Elegant CBD eatery Bopp & Tone is finally set to reopen its doors, and is doing so with an opening night feast with a twist. The 'choose what you pay' banquet will raise money for Applejack Hospitality's Food Sales For Staff initiative, which supports staff members who lost their income due to COVID-19. For one night only, the restaurant will serve up its banquet menu and allow diners to pay what they want. On the nine-dish menu, expect yellowfin tuna crudo, garlic king prawns, bone-in rib eye steak and smoky paprika spatchcock. Plus, a side of roasted potatoes, a buffalo ricotta and pumpkin salad and a dessert Bookings are essential and can be made from 6.30pm on Friday, August 14. The banquet is normally priced at $83, but will cost whatever you choose on the night. All drinks must be paid for (at full price) separately. You're encouraged to dig as deep as you can to help out employees, many of whom were not able to work during the lockdown and were also not eligible for the government's JobKeeper payments This is the fourth event held in conjunction with Food Sales For Staff, with more planned across other Applejack venues. Keep an eye on the website for upcoming event details.
It's an unlikely combination, but one we can totally get behind. Ken Done, the master of pre-school chic, and Scott Ludlam, the champion of all parliamentary smackdowns, are among the killer names lined up for the next Men of Letters event in Sydney. Writing about the women that changed their lives, these exceptional specimens will be dishing out some serious wisdom at The Basement on Sunday, October 19. An offshoot of Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire's hugely successful Women of Letters, this event will mark the fourth time men have been invited to the stage. Alongside Done and Ludlam will be TV personalities Andrew O'Keefe and Ian 'Dicko' Dickson. Hip hop artist Buck 65 and Queensland poet and rapper Omar Musa will be keeping things smooth and lyrical. The stage will feel like home to director of the Sydney Theatre Company Patrick McIntyre and writer, director and performer Nick Coyle. Even sports stars get a look in, with Brett Kirk of the Sydney Swans also penning a letter for the event. Though you may not have heard of the final speaker, you would definitely familiar with his work. Neil Lawrence was the brains behind the 'Kevin 07' campaign. Let's hope he brings some of that creative genius to play on the day. For those that haven't yet been to a Women (or Men) of Letters event before, it's a lot more than just storytelling. With a DJ set by Zan Rowe, flowing wine and letter writing by everyone involved, this could be the perfect time to pen your secret love letter to Scott Ludlam. Or Ken Done, if squiggly pictures of the Opera House are more your thing.
Thanks to an unfortunately timed COVID-19 outbreak, this year's edition of the Emerging Writers' Festival will take place entirely online. But if you're a devourer of books, you can rest assured it's still set to deliver a hefty lineup of talks, workshops, panels and more. Running from June 16–June 26, the all-digital program has events for all varieties of lit-lover — from After Dark, a night of live-streamed performance headlined by emerging stars like Wai-Mun Mah, Christy Tan, Jesse Oliver and Penny Smits, to a short story masterclass led by the award-winning Alice Bishop. Streamed via YouTube, Next Big Thing will feature readings from some of the country's hottest up-and-coming talent, while Littlefoot & Co heads up a night of spoken word on June 24. Plus, EWF favourite Amazing Babes will see a cast of familiar faces sharing stories about the women, real and imagined, who've helped shape their lives. The National Writers' Conference will also run as planned, with a full-day online program of panels, talks, workshops and pitching sessions. It's also your chance to hear from EWF's 2021 ambassadors, including poet and editor Elena Gomez (Body of Work), activist and novelist Tony Birch (Ghost River), and non-fiction star Sisonke Msimang (Always Another Country: A Memoir of Exile and Home). [caption id="attachment_811529" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sisonke Msimang[/caption]
If you like tacos, tequila and views of the ocean, clear your Saturday. Campbell Parade's Panama House is serving up an extra salty twist on its regular brunch for World Margarita Day. And it involves bottomless margaritas. To eat, the regular brunch packages will be available. For $39 a head, you'll get smoky beef croquettes, chicken enchiladas, swordfish tostadas, fajitas, baked barramundi and lots of shoestring fries. If you're vego, a similar meat-free feast will set you back $35, and includes the likes of portobello tacos, avocado tostadas and roasted cauliflower with almond mole rojo. For another $54, you can add on two hours of endless Tecate, mimosas, bloody marys, palomas and rosé. Now comes the salty party. On Saturday, February 22, you can add two hours of bottomless margaritas onto one of these brunches for another $25. That's a lot of booze, friends. If you can't make it along to the brunch, but would still like to enjoy a couple of drinks, the bar will be serving up $12 margaritas all day. You can book into the bottomless margarita brunch between 10–4pm. Image: Richard Mortimer
Benedict once told me about how she stumbled upon photography. It was fortuitous for the rest of us I suppose, and for her friends who are often the subject of her work. Her objective is not to preserve the sense of these peoples lives, but rather to share common experiences, sights and scenes. Nothing remarkable happens in these images, yet they are far from mundane; instead they contain a simply beauty. Rene Vaile's show has come down at Edition and has been replaced with Your pictures suck but I like you, an exhibition of images by Benedict and her sister Maggie. The title seems apt — the works on display shows the beginnings of Benedict's foray into the medium. Not all are perfect. In some the focus is a bit out or some of the framing is just a little off. But what is on show is her learning and experimenting, often succeeding but sometimes failing. There is no doubt she has a great eye, and what is refreshing is to see her willingness to show her progress — a progress that is obvious to anyone who follows her blog. Make any excuse to pop down to Edition to see the images in the flesh.
Marking its 14th year of celebrating a plethora of the world's best photographers, Australia's Head On Photo Festival is back and ready to showcase new stunning images at Sydney's Bondi Beach and across the Harbour city. Due to an influx of submissions, the 2023 festival will showcase an increased amount of works compared to its first 13 iterations. Head On 2023 has gathered the works of over 700 photographers which will be displayed across 100-plus exhibitions. Best of all, it's free for all to attend and enjoy. [caption id="attachment_923461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Juli Balla[/caption] The festival celebrates photography across four different categories: portrait, landscape and environmental, plus a specific category dedicated to school students. Overall, there's a total prize pool of $70,000 up for grabs across the categories. To commemorate the upcoming event, the opening night is going down on Friday, November 10 at Bondi Pavilion, where the Head On Photo Awards winners will be announced. While the exhibitions are free, entry to the opening night is $10. If you want to head along to the launch party, secure your spot in advance. [caption id="attachment_923464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chloe Sharrock[/caption] Top images: Michelle Aboud, Matthew Newton and Toma Gerzha, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival.
The Nice Guys mightn't have scored a sequel, but The Fall Guy does nicely instead. Getting a hearty workout: Ryan Gosling's charm, comedic talent that just earned an Oscar-nominated showcase in Barbie and action skills as last seen in The Gray Man. He's back in stunts, too, as Drive first gifted the world so mesmerisingly. A loose remake of the 80s television series of the same name, The Fall Guy is a take-it-and-run-with-it kind of film, then. Not only does it grasp hold of what Gosling does best and sprint, but the same applies for co-lead Emily Blunt (Pain Hustlers) — and, of course, for director David Leitch (Bullet Train), who first took the journey from stunt performer to filmmaker with John Wick, has kept filling his resume with action fare since (see: Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw and Bullet Train) and now virtually comes full circle in helming a flick where his protagonist does the same gig that he once did. Gosling's Colt Seavers is also taking it and running with it — in a profession where it's his job to help bring whatever impossible physical endeavour is required to the screen, as well as on the gig that gets him to Sydney. The Fall Guy starts 18 months prior to his trip Down Under, however, but still with him doubling for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train), one of the world's biggest actors. Seavers has a career that he loves and steady work at it thanks to Ryder's fame. He's also happily romancing Jody Moreno (Blunt), a camera operator with dreams of doing more. Then a stunt goes wrong, leaving him badly injured, battered and bruised emotionally and psychologically, and inspiring him to quit the business. Only a call from Ryder-loving producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso) sparks his return to the industry — he makes a crust as a valet once he's fit and able in-between — and, even then, it's only really the fact that Moreno is helming Ryder's latest movie as her directorial debut that nudges him onto the plane. Upon his arrival in Australia, Seavers soon discovers that the situation isn't exactly what he's been told. Ryder is missing from the Metalstorm set, putting the future of the production at risk. Shady folks keep popping up whenever anyone — well, Seavers — goes looking for the absent star. And Moreno had zero advance idea that the man who ghosted her had been enlisted on the shoot, and is far from thrilled about it or the way that their relationship ended. Trying to win her back, getting emotional fortification from Taylor Swift tunes The Bear-style, attempting to track down Ryder, evading the unsavoury figures on this trail, bouncing around Sydney: sometimes while fending off sword-swinging foes, sometimes while wearing fluoro, sometimes while paired with an acting dog who'll chomp on command, that's all on Seavers' plate in Drew Pearce's (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw) zippy screenplay. There's an easy, breezy vibe to The Fall Guy, the kind that comes from knowing wholeheartedly that you're capitalising upon the strengths of your key players. Although Seavers dates back to the television iteration and there was a Jody on the small screen, too (Banks, not Moreno), the film's main pair were moulded around Gosling and Blunt — and it always shows. For him, it's a charisma-forward performance whether he's getting goofy, earnest or thrust into a fray. His Kenergy-fuelled comic timing is impeccable, as is his ability to sell Seavers' soul-searching stint after a career that requires him to be invincible reminds him that no one is. For her, joining a resume that also includes excellent action turns in Looper and Edge of Tomorrow, it's a portrayal built on pluck. When Gosling and Blunt are together, the film boasts as much crackling chemistry — often of the screwball type — as it does dynamic fights, explosions, shootouts and car chases (one of the latter famously on the Sydney Harbour Bridge). And there are fights, explosions, shootouts and car chases (and boat jumps, helicopter battles and vehicular cannon rolls). You don't make a movie about a stunt performer on a mystery-caper adventure while working on a mega-budget alien sci-fi war romance flick — a film that turns the Sydney Opera House into a backdrop while it's at it — without highlighting stunts, stunts and more stunts. You definitely don't hold back if this was once your life as well. The action doesn't disappoint, nor does the commitment to weaving how such action comes to fruition into The Fall Guy's action sequences, complete with underscoring the importance of practical effects in the broader feature and the picture within it. This is a winking-and-nodding movie to its primary genre, lovingly so, right down to references built into the film. With stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Seavers swaps references to other films (The Last of the Mohicans and Rocky III, for instance). One of his prized possessions: a Miami Vice jacket. The words of 'Unknown Stuntman', the theme to TV's The Fall Guy which gets a new cover here, are clearly a guiding light for Leitch on this movie: "I might fall from a tall building, I might roll a brand-new car, 'cause I'm the unknown stuntman that made Redford such a star" is one memorable line. Accordingly, though the very basis of filmmaking's stunt performer-actor setup is that the former are meant to convince the audience that it's the latter risking their lives, revelling in everything that The Fall Guy throws Gosling's way as Seavers means relishing the work of his doubles Ben Jenkin (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Justin Eaton (The Killer). The campaign for the stunts game to be given the credit it deserves — aka an Oscar category — couldn't earn a more persuasive push, then. Leitch's feature manages something that most flicks would kill for, because action deployed for the sake of it, then shot frantically and edited messily, gets repetitive; The Fall Guy is the lively, passionate and meticulously crafted antithesis of routine smashing and bashing. Back-and-forth rom-com bantering can similarly fall flat if the stars and the vibe aren't right. There's something about Sydney of late: in Anyone But You, Sydney Sweeney (Immaculate) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) made it work in the Harbour City, as Gosling and Blunt do in the same place in The Fall Guy. So, while The Nice Guys mightn't have received a follow-up, it's easy to see The Fall Guy becoming a big-screen franchise, and welcomely. At the very least for its magnetic leads, it should set a new repeat double act in motion. Gosling teamed up with Emma Stone (Poor Things) three times on Crazy, Stupid, Love, Gangster Squad and La La Land, and makes an equally delightful duo with his current co-star. Just as there should be no underestimating stunt feats in general or in this flick, as Leitch stresses again and again, there should be no downplaying the ride that Gosling and Blunt take their characters on in this fun film, either — from doing the hard work while others win the glory to finally getting their time to shine.
Catering to our fierce love of seafood over the holiday period, Sydney Fish Market is once again pulling its annual all-nighter so you can get your hands on the freshest ocean treats for Christmas lunch. Each year, the Fish Market — which will be relocated to a $250 million new site come 2023 — capably serves over 100,000 buyers looking to snag a deal. Between 5am on Monday, December 23 and 5pm on Tuesday, December 24, the market is yours to scout out the most sumptuous fish, king prawns, oysters and calamari. The best news is that it's all Australian-sourced, with half of it from New South Wales. It's not only fish here, though. You can also peruse cold meats and cheeses at the deli for a grand charcuterie platter or stop by the on-site bakery and greengrocer. Or, if you're more of a Northern Hemisphere traditionalist, you can even pick up a turkey from the butcher. They sell basically everything here. If you're stuck for gifts, there are plenty of opportunities for that last-minute find. Head to the gift shop, florist, bottle shop or even grab a voucher for a cooking class at the popular Sydney Seafood School.
If you've ever wanted to know how Patrick Blanc cultivates soilless plants, how Indira Naidoo grows 70 kilograms of produce per year on her Potts Point balcony or what Brendan Moar thinks of Sydney's gardens, you'll have the chance to ask at the Australian Garden Show. For four days, the country's best-known green thumbs will converge on Centennial Park for a celebration of all things horticultural. There'll be grow-your-own demos, world-class designer gardens and spectacular floral installations. Naidoo has curated a dream kitchen garden for the event — a 1000 square metre, 100 percent sustainable plot, complete with chicken runs, pedal-powered sprinklers and aquaponics tanks. There's even a strawberry planting area and merry-go-round designed to keep children busy. A lecture series, titled Seeds of Wisdom, will run throughout. Highlights include Patrick Blanc's 'The Vertical Garden: A Forty Year Innovation'; Indira Naidoo's 'The Edible Balcony - How to Grow Fresh Food in a Small Space'; and Kylie Kwong and Skye Blackburn's 'Bugs and Bush Foods'. Once the sun goes down, the Park will transform into an illuminated night garden, with bars and restaurants open until 10pm. Day tickets are available online for $35 (or at the gate for $45), while season passes are selling for $120. Guest Phillip Withers' garden at the Melbourne Flower Show.
Grab the glitter (eco-friendly, please), let your rainbow flag fly and get ready for the Sydney Mardi Gras 2019 festivities to begin. To properly celebrate this year's LGBTQI+ festivus, Merivale and Absolut have come together to join the Mardi Gras party with a nonstop party at The Beresford, running till Monday, March 4. The pub welcomes one-and-all to embrace equality with festivities aplenty; think laneway parties, Sunday sessions, movie nights, brunches, bingo and even a dog show. Apart from the jam-packed lineup of events, there'll be special Absolut offers on each day, too. This year's featured cocktail is the Absolut Yasss Queen — a fruity concoction of Absolut lime, watermelon and citrus — and it'll only set you back $12 a pop. Plus, $2 from every drink will be donated to the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Australia's oldest HIV charity. And for when you're not partying at The Bero, you'll be able to find the Absolut Yasss Queen at the ivy Pool Club, Ms.G's, Vic on the Park, El Loco Excelsior, The Fish Shop and Queens Hotel. To help you start planning your Mardi Gras outings, we've rounded up some of the best ways to show your pride all while enjoying a few blow-out bashes while you're at it. [caption id="attachment_708573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Will Salkeld.[/caption] ABSOLUT BERESFORD SUNDAY Kick off your Mardi Gras celebrations with a big ol' party at Upstairs Beresford. It's all going down on Sunday, February 24 when the UK's famed DJ Neil Singleton will be spinning some sweet, sweet tunes. Hailing from London, he'll play a mix of funky, high-energy beats that'll put you in a dancing mood. This Sunday session is hosted by beloved Sydney drag queen Decoda and will feature other guest DJs, too. The festivities will run all arvo, with plenty of bevvies and eats from the kitchen to keep you fueled. Sunday, February 24 MOVIE NIGHTS When you need a bit of chill, head to The Bero's courtyard for a movie night. The first will take place on Monday, February 25 with a screening of A Beautiful Thing — a 1990s coming-of-age drama from the UK that follows two teenage boys exploring their sexuality. The following Monday, March 4 will see a necessary screening of the cult hit, Rocky Horror Picture Show — featuring unforgettable performances by Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. Each screening will start at 8pm, with the kitchen slinging pub classics and pizzas to snack on during the movie. The screenings are free, but be sure to get in early to nab a good seat. Monday, February 25 and Monday, March 4 PASSPORT PARTY The annual passport party will again take over the pub on Thursday, February 28 with a lineup of international DJs taking the stage. Expect a blow-out bash, with beats from the likes of DJ Wayne G from the US, DJ Neil Singleton from the UK and DJ French Kiss from, well, France. Plus, Sydney's much-loved drag queen Decoda will again take the stage for a special sky-high performance — this time with her 'air hostess stewards' Rhys and Heath in tow. The night will take place at Upstairs Beresford from 7pm–1am, with free entry for all and free Absolut drinks on arrival for the first 100 partiers. This is your chance to show these foreign DJs how to party Straya-style. Thursday, February 28 MARDI GRAS PARADE The pinnacle of the week is, of course, the Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday, March 2. But, if crowds aren't your thing, The Beresford has you covered. From 7pm, the pub will be live streaming the parade in the courtyard so you can see all the action up close without standing on your tiptoes or getting an accidental elbow in the tum. Plus, you'll be able to watch it all happen with a cocktail in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other — no risk of hanger here. Entry is free and open to all, but, as you can imagine, you'll want to get in early to nab a table for you and your mates. Saturday, March 2 LANEWAY PARTY To recover from a week-long of partying, sometimes it's best to cap it off with just one more. What started out as a small street gathering among friends has become a long-standing tradition and the best way to farewell another successful Mardi Gras. The party will take over not just the laneway adjacent to the pub, but also the entire Beresford and the surrounding streets from 2pm on Sunday, March 3. Expect DJs and surprise guest performances throughout the arvo, plus expansive indoor and outdoor party spaces to choose from. Tickets will cost you $75 — you can nab them here — but they're going fast. VIP tickets have already sold out. Sunday, March 3 MARDI GRAS BRUNCHES No matter how hard you go, these boozy brunches are here to help you dust off the night and get back in the partying spirit. Brunches will take place on Sunday, February 17 and 24 from 11am–1pm, plus there'll be a final recovery brunch on Monday, March 4 from noon to 3pm for all those chucking a sickie the weekend after the parade. Each brunch features drinks on arrival, one Absolut cocktail during brunch and one of five mains — all for just $40 per person. For arrival drinks, you can choose from a peach mimosa or the Absolut Citron bloody mary. And during the meal, there'll be three more cocktails to choose from, including the Absolut Summer (Absolut Lime, St Germain, lime juice and mint), the KamiKaze (Absolut Lime with Cointreau and lime juice) and an espresso martini (Absolut, Kahlua and coffee). If you want another drink or two to wet your whistle, cocktails are only an additional $10 a pop till 3pm. For eats, expect falafel with grilled spicy chorizo, a fried egg and haloumi topped with tahini sauce; a bacon and egg roll with dry-aged bacon, buffalo mozzarella, avocado and tomato relish on ciabatta; and smoked salmon with crispy kale, kipfler potatoes and pumpkin seeds topped with a horseradish créme fraiche. Sunday, February 17 and 24 and Monday, March 4 Celebrate Mardi Gras to the fullest and check out the full program of events taking place at The Beresford here.
This autumn, the Sydney Opera House has announced a new biannual series, UnWrapped, that features rarely seen, critically-acclaimed works by both new and established independent artists and small performing arts companies. It will take place under the sails every May and August, with the inaugural season already underway until May 13 at The Playhouse and The Studio. What's more, the series aims to make performing arts at the Opera House from theatre to circus accessible to all, so all tickets cost just $45. In both spaces, emerging artists will showcase alongside established artists who are boldly trying something different. In The Playhouse, Aussie artists Brian Lipson and Gideon Obarzanek star in Two Jews Walk into a Theatre..., a dry, humorous exploration of the father-son relationship that sees both performers take on new artistic territory. They'll share the space with performances of Personal, an intimate piece by award-winning Jodee Mundy who expresses her experience growing up as the only hearing person in a deaf family. Presented in two languages, Auslan and English, the piece combines performance, storytelling, multimedia and animation. In The Studio, A Faint Existence, created by acclaimed Australian dancer Kristina Chan, explores our complicated connection to the environment through a mix of dance, design and music, while the wildly popular Mother's Ruin: A Cabaret About Gin, with performances by the beloved Maeve Marsden and Libby Wood, takes the audience on a hilarious trip through the history of gin. The season is part of the Opera House's artist and sector development program which supports local Australian artists, small companies and producers. Additional initiatives include masterclasses by artists-in-residence, free three-year memberships for Australian artists and an annual digital mentoring program for up-and-coming artists. Tickets for UnWrapped are on sale, costing $45 for one performance or $80 for two shows — a bang-for-your-buck deal, considering the calibre of performances to be expected. Images: Ashley de Przer.
Ambitious indie band Gomez and true global citizens of the world. Originally heralding from Southport, England, they now have members scattered over two continents from Brooklyn to Brighton. The boys have visited us so many times they’d qualify for honorary Aussie status, and Ben Ottewell (guitars/vocals) spread his musical wings by recording sounds at a Cambodian Street Fair that would end up on the group’s sophomore album, In Our Gun. In October the freewheeling Brits will return for the seventh visit in support of their sixth studio album, A New Tide. The record builds on the group’s eclectic and experimental musical directions, as their enviable discography features everything from Delta blues, psychedelia, Krautrock, folk, indie rock and more. A New Tide provides the perfect fusion of these varied influences, boasting multi-faceted textures, pitch-perfect harmonies and melodies. They were last here in January to pay homage to their debut, Mercury-Award winning album, Bring It On (no relation to the awful cheerleading film from 2000). These shows were an extra special opportunity to celebrate the record’s 10th anniversary. Fans can catch the Gomez juggernaut in October before they jettison off to explore new exotic territories. Bring it on. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fKJJRnuCwF4
Paddington has long been a cultural melting pot, with everything from food and wine to fashion, art and music found throughout its tree-lined streets. So, naturally, all five will be showcased at the suburb's Five Ways Festival during Sydney Solstice. The free street party will see restaurants, bars and shops around the buzzing intersection open their doors for pop-up events, limited-edition offers and art shows. There'll be live music, a bake sale pop-up from renowned chef Phil Wood and even a margarita and magazine matching event at Journals. You can also pop into Tequila Mockingbird for beef barbacoa tacos and mezcal and pair linguine vongole and americanos at Vino e Cucina. Image: Visit Paddington
Although Lior Attar and Nigel Westlake originate from different corners of the musical world, they both have a reputation for emotionally charged compositions. The raw sincerity of Lior's Autumn Flow saw it become one Australia's most successful debut independent releases, whilst Westlake's stirring 2011 tribute to his murdered son, Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli, brought Sydney audiences to tears. Now, the two are collaborating for the first time, on a symphony titled Compassion. Marrying Lior's striking vocal powers with Westlake's riotous orchestral arrangements, it's a powerful, melodic work, inspired by a selection of ancient Jewish and Islamic writings. The piece will be premiered at the Sydney Opera House on September 6, with Lior at centrestage and Westlake conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The first half of the evening will feature orchestral arrangements of some of Lior's most well-loved original songs, including 'Daniel', 'Bedouin' and 'This Old Love'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cYn8BfY0TRM
The Sydney Architecture Festival is taking on a new, long weekend format this year. Where it used to sprawl over a leisurely week-and-a-half, it’ll now be packed into an intense, exciting four-day program. And there’s also a new boss in charge, in the form of Archrival, a Sydney-based collective of young creatives, working alongside JOC Consulting. Headlining the festival is an all-day public extravaganza, dubbed #TheGoods and happening on Saturday, October 3. It's the first major event to activate the new Goods Line and will feature architecture-related talks, symposiums and installations as well as more tangential yoga, tai chai, a zine fair and a short film festival. Before that, on Friday, October 2, the Festival will launch with three major events: the announcement of the winners of George Street 2020; a panel discussion about the future of Sydney homes featuring architects Guy Luscombe and Bradley Swartz, as well as Greens Senator Scott Ludlam; and an evening Q&A at Customs House with Joe Snell (House Rules), Peter Maddison (Grand Designs Australia) and Tony Been (Houzz). Meanwhile, Sunday, October 4, will be tour day, with three guided journeys planned, covering the future of the Sydney skyline, the regeneration of the city’s inner suburbs and a behind-the-scenes look at some innovative architects’ homes. Finally, Monday, October 5, will be dedicated to the theme of Go Global and will see an industry summit, as well as TED-style talks, exhibitions, discussions and videos. Image: Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, designed by Frank Gehry. Photo by Andrew Worssam.
With Vivid lighting up the skies of Sydney once again, the city is buzzing with ways to enjoy it. And, you can bet your bottom dollar that Belvedere, creator of the luminous bottle, is getting involved. The premium vodka label has partnered with a bunch of bars across to Sydney to serve up a slew of glowing cocktails that'll brighten up your Vivid visit. With each venue offering up something unique, you've got until the end of the festival to try 'em all. At the heart of the celebrations, the Sydney Opera House's Portside bar is offering up two fresh libations that'll make for great pre-drinks, before you dance the night away at a nearby live music event. First up, there's the Winter Tropical Warmer — a warming mix of honey, pineapple and bitters — and the Blinded by the Light, which features pear, lavender and lemon. If you'd rather be on the water than staring out at it, you can jump on a private (or shared) All Occasion Vivid cruise and see the harbour sights with a luminous cocktail in hand. Once you're back on land, head to the Shangri-La Hotel's Blu Bar or Helm Bar in Darling Harbour for an illuminated twist on a vodka spritz, featuring sweet vermouth, tonic and star anise, alongside an in-house light show. Staying around the CBD, you can still get a view of the lights from the leafy oasis of Taylor's Rooftop, while enjoying a simple Belvedere vodka and mixer for just $10 or a more exotic rose and lychee martini. Finishing up there, head down to Grain and try one (or all) of its three vibrant cocktails. And, if you live north (or just fancy a ferry ride to catch some lights), make tracks to Manly Wharf Hotel for some tasty pub fare and the Wharf Lights Punch shared cocktail carafe, featuring blueberries, mint, lemonade and Chandon. Belvedere's Vivid Cocktail specials will be available for the duration of Vivid, until Saturday, June 15.
On The Domain's stage on Friday, February 24, here's hoping that Australia's princess of pop utters five specific words: "come into my Sydney WorldPride". The massive LGBTQIA+ festival is heading to the southern hemisphere for the first time, taking over Sydney for two and a half weeks — and who else but Kylie Minogue could open it? Sydney WorldPride's lineup isn't short on highlights, but Kylie headlining Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, spinning around and making sure that Sydney WorldPride festivalgoers can't get her out of their heads is obviously massive. LOVERS! For the first time ever, WorldPride is coming to the Southern Hemisphere. YES! I'm so excited to announce that I will be performing at the opening concert in Sydney on 24 February, 2023 at The Domain. Can't wait to see you there! 💖 https://t.co/ExghPi5NEw pic.twitter.com/Wt0q1Szg2n — Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) September 23, 2022 Sydney shall be so lucky — and so will Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert attendees, because it'll mark Kylie's only WorldPride performance. Her set for the night is also being created especially for the evening, so this isn't the kind of Kylie show you've seen before. Also, she'll be sharing the stage with Charli XCX and Jessica Mauboy. The performance will be broadcast live nationwide on the ABC, too — and on a night like this, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act will be on hosting duties. "Kylie is not only a beloved musician and rainbow icon, but the highest selling Australian-born solo artist of all time," said Sydney WorldPride CEO Kate Wickett, announcing the news. "We are honoured and INCREDIBLY excited to have Kylie again stand with our community at Sydney WorldPride 2023 — the global rainbow family reunion we've been waiting for."
International Women's Day will see 12 of the region's leading female winemakers join forces in an evening that showcases their award-winning drops. The Women in Wine tasting event will take over Walsh Bay's View of Sydney on March 8 from 6pm–8.30pm. Tickets are seriously bang-for-your-buck and include tasters of over 40 wines, plus a glass of bubbles on arrival, canapés and an antipasto grazing station. Plus, you'll get the chance to chat to winemakers from across Australia and New Zealand's best wine regions, including Hunter Valley, Eden and Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Mornington Peninsula, Coonawarra, Margaret River, Orange, Hastings River and Marlborough. The winemakers include Gwyn Olsen (Briar Ridge and Pepper Tree Wines), Victoria Kathleen Quealy (Quealy Winemakers), Julie Montgomery (Avon Brae), Alexia Roberts (Penny's Hill), Elena Brooks (Dandelion), Rosie Simons (Heirloom), Janelle Zerk (Z Wines), Sarah Pidgeon (Wynns), Jo Perry (Dormilona), Nicole Samodol (Rowlee), Sally Blackwell (Hawkesridge), and Jo Gear (Ribbon Hills). According to Wine Australia, the number of women employed in wine manufacturing has increased from 35 percent to 38 percent since 2011, but women only represent 10 percent or less in leadership and senior roles. This event is a great excuse to celebrate — and taste — how women are influencing the industry.
Jonathan Jones is passionate about illuminating Indigenous histories and knowledge systems embedded within the Australian landscape. The artist has been commissioned to create a new project as part of Liveworks, an upcoming festival celebrating experimental art practices. At the heart of Jones’ practice is an attempt to connect and collaborate with local cultures and communities in meaningful ways. Installed at Carriageworks, Guguma Gurin | Black Stump will be an exercise in decolonisation. The artist will be undertaking reclamation of country, repurposing materials marked by white settlement and reviving the Wiradjuri language. The project will explore the cultural inscriptions on the land, unearthing both beauty and violence.
"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all," Oscar Wilde once famously quipped. Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas puts such a claim to the test. For three days, the event transforms the Opera House into a simmering cauldron of probabilities, possibilities and impossibilities. There's no question that can't be asked, no convention that can't be challenged, no notion that can't be overturned. Now in its fifth year, the Festival promises to penetrate the territory of the taboo deeper than ever before. The programme, announced today, features 82 speakers from 10 different countries and 33 hours of discussion across 32 various subjects. Journalist David Simon (creator of The Wire and Treme) will bring his intellectual might and downtown experience to the statement 'Some people are more equal than others', exploring the searing divide that undermines America's claim to the provision of equal opportunity. The perpetual question of gender and power will receive a 21st-century treatment, with Hannah Rosin considering the aftermath of 'The end of men',before joining a panel discussion proposing 'The world is not ready for women in power'. Then there'll be debates on 'monogamy vs. monogomish', the 'death of journalism', and John Safran masquerading as a white supremacist. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Already feeling fired up? Tix, available in a range of multipacks, go on sale on Monday September 2. FODI runs from 2-4 November.
The Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival is back for another year, showcasing an eclectic mix of big screen gems just in time for Chinese New Year. Held in Sydney from February 2-6, this year's festival features a number of intriguing titles across a wide array of genres. Based on a novel by award-winning Chinese-American author Ha Jin, The Song of Cotton tells the story of a female caretaker hired to take care of a former boxer suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The film won big at the recent Shanghai International Film Festival, winning Best Film, Best Actress and Best New Director. Also scoring plaudits on the festival circuit was Dog, an experimental film that screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and follows a stray dog as it journeys across the streets of Guangzhou. Other standout titles include dark crime comedy Roberry, and bittersweet queer rom-com Front Cover. For the full Golden Koala program, go here.
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison and director Peter Sellars offer a radical new take on Shakespeare's Othello. Making its Australian premiere as part of the Melbourne Festival before stopping in Sydney as a preview of the Sydney Festival, Desdemona tells the story of the titular wife of Othello, and in particular her relationship with Barbary, the African maid who raised her (played by award winning Malawi singer-songwriter Rokia Traore). The result is a production that challenges the notoriously antiquated depictions of race and gender found in the original play, and promises to leave Shakespeare buffs – and audiences in general – with plenty of food for thought.
Thank god for The Red Rattler. It’s places like this that broaden and diversify Sydney’s art scene, moving outwards from the central galleries that have little room for the lesser known artists of the underground scene in Sydney. This time, they have come up with a darn clever idea to support all those creative people in this city that have a million and one ideas or one precious project, just waiting to be realised. All they need is a little help, both with funding and peer support. How about they all get together, share a bite to eat and give the money paid for the food to the best idea of the night? Genius. On Sunday, this is exactly what will go down. Those who pay for the meal also get a vote, and at the end of the night the most popular idea will be rewarded. Come along, even just for a good meal with a bunch of interesting people, and get inspired.
YCK Laneways, a new cultural precinct that launched in 2021 encompassing the CBD laneways in York Street, Clarence Street and Kent Street, is currently in the swing of six week cultural festival titled YCK Intersections. The festival's lineup of live music, workshops and pop-ups is taking over venues across the three CBD streets including Since I Left You, Esteban, PS40, The Duke of Clarence, Stitch Bar, Uncle Ming's, Prince of York and many more. Alongside these activations, the YCK team is throwing a three-day party called Master the Art, which stretches over the ANZAC Day long week at Barrack Street — and features a stacked lineup of live sets and cooking masterclasses. Heading up the music bill over the three days from Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 24 are Wafia, Sneaky Sound System and Day1, with support from the likes of Ula, Kota Banks, A.Girl, B Wise and East Av3, just to name a few. As for the food and drink masterclasses, you'll find Sydney favourites like Maybe Sammy, Cantina OK!, Hickson House and Sydney Oyster Farm Tours running you through skills ranging from crafting the perfect margarita to upping your oyster game. Tickets to each night of the gigs and each masterclass are available for $60 a pop — with masterclasses available in discounted bundles — however, we have 150 passes to give away to Concrete Playground readers. If you want to head along and upgrade your cocktail-making skills or hit the dance floor to 'UFO' this weekend, just use the code 'CPSHOUT' at the checkout to secure a free pass. If you've left your long-weekend plans until the last minute, you can thank us later for setting you up with a top-notch experience free of charge. But hurry, as those 150 passes are sure to be snatched up quickly. Check out the lineup for the Barrack Street party and YCK Intersection's full program at the YCK Laneways website. [caption id="attachment_836314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hickson House[/caption] YCK Intersections: Master the Art takes place at Barrack Street, Sydney between Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 24. If you're keen to head along, use the code 'CPSHOUT' at checkout to score free tickets.
Chicken & Sons have the sixth best burger in Sydney, according to the Fatties (a 33,000 strong group of hardcore burger lovers), and they’re bringing it across the bridge. The crew will be taking over the kitchen at The Bald Faced Stag in Leichhardt from Thursday, January 14. This isn’t your regular chicken burger joint. They’ll be serving up things like truffled mac 'n' cheese, pulled pork shoulder and specials for the Fatties. You should also leave room for some of their brined chicken cooked over coals and a bev. It’s the perfect place to bring some friends, order up a storm and relax to a slew of up and coming bands. This isn’t the first kitchen takeover Chicken & Sons have done and they’ve left many a happy diner in their wake. You better hurry, the takeover is only a month-long.
The Hills district loves its food trucks — so much so that it dedicates a free two-day festival to the best of the bunch every year. Park Feast is returning to Bella Vista Farm on Saturday, September 28 through Sunday, September 29. You'll find 30 of Sydney's best food trucks parked over the weekend, serving up everything from cannoli to fried haloumi, paella, pulled pork burgers, halal snack packs, Korean fried chicken and elaborate soft serve-filled doughnuts. Some of the big names in attendance include The Cannoli Truck, Tsuru, Pimp My Chimey and Chur Burger. For the full list of tasty vendors, scroll down. When you're not busy eating, there's an amusement park for all ages and live music throughout the day and night — all for free. It's dog friendly, too, so bring your fur baby if you wish. PARK FEAST 2019 LINEUP Chur Burger The Cannoli Truck Norma's Burger Bar Bao Brothers Stroop Bros Tsuru Mr Puff Satay Brothers Wafflo Emmy's Gozleme Chillato Gelato Mr Pig Pimp My Chimney Dutch Poffertjes House Halloumi Me Lambda Mr Shish Dos Churros Gdup Burgers La Flamenca Paella Fritz Wieners You Pizza Bar Coco Retro Classics Potato Corner Rolling Schnitzel Punto & Pasta Birdman Texas Ranger BBQ Twist Potato Smoking Grill BBQ Park Feast runs from 12pm–9.30pm each day. Updated September 5, 2019
One year ago this month, Sydney favourite The Soda Factory launched, and has since provided copious amounts of good times and just a partial hotdog gut. Now it's time to celebrate, as the Soda Factory marks the end of its first, amazingly popular year with an entire weekend of party shenanigans. On Friday, February 22, grab a complimentary drink on arrival (5-7pm) before checking out some brand spankin' new taster dishes (complimentary from 5-8pm) in what will be the launch of the upcoming dinner menu and diner bar section. If you thought their dawgs were delish, feast your eyes on impressive new menu selections: hot buffalo chicken wings (with blue cheese dipping sauce), fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup, and cheeseburger spring rolls (what is this? We wants it). With live tunes courtesy of The Syphons plus special guest DJs, this is sure to be a killer start to the birthday bonanza. Then, revisit your youth and back it up the next night with DJ Grandmaster Flash. He'll be returning to The Soda Factory direct from NYC and joining the party people on Saturday, February 22. Add that to all the regular Soda Factory elements (like absolutely free entry), and this is certainly one for yo' diary. Pop on your best party shoes (and perhaps those free-food-friendly, stretchy pants) and come and help blow out the candles on what has been a truly monstrous year. The new Soda Factory diner menu will be available from Monday, February 17, 5-10pm, daily. An alternate, late-night menu will also be offered from 10pm till late.
Becky Sharp is pretty, clever at living luxuriously above her means and ruthless; thus, basically a perfect personification of vintage shopping. Lovely things can be even lovelier when someone else paid full price for them, another someone else restored them and brought them together for sale and yet another someone else wants them but isn't as quick as you. And if the key to getting away with murder (which Thackeray's heroine basically does) is having enough style to pull it off, well, you'll need a good wardrobe. At these vintage markets you'll find authentic period garments as well as hats, gloves and sunglasses enough to look mysterious or witty forever. Also featured are buttons and bows for the restorer and adorner and boudoir pieces to indulge one's ladylike impulses toward self-regard. Stocks are replenished each month by the regular storeholders. Just remember that while you can absolutely get amazing designer pieces in near-perfect condition, sometimes vintage is cheaper for a reason, and what looks hilarious tried on amongst a mix-up of styles can just be awkward on the street. Make sure they work for you would be Becky's advice were she to care about the welfare of others, and it's mine as your faux-didactic narrator.
Peter Pan is a tragic figure. His happy days in Neverland are so attractive because they are contrasted by the story's inherent melancholy. He is, after all, a lost boy, stuck in time. He is an object of nostalgia for adults and an off-kilter hero to children. He's both fun and sad, heroic and innocent. Tommy Murphy's adaptation now playing at Belvoir is clear and true to the James Matthew Barrie classic, and Ralph Myers' direction highlights the levity of Peter's adventures whilst shying away from the displacement and isolation of the story. We follow a rambunctious cast of nine as they cavort happily from bedroom to sky to treacherous waters. The jolly times take place in Robert Cousins' simple set, filled with a world globe, a bunk bed, and a handy drum kit that doubles as a hiding place. The set effectively transforms from suburban '80s bedroom to Neverland to Captain Hook's ship. A two-sided cupboard is a multi-functional magic space into which characters disappear. Harriet Dyer, playing the twins, uses it to great effect, chasing her own terry-towelling-clad tail in and out. Upstage centre is a sliding window opening out onto Belvoir Street, which will blow the minds of the spatially challenged who may have thought the stage faced the opposite way. Damien Cooper's lighting design effectively hints at other worlds waiting to be explored, with high-wattage pale blue light streaming in through the window. The adventuring takes some time to kick off. Murphy has retained some quaint, turn-of-last-century phrasing, which at times gives the dialogue a strange, halted rhythm. Indeed, the first half is slow, and comic moments are due to individual actors' own efforts rather than tightly directed ensemble hilarity. Dyer and Jimi Bani stand out as comically strong members of the cast, and Charlie Garber playing Captain Hook does excellent melodrama, while Paula Arundell playing the mother is withheld. Meyne Wyatt playing Peter has been directed as a jokey dreamer, which works for the most part but falls down at the end during the sadder scenes. There are some beautifully directed moments, such as Tinker Bell's brush with death, which Megan Holloway executes nimbly with a glass bell and bowl of water. But generally, the show is slow-moving and plays at one level. It doesn't quite manage the double coding necessary to appeal to adults and children alike. That said, to make Peter Pan into a harmless piece of entertainment is no crime, and to be reminded of the beautiful story is a treat.
We can't think of a much better way to launch into the sunny season than a day spent on an island, gorging on delicious food and wine. With that we say bring on Wine Island 2019, which will take over Sydney's Clark Island for an indulgent weekend of wine tasting from November 1–3. As always, the well-loved food and wine festival promises a packed lineup, starting with the spritz you'll enjoy on the boatride over. The island itself is set up as the ultimate boozy adult playground, you'll be able to choose between the Rosé Imports' selection of pink drops from southern France, Jetty Road Brewery's cold beers, Brix Distillers' rum bar and Manly Spirits' many gin drinks. There'll also be a swag of masterclasses curated by the team at Wine Selectors, covering everything from the blind tastings to tongue twisters, and an espresso martini making session, too. Swing by the Napoleon Perdis Beauty Bar for a massage and a makeover or cruise the various wine stalls sampling a huge array of local and international drops — and enjoy some top-notch vino with even better views. And, to keep you fuelled for that big day of wine appreciation, expect food options galore, from oysters and cheese platters, to buns from your mates at Chur Burger. There are three Wine Island ticket packages available, starting with the $109 'five-star experience', which includes ferry transfers, five tastings, a souvenir tumbler and a spritz. Then there's the $209 'seven-star experience' — with more tastings, more food and a free massage — or, if you're feel extremely opulent, you can pay $299 and experience the whole thing from your own floating island, dubbed The Hamptons. Tickets go on sale at midday on Friday, August 9, with pre-sale from Wednesday, August 7 and group bookings from Thursday, August 1. Image two: Jack Toohey
Take one of popular culture's biggest supervillains, throw in one of today's very best actors and add the director of The Hangover trilogy. Only a few years ago, the above sentence might've seemed like a joke. Today, it's the reality we're living in — the reality that sees a standalone Joker movie cackling its way towards cinema screens, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role. Move over Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto — it's Phoenix's time to don exaggerated clown makeup, wield a killer smile and wreak havoc on Gotham City. The just-released first trailer for Joker promises plenty of all three, as failed standup comedian Arthur Fleck turns to a life of facepaint-wearing crime (and eventually obsessing over Batman, we're guessing). As directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Due Date), Joker also comes with a suitably unhinged vibe, as if Phoenix's You Were Never Really Here character stumbled into Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy. (Fittingly, the latter film plus Taxi Driver and Raging Bull have been cited as inspirations for the new DC Comics flick, and Scorsese is one of Joker's executive producers.) It also looks certain to help everyone forget that the last take on the famous villain only arrived three years ago, because who wants to remember Leto's green-haired turn in Suicide Squad? Here's hoping Phoenix will follow in the footsteps of Nicholson and Oscar-winner Ledger instead, which looks likely based on the footage so far. And, of course, his excellent body of work in general. Robert De Niro, Atlanta's Zazie Beetz and Brian Tyree Henry, and Marc Maron also feature in Joker, with the film hitting cinemas in October. Check out the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t433PEQGErc Joker releases in Australian cinemas on October 3, 2019.
I want to describe this band's music as "jangly". Probably in part because their name is almost onomatopoeic, but also because they make excellent use of clashing drums and oversized tamborines. Django Django are pegged as a "psychedelic quartet" but that suggests the only thing setting them apart from other psychedelic quartets is that they're not from Brooklyn. For one thing Django Django have far more inventive instruments. Besides drums and tamborine they have a guitarist, a synth operator and what sounds like a rather impressive collection of indigenous wind instruments, which they blend together to make a modern sound that takes all the addictive rhythm of African sounds and none of the cringey cultural appropriation. Anyway, way more fun than trying to describe them is seeing them live. In January Django Django will be putting on one special headline show at The Metro to accompany their Falls and Southbound appearances, and seeing as last year they sold out two Oxford Art Factorys you had better get in quick. Update: Django Django will be supported at their Sydney show by ex-Red Riders duo Palms and collaborative electro supergroup Twinsy. If you still don't have your tickets yet, remedy that here and now. https://youtube.com/watch?v=DDjpOrlfh0Y
This year, even Christmas itself has been given an immersive, multisensory makeover, by way of an experiential new installation at Market City. It's only November, but the Chinatown precinct has already got a head-start on the festive season, with the launch of some mind-bending Christmas Infinity Rooms. Open from 10am–7pm each day until December 24, you'll find three immersive pop-up spaces, decked out with the likes of mirrors, props, high-tech lighting and graphics to create a series of illusion-filled rooms. Fittingly, they're decorated to look like giant gift-wrapped presents from the outside. Venture in and you might find yourself moving through a neon-drenched space packed with never-ending Christmas decorations, or even embarking on a journey through a mystical reindeer forest. The rooms are inspired by the likes of Yayoi Kusama and Tokyo's Digital Art Museum. And while they certainly aren't as large-scale or impressive, it's still a fun thing to do — you can snap a few yuletide selfies on your lunch break or while doing your Christmas shopping. Images: Anna Kucera.
If Nick Cave and the Beach Boys were to collaborate, there's a chance the result might sound something like Shining Bird. The band's six members, who hail from Austinmer on NSW's South Coast, joined forces via a mutual interest in "the sea, Australian cinema, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue LP and the great Australian poet Henry Lawson". Debut EP Shade of the Sea, released in 2012, inspired some significant buzz across the blogosphere, but it was early 2013 single 'Distant Dreaming' that saw Shining Bird's transition from fledgling to full-grown. To date, the track has inspired more than 180,000 YouTube hits and over 27,000 streams on Soundcloud. Now, they've released their debut full-length album, Leisure Coast, through Spunk Records. To celebrate, they're on the road for their first headline tour. With shows scheduled for Brisbane, Byron Bay, Melbourne and Wollongong, Shining Bird will be appearing in Sydney at Goodgod Small Club on October 12. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JpouMXpR-eA
Longrain's Sydney home is set to expand into a multicultural cuisine powerhouse when new eater occupies the basement in February 2015. To be owned and run by the Longrain team, the restaurant will deliver not only an array of Indian dishes, but tasty morsels from the likes of Nepal and Sri Lanka, too. Hence the region-encompassing name. In the view of co-owner Sam Christie, Sydney is wanting when it comes to high-quality Indian food. "Everyone I know says, 'Where do I go for good Indian?'" he told Good Food. "The food will be our interpretation, and probably lighter than most Indian going around." Christie has charged Longrain head chef Victor Chung, who hails from Kolkata, to design the menu. He'll be adopting the same approach that has been providing Sydney with a steady supply of hatted Thai goodness for years. That is, taking traditional flavour profiles and giving them a lighter, healthier makeover. If you're wondering what will happen to Shortgrain, which currently inhabits the Longrain sub-terrain, you can rest assured that it will continue to exist — but somewhere else. According to Good Food, Barangaroo is one contender. Meanwhile, Bunker Bar won't be going anywhere. In fact, there's talk of a convenient, tasty snack menu, as well as gin and tonic slushies. Via Good Food.
Fans of Sydney street press will no doubt recognise the photography of Cybele Malinowski and Daniel Boud. For five years the couple have been shooting musical greats including INXS, Ben Lee, Ladyhawke, The Precepts, Philadelphia Grand Jury and The Vines, and now their magazine covers (in their original forms) will go on display and for sale at the Mart Gallery. Something of an online icon with his award-winning site Boudist, Boud broke into the photographic world shooting live music. “With a live band everything is presented for you,” he says, “The artist is performing already, they’re lit by a lighting designer, they’re on a stage that’s already been dressed, so as a photographer you’re more of a documentarian. Whereas a cover shoot, it’s a blank canvas. It’s completely up to you in terms of how you present the person, what you get them to do, what they’re wearing, what backdrop you’re using, how you light them. There’s a lot more of your photographer’s work in a cover shoot than it is shooting a live band.” Covers is the their first joint exhibition, and they will be donating proceeds to the youth support network Oasis.
Few discussions about colonial history are easy ones. In Australia, at least, the difficulty seems to lie in attempts to make these discussions seem like shades-of-grey topics, when at their heart, they're much more straightforward. A few hundred years ago, some people came here, thought "I'll have that" and proceeded to move in, in an attempt to casually obliterate the population and culture of the people who were already here. Again and again, we've seen a lack of widespread, meaningful discussions lead by those in positions of power. So, two artistic collectives with a focus on First Nations culture are changing the discussion. And they're not just relying on words. Le Dernier Appel (The Last Cry) is a collaboration between Australian inter-cultural dance company Marrugeku and New Caledonia's Centre Cultural Tjibaou Nouméa. As New Caledonia prepares for an independence referendum in November and Australia continues to debate treaty and how to boost constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, the pairing provides contrasting angles on the same thorny issue. At Carriageworks from August 15–18, Le Dernier Appel sorts through what we already know about colonisation, then divides the narrative into the useful and discardable. The performers then use what is left to explore how performative movement might be reinvigorated by these issues. No less difficult for its use of movement and gesture, rather than voices, to translate the message, Le Dernier Appel is not drawing a line under the issue. Rather, in the words of co-creators Serge Aime Coulibaly, Dalisa Pigram and Rachael Swain, it is an effort to "recuperate in the aftermaths of colonisation…and meet in states of instability, frustration and radical reinvention". Le Dernier Appel (The Last Cry) will run from Wednesday, August 15 to Saturday, August 18 at Carriageworks, before going on tour in New Caledonia and Europe. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit the Carriageworks website. Images: Arnaud Elissalde Mathurin Derel.
Despite the shared disappointment that our after-work hours are a little less sun-filled, our clocks turning back an hour means there's more time for fun — and cultural explorations — after dark. This is something Sydney Living Museums knows all too well. The historic collective is bringing another instalment of After Dark, the late-night series that welcomes live music and art to the Hyde Park Barracks. This April, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site will play host to a swathe of creatives. Be wowed by the concentrated skill of Mark Eliott as he blows fantastical glass creations, or watch on tentatively — or excitedly — as WT Norbert and CP Martin (of Tattoo Rosie's) ink their designs live. Joe Glover will bring music to your ears with his handcrafted banjo (and then teach you how to make one) and Tarni Eastwood will showcase the craftsmanship of our Traditional Owners with a weaving tutorial. Take in some history as you wander the Barracks collection with Living Museums' curators, or settle in for some olfactory delight courtesy of perfumer and scentsmith Ainslie Walker. FBi Radio will keep vibes high with a lineup of DJs and live acts, and your tastebuds will stay happy with Nighthawk Diner's feel-good eats and Archie Rose's gin-laced cocktails. It's a night of tradition with a contemporary twist that you won't want to miss. And if you're a member of Sydney Living Museums (or you sign up at the checkout), you can score a sneaky discount on tickets too. After Dark will hit the Hyde Park Barracks from 5–9pm on Thursday, April 28. Head to the website to book your tickets. Top images: James Horan
The northern beaches aren't famous for their burgeoning art scene. Not yet, anyway. Enter Fifty-One: it's a monthly event founded with the purpose of uniting creatives on the northern beaches and developing the art scene. Promising pizza, beer, music, local art, and plenty of people with whom you can hold an interesting discussion, there are huge things that can be expected of Fifty-One. December's Fifty One: Havana Nights donates its proceeds towards Cuban surf-charity Royal 70. Surf + philanthropy might seem like a strange combination, but it's an approach that's already been successfully mooted by Aussies abroad elsewhere in Latin America. Art support this month comes from the likes of Paul Rodger and Jimi May, while Lime Cordiale cover the music front.
Facade at Artereal Gallery will feature current and past artists in residence at Parramatta Artists Studios, an important space set up to nurture the new generation of creatives. Tackling the divide between interior and exterior are artists Liam Benson, Linda Brescia, John Spiteri, Hossein Ghaemi, Leahlani Johnson, Mason Kimber and Tom Polo. Each artist will explore how meaning is concealed, constructed and obstructed. This group exhibition will represent a versatile range of art practices, from Tom Polo’s ceramic conversation piece through to Linda Brescia’s uncanny painted body suits. On the whole, it’s an enticing curatorial vision and a solid lineup of talent.
In the middle of the year, Melbourne received one of the city's rare pieces of good news for 2020, all thanks to the opening of Cannoleria's huge dedicated cannoli factory. If you love Sicilian sweet treats but you live elsewhere around the country, the dessert joint is now sharing the love your way, too — delivering its DIY cannoli kits around Australia. Fans of crunchy pastry tubes piped full of fresh ricotta, rejoice. The nationwide expansion is a collaboration with Co-Lab Pantry, and sees the kits available in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. And, you have two options: a 12-cannoli kit, using mini shells, or a six-cannoli kit with full-sized shells. Whichever you choose, you'll be paying $24 — and you'll receive your chosen type of shell, a 450-gram piping bag of ricotta filling from Cannoleria's sibling venue That's Amore Cheese, and crushed pistachio and icing sugar as a garnish. Extra shells, in the large size, are also available to purchase for $9 (because no one can eat just a couple of cannoli). Also, because there's never a bad time to pick up new skills — but 2020 has certainly been the year for it — Cannoleria is also hosting a virtual cannoli class. Run by chef and co-owner Dario Di Clerico, the Zoom session will teach you how to make the traditional Sicilian dessert, from whipping up the dough and turning it into tubes to filling it with sweet ricotta, at 11am on Saturday, October 17. Tickets cost $65, which includes a Cannoleria school bag filled with cannoli-making ingredients delivered to your door. To order Cannoleria's DIY cannoli kits, visit the store's website.
Liberty Equality Fraternity, currently playing at the Ensemble Theatre, is a friendly farce about internet security and bureaucratic incompetence at ASIO. Looking to Kafka and referencing The Matrix, Geoffrey Atherden of Mother and Son fame has written a spy story meets existential crisis. Designer Michael Hankin has created a fittingly bland setting for the ASIO headquarters, with a beige office housing a pot plant, table, and chairs and a large smart screen on the wall. Sound designer Stephen Toulmin has successfully sourced the world’s most annoying waiting room music to set the scene. Left-leaning mother of two Orlagh (Caroline Brazier) has found herself in an interrogation room only to be worn down not by torture but by the bumbling ineptitude of trainee interrogator Alex (Andrew Ryan). Orlagh doesn't know why she's there and nor, it seems, does he (despite the vast amount of data he has gleaned from the internet about her). His willful stupidity drives us and Orlagh to the edge. Ryan has characterised Alex as a sort of David Brent who by some recruitment miracle has found employment as a spy. The sheer length of his dim interrogation is almost too much to bear, and while comic moments offer some respite, the first half of the play is endurance viewing. Brazier as Orlagh makes a believable eastern suburbs mother, but her journey from terrified to triumphant is slightly off kilter. We're never quite sure how high the stakes are as she shifts between panicked concern for her children and delirious but always friendly banter with Alex. Helmut Bakaitis's entrance is a welcome reprieve from Alex, and we find him playing the same type of well-healed sage he played in The Matrix Reloaded. Just as he explained the Matrix to Neo, he calmly explains the much less glamorous situation to Orlagh. This moment of parody is dramatically satisfying and Bakaitis's performance is beautifully polished. Structurally the play is slightly wonky; Atherden's writing takes itself too seriously to amount to a wicked comedy, and the fluid reality set up by Shannon Murphy's direction is not fully realised. It's an interesting topic but the bones of the play are not solid enough for it to be fulfilling. Photo by Heidrun Lohr.
Originally commissioned and devised as part of STC’s Rough Draft program in 2012, The Vehicle Failed to Stop premiered last week at Carriageworks as part of the 2013 Artistic Program there. A multimedia firestorm of live video, live music, ululation and machismo, this combination of verbatim and physical theatre (and one hell of an exploding car designed by Dillon MacEwan) is exhilarating and smart. The work uses original texts from hearings and firsthand accounts of the 2007 controversy surrounding the deaths of two Iraqi women, Marou Awanis and Geneva Jalal, who were killed by employees of Unity Resources Group, an Australian-owned private security company that still operates in Iraq. Version 1.0 have luxuriated in the vastness of the Carriageworks cavern, even opening up a backstage area, which elevates the space to an industrial scale, fitting for a story about unaccountable mercenaries. Video artist Sean Bacon has set three screens in the space: one behind the car, which shows scenes from a moving vehicle through Fallujah streets; a small thin screen on high displaying the source of the various texts and a whopper of a screen on the opposite side. As the piece begins, we peer down the length of the stage at performer Irving Gregory standing frozen in military fatigues. A toy soldier in a painting, he ever so gradually transforms into a living breathing body. With physical and vocal exactness, Gregory executes a perfect crescendo. It’s not clear when he got louder or closer but suddenly he’s down stage centre and it is mesmerising. In the sequences that follow, Gregory is joined by performers Olivia Stambouliah and Jane Phegan, who play pumped-up soldiers as well as Marou Awanis and Geneva Jalal. Stambouliah and Phegan are finely attuned to each other and their macho, air-punching sequences on top of the car to composer Paul Prestipino's aggressive music are concentrated and tight. The three performers’ physical control and sense of ensemble keeps the work at a riveting level of storytelling, which is no mean feat given the breadth of the subject matter and size of the space. Version 1.0’s combination of so many elements is impressive and there’s an attractive open-endedness that attends this kind of collaborative work. Rather than presenting one, grand master’s vision, The Vehicle Failed to Stop pays witness to some important history, and you should too. Image by Zan Wembley.
As a piece of stand-up comedy, Stories I want to Tell You in Person is faultless; rich, hilarious and warm. But considering Lally Katz is one of Australia's best playwrights, it is slightly odd that she's doing stand-up in one of Australia's best theatres, about the fact that Belvoir never staged the play they commissioned her to write, ostensibly because Simon Stone was too busy to direct it. No matter how charismatic her performance, at the end of the day I was frustrated that we weren't watching the play she wrote instead. Katz arrives on stage in front of a glittery gold curtain designed by Ralph Myers, and she is thrilled to be there. She bursts through with aggressive enthusiasm and promptly finds her place on stage on top of a mark saying 'Stand Here'. She tells us a bit about herself — she grew up in the US and then moved to Canberra, hence her interesting accent. What follows is a farrago of stories about psychics, love, her subconscious and a commission from Belvoir to write a play about the Global Financial Crisis. She strikes a handsome balance between the sincerity of her beliefs in magic and acknowledging how ridiculous they are. Her accents are accurate and she wisely opts out of doing a Pakistani accent as she admits she is incapable of it. Her karaoke rendition of 'Don't Cry for me Argentina' will make you cry if you have the remotest sense of pitch. She admits she is tone deaf and belts it out anyway. The joy of the piece is Katz's famous Apocalypse Bear, who appears in many of her plays and is a kind of theatre mascot. As a piece of entertainment, it is idiosyncratic, good, clean fun. As a piece of programming, it appears narcissistic and short-sighted. The work does not show Belvoir in the best light, making the company look unsupportive of new work. Gifted as she is at stand-up comedy, her skills and talent as a playwright have been wasted. I look forward to seeing her GFC play on the main stage soon.
Patrick White's 1947 play, The Ham Funeral has dated, and that's a good thing. Seeing the piece in all its mothbally shabbiness is a history lesson in Australian theatre. White was one of the first Australian playwrights to start experimenting with form, and the metanarrative of the Young Man protagonist may seem twee now but was innovative for its time. The play is also full of glorious, carnal language. White's ability to combine narrative drive alongside arresting poetry is satisfying. Our protagonist, the Young Man (Rob Baird), is a floundering poet boarding in the greying, linoleum-floored and dank boarding house of Mr and Mrs Lusty. Mr Lusty (Zach McKay) is a truculent sort who, seeming half dead to begin with, delivers some fabulous vitriol to his bawdy wife before promptly expiring fairly early on in the piece. McKay's performance here is suitably sour and we believe Mrs Lusty (Lucy Miller) when she tells him his "mouth is foul with silence". Mrs Lusty declares they must have a ham funeral, and so begins the vulgar, dark comedy. Miller playing the "smudgy, sludgy" Mrs Lusty is tawdry yet poised, but the hideousness that the Young Man and Mr Lusty ascribe to her never comes to the fore. The performances are generally strong and director Phillip Rouse has given the text a clear shape, though I might pretend that the dancing before interval never took place. I'm at a loss to find who designed the stage in the program notes, but whoever it was, props to them (update: it's director Phillip Rouse himself, what a skillset). Because the New Theatre stage is such a barn, too often productions truncate it into a shallow downstage strip presumably to make it more manageable. This designer has used three levels and maximised the depth of the space so that the stage looks positively three-dimensional for once. Sian James-Holland's lighting design is presumably aiming for some sort of edge-of-reality-type shadiness but is just plain dim for much of the show. Rouse's straightforward interpretation of the play gives us a view of the past and a sense of Australia's theatre legacy. The play is seldom performed, and though it didn't make it onto a Melbourne stage until 2005, it's part of the canon of Australian plays (if we can really talk of such a thing) because it's a great piece of literature.
The YouTube film Innocence of Muslims is one the modern marvels of the internet. So shoddy is its sound that one moment characters appear to be speaking underwater, the next they emulate chipmunks. The green screen studio work is amazingly bad, and the acting is some of the funniest you’ll see this year. It's also evidently one of the most religiously offensive things on the net at the moment, if we go by the worldwide protests it provoked in September this year. Writer CJ Johnson has taken Innocence of Muslims and its impact on the recent US election as his topic for Hollywood Ending (Or, How a Washed Up Director Made a Crappy Movie that Almost Destroyed the World), showing as part of Griffin's independent season. Production company Arts Radar have employed their Rapid Write format so that topical plays are still topical by the time they reach the stage. By working speedily with director Tim Roseman and dramaturg Lee Lewis, as well as workshopping at length with the cast, Johnson has ended up with an audience-ready script that can still claim relevance. Johnson’s central focus is on his protagonist, Don (Terry Serio), modelled on the film's director, a former porn director named Alan Roberts. As such, the play's topic is more midlife crisis than Middle East crisis. There are a few nods to world events, but they are not really the core of the play. Don has two scenes in which he gropes for an understanding of the politics of the situation. First, his left-leaning lesbian daughter, Laura (Caroline Craig), advises him that the screenplay is hate speech. Secondly, when he confronts the film's Republican producer, Amy (Briallen Clarke), she makes an impassioned defence of free speech and tells him to man up. There is also a cute political props placement in one of the final scenes. A small book about Paul Ryan's libertarian high priestess, Ayn Rand, is placed next to a chair leg, for the front row or optically gifted to see. It remains at the chair leg for the scene and is then removed. There's a general rule in theatre that unless a prop is going to be used, don’t put it on stage, but in this case it is a charming little treat for those who can see it. The show is very funny, and the performances are excellent, but the potential for political commentary is not realised because the discussions are too simple. For instance, Laura likens the film to Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses, which is both a huge insult to Rushdie and high praise for Innocence of Muslims. Johnson's writing and Serio's characterisation of Don portray a loveable halfwit who should never have strayed from the set of a porn film. As Rushdie said on the Daily Show in September, "even jerks have the right to free speech, but they're still jerks." Photo by Patrick Boland.
Inspired by real events, Sarah Doyle’s Anaconda poses the hypothetical question of how those implicated in a high school sex abuse case would live with their guilt as adults. The answer is, pretty poorly. One commits a homicide, others and their wives practice expert denial and one onlooker, Matty Buttiker (Damian de Montemas), tries to redress his past cowardice by offering unhelpful pro bono legal counsel. Tom Bannerman and Lauren Brincat have designed a set of three large triangles in a row, which are neither pretty nor meaningful. They belong at Arq bar at Taylor Square, where some of the play is set, or in a '90s high school production of a Greek tragedy. Max Sharam’s sound design is filmic and mostly good but he misleadingly introduces the play in the opening sequence as some kind of thriller. While Anaconda's main focus is atonement, Doyle’s writing and direction strays into some irksomely conservative territory, where homosexuality is on trial rather than the initial case of abuse. Matty’s wife, Bivva (Leeanna Walsman), is more horrified at the prospect of discovering gay porn magazines under her husband’s bed than that of living with injustice. Walsman plays Bivva extremely well, and in her plea to Matty to drop the case, she delivers a compelling emotional collapse. But because this scene is so good, the play becomes a conventional domestic drama, in which the greatest injustice is Bivva’s loss of social standing. It's an ugly portrayal of upper-class Paddington 'professionals' that may not be too far off the mark. Apart from this politically pongy scene, the rest of the play hangs together well and performances from Walsman, de Montemas and Simon Lyndon playing Phil Walker are on point. Martin Broome playing the flamboyant barman Tove is either pulling off an accurate portrayal of a very awkward man or he is a very awkward actor. At any rate his scenes are uncomfortable and his timidity contrasts well with the brashness of Bivva and Matty. De Montemas’ performance is bold and clear, but he slips (presumably unintentionally) into a gruff Hollywood-blockbuster-trailer voice at times, particularly when talking legal options with Walker. It’s amusing but misplaced. Simon Lyndon playing Walker has a head of hair that would make Donald Trump weep; a devil-may-care presence and a voice like honey. They don’t make 'em like him anymore and you should see the play for his performance alone. Image by Damon Wilder.
Mariage Blanc is not for the faint hearted. It tells the story of the fraught sexual awakening of Bianca (Paige Gardiner); a young woman kept in the dark about the birds and the bees towards the end of the 19th Century. The more she learns about sex the less she likes it, so she demands a non-physical arrangement with her husband, Benjamin (Gig Clarke). To be fair, the meter-long penises and enormous aureola on stage are enough to put anyone off copulating for at least one evening, if not longer. Be warned this is not a date night play, unless you are wooing a virile nudist with a taste for the grotesque. Polish playwright Tadeusz Rózewicz wrote the play in 1975 and its setting in the sexually timid 19th century makes it a sort of ode to the sexual revolution of the 70s. Putting it on in today’s sexually permissible culture means that the dichotomy of repression versus liberation is not as relevant as the other more interesting themes of asexuality and feminism. Bianca is certainly no triumph of independence, but her attempts at holding power over her body and gender are admirable and Gardiner manages to pull off the frigid, awkward character with suitable detachment. Sarah Giles’s direction is detailed and structured, but there comes a point where the vulgarity turns into noise and loses effect. A few moments break this up, such as an effective freeze of all characters in their nude suits leaving Bianca in the spotlight to explain her plight to the audience as well as some beautiful silences. These moments of stillness give the production some of the gravity it needs, but not quite enough. Macabre only works if the play is as serious as it is funny, but the balance here is tilted towards hammy revue.
