If you haven't yet had a chance to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department — its Darlinghurst restaurant serving up gelato-led degustations — then this July is the perfect time to do so. The gelato fiends are adding truffles to all their dishes for a series of special, seasonal dinners. In conjunction with Parksbourne Produce and Oakfield Truffles, Messina's Creative Department is crafting a special seven-course gelato-meets-gourmet mushrooms degustation running for just ten days. So what kind of truffle-gelato goodness have the masterminds come up with this time around? Expect truffle oil with grapefruit and ginger granita; truffles with Kiwi kosho sorbet and oyster snow; truffle mousse with eucalyptus jelly and berry pepper sorbet; and cured duck egg yolk gelato with shiitake, celeriac and truffle foam. You'll also be trying the black truffle gelato with potato and parmesan risotto, which comes with truffle oil-infused oolong tea — plus the caramelised oak gelato with truffle and passionfruit soufflé. Tickets are $160 per person and, based off how quick these things sell out around the country, you'll want to grab your tickets ASAP.
Heated outdoor spaces are a hot commodity during winter. They offer a rare occasion to enjoy some fresh air without freezing your butt off. Luckily, The Grounds of Alexandria has you sorted. Sounds from The Grounds — a series of after-dark music events held in their fairy light-lit Alexandria garden — returns this winter to tempt Sydneysiders outdoors, and the next instalment is Latin-themed. If you missed tickets to previous sold-out events, the salsa night will return each month. Bundle up and arrive from 6pm to enjoy a glass (or two) of sangria in the heated garden. Latin band Los Papis will play at 6.30pm, 8pm and 8.50pm with a salsa performance at 7.30pm — dancing is encouraged. The $30 ticket price includes entry, music and the performance, with food and drinks available to purchase from the kitchen's South American-inspired menu. Think comfort-food favourites like arepas, quesadillas and tacos, plus the aforementioned sangria by-the-glass. If you want to bring your furry friend along, dogs (and kids under 12) are welcome and get in for free, too.
For a few weeks, it seemed like summer was never going to end. But, alas, it did, and just because the temperature has dropped below twenty doesn't mean your social life has to disappear in a wintry breeze. Nobody knows this better than Manly's Hotel Steyne. Sure, the air may be fresher than a dip in the water, but there's still fun to be had — and the seaside pub is serving it up in droves this May. On the eve of winter — Thursday, May 31 — the seven-bar venue is hosting Welcome to Winter, a winter-themed night full of giveaways, winter-themed activities, plenty of drink specials and some actual snow. Global snowboard brand Burton Snowboards is coming to the party, too, and it's bringing with it a host of live performances. Kicking off the evening are the boys from psych-indie-rock Rufflefeather, who'll pass the mic to the night's headline act: Byron Bay's much-loved psycho trio The Babe Rainbow. The three will woo the crowd with their jungle sounds and oh-so-fun-to-dance-to groovy tunes. And, last not but not least, local northern beaches lads Thunder Fox will keep the music going at an after party at Moonshine Bar. The giveaways will involve a heap of stellar snow gear — including a custom Burton Snowboard from Corona — so we recommend grabbing your crew and heading to Manly to welcome winter in style. Welcome to Winter will run from 6–10pm on Thursday, May 31.
UPDATE, November 20, 2020: Cargo is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. The ravenous undead have been chomping their way across screens for decades. Still, if it seems like their appetite has kicked into higher gear in recent years, that's because it has. Or, perhaps more accurately, the viewing public's hunger for zombie fare has ramped up considerably. Undead thrillers, zombie comedies, long-running TV shows about the brain-eating hordes — we just can't get enough. It's a zombie feast, not a zombie famine, although don't go thinking that you've seen it all before. Australian film Cargo sinks its teeth into the undead basics, and yet still manages to carve out its own territory rather than mindlessly following the masses. With people scarce and zombies shuffling, the movie begins in a standard-enough fashion, plunging into an outbreak that transforms the living into the living dead in 48 hours. Andy (Martin Freeman) and Kay's (Susie Porter) solution is to stick to their houseboat and float down an outback river, which is the best thing they can do to keep their infant Rosie safe. Unfortunately, their sense of security is short-lived, leaving Andy scrambling across the dusty landscape to protect his baby. Also trying to cope with the new dystopian status quo is young Indigenous girl Thoomi (Simone Landers), with Cargo examining more than one fraught father-daughter relationship. Updating their 2013 Tropfest short of the same name to feature length, co-directors Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke know that less is more. A good zombie film doesn't need complicated scenarios or elaborate explanations, so the duo keep things simple. A great example of the genre puts more focus on the humans than the undead, so that's how the filmmakers approach their movie. You won't find heaving throngs of walking corpses here — but you will find a variety of folks handling the life-or-death crisis in different ways. Andy desperately searches for someone to look after Rosie. Ex-fracking worker Vic (Anthony Hayes) plans for the future in a far more insidious manner. And while Thoomi has managed to keep her zombified dad (Bruce R. Carter) around, her elders, lead by their cleverman Daku (David Gulpilil), have their own methods — and their own ideas about the source of the pandemic. If it's rare for a zombie flick to dive so deeply and thoughtfully into its characters, then it is rarer still for such a film to also ponder various kinds of death and destruction. Writing as well as co-helming, Ramke weaves both humanity's impact upon the environment and white settlers' treatment of Australia's aboriginal people into the narrative — and Cargo is all the better for it. While there's plenty that's familiar, especially if you're an undead connoisseur, the movie smartly and astutely plays up the many real-life parallels that come with its premise. These days, contemplating the end of existence as we know it goes hand-in-hand with contemplating our ecological footprint. Similarly, exploring a world where one part of the population terrorises another provides a timely exploration of race relations. Previous zombie stories have also drawn comparable conclusions, but where George A. Romero highlighted racism in Night of the Living Dead half a century ago, Cargo reclaims a space for Indigenous culture in the fight for survival. Amongst all of the above, and amidst the gorgeously shot South Australian backdrop, Freeman and Landers stand front and centre. The former might be a veteran and the latter a newcomer, but the movie wouldn't work quite as well without either. Freeman's recognisable everyman persona comes in handy, even if it makes you remember his trek across greener terrain in The Hobbit trilogy. Landers' naturalism couldn't be more buoyant, even in such a bleak film. One gets more screen time than the other, but together they embody Cargo's distinctive take on its well-worn genre. This involving, moving zombie drama initially ambles along a reliable path, yet isn't afraid to find its own direction — and isn't shy about blending the expected and the fresh in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_SiHPtwQ7s
The tropical vibes are always strong at King Street Wharf's Bungalow 8, but its latest offering has taken things up another notch. The part bar, par nightclub is now serving up bottomless sorbet cocktails. Held upstairs in The Loft every Saturday and Sunday lunchtime, the 2.5-hour sessions of unlimited cocktails — served with matching grazing plates — will help you forget that summer is over for another year. For $79 per person, you get endless access to three lush cocktails: the Italian-inspired Sgroppino with vodka, prosecco and lime sorbet; the pink-tinged Istanbul Rose, which is the same as the latter but with rose syrup; and the Coconut Kiss — a strong blend of Tanqueray gin, white crème de cacao, lemon juice, coconut sorbet and tart lemon curd. To help line your stomach throughout this rousing session, the bar will ply you with a heap of tasty morsels (and by heap, we mean a serious amount of food). There's an antipasto board — piled high with cured meats, cheese, figs and bread — vegetarian rice paper rolls, a honey-spiked mountain of fried prawns and a moreish dip platter. Head to The Loft website to reserve your spot at a Sorbet Sessions and to make those tropical island (and bottomless cocktail) daydreams a reality. Images: Jacquie Manning
The 21st Biennale of Sydney has been taking place across seven galleries, museums and unconventional spaces since March 16. Immersive and thought-provoking exhibitions have popped up from the MCA to Cockatoo Island, the Opera House to Woolloomooloo and Haymarket's 4A Gallery to Carriageworks. As part of this massive exhibition — which runs until June 11 — Cockatoo Island is hosting the Biennale Community Day on May 20 from 11am–5pm. A day of free talks, workshops, activities and performances, it's a chance for Sydneysiders of all ages to experience the festival without spending a cent. Talks will be held in the Superposition Studio and include a discussion about the Indigenous history of Sydney Harbour by specialist librarian Melissa Jackson, an exploration of the Chinese philosophical concept of wuxing (the five elements and their energies) by scholar Shirley Chan and the environmental significance of mangroves with wetland specialist Jeffrey Kelleway. Another highlight of the day is the collaborative sculpture making workshop with Marrickville's Reverse Garbage reuse centre. The workshop, which will be held in Building 137 fro 11am–3pm, invites participants to contribute to a giant community sculpture — or make a small sculpture to take home — using materials that have been recovered from landfill. Cap the day off with a performance by the Sydney Sufi Ensemble at 4pm, who will perform ritual music from the Persian 'Sama' tradition that originated in Iran. While the performance is free, any donations given on the day will go to the Matthew Talbot Hostel and towards meals for the homeless in Woolloomooloo. Images: Zan Wimberley
Making its return after a year hiatus, the German Film Festival is set to shower Sydney's screens with the latest and greatest in Deutsch cinema. And we really do mean latest and greatest — opening night's true tale The Silent Revolution premiered at the Berlin Film Festival mere months ago, while closing night will celebrate Wim Wenders' newly restored Wings of Desire, the exceptional 1987 effort about angels in Berlin. Screening at Palace Norton Street and the Chauvel Cinema from May 22 to June 5, the rest of the lineup spans from stars to snow to psychological thrills, plus everything from biopics to road trips to a beloved German comedy trilogy. Explore the tension of a new couple taking to the mountains in Three Peaks, laugh at the Fack Ju Göthe franchise — about an ex-con trying to get his loot back and unwittingly becoming a teacher in the process — or catch Gutland's account of an outsider just showing up in a small town, featuring Phantom Thread's breakout talent Vicky Krieps. Other highlights include's Mademoiselle Paradis, which delves into the story of blind piano player Maria Theresia von Paradis; 303, a flick that follows a pregnant student driving to reunite with her boyfriend; and 2017 German box office hit Paula, a biopic about artist Paula Modersohn-Becker. Or, step into a dark fairy tale with Heart of Stone, or test your nerves with crime thriller Four Hands. Plus, if you have any young movie buffs in tow, the festival is also screening a children's program called Kino for Kids.
With the spectacle of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, it can be easy to forget that Vivid's delights extend further than the CBD. But there's plenty to see and do up north, too. As part of the festival's tenth anniversary, the Chatswood precinct will present Lightscape, a free outdoor installation that combines art and light exhibitions with fashion and food — the latter of which includes the Light Market. The market will pop up each night of the festival (May 25 through June 16) from 5.30pm. The central square will host 20 food stalls that have been built from recycled materials and arranged to resemble a makeshift town. Built by event producer Victoria Harbutt and Sydney-based scaffold sculpture artist Alejandro Rolandi, with the help of Randwick's Bluebottle art studio, the scaffold structure of opposing lines and shapes is complete with a dynamic light design. The stalls will feature some Sydney food favourites, including Mary's burgers, cakes from Black Star Pastry, Agape Organic's hearty dishes, and some scoops of gelato from Enmore's Cow & the Moon.
When a couple of food and drink legends join forces, very good things can happen. This is confirmed by the latest boozy collaboration between burger maestros 8bit and beloved brewery Young Henrys. These mates have dreamed up a next-level creation celebrating that perfect partnership of beer and burger, dubbed the Malted Beast. It's a no-holds-barred assembly of a signature 8bit meat patty, beer onions made with Young Henrys' Newtowner pale ale, cheese, local pastrami and bacon glazed in porter, with a good helping of both Handsome Devil Co. barbecue sauce and rich Young Henrys' Cloudy Cider cheese sauce. And it'll set you back just $16. This all-local monster is set to make its debut at 8bit's Darling Square digs on July 19, kicking off with a launch party from 6pm. There'll be DJ tunes, games and prizes aplenty, and if you're one of the first 100 to RSVP to the Facebook event, you'll score discount burgers and free beer. If you fancy a taste of the Malted Beast, you'd best be quick — it's here for a good time, not a long time.
Purple Sneakers – a Sydney-based collective dedicated to emerging club music – turns 12 this year and, to celebrate, the team is taking over every nook and cranny of the Landsdowne Hotel. Happening as part of Vivid, this epic, one-night shindig will host a stack of artists, who'll be keeping the party going until 3am. Among the line-up are Rainbow Chan, Alta, Thandi Phoenix, Annie Bass, Clypso and Slim. There'll also be DJ sets from Dro Carey and Love Deluxe, plus appearances by local favourites Sandro Dallarmi, Sports, Lex Deluxe and Isa, as well as Swytch DJs, All My Friends DJs and the next generation of Purple Sneakers DJs. Since kicking off in 2006, Purple Sneakers has given career-launching gigs to the likes of Flume, RUFUS, Alison Wonderland, Cloud Control and Nina Las Vegas, as well as hosting Melbourne premieres for both Disclosure and Flosstradamus. These days, the team runs a website, radio show and regular parties around Australia.
Every corner of every city comes with its own history — and on Cockatoo Island, that's especially true. The tiny patch of land has been home to a prison, ship-building facilities, a reform school and a wartime boat repair port over the years, all in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Depending on what you believe, it's also apparently home to a few ghosts too. Indeed, plenty of mysteries and stories surround the island, which the returning Haunted History Night Tours will help you uncover. Running each Saturday from June 9 to August 25, the popular sessions will take you on a 90-minute stroll through the atmospheric site, visiting the convict workshops and gaol, the grain silos, dry docks and more. Tours kick off at 6.30pm in June and at 6pm as well during July and August, with bookings required. $25 gets you a spooky guided walk and a trip into the city's past, and wearing comfy shoes is recommended — as is bringing a torch.
Much-loved Kings Cross venue Barrio Chino is making a comeback. The Mexican restaurant and bar, which closed its doors in April 2016, is popping up inside the Darlo Country Club from Friday, June 8. Run by Peter Lew, co-owner of the newly opened Chula and the original Barrio Chino, the pop-up will have Tulum beach vibes — with a palm-thatched roof, booths and fairy lights — a changing menu of modern Mexican eats and a slew of Mexican and Tiki-inspired cocktails. The food menu will feature tacos, burritos, enchiladas and nachos, that can be stuffed (or piled high) with fried chicken, slow-cooked brisket and pulled pork. There'll also be guacamole, of course, and dishes are expected to change throughout the duration of the pop-up, too. Drinks, prepared by Michael Hwang from Lobo Plantation and Kittyhawk, will be big and colourful — expect lots of rum, tequila, glowing cocktail jugs (yes, really) and skull-shaped mugs. If you'd prefer your cocktails without the glow, there'll also be a few standout margaritas on the list. There's no word yet on how long the pop-up will be sticking around for, but it will be staying up late — it's running a 2am licence on Friday and Saturday nights. We suggest heading in for a taco and a tiki cocktail, tout de suite. Barrio Chino is now open inside the Darlo Country Club. Opening hours are Thursday, 5pm–midnight; Friday, 5pm–2am; and Saturday, 11.30am–2am.
The crew at P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants knows we like to pair wine and cheese, but they're gently trying to tell us that sometimes the two aren't the perfect match we've grown up thinking they are. Instead, they wants us to expand our cheese-pairing horizons — by matching the dairy goodness with spirits and beers. This August, the specialty bottle shop and education space in Newtown is popping a wide range of libations to match Continental Deli's fine cheeses. What exactly you'll be drinking — or eating — is still on lockdown, but you will be pairing eight cheeses, selected by Continental's resident cheese queen Alice, and eight boozy 'not wines' from P&V for $58. If you prefer spending your nights sippin' wine, check out P&V's lineup of regular events. On July 28, you can join a night of natural wine or taste Radikon's legendary grapes on August 3. You can see all upcoming events on the Facebook page.
Finding the perfect old-fashioned is no easy task. Made up of just three elements — whisky, bitters and sugar syrup — this classic cocktail calls for premium ingredients and the skills of an expert bartender. We've long considered CBD haunt Palmer & Co. a spot that nails this stellar combo. And, lucky for you, its specialist bartenders have partnered with Maker's Mark to create a spot-on old-fashioned, which has been bottled and shipped to a selection of Merivale venues around Sydney. While you won't find it at Palmer & Co., you can try this exclusive mix at Angel Hotel, Hotel CBD, The Royal George, Tank Stream Bar, The Grand and Wynyard Hotel. Plus, if you happen to find yourself staying over at Establishment Hotel, you'll score one free with your room. The hand-crafted concoction involves two dashes of bitters, five millilitres of sugar syrup and 60 millilitres of Maker's Mark bourbon. These are muddled together, then poured into a bottle. You can order the perfectly balanced result neat or over a large chunk of ice, and the bartender will top it off with a garnish of fresh orange peel. The Maker's Mark old-fashioned is available for $15 until Wednesday, August 15. Image: Dimitri Tricolas.
For keen racegoers, the arrival of the De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Day means one thing: Everest Carnival is well underway. And for those looking for a lively day out in the sun, there's a wealth of food, drinks and entertainment on offer. Rosehill Gardens will host this major event, now in its third year, on Saturday, September 22. And there's plenty going on to fill your day with. Wander through the grounds and discover a host of pop-up bars from Pimm's and Canadian Club, then retreat to The Deck by De Bortoli Wines to sip bubbly in the sun on the tiered lawn and listen to DJ Helena Ellis' tunes from the nearby Main Stage. When you're feeling peckish, make a beeline for Rosehill's newest food precinct, Eats at the Gardens. There you'll find a selection of food trucks ready to curb your hunger including Vietnamese specialists Trinhy's, American barbecue from Hardstyle Kitchen, plus Chur Burger and many others. Following the festivities at Rosehill Gardens, make tracks to Rosehill Bowling Club where the official after-party will be keeping things going late into the night with a host of live music and DJ karaoke. And, if you're keen to do it all again soon, make sure you enter the On Top of the World competition. The prize is a money-can't-buy experience for Everest Day (October 13): two night's accommodation at The Star, a buffet breakfast at Sokyo, a helicopter transfer to Randwick and a dining package while you're there. Plus, when you return to The Star that night (via limousine), you'll enjoy dinner at BLACK Bar & Grill.
Fancy prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? It's just casual summer weekendery when So Frenchy So Chic is in town. The ever-popular one-day French festival is waltzing back to Bicentennial Park in Glebe for its sixth year running on Saturday, January 19. If you haven't been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, tartlets and terrines, offensively good wine and croquet all to a chill French soundtrack. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists you may be yet to meet — and this year, they're all female. Parisian solo artist — and former Nouvelle Vague frontwoman — Camille will top the lineup, returning to Australia for her first shows since 2011. Her most recent album was recorded in a 14th century monastery, which might give you a bit of an idea of what to expect from her otherworldly live set. Don't miss electronic pop trio Yelle, either — the group has performed at Coachella three times and its music is played in venues across France. Other on the lineup is up-and-comer Clara Luciani and jazz pop artist Cleéa Vincent. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with fancy picnic boxes and cheese plates. Filled with stuffed baguettes, niçoise salads, mini créme brûlées and goose egg meringues, the picnic boxes are one to preorder if you don't want to miss out. But So Frenchy won't let you go hungry; there'll be a huge banquet of seafood, charcuterie, crepes and more available on the day. And of course, there'll be plenty of Laurent Perrier Champagne, French beer, and rosé, red and whites whines as well. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $82 a pop. If you've got kids, you'll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family friendly, and children under 12 can get in for free.
A black comedy about neighbours fighting over a tree. A harrowing recreation of the worst incident on Norwegian soil since World War II. A gothic interpretation of a well-known folk tale. A film about an infatuated college student who discovers she has unusual abilities. These are just some of the Nordic films headed to Australia as part of the 2018 Scandinavian Film Festival — and yes, it's shaping up to be a great year for movies hailing from the colder parts of Europe. All of the above titles — the opening night's Under the Tree, Berlinale hit U – July 22, the gorgeously shot Valley of Shadows and the empathetic thriller Thelma — head to the festival after amassing quite the buzz at overseas events, and they have plenty of company. Across the Scandinavian Film Festival's almost month-long tour of the country, between July 10 and August 5, 21 features will grace Australian screens, showcasing everything from the latest award-winners to the career output of one of the region's late master filmmakers. In the first camp falls Border, which is based on a short story by author John Ajvide Lindqvist and just won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes; high-school comedy Amateurs, the recipient of the best Nordic film award at this year's Goteburg Film Festival; and Winter Brothers, a flick about siblings living in a remote region that nabbed nine Danish Academy Awards. In the latter category, viewers can celebrate the life and career of renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman in the 100th anniversary of his birth, with six Swedish figures — including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy's Tomas Alfredson — making shorts inspired by the influential filmmaker for compilation effort Bergman Revisited. Other highlights include a semi-scripted cross-cultural comedy about two Danish men trying to set up a dog breeding business in China, aka The Saint Bernard Syndicate, SXSW-standout Heavy Trip, a film about a heavy metal muso spearheading a music festival in a small Finnish town, and The Real Estate, which attacks the chasm between the rich and the not-so in an unflinching fashion. In short: if it hails from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland and it popped up over the past year, it's probably on the lineup.
Three First Nations artists share their personal processes of decolonising mind and body, at The Bearded Tit's powerful exhibition Green On Red. Running until August 18, the multidisciplinary show coincides with NAIDOC Week celebrations, embracing its 2018 theme 'Because of her, we can!' as it pulls together the work of three uncompromising females. Amala Groom's video piece The Invisibility of Blackness explores the disappearance of cultural identity, while her Totes Appropes bags are a not-so-subtle dig at Chanel's $1930 limited edition luxury boomerang, highlighting the issue of cultural appropriation. You'll also catch a thought-provoking work by Southern Arrernte, Kaytetye and Anmatyerre artist Carmen Glynn-Braun, featuring variously coloured paint 'skins' hung in rows — a reference to the lengths fair-skinned First Nations people are forced to go to prove their 'Aboriginality'. Yamatji Wajarri woman Nicole Monks offers visitors a peek through her Invisible mirror, while a collaboration between Nicole Monks & Amala Groom, titled FAIRER 2018, pays homage to the 'Boycott '88' bicentennial protests 30 years on. Image: Carmen Glynn-Braun, Untitled, 2018
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 3, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its seventh year running. This year over 700 cafes will aim to raise as much as they can, with totals reaching more than of $160,000 in previous years. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 3 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. There are a heap of cafes participating across the city, but some include: The Grounds of Alexandria The Boathouse Coffee Tea and Me Single O Three Blue Ducks Campos Harry's Bondi Veneziano Coffee Roasters Top image: Veneziano
To celebrate National Lamington Day — a very important date to diarise on Saturday, July 21 — Peter Gilmore's stunning fine diner Bennelong will hold a lamington drive for a good cause. Taking inspiration from the school canteen drives of your childhood, Gilmore will show off his take on the humble Australian sweet by serving them up in droves — with all proceeds from lamingtons sold on the day going to suicide prevention charity, R U OK?. And this take on the lammy is anything but humble. It's a proud square of cherry jam, coconut ice-cream and sponge encased in chocolate ganache and sitting in a bed of coconut milk parfait shavings. The dessert is also well-known to Sydneysiders and MasterChef fans alike, as it appeared on the television show and we learnt that it takes 49 steps to make. Available to diners in the main restaurant and at the Cured & Cultured and Bennelong bars, the lammy will be available at lunch from midday and at dinner from 5.30pm on Saturday. If you've been wanting an excuse to try the famed lamington — or just dine inside the stunning Opera House restaurant — this is a great one. Image: Nikki To
Swap your swimmers for a scarf, and head down to Bondi this month. From Tuesday, July 17, Bondi Pavilion will be transformed into a carnival playground for the sixth annual Bondi Feast festival. Across ten nights, a lineup of over 160 artists, comedians, actors and foodies will grace Bondi's shores, with over 40 shows set to be performed across six spaces, accompanied by a pop-up bar and restaurant. Enjoy a glass of hot mulled cider, and catch a show in Bondi Feast's brand new Festival Garden and decadent Parlour Tent. There'll be impromptu musical performances, interactive Jenga, and private storytellings in the lifts of Bondi Pavillion. Bondi Feast will feature comedic appearances and cabaret shows from the likes of cabaret queen Trevor Ashley, Damien Callinan who will publicly explore his obsession with swing dancing in his show Swing Men, and an appearance from the celebrated Double Denim female duo for everything 90s, high energy and, of course, denim. MasterChef's Callan Smith will be taking the theatre into his own hands with a pop-up restaurant featuring a menu of the delicious and unexpected. Tickets for each show range from free to $30, with a few freebies ensuring your venture into the brisk winter air will not see you leave disappointed.
If you've always longed to learn how to weave coconut fronds, cook with native ingredients or meet a dingo up close, here's your chance. As part of NAIDOC Week, Barangaroo is hosting Women of Craft: a showcase of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's arts, crafts, cooking, music and knowledge. And it's completely free. All day long on Sunday, July 8, you'll get the chance to watch demonstrations, take part in free workshops and see traditions in action. The morning will kick off at 10am with a cleansing smoking ceremony, followed by a sand circle dance by Buuja Buuja Butterfly Dance Group. Next up will be a string of workshops. Learn how to weave coconut fronds, banana leaves and lomandra, all under the guidance of experts including Mimi Aboriginal Arts, Sylvia Nakachi and Hannah Gutchen. Then, discover the intricacies involved in making shell jewellery with Julie Freeman and her son Clive Freeman. Meanwhile, expert forager Jody Orcher and Bush Tukka Guide author Samantha Martin will be leading a bunch of food workshops and demos. Their focus is homestyle cooking using native ingredients, so you can expect to leave armed with a stack of recipes to whip in your kitchen. Every event happening at Women in Craft is free and there's no need to register. All you have to do is turn up.
The Royal Botanic Garden is known for its serenity and breathtaking scenery during the day. But there's a spookier side to the garden that people rarely get to see. Twice a month, Ghostly Garden will open up the gates after hours for an exclusive night of frights. Prepare yourself for creepy tales of the garden's past as you walk through the eerie grounds. After the sun goes down, a guide will take you on an adventure through the garden and tell you about the spirits that haunt your surroundings. BYO torch. This is a rare chance to see the Royal Botanic Garden in another light — or lack of. Ghostly Gardeners will meet at the Woolloomooloo Gates where they'll start a twilight journey with the ghosts of the garden. And we suggest comfy shoes so you're ready for any amount of walking through — or running away on — uneven terrain. Updated: June 22, 2019.
So, your home's in need of a sprucing but you're dreading the thought of trawling through endless shelves or pages of products to get the bits and pieces you need. Thankfully, Top3 has your back this weekend, hosting a hefty warehouse sale in Crows Nest, from Friday, August 3, until Monday, August 6. Making life a little easier and minimising those tough decisions, Top3's online store runs to a unique concept, only featuring three quality items within each product range. It heroes original designs from all corners of the globe. And for this sale, the team's pulled together a sprawling array of discontinued lines, floor stock and sample pieces, all going cheap at 30-70 percent off. Score one-off bargains on goodies for your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and bar, across top brands like Georg Jensen, Missoni Home, MoMA, Basil Bangs, Normann Copenhagen, Noritake, Snurk and Design House Stockholm. Top3 Warehouse Sale is opening from 12–5pm Friday, 10am–5pm Saturday, 10am–4pm Sunday, and 10am–5pm Monday. Not all items in the top image are for sale.
It's safe to say Gami Chicken and Beer has secured its status as one of Melbourne's go-to fried chicken joints, slinging its signature, Korean-style chook from 12 locations across the city. After opening first Sydney only last month, it's about to launch its second, opening in Castle Hill in early August. And, to celebrate, Gami is giving Sydneysiders a few very good reasons to jump on board, handing out a whopping 1000 pieces of its boneless fried chicken — for free. These fried chicken morsels — RSPCA-approved and rocking Gami's signature blend of 17 herbs and spices — will be up for grabs from noon–12.30pm and again from 5.30–6pm, on both Thursday, August 2 and Friday, August 3 at the new location. The chain has yet to mention any restrictions, such as one piece per person, so we suggest heading in with an empty stomach. Once you're hooked, you're probably going to want to schedule a return visit pretty quick, to try other Gami favourites like the chicken spare ribs, the vegetarian chicken and the aptly named Potato Heaven, featuring three layers of cheesy potato goodness. Gami's fried chicken giveaway will run from noon–12.30pm and again from 5.30–6pm on both Thursday, August 2, and Friday, August 3.
Trivia nights mean gathering your mates around, enjoying a few beverages and trying to convert your respective stores of knowledge into glory. At this particular trivia night, you'll do all that, but there'll be a particular emphasis on your pals. Given that the topic of the evening is a certain sitcom about a band of best buddies, celebrating your chums is the thing to do. Yes, Friends is in the spotlight at the Ess's next battle of pop culture tidbits. If you haven't yet heard of the Ess, it's the brand spankin' new rooftop bar atop Macquarie Park's Governor Hotel. With its neat cocktail list, Japanese charcoal grill and Friends trivia, we're liking it already. If you think you know everything there is to know about the show that caused viewers to agonise over whether Ross and Rachel would get together, wish that Joey and Chandler lived next door and get their hair cut like Jennifer Aniston, here's your chance to prove it. Prizes are on offer for the winning team and there'll be complimentary dessert, $9 cocktails, $6 classes of sparkling wine and $1 dumplings, too. Remember, though, it has been 14 years since Friends was on TV, making the contest not just a test of trivia, but a workout for everyone's memories. No one told you that watching endless television reruns could turn out this way. Entry is free, and you can book your spot here.
This free Sydney Fringe party will invade Kensington Street Festival Village with music, theatre performers, art and food for five magnificent hours from on Saturday, September 8. You'll be watching a bunch of Sydney's best street artists create new commissions — three on the wall and several others that'll go up for auction on the day — in real time to raise money for charity. As they paint, live musicians will perform a spontaneous soundtrack, inspired by the works in progress. When it's time for a bevvie, head to the pop-up festival bar for a G&T from Gin Lane or a glass of vino from Handpicked Wines. As far as eats go, you'll be spoilt for choice. Heaps of Kensington Street's vendors will serve up snack-size offerings — think sammies from A1 Canteen, Italian fare from Olio and French food from Bistrot Gavroche. It will all wrap up around 8pm, but an after party will continue until the early morn at The Gladdy around the corner.
Get your laughs at Marrickville's Factory Theatre when Sydney Fringe Comedy takes over from Tuesday, August 28 to Sunday, September 30. More than 100 Australian and international acts will appear, with five venues hosting up to 20 shows every night. Watch out for Aaron Chen in The Crushing Defeat and Public Humiliation of Aaron and Cassy Workman in Giantess, a fable about a kidnapped six-year-old whose only hope of salvation is a giant – which happens to double as an exploration of struggling with gender identity. Meanwhile, Break Out NZ will bring together accomplished Kiwi comics David Corroes, Donna Brookbanks and Jamie Bowen. These funny guys are just the tip of the iceberg; check out the rest of the massive program over here — most tickets are a steal at $10–$15.
Playing a 13-year-old in Atonement, Saoirse Ronan changed lives with a series of lies. As a twenty-something newlywed in On Chesil Beach, she slings the truth, but its piercing impact is just as sharp. Both roles stem from the pen of British author Ian McEwan and, while Ronan's career hasn't lacked highlights during the 11 years between the two, both demonstrate the depth of her talents. In the Brooklyn and Lady Bird star's hands, the two distinctive yet relatable characters are much closer than they might initially seem: a petulant, misguided teen misconstruing the facts as a way of coping with her own feelings, and a kind, exacting woman sharing what's really in her heart in an effort to do the same. Mere hours after saying "I do", Ronan's Florence has her whole married life in front of her. It's 1962, she's honeymooning by the pebbly shore of Dorset with her new husband Edward (Billy Howle), and when to have dinner seems like the duo's biggest worry. And yet, before darkness falls on their first night away, their wedded bliss will prove short-lived. First, they're playfully disagreeing about music choices. Next, they're trying to stay polite around interrupting wait staff. Soon, they're awkwardly trying to consummate their nuptials — which, instead of bringing the couple closer together, only drives them apart. Where romantic splendour becomes matrimonial sorrow, that's where On Chesil Beach finds its story. With a bittersweet mood painted across its frames, the film burrows into the heart of a fresh but fraught relationship — one that's just getting started, but is already saddled with heavy expectations and weighty complications. That said, this isn't a simple case of opposites attracting and then imploding, or of two besotted paramours following their feelings instead of their thoughts, although both ring true in some fashion. Classical violinist Florence is sweet and driven, from a middle-class family, and has a very clear view of her future. Edward is an English graduate with no set career path, harking from a much more modest background, and fond of rock and roll. What plagues the couple, however, is a dilemma that everyone faces at some point in their lives: the consequences of truly being honest with each other. As Florence and Edward's marriage wilts faster than the flowers that Florence undoubtedly carried down the aisle that same day, an intimate tale begets an intimate picture. Indeed, it's fitting that On Chesil Beach heralds the filmmaking debut of theatre and television director Dominic Cooke, with conversation — and the gaps between the sometimes passionate, sometimes tentative chatter — reigning supreme. Still, marking just the fourth time that prolific novelist McEwan has adapted his own work for the screen, the movie benefits from one of the writer's trademarks. Conveyed here through flashbacks to various points during the couple's courtship, On Chesil Beach never forgets that every single moment, act and discussion is the culmination of a lifetime's worth of desires, woes, emotions and experiences. Unsurprisingly, the resulting film is filled with complex characters not only navigating a difficult situation, but brandishing intricate histories. Meticulously and delicately directed by Cooke with an eye for the blandness of routine British life, the scenic glory of the movie's titular location, and the growing space between his protagonists, On Chesil Beach is also a film that's vastly improved by its stars. As astute and insightful as McEwan's narrative is, it's the performances that give texture to a tale that otherwise works better on the page — including in its ending. That Howle more than holds his own against three-time Oscar-nominee Ronan is no minor achievement, and together they make this thorny fictional romance seem devastatingly real. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9ChbMk1e6Y
The Giant Dwarf loves to bang on — so much so, they're dedicating two whole weeks to celebrating the art of it. After launching in 2017, the Redfern theatre's YACK festival is set to return for a second stint, bringing together a selection of Sydney's funniest, smartest and most provocative comedians, podcasters and panellists. The little festival will feature big laughs with a great lineup of people who like to have a good ol' chinwag. We're pretty excited to see Zoë Coombs Marr (as herself, not in character), Bob Franklin and Danielle Walker, the latter of whom you might recognise from Get Krack!n. Or, hear about failed jokes, bad gigs and unfulfilled ideas from SBS Viceland's Michael Hing and The Feed's Victoria Zerbst — and discover the secrets, joys and all-round allure of satire from The Weekly's James Colley and Black Comedy's Nakkiah Lui. The Freudian Nip School of Performing Arts Annual Showcase Evening will also make a comeback; themed storytelling night Story Club will hit YACK as part of its tenth year, this time focusing on the theme 'when we were young'; and The Chaser's Julian Morrow will host a slide night for current affairs junkies — and that's just the lineup so far. Judging by the state of world affairs, two weeks of non-stop laughing at YACK will be just what the doctor ordered, so head over to the Giant Dwarf website for tickets. The festival will run from October 19 to November 4.
The 40-year-old Oxford Street institution that was the Midnight Shift will finally reopen this weekend under its new name: Universal. And it's launching onto the scene with a three-day party that climaxes at the Heaps Gay Shift Resurrection. The massive blow-out is the wrap up party for Sydney Fringe Festival and will go down on Sunday, September 30, from 9.30pm–4am. It'll span the venue's two floors and feature over 30 multi-genre artists, including live music, DJ sets, drag performances and roaming artists. Live musical acts include South Africa's Fortune Shumba and Sydney's own producer CLYPSO and electro-group FLORIAN, plus DJ sets by Love Deluxe, Rachel Maria Cox and Girlthing. There'll also be artistic and drag queen performances by the likes of Matthew Grant, Three Piece Feed, Trixxie Killder and Millie Sykes; pole dancing by David Aeon and FUR; and visuals by Xanthe Dobbie, Fresh Jams TV and Subvrt Magazine. Universal will officially open this Friday, September 28, with the launch of its new monthly party FAB — featuring live performances, DJs and drag shows. And Saturday, September 29, will see the reveal of the venue's new weekly event Satori, which features artists, light projections, live music, drag and more. Image: Joshua Jasper.
If you're already planning summer road trips, here's one that gives you music and beaches. Happening in the pretty North Coastal twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry on Saturday, January 12, Grow Your Own will bring together a stack of Aussie talent. Leading the program are Sydney rockers DMA's and The Preatures, alongside Hockey Dad, who hail from Windang, just south of Wollongong. Also travelling from down south is Totty, who recently signed to the Dune Rats label, while singer-songwriter Mallrat will come down from Brissie to perform a set from her debut EP, In The Sky. Look out, too, for Jack River (aka Forster local Holly Rankin) who is not only performing, but running the event as festival director. "We're deeply excited to present Grow Your Own's biggest line up yet, with acts coming from all over the country as well as many from our own backyard," she said. "Our homegrown ethos runs through every cell of the festival, right down to the fences and the food." In between getting down to the music, check out a myriad of art installations, bars and offerings from local growers and producers. Tickets go on sale this week and come in at under $100. Images: Ben Everden.
Pakistani activist and history's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai is heading Down Under, for two exclusive talks in Sydney and Melbourne this December. She'll appear as part of The Growth Faculty's thought-provoking Women World Changers speaker series — the same event that brought Hillary Clinton to Australia and New Zealand in May this year. Yousafzai was just 11 when she first launched her campaign to promote education for girls, penning a blog from her home city in Pakistan's Swat Valley. At 15, she survived an attack by the Taliban, and in 2014, went on to become the youngest person ever awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. Her remarkable story continues, as she sticks with the fight for education rights for every girl in the world. The activist co-founded the Malala Fund and currently studies at the University of Oxford. Now, for the first time, the inspirational 21-year-old will share her experiences with Australian audiences, speaking at the ICC on Monday, December 10.
The MCA's free music series Sounds on the Terrace is back for the sixth year running. And, once again, the gallery is teaming up with Young Henrys. The Newtown brewers will curate the music lineup and, you guessed it, add a healthy dose of craft beer to the drinks list. The rooftop sessions returned on Wednesday, September 5, kicking off with Sydney hip hop/jazz producer Godriguez and seven-piece soul band New Venusians. The last after-dark session for 2018, taking place on Wednesday, December 5, will feature performances by local Sydney acts Not a Boys Name, Fiction Writer, Ben Panucci, Froyo and China Beach. It's no coincidence that Sounds on the Terrace is concurrent with the MCA's Lights on Later program either. In between sipping on Young Henrys' summery The Lagertia cocktail — a combination of beer and tequila — and snacking on tostadas created by the MCA Cafe, you can take a wander through the gallery, which, until March 3, 3019, will house an Australian-first retrospective of famed South African photographer David Goldblatt's works. While Wednesday, December 5, signals the end of Sounds on the Terrace for 2018, it'll be back in early 2019 — we'll update you with more information soon.
For the past 11 years, the Sydney Underground Film Festival has walked on the weirder, wilder side of cinema, and 2018 is no exception. In fact, with its 12th program including everything from a time-travelling New Zealand comedy to a bloody Christmas flick to Nicolas Cage at his most unhinged, this year might just be more over-the-top than ever. Returning to Marrickville's Factory Theatre from Thursday, September 13 to Sunday, September 16, SUFF kicks off with what could just be the next great (and greatly hilarious) Kiwi effort. Mega Time Squad stars What We Do in the Shadows' Jonny Brugh, and follows a small-time crook who steals an ancient time-travel device, only to be forced to face the demonic consequences — as happens in madcap NZ movies, obviously. Then, at the other end of the festival, get ready to go full Cage on SUFF's closing night. Sure, you've seen Nicolas Cage do plenty of strange things on screen, but Mandy dials his antics up a few notches and then some. Charting a lumberjack's quest to save his girlfriend from a creepy cult and a trio of satanic bikers, it features a vodka-swilling, revenge-seeking, angrily growling Nicolas Cage that really has to be seen to be believed. Throw in lurid visuals and an intoxicating soundtrack, and it demands to be experienced in a cinema. In between SUFF's two big events sits 25 other features, 13 documentaries, four shorts programs, eight workshops and the return of the late-night cereal cartoon party, so prepare to get comfy across the festival's four-day run. Feature highlights include the Aubrey Plaza and Jemaine Clement-starring An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, Ethan Hawke stepping behind the camera with music biopic Blaze, the violent vengeance of French effort Revenge and Sion Sono's undead extravaganza Tokyo Vampire Hotel. Or, there's also Guy Maddin's San Francisco mashup The Green Fog, stylishly sensory spaghetti western homage Let the Corpses Tan, and the hypnotic Madeline's Madeline — with the latter about a teenage acting student channelling her woes into her work, complete with a incredibly memorable lead performance. On the documentary front, SUFF-goers can step into a varied array of subjects, including folks who believe the earth is flat, the world's first all-girl punk group, legendary exploitation filmmaker Larry Cohen and another director who has made more than 180 movies in 20 years. The list goes on, but this year's fest wouldn't be complete without the man, the myth and the enigma that is Bill Murray — or a documentary about him, more accurately, although he will be in the country later this year.
This week, sink your teeth into some of that Christmas In July spirit as the team at Cracker Barrel mark the occasion with an interactive winter wonderland at Sydney's Central Station. From 2–7pm today until Saturday (excluding Thursday), commuters can indulge in some serious Christmas cheer, thanks to a crew of jolly elves and a whole lot of free cheese. Not only can you have your photo snapped in front of a giant Christmas card, you'll have the chance to take home one of the 10,000 novelty-sized Christmas crackers being given out by Cracker Barrel over the week. Each comes filled with a couple of paper Christmas crowns, a few requisite cheesy Dad jokes, a box of Captain's Table crackers and — most importantly — a block of Cracker Barrel's signature cheddar. The perfect entree to that Christmas In July feast you've been planning. While you're enjoying Cracker Barrel's winter escape, be sure to enter the Christmas In July competition for the chance to win $5000 in flights.
If your festival budget this year is a little skint and you've resigned yourself to missing out on seeing bands on hills in your gumboots this summer, don't fret just yet. EDGE is a new — and free — arts and cultural festival program launching in Sydney's inner west. EDGE will include a cacophony of arts, music, light projections and performance events throughout its 2018 and 2019 run. While the events for next year have not yet been announced, the festival's inaugural event is a four-day celebration taking places this September. And it's starting with a free opening night party in Ashfield Town Centre on Thursday, September 6. Headlining will be diverse fusion band Worlds Collide, accompanied by sound installations, light projections and dance performances happening throughout the evening. The celebration will continue for the rest of the weekend, too, with pop-up performances in Ashfield Town Hall, Sydney Sacred Music Festival, sound and light-filled exhibition Ritual Lanterns by Jayanto Tan and a folklore flower trail, Bloom. Ashfield Town Centre will also light up with Three Generations, from September 6-9, giant projections of local people and their stories, done by Esem Projects. EDGE will expand during the course of 2019 — beginning in Ashfield and spreading to more of Sydney's inner west — with hundreds of local artists and performers jumping onboard. If you want to register your interest, you can here. Image: Bec Taylor
Prepare to add another activity to that growing list of summer must-dos: Merivale and Summer Bright are holding a slew of A+ Sunday afternoon shows on Coogee Pavilion's rooftop. And the best part? They're all free. Returning to the beachside venue for a third year, the Sunday Sundown sessions will be held over 13 Sundays from December 3 to February 25. Melbourne's Miami Horror will kick things off with five DJ sets in December before Linda Marigliano and producer Swick take over in January. February's sessions will be helmed by the inimitable Client Liaison. This year the set times have been pushed back to 5–7pm so you can see the sun set over Coogee mid-performance. Here are the details. SUNDAY SUNDOWN 2017–18 PROGRAM December 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Miami Horror (DJ set) January 7, 14, 21 and 28: Linda Marigliano + Swick February 4, 11, 18 and 25: Client Liaison (DJ set)
Tarantino fans, it's the moment you've all been waiting for — and it just might be even better than the world-famous Jackrabbit Slim's twist contest. In a massive overnight movie marathon (dusk till dawn included), Palace Chauvel Cinema is showing its love for the filmmaker responsible for making everyone think twice about Madonna's 'Like A Virgin', Royales with cheese, getting sword-wielding vengeance and getting caught in Minnie's Haberdashery during a snowstorm. With more enthusiasm than the man-in-question's fondness for rapid-fire dialogue, retro soundtracks and paying homage to every film he's ever seen, Tarantino Fest will train the James Street cinema's projector on some of QT's finest from 1pm on December 9. The next 19 hours or so will be filled with flicks helmed by Tarantino, written by Tarantino and/or starring Tarantino. On the agenda: Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, From Dusk till Dawn, both volumes of Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight, in that order. Breaking out your best yellow jumpsuit, bathrobe, Hawaiian shirt, daggy tee and shorts combo, or flight attendant's uniform is heartily recommended. And if you want to dance to 'Stuck in the Middle with You' or 'Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon' in the foyer, we're guessing that no one will stop you.
"Goodbye Christopher Robin," announces the title of this treacly biopic. Goodbye subtlety and and emotional nuance, too. A true tale about Winnie-the-Pooh author AA Milne, his son, and the loveable bear that made them both famous, this is a movie that doesn't trust its audience to laugh or cry without being told when and how much. Eeyore's constant moping and Tigger's bouncy zest seem almost restrained in comparison. The handsomely staged effort sets its sights on a shell-shocked Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) in the wake of the First World War. He's rattled by London life following his experiences on the battlefield, much to the dismay of his socialite wife Daphne (Margot Robbie). A move to the country doesn't seem to help matters either — or at least it doesn't until a stint in the surrounding forest without Daphne or live-in nanny Olive (Kelly Macdonald), when the writer and his eight-year-old son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston) imagine a whole new world with the help of some stuffed toys. If it worked for Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, then it can work for Winnie-the-Pooh. Or at least, that's what director Simon Curtis (Woman in Gold) appears to think. Indeed, as Finding Neverland and Saving Mr. Banks did before it, Goodbye Christopher Robin presents itself as a behind-the-scenes origin story, but soon proves more interested in riding an easy wave of affection. Given that everyone's favourite fictional bear is involved, there's ample love flowing, of course. Alas, though the movie's approach is well-intentioned, the end result remains noticeably heavy-handed. An overwrought score, uninspired cinematography and pacing that pauses for impact every time something notable happens are just a few of the film's particularly grating elements — although arguably the biggest problem is the mismatch between the script and the way it's been executed. Screenwriters Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Railway Man) and Simon Vaughan aren't afraid to take the narrative to darker corners, touching on the trauma of war, the difficulties of marriage and motherhood, the struggle of having your childhood suddenly opened to the public, and the distance that can grow between a father and a son. Sadly, Curtis would rather skip nostalgically past the bleaker material, or wring it to inspire easy waterworks. Filmmakers underestimating their viewers isn't new. Nor is spoon-feeding plot developments and signposting sentiment, pairing a cute kid with a grumpy adult, or leaning on pop culture commodities. Goodbye Christopher Robin is guilty of all of the above — but, more than that, it's guilty of squandering its potential. As the great performances from young Tilston and the suitably conflicted Gleeson both show, there's plenty of emotion and drama to be found in the Milnes' story without smothering it in honey. As Winnie himself would say: "oh bother." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb6gC-G2-6c
Perhaps it was timed to coincide with the centenary of the Russian Revolution, but Griffin Independent and Little Ones Theatre appear to have pulled off a serious coup here. Merciless Gods is short story collection by Christos Tsiolkas, author of The Slap and a man renowned for not being afraid to jab at the darkest and most shameful aspects of Australia's national character. Upon publication, the anthology was widely praised, but also described as "out there" and "shocking", with reviewers teasing fictional worlds governed by brutal sex, murder and random violence. Difficult subject matter on the page and not an obvious candidate for a theatrical reworking. Nevertheless, Dan Giovannoni, of Melbourne queer theatre collective Little Ones Theatre, has managed to prise Tsiolkas' savage stories off the page and craft them into a fierce script. By all accounts, the performance adds another, very visceral layer to the already charged stories, without overlooking the vein of human tenderness running beneath.
Music. Art. Maker stalls. Street food. DJs. Workshops teaching some ace skills. Birthday parties can be pretty fancy these days, but most five-year-olds don't get to enjoy all of the above. Of course, COMMUNE isn't like most, well, anything. Their Erskineville and Waterloo spaces are all about creativity, bringing people together and having a collaborative, artistic good time — so it should come as no surprise that their celebration of five years in business offers all of that. Taking place from midday on December 2, the COMMUNE Block Party will turn its Waterloo warehouse precinct into an overflowing shindig, complete with a lineup of their curated pals from across their existence to date. That means lyricist OKENYO, DJs Levins and Franco, and hip hop selectors Flex Mami and DJ Nes, plus Goodgod's Jimmy Sing, roots reggae act The Strides, seven-piece Ghanaian drumming and dance outfit Karifi Ensemble — and more. On the learning side of things, you can discover how to spin tracks with DJ James De La Cruz, make your own electronic music with Heaps Decent or get your hip hop dance on with Groove Therapy and Feras. A group exhibition and art installation, locally made and vintage markets, and food and drinks aplenty are also part of the fun. Early bird tickets are now on sale, starting from $35 + booking fee, with taking part in the classes adding another $20–30 to the price.
Russian punk band Pussy Riot were famously jailed for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" following an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in 2012, and the three band members spent over a year in prison. Since her release, Maria Alyokhina has continued to make music as well as founding an independent media outlet in Russia, and now returns to Australia with Riot Days. A 'punk opera'/documentary/performance art piece about her arrest and imprisonment, it is a ferocious call to arms for the resistance. "Freedom doesn't exist unless you fight for it every day," Alyokhina says. "The choice is very simple – to act or to stay silent. What we are showing is just one small example."
The way the festival scene is going, the summer of 2016/17 is going to be epic. The latest in the series of boutique festivals to join the summer calendar is Tell No Tales, a one-day techno bonanza inspired by the hedonism of the European summer festival scene. The lineup gets on board with the European theme too. They've released the first round of artists (yeah, you read right — this is only the first round) including Ricardo Villalobos, a Chilean-born and Berlin-based minimalist techno god who's been dominating the scene for nearly 20 years; Pan-Pot, another Berlin-based outfit; Audion, a techno mainstay who's just dropped his first album in ten years; Agents of Time, an Italian trio who stick strictly to analogue; and Nastia, a Ukrainian DJ who's rocketed to fame in the last few years. The festival will off in Melbourne before coming up to Theatre of the Horse at Randwick Racecourse on Sunday, December 4. The first release of tickets have sold out already, so keep your eyes peeled for a second round. Image: Stephen Arnold.
One of the most important films of 2016, Chasing Asylum tears back the curtain on Australia's brutal immigration policies. Directed by Eva Orner, the Oscar-winning producer of Taxi to the Darkside, this confronting documentary explores the human cost of mandatory detention, combining interviews with whistleblowers — who risked jail to speak out — and sickening hidden camera footage from inside detention centres on Manus and Nauru. "I think we all need to stand up and say enough is enough," Orner told us in May. "I just read this thing where Malcolm Turnbull said, 'Let's not get misty-eyed about offshore detention.' People are lighting themselves on fire. Children are being sexually abused. People have died." One Day Entertainment and the Factory Theatre are presenting a special screening of Chasing Asylum, with all proceeds from the night going to the Refugee Advice and Casework Service. Tickets are now sold out, but watch the Factory Theatre's Facebook page for announcements. Read our interview with Chasing Asylum director Eva Orner here.
Heralded as a scathing indictment of contemporary Russian society, Declan Donnellan takes Shakespeare to Moscow in this collaboration between Moscow's Pushkin Theatre and UK-based Cheek By Jowl, examining of the very nature of the society we live in, and the relationships we build. Shakespeare's classic focuses on the characters of an inept ruler, a corrupt official and a novice nun, demonstrating the inequalities and shortcomings of society. Donnellan's version is performed entirely in Russian (with subtitles, don't fret), transposing this idea onto the cultural canvas that is modern Russia. Plus, we can't wait to hear someone say, I'll pray a thousand prayers for your death in Russian. This is one of 15 next-level events to see at Sydney Festival. Check out the whole list.
It was the scary sensation of 1999; a documentary-style freak-out that audiences were led to believe was real. A low-budget hit that reignited faux found-footage as an inexpensive but successful method of frightening filmgoers, without The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and a spate of other imitators might never have existed. And while the original movie already spawned one follow-up back in 2000, it was really only a matter of time before a new sequel wandered out of the woods and back into cinemas. You could be forgiven for not knowing much about Blair Witch, however. Filmed in secret under a fake name, its true nature was only revealed in July. Other than the involvement of director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett (aka the folks behind playful horror effort You're Next and stylish action thriller The Guest) this initial misdirection is arguably the most intriguing part of a film that knows it has big shoes to fill, and tries to do so as faithfully as possible. Blair Witch treads a familiar path quite literally, sending a new group of camera-wielding college students back into the Black Hills Forest, albeit with some updated tech. For James Donahue (James Allen McCune), the creepy camping trip is personal, since it was his older sister Heather who disappeared in the original film. When his life-long quest to find out what happened leads him to an online video posted by fellow interested parties Lane (Wes Robinson) and Talia (Valorie Curry), he rounds up his pals Lisa (Callie Hernandez), Ashley (Corbin Reid) and Peter (Brandon Scott) to head off in search of answers. Decking everyone out with earpiece cameras and a short-range drone, Lisa films their trip for a class project. The on-screen characters mightn't expect the series of events that follows, but audiences certainly will. Immersed in their haunted surroundings, the crew soon starts hearing strange noises and begin to spy spooky stick figures suspended from the trees. When they inevitably try to flee, they end up getting lost and start walking around in circles. And yet, while Blair Witch mightn't chart new narrative ground as it constantly nods to its predecessor, it does conjure the requisite bumps and jumps. The range of visual sources at the film's disposal certainly helps, with Wingard employing urgent, erratic point-of-view shots, as well as lingering glimpses of the sea of trees captured by drone camera from above. Re-teaming with The Guest cinematographer Robby Baumgartner, enlisting seasoned television editor Louis Cioffi, and composing the score himself, where Wingard fares best is in evoking an unnerving mood. It doesn't always matter that you can see where the story is headed if you remain uneasy and anxious in the moment, with the sound design particularly unsettling. However that still only takes Blair Witch so far. When the third act drops its atmospheric ambiguity for more overt shocks, the movie suffers. Obvious dialogue and by-the-numbers performances likewise dull an otherwise effective rehash.
Archie Rose Distillery and The Tilbury Hotel have joined forces to come up with a brand new gin. It's called — wait for it — The Tilbury, and to celebrate the hotel is inviting you to sample the very first batch at a one-off sit-down gin dinner. For 85 bucks, you'll score three courses alongside three matching cocktails. So it's a pretty sweet deal — especially given that head chef James Wallis, who's Michelin accredited, will be whipping up the dishes. You'll be kicking off with 'textures of spring' (bloody Mary, gem hearts, roasted capsicum, raw carrot, basil gel, confit tomatoes), which will be followed by a sea trout ceviche with horseradish mousse, wild rice, saffron crisps and coriander gel, or confit pork belly with date, Earl Grey, pak choi and soy caramel. And, to finish, take your pick of pear and almond tart, or fig and lemon ice cream. Meanwhile, Archie Rose's Lachlan Beange will be designing the gin cocktails around the dishes. Arrive early or hang around afterwards to spend some time on The Tilbury's Luchetti Krelle-designed deck, which has just reopened for spring.
Sparkling wine is often relegated to pre- or post-degustation status. But, at this long, long dinner, you'll be sticking to bubbles all evening long. Because it's in sparkling varieties Prosecco, Lambrusco, Franciacorta and Spumante that chef Paola Toppi has found inspiration for each of the six courses in this special one-off dinner held as part of the Bolle Italia sparkling wine festival and Good Food Month. All in all, you'll get to try no fewer than 11 Italian drops. The feasting and sampling will take place under the watchful eye of Bar Machiavelli's black and white projections. Formerly a tyre factory, the restaurant is now a paean to Italian culinary excellence, from the fresh house-made pastas to the cracking wine list. The dinner costs $145 per person but includes six epic courses and 11 (yes, 11) sparkling wines. You will be rolling out of there.
The time is nigh to snap up some ridiculous discounts at the shopping extravaganza that is Fashion Weekend Sydney. Head over to the Royal Hall of Industries to shop from over 100 designers selling their wares for up to 70 percent off. Both Australian and international labels will be represented, and there are some serious fashion steals to be had. Once you've done your shopping, head to one of many runway shows happening over the weekend. Fashion from the likes of Bec & Bridge, Winston Wolfe and Lover will strut down the runway, and you'll be tempted to buy those very clothes right afterwards (because you can). Head to The Beauty Hub after the runway shows and get your hair or eyelashes did, then go to the Photo Studio and get it all documented for free. Then, best to top things off with a glass of bubbles from the Henkell Wine Bar — ahh, the #fashionlife. Tickets and more info at fashionweekend.com.au. [competition]590917[/competition]
