics, compromising his freedom and family along the way. Mills conveys Lian’s situation as an impoverished international student who still has unshakeable personal and national pride. Her hilarious one-liners are successful due to her obliviousness while being (mis)interpreted. The audience sometimes laughs at her pronunciation, sometimes her mindset, but is equally entranced by poetic revelations like “these clouds are the souls of seven billion ancestors”. Lian as ‘other’ permits entry into Chinese cultural values, which for many Westerners (like Dylan) are “a total mystery”. We can see some way past the stereotype of a diligent student with no social life to realise she “thinks like her country” and wants desperately to achieve success. At the same time, she is being emotionally torn apart by the increasing brutality of the totalitarian regime back home. Excepting one slightly clunky sex sequence, this two-hander is captivating and well-directed by Geordie Brookman. The set is a marvel: vertical panels first appear as thin walls of shale but later become sandstone or crumpled paper, depending on Nicholas Rayment’s lighting. It’s wonderful to behold the set’s constant expansion and contraction, from stadiums to cockpits. Kryptonite is a modern, multicultural Australian story. We all move away from our ideals with age, ambition and complacence, but in the case of Lian and Dylan, that drift comes with very compelling consequences.
Dance music lovers are well and truly catered for this Spring. With Inside Out and the S.A.S.H. Sleepout dominating September, lovers of big drops and tight beats have already been planning carpools for the warmer months. Planning an exclusive dance music haven to rival your imagination, festival promoters Disktrict want to keep the tempo high until November with the second instalment of Return To Rio. Founded by Ricky Cooper (Tricky) and Nick Law (Lawless), Disktrict launched as a local dance party arbiter of Sydney's east in mid-2012. It didn't take the DJ duo long to dabble into festival territory, holding a rainy but relatively successful Return To Rio a year later. The three-day dance music festival sees Ibiza favourite Ten Walls headlining a solid beats-heavy crew — including Berlin-based DJ and producer Lake People, Sydney 'We Speak No Americano' duo Yolanda Be Cool, Leftroom/Crosstown Rebels label mates Laura Jones and Gavin Herlihy, '80s house pioneer Mr C Superfreq and '90s underground acid house king MC Scallywag. RETURN TO RIO 2014 LINEUP: TEN WALLS (LIVE) LAKE PEOPLE (LIVE) LAURA JONES MR C MC SCALLYWAG GAVIN HERLIHY YOLANDA BE COOL NEIL HODGKINSON GOODWILL SIMON CALDWELL KEN CLOUD BEN KORBEL NICK LAW + MORE Taking over the Del Rio Riverside Resort in Wiseman's Ferry for a weekend in mid-November, Return To Rio shares many of the same traits with the ill-fated, end of summer retreat, Playground Weekender. Due to a major risk of flooding, the five-year-strong dance festival was cancelled in 2012 just hours before it was meant to take off, and wasn't able to recover from the financial blowout. Hopefully the weather doesn't make any threats this time around. Ticket prices have taken a small leap up from $120 to $150, but Return to Rio have delivered a severely beat-heavy lineup akin to last year's, which included Mad Racket, S.A.S.H., Love Bombs, Start Cue, Murat Killic, Wonderland Ave and a truckload of others.
If there's one job that Carriageworks is supremely good at, it's providing the dream setting for humongous artworks. So, it comes as no surprise that legendary Torres Strait Islander artist Ken Thaiday Snr has deemed the Darlington space suitable for housing his biggest installation in Sydney. Ever. And he'll be unveiling it, as well as launching a new series of accompanying dance works, on October 3. The hotly-anticipated creation is inspired by the landscape Thaiday calls home, as well as by the significance of family, faith and culture. Combining installation, kinetic sculpture and dance, the work provides a meeting place for the traditional and the contemporary. At its heart is an intricate sculpture, which is a monumental tribute to the Dhari — a type of headdress only worn in the Torres Strait. You'll be able to visit Thaiday's installation between October 3 and November 23. If you'd like to know more about it, head along to his artist talk, to be held on October 4.
Following their successful debut in Melbourne last June, one of Australia's most exciting new film festivals is doubling down in their sophomore year. Extending their dates and adding Sydney to the rotation, the second annual Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia (CaSFFA) promises to be even more intriguing than the first. A tale about family, friendship and an endearing love of movies, Jiri Madl's To the Sea will bookend the festival, launching the Melbourne leg on August 21 and screening on closing night in Sydney two-and-a-half weeks later. Other contemporary highlights include the 60s set surveillance thriller The Confidant and the action-packed mob movie The Godfather's Story. Classic movie buffs can also look forward to a series of retrospective screenings, including a digital restoration of Jiri Menzel's 1966 Oscar winner Closely Observed Trains and a multi-session sidebar on the work of Czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer. The festival will also present a number of free exhibitions, for patrons looking to expand their understanding of Czech and Slovak history. For the full CaSFFA program, visit the festival website. Image: To the Sea.
There’s something seriously amiss at this audition, and it’s not the usual malarkey. There’s belittlement and power exploitation aplenty, but depending on how you read Venus in Fur, written by David Ives and directed by Grace Barnes for Darlinghurst Theatre Company, underneath the constantly accumulating layers of artifice, you may be witnessing fraud, a sting, divine visitation or something else completely. The text begins with a gently writhing premise — writer and director Thomas (Gareth Reeves), is at audition’s — and his wit’s — end. Having just adapted a rather racy 17th-century German novel for the stage, he is unable to find an actress capable of performing the female lead. As he is leaving the rehearsal space, a clap of thunder heralds the arrival of Vanda Jordan (Anna Houston), an actress, loud, drenched and leather-clad. She begs for/forces an audition from the reluctant Thomas, assuring him of her ability to assume a character from "18-whatever". "Usually I’m really demure and shit," she remarks, stripping to her underwear without a hint of self-consciousness and rummaging in her bag for a costume. The writhing gradually becomes a thrashing; in period costume, sipping from an imaginary teacup, Vanda transforms. She is indeed perfect for the part. But as the audition continues and passions that may or may not have anything to do with theatrical integrity begin to flare, elements of her story start to contradict each other. Questions of Vanda’s true identity and motives go unasked or unanswered as the power dynamic in the room is redrawn repeatedly by the shifting bounds of the audition and ‘real life’. Houston and Reeves both deliver strong performances and work effectively to anchor different parts of the show. While it is Reeves’ grim resolve and weighty delivery that stops any of the German masochism from getting too outrageous, it is Houston’s comic touch, her vivacious and mischievous Vanda who keeps the rehearsal space alive between readings. Venus in Fur has no simple answers — its focus is enticement rather than enlightenment, folding back on itself endlessly and leaving viewers with an intricate puzzle that doesn’t necessarily have a solution.
Another show from Mike Parr will be unveiled in June at Anna Schwartz Gallery. This batch of mixed media works on canvas will stir up something that has been repressed. The title ‘Deep North’ has been intentionally left open, but Parr hopes to inspire thinking about Australia’s relationship — or arrangement — with Nauru and Manus Island. Does our political consciousness end at our borders? Does compassion carry across international waters? Parr has been making art for over 40 years now and is still experimenting with new forms of aesthetic and political engagement. He co-created Australia’s first ARI in the 1970s, pioneered performance art in Sydney and has an extensive list of international accolades.
Melbourne-based literary and art mag The Lifted Brow is coming to Sydney to launch its 26th issue at Freda's in Chippendale. Entry is free and there'll be live music from singer-songwriter Alyx Dennison, who used to be one half of indie-pop kyu and has just released her debut, self-titled solo album. Issue 26 is the second incarnation of The Lifted Brow's new format. It includes work from international contributors Wayne Koestenbaum and Hoa Nguyen, as well as a stack of home-grown talents, such as Briohny Doyle, Upulie Divisekera, Helen Addison-Smith, Samuel Wagan Watson, Michael Farrell, Jessica Yu, Sam George-Allen, Rebecca Harkins-Cross, Dion Kagan, Jana Perkovic, Nicky Minus, TextaQueen, Mary Leunig, HTMLflowers and Michael Hawkins. Since being founded in 2007, The Lifted Brow, a "quarterly attack journal", has become one of Australia's most respected literary publications. Numerous big names have featured, Christos Tsiolkas, Helen Garner, David Foster Wallace and Neil Gaiman among them.
If you see an unusual number of fictional characters roaming the streets this May 2, you're not crazy, but you are missing out: it's Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic book stores around the world give away free comics to anyone who walks in. Free Comic Book Day started in America, but it's been picked up by stores in Australia as well. Aiming to "reach out to those individuals unfamiliar with the comic book specialty market", Free Comic Book Day sees many publishers ship specially printed comic books, often previews of upcoming titles, to participating stores around the world. It's not just about the free stuff, though — most stores will have special events going on like artist signings, dress-up competitions and giveaways. The website also has a handy store locator, so you can see what stores are participating near you. In Sydney, it means heading to the city and storming Kinokuniya, Kings Comics and Comic Kingdom.
When it comes to getting to the heart of what life is like during wartime, Vera Brittain literally wrote the book. You may not have heard of the English writer, though you really should've. A century ago, she was crusading for her right to make her own decisions and rallying against the future that was supposed to await all women. Getting married and playing house was the done thing, but it was far from her dream. Instead, she wanted to study at Oxford and pursue a career — until the First World War broke out, changing everything. Brittain's first memoir, Testament of Youth, offers a record of the devastation that followed, including loss and destruction anyone who has ever read or seen anything about war will instantly recognise. Her recollections are more than just accounts of the horrors she witnessed while volunteering as a nurse in London, Malta and France, however; they're a portrait of a generation forever shaken by the experience, as told from the female perspective. Think about the wealth of movies you've seen about men marching off to battle, then think about how many truly depict what such times were like for women. That's just one of the reasons that Brittain's story — and the film that brings it to the screen — demands attention. She might not have been on the front lines, but she was fighting for a cause in any way she could. After striving to further her education, she willingly chose to put her life on hold, head to the conflict and do her part to support those in the thick of combat. Rising star Alicia Vikander plays Brittain as a determined figure in a dark era, yet never a merely dutiful one, which is an important distinction. It is certainly disappointing that the film pays so much attention to the influence of the men in Brittain's life — her initially disapproving father (Dominic West), her charming brother (Taron Egerton) and the poet she falls in love with (Kit Harington, because every film these days seems to have to cast someone from Game of Thrones) — but Vikander's convincing and complex portrayal ensures she's always the real star of the show. Thanks to director James Kent, the movie is also as handsome as it is heartfelt, his fondness for period details apparent. Audiences have seen warm-toned, softly lit scenes like his before, and romanticised and restrained war films, too, but when they're this intricate and earthy, it is hard to get tired of watching them. Indeed, that sentiment also fits Testament of Youth as a whole. So much looks and feels familiar in the way Brittain's real-life plight has been adapted for the screen, and even if the movie doesn't do its inspiration justice, there's always something — a refreshing point of view, a stellar performance, an elegant image — that keeps sparking interest in this wartime chronicle.
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Bondi are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
So, you want to get a glimpse into life in another country, but you can't actually afford to travel anywhere? That's where film festivals come in, taking audiences on a cinematic journey without anyone needing to leave their comfy, movie theatre seats. This month, it's Germany's turn in the spotlight. Making its way around Australia from May 13–31, the Audi Festival of German Films delves into everything the country has to offer in the movie realm. That includes 50 new German-language films, spanning efforts as varied as action comedy Not My Day and twisted fairy tale The Bunker. It also includes an interesting schedule of panel discussions and themed evenings, if you want to do more than watch. Whatever your tastes or interests, there's certain to be something to tickle your fancy. Want to take a peek at an Alps-set western, laugh along with a hitman comedy or strap in for a time-travelling romance? Well, here you can. You can also delve into the history of cinema, and into a key figure in East Berlin's radical underground art world. For the full Audi Festival of German Films lineup, visit the festival website.
Reckon you know everything there is to know about the mighty martini? Had it dirty, dry, perfect, shaken, stirred? Get down to Eau de Vie during World Class Cocktail Week to find out that you don’t know what you don’t know. At a masterclass to be hosted on May 27, the secretive bar’s martini experts will carry you through the cocktail’s long and wicked history — from the myths surrounding its origins (did it evolve from a cocktail served up at San Francisco’s Occidental Hotel in the 1860s? Or was it invented 50 years later in New York City?) to Dorothy Parker’s versification “I like to have a martini, two at the very most; after three I’m under the table; after four, I’m under the host.” Along the way, there’ll be sterling silver martini syringes, Tiffany vermouth dispensers and martini scales. There’s no end to the lengths mixologists have gone to in search of the dream martini.
Snooping isn't something we'd encourage. But sometimes having sticky fingers pays off, big time. A Town Named War Boy, the latest offering from the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), turns the State Library's World War One archives into a stripped-back dramatic performance of the Anzac legend. One hundred years on and four budding actors under the direction of ATYP's artistic director Fraser Corfield bring their experiences of hardship and sacrifice to life. Playwright Ross Mueller uncovers the voices behind the diaries and letters of these young Aussie soldiers, giving audiences a brutally honest insight into the realities of life in the firing line. Brandon McClelland, Joshua Brennan, Simon Croker and Edward McKenna take to the stage to deliver these poignant tales.
Here is a little glimpse into a bizarre future where ideologies are amalgamated and the boundaries between class, sex and race have been erased. This is the forecast of Los Angeles-based artist Mark Whalen, who will be presenting Improper Fraction at Chalk Horse Gallery in May 2015. As you will see, the ceramic works in the show take the form of hand-sculpted books, which can be seen as the keys to unlocking his curiously complex paintings. Harking back to high modernism, his practice evokes the mathematical spiritualism of movements such as De Stijl and the Bauhaus painters. On first glance, these intricate paintings look like flat and futuristic adaptations of MC Escher drawings. He is also inspired by the fantastical chaos of Hieronymus Bosch; however, Whalen’s geometrically precise worlds have a certain order and rhythm — like neat little computer-generated packages. Come along for the exhibition opening on Thursday, May 7, at 6–8pm.
One of our brightest video artists is exhibiting at Stills Gallery this month. Her latest series, titled simply Work, restages a local fruit market. The prettiness of Kawita Vatanajyankur’s art is like a packet of lollies — deliciously alluring. However, she often blends pain and humiliation with her Willy Wonka colour palette. Her work is a peculiar blend of quirkiness and body-aching intensity. Vatanajyankur is an endurance artist; she is perpetually testing her mental and physical limits. This latest foray into smashing melons and balancing bananas also contains a feminist undercurrent. While reviving the pre-industrial labour of her native Thailand, her videos tap into traditional understandings of ‘women’s work’. You are likely to see a heightened destructiveness where she is literally being worn down by banal tasks. In any case, Vatanajyankur is one of those can’t-look-away artists. Come along to the opening on Wednesday, May 6, at 6–8pm.
This elusive-sounding exhibition will feature a collection of photographs from emerging artist Simon del Favero. Liminal is an adventure into the space surrounding the photographed object; it is an attempt to see through the solitary in search of something that is not quite visible. Del Favero’s architectural training has fostered an interest in spatial situations and visual relationships. In a curious way, it seems this show is less about individual images and more about how the act of photography stimulates thought about human perception. Head along to the opening at Firstdraft on August 5. Other artists exhibiting at Firstdraft this month include Marilyn Schneider, Jarrod van der Ryken and Amanda Williams.
Taking its name from the meme website that's a go-to for every good procrastinator, Totally Looks Like at Stills Gallery tackles the 21st century ease of crafting alternative personalities. It's the evolution (or devolution) from self-portrait to selfie that underpins this group exhibition. If Cindy Sherman slapped on a bit of stage make-up and knocked up some papier mache props, it might come close to Jaimie Warren's humorous style of self-portraiture. Celebrating the amateur aesthetic of reality TV and internet memes, she dives into the user-driven world of popular culture, sapping the pretentiousness out of contemporary art. In this series, she splices celebrities with food. One of her concoctions is Tuna Turner, a portrait of the '80s songstress with marbled pink skin and her trademark teased hair. There's also Lasagne Del Ray, a vision of cheese sauce and gluggy mascara. With those unmistakably sculpted eyebrows and pouted lips peeping through a mound of pasta, there's a lot of fun to be had here. Jackson Eaton's Melfies appear to spring from the ‘try before you buy’ mantra of retail culture. A range of self-portraits are printed onto T-shirts and hung on conventional clothing racks for your browsing pleasure; however, Eaton has selected a circle of friends and relatives to dictate how these portraits are staged, relinquishing control of how he is perceived. By producing and marketing different sides of his personality, he unmasks the commercialism of the art world with deadpan humour. In spite of this, there are acts of self-concealment throughout this series. For example, there's a self-portrait with a fern branch obscuring his face. Against a blue sky background, this has a Magritte flavour of optical play and trickery. Kawita Vatanajyankur similarly recruits others in her self-portraiture. Her three video works feature acts of violence mixed with slapstick humour. Often appearing as a passive object, Wet Rag sees a woman scrubbing the floor with the artist's limp and soaped up body. The dark humour of these works is offset by their candy-coloured backgrounds. Shades of bubblegum pink and banana yellow prettify the action, creating an ethical dilemma in the viewer's mind. Jodie Whalen offers a total change of mood and pace. Her self-portrait is less physical and more spiritual. In this digital video, we follow her gaze as she wanders through her suburban neighbourhood at sunrise. There are treetops, crossed powerlines and the occasional perched kookaburra. As day breaks, silhouetted houses become sun-splashed. With a shimmering soundscape, there is a relaxing harmony between the audio and visual elements. The work has a warm glow, inducing a nostalgia for the backyard block and tree-lined streets of your childhood. Although there's artists I haven't mentioned, Stills Gallery have put together a strong group show. With Warren's gross-out giggles, Vatanajyankur's self-deprecation and Eaton's deadpan, there's also a great deal of humour. From the highly performative self to the the disembodied self, in today's world self-portraiture in art and life is given more scope and power to reproduce.
Melbourne's shindig-instigators Northeast Party House will be dominating Beach Road, Newtown Social Club and The Lair with three downright hootenannies to launch their highly anticipated debut album. Any Given Weekend features dancefloor fillers such as 'Youth Allowance' and 'Fake Friends', which are sure to stir a rambunctious crowd. Latest single off the album, 'The Haunted', is a great example of the strong songwriting chops and poppy hooks you can expect from NPH's debut record as a whole. Forming in 2010, these six Melbourne lads began by throwing down sets at warehouse parties, and their reputation for delivering high-energy live performances has stayed strong. Northeast Party House's alternative dance rock is chaotic but never sloppy, and always wildly fun. So don your most easily-danceable outfit and gather the party fiends in your crew, these shows are set for serious shindiggery. Here's the rundown: Wed 25 June – SOSUEME, Beach Road Hotel, Bondi w/ High-Tails — Free Sat 28 June – Newtown Social Club, Newtown w/ High-Tails and Conics Sun 29 June – The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney w/ High Tails and Conics https://youtube.com/watch?v=yU63Pertfk8
