There's only one Nicolas Cage, and long may he keep filling our screens with every kind of movie imaginable. After four decades in the business, his resume really is that vast. When he's not running around with a chainsaw, he's singing Elvis songs for David Lynch. Cage has proven a comedic genius for the Coen brothers, dabbled with Marvel in two different ways despite never appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wordlessly fought demonic animatronics, swapped faces with John Travolta, gotten speedy before the Fast and Furious saga existed and taken to the skies with criminals, too. Oh, and he's acted opposite himself in Adaptation — and also played himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Naming Nicolas Cage films is almost as fun as watching them. Prepare to utter plenty at Sydney's latest excuse to worship an acting talent like no other. If you know which famous director Cage is related to, which flick gave him his first big-screen gig, how many Oscars he has, the number of Razzie nominations he's notched up, and his IRL ties to Elvis and Superman, rejoice — Nicolas Cage Trivia is for you. Taking place from 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 5 at The Edinburgh Castle in Pitt Street, this quiz isn't for casual Cage fans. That said, there's nothing casual about adoring the man who ran around thinking he's a bloodsucker in Vampire's Kiss, and will next play Dracula in Renfield. Entry is free, with all those times you've rewatched Con Air, Face/Off, Moonstruck and Mandy about to come in mighty handy.
Brie Larson makes a great Captain Marvel. She's even better as Elizabeth Zott. Since winning a Best Actress Oscar for 2015's Room, Larson's resume has largely been filled by the blockbuster end of town — see: Kong: Skull Island, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Fast X and The Marvels — but it's been screaming for a part like Lessons in Chemistry. In her first non-franchise on-screen role since 2019's Just Mercy, she turns executive producer, too, guiding a page-to-screen adaptation of Bonnie Garmus' bestseller that needs her performance as its star ingredient. A chemistry genius and then a TV cooking show host who is forced to battle sexism as both, Elizabeth is as complicated as the holy-grail project that she works in secret as a lab technician, and as the recipes that she later perfects for television audiences. Regardless of whether you've read Lessons in Chemistry's 2022 source material or are coming anew to Apple TV+'s small-screen version, which has been streaming episodically since October and can be binged in full from Wednesday, November 22, Elizabeth is magnificent to watch because Larson steps into her shoes so completely. The character is direct, determined and conscientious. She's not just nonplussed about being likeable, but near-allergically averse to that being her primary goal. She's curious and dryly funny, too, albeit careful about who she's open with. But being serious and rightly cautious about how 50s and 60s America routinely disregards women doesn't mean that she's anything but authentic, whether she's asserting what she's always held dear, navigating life's traumas or finding space for others in her life. Early in the series, Elizabeth's quest to whip up a flawless lasagne has her up to her 78th attempt — and layers are just as crucial for Larson in playing the show's protagonist. When Lessons in Chemistry begins, it's with a brief jump forward to cameras and adoring viewers, with Elizabeth's Supper at Six series an established hit. It'll take half of the broader show to get back to TV cooking with no-nonsense science explanations, an appreciation for domestic duties and an uplifted fanbase, but the opening burns an imprint, signalling that its lead character's days of being expected to make coffee for male-only Hastings Research Institute scientists are numbered. Although Elizabeth has a master's degree in chemistry, her Southern Californian employer cares little about that, or that she's the smartest person on their books, because she lacks a Y chromosome. Instead, they scold her for after-hours experiments — the only time that she can delve into her own work — and lack of interest in the company beauty pageant, and trot out a misogynistic go-to: that she isn't smiling enough. It's at Hastings that Elizabeth meets Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range), who inhabits another world when it comes to respect, yet resides on the exact same non-conformist turf. As the reason for much of the institute's funding, he's the organisation's science rockstar as long as he's bringing in grant money. Like Elizabeth, it's solely the work that he's interested in, not the hoops and hoopla around it. Thanks to her research into abiogenesis, aka the origins of life from organic compounds, they're swiftly professional partners. Coming as a surprise to both, they're soon living together in Los Angeles' Sugar Hill, alongside rescue dog Six-Thirty (named after his daily wake-up time). She likes orderly melodies, while he thinks best to jazz. Her ideal lab has everything in its place, but his is where he showers and scatters around saltine crumbs. In both developing the series from the book and penning or co-penning half of the episodes, Little America and Jury Duty creator Lee Eisenberg lingers on how Elizabeth and Calvin jostle as they fall in love, experiencing existence's unpredictability in the process. The tale from there leans on the latter, especially as the reality that so few of life's variables can be controlled becomes baked in via an array of ways. Selling Tupperware, turning her home kitchen into a lab, Supper at Six, becoming a mother to Mad (played by sincere first-timer Alice Halsey as a seven-year-old): these are all sprinkled into Elizabeth's story, too. Unlike in the novel, so is the efforts of her neighbour Harriet Sloane (Aja Naomi King, How to Get Away with Murder) to fight against the razing of their mostly Black area for a freeway. "Look how much things have evolved" is rarely the statement made by period-set TV dramas. With Lessons in Chemistry, just as with Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel before it — and dramedies Minx and GLOW as well — spotlighting what is and isn't different between a bygone era and now, and how much the second proves the case, simmers throughout. As Elizabeth faces sexist barriers in chemistry and TV alike, as a single woman and then mum, and while pursuing her career and stressing the importance of cooking, it's plain to see the barriers and prejudices that blocked 50s and 60s women at every turn. As legal aide Harriet campaigns against her neighbourhood being demolished, and the discrimination that bulldozing a predominantly Black part of town represents, Lessons in Chemistry makes the same observations regarding race. Thinking that these issues have disappeared with the period's gorgeous decor and costuming is missing the point. This handsomely and heartfeltly made series might pepper change's inevitability across its tale from start to finish — and speak about it in multiple big moments — but it also spies what happens when nothing moves or shifts. Letting that truth percolate is as much its mission as positioning Elizabeth and Harriet as aspirational feminist and activist heroes, even if Harriet's worthy subplot feels like it's been shoehorned in (because it has) and is deserving of its own entire drama (as it is). Lessons in Chemistry is a comfortable and compelling underdog story about pluck, passion and proficiency versus the patriarchy and oppression, then, but with some bite. That said, it still opts for the massively misguided move of letting Six-Thirty turn narrator, aping the book's similar approach and enlisting the voice of BJ Novak (Vengeance). Barking up A Dog's Purpose's tree is thankfully over fast. Although never free of imperfections, as little in life, science or the culinary arts is, Lessons in Chemistry keeps bubbling — and charming. As the plot finds room for leaps back into Elizabeth and Calvin's respective painful histories, Mad to turn detective, pondering science versus faith, and women's liberation and civil rights pushes, it also benefits heavily from its key casting. Larson doesn't just lead expertly, but also shares wide-eyed affection with Pullman, who has inherited his dad Bill's (The High Note) charisma; a supportive rapport with the luminous King, who steals every scene that she's in; and a heartwarming bond with young find Halsey. Chemistry is on display in multiple ways, including in making watching Lessons in Chemistry a richer experience than reading it. Check out the trailer for Lessons in Chemistry below: Lessons in Chemistry streams via Apple TV+.
If one of your new year's resolutions is to kick your disposable cup habit (to say nothing of your caffeine addiction), then Westfield Sydney would like to help. For five mornings from Monday, January 15, the CBD shopping centre is giving away 800 free reusable cups made by Melbourne-based design company Frank Green, as well as free coffee from Fratelli Fresh and Guylianto go inside them. The bonanza will last all week and, to take advantage of it, all you have to do is pledge, via a social media post, to stick with your permanent vessel and give up buying disposables. Due to the regular cups' waterproof plastic film, they can't be recycled in the standard recycling system and, at the moment, Australians toss out around one billion of them a year. Earlier this month, the UK's caffeine habit hit international headlines when a bunch of Liberal Democrat MPs called for a 25p levy on all one-use cups, with a goal to eradicate them by 2023. Local initiatives, like this cafe's choice to ban them and this trial to recycle them in a purpose-built plant, are working towards a similar goal. The Frank Green 'SmartCup' is an Aussie-designed and Aussie-made creation. If you haven't used one before, they're spill-proof, workable with just one hand and made of BPA-free non-toxic materials and comes in a range of colour combos. Plus, it's fitted with some whizzbang tech, which lets you pay for your coffee, find your favourite cafe and pre-order. They usually RRP at around $30–35. The giveaway will take place each morning between 7.30–10.30am on Monday, January 15 till Friday, January 19 inside Westfield Sydney, corner Pitt and Market streets, Sydney. For more info, visit the Westfield website.
It's a common peeve for many Melburnians: the fact that catching the train to another part of town often means hauling all the way into the CBD before you can switch routes and travel back out. Well, that headache could potentially be removed, if the Victorian Government's incredibly ambitious (and pre-election) plans for a huge underground suburban rail network come to fruition. In the latest (and biggest) of the government's policy promises ahead of the November state election, Premier Daniel Andrews this morning released a proposal for a brand new 90-kilometre Suburban Rail Loop, which would link all of the city's major rail lines, from the southeast in Cheltenham all the way to the west in Werribee. It's a huge undertaking, and one that's largely unfunded at the moment — The Age is reporting that the whole thing will cost around $50 billion, but the State Government has only committed 300 million to it so far. For comparison, the current Metro Tunnel project has been estimated at costing around $11 billion. Premier Daniel Andrews took to his Facebook page to announce the plans this morning, posting a video that details how and where the project will operate. The proposed new line would run a loop around Melbourne's outer suburbs, connecting the existing train lines at a point outside of the CBD. The current plans have it starting at Cheltenham on the Frankston line, connecting to the Cranbourne/Pakenham line at Clayton before running through Glen Waverley and to Box Hill on the Lilydale/Belgrave line. From there it will go underground to connect to Heidelberg on the Hurstbridge line, Reservoir on the South Morang, Fawkner on the Upfield and Broadmeadows on the Craigieburn before heading to the new Melbourne Airport station that we'll supposedly have by then. From there it will head down to Sunshine, which is on the Sunbury line, before finishing up at Werribee. All this work could include up to 12 new underground stations and would provide train services to suburbs that don't currently have them, like Monash, Burwood and Doncaster. If all goes as planned, the new network would carry 400,000 people a day, which the government hopes will reduce congestion on both roads and existing train lines. Of course, this is far from a done deal — it's the Andrews Government's flagship promise in the campaign to be re-elected in November. And, if his government does get re-elected, the project will then have to find funding and be passed by parliament to begin on the proposed start date of 2022. At the moment, the government has only committed 300 million towards a business case, design and pre-construction work, which means there is still a lot of work to go to prove that the project is viable (not to mention finding the extra $49,700,000,000). It's not something you want to hold your breath for. That said, the Andrews Government has been the administration to actually make the Metro Tunnel happen, remove multiple level crossings in the city's east and commit to an Airport Rail Link (although that one's not quite confirmed yet), so we'll wait to see what happens both at the election and in the next 18 months. We'll keep you updated.
For some of the best Shanghai-style food in Sydney, set your sights on Lilong by Taste of Shanghai. This Hurstville eatery is one of six other branches across Sydney, and there's certainly a reason why this chain restaurant is so popular. Not only is it diverse in its offering but it's also packed to the brim with authentic street flavours. Feel like salt and pepper pork ribs? Done. Maybe you're more into kung pao chicken with Singaporean noodles? Easy. Whatever your cravings are, be sure to also get a serving of its xiao long bao. These delicately crafted soup dumplings are handmade in-house and are a definite must-try. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Which Australian city has the best steak joints? Which boasts the top restaurants in general? Which is considered the ideal place to live? May 2024 has delivered new answers to all of these questions (more fuel for interstate rivalries, too), and it has just dropped another handy tidbit: the home of Australia's best bartender for this year. Global bartending competition Diageo World Class shows Aussie talents some love in a couple of ways, including via its Bartender of the Year Australia award — and, after a fierce contest showcasing exceptional mixology, we have a winner. Earning the coveted title this year is Sydney bartender Jake Down from Pleasure Club, one of three Harbour City folks competing in the showdown. In the pool of six bartenders, Perth and Hobart were each represented, too (sorry other Australian cities). Down, Merivale's James Irvine and The Waratah's Tom Opie faced off against each other, and also against Matt Bodycote from State Buildings in Perth, Shirley Yeung from Foxtrot Hospitality Group in Perth and Rohan Massie from Rude Boy in Hobart. Held in Sydney on Monday, May 27, the final stage of the annual drinks competition saw the six Aussie finalists battle it out behind the bar, showing off their skills across three challenges. One had them coming up with new options for traditional whisky serves, working with Johnnie Walker, Talisker and The Singleton. The next involved taking inspiration from their favourite bars while heroing Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. Then, a speed task involving making six classic cocktail serves in six minutes rounded out the contest. Down, whose resume locally and internationally also includes This Must Be the Place, Scout London, Re and Housemade Hospitality, now has a chance to score some more kudos at the global finals in September. He'll shake and stir up a storm alongside 50-plus other international hopefuls in a bid to be named World Class Global Bartender of the Year. "The competition has exposed me to some of the best bartenders in the industry, allowing me to learn and grow alongside incredible talent," said Down about his win. "I'm honoured to be part of our incredible hospitality community and I can't wait to represent Australia in September at the global finals." [caption id="attachment_942593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pleasure Club, Parker Blain.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_929495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Waratah, Jason Loucas.[/caption] For more information about the Diageo World Class Australian Bartender competition and Diageo World Class in general, head to the Diageo Bar Academy website.
When former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the state's full roadmap out of lockdown, she gave cinephiles a particularly exciting piece of news. Movie theatres have been closed in Sydney since the end of June, when stay-at-home conditions came into effect — but, on the Monday following NSW reaching the 70-percent fully vaccinated mark, they're permitted to welcome cinephiles back in the doors. The state is expected to hit that 70-percent double-jabbed threshold sometime this week (aka the week commencing Monday, October 4), which makes Monday, October 11 the day that lockdown officially ends. So, that's when projectors will be allowed to start whirring again in Sydney. While that doesn't mean that it's popcorn-munching business as usual quite yet, local cinemas will begin to reopen rather quickly. Randwick Ritz will be one of the initial places to start ushering movie buffs back into darkened rooms, opening its doors on the very first day it can. It'll relaunch with a heap of flicks that've been playing in other states where cinemas have been open over the past few months — some of which have made the leap to streaming already, too — such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Widow, The Suicide Squad and Free Guy. There's also Nitram, Candyman, Respect, Jungle Cruise, Shiva Baby and Pig as well. Yes, that means that you can choose between everything from superheroes, supervillains and video game characters to harrowing true tales, stellar horror sequels, music biopics, movies based on theme park rides, indie comedies and Nicolas Cage doing his thing. On the same date, the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace will kick back into gear, continuing to balance fresh flicks and retro hits. That includes many of the new movies mentioned above, the likes of fellow new releases Annette, Rosa's Wedding and The Rose Maker, plus old-school titles such as Dune, Aliens and Stop Making Sense. And, that Monday will also see Palace's Sydney sites will let punters back in, playing a lineup of brand new movies. Again, there's some crossover in titles; however, here you can also see Nine Days, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), The Killing of Two Lovers, Perfumes, Joe Bell, Ride the Eagle, Reminiscence, The Night House and Don't Breathe 2. Over at Golden Age Cinema and Bar, movies will start playing again from Wednesday, October 13 — and plenty of sessions have already sold out. On the bill: Annette, Pig, Summer of Soul and Shiva Baby, plus retrospective screenings of classics such as Heat, Don't Look Now and Double Indemnity. Dendy Newtown will reopen on Monday, October 11 as well, as will United Opera Quays, while Roseville Cinemas will relaunch on Thursday, October 14. And, if you're wondering about the big end of town — yes, that'd be the multiplexes such as Event, Hoyts and Reading — much of them will open on Monday, October 11, too. As happened in 2020 when picture palaces opened back up after lockdown, you can expect significant changes to the movie-going experience. Well, compared to pre-pandemic life, obviously. So, get ready for online bookings, allocated seating, gaps between patrons, contactless payment, social-distancing requirements and extra cleaning — again. For more information about what's screening in Sydney from October 11, or to book tickets, visit the websites for the Randwick Ritz, Hayden Orpheum, Palace, Golden Age Cinema and Bar, Dendy Newtown, Roseville Cinemas, United Opera Quays, Event, Hoyts and Reading. Top image: Golden Age Cinema and Bar by Cassandra Hannagan.
China Heights has built a solid reputation since opening in 2004, sitting somewhere between art gallery and contemporary conceptual space. It has moved around over the years, but is currently settled on the third floor of a Foster Street warehouse. The gallery focuses on nurturing emerging talent whose work straddles the art and design realms. This has resulted in many numerous public projects, independent installations, and commercial commissions that have contributed to Australia's contemporary art scene. The gallery, run by Edward Woodley and Mark Drew, has fostered some of the city's most talented artists including Mark Whalen, Trent Whitehead, and Numskull. The variety of works and quick turnover of exhibitions keeps art enthusiasts and those in the know returning time and time again.
Sydneysiders, if catching a train is on your agenda as soon as the new year hits, you might want to rethink your travel plans. Transport for NSW has announced that major track work will take place over the first ten days of January 2021, with most of the rail network affected as a result — and buses replacing rail services in some instances. Across January 1–10, no trains will run over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, due to a maintenance project that will replace a timber deck with a concrete structure that's designed to last longer. "This work will ensure we continue to provide an efficient network for commuters, and is a once in a generation opportunity to extend the life of the 88-year-old railway corridor by 120 years," said Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance. Given the time of year, the works are expected to have a lesser impact because trains traditionally aren't as busy as the new year kicks into gear. Around 40-percent fewer patrons usually hop onboard so early in January, Transport for NSW notes. But if you do need to ride the rails across the period, you'll definitely need to adjust. While buses will only replace trains between North Sydney and Wynyard on the T1 North Shore and Western Line, that move is expected to have flow-on effects for every other rail line apart from the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line. Trains will also run to a weekend timetable every day throughout the ten-day period; however, there'll be additional services in peak periods for those who are commuting to and from work. If you're thinking that this'll add some time to your journey, you're absolutely right. Travellers have been advised to factor extra time into their trips. For more information, visit the Transport for NSW website.
The rooftop bars just keep on coming this spring. Next up it's The Rooftop Sydney — not to be confused with Pyrmont's also newly opened The Rooftop. This one is a Hamptons-inspired garden terrace that just opened on level three of the CBD's Shelbourne Hotel. It boasts a retractable roof, floor-to-ceiling windows and views across Sydney Harbour, too. A go-to in all weather conditions, the alfresco dining spot has luxury vacation home feels with hanging rattan chairs, herringbone tiles, tropical palm trees and festoon lights. The share menu focuses on local seafood, salads and skewers, all prepared in the rooftop's dedicated open kitchen. Think kingfish ceviche with pomegranate, jalapeño and nam jim ($19), Alaskan king crab salad with avocado and mandarin ($24) and Moroccan chicken skewers served with romesco sauce ($19), plus truffle and mushroom arancini ($18) and salt cod croquettes ($19). In true Hamptons fashion, long lunches are encouraged and, if you really want to live like the upper crust, a pop-up Champagne bar is also on offer from October 3 — with two-hour bottomless champagne packages priced at a cool $155 per person. Cocktails (all $17) play to the Hamptons vibes, too, with poolside-inspired concoctions like the North Haven (white rum, pressed watermelon, strawberry, mint and lime), Hayground Cove (Aperol, gin, orangeflower syrup, lemon and cherry bitters) and the Holy Hacienda (spiced tequila with agave, orange liqueur, cranberry and cucumber). There are also cocktail carafes to share ($35), including the Emma Rosé with gin, strawberry and cranberry juice. And, if you come by on Thursday nights, it's slinging special cocktails for a tenner. Open three nights a week from noon until late, The Rooftop is a solid weekday live music option with acoustic sessions on Wednesday nights and DJ sets on Fridays.
Perhaps you got to really hone your Scrabble skills during lockdown, or maybe you've just always been a baller with a Draw Four Wild Card. Either way, your board game obsession is about to find its ultimate match because Australia has just scored a new trio of stays, themed around three game night classics. Meet, House of Uno, Pictionary Palace and Scrabble Shack. These very playful getaways have landed on the Sunshine Coast and in the Blue Mountains, courtesy of game company Mattel and the folks at Booking.com. Each of the homes can be booked for up to two nights and comes kitted out with a stack of themed furnishings, merch and other game-inspired gear — yep, think, Uno pyjamas, oversized Pictionary timers and Scrabble pillows. And, of course, there's an enviable board games collection, featuring not just Mattel classics, but special-edition variations. That said, these are also pretty stylish little pads, with regular features like bathrooms, fireplaces and comfy beds. [caption id="attachment_787126" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scrabble Shack[/caption] House of Uno is hidden away in the leafy Sunshine Coast hinterland, boasting treetop views, Uno-themed throw blankets and what looks like a primo living room set-up for game night. Meanwhile, in the Blue Mountains, Pictionary Palace comes complete with four bedrooms, a cute garden and an abundance of Pictionary swag. And not too far away, a beautifully restored timber cottage has been reborn as the Scrabble Shack, hidden among the trees and filled with Scrabble-themed artefacts running from wall art to letter cookies. Bookings for all three getaways have just opened, so you'll want to be speedy if you want to beat out the other board game fiends and lock in a visit. Especially with discounted stays currently on offer. For the next few days, the cost per night is being slashed to equal the cost of the game. For example, a Uno deck will set you back $10, so bookings for House of Uno are an easy $10 a night. Bookings for House of Uno, Pictionary Palace and Scrabble Shack are now open, for stays from Friday, October 23.
The inner west's confidently cool suburbs of Newtown and Marrickville have a new neighbour to watch out for. Dulwich Hill is quickly becoming a player in the local hospitality scene, with heaps of cafes, high-quality eats and an ever-growing number of small bars to visit. A sausage cellar door, a revamped Greek milk bar and a live music haven in a former butcher are just a few nighttime spots to hunt down around town. So, gather your crew — or schedule a date night — and hit up our pick of the best bars in Dulwich Hills and surrounds.
It was only a matter of time before pop-up cinemas became a thing. First there was the whole outdoor trend, then came along rooftop bar screenings. Now movie aficionado Andrew Mercado is introducing Backdoor Cinema, coming soon to a bar, alleyway or backyard near you. The Backdoor Cinema experience is a nod to old school styles of storytelling. Expect some pretty classic advertising, intermissions and some potentially politically incorrect cartoons. In an effort to jazz up the movie experience, Backdoor Cinema will be showcasing an array of golden oldies in Australian Cinema throughout the '50s till the '80s in various locations throughout Sydney. The first instalment will be held on September 9 at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. In lieu of its 40th anniversary, Backdoor Cinema will be presenting the notorious Australian soap opera film Number 96 in all of its bell-bottomed, sideburned glory. Mercado wants this movie experience to be a complete 360 from the traditional movie route. Firstly, moviegoers are encouraged, nay required to dress up in the style of the era of the movie being showcased. Secondly, audience participation is strongly encouraged. For Mercado, the more audience participation, the better. "Who doesn’t love a dress-up and yelling out at the screen?” asks Mercado. "And just because the end credits start rolling on a movie doesn't mean the night should finish with people scurrying home. In a pub setting, we plan on cranking up the music and keeping the vibe going so that patrons can have another drink and a dance."
Luigi Esposito, the pizzaiolo who helped ignite Sydney's love of woodfired pizza through his wildly popular Surry Hills institutions Via Napoli and Pizza Fritta 180, has added yet another venue to his mozzarella-topped empire. With his first two restaurants on Crown Street, Esposito told the story of Neapolitan pizza — both the traditional iteration and its flash-fried street-food cousin. Now, with his latest venture, he's shifting the narrative away from Naples to focus on the cuisine of Rome. Located on the corner of Crown and Foveaux streets (in the former digs of Pizza Fritta 180, which has moved in next door to Via Napoli, just up the road), 170 Grammi is so named for the exact amount of dough — just 170 grams per 13-inch pizza — required to create the thin and crispy base that distinguishes Roman slices from their Neapolitan counterparts. Rather than the pliant, doughy chew and bubbly, charred crust that Sydneysiders are familiar with, 170 Grammi's pizzas are all about the crunch, and the counterpoint of textures between the molten toppings and the crisp base beneath. "We've made them using the traditional 'la tonda scrocchiarella Romana' or round style that was popular in the 1950s," Esposito said, although with a few of the 13 variations on the menu, he's also breaking with tradition. Transcribing the flavours of Rome's most-beloved pasta dishes, toppings include the simple crowd-pleaser of cacio e pepe — and the silken yet salty combo of egg, guanciale pork and pecorino romano of the a'carbonara. The restaurant's signature dish is the porchetta di ariccia, featuring slow-roasted porchetta alla Romana and smoked scamorza mingled with roasted rosemary-kissed potatoes, and showcases a family recipe passed on to Luigi from his father-in-law Tonino Toscano. "I'm so pleased to be able to recognise my wife and her family in one of our pizzerias," Esposito said. The menu also features the best Roman-style antipasti, including suppli (the Italian capital's riff on arancini) and trippa alla Romana — tripe in a piquant tomato sauce — as well as an affordable wine offering with no bottles priced over $65. And it's not just 170 Grammi's pizzas — each cooked at 300 degrees for just three minutes in the kitchen's custom-built woodfired oven — that will have Sydneysiders queuing around the block, just as they did when Pizza Fritta 180 first opened in 2020 at the same address. A classic Roman-style dessert, the maritozzi, which features a soft brioche-style bun filled to bursting with sweetened whipped cream, is sure to become the new obsession of sweet-toothed Sydneysiders everywhere. Find 170 Grammi at 428 Crown Street, Surry Hills, open 5–10pm Wednesday–Sunday — head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Love heading to a scenic spot to dance to live tunes? Adore sipping wine, too? Music and vino festival Grapevine Gathering understands. That pairing is this annual event's entire setup, with the fest bringing a heap of bands to vineyards each year. Yes, that includes 2022, with its October dates and venues now locked in. And if you live in Queensland or South Australia, get ready to experience Grapevine Gathering on your home turf for the very first time. The fest will return to Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, of course — hitting up Sandalford Wines in Swan Valley, Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley and Roche Estate in the Hunter Valley, respectively. But this'll mark the first time that Grapevine Gathering has made its way to the Sunshine State and SA. Where it's heading: Sirromet Wines at Mount Cotton and Serafino Wines in McLaren Vale. While it's too early for the event's full lineup, it has dropped one key act: Aussie sketch comedians and Instagram celebrities The Inspired Unemployed. As they did at the last Victorian Grapevine Gathering, they're taking on hosting duties in order to keep you entertained between musos — and also hitting the decks as well. If you're wondering what the duo also known as Jack Steele and Matt Ford might have in store, shenanigans-wise, they did shoeys out of punters' footwear, performed an acoustic version of 'Drops of Jupiter' and hosted a segment of The Bachelorette the last time around. If you're also eager to find out who'll they be introducing, aren't we all — but past fests have been headlined by Two Door Cinema Club, Flight Facilities, The Wombats, Tkay Maidza and The Veronicas. Naturally, sipping wine is a huge part of the attraction. As always, attendees will have access to a heap of vino given the fest's locations, as well as an array of yet-to-be-announced food options. GRAPEVINE GATHERING 2022 DATES: Saturday, October 1 — Sandalford Wines, Swan Valley, Western Australia Sunday, October 2 — Serafino Wines, McLaren Vale, South Australia Saturday, October 8 — Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Victoria Saturday, October 15 — Roche Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales Sunday, October 16 — Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, Queensland Grapevine Gathering will tour Australia in October 2022. The full lineup hasn't been announced yet, but we'll update you when it is. In the interim, you can head to the festival's website to register for further details when it hits.
The race that stops the nation is almost here and this year, Philips is helping you look the part. On Tuesday, November 4, the OneBlade Barbershop will be setting up at the Southbank Spillway for a free pop-up grooming experience ahead of Melbourne Cup celebrations. From 10:30am–6:30pm, the OneBlade Barbershop will be open for walk-ins, with two barbers on hand. Whether you're off to Flemington, heading to a rooftop party or catching the race from a bar, you can swing by for a quick trim, edge or shave using the Philips OneBlade. You'll get to choose from the icons board featuring well-known AFL, Rugby, NRL, UFC, and Cricket stars to inspire your cut, from Honeybadger and Nick Kyrgios, to Bailey Smith and Volk. There's no need to book ahead, just drop by and scan the QR code to secure your spot on the day. While you wait, you can also spin the prize wheel to score giveaways like the Philips Nose Trimmer NT1000, the Philips OneBlade Original Blade, exclusive merch, mini fans and more. If you've been considering trying out a new look but just waiting for the inspiration, this is your chance to try out the OneBlade for yourself and head to The Cup looking sharp (for free)! Catch the OneBlade Barbershop pop-up at Southbank Spillway, Melbourne on Tuesday, November 4 from 10:30am–6:30pm. For more info, head to the website.
If you're a fan of Australian music festivals, a feeling of déjà vu might be sinking in right now. In 2024, both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass announced dates and big lineups, then scrapped their festivals mere weeks afterwards. In 2025, one week after another, both fests have now cancelled their 2025 plans as well. After Splendour confirmed that it wouldn't be back this year, Groovin the Moo has done the same. The latter hasn't advised that it will definitely will return in 2026, either — but the team behind it are asking for lineup suggestions for future fests. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Groovin the Moo (@groovinthemoo) "Groovin the Moo won't be happening in 2025, while we work on finding the most-sustainable model for Australia's most-loved regional touring festival," the event's organisers said via social media. "We will really miss seeing the smiling faces of all our beloved Moo crew — and that means you! In the meantime, which artist would you most like to see on a GTM lineup?" In 2024, the long-running regional music event was due to play six stops: Adelaide, Canberra, Bendigo, the Sunshine Coast, Bunbury and Newcastle, with the latter marking its debut in the New South Wales city. Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland were among the talents on the bill, alongside Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco, plus Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and others. When Groovin the Moo pulled the plug last year, it named poor ticket sales as the reason. "We are extremely disappointed to announce that the Groovin the Moo 2024 tour has been forced to cancel," advised the statement at the time. "Ticket sales have not been sufficient to deliver a regional festival of this kind." "We hope to be able to bring Groovin the Moo back to regional communities in the future." Groovin the Moo won't be taking place in 2025. For more information, head to the festival's Instagram. Images: Jordan Munns.
When cinemas were forced to close their doors back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry had to adapt. Some individual films started moving to streaming and video on demand, while a number of picture palaces created their own online viewing platforms. Following in the footsteps of Sydney's Golden Age, as well as the teams behind the city's Ritz and Melbourne's Lido, Classic and Cameo cinemas, national chain Palace Cinemas is now making the leap to digital — with its new Palace Home Cinema venture launching during this year's Italian Film Festival. Palace Home Cinema will focus on world cinema, and on a curated movie lineup; however, when its first films become available to watch on Thursday, October 15, they'll all hail from the 2020 IFF program. The chain is calling its debut selection the 'IFF Piccolo', with eight movies on offer to watch on a pay-per-view basis until Wednesday, October 21. Cinephiles around the country can check out IFF's opening night film, a live-action, whimsy-heavy version of Pinocchio from Gomorrah and Dogman filmmaker Matteo Garrone — or watch its two special presentation flicks for this year, The Goddess of Fortune and Martin Eden. Also on the bill: comedies Once Upon a Time... in Bethlehem and Say It Loud, dramas Bad Tales and Ordinary Justice, and the family-friendly The Most Beautiful Day in the World. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rIcXgMx7hU&feature=emb_logo Prices vary — with Pinocchio costing $20 to view and the rest of the program costing $14 per title. Once viewers make their purchase, they can watch their chosen film or films at any time during the seven-day IFF Piccolo window. That said, after you first press play, you'll have to finish watching within 48 hours. The Italian Film Festival is currently showing physically in cinemas in Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth — but if you're a Melburnian eager to get your fix while theatres are still closed, you live in a regional area or you can't attend in-person, you now have an at-home way to enjoy the fest. While Palace hasn't revealed what else will screen on the Palace Home Cinema platform, the service will focus on the kind of films shown in the chain's venues. "People look to Palace for a special kind of entertainment. We want to accompany them on their journey, making fine cinema easy to find and play, even as we spend more time at home than ever before," said Palace Cinemas CEO Benjamin Zeccola. Palace Home Cinema is available via the service's website. The Italian Film Festival Piccolo is available to stream from Thursday, October 15–Wednesday, October 21.
With new limits on how many people can catch buses and trains due to social distancing, Sydneysiders are being encouraged to walk and cycle into work. To help, the City of Sydney and Transport for NSW are building six new cycleways to make it easier to get around the Harbour City. The cycleways will be located across the CBD, Erskineville, Rosebery, Surry Hills and Pyrmont — and, while exciting news for cyclists, the paths are just a temporary fix. But, while temporary, the cycleways are set to be up and running by the end of June. They'll be constructed from a combination of barriers, line markings and lane dividers, which Lord Mayor Clover Moore said are "quick and simple" to implement. "We already have an extensive program of cycleways and public domain improvements, but we need short term tactical measures that can be implemented in weeks," the Lord Mayor said. As well as constructing cycleways, the Council will be temporarily widening footpaths in the CBD to allow for higher levels of foot traffic. The exact locations of the paths, highlighted in orange in the map below, are: Pitt Street north between King Street and Reiby Place, CBD Henderson Road, Eveleigh and Railway Parade/Bridge Street, Erskineville Dunning Avenue, Rosebery Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street, Paddington/Surry Hills Pyrmont Bridge Road, Pyrmont Sydney Park Road, Erskineville The City of Sydney is also considering temporary bike paths on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, King Street in Newtown and across King, College an Castlereagh streets in the CBD. [caption id="attachment_773066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Click to enlarge.[/caption] A more permanent cycleway that is set to be constructed is across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At the moment, cyclists have to haul their bikes up and down 55 steps to cross the bridge, but, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Transport for NSW is close to finalising plans for bike ramps at both ends after the project was sidelined two years ago due to community opposition. If you're yet to go back to work and are contemplating your commute options, bear in mind the new public transport limits. Because of social distancing, two-door buses are limited to 12 commuters, Waratah trains 35 and Freshwater ferries 245, which works out to be about 25 percent capacity. To find out more information about City of Sydney's temporary cycle routes, head to the council website.
If Sofia Coppola's Priscilla is one of your most-anticipated movies of 2024, and Westpac Openair Cinema's big summer return is one of your favourite film dates every year, then mark your calendar ASAP: when it opens its next season in January, this outdoor picture palace at Mrs Macquaries Point will launch with Mare of Easttown, Devs, On the Basis of Sex, Bad Times at the El Royale and Pacific Rim: Uprising actor Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley, plus Australian Euphoria and The Kissing Booth star Jacob Elordi as Elvis. Westpac Openair Cinema has been announcing details of its next season for a month or so now, including locking in its 2024 dates and revealing that Ferrari, Next Goal Wins and Poor Things will all grace its huge screen. Priscilla opening its season is the latest piece of news for movie lovers, with the film set to enjoy its Sydney premiere in stunning surroundings on Wednesday, January 10. Accordingly, audiences are in for Coppola's (On the Rocks) exploration of Elvis' marriage to Priscilla from the latter's perspective, adapting Elvis and Me, Priscilla's 1985 memoir that was co-written with Sandra Harmon. This isn't the first time that the book has hit the screen thanks to a 1988 TV movie, but it clearly has its namesake's approval given that she's one of the feature's executive producers. (Another: Coppola's brother Roman.) Priscilla will be joined by both Barbie and Amelie on the full Westpac Openair Cinema, with the event adding three more titles in total before it reveals its full program on Monday, November 27. If you're new to Westpac Openair Cinema, it sets up a towering screen at Mrs Macquaries Point each summer, backdropped by spectacular panoramic views. That'll be on the agenda in 2024 from Wednesday, January 10—Tuesday, February 20, complete with a vista over the city, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The team behind the event has posted on social media about Oppenheimer and Past Lives as well, so fingers crossed that they make the cut when the complete lineup drops. Cross your toes, too, if you'd love a Barbenheimer double. The Westpac Openair Cinema crew has also mentioned a few titles that it's still thinking about from its 2023 run, which you could take as a hint. On the list: Tár, Elvis, Jackie Brown and the OG Top Gun. [caption id="attachment_700088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Westpac OpenAir Sydney[/caption] The event's array of dining experiences hasn't been announced as yet, including whether if Kitchen by Mike will be behind the cinema's meals again. As happens every year, tickets are likely to go quickly when they go on sale on Monday, December 11. Across the summer of 2018–19, more than 40,000 tickets sold within the first two days of pre-sale, for instance — so put it in your diary ASAP. Westpac Openair 2024 runs from Wednesday, January 10—Tuesday, February 20. The program will be announced on Monday, November 27, with tickets on sale on Monday, December 11 — check back here then for further details. Top image: Fiora Sacco.
Hamilton isn't the only hit musical from the past few years that took a few cues from the past, paired a well-known chapter of history with toe-tapping tunes and made on-stage magic. Another theatre show that did just that: Six the Musical. First premiering back at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, then jumping to London's West End, the musical takes inspiration from one of the most famous sextets there's ever been — because even if you don't know much about Britain's past kings and queens, you likely know that Henry VIII had six wives. The Tudor monarch's love life has inspired plenty of pop culture content over the years — including 00s TV series The Tudors and 2008 movie The Other Boleyn Girl — but this one takes the pop part rather seriously. It's presented as a pop concert, in fact, with Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr all taking to the microphone to tell their stories. Each woman's aim: to stake their claim as the wife who suffered the most at the king's hands, and to become the group's lead singer as a result. A five-time nominee at the Olivier Awards, Six the Musical has already played Australia, thanks to a 2020 season at the Sydney Opera House. Making a comeback, it's joining the long list of musicals doing the rounds this year and next — alongside Hamilton, Come From Away, Moulin Rouge!, The Phantom of the Opera, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Jagged Little Pill, to name a few big-name shows gracing Aussie stages either now or in the near future. Hitting up Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse from November 2021, the Sydney Opera House from December 2021, and Canberra Theatre Centre, Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide and Melbourne's Comedy Theatre in 2022 — with exact dates to be revealed for all cities — Six the Musical will welcome back four 2020 cast members for its new tour. Kala Gare (Rent) returns as Anne Boleyn, Loren Hunter (Strictly Ballroom: The Musical) will reprise her role as Jane Seymour, Kiana Daniele (Dirty Dancing) will step into Anne of Cleves' shoes again and Catherine Parr will be played by Vidya Makan (Green Day's American Idiot) once more. They'll welcome new co-stars Phoenix Jackson Mendoza (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Chelsea Dawson (Shrek the Musical), as Catherine of Aragon and Catherine Howard, respectively. SIX THE MUSICAL AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2021–22: Brisbane — QPAC Playhouse from November 2021 Sydney — Sydney Opera House from December 2021 Canberra — Canberra Theatre Centre sometime in 2022 Adelaide — Her Majesty's Theatre sometime in 2022 Melbourne — Comedy Theatre sometime in 2022 Six the Musical will play Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse from November 2021, the Sydney Opera House from December 2021, and Canberra Theatre Centre, Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide and Melbourne's Comedy Theatre in 2022. Tickets for the Brisbane and Sydney seasons will go on sale in August — to join the waitlist, head to the musical's website. Images: James D Morgan, Getty Images.
If you're fascinated by anatomy and don't get too creeped out by cadavers, then we might've found your ultimate exhibition. Having scored rave reviews on its international tour, the world-renowned Real Bodies exhibition has finally made its Sydney debut at the Entertainment Quarter's Byron Kennedy Hall. This one digs pretty deep and is a little different to your standard cultural experience in that it features a collection of 20 real, perfectly preserved human bodies, alongside over 200 anatomical specimens. Exploring birth, life and death, through a compelling mix of art, science and emotion, Real Bodies aims to give visitors a whole new perspective on the weird and wonderful complexities of the human body. The exhibition's divided between ten different galleries, each focused on various physiological functions. Dive into the intricacies of the respiratory system in the 'Breathe' gallery, or discover the science behind physical attraction as you explore the one titled 'Love'. Just remember, it's probably not one you want to schedule in for straight after lunch.
UPDATE, August 20, 2021: Promising Young Woman is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Promising Young Woman would've made an excellent episode or season of Veronica Mars. That's meant as the highest compliment to both the bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre and the cult-status private detective series. Make a few casting swaps, and it's apparent how the latter would tackle this tale. Actually, as Veronica Mars fans know, the beloved TV show repeatedly examined the way women are treated in a patriarchal society, and the privilege afforded the wealthy, white and male at the expense of everyone else. It also explored rapes on college campuses in its third season, spanning the impact upon victims, the aftermath and the culture that's allowed such attacks to proliferate. Promising Young Woman writer/director Emerald Fennell clearly isn't blind to these parallels, even casting Veronica Mars stars Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Chris Lowell (GLOW) in her feature debut. Don't go thinking the Killing Eve season two showrunner and The Crown actor is simply following in other footsteps, though. At every moment — and as channelled through Carey Mulligan's fierce lead performance — the brilliant and blistering Promising Young Woman vibrates with too much anger, energy and insight to merely be a copycat of something else. When Mulligan's character, Cassie Thomas, is introduced, she's inebriated and alone at a nightclub, her clothing riding up as she slouches in her seat. Three men discuss women over beverages by the bar, complaining that they can't hold meetings at strip joints due to the objections of a female colleague. They notice Cassie while chatting, with one commenting, "they put themselves in danger, girls like that". Voicing worries she could be taken advantage of by guys who aren't as nice as him, Jerry (The OC's Adam Brody) checks she's okay. A shared Uber ride follows, as does the offer of a drink at his place and, despite Cassie's out-of-it state and his supposed chivalry, Jerry's sexual advances. But when Cassie snaps her eyes open wide, asks what he's doing in a firm voice and reveals she isn't actually drunk, the night takes a turn — something Jerry didn't anticipate, just as he didn't ever entertain he was that kind of man, but one familiar to the medical school dropout-turned-coffee shop employee he's trying to bed. Colour-coded names and tallies scrawled in a notebook illustrate this isn't a first for Cassie; it's her weekend routine. Fennell's script drip-feeds details about its protagonist's motivations for her ritualistic actions, the reason for ditching her studies seven years prior and why she spends her weeknights staring at photos of her childhood best friend; however, the specifics aren't hard to guess. Since moving back in with her parents (The Mortuary Collection's Clancy Brown and Like a Boss' Jennifer Coolidge), Cassie has taught lessons to opportunistic men hiding behind faux gallant facades — the type of guys who'll tell a woman they don't need so much makeup, then try to ply them with liquor when they're already sauced and take off their clothes while they're passed out, as Neil (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bad Neighbours 2) does. But then ex-classmate Ryan (Bo Burnham, The Big Sick) walks into Cassie's workplace. She spits in his coffee and sparks still fly, but it's the news that someone from their past has returned to town that changes her vigilante quest. In its much-talked-about trailer and in the film itself, Promising Young Woman makes stellar use of Italian quartet Archimia's orchestral version of Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. It arrives late in the movie, but anyone who saw the promotional clip knows it's coming — and that forewarning doesn't undercut its power, or how expertly it encapsulates the entire feature. Fennell wants viewers to fill in the pop song's words themselves, rolling around lyrics such as "a guy like you should wear a warning" and "poison paradise" in their heads. She wants everyone pondering toxic masculinity, and how heat-of-the-moment passion is often used to nullify consent concerns, too. Often dressed on her nights out like she could've stepped out of a music video, Cassie is on a self-given mission of vengeance against sexual violence, so Promising Young Woman deploys every method possible to reinforce that idea. Another 00s track, Paris Hilton's 'Stars Are Blind', accompanies a romantic sing-along that segues into an affectionate montage of Cassie and Ryan's dating honeymoon — and using a song by an objectified celebrity whose sex life has been so frequently dissected and shamed that no one now bats an eyelid obviously isn't accidental either. Fennell's savvy, provocative and downright fearless choices just keep coming. Indeed, there's a relentlessness to Promising Young Woman overall that mirrors the persistence of grief and pain after trauma — and that remains the case even when the film makes big tonal swings, which always reflect the highs and lows of Cassie's emotional rollercoaster ride. Through cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Monsoon, Beats), the movie weaponises its pastel, peppy and popping Instagram-friendly imagery, crafting a vicious flick about a dark subject that's gorgeous to look at. It fills its frames with vibrant surface sheen, as sighted at bars and in Cassie's outfits, then peels back their allure, making its audience constantly grapple with the contrast. Promising Young Woman never lets its protagonist's rage subside either, including in a bold finale that's one of its very best touches. It's furious from start to finish, Cassie is always inflamed, and sharing that feeling even in the film's most overt setups and obvious scenes (which are also some of its most entertaining) is a foregone conclusion. And, of course, Fennell has also made the smart decision to cast Mulligan, and to draw upon her near-peerless ability to express complex internalised turmoil. It's one of the reasons that she's such a standout in everything from An Education and Drive to Shame and Wildlife, and it's once again on display in this sharp, strong and formidable portrayal. No woman brings sexual assault upon themselves, with this whole intelligent and astute revenge-thriller rebuffing the bro-ish bar guy's early observation in every way possible, and meting out punishment to those who think similarly. But Mulligan's performance as Cassie hammers home the dangers of that wrong notion in a manner that ensures Promising Young Woman is than just a female empowerment fantasy. She scorches, sears and resounds with such burning truth, and so does the feature she's in as a result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdaJcoKk0s
Coachella FOMO is no longer a thing. With its biggest livestream yet, YouTube is solving it in 2023. Sure, you can still wish that you were heading to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California across April 14–16 and April 21–23. Yes, there's nothing quite like being there in person. But if you're all about seeing the fest's impressive lineup — seeing as much of it as possible, too — this year's Coachella and YouTube collaboration is beaming the entire event around the world. One of the globe's biggest music festivals has been teaming up with the video site for 11 years now. Earlier in 2023, they announced that they've locked in their arrangement till 2026, in fact. So expanding exactly what the Coachella livestream shows, and when, is the next logical step — with 2023's fest covering all six stages across both weekends. This is the first time ever that YouTube's Coachella footage has played the whole fest as it's happening, upping its feeds from three to six. Whoever you want to see — and if you want to catch their sets twice — you now can. 2023's bill is worth getting excited about, with Bad Bunny headlining the Friday nights, BLACKPINK doing the Saturday nights and Frank Ocean on Sunday nights. Down Under, you'll be tuning in on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to catch each, so mark your diaries now. Also on the lineup: a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, ROSALÍA and Blondie through to The Kid LAROI, Björk, Fisher, Charlie XCX, Porter Robinson and Idris Elba. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) In-between sets, YouTube will fill its feeds with more on-the-ground coverage, so you'll be able to scope out the art and installations around the fest, head behind the scenes, see how the acts get partying before the hit the stage and more. 2023's set times haven't yet been announced, but keep an eye on Coachella's Instagram feed in the lead up to the festival — and, obviously, bookmark its YouTube channel ASAP. Coachella runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 15 Down Under.
If four levels wasn't enough, Oxford Street mainstay The Burdekin Hotel has expanded by opening a rooftop bar and restaurant. The new sun-soaked bar sits five storeys high, looking out over Hyde Park. As well as picturesque city views, the new bar offers up cocktails, pub-style Italian food and one helluva happy hour. The expansion has been in the works for the past four years, since restaurateur Adam Celestino took over the venue. It was finally granted approval in early 2020, and the team used the time during the COVID-19 shutdowns to construct the bar. The new sky-high space, which is filled with fairy lights, black and white tables, large umbrellas and wooden banquettes, was unveiled alongside a new-look menu. A tried-and-true list of pub classics like pizza, schnitzels and salads occupy a majority of the new menu. But, if you're in more of a snackier mood, the range of meat and cheese boards will accompany sunset views just nicely. [caption id="attachment_800265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Billy Zammit[/caption] Accompanying the food menu is a 14-strong cocktail list, including a range of traditional cocktails and some left-of-centre creations from The Burdekin team. The latter includes the Slutty Mermaid, which combines vodka, Malibu, blue curacao, pineapple juice and tropical Red Bull, and the Island Invite starring rum from Surry Hills distillery Brix, maple syrup, cinnamon and orange and pineapple juice. If you head in between 4–6pm Monday–Friday, you can try some of the new menu and drinks for cheap. With the weekday happy hour featuring $10 pizza and $5 wine, beer and spirits. As an added bonus, this two-hour special is available venue-wide. Live entertainment and parties are also expected to occupy the space once venue restrictions are rolled back further. The Burdekin Hotel has a long history of packed dance floors and live music. It was one of the first to be granted an exemption from the lockout laws back in 2017 and has remained a hotspot for nightlife and a Mardi Gras hub since. Downstairs, the hotel hosts regular comedy shows, trivia nights and drag competitions. The Burdekin's regular dance party We Love and pop-punk night AM//PM have also recently returned after a prolonged hiatus, although attendees are obviously required to be seated for the time being. The Burdekin Hotel is located at 2–4 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. The rooftop bar is open 4–10pm Monday–Thursday, 12pm–12am Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm Sunday. Images: Billy Zammit
Throwing open the doors after spending almost four months in lockdown is a rather huge deal, both for Sydneysiders keen to venture out of the house for whatever reason they like and for venues eager to welcome patrons back in. So, Ultimo's Powerhouse Museum is marking the occasion in a big way — by launching five new exhibitions. Back in February, when the site announced its plans for 2021, it unveiled a list of exhibitions to fill its walls and halls for the entire year. Of course, the pandemic changed that. Now, when it reopens on Monday, October 11 in line with New South Wales' roadmap out of stay-at-home conditions, it'll unleash everything from party photographs and electric keyboards to art about eucalypts and stunning design work. Thanks to an exhibition called Eucalyptusdom, the venue will explore stories surrounding gum trees, including their importance to Indigenous Australians. Expect to see pieces from Powerhouse's collection across a lineup of more than 400 items, as well as new works by Dean Cross, Luna Mrozik Gawler, Julie Gough, Vera Hong, Anna May Kirk, Nicholas Mangan, Yasmin Smith, Sera Waters and Damien Wright with Bonhula Yunupingu. [caption id="attachment_828027" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zandra Rhodes, Autumn / Winter 1981-82, London. ©Robert Rosen[/caption] Australian portrait and social pages photographer Robert Rosen is also in the spotlight, all thanks to Glitterati: 20 years of Social Photography. This showcase hones in on Rosen's vivid snaps, covering more than 300 images, including from his early career in London and Paris. Here, famous faces will grace Powerhouse's walls, spanning the likes of Paul McCartney, Elle McPherson, Divine, Nina Simone, Yves Saint Laurent and Andy Warhol, plus Grace Jones, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Luciano Pavarotti, Elton John and Michael Hutchence. With Electric Keys, the venue will also contemplate the influence of electric keyboards on soul jazz, blues, rock, progressive rock and pop. Twenty keyboards will be on display, dating back to mechanical instruments from the 17th century — including a Virginal plucked string keyboard with a compass of four octaves that was made in Italy in 1629, aka the Powerhouse's oldest instrument. A 1974 electric piano 'Wurlitzer 200A', as heard in Queen track 'You're My Best Friend' also features, as does a 1982 Roland SH-101 monophonic synthesizer that produced the baseline in Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams'. Powerhouse is also highlighting 20th-century designers in an exhibition called Graphic Identities, focusing on the likes of Douglas Annand, Frances Burke, Gordon Andrews, Arthur Leydin, Dahl Collings, Shirley de Vocht and more. And, in Clay Dynasty, over 400 pieces from the Powerhouse collection will be on display, highlighting different ways of working with the medium across 50 years of Australian studio ceramics — including works from 160 Aussie artists. [caption id="attachment_828029" align="alignnone" width="1920"] View of Electric Keys showing keyboard instruments from the collection. A Hammond B3organ from 1955 is in the foreground and the oldest keyboard instrument in the country, a Virginal from 1629, can be seen on the right. Photographed by Zan Wimberley.[/caption] That's what's launching now, but more is in store across the rest of the year. Come December, the Five Hundred Arhats exhibition will showcase a selection of the 300 statues found in the ruins of Changnyeongsa Temple in Yeongwol in Gangwon-do Province, South Korea, back in 2001. The stone sculptures are thought to date back 500 years, and depict arhats, aka followers of Buddha who've achieved the enlightened state of nirvana. And, Powerhouse still has a number of other delayed exhibitions in the works as well. They include The Invisible Revealed, which'll let visitors see nuclear-beam scans of objects from Powerhouse's collection; Microcars, focusing on more than 17 tiny automobiles from Europe, Japan, the UK and Australia; and the climate change-centric 100 Conversations, spanning an exhibition and talks program. Powerhouse Museum reopens on Monday, October 11 at 500 Harris Street, Ultimo. For further details, visit the venue's website. Top image: View of Eucalyptusdom showing commissioned work Pyriscence: After Fireby Anna May Kirk. Photographed by Zan Wimberley.
Anything can happen at Dark Mofo. One of two massive arts festivals run by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, the winter event has always prided itself on being a fest where the dark, sinister, confronting and boundary-pushing come together, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. So, for its first program announcement for 2023, a wild dance theatre performance inspired by Dante's The Divine Comedy sounds completely in the event's wheelhouse. That production is A Divine Comedy, hailing from Austrian choreographer and performance artist Florentina Holzinger, and hitting Dark Mofo as both an Australian premiere and an Aussie exclusive. Playing for three days throughout the festival's Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 dates for 2023, it dives into the hell, purgatory and paradise of Dante's classic work, all to explore how humans negotiate life and death. "We are thrilled to present Florentina Holzinger's A Divine Comedy for Dark Mofo 2023. She is a super-talented artist who is brazenly contemporary and culturally relevant," Creative Director Leigh Carmichael said, announcing the news. "This is the most incredibly wild theatre performance that we have presented in the history of Dark Mofo. Its scale is unprecedented and bold, a fitting highlight for our tenth festival. We can safely say the audience will be anything but bored." Holzinger is known for making challenging and provocative theatre, and for exploring gender relations — including how women's bodies are represented in art and media. For A Divine Comedy, she's staging the whole show as a giant autopsy room, in fact, then unleashing choreography that dances with existence, mortality, the end that awaits us all, and our struggle to cope with what that all means. Dark Mofo attendees will watch a cast of all-female-identifying performers spanning all ages, as well as a variety of physical, musical and athletic disciplines, take to the stage for the work. And, they'll see nude performers, slapstick acts, bodily substances and references to slasher movies as well — plus a jam-packed selection of nods to art and dance's respective histories. A Divine Comedy will play Dark Mofo from Friday, June 16–Sunday, June 18, with the rest of the fest's program set to be revealed this autumn. Whatever else joins the bill to help the event officially hit ten years, it'll be part of Carmichael's last at the helm. He'll step down after Dark Mofo 2023, making way for a new Artistic Director from 2024 onwards. [caption id="attachment_846523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2021, Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford, 2021. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Wondering what else might be in store? Previous years' lineups have seen a fantastical combination of musical performances, performance art and large-scale installations come together. In 2019, the program featured the likes of artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, American musician Sharon Van Etten and one of the world's largest glockenspiels, for instance. In 2022, patrons were treated to performances by The Kid LAROI, and the sounds of Chernobyl and Candyman — plus rainbow installations, and signature festivities such as the Nude Solstice Swim, the City of Hobart Winter Feast, Night Mass: Transcendence in the In The Hanging Garden precinct and the Reclamation Walk. Already keen to get booking? Fancy a Tasmania trip in the interim? Our Concrete Playground Trips Hobart getaway might also be of interest. [caption id="attachment_800592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lusy Productions[/caption] Dark Mofo 2023 will run from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. The 2023 program will be announced in autumn — check back here for further details. A Divine Comedy will play Dark Mofo from Friday, June 16–Sunday, June 18. A ticket ballot for the show is open until 12pm AEST on Friday, February 10. A Divine Comedy images: Nicole Marianna Wytyczak. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THE DUKE Back in 1962, in the first-ever Bond film Dr No, the suave, Scottish-accented, Sean Connery-starring version of 007 admires a painting in the eponymous evil villain's underwater lair. That picture: Francisco Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. The artwork itself is very much real, too, although the genuine article doesn't appear in the feature. Even if the filmmakers had wanted to use the actual piece, it was missing at the time. In fact, making a joke about that exact situation is why the portrait is even referenced in Dr No. That's quite the situation: the debut big-screen instalment in one of cinema's most famous and longest-running franchises, and a saga about super spies and formidable villains at that, including a gag about a real-life art heist. The truth behind the painting's disappearance is even more fantastical, however, as The Duke captures. The year prior to Bond's first martini, a mere 19 days after the early 19th-century Goya piece was put on display in the National Gallery in London, the portrait was stolen. Unsurprisingly, the pilfering earned plenty of attention — especially given that the government-owned institution had bought the picture for the hefty sum of £140,000, which'd likely be almost £3 million today. International master criminals were suspected. Years passed, two more 007 movies hit cinemas, and there was zero sign of the artwork or the culprit. And, that might've remained the case if eccentric Newcastle sexagenarian Kempton Bunton hadn't turned himself in in 1965, advising that he'd gotten light-fingered in protest at the obscene amount spent on Portrait of the Duke of Wellington using taxpayer funds — money that could've been better deployed to provide pensioners with TV licenses, a cause Bunton had openly campaigned for (and even been imprisoned over after refusing to pay his own television fee). First, the not-at-all-inconsequential detail that's incongruous with glueing your eyes to the small screen Down Under: the charge that many countries collect for watching the box. Australia and New Zealand both abolished it decades ago, but it remains compulsory in the UK to this day. As played by Jim Broadbent (Six Minutes to Midnight), Bunton is fiercely opposed to paying, much to the embarrassment of his wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren, Fast and Furious 9) whenever the license inspectors come calling. He's even in London with his son Jackie (Fionn Whitehead, Voyagers) to attempt to spread the word about his fight against the TV fee for pensioners when Goya's painting is taken — that, and to get the BBC to produce the television scripts he devotedly pens and sends in, but receives no interest back from the broadcaster. Even the Bond franchise couldn't have dreamed up these specifics. The Duke's true tale is far wilder than fiction, and also so strange that it can only spring from reality. Directed by Roger Michell (My Cousin Rachel, Blackbird) — marking the British filmmaker's last fictional feature before his 2021 passing — it delivers its story with some light tinkering here and there, but the whole episode still makes for charming viewing. Much of the minutiae is shared during Bunton's court case, which could've jumped out of a Frank Capra movie; that's the feel-good vibe the movie shoots for and easily hits. Such a move couldn't be more astute for a flick that surveys an incident from more than half a century ago, but reaches screens in a world where the chasm between the haves and the have-nots just keeps widening. Yes, it's basically a pensioner-and-painting version of Robin Hood. Read our full review. MORBIUS Every studio wants a Marvel Cinematic Universe to call its own, or an equivalent that similarly takes a big bite out of the box office — and that very quest explains why Morbius exists. On the page, the character also known as 'the Living Vampire' has been battling Spider-Man since 1971. On the screen, he's now the second of the web-slinger's foes after Venom to get his own feature. This long-delayed flick, which was originally due to release before Venom: Let There Be Carnage until the pandemic struck, is also the third film in what's been dubbed Sony's Spider-Man Universe. As that name makes plain, the company is spinning its own on-screen world around everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood superhero, because that's what it owns the rights to, and has started out focusing on villainous folks. So far, the movie magic hasn't flowed. If that explanatory opening paragraph felt like something obligatory that you had to get through to set the scene, it's meant to. That's how Morbius feels as well. Actually, that's being kinder than this draining picture deserves given it only has one purpose: setting up more films to follow. Too many movies in too many comic book-inspired cinematic universes share the same fate, because this type of filmmaking has primarily become $20-per-ticket feature-length episodes on a big screen — but it's particularly blatant here. Before the MCU's success, the bulk of Morbius would've been a ten-minute introduction in a flick about supervillains, and its mid-credits teasers would've fuelled the first act. Now, flinging every bit of caped crusader-adjacent material into as large a number of cinematic outings as possible is the status quo, and this is one of the most bloodless examples yet. Jumping over to the SSU from the DCEU — that'd be the DC Extended Universe, the pictures based around Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad and the like (but not including Joker or The Batman) — Jared Leto plays Morbius' eponymous figure. A renowned scientist, Dr Michael Morbius has a keen interest in the red liquid pumping through humans' veins stemming from his own health issues. As seen in early scenes set during his childhood, young Michael (Charlie Shotwell, The Nest) was a sickly kid in a medical facility thanks to a rare disease that stops him from producing new blood. There, under the care of Dr Emil Nikols (Jared Harris, Foundation), he befriended another unwell boy (debutant Joseph Esson), showed his smarts and earned a prestigious scholarship. As an adult, he now refuses the Nobel Prize for creating artificial plasma, then tries to cure himself using genes from vampire bats. Morbius sports an awkward tone that filmmaker Daniel Espinosa (Life) can't overcome; its namesake may be a future big-screen baddie, but he's also meant to be this sympathetic flick's hero — and buying either is a stretch. In the overacting Leto's hands, he's too tedious to convince as a threat or someone to root for. He's too gleefully eccentric to resemble anything more than a skit at Leto's expense, too. Indeed, evoking any interest in Morbius' inner wrestling (because saving his own life with his experimental procedure comes at a bloodsucking cost) proves plodding. It does take a special set of skills to make such OTT displays so pedestrian at best, though, and that's a talent that Leto keeps showing to the misfortune of movie-goers. He offers more restraint here than in Suicide Squad (not to be confused with The Suicide Squad), The Little Things, House of Gucci or streaming series WeCrashed, but his post-Dallas Buyers Club Oscar-win resume remains dire — Blade Runner 2049 being the sole exception. Read our full review. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 It was true in the 90s, and it remains that way now: when Jim Carrey lets loose, thrusting the entire might of his OTT comedic powers onto the silver screen, it's an unparalleled sight to behold. It doesn't always work, and he's a spectacular actor when putting in a toned-down or even serious performance — see: The Truman Show, The Majestic, I Love You Phillip Morris and his best work ever, the sublime Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — but there's a reason that the Ace Venture flicks, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber were some of the biggest movies made three decades back. Carrey is now a rarity in cinemas, but one franchise has been reminding viewers what his full-throttle comic efforts look like. Sadly, he's also the best thing about the resulting films, even if they're hardly his finest work. That was accurate in 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's the same of sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — which once again focuses on the speedy video game character but couldn't feel like more of a drag. The first Sonic movie established its namesake's life on earth, as well as his reason for being here. Accordingly, the blue-hued planet-hopping hedgehog (voiced by The Afterparty's Ben Schwartz) already made friends with small-town sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden, The Stand). He already upended the Montana resident's life, too, including Tom's plans to move to San Francisco with his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter, Mixed-ish). And, as well as eventually becoming a loveable member of the Wachowski family, Sonic also wreaked havoc with his rapid pace, and earned the wrath of the evil Dr Robotnik (Carrey, Kidding) in the process. More of the same occurs this time around, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taking a more-is-more approach. There's a wedding to ruin, magic gems to find and revenge on the part of Robotnik. He's teamed up with super-strong echidna Knuckles (voiced by The Harder They Fall's Idris Elba), in fact, while Sonic gets help from smart-but-shy fox Tails (voice-acting veteran Colleen O'Shaughnessey). Gone are the days when an animated critter's teeth caused internet mania. If that sentence makes sense to you, then you not only watched the first Sonic the Hedgehog — you also saw the chatter that erupted when its initial trailer dropped and the fast-running creature's humanised gnashers looked oh-so-disturbing. Cue a clean-up job that couldn't fix the abysmal movie itself, and an all-ages-friendly flick that still made such a ridiculous amount of money (almost $320 million worldwide) that this follow-up was inevitable. The fact that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arrives a mere two years later does indeed smack of a rush job, and the end product feels that way from start to finish. That isn't the only task this swift second outing is keen to set up, with bringing in fellow Sega characters Knuckles and Tails the first step to making a Sonic Cinematic Universe. Yes, with Morbius reaching theatres on the exact same day as Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it's an ace time for sprawling start-up franchises sparked by a quest for cash rather than making great cinema — an ace time for the folks collecting the money, that is, but not for audiences. Both otherwise unrelated movies are flimsy, bland and woefully by-the-numbers, and seem to care little that they visibly look terrible thanks to unconvincing CGI. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also falls victim to one of the worst traits seen in family-appropriate pictures: being happy to exist purely as a distraction. That means pointless needle drops that shoehorn in pop hits for no reason other than to give kids a recognisable soundtrack to grab their attention, and an exhausting need to whizz from scene to scene (and plot point to plot point) as if the film itself is suffering a sugar rush. Also covered: unnecessary pop-culture references, including inexplicably name-dropping Vin Diesel and The Rock, and also nodding to all things Indiana Jones. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24; and March 3, March 10, March 17 and March 24. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive, Studio 666, The Batman, Blind Ambition, Bergman Island, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, The Souvenir: Part II, Dog, Anonymous Club, X, River, Nowhere Special and RRR.
You don't need to be Fred Astaire to get into the dance thing. It's not about getting it right and it's not about being Beyoncé. It's just about having fun. No Lights No Lycra offers the chance to let loose with a wild night of the dancing, and zero chance of having to wonder how you look while you throw shapes. No Lights No Lycra is a light-free dance class started in Melbourne and became a hit around the world even before spawning its NSW incarnation. The no-holds-barred dance sesh now has five locations where you can dance it out around Sydney. Dance novice, dance master or even dance averse — with the lights down, everyone gets to thrash along here as a dance equal. Find the dance party on Mondays in Bondi at the Seagull Room (Bondi Pavilion) and at the Cronulla Central Main Hall, on Tuesdays at the Manly Community Centre and on Thursdays at St Stephens Church Hall in Newtown and in Parramatta at Studio 404.
It certainly hasn't been a normal year for supermarkets, with toilet paper battles and limits on everyday items hitting the front page, but now the pandemic palaver has settled down somewhat, Coles hopes to make your everyday grocery shop (dare we say) exciting with the launch of its fancy new store on the lower north shore. Located in Chatswood Westfield, the newly renovated and reinvented store is the newest iteration in the Coles Local series, the first of which launched in Rose Bay back in May. Opening on Wednesday, November 11, the new Chatswood store has a range of forward-thinking elements never before seen at an Australian supermarket. You can cut down on single-use plastic by stocking up on shampoos, conditioners, body washes and laundry liquids at an in-store refill station, with reusable bottles made from recycled and sugarcane plastic. There is also a Japanese mochi ice cream parlour, a freshly squeezed orange juice station and a coffee booth with both dairy and plant-based milk options. Speaking of mylk, the store also stocks over 200 plant-based products, which is great news if you're a local vegan or dairy-free person. [caption id="attachment_789798" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hanna Lassen[/caption] The store also stocks products from 35 Sydney-based businesses, including pasta and salads from Pasta Pantry, sourdough bread and sweet treats from Sonoma and meat from Field to Fork. Twenty-five bilingual team members have been hired to assist customers who aren't fluent in English — and Coles hasn't forgotten about the most important member of your family, your pets. You can treat them with new in-store goodies, such as snacks from a dog food pick-and-mix bar and Coles' first range of pet-friendly ice cream, so your pooch can have an after-dinner treat while you enjoy your Tim Tams. The store also has a mural honouring Chatswood's history and culture created by local artist Nancy Liang. A third Sydney edition to the Coles Local series is set to open in Manly later this year. Coles Local Chatswood is located in Westfield Chatswood, Victor Street, Chatswood and open 7am–10pm Monday–Saturday and 8am–10pm Sunday. Top images: Hanna Lassen
Opening its doors earlier this year, North Sydney's Miji Bar & Grill attracted more than a few eyeballs thanks to its vibrant izakaya design, complete with neon lights, signage imported from Japan and even a replica Shinjuku Arch. Plus, it became perhaps Sydney's first restaurant to offer self-serve sake, with guests invited to pour 24 wines, sakes and mocktails for themselves. Guided by Michelin-trained Executive Head Chef Jacob Lee, the venue's modern interpretations of izakaya cuisine have also earned Miji Bar & Grill a stellar reputation. The team is taking things up a notch for the cooler months, with two new seasonal offerings that combine Lee's fine-dining background with the venue's approachable setting. First up, there's a brand-new Hotpot Set Menu, available for $75 per person. Served from May–July, this exclusive offering is designed for sharing with your pals. Packed with tantalising ingredients, the menu kicks off with edamame topped with sea salt and two serves of steamed abalone with awabi kimo sauce, kombu jelly and pickled radish. Then, the main event is a sukiyaki beef hot pot, adorned with wagyu beef, wombok and fresh mushrooms in a rich sukiyaki broth. Before the feast is over, choose from a pair of desserts: hojicha choux or a Mont Blanc. However, that's not all Miji Bar & Grill is changing up. Looking beyond winter, Lee and his team have launched a new lunch menu, featuring a broader range of traditional and contemporary Japanese comfort dishes, including teriyaki eggplant, and egg and crab custard. For something a little larger, delve into hearty donburi — like sukiyaki, hambagu and miso cod — or explore udon options including prawn bisque, beef, and carbonara. If you've got an extra $5 to spare, consider upgrading your don or udon dish to a lunch set menu. You'll score a miso soup, a mini wafu salad and a small plate of your choice, with beef tartare, chicken karaage and grilled scallop up for grabs. With Lee having learned his trade at New York's Michelin-starred A Voce Columbus, as well as Seoul's acclaimed Mingles and Tartine Bakery, get set for a memorable dining experience. Miji Bar & Grill is open daily from 11.30am–10.00pm at 100 Miller Street, North Sydney. Head to the website for more information.
When June rolls around this year, Sydney's State Theatre won't be filled with cinephiles. Event Cinemas George Street won't welcome eager movie buffs either, and nor will other picture palaces around the city. Usually, they'd be teeming with Sydney Film Festival attendees; however the fest cancelled its 2020 physical event back in March, when COVID-19 restrictions started coming in. To the delight of film fans, however, SFF is moving online instead. After announcing the digital festival earlier this month, SFF has now revealed its first-ever all-online lineup, in what promises to be a once-off pandemic-only affair. If you're fond of film fests and you live somewhere other than Sydney, you'll be pleased to know that the 67th Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition is also streaming nationally, too. While SFF won't be showing hundreds of movies like it normally does, it has still compiled an interesting and engaging roster of flicks — specifically focusing on features by female filmmakers from Europe, Australian documentaries and an array of short films. Moving SFF's regular Europe! Voices of Women in Film program strand online, the digital fest will screen ten new movies by women directors from countries such as Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland and Ireland. Highlights include Sea Fever, a tense and rather fitting sci-fi thriller that tracks a contagion on a fishing trawler; Force of Habit, an anthology film exploring women's everyday experiences; and Charter, following a mother's actions during a fraught custody battle — as well as documentary A Year Full of Drama, which charts a small-town competition winner who is enlisted to review every theatre production in Estonia in 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFJxW46F0YQ From the Aussie doco selection, ten films will compete for Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Best Australian Documentary, with the annual SFF prize being presented via a virtual awards ceremony this year. Among the contenders, Morgana follows a middle-aged housewife's decision to start starring in her own sex- and age-positive erotic films, while Descent focuses on one of the world's only professional ice free-divers. There's also The Weather Diaries, which sees filmmaker Kathy Drayton charts the effects of climate change on her daughter, musician Lupa J, as she grows up over six years, plus A Hundred Years of Happiness, about a young Vietnamese woman forced to choose between staying in her rural home to care for her parents and moving to South Korea to get married. SFF's shorts range spans another 13 titles, including ten vying for the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films. Three others specifically hail from screen practitioners with disability as part of the fest's returning Screenability strand. Available to watch for the fest's entire duration, all of the above films are ticketed, starting at $5 for the Screenability shorts package, then costing $14 for a single movie. You can watch everything in either the Documentary Australia Foundation or Europe! Voices of Women in Film package for $99, too, or view the entire lineup — shorts and feature-length flicks — for $199. SFF's virtual program also includes two free components, should you be interested in looking back on previous fest highlights. The festival is one of 20 worldwide events taking part in We Are One: A Global Film Festival, which screens on YouTube from Friday, May 29–Sunday, June 7. As part of the online fest, it's showing Aussie films Mystery Road and Mabo, which you can view at set times without paying a cent. Or, Aussie movie lovers can binge their way through the 40-film Sydney Film Festival Selects collection on SBS On Demand, available from Wednesday, June 10–Friday, July 10. It's a best-of lineup featuring plenty of top titles from previous SFFs, so get ready to revisit Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, Taika Waititi's Boy, the Greta Gerwig-starring Frances Ha, Aussie comedy That's Not Me and New Zealand's The Breaker Upperers. You can also feast your eyes on Palme d'Or winner The Square, Scandi thriller The Guilty, Turkish drama Mustang and Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats, among other films. The 67th Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition runs from Wednesday, June 10–Sunday, June 21. For further details — or to purchase tickets and view the festival's programmed films during the above dates — visit the SFF website. Top image: Sea Fever.
While Pyrmont's beloved Sydney Fish Markets are set to move to its new-look multimillion-dollar site by the end of 2024, the NSW Government has just unveiled plans for the future of Blackwattle Bay and the current Sydney Fish Market site in its absence. The new plans for the bay are currently on exhibition to the public. The plan includes 12 buildings with the potential to hold 2800 residents as well as commercial, retail and community spaces. Libraries, childcare facilities, community centres and a public domain building for cultural use adjacent to the Sydney Fish Market are all outlined as part of the project. The transformation will also see the waterfront precinct feature a new foreshore promenade running between Glebe Island Bridge and the new fish market, which will form part of a plan to make the fish market site more accessible. Other aspects of the proposal include a new ferry stop, public wharves and an underground car park with 417 spaces. [caption id="attachment_819574" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Artist interpretation of the new Blackwattle Bay[/caption] "Building the new Sydney Fish Market at the head of Blackwattle Bay is an incredible opportunity to transform an under-utilised area into a vibrant, accessible and attractive waterfront precinct," Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said when more detailed plans for the fish market were revealed last year. The new-look Blackwattle Bay precinct will potentially form part of a larger foreshore project that will also see White Bay's heritage buildings and surrounding area restored and transformed into a residential and commercial precinct. Included in the proposed plan for White Bay, which is currently under consideration, is the restoration of the Glebe Island Bridge and the preservation of the Glebe Island Silos. Other elements of the planned development include affordable housing, increased employment opportunities, the maintenance of the area's maritime industry, a harbour foreshore walk and a waterfront park. [caption id="attachment_804466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Render of White Bay[/caption] On Facebook, Sydney Lorde Mayor Clover Moore called the plan for Blackwattle Bay "shocking", claiming the project was designed with "maximum developer profits" in mind and warning the residential buildings would "re-cast the whole area as shadow land" including the new Sydney Fish Market's solar panel roof. If you want to have your say about the plan you can find out more and make a submission via the NSW Government's Planning Portal up until Sunday, August 8. The new Sydney Fish Market is slated for completion in 2024. Images courtesy of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
When Parasite became a smash that just kept winning awards — including Cannes' Palm d'Or, Sydney Film Festival's annual prize and a heap of Oscars — news arrived that the best film of 2019 would also get the TV treatment. So far, that hasn't come to fruition, sadly. But another stone-cold South Korean thriller masterpiece is now on its way to the small screen: Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. 2024 marks 21 years since the Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden, Joint Security Area, Thirst and Stoker director gave the world the first screen adaptation the Japanese manga of the same name — and also a middle chapter to his Vengeance Trilogy, following 2002's Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and preceding 2005's Lady Vengeance. Now, after an American movie remake popped up in 2013 directed by none other than Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods), Oldboy is making the leap to television. Just as with the US flick, the TV show will be in English. "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television," said Park in a statement, as reported by Variety. "I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling," he continued. Park will produce the series, adding another small-screen effort to his resume alongside 2018's The Little Drummer Girl and 2024's The Sympathizer. Park's Oldboy kicks off in 1988, when Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik, Big Bet) gets too drunk to attend his daughter's fourth birthday, even ending up at the police station. He doesn't get home from there, instead becoming imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years by kidnappers intent on keeping him alive. When freedom finally comes, so does a bloody revenge quest. "Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we're excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen," said Lionsgate Television's Executive Vice President and Head of Scripted Development Scott Herbst about the new TV show. While there's no word yet about how closely the storyline will adhere to the original — and nothing on casting, either, or when the show will release — Herbst also advised that "this series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic." There's obviously no sneak peek yet for the Oldboy TV series — but find the trailer for Park's film above and Lee's film below: The Oldboy TV series doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more details are announced. Via Variety.
When it comes to staying cool this summer, forget the aircon — you've gotta make a splash. Sydney is a swimmer's paradise so, with a bit of planning and the right know-how, you can stay refreshed and rejuvenated. In partnership with M.A.C Cosmetics, we've pulled together this hit list of swimming holes, pools, beaches and natural water wonders that'll keep you busy. On the next sweltering day, all you have to do is grab your swimming essentials (including M.A.C Fix+) and make tracks to one of these stunning spots for a dip. The cult hydrating face mist will not only keep your skin refreshed and hydrated on the way there, but it'll help your makeup stay in place while you splash about — so you can go straight from the beach to the bar, if you so wish. Some of the swimming spots on this list are not patrolled by lifeguards. To ensure you stay safe, head here for tips on water safety.
This summer, The Rocks Homegrown Christmas 2024 is set to be the ultimate spot for Christmassy festivities and good ol' catch-ups in the lead-up to the all-important day. Whether you're looking to unwind after work, planning something fun to do with friends, or are simply keen to get your hands on some bespoke gifts, head down to The Rocks for a quintessentially Aussie Christmas. Homegrown Concert Series Grab a picnic rug, head down to Tallawoladah Lawn, sit back and enjoy a celebration of Aussie music with the Homegrown Concert Series. At these intimate summer music events, you can expect some of Australia's best homegrown talent performing their original work, as well as a sprinkling of Christmas with a few covers of popular songs. The lineup includes ROSHANI and Triple J Unearthed's PEPTALK and Betty, as well as seasoned performers at The Rocks Markets, Big Wheels and Jess Beck. The perfect way to relax after a long lunch or to get the vibes started before a night out. When: Saturday, December 14, Sunday, December 15, Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22 from 3.30pm – 6.30pm. Where: Tallawoladah Lawn (in front of the MCA) The Rocks Markets – Christmas Edition Everyone loves The Rocks Markets, and the Christmas edition is (somehow) even better. Perfect for finding last-minute pressies, you can wander around the many stalls and choose unique gifts from local artisan makers, food, jewellery, illustrations and lots more. To avoid crashing mid-shop, get some sustenance from yummy street eats – you will find Spanish paella, fresh juices, handmade chocolates and Italian focaccia, just to name a few. When: Every weekend from Saturday, November 30 – Sunday, December 22, from 10am – 5pm. Where: George St, The Rocks Christmas Connections The festive season is all about community and connecting with people, new or old. The Christmas Connections series by Conscious Connection is your chance to connect with like-minded people at one of three picnics at Dawes Point Park. All you have to do is book your ticket for the small price of $20, which you essentially get back in the form of a $20 gift voucher to spend at The Rocks Markets during your picnic. And for all the dog owners out there, a special 'Paws + Pals' picnic is all about connecting dog owners with new pals who also have dogs, with some hilarious activities for you and your pup. When: Sunday, December 8 from 11am – 1pm, Sunday, December 15 and Sunday, December 22 from 12pm – 3pm. Where: Dawes Point Park Christmas Decorations One of the things we love most about The Rocks is the way it transforms come Christmas time. It's the ultimate place to get in that summery, festive mood. Just walking around the streets you'll not only see the classic Christmas tree, but Australian-style, decorated in native florals and custom decorations by First Nations artists. You will also stumble across mini Christmas Villages, each modelled after historic buildings in The Rocks and hand-painted by local artist Nico Nicoson. Spending a day or even just half an hour here is guaranteed to get you feeling that laid-back holiday vibe that can only mean one thing – an Aussie Christmas. When: Monday, November 18 to Wednesday, December 25 [caption id="attachment_982196" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] Laneway Cinema There's nothing better than an outdoor cinema sesh during summer. You get to watch a movie while still making the most of the cracker weather – what could be better? And The Rocks' Laneway Cinema has got to be one of the most unique out there. It's free, and unlike most open-space outdoor cinemas, it's nestled within the beautiful, cobbled streets the locale is known for. Perfect for a midweek hang when you feel like something chill, but you still want to do something. Sit back and enjoy a film with some popcorn. Entry is free, so all you have to do is walk in. But for the best seats in the house, be sure to register for your free ticket or arrive early. When: Wednesday, 4 December (Planes, Trains & Automobiles), Wednesday, 11 December (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) and Wednesday, 18 December (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York). Doors open at 5.30pm. Where: Atherden St, The Rocks Festive Feasting If there is one time of the year that you have permission to eat out and indulge in food and drink, it's Christmas. And, The Rocks have got a lot of festive feasting options for you and your mates or for a family lunch, perfect for Christmas catchups. We're talking extravagant set menus, classic pub meals or casual cocktails. There's something for everyone. Some top picks include fresh seafood at Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant, wood-fired grill at Pony Dining and contemporary Asian Fusion at Luna Lu. Our tip? Hit up The Argyle for a fun way to round off the night. Where: The Rocks When: Everyday Christmas Gifting This is the place where you'll find those extra special gifts that make everyone say, "Wow! Where did you get that!?" There are so many stores here, each with distinct offerings. Take a look at the Christmas Gift Guide or simply walk through the lanes and you will find goodies from candles, First Nations art, clothing or unique jewellery, among plenty more. The Rocks has also compiled guides on gifts for her, gifts for him and affordable gifts under $50 to help you out. Some of our go-to's include Aesop Gifts and DUX Collection Christmas Gift Packs For the art aficionados – unique gifting at the MCA store, art by Shazia Imran and whimsical gifts by Squidinki. Where: The Rocks When: Everyday Visit The Rocks Homegrown Christmas 2024 from Friday, November 15 2024 to Wednesday, December 25 2024. To learn more about the event and giveaways visit the website. Images: Anna Kucera, Cassandra Hannagan.
Back in 2020, which now seems a lifetime ago, St Jerome's Laneway Festival celebrated 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio first decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes. The beloved fest marked that milestone with a characteristically jam-packed lineup that made its way to Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Fremantle, as well as Auckland — but since then, it's been quiet thanks to the pandemic. After two Laneway-less years, the festival has finally locked in dates for its 2023 return — plus new venues for four of its five Australian stops. The festival will kick off in Auckland, returning to Albert Park for the long weekend of Auckland Anniversary Day on Monday, January 30. From there it will arrive in Brisbane on Saturday, February 4, Sydney on Sunday, February 5, Adelaide on Friday, February 10, Melbourne on Saturday, February 11 and Perth on Sunday, February 12. Across these five Australian dates, the Brisbane venue is the only one that has remained consistent from the festival's 2020 run of shows, taking to Brisbane Showgrounds again. The Melbourne leg of the festival has been forced to move away from its previous home at Footscray Park and will now pop up at the newly opened Epsom Road venue The Park in Flemington. The Park has an on-site train station and is located just 15 minutes from the CBD. [caption id="attachment_655626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Smith[/caption] In Sydney, after 10 years at Sydney College of the Arts and Callan Park, Laneway 2020's Sydney date shifted to The Domain. Now for 2023, it's moved again and will be making its home at the Sydney Showground. Sydneysiders will associate the Showground with the Sydney Royal Easter Show, but this won't be its first time hosting a major touring music festival, as it was once the regular home for the now-defunct Big Day Out. The South Australian leg has moved from Port Adelaide's Hart's Mill to the Adelaide CBD's Bonython Park, and, in the biggest move, the Western Australia leg will be going down at the recently revamped Wellington Square. "The Laneway Festival team is constantly looking for ways to improve and enhance the patron and artist experience and each of the sites will allow us to bring in A+ production and facilities. We are absolutely pumped to host music fans and our favourite ever line-up on these new sites," Laneway Festival co-Founder Danny Rogers said. If you're hanging out to know who will be gracing the stage next year, you'll have to wait a couple more days. The lineup is set to drop at 7.40am this Wednesday, September 21. In 2020, the lineup was headed up by the likes of The 1975, Charli XCX and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as a host of local favourites like Ruel, DMA's and Ocean Alley. View this post on Instagram A post shared by St. Jerome's Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) St Jerome's Laneway Festival will return to Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth between Monday, January 30 and Sunday, February 12. Head to the festival's social pages for all the info on its 2023 edition and for next year's lineup when it drops this Wednesday, September 21.
It seems everyone is tirelessly running around these days, but this cosy little Surry Hills store is slowing things down. It's a calm and quiet oasis filled with a tasteful selection of handmade homewares embodying Japanese and Scandinavian design ideals. Founded by creative Tara Bennett, Provider Store is built around the concept of 'slow living', a mentality that's represented in the shop's products made by likeminded international artisans, as well as those created by Bennett in the shop's rear studio. Each product is made ethically and sustainably, with a sophisticated range of plates, candles, pillows and magazines all telling a story about its creator, and providing insight into Bennett's worldly travels. A fourth-generation sewer, Bennett's background is in fashion having worked with some of Australia's leading retailers. The first iteration of Provider Store arrived on the scene in 2012, as a vintage clothing store founded by Bennett and three housemates. After the place underwent renovations, the store lay dormant for a few years, but has now reopened as a collection of quality wares — selling everything from diffusers and chopsticks to locally roasted coffee, Monocle Travel Guides, handpainted pillows and more. Before heading into the store, you can take a peek at what's available online. Provider Store's change of direction came in 2014 after Bennett's travels to Japan left her inspired by the culture's inherent respect for possessions. The clean streets and the utilitarian approach to many products can be at odds with Australian culture, which often preferences cheaply made goods over the practical or the pleasing. Provider's highly curated range of products slot comfortably in the compact retail space at the front of the shop. At the back, there's a workshop that's shared with fellow creative Troy O'Shea Handmade – here you'll find Bennett crafting many of the products sold in-store, or hosting candle making workshops with a glass of wine in hand. Find Provider Store at 381b Riley Street, Surry Hills.
Visitors to NSW's Royal National Park may be treated to a rare spotting of an iconic Australian animal soon, with ten platypuses set to be reintroduced into the area for the first time in nearly 50 years. Platypuses haven't been spotted in the Royal National Park since the 1970s, when the park's resident duck-billed mammals were seemingly wiped out by a devastating chemical spill. But a collaborative effort by UNSW researchers, WWF Australia, Taronga Zoo, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service will see the adorable creatures return to the park from late next year. Dr Gilad Bino, the projects leader from UNSW's Centre for Ecosystem Science, says the initial group of ten platypuses will hopefully be the start of a growing population in the area. "We'll monitor how they settle in, with the hopes their population will start to grow and reestablish in the area and allow people a place to come and appreciate this unique animal," he said. [caption id="attachment_824577" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Platypus Conservation Initiative[/caption] The platypuses will be released in the second half of 2022 and will be a mixture of males and females. All platypuses will be fitted with acoustic tags so researchers can track their progress and breeding activity. Before these ten brave mammals are reintroduced into their new habitats, researchers will survey the park to confirm there are no platypuses left, and to find an ideal environment for the mammals. A recent study by UNSW found that the areas where platypuses live in Australia has shrunk by 22 percent in the last three decades. "Platypuses are resilient animals, but it's vital that we develop the capability to actively manage populations and do a better job at protecting their freshwater homes," Centre for Ecosystem Science Professor Richard Kingsford said. "We want future generations to see platypuses in the rivers of the Royal and Heathcote National Parks and all the way down the east coast of Australia." You can follow the work of UNSW's Centre for Ecosystem Science on the university's website.
Pokemeow Cafe in Rosebery opened in late March 2020. For those that aren't good with dates, that was just before the state government imposed strict lockdown measures in relation to COVID-19. Despite opening in one of the toughest periods that Sydney's hospitality scene has ever faced, Pokemeow has proved resilient and captured the hearts of locals, likely thanks to its interesting business model. As Concrete Playground reader @mauricio.f90 explained, "I love having lunch at Pokemeow Cafe, watching their cats. It's so relaxing. Also, great food". They're hugely popular in Asia (particularly in Japan), but if you've never been to a cat cafe before, here's the deal: like all other cafes, you sit and enjoy a coffee and a meal — but here you do so while watching little kittens play in an adjoining room through a glass wall. For a small fee, you can also enter the cat playground to cuddle and play with some new furry friends. At Pokemeow Cafe, it's $10 for a half-hour session, which needs to be booked in advance. The shop also offers grooming services for both cats and dogs. In terms of the food offering, it's mostly standard cafe fare — think smashed avo and a poached egg on sourdough, a brekkie burger and an acai bowl — though there are some outliers, like a crab and prawn gribiche croissant.
Lime Cordiale are sleeping at your door, Bel Heir are kissing the devil whilst Magic Man are simply enjoying every day — as you should this weekend. You've earned it. 1. 'SLEEPING AT YOUR DOOR' - LIME CORDIALE Welcome spring! We have endured the cold winter months just to feel your warm, sun-filled embrace and it has been a wonderful first week. Farewelling winter also means that our speakers are set to be overrun by upbeat tracks that everybody can dance to all summer long, and Lime Cordiale have delivered one that will be on repeat until the cold returns. 'Sleeping At Your Door' is a 3 minute 18 second long bundle of energy and if it leaves you craving more, then do not fret, as their new album was released today. Keep it up spring! 2. 'MAD' - DE VERRE Hypnotising is the best adjective to describe De Verre's debut musical offering. The Southern Californians have delivered a sensual number dripping in allure. It is intoxicating, arousing and soothing all at once, with a video to match. This one is for later in the evening; step aside Barry White. 3. 'KISS THE DEVIL' - BEL HEIR Since Bel Heir announced that they would release a new track on the first Tuesday of each month for the rest of 2013, I have been looking forward to their monthly treat. If 'Kiss The Devil' is anything to go by, then we have three more incredible songs on their way. So have a listen to this track and if you haven't already noted the first Tuesday of October, November and December by the end of it then do so now. Also, extra kudos for their excellent band name. 4. 'HEALTH' - STILL PARADE Still Parade released a beautiful song 'Actors' in May and then went silent, until now. 'Health' is refreshingly simplistic, pulling you onto an emotional roller-coaster that has just the right amount of twists and turns. If they are going to produce gems like this, then I think we should all be okay with letting them disappear for four months at a time to return with musical magic. 5. 'EVERY DAY' - MAGIC MAN Speaking of magic, Magic Man has decided to pull out the guitars and drums and play them harmoniously to create 'Every Day', a track set to lighten 2013 road trip playlists. The band has a similar sound to HAIM, which is a compliment and a half so be sure to pick up their EP You Are Here on Tuesday, 10 September, whilst you wait for HAIM's debut.
Hot on the heels of opening their second RaRa outpost in Randwick, owners Scott Gault and Katie Shortland have just unveiled a third ramen joint on Newtown's Australia Street — but this one is 100 percent vegan. Opening its doors on the weekend, Lonely Mouth is located in the old Oscillate Wildly digs, next door to Black Star Pastry and down the block from Continental Deli and the Courty. Gault said the (slightly) new direction for the popular brand was in response to how popular RaRa's vegan ramen had been at its other two outposts. "Since opening RaRa Redfern, we have been blown away by the support from our vegan customers," says Gault. "We worked on various vegan ramen and sides in the background, but due to the limitations of the size of the Redfern space were unable to give the dishes the light of day or proper attention they deserved." As Newtown is already a top destination for vegan and vegetarian dining, with the likes of Gigi's Pizzeria, Golden Lotus and Lentil as Anything, the RaRa team felt Lonely Mouth would fit-right-in alongside the other vegan "trailblazers". [caption id="attachment_694680" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luisa Brimble[/caption] At Lonely Mouth, the team has introduced a menu that's entirely new — apart from the vegan miso ramen, which is a fan-favourite already at RaRa Redfern. Alongside it, you'll find three new (all-vegan) ramen: a sunflower and hemp seed shoyu, with plant-based 'chashu', nori, bamboo shoots and black fungus; the tantanmen (spicy sichuan-based sesame broth) topped with house 'mince', bok choy, ground mixed nuts and sichuan peppercorns; and a soy shiro miso, topped with grilled tofu, red cabbage, bean sprouts and grilled corn. And, on top of the ramen, instead of tamago, you'll find Lonely Mouth's own house-made vegan 'eggs'. Apart from ramen, the menu also features a few snacks, including cauliflower karaage infused with shoyu-tare, seasonal Japanese pickles, kimchi and tempura corn. For drinks, expect a new selection of low intervention wines — vegan, of course — as well as the brand's usual Yulli's Brews in cans and Asahi on tap. The fit-out is a cross between a modern ramen shop and a small Tokyo cafe, with art installations and a living plant wall, plus more hanging greenery, lanterns and warm lighting. You can expect more of those typical RaRa queues, too, so expect a (well worth it) wait. Lonely Mouth is now open at 275 Australia Street, Newtown. Opening hours are noon–2.30pm and 5.30–9.30pm Wednesday; noon–2.30pm and 5.30–10pm Thursday–Friday from, noon–10pm Saturday and noon–5.30pm Sunday.
The last time that Alien and Ghostbusters legend Sigourney Weaver appeared on-screen, she played a 14-year-old Na'vi girl in Avatar: The Way of Water. The next time that the iconic actor pops up, she'll be in Australia, in a seven-part streaming drama. That series: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which sees Holly Ringland's 2018 novel get the miniseries treatment, and casts Weaver as the grandmother to the titular nine-year-old, who has just lost her parents in mysterious circumstances. On the page and on Prime Video — where The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will debut on Friday, August 4 — Alice moves to Thornfield flower farm after the life-changing tragedy, and starts to find solace among its wildflower blooms. But her new home is also the place where secrets about her family and their past start to blossom. The just-dropped first teaser trailer for the series emphasises that it hails from the producers of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, if you're wondering about the show's mood. Lambs of God's Sarah Lambert, Mustang FC's Kirsty Fisher and A League of Their Own's Kim Wilson penned the scripts, while Penguin Bloom's Glendyn Ivin directs every instalment. As well as Weaver as Alice's grandmother, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart stars Alycia Debnam-Carey (Fear the Walking Dead) as its namesake, plus Ayla Browne (Nine Perfect Strangers) as the younger version. The cast from there is a who's who of homegrown talent, including fellow Nine Perfect Strangers alum Asher Keddie, Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Hotel Mumbai), Xavier Samuel (The Clearing) and Alexander England (Black Snow). Frankie Adams (The Expanse), Charlie Vickers (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and Sebastián Zurita (How to Survive Being Single) also feature, and the first glimpse at the show unsurprisingly highlights the Aussie backdrop, all the swirling lies and its big-name stars. When it hits Prime Video, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will join the streaming platform's growing Australian-made lineup, which keeps dropping local fare in 2023. Already in queues: Class of '07, about the mayhem that follows when an apocalyptic tidal wave hits during an all-girls college's ten-year reunion; and the exceptional Deadloch, a Tasmania-set murder-mystery comedy from The Kates. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart below: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will start streaming via Prime Video from Friday, August 4.
There's no single reason why Newtown is considered the indie hub of Sydney. Rather, it's the sum of its parts: a thriving arts scene, a wonderfully diverse food and retail offering and dozens of late-night haunts. And the byproduct? The eclectic personalities who call the area home. No matter what time of day you're in the area (or what the weather is like), the opportunities for things to do are endless — from grabbing a coffee at first light from Fleetwood Macchiato in neighbouring suburb Erskineville to last drinks at Earl's Juke Joint. In between, you can shop for vintage wares along King Street, admire street art, see an indie film at Dendy and catch a gig at The Vanguard. And we haven't even touched on all the stuff you can eat. To celebrate some of the small businesses that keep the streets of Newtown and Erskineville buzzing, we've teamed up with City of Sydney to ask you — Concrete Playground readers — what businesses you love to support in the area. Here are your picks. Read on to discover some of the most popular picks to visit during the day. Then, flick the switch above and we'll dim the lights to show your favourite things to do once the sun goes down.
Admit it. Everyone has dreamt, at least once, of starring in their own song and dance extravaganza. This, friends, is your chance. For one weekend only, Sydney's legendary Trocadero will rise from the ashes as the Trocadero Dance Palace. And all you need do is step out in your dancing shoes: as if in a dream, the rest has been taken care of. The dance floor has been cleared, the swing bands are booked, the bar is stocked up and the set is, well, set. Your lindy-hopping is not quite as rehearsed as you'd like? Dancers will be on hand to take you through the steps in a pre-evening dance class. All that is required is your attendance. Image: Royal Crown Revue, courtesy of Sydney Festival
Established property is already a rare commodity in Sydney's inner west, but the first actual empty block of land in years is officially on the market on Forbes St in Newtown. First reported by Domain, the 256.6 square metre space was originally the backyard of a previous lot and was locked down tightly for the last three decades. The land is, according to listing agent May Aoun, a prime position for an inner-city dream home. Aoun told Domain, "You could build two terraces and live in one and rent or sell the other, or develop them and sell them both." [caption id="attachment_1076795" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Crystal Realty[/caption] The Domain.com.au listing describes it as "A rare opportunity to secure a perfectly level ready-to-build land parcel in one of North Newtown's most exclusive pockets. Surrounded by high calibre homes and heritage terraces, this is an ultra-scarce blank canvas with the scale and configuration to build a luxury bespoke residence or explore a dual-terrace concept (STCA)." "With rear lane access and ideal proportions for flexible design outcomes, this is one of the last undeveloped sites in this tightly held blue-chip location - footsteps to King Street dining, cafés, Sydney University, elite schools, transport links and green open spaces." Aoun also told Domain that the land is a "good size" for the area, where the average block is "around 150 square metres." The currently listed price is $2.95 million, a million dollars above the median house price for the area, which grew by eight percent in the last year (and about $1.7 million above the local price of a driveway, according to one recent determined buyer). Though the land offers promise for savvy buyers, home ownership is a distant dream for many young Australians, as the prices of homes (and apparently land) in the heart of capital cities continue to climb — Australia's cheapest property sales of the year so far are limited to regional towns and run-down sites. Images via Crystal Realty
More than three decades since it was first published, the Watchmen series of comics is still considered one of the all-time greats of the medium. Brought to the page by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, the premise says plenty: in an alternative version of the world we all live in, superheroes definitely exist — but their presence has drastically altered history. Here, the Cold War turned out differently, caped crusaders largely work for the government and anyone else enforcing law and order while wearing a costume has been outlawed. Now, imagine that tale told with a satirical edge that deconstructs the superhero phenomenon, and you can see why it has hordes of devotees. Back in 2009 when comic book flicks were just starting to pick up steam — and when 22-film franchises were a mere dream — Watchmen was turned into a movie by Zack Snyder (who was fresh from 300, but hadn't made the jump to Batman v Superman or Justice League yet). Sequels clearly didn't follow; however, HBO is now hoping that the story will flourish on the small screen, enlisting Lost and The Leftovers co-creator Damon Lindelof to make it happen. Obviously, with Game of Thrones finishing, the network is in the market for a new pop culture phenomenon. This isn't just a straight adaptation. Apparently the series "embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name while attempting to break new ground of its own," according to HBO. An exact release date hasn't yet been revealed, other than fall in the US (aka spring in Australia and New Zealand) — but if you can't wait until then, HBO has dropped the first teaser for the new series. It's your first chance to catch a glimpse of the show's stacked cast, which includes Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, this year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Regina King, Hong Chau, Louis Gossett Jr and Aussie actress Adelaide Clemens. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zymgtV99Rko Watchmen will air on HBO in the second half of the year, with an exact release date yet to be announced. We'll keep you updated — including about air dates Down Under.
