Everyone wants to look their best for Mardi Gras. You’ve been hitting the gym, upping your cardio, and generally sculpting, toning, and tightening your little tushy off in preparation for being the hottest, buffest, most fabulous person on the Mardi Gras Party dance floor. Want to put all that hard work to a philanthropic use while you’re at it? Why not take part in the annual Little Black Dress Run? Organised by Sydney Frontrunners the charity run raises much needed money for twenty10 to provide support to LGBTIQ youth and their families. Looking good and feeling good? Too good.
Disney+'s live-action small-screen Star Wars empire started back in 2019 with The Mandalorian. Since then, everything from The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Ahsoka, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew have followed, but it's Andor that's proven the best series in the space-set saga in this very galaxy. The good news: season two arrives in April 2025. The other news: you'd best savour it, because this will be the last of the prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you've seen that 2016 movie, you'll know why this the new 12-episode season is not just Andor's second but its final season — because you know where this tale is heading. But audiences being aware of what's coming didn't stop the show's first season from being riveting and thrilling. Based on both the first sneak peek at season two and the just-dropped new trailer, that doesn't look like it's changing from Wednesday, April 23, 2025 Down Under. "I came with you to be part of something". "It's a different kind of mission." "The Empire cannot win." These statements filter through the latest look at Andor's second season. The first trailer offered similar sentiments. "We're in a war. You wanna fight?", it noted, as the show treads the path to rebellion. If you missed the first season, Andor takes a favourite big-screen character and steps back into their story before the events that viewers have already seen — so, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. As its title makes plain, the series focuses on its namesake, Cassian Andor, with Diego Luna (La Máquina) reprising his Rogue One role. Star Wars fans have already seen him as a Rebel captain and intelligence agent, and also watched how his story wraps up, hence the show's need to jump backwards. The focus: following Andor as he discovers how he can play a part in battling the Empire. Indeed, charting the rebellion, and how people and planets joined in, is the series' whole remit. In season two, as the end we all know is coming gets closer, expect higher stakes — and also Ben Mendelsohn (The New Look) as his Rogue One character Orson Krennic, plus Alan Tudyk (Grimsburg) as K-2SO. The first season of Andor saw filmmaker Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy) — who co-wrote the screenplay for Rogue One — rejoin the Star Wars franchise as the series' creator and showrunner. He's back for season two. On-screen, so are Stellan Skarsgård (Dune: Part Two), Genevieve O'Reilly (Tin Star), Denise Gough (Who Is Erin Carter?), Kyle Soller (Bodies), Adria Arjona (Blink Twice), Faye Marsay (Ten Pound Poms) and Forest Whitaker (Emperor of Ocean Park) . You'll be watching along via four chapters comprising of three episodes a piece, with a new chapter hitting your streaming queue each week. Check out the first trailer for Andor season two below: Andor season two streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, April 23, 2025 Down Under. Read our review of season one. Images:© 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
When a movie premieres at the Cannes Film Festival, the literal applause it receives makes headlines. It happens every year — and at fellow major international film fests such as Berlin and Venice, too — with reports detailing the number of minutes that the audience put their hands together for while on their feet. Back in May 2024, The Apprentice was no different. While the time spent clapping varied depending on the source, this was still a story. But there was also another tale that followed swiftly after the feature's debut, as it was likely always bound to: the response from its subject to this unofficial biopic, or at least from his campaign, including a cease-and-desist letter attempting to stop anyone else from seeing it. The Apprentice's title tells everyone the who and the why of this situation. Before he was America's 45th president, Donald Trump spent over a decade hosting the reality-TV series that shares its moniker with Ali Abbasi's new film. This isn't a chronicle of Trump's time on the show, or in the Oval Office afterwards, however. It isn't just an unsanctioned big-screen Trump biography, either. Making his first English-language feature after 2016 Danish horror film Shelley, the Oscar-submitted 2018 Swedish standout Border and 2022's Persian-language serial-killer thriller Holy Spider, Copenhagen-based Iranian Danish filmmaker Abbasi also doesn't simply step through Trump's origin story in the 70s and 80s — although it chronicles his start in real estate, his relationship with his father and his marriage to Ivana. The movie's pitch-perfect name hones in on the most-crucial element of the picture: that this is a portrait of chasing power seen through a mentor-protege relationship. Trump is the apprentice. His guide: New York City attorney and political fixer Roy Cohn, who first came to fame in the 50s investigating suspected Communists with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Abbasi digs into how Cohn helped shape Trump, including the three rules of winning passed down from the former to the latter. Those tenets: first, attack, attack, attack. Then, admit nothing and deny everything. And lastly, claim victory while never ever admitting defeat. It's impossible to watch these rules outlined in The Apprentice — or even read them on the page — and not spot how they still dictate Trump's actions today. That's one of the film's many astute moves. Another: casting Sebastian Stan (Dumb Money), who gives one of his two phenomenal performances for 2024 alongside A Different Man, as Donald Trump. Seeing him anchor the familiar Trump mannerisms, speech patterns, talking points and attitudes — details that anyone who has even just spotted the IRL figure on the news across his political career in passing will instantly recognise — in the younger version of the man, an iteration brought to the screen with complexity, is both haunting and uncanny. Equally exceptional: a can't-look-away Jeremy Strong in his first post-Succession part as Cohn, in another of the film's performances that demands awards attention. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Oscar-nominee and Bodies Bodies Bodies star Maria Bakalova also leaves an impression as Ivana. And Abbasi remains one of the most-exciting directors working today in every choice that he makes throughout The Apprentice, including deploying a visual approach that scrapes away any gleam from his take on Trump at every moment. "I think we've been quite restrained," Abbasi tells Concrete Playground about the movie, talking about the instant backlash and the complicated response he knows it will continued to receive. "If we wanted to be controversial, we have ample, ample opportunities to be so." We also chatted with the director about the quest to get the film made and seen, building a portrait of someone that everyone in the world has an opinion of, why he wanted to bring this tale to the screen, getting Stan onboard, and the importance of diving into Trump and Cohn's relationship. On the Diverse Responses to the Film's Premiere, Including the Cannes Standing Ovation and the Trump Campaign's Reaction "It's sort of the same in a way. What do they say, you have to grab a compliment whenever, wherever you find it, whichever way you find it, in whatever form you find it? I think if the Trump campaign thinks that this is the worst — they have an actually really funny formulation, they're saying this is 'pure fictionalised trash'. And I'm like, that's a very general sentence you can basically write in the beginning of every feature film. It's pure fictionalised trash — that's a punk-rock way of saying 'this is the movie'. And look, I think we've been quite restrained. I think this is a quite a restrained movie. I do not understand where people talk about controversy, controversial. If we wanted to be controversial, we have ample, ample opportunities to be so and to do so, and include stuff. I mean, with this guy, the sky is the limit, right. And therefore it's a little bit difficult for me to understand. Of course, we're the underdogs in this game. We just want to get the movie released. So any help, any publicity is appreciated. I don't mind. But on the intellectual level, when people talk about this as being controversial, provocative and the Trump campaign bashing us, I'm like 'have you actually seen the movie? You know, you come out, I would say, much better than you might have'." On Building a Complex, Three-Dimensional Portrait of Someone That Everyone in the World Has an Opinion Of "There's this fable about this father and son, and they have this donkey and they want to go over a river or something like that. They try one way and then someone comes and says 'no, no you can't tie the donkey like that. You have to do it upside down'. And they do it upside down and they say 'no, no, it if you do it upside down, it's going to drown and die in water. You have to do it from the side'. And anyway, it ends up that the donkey goes in the water anyway and drowns. It's a little bit like this movie. It's impossible to get that balance because everyone has an opinion about this donkey. And especially, I think, I really see this acutely in the US. Because I feel like it's impossible, almost, for the Americans — at least, for the critics — to see this as a movie. They either hate the idea of a Trump movie or they think it's not enough — or they think there's nothing new about him that they couldn't read about. So it's a vicious cycle. It feeds itself. And in in reality, I think the only balance that matters is the balance of three dimensionality of character and the authenticity of character. Do I deeply care if we hurt Donald Trump? No, I don't give a fuck, you know. He doesn't care. Why would I care? But I do care about what I feel is fairness. I don't want us to either work for him or work against him. Everyone has different agendas around him and around this sort of political minefield we're living in, and I'm this one guy who actually does not have an agenda either way for against. My agenda is a humanist agenda. I think it's interesting to investigate these people, and the time and the political apparatuses which they're part of." On What Appealed About Bringing This Story to the Screen After Abbasi's Past Films Shelley, Border and Holy Spider "I think what was exciting about this project was the fact that it it's not an American movie — it's about America. And as someone who grew up in Iran, I have this really special relationship to America. I mean, Iran was an American colony until 79. And then after that, we became the archenemy and America became the great satan. And we had this very tense relationship. I think that if you grow up in the Middle East, you have a different view of American politics. You don't really see the difference between Democrats and Republicans in the same way. The outcome is the same. The outcome would end up being a bomb on your head anyway. So I think this this sort of tension and fascination got me curious about American politics, obviously, and the American political system, and this social Darwinism that sort of runs through a lot of things in in American society — this sportifying of everything, so to speak. Even the debates, I don't know if anyone can come up with any single substantive point from the last Trump-versus-Harris debate, but everyone was like 'who won? By what margin did they win?'. But I think there's also something more, there is another complexity in in this story — it's not a Trump movie. It's about this very formative relationship, which Trump is obviously part of. But it's also equally about Roy Cohn, who's as colourful character and as exciting a character, and not as in plain sight as Trump is. And how through this relationship, Trump becomes the person he is. In that way, again, it's also my chance of studying or investigating the system they're operating." On Finding the Right Actor to Play Donald Trump — and Getting Sebastian Stan Onboard "I think for me, casting is like 80 percent of my job. That's also why I am really, really picky and it takes very long time for me to cast my movies, because really once you cast someone, there is not a whole lot you can do about that choice on set either way. And I meant this in a sincere way. It's not a criticism, it's not a problem, but it's something — it's a commitment, I guess. That's a good way of putting it. And that commitment was something that Sebastian definitely paid to this. We start talking about this 2019. And then movie evolved and fell apart few times. It fell apart right after January 6, I remember, as an example of the times. And I think in a way, it is a difficult part to prepare for — not only on a technical level, not only in terms of research and all that, but also mentally. I think I went through a version of this with Holy Spider myself. I was like, the movie itself is one thing, the consequences of making the movie is something else. So I had to mentally prepare to do Holy Spider for many years before I actually made it. I think it's the same for Sebastian. I think maybe the one good thing that came out of all these years of waiting and rebuilding the project was he had time to mentally prepare for the fact that he is doing this person who's extremely polarising — and the aftermath, which is also going to be polarising — and it hasn't even started yet. I think we're going to see the real reactions when the movie comes out. It's different for me. I'm an outsider to this political system, to the US. I can't say I'm an outsider to Hollywood anymore, because now I'm part of it. But I have a sort of a safety distance. If everything goes wrong, if shit hits the fan, I'm still in Copenhagen — and that's not the case for Sebastian. That's not the case for Amy [executive producer Baer, Purple Hearts] and Gabe [screenwriter Gabriel Sherman, Alaska Daily], who started the project. These are people who are taking real risks with this. As much as I don't understand the controversiality and the risk of it, I do know that I'm not the audience. I'm not the masses — that would be seen very differently." On The Apprentice Living Up to Its Name by Unpacking Roy Cohn's Influence on Donald Trump "It's a little bit of a Frankenstein story in a way, like how the monster is created by the master. But in that case, I think politically speaking, I think it's very wrong to refer to Donald as a monster. Because that would also imply that there's a monster in town and there are some other innocent people who are not. And in fact, that's really not the case. I think anything that the opponents are accusing Trump of doing, they have done themselves in some degree, one way or the other. The argument is here is not that 'oh, there are some fine people on both sides' or everything is relative. I don't think it's relative. I think there's some stuff, like when he comes and says 'people are eating dogs', that's a despicable, stupid, racist, fascist thing to say. That's not relative. That's black and white. But in terms of the dynamics of it, back to Roy Cohn, I think that in the movie as in reality, he had an outsized influence on how Donald became the person he is, and how he learned to navigate and pull the levers of power. And also, most importantly, maybe, how to deal with media. Once you know the rules, you can see how he's on a daily basis using those rules. And there's something interesting about these characters, because in a way, they are pretty punk rock. Punk rock is not something you associate with the right that much — mostly anarchist leftwing, that vibe of it. But when you look at these people, they do what the fuck they want. They establish rules. They tear the rule book. They're colourful. They don't care. And I think that maybe in terms of mentality, that was maybe also a big contribution from Roy. You know, you don't have to give a shit about people. If you say something wrong in an interview, double down, triple down, quadruple down. Who cares? Fuck them, you know?" The Apprentice opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 11, 2024.
The striking black and white cover image of Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan standing naked with a man dragged over her frame sets the scene for her most personal (and best) record yet, The Haunted Man. Stripping back the lush ornamentation of previous pop fantasias for a more intimate sound, these tunes foreground her beautiful, breathy voice and ability to inject a shivery, otherworldly drama into every song. Apparently the product of a harrowing writing and recording process, The Haunted Man reaches for a stark beauty and retains the enchanting pull of previous work despite its more emotionally direct approach. As well as headlining Laneway Festival, Bat For Lashes will play a more intimate sideshow at the Enmore Theatre. Her last tour was one of the best of the year, with inspired reinventions of Radiohead's 'All I Need' and The Cure's 'A Forest' featuring alongside classics like 'Daniel' and 'Pearl's Dream'. With the promise of stunning new songs like 'Lillies' and stirring single 'Laura', there's no doubt this tour will be every bit as magical. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EXK0Ejzin4c
It's a huge deal, in more ways than one: the biggest names in Australian dining have opened one of, if not the biggest new restaurant in Sydney of the year. Neil and Samantha Perry's multi-level Chinese restaurant Song Bird is the latest — and according to Perry, the final — addition to their Double Bay empire, which already features the iconic chef's fine-dining steakhouse Margaret, the first Sydney outpost of Baker Bleu and basement martini bar Bobbie's. Taking over the heritage-listed Gaden House on Bay Street, the opening of Song Bird is the culmination of more than two-and-a-half years of planning, including a major internal refit and the installation of state-of-the-art kitchens on each service floor. It draws on Neil Perry's long-held affinity for Asian cuisine, showcasing the delicacy and breadth of Cantonese dishes, interpreted through Perry's Modern Australian lens. It's not just the venue itself that's going big. The menu, created by Perry in partnership with Head Chef Mark Lee, with feature a whopping 70 dishes showcasing the best locally sourced produce. Think juicy Spencer Gulf king prawn dumplings; Peking-style Wollemi ducks, sourced from Copper Tree Farms; and crisp whole-fried Sun Farm chickens with Sichuan salt, pepper and lemon. The wine list would not look out of place at one of Perry's former Rockpool Group venues, with an impressively worldly selection of 250 internationally-sourced bottles to choose from. Australian wines — particularly chardonnays and pinot noirs — get a strong showing, as well as lesser-known varieties such as assyrtiko, furmint and fiano. Classics from Europe make up the rest of the list, including a big selection of champagnes from both the major vineyards and smaller producers. In part, this variety is a showcase of the diversity of the wine industry in 2024, but it's also to engineer affordability into the offering, with cheaper bottles around the $70 mark sharing the menu with more prestigious (and pricier) vintages. While the wine offering is largely Antipodean and European, the signature cocktail list takes its inspiration from China. The Lucky 8 menu, much like the food offering, combines a blend of Asian flavours with a wink to the west, such as the martini No. 88, a mingle of Hendricks gin, elderflower, cucumber, lime and cucumber bitters and Perrier. There's also the Han Old Fashioned, combining Old Forester rye, Remy Martin, plum liqueur, clarified plum and plum bitters, finished with a spritz of five spice spray. The interiors, designed by ACME and Caon Design Office, have navigated the need to preserve the original character of architect Neville Gruzman's Gaden House while delivering a look and feel that connects with Song Bird's eastern essence. A series of key materials and details are repeated across the entire design and these have been developed to create a sense of warmth inspired by the spice and heat of Asian cuisine. Fluted timber panelling, stained a deep red, and various types of marble and granite used throughout the venue create a sense of tactile richness and luxury. As guests enter through the main door on Cooper Street, they are met by the original spiral staircase which forms the spine of the interior design and facilitates the main traffic between the three levels of the venue — a grand aesthetic statement that both underlines the scope and ambition of the restaurant as well as celebrating the history of the building. Images: Petrina Tinslay
Three years ago, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) discovered that Wedding Cake Rock — a brilliant white sandstone ledge suspended 25 metres above the Tasman Sea in the Royal National Park that's become famous (and infamous) on Instagram — could collapse at any time. There's a high chance it'll go within the next decade. But, the organisation's public warnings haven't stopped people risking their lives to grab a snap. Neither has a 1.6-metre high fence, stacks of warning signs and loads of on-the-spot fines. Just look up the geolocation on Instagram and you'll see hundreds of locals and tourists taking precarious pics on the rock. The warnings aren't without reason, either — the landmark has already claimed a life when part of it crumbled. In June 2014, French engineering student Fabien Ardoin fell to his death, while standing on a sandstone ledge nearby. In November 2015, two men fell onto a ledge below and were winched to safety. One sustained a spinal injury. [caption id="attachment_702793" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The current fence at Wedding Cake Rock. David Molloy Photography, Flickr.[/caption] "Unfortunately, there is a small minority of people who are choosing to disobey the warning signs and blatantly scale the 1.6-metre-high fence, usually for one purpose only, to take a photograph on Wedding Cake Rock," a spokesperson for the NPWS told Concrete Playground. Consequently, the NPWS has hatched plans to replace the fence with one of the same height, but made of tougher, more climb-resistant materials. "Nobody wants a national park filled with obtrusive fences and signs, but the irresponsible behaviour of those putting many at risk has left the NPWS with little choice," said the spokesperson. Not everyone thinks the fence will be successful, however, with one climber, who's previously taken pictures on the rock, telling The Guardian, "I don't think building a fence is a good idea. It will not stop people from climbing on it." Wedding Cake Rock lies along the Coast track, around one hour's walk south of Bundeena, NSW. The new climb-resistant fence will be erected in 2019. Top image: David Molloy Photography, Flickr.
Haymarket, home to Sydney's once bustling Chinatown, was one of the first areas to feel the real economic impacts of what this year would become for Sydney. Though it's still in survival mode, the suburb's small businesses are primed for visitors to return. And return they should, because Haymarket's cultural importance cannot be overstated. It's one of the best areas of Sydney to get direct access to the customs and traditions of your ancestors — or those of your neighbours — through art, food and music. It's where you can put your culinary prowess (and chilli tolerance) to the test. And it's where you can make $20 stretch across multiple meals and release the inner pop star who usually only sings in the shower. Every encounter you have with a local vendor contributes to why you love living in Sydney, and they need your patronage now more than ever. So we teamed up with City of Sydney to ask you — Concrete Playground readers — what businesses you love to support in Haymarket. 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.
Maxwell Wines isn't just known for its exceptional cellar — its flagship restaurant is lauded for its innovative and produce-led offerings. If a trip to McLaren Vale isn't on the cards, Executive Chef Fabian Lehmann brings a taste of Maxwell Restaurant to Arthur. [caption id="attachment_1019299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] For an intimate Monday night dinner, Lehmann is teaming up with Arthur's Head Chef Juwon Gwak on six innovative courses at the Surry Hills diner, paired with a curated Maxwell Wines selection. With both restaurants sharing a philosophy rooted in a respect for seasonality, producers and thoughtful technique, it's shaping up to be a promising meal that does right by its ingredients. Expect small bites like carrot tartlets filled with rosella and honey custard and kombu-cured hiramasa kingfish croustades, alongside contemporary rustic-style plates like carrot-glazed bay bugs in mussel butter sauce and dry-aged quail stuffed with mushroom duxelle. The highlight? A Maxwell Restaurant signature — smoked rainbow trout with chives and black garlic. [caption id="attachment_1019298" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption]
One of Australia's most significant and influential 20th century artists, Sir Sidney Nolan is perhaps best-known for his depictions of Australian bush mythology and historical figures. While much of his work has been in the public eye for decades, one series of paintings has never before been exhibited publicly — until now. For the very first time in Australia, Sydney Jewish Museum will present all 50 works in Nolan's powerful — but little-known — series of paintings based on his January 1962 visit to Auschwitz. Running from July 21 to October 23, Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan's Auschwitz tells a significant yet untold chapter of Nolan's life. The series began as portraits Nolan painted of war criminal Adolf Eichmann while watching his televised trial. After Eichmann was sentenced to death, Nolan turned his attention to painting victims of the Holocaust. He then visited Auschwitz after being commissioned for illustrations for The Observer newspaper. But what he saw there shook him to his core — mountains of human hair, suitcases, spectacles, shoes, tiers of bunks where prisoners were piled and mounds of human ashes — that he refused the newspaper's commission and was unable to paint these atrocities for commercial gain. This experience would come to shape the imagery Nolan produced during the decade that followed. The landmark exhibition, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of Nolan's passing, is a rare opportunity to experience the singular perspective of the events of the Holocaust through the eyes of an internationally celebrated artist — and one that hasn't been seen in its entirety for nearly 60 years. As an institution that works to give history a voice and challenge visitors' perceptions of morality, social justice, democracy and human rights, Sydney Jewish Museum represents a natural home for the very first public exhibition of Nolan's significant series of works. Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan's Auschwitz is showing at Sydney Jewish Museum from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, October 23. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to the website. Top image: NPG x88816 © National Portrait Gallery, London
There's a certain entrancing quality to rooftop bars — maybe it's drinking at altitude, maybe it's the fresh air on your face or the sun beating down on your Vitamin-D-deficient skin — whatever the reason, these beguiling open-air beauties consistently draw us in. Thankfully, Sydney has just scored five more swish new rooftop bars just in time for spring. While it might be tempting to head to the same old al fresco stalwarts you know and love, why not soak up the sun someplace new. From a Palm Springs-inspired bar to a plant-filled seaside oasis, these new rooftops on the block are pulling out all the stops. And, we're glad — cocktails taste infinitely better skyward in new surrounds. Here are our favourite new rooftop bars to visit in Sydney — so, next time it's sunny, you can spend less time Googling venues and more time drinking. You're welcome.
Whether on screens big and small, when an audience watches a Steven Soderbergh project, they're watching one of America's great current directors ply his full range of filmmaking skills. Usually, he doesn't just helm. Going by Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard — aliases from his parents' names — he shoots and edits as well. And he's prolific: since advising that he'd retire from making features after Side Effects, he's directed, lensed and spliced nine more, plus three TV shows. Among those titles sit movies such as Logan Lucky, Unsane, Kimi and Magic Mike's Last Dance; the exceptional two seasons of turn-of-the-20th-century medical drama The Knick; and now, streaming on Binge from Thursday, July 13 and Neon from Friday, July 14, gripping New York-set kidnapping miniseries Full Circle. Soderbergh will always be the filmmaker who won Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or at 26 for Sex, Lies and Videotape. He's the talent who earned two Best Director Oscars in the same year for Traffic and Erin Brockovich, winning for the former, too. He brought the Ocean's franchise back to cinemas in 2001, and eerily predicted the COVID-19 pandemic with 2011's Contagion — and he's in his element with his latest work. Six-part noir-influenced thriller Full Circle reunites Soderbergh with Mosaic and No Sudden Move screenwriter Ed Solomon, boasts a starry cast, involves money and secrets and deception, and proves a twisty and layered crime tale from the get-go. It also couldn't feel more relevant to now, both in its understanding of how pivotal technology is to daily life — Soderbergh shot the aforementioned Unsane, plus High Flying Bird, solely on iPhones, after all — and its unpacking of today's attitudes on class, race, power and capitalism. Full Circle starts with a murder, then a revenge plot, then a missing smartphone. As the show's name makes plain, these early inclusions all tie into an intricate narrative that will indeed demonstrate inevitability, cause and effect, the repercussions of our actions, and decisions looping back around. The pivotal death forms part of a turf war, sparking a campaign of retaliation by Queens-based Guyanese community leader and insurance scammer Savitri Mahabir (CCH Pounder, Avatar: The Way of Water). She enlists freshly arrived teens Xavier (Sheyi Cole, Atlanta) and Louis (Gerald Jones, Armageddon Time) to do the seizing under her nephew Aked's (Jharrel Jerome, I'm a Virgo) supervision; one of the newcomers is the brother of the latter's fiancée Natalia (Adia, The Midnight Club), who is also Savitri's masseuse. The target: Manhattan high-schooler Jared (Ethan Stoddard, Mysteries at the Museum), son of the wealthy and privileged Sam (Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble) and Derek Browne (Timothy Olyphant, Daisy Jones & The Six), and grandson through Sam to ponytailed celebrity chef Jeff McCusker (Dennis Quaid, Strange World). Savitri is convinced that this is the only way to stave off the curse she's certain is hanging over her business — a "broken circle", in fact — but, much to the frustration of the US Postal Inspection Service's Manny Broward (Jim Gaffigan, Peter Pan & Wendy), his go-for-broke agent Melody Harmony (Zazie Beetz, Black Mirror) is already investigating before the abduction. As a filmmaker frequently obsessed with heists — see: not just Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, but Out of Sight, Logan Lucky and No Sudden Move — Soderbergh is well-versed in the reality that little about stealing and swindling goes smoothly. Full Circle's kidnapping is quickly botched, the Brownes' attempts to pay the $314,159 ransom become a mess and everyone from the perpetrators to law enforcement makes questionable choices. Soderbergh and Solomon also know how to toy with tropes and expectations, as illustrated so devastatingly and delightfully in their staging of the suspense-dripping snatching itself. Viewers think they're seeing clearly what's happening, only to then discover what's actually occurred, and also how cleverly Full Circle has stitched together the whole incident to comment on perception, misdirection, mistruths and people acting without gleaning the full picture. This is an intelligent and precise series in every detail, making connecting the dots both addictive and satisfying — for viewers, that is, but rarely for the show's characters. None of Full Circle's key figures are ever being completely honest, and each time that truth is revealed, more arcs appear, questions are posed and tangents sparked. There's a savvy statement echoing, too, about how everyone who thinks they're intelligent and precise, be it a detective, crime matriarch, business leaders, famous folks, rebellious teens, people chasing a dream or those endeavouring to do the right thing, so rarely are. Again, it's right there in the title that all of these complications will come full circle — and, visually and within the narrative, Soderbergh and Solomon find shrewd ways to play up the spherical motif — but less expected is the emotional weight that spins along with the labyrinthine storyline. That Full Circle is terrifically performed isn't a surprise for a second; Julia Roberts and Benicio del Toro both won Oscars in the same year for different Soderbergh films, and the director's way with actors has been a hallmark of his work since the 80s. Here, there's no weak link, even among stars who remain in comfortable territory. Danes and Olyphant's involvement is dream casting for that very reason — she just played highly successful and highly stressed in Fleishman Is in Trouble, and is equally as stunning in this; whether in Deadwood, Justified or Santa Clarita Diet, he's always excellent at weathering and navigating crumbling facades. Jerome seems worlds away from I'm a Virgo, and Pounder from The Shield, and Beetz from Atlanta, yet each brandishes some of their best traits in those projects and now: yearning and desperation, potency and determination, and wiliness and playfulness, respectively. An intriguing premise, astute scripting, admirable actors, outstanding filmmaker: combine them and an all-round superb series results. There's a circular element to the way that each of these core aspects feeds the other; without Soderbergh's virtuoso craftsmanship in everything from probing closeups to sharp editing, or the cast's commitment in examining complex characters and their motivations, or a knotty script that might just owe a debt to Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, Full Circle mightn't have swirled so rivetingly. The one query that it leaves viewers with, particularly those outside of the US: why the postal service needs cops? Of course, that's a minor concern in a taut, tenseand intoxicating major must-see. Check out the trailer for Full Circle below: Full Circle streams via Binge from Thursday, July 13 and Neon from Friday, July 14.
The Sydney Fringe Festival will be transforming its own headquarters as part of the 2014 program, turning it into a three-level bar, theatre, info point and communal crafternoon gathering space. 'The Campground' at 5 Eliza Street, Newtown will serve as one of the hubs for a full month of comedy, cabaret, circus, theatre, music, art and out-of-the-ordinary events. The other hub? Well, for that you'll have to go exploring. "[Last year's hub] Emerald City was great but this year we moved to a new creative vision for the festival that we feel suits the geography and energy of Sydney better," festival director Kerri Glasscock tells us. "Instead of creating the traditional static festival garden [or] hub we wanted to create a roaming hub that moved throughout the festival, highlighting a number of different precincts and encouraging festival-goers to explore more of the city and keep it fresh." To that end, laneway hubs will take over a different part of town each weekend. We're particularly looking forward to seeing Darlinghurst's Foley Lane come over all Montemartre, with jazz and swing music, street performers and crepes, but Newtown's King Street and Sydenham's Faversham Street are also scheduled to throw multi-day bashes. Back at the more stationary Campground, each of the three levels has been given a mission and a name — 'the Tent', 'the Campfire' and 'the Annex'. Downstairs in the Tent is where to hide away to drink, view the exhibition on the walls and gather Fringe-related information, while upstairs at the Campfire is the place to tell stories, with artist talks, performances and sketching and snow globe-making workshops the order of the day. On the top floor is the Emerging Artist Annex, a 60-seat pop-up theatre for some of the festival's newcomers. "We wanted a space where the general public could come and experience art making, no matter what your skill level, be it hobby or master," says Glasscock. "So we have created mini spaces within the Campground where you can come and draw, knit or participate in a crafternoon." The four weeks of the program revolve around loose themes — Inner City in week one; Community, Ideas and Laughs in week two; family in week three; and something juicily titled 'The Final Frontier' in week four. "We wanted to engage as many practising local artists as possible and encourage as many partnerships and collaborations as possible," says Glasscock. "The festival offers a unique opportunity to try out an idea that has been brewing or work with a fellow artist you have wanted to collaborate with." Unlike some of the big fringe festivals of the world, the Sydney Fringe has always been open to anyone who wants to put on a work, which has sometimes resulted in a mixed bag of experiences for people. But Glasscock thinks they may have a solution to that, while still keeping the festival's open-access ethos. "We like to say that we don't curate the art but we curate where it goes," she says. "This is a new approach to the festival this year and has so far worked really well. It means that care has been taken to place the right content in the right venue so hopefully it is a better experience for the artists, the venues and the punters." Venues this year range from the perennial Factory Theatre to Freda's, Giant Dwarf, the Glebe Justice Centre, Rookwood Cemetery, the Record Crate and Venue 505. Opening the festival is the Ignite Launch Party on August 31, curated by Potbelleez Ilan Kidron and winding its way down Crown Street. The Fringe continues until September 30, and its full program is now available on the festival website.
If it works for KFC and Moulin Rouge!, it can work for Christmas: that's Sydney fine-diner nel's approach in 2022. Earlier in the year, it served up a luxe 11-course degustation that riffed on the Colonel's finest. And, when Moulin Rouge! The Musical first arrived in town, it also went with a decadent nine-course array of dishes dripping with French nostalgia. Now, with the festive season upon us, the restaurant is getting merry. Nel is no stranger to Christmas spreads — or to themed degustations in general; see also: its Disney offerings — but it is celebrating 2022's jolliest time of year with a specific range of treats. The new menu takes its cues from the traditional story behind Christmas. It's also filled with festive culinary traditions, like roasts and gingerbread, but not as you know them. Available from Wednesday, November 9–Friday, December 23, the CBD institution's new Christmas menu features a turkey dinner in miniature stack form, for instance, plus a savoury gingerbread house and a spin on the Aussie favourite that is the shrimp cocktail. There's also a dish featuring lamb rolled in gold, leek hay, myrrh oil and smoked pea puree that nods to the nativity story — yes, it comes with gifts from three wise men — plus a flaming 'Santa's Beard' and a snowy 'Walking in the Air' scene. Nel's chef and namesake Nelly Robinson has found 11 ways to interpret Christmas food staples from around the world, while still giving them his usual creative spin. His menu heroes seasonal and sustainable produce, as always, and there's a matching wine journey with vino from nel's cellar to go along with it. Sydneysiders can tuck in for $165 per person, with another $165 each on top for the booze. Or, there's a non-alcoholic matching drinks selection for $85 per head. Nel will also be opening for lunch on Saturdays in November, and Friday and Saturdays in December, to give diners extra options.
Name a better pairing than soft-centred cookies and ice cream — we'll bet you can't. Luckily enough, Darling Square's latest dessert-centred arrival, Kuki, is serving up just that. Residing in a primetime location, the hole-in-the-wall shopfront joins the ranks of viral dessert brands like Butter Boy and neighbouring local favourites Marrickville Pork Roll, Haidilao Hotpot and Kurtosh. Behind this delightful new venture is a dynamic duo of non-related Duongs, Chris Duong and Dylan Duong. Back in 2017, the pair launched their very own food truck slinging an array of donuts and deep-fried ice cream from a hidden corner of Roselands before opening a flagship store in Strathfield in 2023. Now the Duongs have turned their attention to dessert in a new deliciously rotund form: cookies, which when paired with a swirl of soft serve offers up a primo sweet treat. Think: a textural adventure and melt-in-the-mouth goodness all in one bite. Take your pick from a range of six cookies, spanning from the classic brown butter choc chip to a chewy taro mochi, with mango, vanilla and Earl Grey among its five soft serve flavours. If you're in need of a sweet pick-me-up, there are also scoops of tiramisu on offer, as well as a recently launched secret menu item — a Japanese cheesecake soft serve — available. What more could you need? You'll find Kuki at 9/18 Steam Mill Lane in Darling Square, Haymarket, open from 12pm to 10pm from Tuesday to Sunday.
Sydneysiders love a bottomless brunch, and whether you're looking for a classy breakfast fair or a pile of golden-brown chicken with your choice of drinks, you can find it in this city. Darling Square's Wingboy is facilitating a truly wild weekend affair with its new bottomless wing and drinks deal that's available Friday–Sunday. Head to the inner-city spot for all-you-can-eat wings, chicken tenders of cauliflower wings coated in your choices of the ten different sauces available at the restaurant. At Wingboy, the wings can be coated in a wide variety of saucy rubs and marinades ranging from spicy peri peri dry rub or honey Sriracha through to sweet and sour plum or a classic buffalo. Accompanying the wings will be fries, slaw and two-hours of free-flowing drinks. Pair your crispy-skin chicken with bottomless beer, wine or soft drink. The bottomless is available for groups of four or more and will set back each member of your group $70. To organise a reservation, just mention 'Bottomless' in the notes section of your booking when you secure a table online.
You might want to be sitting down for this: up in Victoria's High Country, there's a stretch of land entirely devoted to prosecco. For any fans of a post-work glass of extra-dry bubbles, this news may be life changing. And for the mere prosecco-curious, a visit to this pretty part of the world will probably want to make you get better acquainted. You see, the High Country's King Valley is the spitting image of mountainous north-east Italy — at least climactically speaking. It's that observation that led Italian immigrants to introduce the region's famous prosecco vines to King Valley nearly three decades ago. Now there are five key producers who have banded together to create the King Valley Prosecco Road, a cellar-door hop with a little extra sparkle. Autumn is one of the best times to visit, so you can enjoy its full spectrum of wine tastings, dining experiences and outdoor adventures. THE MAKING OF PROSECCO ROAD Prosecco grape varieties hail from the north-eastern regions of Italy. They came to our Australian shores via the many farmers of Italian heritage who moved here in the mid-20th century. The pioneer of prosecco in this region is Otto Dal Zotto, who was determined to see the grapes of his homeland grown in Australia. Recognising the climactic and cultural similarities between his home of Valdobbiadene and the King Valley, he sourced cuttings and planted the country's first prosecco vines in 2000. Now, 180 acres of prime King Valley land is planted with prosecco — that's 64 percent of all prosecco plantings in Australia. To celebrate some of the best prosecco being bottled in this country, five King Valley producers (Brown Brothers, Dal Zotto, Chrismont, Pizzini and Sam Miranda) collaborated to create the prosecco Road, a food and wine trail focused on prosecco in all its styles. As well as wine tastings, the trail is home to dining experiences, cooking and cocktail classes, hot-air ballooning, guided walks and pedal-to-produce cycling routes. PROSECCO ROAD STOP #1: DAL ZOTTO WINES When you drink prosecco in the King Valley, you're drinking history, and to really understand that history your first stop on the road should be Dal Zotto Wines, which released the very first Australian prosecco in 2004. Autumn is mid-harvest in the vineyard and the perfect time to visit the winery and be involved with drying the grapes for Otto Dal Zotto's 'natural' Col Fondo prosecco (just like he used to make as a young boy in Valdobbiadene). You can also get molto Italian by attending one of the winery's Salami Sessions, where you'll learn how to cure meats (with a glass of wine in your hand of course). PROSECCO ROAD STOP #2: BROWN BROTHERS The Dal Zottos aren't the only ones in the region steeped in history, Brown Brothers Milawa vineyard is only a short drive away and the family has over 120 years of experience of making wine in Victoria. Founded in 1889, the company (which now has vineyards all over Australia) has their cellar door in their Milawa vineyard, which has always been considered the birthplace of the Brown Brothers company. Ever wanted to try your hand at blending your own wine? Brown Brothers gives you the opportunity to be a winemaker (for an hour anyway) in their Blending Masterclass. Taste the diverse flavours of each individual grape varietal and experiment with different combinations to create your own unique blend of wine. Consider a wine-matched lunch while you're here — restaurant Patricia's Table has previously held a hat from Fairfax's Good Food Guide. PROSECCO ROAD STOP #3: PIZZINI You may have noticed that the wineries are a bit of a family affair in the King Valley. Pizzini is no exception. Alfred Pizzini and his family all work for the company, in roles ranging from winemaking and viticulture to sales and marketing to hosting classes at the cellar door. Their offering during the autumn months reflects their Italian heritage and family focus. At Katrina Pizzini's cooking school, novices can learn age-old techniques for making gnocchi and pasta, while the Journey with the Maker tour lets guests go behind the scenes and see how a wine goes from grape to bottle. The experience will have you tasting wines straight out of tanks and barrels, learning about the fermentation and maturation process, and getting a guided tasting of the finished wines in bottle. To top it all off, you get to enjoy a two-course picnic hamper in the vineyards, admiring the autumn foliage and the vines mid-harvest. PROSECCO ROAD STOP #4: SAM MIRANDA WINES Right in the heart of the Prosecco Road lies the most architecturally impressive and award-winning cellar door. Entry to Sam Miranda Wines is via a subterranean passage that leads to the cellar door, lit by way of a 40-foot light tower. Sam is a self-confessed cycling addict (who jokingly says he makes wine 'on the side' and seriously organises an annual race through the King Valley), so get into the spirit by hiring a bike to explore this part of the King Valley. You can rent a ride in Milawa and do the Milawa Gourmet Trail, or borrow one from neighbouring Brown Brothers. How else are you going to burn off all the Italian homemade pasta, salami and wine you've ingested over this trip? PROSECCO ROAD STOP #5: CHRISMONT Need a place to rest your head after all this excitement? Well, your last stop along the Prosecco Road is where you want to finish. Chrismont winery features elegant guesthouse accommodation set among the vines, making it an idyllic place to restore, relax and rejuvenate (and each room comes stocked with bottles of their signature prosecco). Those who haven't had their fill of prosecco can take part in their daily Prosecco Masterclass with Chrismont winemaker Warren Proft. Showcasing the full range of prosecco styles, the session includes wines, tasting notes and wine production information. Finish with a classic Italian dinner at the Chrismont Restaurant and Larder — tagliatelle and a tiramisu will set you on the path to a sweet night's sleep. To get prepped for your trip to the King Valley Prosecco Road or to plan further frolics through the autumn leaves of the High Country, visit the Wander Victoria website.
Catching all the brilliant sights that Vivid’s offering up this year can be thirsty work. So, to keep you refreshed, Finely Tuned (creators of SOH’s Garden Bar by the Corner House) have transformed Martin Place into an illuminated culinary maze that’s part fairyland, part sci-fi cityscape. It’s built of industrial water tanks, made pretty with the help of pixel-mapped LED lights. A previous collaboration with German architects Modulorbeat provided the inspiration. “We wanted to create a giant sprawling space, filled with lights and places to stop and enjoy the ambiance of Vivid Sydney,” said creative director Joe Crossley. “The industrial water tanks were the perfect medium to build this zone, fusing food stalls and industrial elements together to create a unique light show.." Every evening from 5.30pm, an array of Sydney’s favourite street food providers will be onsite — including Eat Art Truck, Agape Organic, Poklol, Jafe Jaffles, Woofys, Cantina Mobil, Bite Size Delights and Gelato Messina — and, for drinks of the alcoholic variety, Bondi’s Panama House. Check out our other favourite dining spots with Vivid views. Colour3 runs from May 23 to June 9 in Martin Place.
UPDATE: AUGUST 30, 2019 — Sonic Youth guitarist and vocalist Kim Gordon has cancelled her Antidote appearance due to health reasons. Ticket holders will receive a refund from the Sydney Opera House. Antidote is now only running for one day, on Sunday, September 1. Antidote — the Sydney Opera House festival of ideas, action and change — will return for its third round this August, bringing with it an all-star lineup of the world's leading minds and pioneering creatives. They'll facilitate and lead the necessary conversations of our time during a day of talks on Sunday, September 1. This year, the festival has partnered with the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, which will co-curate two sessions focusing on authoritarian environments, free speech and debates on society's most controversial issues, as well as a panel on climate change (and whether the media has reported on it accurately). Other key topics in this year's program include 'fake news', national identity, the weaponisation of social media, creative responses to political and social turmoil and the surveillance of 'big data' and the resurgence of binge cultures. Included on the massive international lineup are Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie, Rappler founder Maria Ressa (one of TIME Magazine's People of 2018), Black Lives Matter activist and co-founder of Campaign Zero DeRay Mckesson, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll, and Russian cyber security journalists (and co-founders of the respected Agentura. Ru) Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan. Also making appearances is Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korea deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom; Mausi Segun, the executive director of Human Right Watch's Africa Division; and Lina Attalah (TIME Magazine's New Generation Leader), co-founder of Egyptian newspaper Mada Masr. Australian heavy hitters to join the party include ABC International Affairs analyst Stan Grant, The Guardian journalist Brigid Delaney and The Sydney Morning Herald's national editor Tory Maguire, who will host a live recording of the podcast Please Explain. On Monday, July 15, a second round of speakers were announced, including Denise Ho, a key figure in Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, The Washington Post's Beijing Bureau Chief Anna Fifield, CEO of First Peoples Disability Network Damian Griffis and Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent. New panels have been added, too, and see the addition of talks on alternative models of housing, the economics of disability, the mapping of Australia's colonial frontier massacres and pop culture obsessions. Antidote's popular workshop series will return, too, featuring a collective tarot reading, a 'how to' hairdo tutorial for dads, native tea making and a free Auslan workshop thanks to the Deaf Society. In terms of interactive art, you'll find a free exhibition by Delhi-based photographer Gauri Gill on the Western Boardwalk, a short film about social connections in the Lounge and Sydney artist Jason Phu's public performance work, which features a "procession of masked 'spirits' protesting against humanity's impact on the earth". Watch out for that one. Image: Letícia Almeida
At 74 years of age, the current incarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the most inspirational leaders of our time. A champion of Buddhist values, he travels relentlessly to better human rights in communities everywhere and is an inspiration to all those who meet him. But for those of us without the chance, a recent documentary reveals how 40 western thinkers plus the one Dalia Lama come together to attempt to solve many of the problems the world faces today. Dalai Lama Renaissance has won 12 awards in its own travels around the globe, and its next stop in Sydney will be a great opportunity for those who missed the Dalai Lama in 2009. The innovative thinkers who travelled to Dharamshala in India include: quantum physicists Fred Alan Wolf and Amit Goswami, radio host and author Thom Hartmann, revolutionary social scientist Jean Houston and social activist Vandana Shiva. The smooth narration of Harrison Ford is a great medium for director Khashyar Darvich to tell the story of the visitors hoping to solve global problems but who must first address the problems within themselves. Q&A sessions with the director will follow screenings in both Manly and Chauvel cinema screenings.
A team of three ex-Merivale chefs have joined forces to open a new family-friendly and 100-percent halal Italian restaurant in the new Marina Square development at Wentworth Point. The restaurant comes from hospitality veteran Jimmy Vilaysack (Franky & Co, Fork & Spoon) who wanted to bring his love for pasta to Wentworth Point. He's enlisted the help of Michelin-star chef Danny Russo (L'Unico) to create a menu that's both crowd-pleasing and adventurous. Russo, who has consulted for the likes of Merivale and The Old Library, has reworked Italian classics and created a concise menu of nostalgic dishes. There's truffle mac and cheese, fettuccine chicken, spaghetti and mozzarella-stuffed meatballs and squid in tagliolini with tuna. The show-stealer is the pappardelle lamb shank. This signature dish places a 450-gram lamb shank on top of a bed of rich tomato pappardelle with thyme and parmesan cream. Accompanying the pasta are breads and salads, including ciabatta with truffle butter and melted mozzarella; and a fresh peach and tomato salad. Papa Pasta joins a host of dining options at Marina Square. You'll find kushiyaki restaurant Kyo-Ya, Korean fried chicken outpost Chicken V, Bulpan serving up Korean barbecue and a Wentworth Point location of cheesey burger chain Burger Point. You'll find Papa Pasta at Shop 301/ 22 Footbridge Boulevard, Wentworth Point. It's open 5pm–10pm Wednesday–Sunday.
Life has been a cabaret for one of the world's inimitable designers since 2018, when Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show first premiered in Paris. Couture, colour, flair, excess, passion, a larger-than-life attitude: they're all channelled into this fashion show-meets-musical revue that steps through its namesake's career and promises a time at the theatre like nothing else. More than 200 original Gaultier pieces feature. His 50 years making threads are in the spotlight. Unsurprisingly, the whole thing also plays out like a party. So far, London, Tokyo, Munich, Porto, Lisbon, Milan, Barcelona and Osaka have also revelled in the Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show experience. Next, it's Brisbane's turn. The River City will welcome the Australian debut of the show — and the Aussie-exclusive season, too — during Brisbane Festival 2024. Donning attire that Gaultier would approve of isn't a prerequisite of attending the production, but you know that you want to dress the part if you're heading along. Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show will kick off with Brisbane Festival itself, starting on Friday, August 30. The Australian season runs until Sunday, September 15, taking over the South Bank Piazza — which forms part of the Festival Garden for the duration of Brisbane Festival. Of course Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show emphasises its titular figure's boundary-pushing work, his focus on individual expression, and his championing of queer aesthetics and LGBTQIA+ causes. Alongside the hefty range of outfits, it also features a suitable genre-defying soundtrack of disco, funk, pop, rock, new wave and punk tunes as actors and dancers — plus circus artists as well — take to the stage. The diverse cast of faces bringing the show to life spans even further, too, with celebrities and other special guests filming cameos that play during the production.
Bloody excellent news, gin lovers: Four Pillars' bloody season is back for 2023. Since 2015, the Healesville-based distillery has turned its winter sip into one of the most coveted tipples of the year, and this year is no different. But, instead of just one limited-edition wine-infused concoction, there's two on offer: the cult-favourite Bloody Shiraz Gin and new sibling Bloody Pinot Noir Gin. Spirits fiends familiar with the shiraz version will know that it is ridiculously popular for a reason. Also, it's gin infused with shiraz grapes. That blend gives the drop its cerise hue, and provides sweet undertones — but means that it avoids a higher sugar content. It is boozier, though, with an alcoholic content of 37.8 percent (compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin). Initially it came about when Four Pillars came into possession of 250 kilograms of Yarra Valley shiraz grapes, did some experimenting, and bet that steeping those grapes in its OG Rare Dry Gin for eight weeks — then pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin — would end tastily. The 2023 Bloody Shiraz Gin follows that process again, while the Bloody Pinot Noir Gin sees Four Pillars try another grape variety. If the distillery is bottling it and selling it, clearly it turned out well, too. This newcomer also sources its fruit from Yarra Valley again. The end result is softer and lighter but with a heavier gin taste, and with aromas of rose petals, strawberries and cherries. Both gins go on sale on Saturday, June 10 for $88 each at the brand's website, and from Thursday, June 1 if you're a Four Pillars subscriber. The shiraz version will also be available at the Four Pillars Healesville Distillery and Four Pillars Sydney Lab, plus selected bottle-os. Bloody Shiraz Gin fans over the years will also know that it always comes in a limited-edition bottle, with year's featuring artwork by Australian illustrator Luke Lucas. Plus, the full bloody range includes gin and tonic cans and a Bandwagon booze-free shiraz option — so even if you're not partaking in alcohol, you can still enjoy a drink. Also bloody brilliant: to celebrate not one but two bloody gins, and bloody season overall, Four Pillars is hosting a midwinter gin fest. Running from Thursday, June 1–Sunday, July 31 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the festival is actually 15 events, offering each city something a little different (while always heroing the two tipples in the spotlight, of course, and getting everyone saying "bloody" over and over). In Sydney, the Four Pillars Lab will celebrate World Gin Day with a weekend-long party filled with drinks, snacks, DJs, workshops and free tastings. The venue is also doing a Golden Century BBQ takeover, teaming pork, duck and dumplings with Bloody Shiraz Gin drinks; putting on a big feast with North Bondi Fish; popping up at North Sydney's Rafi and the Harbour View Hotel; and bringing back the Gin & Film Fest at Golden Age Cinema with a focus on slasher sirens. [caption id="attachment_902042" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wes Nel[/caption] In Melbourne, the Healesville distillery is doing comparable World Gin Day festivities, and also hosting a Fireside Festival that's all about hot cocktails. Also, Yakimono is doing a feast, there'll be takeovers at Dessous and Goldilocks, and the Gin & Film Fest is back at Thornbury Picture House. Last but not least, Brisbane gets a feast as well at Newstead's Stratton. And, the venue is hosting a month-long takeover with a special Bloody Shiraz Gin drinks menu. [caption id="attachment_851598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] The 2023 Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin and Bloody Pinot Noir Gin will go on sale around the country on Saturday, June 10, or on Thursday, June 1 if you're a Four Pillars subscriber. Head to the Four Pillars website to make a purchase — or hit up the Four Pillars Distillery at Healesville, Victoria and the Four Pillars Lab in Surry Hills, Sydney. Four Pillars bloody range images: Benito Martin.
Not be outdone by their neighbours, whose own festival du film celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the latest line-up at the Audi Festival of German Films is guaranteed to give the French a run for their money. Presented by the Goethe-Institut in conjunction with Palace Cinemas, the 2014 festival boasts a selection of more than 50 German language films, as well as parties, lectures, special screenings and Q&As. Just a few of the highlights include Marc Rothemund's The Girl with Nine Wigs, about a young woman struggling with a cancer diagnosis; Constanze Knoche's simmering family drama, Visitors, about the strained relationship between a father and his three adult children; and Jan-Ole Gerster's black and white, day-in-the-life dramedy Oh Boy, which scooped up the top prize at the 2013 German Film Awards. This year's program also has something of a historical focus, with 2014 marking an important centennial. As part of the Goethe-Institut's year long commemoration of the millions of lives lost during World War One, artist Justus Neumann will present a lecture on Karl Kraus's satirical play The Last Days of Mankind, followed by a screening of the acclaimed naval drama Odyssey of Heroes. A more joyous milestone is the quarter century that has passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The festival's evening-long celebration will include two documentaries, separated by a live multimedia performance piece by Berlin cabaret band The Beez. For the full Audi Festival of German Films program, see the festival website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xlyt_IRWM30
It takes a pretty special — and downright genius — place to transcend all ages, dress codes and occasions. But The Boathouse does just that. Whether you're hankering for a post-swim feed up at Palm Beach or taking your mum out for lunch in Balmoral, The Boathouse always fits the bill. The venue at Shelly Beach — the fourth on Sydney's north shore — the winning formula has made it to Manly. The sheltered, only accessible by foot traffic Shelly Beach location is the perfect spot for the cafe-restaurant. There are people half-dressed, hair still dripping seawater, sipping smoothies, and there are large groups, fully dressed (and nicely), popping a bottle of wine and settling in for a long Sunday lunch. There's also a kiosk for beachside takeaways. Predictably, it's packed, and the hectic order at the counter and finding a table system still stands. Boathouse owners Pip and Andrew Goldsmith sure know how to run a damn good venue, and unsurprisingly, they've done it again at Shelly Beach.
How better to warm up in winter than with a seriously good boogie? Get out of the cold and into Public House Petersham every Saturday night over the next month to nab a spot at one of the excellent house parties they're throwing with the party experts at Undr CTRL. Running every Saturday until July 9 from 5pm-late, a stacked lineup of musicians and DJs will be providing the tunes, while the PHP team supplies the beers and atmosphere. And the best part? There's none of that pesky morning-after cleanup that usually comes with a house party. You can just lie in bed in peace. It's free to attend and a first in, best-dressed kind of deal, so get down there early enough so you make it through the doors. Check out the pub's website for the full DJ lineup.
Come the really raw bits of winter, our gut instinct generally tells us to bunker down in our own homes with blanket forts and hot comforting stews. Nothing says 'let's stay home in our pyjamas tonight' like frosty air and something trashy on TV. But don't fret — mini-holidays are still achievable (even in winter) and in Melbourne weekends away are at your fingertips. All you have to do is jump into your car and go for a little spin. Cold places can make for beaut weekends away, and Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges are a very valid option. Only 35 kilometres east of the CBD, The Hills, as they're affectionately known, will make you feel like you're in a tiny European village at the best of times, or lost in the forest at the worst (hint: take a map with you). Stretching from the southern ranges to Belgrave, the foothills and hilltop villages like Sassafrass and Mount Dandenong, here are some tips for a weekend away in the area filled with woodfires, ferns and a plethora of dessert options. [caption id="attachment_581918" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Hideaway Cottage[/caption] STAY Heading up to stay a few nights? Feeling cosy in Airbnb cottages are what it's all about up there, so have yourself a gander at this one. Hideaway Cottage is right up the top of the mountain in the area actually called — fittingly enough — Mount Dandenong, and it's a sweet little stone cottage house embodying all things quaint. There's a loft bedroom up a spiral staircase, a fireplace for those wintry times and even a veranda as an added bonus. You'll be sitting out the front wrapped in your blanket cocoon saying things like "this is what life is all about" before you know it — not even minding that your toes have gone a bit numb. If you want to step it up a notch and go full forest, head up to the Linden Rainforest Retreat; it's also in Mount Dandenong, but a whole level above when it comes to indulgence. You can choose from one of four 'designer suite' retreats, there's room service, and you can even pre-order a cheese platter and/or rose petals to be strewn about your bed before you arrive. It's prime fare for a couple celebrating something special, or just for a single really going for it in the treat yo'self stakes. 100 points for you. Alternatively, just go bush and camp somewhere in the basically enormous expanse of green camping possibility that the Dandenong Ranges are. There are a bunch of well-equipped camping grounds dotted around the ranges — here's a list to start you off. But a warning to you, the Dandenongs do tend to hover a few degrees lower than the mainland down below at all times, so nights outdoors in winter will be frosty indeed. [caption id="attachment_581920" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ripe Sassafrass[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Contrary to popular opinion, it's not all about scones up here. Okay, it is a little bit. A hot tip is avoiding the over-touristy and over-priced Miss Marple's Tearoom in Sassafras and heading a few doors down to Ripe. The café has a produce store attached, a heated deck so you can sit amongst the ferns, and a Devonshire tea that includes a hot drink in the price (unlike Miss Marple's). For those who aren't all about lashings of cream and jam, Ripe also does a solid baguette menu — and it almost goes without saying that the prosciutto, quince paste and brie is the winner over here. [caption id="attachment_581922" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Cafe de Beaumarchais[/caption] If you've done a fair whack of walking around the mountainous surroundings, it could be high time for some sweet treats. Café de Beaumarchais (also in Sassafras) has you sorted with a fairly hectic cake display and great coffee, and a general vibe making you feel like you're in a tiny village in France. For heavier fare head to Woods Sherbrooke — the Sri Lankan chef and owner's contemporary Asian menu will warm your belly on a cold winter's night. Drinking holes are a little harder to come by in the hills, so our first suggestion would be to make a big vat of your own mulled wine and drink it by the fireplace in your cottage. If you're very keen to venture on out, Belgrave is probably the place to go. Sooki Lounge on Burwood Highway isn't the hallmark that the bar it replaced, the famous Ruby's Lounge, once was, but it still does live music and organic tapas. Oscar's Alehouse, also just down the road, is a bit of Brunswick in Belgrave — there's a heap of different craft beers and you can even BYO pizza in. [caption id="attachment_581933" align="alignnone" width="1280"] RJ Hamer Aboretum, Matthew Paul Argall via Flickr[/caption] SEE AND DO Getting around in the Dandenongs can be slow-going — thanks to the one-lane Mount Dandenong Tourist Road starting at Tremont and running all the way up to Montrose — so don those old runners, flex your feet and set off on foot. It's like the hills are urging you to go a-hikin' through them, and there's plentiful walks to be done. A tip is avoiding the tourist-saturated 1000 Steps Walk on a weekend because it ends up being more of a shuffle/whoops-avoid-the-family-of-five-plus-their-dog type affair. Instead, head to the huge RJ Hamer Arboretum in Olinda. Here stand over 150 different types of trees and, when the leaves start to fall in cold weather, it has a real resemblance to Narnia. The National Rhododendron Gardens nearby are also beautiful, covered in colour, and quite hilly so you can get a bit of cardio in at the same time. [caption id="attachment_581935" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ashim D'Sliva[/caption] Rainier days might see you heading into Belgrave's Cameo Cinemas, an eight-screen effort showing arthouse and cult hits as well as blockbusters, with an outdoor cinema in the warmer months. But if you want some more R&R (that is, if watching the new Tarzan isn't relaxing enough for you), the Japanese Mountain Retreat in Montrose has more mineral springs and massage therapies than you could have time for over a single weekend. Shopping-wise, Sassafras has options that range from homey and fragrant (Tea Leaves) to tasty pantry things (Cream), to kooky wooden puppets (Geppetto's), if that's your jam. Or, if you're up there between November and April, take home some edible souvenirs from Blue Hills Berries & Cherries by picking your own strawberries, raspberries, or cherries as fresh as they come. [caption id="attachment_548957" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sherbrooke Falls Trail[/caption] ALRIGHT, LET'S DO THIS Public transport is sparse, but you can jump on a train and take the Belgrave line out to Upper Ferntree Gully Station, then wait for the 688 bus (every half hour or so), which runs along the Mt. Dandenong Tourist Road up the mountain. The drive is quicker — about 50 minutes from the CBD. The Burwood Highway and Mount Dandenong will take you up there pretty swiftly. Top image: Adrian Mohedano via Flickr.
There's a difference between embracing the fantastical and making fantasy. As a book since 2018, then a stage production and now a seven-part Netflix series, Boy Swallows Universe knows how to fly in the first direction without becoming the second. Author and journalist Trent Dalton spins a semi-autobiographical 80s-set story, which surveys his childhood and its challenges with clear eyes, but also brims with hope and zero judgement. That's protagonist Eli Bell's (Felix Cameron, Penguin Bloom) approach to everything, including his recovering addict mother Frankie (Phoebe Tonkin, Babylon), his heroin-dealing stepfather Lyle Orlik (Travis Fimmel, Black Snow), his alcoholic and agoraphobic dad Robert (Simon Baker, Limbo), and his elder brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley, The Heights), who hasn't spoken since a traumatic incident in the siblings' past. It's also how he sees family friend, babysitter, father figure, and no-nonsense but supportive source of wisdom Slim Halliday, as played by Australian acting icon Bryan Brown in Boy Swallows Universe's leap to the screen. The character is one of Dalton's great inclusions and, as with much in the novel, doesn't merely stem from Dalton's imagination. The name, that he spent decades in the Queensland capital's Boggo Road Gaol for the death of a taxi driver, his multiple escapes from the notorious prison: they're all 100-percent real. So is the fact that the young Dalton knew the convicted murderer when he was a boy growing up in Brisbane's west. Casting Brown is like most talent choices in Boy Swallows Universe: a dream pick. Chatting with Concrete Playground about the part and the Brisbane-made series, he's full of praise about Cameron as 12-year-old force-of-nature Eli. "He's a fabulous young kid and he's done a fabulous job," he advises. But Brown's own inclusion, like Tonkin, Fimmel, Baker, Halley, Totally Completely Fine's Zac Burgess as the older Eli, Talk to Me's Sophie Wilde's as Caitlyn Spies and more, is just as pitch-perfect. To Eli, Slim is a man with answers, encouragement and no sugarcoating — someone who believes in him, wants the best for him, but won't skip over life's realities. Try to picture an Aussie actor who'd nail the role and Brown is alone in springing to mind. Boy Swallows Universe joins his almost five-decade-long resume, at a time when Brown jokes that "someone asking me to do a job now is quite a good thing". In the past five months, he's been on-screen almost constantly — in fellow streaming series C*A*U*G*H*T, the recut of Baz Luhrmann's Australia as miniseries Faraway Downs and in US-produced but Sydney-shot rom-com Anyone But You. His career has followed the same path since the mid-70s, and reads like a history of Aussie film and television. For both 1980's Breaker Morant and 1999's Two Hands, he has Best Supporting Actor Australian Film Institute Awards. In the latter as with Boy Swallows Universe, he was paired with up-and-comer: there, it was Heath Ledger. [caption id="attachment_935699" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jono Searle/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Brown's credits also span The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Newsfront, The Shiralee, Dirty Deeds, Beautiful Kate, Red Dog: True Blue and Sweet Country. The list goes on. Over in Hollywood in the 80s, after TV's A Town Like Alice was a hit overseas as well as at home, he earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for The Thorn Birds, led action-thriller F/X, famously mixed drinks with Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) in Cocktail and starred opposite Sigourney Weaver (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) in Gorillas in the Mist. In 2004, he featured in the Ben Stiller (Locked Down)-led Along Came Polly as well. With Boy Swallows Universe, Brown was drawn in as everyone who has come across it in any form has been: by the story. Initially introduced via screenwriter John Collee's (Hotel Mumbai) scripts, he found it as astonishing as readers, theatre patrons and viewers keep doing. The series that results is now streaming — and we spoke with Brown about his first responses to Dalton's tale, his eagerness to play Slim, taking on someone with layers both on the page and in reality, mentoring Cameron, why everyone loves Boy Swallows Universe and more. ON BROWN'S FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE STORY "The scripts. I hadn't read the book, and the producer Troy Lum (Palm Beach) sent me John Collee's — at that stage — eight one-hour scripts, and I thought they were quite wonderful, the scripts. That then led me to go get the book and read the book, and to thoroughly enjoy it and go 'this is a remarkable story this', given it was basically true. And so to be able to be a part of it, I was only too willing." ON WHAT APPEALED TO BROWN ABOUT PLAYING SLIM HALLIDAY "I think the fact that he was a crim, but we don't meet him doing anything criminal. We hear about what a crim he was, and how he'd been in jail for 30 years and how he'd escaped, but we see him as someone that really wants to help the boys not go the way that he did. So I think it's the fact that he's not as you would expect him to be. When someone says 'I've got a part for you to play, it's a crim, love you to do it' — [but] basically I'm babysitter in this." ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR A PART THAT ISN'T JUST A CHARACTER IN TRENT DALTON'S BOOK, BUT A REAL-LIFE PERSON "Basically I can only play the scripts. So if there's something missing in the scripts, then I go 'this conflicts with something else, I need to know more about it'. But the scripts were so well done, the character was so well-outlined, the relationship with the boy was so clear and it felt quite instinctive to be able to play — I didn't have to research his criminal activity. None of that came into the playing of this piece. So it was about trying to understand why he wanted to be with the boy and behave as he did, and pretty well the scenes answered that for me." ON PLAYING SLIM AS NO-NONSENSE BUT SUPPORTIVE, AND A FATHER FIGURE FOR ELI "Once again, I come back to how well something's written. If a character is written well, you're just pulling the glove on and getting on with it. It's where something comes into conflict or it doesn't make sense that you're at sixes and sevens in trying to play something. But this was so well-written on the page that I was able to play it pretty easily. It was a part that was enjoyable to play." ON HOW BROWN SEEES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLIM AND ELI "I guess it is a bit father-son, but it's better than that. It's like he doesn't have to be the parent and exercise certain disciplines — he just has to be there as someone that appreciates and would always be there for the boy. And just that knowledge that he gives to the boy, there is someone solid here that believes in me, that's the relationship that I think that Slim brings." ON HOW THAT MENTORING RELATIONSHIP TRANSLATED WITH FELIX CAMERON OFF-SCREEN "People would probably say it did. We got on very well. We had a lot of fun together. He's a cheeky little bugger, and I really enjoyed mucking around with him. But behind all that there's a very bright young fella — and there's a fella who, obviously he's got wonderful parents. There's a boy that appreciates pretty well everything that's going on here. He appreciated doing this. It never went to his head in any way. I'm sure there were areas of confusion for him, but he never brought that to the table." ON WHY BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE CONTINUES TO STRIKE SUCH A CHORD "I think it is a story of hope. The boys want and hope that their life will be better, and do everything — they don't judge their parents, there's no judgement in this show about people, but there is the boys who just see that there's a life out there, and hope that they can have a life that's different to the ones that their parents are experiencing. I think that there's a joy in that. It's not a dour story. It's not a dark story. There's darkness in things that happen with the characters, but it's not a dark story. It's a story of hope and desire from the boys to have a real life, and I think you can't help but get affected by it." [caption id="attachment_935703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] ON WHAT BROWN LOOKS FOR A ROLE "It's pretty easy. I read it. I go 'do I like the story?'. If I don't like the story, there's no point even thinking about the part. And if I do like the story, then I look at the character and I go 'how does this character contribute to the story?' and 'can I do something of value with that character that makes that story live?'. It's pretty straightforward. I know pretty well straight away if I don't want to something. But if I'm a bit intrigued, then I have to ask myself more questions as I go through it. Once again, it's instinct. I look at it and I go: 'am I there? Can I be there?'. And if I can, the other side of it is, I like to know who else is doing it, and I like to know who the production company is and who the director will be to make me feel confident about that it can be done well." Boy Swallows Universe streams via Netflix, arriving on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Read our review. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
Anyone can pour orange juice and vodka into a glass and call it a screwdriver. But if you're after a cocktail more sophisticated and complicated than that, that's where top-notch bartenders come in. They're the folks who mix up drinks that you definitely don't feel like you can make at home — or know you have (again, see that OJ and vodka combo) — and they're as crucial a part of hitting a bar as the menu, vibe and company. Australia isn't short on fine folks whipping up brilliant beverages; however, if you're after the best of the best, there's now a rundown naming the country's top 100 bartenders. Consider it your next excuse to work through a boozy list, if you already started 2022 sipping the 100 best brews. Created by global bartending competition Diageo World Class, the Top 100 Australian Bartenders for 2022 list spans every state and territory — with New South Wales particularly well-represented, and Victoria and Queensland as well. Here's another way to think of it: you now have a list of bartenders to seek out on your next few holidays. [caption id="attachment_714471" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cantina OK![/caption] Standouts include folks from Sydney favourites such as Maybe Sammy and Cantina OK!, Melbourne's Nick and Nora's and Black Pearl, and Brisbane's The Gresham and Agnes. This is just part one of the contest, though. From here, these 100 bartenders will compete by mixing up impressive, boundary-pushing tipples at their venues, which'll be available for patrons to sip from Monday, May 30–Monday, June 13. Then, a top five will be announced — also on Monday, June 13 — before finals in July. The winner will be deemed the Diageo World Class Australian Bartender of the Year for 2022, and fly the flag for Aussies at the comp's global final, which is happening here for the first time, in Sydney, between Monday, September 12–Friday, September 16. [caption id="attachment_795641" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gresham, Millie Tang[/caption] Whoever emerges victorious will take over the title from Evan Stroeve from Sydney's no-waste bar Re, 2021's winner. Here's 2022's full top 100 rundown: DIEGO WORLD CLASS TOP 100 AUSTRALIAN BARTENDERS FOR 2022: NEW SOUTH WALES: Alex Gondzioulis, The Rover Behzad Vaziri, The Star Elisa Rodgrigues, Paloma Wine Bar Hunter Gregory, Maybe Sammy Matthew Dale, Re Ryan Bickley, Cantina OK Siôn Roberts, Re Storm Evans, Cantina OK Sanghyun Park, Will's Wen Wang, Maybe Sammy Albert Rust, Eileen's Bar - Four Pillars Andrew McCorquodale, Charlie Parker's Beaux Donelan, Charlie Parker's Ashley Miller, Blue Kahunas Ben Hardy, Bar Planet Brianna Aboud, Ramblin' Rascal Tavern Chloe Natterer, The Lobo Claudio Bedini, Sammy Junior Daniel Hilton, The Lobo Eduardo Conde, NO 92 GPR Dominic Causley-Todd, Dead Ringer Emma Bernardi, Bar Planet Eoin Kenny, Long Chim Hamish Mitchell, Charlie Parker's Harrison Kenney, Bar Planet Helen Yu, The Lobo James Russell, Apollonia Jenna Hemsworth, The Gidley Koby Harris, Dean and Nancy on 22 Krisztian Csigo, Dean and Nancy on 22 Sara Rinaldo, Dean and Nancy on 22 Sarah Proietti, Maybe Sammy Judith Zhu, KittyHawk Kalisha Glover, Apollonia Kat Scibiorski, Long Chim Kate Gale-Re, The Gidley Michal Wowak, The Gidley Kiaran Bryant, Earl's Juke Joint Liam Gavin, Door Knock Marco Rosati, Grain Bar Samuel McWilliams, The Lobo Thomas Opie, Births and Deaths VICTORIA: Aiden Rodriquez, EDV Melbourne Alejandro Archibald, NOMAD Melbourne Kane Smith, Nick and Nora's Melbourne Darren Leaney, Aru Cameron Parish, Gimlet Elisabetta Luppi, LUI Bar Francesca Camilli, Beneath Driver's Lane James Armstrong, The Cloakroom Bar Josephe Kourmouzis, Above Board Julien Wurtlin, LUI Bar Kayla Saito, Black Pearl Nicola Dean, Black Pearl Max Allison, Good Measure Miriam Wahlhütter, LOVER Nick Tesar, Bar Liberty Olivia Devlin, Capitano Tioni Naslund, LUI Bar Taylor Matthews, Frederic Tom McHugh, Hazel Restaurant QUEENSLAND: Dino Francia, Rosella's Bar Jack Connor, Rosella's Bar Aidan Perkins, Agnes Restaurant Daniella Darakis, The Gresham Edward Quartermass, Maker Ellery Low, Maker Jamie Fleming, Alba Bar & Deli Jenny Wang, Sono Japanese Restaurant Joe Steadman, Alba Bar & Deli Kate Bartlett, Cobbler Bar Liam Murphy, Frogs Hollow Saloon Liam Shepherd, Bar Brutus Martin McConnell, Frogs Hollow Saloon Peter Hollands, Frogs Hollow Saloon WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Dyllan Balm, Foxtrot Unicorn Max Guidice, Republic of Fremantle Nicola Herbert, Foxtrot Unicorn Shirley Yeung, Foxtrot Unicorn Samuel Cocks, Bar Rogue SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Al Simmons, Maybe Mae Alfonso Lizana, Maybe Mae Anabel Rowe, Long Story Short Georgia Edmonds, Maybe Mae Grace Rawlins, Memphis Slim's House of Blues Jack Somers, Memphis Slim's House of Blues Talis Heggart, Memphis Slim's House of Blues Michael Keogh, Memphis Slim's House of Blues Lachlan Gunner, Long Story Short Oscar Butler, Maybe Mae TASMANIA: Rachel Mynczywor, Rude Boy Rohan Massie, Rude Boy Hobart Jack Turner, Void Bar at Mona Mateo Ortiz, The Den Salamanca NORTHERN TERRITORY: Anneliese Grazioli, Hanky Panky Lounge Katerina Kosta, Hanky Panky Lounge Matt Zarimis, Smoke and Oak Darwin ACT: Cameron Abercrombie, Zaab Street Food Jack Sandeman, Zaab Street Food Liv Kelly, Bar Rochford For more information about Diego World Class, head to the competition's website. Top image: Maybe Sammy, Paolo Maffietti.
In 2021, within the space of mere months in the middle of the year, viewers who love watching things going awry at lavish resorts on super-scenic getaways — and digging into star-studded small-screen mysteries as well — were spoiled for choice. First, the debut season of The White Lotus hit. Then, the first season of Nine Perfect Strangers followed. Four years later, The White Lotus is a season ahead of Nine Perfect Strangers, but they're both back. Indeed, as the former wraps up its third season, you don't have long to wait until the latter arrives for its second run. Mark Thursday, May 22, 2025 in your diary, as that's when you'll be able to start watching Nicole Kidman (Holland) in wellness guru mode again. As with the first season, the Australian actor plays Masha Dmitrichenko. Also, her character is back at a retreat with a group of folks that she's invited, and getting through the week is likely to prove a twisty experience again. While the first season of Nine Perfect Strangers was shot in Byron Bay, the second definitely wasn't, given that it is set in the Austrian Alps — and Byron can't double for that. The cast around Kidman has also changed, starting with Henry Golding (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), Lena Olin (The Darkness), Annie Murphy (Fingernails), Christine Baranski (The Gilded Age), Dolly de Leon (Jackpot!) and Mark Strong (Dune: Prophecy). Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us) also features, after starring so memorably in The White Lotus' first season. Also joining him and the above actors: Lucas Englander (The Day of the Jackal), King Princess, Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Wolf Hall) and Aras Aydin (To Betray). David E Kelley (Presumed Innocent) remains one of the driving forces behind the series — and author Liane Moriarty (The Last Anniversary), who wrote the novel that the first season was based on, is one of Nine Perfect Strangers' executive produces again. Accordingly, Kidman continues her link with both. Kelley was also behind Big Little Lies, which, like Nine Perfect Strangers, also adapted a book by Moriarty. While The Undoing didn't initially stem from the Australian writer's pen, it did also connect Kidman and Kelley. The new on-screen lineup follows in the footsteps of Melissa McCarthy (Only Murders in the Building), Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders), Luke Evans (Weekend in Taipei) and Asher Keddie (Fake), plus Bobby Cannavale (Unstoppable), Regina Hall (O'Dessa), Samara Weaving (Azrael), Melvin Gregg (Fight Night), Grace Van Patten (Tell Me Lies), Tiffany Boone (Mufasa: The Lion King), Manny Jacinto (The Acolyte) and Zoe Terakes (The Office), who all starred in season one. An important note: season two of Nine Perfect Strangers is dropping weekly episodes, so you won't be binging it unless you wait until they've all been released There's no trailer for the second season as yet, but you can check out more images from it below: Nine Perfect Strangers season two will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, May 22, 2025 via Prime Video. Images: Prime Video / Reiner Bajo.
Ethereal-voiced songstress Katie Noonan and Brisbane dance-circus troupe Circa will soon treat Sydney to Love-Song-Circus. A show inspired by and devoted to the gutsiness of Australia’s first female convicts, it tells tales of love, longing, hardship and survival from a period where traditionally only men’s stories got a look-in. With the highly versatile Noonan on piano and vocals, a folk-infused string quartet and a troupe of aerial acrobats directed by Circa’s own Yaron Lifschitz, it’s a night guaranteed to delight both your visual and aural senses. Love-Song-Circus is written and composed by Noonan, who got the initial idea from a museum exhibition of engraved love tokens made by convicts for their left-behind loved ones. Inspired to research the period, she poured over the letters and records concerning women’s stories in particular. “As a woman and a mother I felt deeply compelled to explore these stories," she says, "and I soon discovered that the life of the first female convicts is a part of our history that has been explored by few.” The show premiered in Adelaide and has been well received so far (in fact it’s been described as “searing”, “transporting” and “spell-binding"). It’s on for an exclusive two nights only in the acoustically generous City Recital Hall.
Something completely new is set to join Australia's skyline: a Skystand overlooking the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba. Located atop 20-storey development Silk One in Woolloongabba's Trafalgar Street, it's exactly what it sounds like: a rooftop terrace that peers over the stadium, allowing residents to see whatever might be happening on the ground — namely Brisbane Lions AFL matches during winter and cricket games over summer. A handful of concerts also take place at the Gabba, with Adele playing there in 2017 and Taylor Swift slated for later in 2018. The idea is that people who live one of the complex's 178 apartments (or people who are friends with people who live in the apartments) will get access to these events without really leaving home, all while hanging out on a sky-high timber deck, underneath a pergola, with a big screen TV and a dining and barbecue area at their fingertips. The rooftop will also include a gym, pool, spa and sun lounges, in case whatever's on in the stadium doesn't pique your interest. Of course, an obvious question has to be asked: how much will you really be able to see from 20 levels up? Sure, there'll be a television on hand so that you can watch all of the ins and outs of the game in detail, and you'll save yourself the cost of a ticket. But the Gabba is more likely to provide a glossy backdrop as you hang out in the Skystand, rather than letting you actually enjoy the game or concert. Still, we're guessing the sound of the crowd, or whoever is on stage crooning, will echo up that far. Given that the area around the Gabba is currently filled with both new high-rises and construction sites in the process of erecting new high-rises, it wouldn't be surprising if other buildings follow suit. That said, the folks behind Silk One say their Skystand has been "strategically designed to maximise the birds-eye views of the Gabba stadium". Silk One in Woolloongabba and its Skystand are slated for completion in mid-2020.
From WorldPride to the Women's World Cup this year, Sydney has proven to the world that it knows how to throw an epic party. It's no wonder then that the harbourside city has been chosen for SXSW's first iteration outside the US. SXSW Sydney will take over numerous venues across the CBD, Darling Harbour, Haymarket, Surry Hills, Ultimo and Chippendale for a week from Sunday, October 15 to Sunday, October 22. Music has always been an integral part of SXSW — the inaugural event in 1987 started as a music festival with only 177 artists and 15 panels. Now, the music portion of SXSW Sydney includes 300-plus live music performances in 25 venues from Wednesday, October 18 to Saturday, October 21, showcasing homegrown musos and global emerging artists alike. There will also be various brand activations, including Tkay Maidza performing at the Defender House pop-up in the CBD and Spotify House taking over The Lansdowne Hotel. In partnership with Jack Daniel's, we've compiled a guide on the top spots for live music and a late-night boogie around the SXSW precinct. For those without a wristband or badge, we've even included a few spots that aren't part of the festival, so you can still feel like you're in on the action.
Work-Shop's latest series of classes don't just impart new skills upon eager participants, but also share the traditions and insights of a specific group of teachers. Called Art from the World, the sessions stem from a collaboration with art-based social enterprise Welcome Studio, with each workshop taught by artists from refugee backgrounds or who are currently seeking asylum. Running throughout September and October, the classes will combine creativity, connection and culture, covering a broad range of topics. Discover the art of coffee painting with Alwy Fadhel, who learned the skill while in Australian immigration detention; drink Persian tea and fashion up some felt animals with Iranian teacher Hilin Kazemi, and make micro-macramé jewellery with the Tehran-born Azadeh Zolfigol. Other sessions will cover political cartooning with roots in Syria and Jordan, and storytelling traditions from Sierra Leone. "Through partnering with these artists, we hope the workshops will continue the spread a positive messages of welcome to all new Australians," says Welcome Studio co-founder Joel Steller. The sessions will be held at Work-Shop's Redfern HQ, with tickets starting from $45.
In a year that's brought news that more Ted Lasso is on the way and is also delivering a 29-years-later sequel to Happy Gilmore, Stick is the right series for the right moment. There's no American in the UK at its core. None of its characters would prefer to be playing ice hockey, either. It's a golfing underdog story about attempting to score a pivotal tournament spot, however, and hails from the streaming platform that made the world now think of soccer whenever Jason Sudeikis pops up. Stick also knows that warmhearted, big-feeling comedies about the supportiveness of found families make for must-see viewing when they find the right swing — and, with that task, it hits the TV equivalent of a hole in one. The show's namesake is Pryce 'Stick' Cahill, a professional golfer-turned-golf store salesman — and a figure with the type of laidback yet vulnerable demeanour that Owen Wilson (Loki) excels at. He's not the person trying to make it into the sport's big leagues, though. Pryce has been there and done that, reaching number 18 in the world until his career ended unceremoniously with an on-the-green meltdown. Little has looked up for him since, and he starts the series mid-divorce from but still yearning for Amber-Linn (Judy Greer, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) while living in their old shared home. Then, at a driving range, Pryce spies teenager Santi (Peter Dager, Insidious: The Red Door) smashing golf balls off the turf with pure raw talent. Stick, the show, now has its prodigy. Stick, the character, has a mission to help him unlock his talent. Initial roadblocks come courtesy of Santi's disinterest in Pryce's plan, the latter's fondness for a hustle, and needing to convince the 17-year-old's doting single mother Elena (Mariana Treviño, Caras Vemos) that the three of them should take to the road to chance a shot at getting into the amateur championships. Requiring wheels, Pryce then enlists his gruff ex-caddy Mitts (Marc Maron, The Order) to join them, RV in tow. Soon, this quartet adds a fifth member as well, when Santi befriends golf-club bartender Zero (Lilli Kay, Yellowstone). What appealed to Wilson about starring in Stick? "I really liked the idea of a second chance and the idea of needing people to believe in you. And Santi needs that, but Pryce certainly needs it," he tells Concrete Playground. "I find that a moving dynamic and something that I really believe in in real life, that people benefit so much when somebody has some confidence in them. And I just see that — even learning to drive, my dad was uptight and I was more likely to make a mistake with my dad driving because I could feel his energy. And then sometimes you have somebody like my grandmother, just loved me and I could do no wrong, and you'd sometimes do better with that. So I just like that part of the story." Series creator Jason Keller, who also co-penned the screenplays for films Mirror Mirror and Ford v Ferrari, has described Pryce as being at "a place in his life where the story he tells himself no longer works anymore". Wilson quickly came to mind for the part — as did Maron for Mitts — but as the former flags, he's not the only one in need of a new start in Stick. Accordingly, this ragtag crew's journey shares a key commonality with the path of every ball hit on a green: trying to find where they fit. Grief, loss, disappointment, unreasonable expectations and life's unfair twists have haunted this group, leaving them searching for their own niche. Stick is also about caring, even if that means that sometimes that heartbreak or other negative emotions arise as a result. Greer's only experience of the show's main sport going in was "watching my father come home after playing golf in the worst mood I've ever seen a man be in in his life", and so would think to herself "as a child, 'why would anyone do this to themselves? Why?'," she explains. Wilson has the perfect take on that. "Is it that thing of 'it's better to feel bad than not feel anything at all?'. So, rather than just being kind of an automatron, like sometimes we can get into, maybe feeling terrible is good?" he notes. "Because the idea that you care about something, that something has the ability to make you feel that way — because if it can make you feel that bad, well, there's going to be a day where you do connect and it's going to make you feel really good." That insight is indicative of a series lead who Maron notes is "a collaborative guy" and "always willing to work with you and elevate the scene", Treviño describes as eager to "engage emotionally and in the level of comedy that we had to do it, but also on the human level" — and who Dager, who secured the part of Santi via a self-tape audition after the producers had looked at around 600 other actors, advises that he learned from in a similar way that his character does from Pryce. We also spoke with Wilson, Dager, Maron, Treviño and Greer about everything from Dager's pivotal casting to golf's lessons (and golfing lessons), underdog stories, RV life, intergenerational tension and more. On What It Meant to Dager to Score Such a Key Role in Stick Peter: "I couldn't quite believe it. I still remember the day — I got cast the day after my 21st birthday. I was with my dad and I got the call from Jon and Val [Ruby Sparks and Battle of the Sexes' Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris], the directors and executive producers, and I just really couldn't believe it. But it was such a long audition process. I think there were six rounds. And so by the time I had finished the audition process, I'm like 'I know I did good work. If it goes my way, it does. And if it doesn't, I did what I could'. And so I was also just, when I got it, I was kind of like 'okay, cool'. I couldn't believe it, but then there was another part of me that was like 'cool, I feel like I earned this one, and they saw what they needed to see'. And I was excited to get started. I was so excited to get started, really, more than anything." On How Wilson Approached Portraying Someone Who Is at a Place in His Life Where the Story He Tells Himself No Longer Works Anymore Owen: "You know, Jason didn't say that exactly to me, but that sounds really nice, and I feel it when you say it. And I don't know — I know that initially I was sort of nervous about playing a golfer, because my dad was a good golfer, I'd never learned the game and 'oh, how do you make it seem kind of real?'. But of course, golf's just the backdrop for the story and Jason really had a lot of faith in me that gave me confidence that maybe I could do it and play the character. And there's a lot of stuff with Pryce that I could kind of relate to — that wanting a second chance or feeling that you need somebody to believe in you, that you can't do it alone. I think that's a powerful message. And so I really like that part of the story, because I find it funny and also moving." On Maron Being Thought of Quickly as Stick's Ideal Mitts Marc: "I think I have a fairly varied and broad personality, but I think one of the more compelling elements is my ability to be pretty cranky and irritated. And I think people find that entertaining. So he clearly locked in on that. But I do think he also sensed that there was a depth to it, in that I was able to handle the emotional side of this guy, along with being my cranky self. And I appreciate that. But I'm not as cranky as Mitts. I'm not." On What Dager Was Excited to Bring to the Role of Stick's Teenage Golf Prodigy Peter: "I think the first thing that I really was excited to dive into was the idea of greatness and playing a prodigy — playing somebody who's spoken about as the next Tiger Woods, somebody with all this potential and all this talent. And so the idea of what greatness is and what it takes, the sacrifices you make to achieve it, the negative impacts that it can have once obtained — all of that was super interesting to me. And so I started to examine my own life and see the similarities, what I could take. The rest, I had to imagine. And then beginning to study golf, and the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and Jack Nicklaus and all the greats, that was just so exciting. And then the rest of it, everything else that came after that was a plus — meeting everybody, meeting Owen, Lilli, Marc, Mariana, Tim [Olyphant, Havoc]. But at first, the exciting thing was the idea of greatness — playing somebody great." On What You Learn About Not Just Golf But Life When You're Trying to Pick Up the Sport Owen: "Oh gosh, we were joking — we've joked a lot today about golf being a metaphor for life. And I think doesn't it seem like everything that you say is a metaphor for life is always something hard, and is frustrating and challenging? And so I think that it's a game that you can't seem to master — so someone like Tiger Woods, as great as he was, can still feel that he needs to redo his swing. And so it's like chess — you can't kind of ever totally figure it out. And the thing for me was learning that this thing, this sport that I was kind of intimidated by, that I actually can do it. But it's two steps forward, one step back — or one step forward, two steps back — because there's some days where I just can't do it. But it's definitely something that I will be playing the rest of my life. And so I'm so happy that I learned for this show." On the Keys to Portraying Determination for Treviño When That's Such a Pivotal Character Trait for Elena Mariana: "I think it's just the force that is with a mother that wants to make her son go in the right path — to save the family, and to save and to keep moving. I think they're in kind of a desperate moment when the show starts. Maybe not desperate, but they're a little stuck and stagnant because they don't know where to pull after a big loss that they had as a family. So I think that the mother's instinct just says 'this is not right, we are not living as we should and he's not owing up to a talent, the natural-given talent that he has'. So I think that determination is not even rational with Elena. It just is a force working inside of her, just because she has her son's best interest in heart and she's going to do whatever — even if she doesn't understand, if she doubts what she's doing is right, the determination is stronger than her doubts, and it's what makes this force of movement, and to embark on this journey and this adventure of self-discovery." On What It Takes to Believably Portray a Phenomenal Golfing Talent, to the Point of Doing Golf Scenes Yourself, When You've Never Played Before — and Only Had Baseball Experience to Go On Peter: "It took a while. It took a while. I don't think I felt — I don't think I saw my progress until maybe three weeks in. And it wasn't because I was hitting the ball good, because I would go out and play with my first trainer named Beau Lardner. It was moreso because I felt the swing feel comfortable. I felt it becoming a fluid motion. And it wasn't always there. I was still going outside in, instead of inside out, but I was getting the rhythm of the swing, the club speed. So three weeks into it, I was starting to see the progress. But I didn't feel ready up until maybe two months into it, so we had already started filming. But by the time we get to episode five, six and seven — and really eight and nine, where you see Santi playing golf for two whole episodes — a lot of those shots are my own because that was done with like five months of training, four months of training. And by then, my club speed was up, the striking distance was sort of increasing and I felt really good with my swing. And yeah, actually a lot of the baseball, that sort of inside out that you have naturally when swinging a baseball bat, it really lends itself to the process of swinging a golf club." On Why Sports-Centric TV Comedies Telling Underdog Stories Keep Popping Up on Maron's Resume Marc: "No, I didn't seek out any of it. GLOW was this a random audition that I put on my phone. I think those two guys are slightly different types of cranky. I think that Sam in GLOW had no real self-awareness around his swagger, his ridiculous swagger, and he wasn't really neurotic at all. And I think that Mitts is a very reflective guy, and a guy who sits in a certain amount of sadness. But I guess they are of the same spectrum of bravado on some level — of kind of slightly futile bravado, you know." On How Dager Learned From His Co-Stars Like Wilson, Greer, Maron, Treviño and Kay Peter: "Everybody has their own process with acting, which was really cool, because I have my own — and I can think it's so special, and you're like 'oh my god, they don't work like I do', but everybody's different process and encountering it and being around it for four months straight, it's a lesson in perspective. And you start to really question your own process, and you see the benefits of other people's. So you learn a lot without even having conversations about it. You just learn a lot by watching these people who have worked for so long approach the work the way they approach the work. But yeah, then there were moments with Owen specifically, where that Pryce-Santi relationship really became real off camera. Especially early on when — Owen's a great leader, he knew exactly when to give me a talk, and it always felt natural because he wanted to. He was compelled to. It never felt forced. And he wasn't absent either. It was a sort of perfect mix of both. Yeah, him especially, it was truly a treat to work with him because of that, that mentorship." On What Treviño Learned From Working with Dager Mariana: "A lot. Of course, as an actor, we're always constantly learning from each other. It doesn't matter your experience, your age, because it's a human interchange of emotions and contents that sometimes you're not even very conscious of. So many things come into play when you are making a scene come alive that it's really beyond what you think of experience. It is about experience, because it's the contents of your soul that are being exchanged and shaped into this reality. But Peter, he's a lovely young man. He's super mature. He's very outspoken. He has a wonderful, joyful personality. And he's really, really smart — and he was really keen into getting into something with all his heart. He played golf all the time while we were in Vancouver. His determination as an actor to get it right — to not play confidence, but to experience it doing golfing himself — I love that. So I learned that from him, among many other things. And how you have to be very approachable, because you don't know where the exchange is going to happen. And he's like that — he's a very approachable person and actor, he's very open, and that I think sometimes it's important for things to be discovered." On How Wilson Worked Through the Emotional Journey of Playing Ex-Spouses with Greer Owen: "I know that Judy and I, that we had no problem connecting — just we were sort of on the same wavelength with sense of humor. And I think when you're on the same wavelength sense of humour-wise, it means that you're also same wavelength sensitivity-wise. And so I think it was easy for us — or not easy, but when we had to do some of the emotional stuff, because I'm clearly still in love with her, she's kind of moved on, it was easy for me to feel those things and to see that in her. So it was just, for us, lucky casting that we had Judy doing it." On Dager's Task Juggling the Many Facets of Santi, Including His Talent, Growing Up Fast, Being Temperamental and His Coming-of-Age Journey Peter: "I think it's just taking the moment as it is. Being in each moment, exploring that moment to your fullest as an actor, just finding everything you can in that moment. And with TV and film, it's a luxury because you get to repeat the moment, so you find things and you can find a way to put them into the next take. But rather than worrying about a general story arc, if you just can concentrate on the moment that you're trying to execute and explore and bring to life, you've just got to hope and pray that when you see the final cut, every moment was explored to its possibility, and when they're all cut together you see the whole thing pan out. But yeah, that's the sort of mindset I would approach it with, focusing on the moment rather than feeling 'man, I have to play with all these things and have a balancing act'. Now, there are things that you have to remember that you've said in other scenes, but that's more than nitty gritty and very specific moments. But focusing on the moment is the more general approach that I had." On Stick's Intergenerational Tension — and Why That Clash Is Such a Go-To On-Screen Owen: "Well, with working with Peter and with Lilli, who play Santi and Zero, I think it's that familiar generational argument — that one generation thinks the other generation doesn't get it, had it too easy, and so that plays out with how I am struggling to connect with Santi. And with Zero. And I think it's hopefully funny, their inability to connect. And then I think there's some moving stuff when any human beings try to connect. And so that's certainly there, and that struggle for us that we have to kind of connect — and that's good." Judy: "I think it's always funny to watch two different generations duke it out, and argue with each other and try to decide who is more right. I don't know why. I just think that's universal comedy to me." On the RV Having Such a Pivotal Part in the Series Marc: "I feel like just the idea of a confined space with people who were relative strangers brought up the stakes of their ability to connect and interact — and overcome minor obstacles, because you are in this space. And I think the RV, for my character, carried a lot of emotional weight. And I think that the nature of the RV as a character was really taking Mitts out of his grief. There's a lot of reference to it being a mausoleum to his wife, who passed away. I don't think that spoils anything. So it was pretty loaded for Mitts. But it was also like it was an adventure, and you were being taken to all these different places and all these different environments. So it was a fairly complex character in the show." Mariana: "And it's also the idea of the moving home. These characters decide to embark on this journey in this car that is really becoming a home for them. And that is like a tiny home — they all sleep there, they cook. So it becomes, without them knowing, their place of safety and comfort during this whole journey. And it becomes a home for this new found family that is being created. And so of course it's a really important character, a really important presence in the show, because of the symbolic meaning of this — the idea that even if you're out there in the wilderness, you can find a family and they will all unite with a common purpose. And they become your allies in this confined space. All of a sudden we're all here — and you see that on top of the RV, we're allies, and outside we become allies, too." Stick streams via AppleTV+.
Don't let anyone ever tell you that audiences aren't fond of kick-ass women doing spectacular things. And, if someone ever dares to try, refer them to the two biggest phenomenons in Australia right now: Barbie and the Matildas. In cinemas, the former has been busting records both locally and worldwide. On TV, the national women's soccer team has been making history, too. The latter has also being doing the same on the field, as everyone knows — because we've all been watching the Sam Kerr-led team, helping their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup matches kill it in the ratings. When Australia played France on Saturday, August 12, Australia's eyeballs followed every move from the first whistle through to the 7–6 penalty shootout in the Matildas' favour. How many eyeballs? Every single one belonging to more than 7.2-million people according to the Seven Network's ratings data. The Matildas' Women's World Cup games are available to watch via the Seven Network and 7plus, and also Optus Sport, so exact figures get a bit tricky — and also OzTAM, which captures broadcast audience numbers, doesn't factor in folks watching in pubs, clubs, sports venues, at AFL grounds before Aussie rules matches and at other out-of-home venues. Plus, at the time of writing, OzTAM hasn't yet covered the game's 30 minutes of extra time or penalty kicks, thanks to the nil-all draw when regulation time was up. Still, Seven has made an educated estimation, starting with the fact that an average of 4.17-million people watched the match either via its free-to-air station or its streaming service. Thanks to the latter, the network also advises that the game was the country's biggest streaming event ever. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) To put the Matildas' TV feat in context, 2022's AFL and NRL grand finals didn't hit the 4.17-million figure — or come close. Last years' AFL numbers? 3.06-million viewers nationally. Unsurprisingly, as the ABC reports, Australia's quarter-final defeat of France enjoyed the biggest TV audience of the year. The Guardian notes that it was likely the biggest audience since Cathy Freeman's iconic 400-metre race at the 2000 Olympics. All up, Seven advises that its coverage of the Women's World Cup so far has reached 11.9-million broadcast viewers, then another 2.3-million folks via 7plus — all while the bulk of the tournament's games, especially those that don't feature the Matildas, are only on Optus Sports. How many people will watch the Australia v England game at 8pm on Wednesday, August 16? We're a competitive nation — surely we want to not only beat the Lionesses, but smash the France match's ratings as well. The Matildas' 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup games are available to watch via the Seven Network and 7plus, and also Optus Sport — with select other games also on Seven, and the entire tournament streaming via Optus Sport. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 runs from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20 across Australia and New Zealand, with tickets available from the FIFA website. Top image: Liondartois via Wikimedia Commons.
This highly budget-friendly eatery helps form a delectable pocket of eats within the Prince Centre where dumplings are king. It's the plates and baskets pan-fried and soupy dumplings that attract the crowds and the sticky special braised eggplant that keeps them coming back. If you feel as if you must branch out to try something different (a hard task if you're prone to food envy), order the chewy house-made noodles that seem almost bottomless. And if you're lucky, you'll be serenaded by the violinist.
Good energy is meant to be shared — and this month, Teremana Tequila is taking that spirit on the road. Founded by Dwayne Johnson, the premium small-batch tequila, which is built on the belief that true mana comes from showing up with purpose, is bringing its feel-good ethos to two community pop-ups, celebrating the unsung heroes who make a difference every day. Head to Circular Quay's newly revamped Cruise Bar (pictured below) on Thursday, October 9, or Elizabeth Bay fave Gazebo on Friday, October 10, to find the Mana Mobile, a Teremana-branded food truck rolling into town with free tacos, tequila tastings, live music and backyard-style games. It's also where you'll find the Mana Mailbox, inviting you to take a moment to express gratitude to someone who brings positivity into your life. You'll be encouraged to craft a handwritten postcard of thanks to an everyday hero who shows up, lifts others up and quietly keeps things running. Once complete, each message is sealed and placed in the Mana Mailbox before being mailed directly to its recipient. There'll be plenty of good vibes across both stops. You can nominate unsung heroes either on the night or online ahead of time via the Mana on the Road website, with all nominees going in the running to score one of 50 exclusive Teremana Añejo bottles tucked inside special gift bags, plus more surprises revealed throughout the evening. Pop in to either venue between 5–8pm to be part of this moving celebration of gratitude. Good mana starts in the spaces we share — and good energy is best enjoyed together with good people and good tequila. Bring your mates, raise a glass and celebrate the everyday heroes who make a difference with Teremana.
Grab a drink and join digital illustrator Bianca Beers to design your own piece of sneaker art at the Butter x Impossible pop-up in The Rocks. On two Sundays — from 12–2pm on March 20 and March 27 — Beers will be at Butter x Impossible's plant-based burger joint to run a two-hour afternoon class, guiding attendees through the process of creating sneaker art. Beers — an accomplished artist from Western Sydney whose client list includes activewear companies such as Nike and Puma as well, as software companies Adobe and Sony — will teach participants how to sketch and draw a sneaker design on paper step by step. Your $40 ticket includes a drink on arrival from the Butter Bar and all of the necessary art materials — and, if you're feeling peckish while you're there, plant-based burgers will be available for purchase from Butter x Impossible's menu.
For some people an mp3 is like a Japanese leg pillow — it's just no substitute for the real thing. We're not relinquishing our iPhones and cancelling our Rdio and Spotify subscriptions any time soon, but those newfangled things make having music you can hold that much more special. Luckily it appears there are still plenty of discerning Sydneysiders who agree, so if you're sick of browsing the iTunes store then immerse yourself in one of these musical wonderlands instead. 1. RED EYE RECORDS Red Eye has been peddling LPs since 1981, making it Sydney’s largest independent music retailer. The store is small, but the selection is excellent. Second-hand collectibles and covetable memorabilia are Pitt Street’s scene, while the York Street shop will help you out with new releases. 143 York Street and 370 Pitt Street, Sydney; 02 9267 7440 2. TITLE Record junkies rub shoulders with movie buffs at this airy Crown Street store. It’s more orderly than most of its off-the-beaten-track counterparts, but that doesn’t mean TITLE isn’t a treasure trove. The film section is like one enormous cult department broken down into smaller cult subcategories including 'Hollywood Cool' and 'French New Wave', and their CDs and vinyls are just as deliciously obscure. 499 Crown Street, Surry Hills; 02 9699 5222 3. THE RECORD STORE Rock, indie, hip hop, funk, soul, drum ‘n’ bass, party breaks, eclectic electronica and sweet bargain fanatics flock to this LP paradise of over 1000 titles. Records come either meticulously organised or uncatalogued for your digging pleasure, and they’ll even transfer old vinyls to CDs. 255b Crown Street, Darlinghurst; 02 9380 8223 4. EGG RECORDS Milk crate bargain bins you have to get down on your knees to rifle through, too-cool-for-school customers, plenty of incredible finds and a few bits of overpriced memorabilia — this is everything a record store in 2012 should be. 3 Wilson Street, Newtown; 02 9557 4809 5. MOJO MUSIC Ever had a really cool friend who made you feel like your music collection was about as interesting as a cement museum? They probably shopped at Mojo. The Kings of the Back Catalogue aim to make your music world a little bigger and a little hipper, stocking everything from psychedelia to Cajun-zydeco. If you can’t find it anywhere else, you’ll find it here. And if you don’t, you can now drown your sorrows in a groovy drink — they've just received their small bar license. 73 York Street, Sydney; 02 9262 4999 6. REVOLVE RECORDS & RELICS Nestled in Erko for almost a decade, Revolve specialises in rare, collectable and out of print vinyl and CDs. They bring in fresh material on a weekly basis and the old stuff is just as frequently reduced, so you can balance out that $400 back issue purchase with one from the bargain bin. Revolve also stocks books, magazines, clothing and mothball-scented bric-a-brac. 3/65 Erskineville Road, Erskineville; 02 9519 9978 7. THE VINTAGE RECORD This friendly music haven boasts a good selection of used and new CDs and records, plus plenty of good vibes. They also have a boom box that plays vinyl, and it’s worth venturing out to Annandale for that reason alone. 31a Parramatta Road, Annandale; 02 9550 4667 8. LAWSON'S RECORD CENTRE If you like really weird movies that fall into genres like Lucha Film or Nudist Camp Horror, you will probably also like the eclectic and reasonably priced selection of records and CDs at Lawson’s. And if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for, you’re 99% guaranteed to leave with something even more wonderfully bizarre. 380 Pitt Street, Sydney; 02 9267 3434 9. REPRESSED RECORDS This King Street mainstay recently moved down the road a few numbers, but they’ve taken their friendly staff and excellently curated musical repository with them. There’s something for everyone at Repressed, whether you’re into back issue psych vinyls or DIY zines. 413 King Street, Sydney; 02 9557 6237 10. PIGEON GROUND If you like amazing clothes, amazing records and insisting that Sydney is cooler than Melbourne, Pigeon Ground is probably already your favourite stomping ground. The vinyls are mostly sourced from private collections and garage sales, and cover pretty much any genre you can think of (except for ones that aren’t amazing). 102 Salisbury Road, Camperdown; 02 9557 6364
Future Totoros and Ponyos may not eventuate; Studio Ghibli have announced a hiatus to their animation feature film department. Surrounded by rumours of an outright closure, Studio Ghibli's general manager, Toshio Suzuki, announced the movements on Japanese television today as a "brief pause". Responsible for the likes of Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo and My Neighbour Totoro among many, many other beloved tales, the animation studio is reassessing its filmic future. The news comes just under a year after legendary, Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement in September 2013 and released his final film The Wind Rises in February this year. Differing translations of Suzuki's announcement caused minor havoc online (notably fuelled by so-called Ghibli insiders at Japanese website News Cafe and subsequently quashed by Kotaku). Although most thought the studio was closing its doors for good, newer, more accurate translations cleared things up. "On what to do with Studio Ghibli’s future, it is by no means impossible to keep producing [movies] forever," said Suzuki on the TBS program Jonetsu Tairiku. "However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here." Producer and co-founder Suzuki stepped into Miyazaki's shoes and became general manager when the director retired from Ghibli last year, joining forces with other Studio half, director Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies). So why is Ghibli shutting up shop? It seems to be a matter of money, a fair reason to reassess in a Michael Bay-peppered, box office landscape. According to Anime News Network, Studio Ghibli's latest film,When Marnie Was There opened at number three over the first weekend (July 19 - 20) with 378,790,697 yen (US$3,721,297) on 461 screens. That seems like a whole bunch, but the international market isn't so kind to arthouse-designated Ghibli. Marnie is set to hit US cinemas some time next year, with Australian release dates still TBC. Ghibli haven't covered up their financial struggle, most notably considering 2013's The Tale of Princess Kaguya a flop with tiny box office numbers (a huge step down from 2002's Acadamy Award-winning hit Spirited Away, which took US$274,925,095 worldwide). Suzuki said the studio is considering "housecleaning" or restructuring internally. While this doesn't entirely rule out a future shutdown, it seems the pause is centred around rebuilding the studio, managing copyrights and trademarks and possibly freelancing out projects — a good sign for Ghibli fans. But Kotaku has assured fans that Studio Ghibli is not dead yet, so we'll keep those good vibes delivered via Kiki and keep fingers crossed. Via Anime News Network, Kotaku and Hypable.
You'll be the talk of the town – or at least the group chat – if you're the lucky winner of Tio's latest giveaway. With this raucous cocktail bar renowned for its ice-cold margaritas, they're making sure you can enjoy your fair share's worth this Margarita Month by giving away $1000 of signature drinks to one blessed person. Just know your friends and probably a few friends of friends will be hitting you up for the foreseeable future. Presented in partnership with El Jimador Tequila, Tio's Cerveceria invites the winner of this massive giveaway to sample the entire menu. With this in mind, you and your pals will undoubtedly work your way through plenty of classic, spicy and Tommy's margaritas. However, a big night out might call for something special – like the fishbowl-style mega marg or the ever-changing list of weekly specials. Not one to be satisfied with the tried-and-true, the Tio's team whips up a new margarita flavour every week, ensuring there's always something exciting to sip on. In the past, you might have encountered creative concoctions featuring everything from Lao Gan Ma Chilli Crisp and Pocari Sweat to Biscoff and pickles. For the most love-struck time of the year, this week's Valentine's celebrations have called for a Frozen Cherry Marg topped with love heart candles. Ready to enter? All you have to do is sign up for the MUCHO Group mailing list, follow Tio's Cerveceria on Instagram and leave a comment on this post describing your most creative – or even slightly insane – cocktail idea. Entries for the giveaway close on Friday, February 21, with the winner announced on Monday, February 24. If you're the chosen one, it won't be long until your friends are hassling you to organise the night of nights at this Surry Hills mainstay. Tio's Cerveceria is located at 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills. Head to their Instagram page for more information. Images: Dexter Kim
Forget about taco Tuesday or margarita Monday. They're all well and good, but SoCal's annual taco and tequila festival is a huge six-day affair featuring back-to-back celebrations dedicated to Mexico's best-loved exports. And, it's returning for its third iteration, taking over the colourful North Shore spot from Monday, May 3–Saturday, May 8. On the Monday, you can settle into some live comedy and tequila cocktails, while Tuesday is serving up a $35 bottomless taco feast with $12 margaritas to match. Then there's a tequila cocktail masterclass on Wednesday, a chilli-eating competition spicing up the Thursday night, and a Friday fiesta that'll see you wrap up the work week with the help of live tunes, $10 margs, face painting and a few fiery rounds of taco roulette. But you'll want to save at least a little energy for the rollicking taco and tequila feast sending things off on Saturday, May 8. Alongside live entertainment and games, you'll get to experience the greatest hits from SoCal's new menu, with two dinner sittings available on the night. Book the first session (5–6pm) to enjoy a feasting menu and cocktail on arrival for $49, or grab an $89 ticket for the late edition (8.30–9.30pm), which'll also score you two hours of drinks.
Much to every Wes Anderson fan's delight, 2023 delivered not one, not two, and not even just three or four new films by the acclaimed director — it treated audiences to five. In cinemas, Asteroid City brought the filmmaker's symmetry- and pastel-heavy style to the big screen again. On streaming, the rest of his efforts for the year arrived as shorts The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Ratcatcher and Poison. When Netflix dropped Anderson's quartet of Roald Dahl-inspired shorts in September 2023, each arriving a day after the last, it inspired a question: why not package them all together and give the world another full-length Wes Anderson movie? Perhaps it was waiting for the director to win his first-ever Oscar for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar — for Best Live-Action Short, in fact — to make that happen, but it is indeed now happening. Accordingly, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More hits the streaming platform on Friday, March 15. Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) talking directly to the camera. Symmetrical shots after symmetrical shots. Dazzlingly gorgeous patterns as far as the eye can see. Yes, they're all in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. That part of what's now an anthology film tells of a wealthy man who is so fond of wagering that he comes up with a crafty plan — after discovering a guru who can see without using his eyes, he decides to learn to the same to cheat while having a bet. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar itself springs from one of the seven tales in Dahl's 1977 book The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. Soon on Netflix, it'll be packaged with Anderson's other three shorts from Dahl's work. The whole anthology cycles through a few core cast members, all of which play multiple roles. Stepping in front of the camera for Anderson: Cumberbatch, Dev Patel (The Green Knight), Ben Kingsley (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Richard Ayoade (The Souvenir: Part II) and Rupert Friend (High Desert). And in glorious news for The Grand Budapest Hotel fans, Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) also reteams with the director. The Swan also takes inspiration from a tale from the same book, this time about a small and smart boy being bullied. As for The Ratcatcher, it adapts a lesser-known story of the same name — not from the same text this time — which is unsurprisingly about a rodent exterminator. Then, Poison dates back to 1950, focusing on a man finding a venomous snake. In 1958, the same tale was adapted for TV by none other than Alfred Hitchcock, in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. All up, that's 90 minutes of new Anderson work. So, as we said multiple times in 2023, watching them all together turns them into an anthology feature. With Netflix's new release, you'll no longer have to press any buttons to get from one film to the next. Check out the trailer for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More below: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More will be available to stream via Netflix from Friday, March 15. Read our review. Images: courtesy of Netflix.
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. It mightn't have revived the film, but the answer to one of Espinosa's troubles could've been Matt Smith, who cuts a far more compelling figure as the grown-up version of Morbius' ailing pal Milo. The lanky Last Night in Soho star is saddled with a role somehow more cartoonish than Leto's, and with a character who doses himself with the same bat-derived serum but loves it — and, even without a spot of remorse for the body count he swiftly causes, he's the the most fascinating thing on-screen. Alas, in the latest underwhelming script by Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, Gods of Egypt and Power Rangers screenwriters Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama, Morbius and Milo are meant to be two sides of the same coin, but there's no depth or poignancy to their relationship. It just feels like a means to an end, giving Morbius another struggle to brood over. That shouldn't come as a surprise seeing that's the movie's whole gambit as well. It doesn't help that the entire idea behind Morbius and Milo's friendship, and their reason for seeking a solution in bat DNA, is abhorrently ableist. Positing that both men can only be happy if they're free of their genetic ailment could never be anything else. Folks with a health situation that causes suffering may wish to farewell it, but the image of throwing away crutches, becoming more mobile, gaining extra senses and floating in the air is thoroughly tasteless when presented as the only alternative to having a medical condition. Doing something different would've required thought, however, which Morbius lacks again and again. No one could be bothered to flesh out its protagonist, or wonder why its villain outshines him, or worry that Leto and Smith have zero chemistry together, after all. And clearly nobody was concerned that the film looks wearyingly dull to suit its story, that its CGI is laughably atrocious and overdone at every moment, or that it's a vampire flick that's afraid of blood and gore. Amid the murky cinematography by Oliver Wood (Holmes & Watson) and erratic editing from Pietro Scalia (Solo: A Star Wars Story), each compounding the movie's woes, Morbius also includes a weak attempt at a romance courtesy of fellow researcher Martine (Adria Arjona, 6 Underground), plus a crime angle via detectives Stroud (Tyrese Gibson, Fast and Furious 9) and Rodriguez (Al Madrigal, Physical) — all thankless. Its stab at giving the superhero/supervillain realm a mad scientist skew, a monster-movie chapter and a gothic horror spin proves dead on arrival as well, as does its evident pilfering from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. That this is the best version of Morbius after almost two years spent sitting on a shelf is as illogical as the film's many plot holes. This misfire only sinks its teeth into bland monotony; vampires aren't the only things that suck within its frames.
Screening at Sydney's Ritz Cinemas in Randwick between Thursday, February 16–Tuesday, March 7, Europa! Europa Film Festival is back for its second year, after debuting in 2022 with an impressive lineup. This time around, there's 29 movies on the bill from 24 different countries, covering everything from awards contenders to beloved masterpieces. Hailing from France, eco-thriller The Blaze will kick things off, while Europa! Europa 2023 will come to a close with the Judi Dench- and Jennifer Saunders-starring British drama Allelujah. In-between, the range of flicks includes fare from Italy, Estonia, Ukraine and Croatia, plus Georgia, Spain, Germany and Romania. The list goes on, with France particularly well-represented. Gallic cinema buffs, consider this your warm up for the upcoming Alliance Française French Film Festival. An absolute must-see, especially if you've never had the pleasure before on a big screen, is Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours Trilogy. With Three Colours: Blue starring Juliette Binoche (The Staircase), Three Colours: Red led by Irène Jacob (The OA) and Three Colours: White focusing on Julie Delpy (the Before trilogy), this trio of masterpieces are among the most influential international films of the past three decades. Each one will show as a 4K restoration, too. Among the new titles, eight movies on Europa! Europa's bill were submitted as their country's entries for this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar. Highlights include Armenian documentary Aurora's Sunrise, which tells a 14-year-old genocide survivor's story; Safe Place from Croatia, which unfurls its story over 24 hours; and Moldova's dark comedy Carbon, about the effects of war. Or, there's Il Boemo from Czech Republic, which steps through opera composer Josef 'Il Boemo' Myslivecek's tale — and road-trip effort Orchestra from Slovenia. Elsewhere, illness drama More Than Ever stars Vicky Krieps (Bergman Island), alongside Gaspard Ulliel (Moon Knight) in his last role; La Vie En Rose director Olivier Dahan is still in biopic mode, with Simone: Woman of the Century telling French feminist icon Simone Veil's tale; Wunderschön, about five women in Germany, was the country's highest-grossing local film of the 2022 box office; and the Charlotte Gainsbourg (Sundown)-starring The Accusation heads Down Under after premiering at the Venice Film Festival.
For Australian TV viewers, your familiarity with various US cable networks will depend upon which of their television shows you happen to watch. HBO has become a household name thanks to everything from The Sopranos and The Wire to Game of Thrones and Succession, for instance — and if you're a fan of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead, you'll have noticed AMC's moniker more than once or twice. Get ready to watch more of AMC's shows, actually, as the American network has just brought its AMC+ streaming bundle to Australia. Rather than existing as a separate platform, it's an add-on that's available via the Apple TV channels on the Apple TV app and, also for Prime members thanks to its Prime Video channels. You'll need to pay extra to access it — to the tune of $8.99 per month — but that'll add both new and classic AMC shows to your streaming queue. So, you'll be able to watch six-part series The Beast Must Die, which stars Chernobyl's Jared Harris and follows the aftermath of a hit and run; Swedish series The Restaurant, which kicks off with a kiss amid end-of-WWII celebrations; and Dutch miniseries The Swell, about the most powerful storm in history heading towards The Netherlands and Belgium. There's also stop-motion comedy Ultra City Smiths, which uses animated baby dolls to stand in for a grown-up cast of characters — and a heap of true-crime titles, including docuseries Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders, about the chilling killings that Truman Capote turned into the acclaimed book In Cold Blood. In terms of new arrivals, the South Australian-shot Firebite might just be the most exciting show on AMC+'s lineup. It won't start dropping episodes until Thursday, December 16; however, it's created by Aussie Samson and Delilah, Sweet Country and The Beach filmmaker Warwick Thornton. Following two Indigenous Australian hunters who battle the last colony of vampires in the middle of the SA desert, it stars Rob Collins (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and newcomer Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Total Control), as well as Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) and Callan Mulvey (Shadow in the Cloud). Also set to hit in the coming weeks: dystopian drama series Anna, about a world plagued by a virus which kills adults but spares children; the first three seasons of documentary mockumentary series Documentary Now!; and sketch comedy Sherman's Showcase. Subscribers to AMC+ also get access to the network's two other forays into local streaming, horror platform Shudder and the British TV-focused Acorn TV — all at no extra cost. Plus, the streaming bundle will gain a heap of AMC's high-profile existing shows throughout November, such as Mad Men, Riviera, Portlandia, Comedy Bang! Bang! and Eli Roth's History of Horror, as well as of a number of indie movies from IFC Films and horror flicks from Shudder. If you're keen — and your streaming queue has a few gaps in it — AMC+ is doing seven-day free trials for Prime members, too. The AMC+ streaming bundle is now available via the Apple TV channels on the Apple TV app and, also for Prime members thanks to its Prime Video channels. For more information, head to the AMC+ Facebook page. Top image: Ian Routledge/AMC+.
As Vivid Sydney turns five, it's vastly extending its brightly coloured reach to cover more physical ground and generate more creative ideas. In 2013 Fort Dennison, Walsh Bay and the Inner West will also get a heavy splattering of neon light and artistic innovation as the festival adds more precincts to the Vivid family. Sydney's own Spinifex Group will be the artists behind the Lighting of the Sails, the jewel in Vivid's dazzling crown, with the rest of the foreshore welcoming a global assemblage of lighting designers to the walkable stretch spanning Campbells Cove to Walsh Bay. Interactivity is key this year, with Customs House featuring a dance floor so visitors can make the building move. The festival's LIVE section will celebrate the Opera House's increasingly enthusiastic approach to popular music, populating the Kraftwerk-headlined lineup with homegrown and international acts. Empire of the Sun are premiering their second album Ice on the Dune, which was announced in true theatrical style with a bizarre video last week. Other acts include legendary soul crooner Bobby Womack, Underworld's Karl Hyde, the Sunnyboys, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, folk-rock tribute Sounds of the South and the 45-piece Heritage Orchestra — performing the Bladerunner score. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks. And hosting a mammoth 136 events this year is the Jess Scully-curated Vivid Ideas. Level six of the MCA will be taken over by 100 of them, with further talks and workshops spread through the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Seymour Centre, Sydney Museum and more. Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Australian International Design Festival are getting involved in 2013, along with a slew of events supporting this year's film and photography motif. Reportage and Sydney Film Festival are two exciting additions, and a talk by Chris Ying of Momofuku-McSweeney's foodie mag Lucky Peach should give discerning ramen enthusiasts plenty to get psyched about. Want more Vivid? School up on our ten best ideas to visit at Vivid Ideas and read what Vivid Ideas festival director Jess Scully told us about Sydney living. And of course, check out the Vivid website for the full program of events.
Change is coming to a beloved Woollahra institution. After a full decade at the helm, the Bayfield family have decided to step away from The Light Brigade Hotel. The family of pub giants — who are widely known for their lengthy tenure at The Newport Arms Hotel, and currently own and operate The Dee Why Hotel and The Belrose Hotel — have listed the iconic Sydney stalwart for sale. Residing on the corner of Oxford Street and Jersey Road, the multi-storey pub has been an eastern suburbs institution for just under 150 years, with origins that can be traced all the way back to the 1880s. Its proximity to Centennial Park and Oxford Street make the venue a go-to watering hole for locals. Spanning three levels and four floors, the Woollahra pub boasts a ground-floor bar, a relaxed bistro on its first level, an art-deco-inspired lounge on level two and a breezy rooftop — an addition after the Bayfields acquired the property in 2015 — with stunning views of the city's skyline to pair. Plus, its previous owners recently scored midnight trading privileges. "An incoming operator will take great benefit from the considerable behind-the-scenes investment made [by the Bayfields]," said HTL Property National Director Dan Dragicevich. "In addition, [they'll be] enjoying increased patronage as a direct result of the activity-cap increase for annual major concerts and events at the state-of-the-art Allianz Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground precinct." "Oxford Street is quite clearly trading exceptionally well, and hospitality assets with history, scale and key lever proximity are few and far between in this part of Sydney, said HTL Property Managing Director Andrew Jolliffe. "Hence our firm expectation is that local, interstate and international buyers will actively pursue this opportunity." If you have can-afford-to-buy-a-pub funds at hand, The Light Brigade Hotel is being sold via expressions of interest, with bids able to be submitted until Wednesday, May 22. Find The Light Brigade Hote at 2A Oxford Street, Woollahra — and head to its website for further details on the pub, or to the HTL Property website for updates on the sale.
If you're into theatre, circus, live art or performance that defies genre labels, September is your month in Sydney. For four fabulous weeks, Sydney Fringe Festival takes over the city with live shows of all kinds — from nostalgia-fuelled dance parties to sea shanty singalongs. There's standup comedy, interactive theatre, 24-hour durational dance, plus tonnes of ways to get involved from creative workshops to flashmobs. Ready to dive in? Make it a perfect excuse for a sneaky staycation in the city, so you can live and breathe festivities from dawn to dusk (and through till dawn again). Once you've nabbed your tix, reserve yourself a luxe bedroom at West Hotel on Sussex Street, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Located smack-bang in the middle of the CBD, it's a stumble away from some of the Sydney Fringe Festival's main hubs — as well as cafes, bars, restaurants and harbourside parks. [caption id="attachment_737671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photographer: Kimberley Low[/caption] GET IN THE MOOD FOR KITSCH PARTIES AT THIS NEW CBD BAR Like the English writer Virginia Woolf said, "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well". The same goes for Fringe Festival-ing. So, head to the Prince of York for a feast fit for a king. This multi-level, all-day wine bar, restaurant and night club is just five minutes' walk from West Hotel. For a quick snack, go for the cheese and bone marrow toastie, otherwise there's the lamb ragu and fontina pasta. In the underground night club — Pamela's — sink into a pink suede banquette with a Happy Pammy (tequila, tangerine and bubbles) or get dancing on the table. Just around the corner is Fringe Festival's City Tatts Hub, where Heaps Gay RSL will take over on Saturday, September 14 with 420 minutes of "tacky carpet, steamy music and raunchy performance". Just what the doctor ordered. STEP BACK IN TIME, BEFORE AN ALL-NIGHT BOOGIE, AT DOUBLE DEUCE LOUNGE Double Deuce Lounge is a paean to the 70s — and we're talking more "porn chic" than Brady Bunch. This furry-walled retreat, which gets its name from 80s flick Road House, is just ten minutes' from West Hotel and moments from City Tatts Hub. Run by the Ramblin' Rascal team, Double Deuce is all about themed signature cocktails, like the Jungle Boogie (featuring cacao, rhubarb and Campari) and the Stinger (a margarita spiked with yuzu and mint). If you're staycationing on Saturday, September 28, get your Jungle Boogie on at the festival closing party, Dance All Night, which is promising 360 minutes of non-stop music. SAMPLE WINES FROM ORANGE AT THIS HARBOURSIDE FESTIVAL From September 20–October 6, Pyrmont will transform into a foodies' haven when producers and winemakers from Orange hit the neighbourhood with their finest produce. Located three-and-a-half hours' drive west of Sydney, this regional town is home to outstanding wineries like Printhie and Bloodwood, as well as excellent restaurants, Lolli Redini and Tonic. In Pyrmont, reps from Orange will be hosting chefs' dinners, wine makers' lunches, tastings and pairings, among other delightful activities. Halfway through — on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29 — head to Pirrama Park for Pyrmont Festival: two glorious days of waterside eats, treats, art and live music. Keep an eye over here for details of the full program. If you're there on a Sunday, head to First Fleet Park after the wining and dining for a Footloose flashmob and vintage dance workshop with Sydney Vintage Dance Studio, every Sunday from 2pm. LEARN HOW TO RIDE A FLYING TRAPEZE, JUST LIKE THE FRINGE PERFORMERS There's every chance that the extravaganza of Sydney Fringe Festival's Aerialize Circus and Aerial Hub is going to inspire you to learn some tricks of your own. Luckily, Sydney has its very own Circus Arts School, where you can have a go at whizzing through the air on a flying trapeze. You're welcome to join a casual class to see how you like it or seriously upskill at an eight-week course. There are flying trapeze party packages, too — all you need is up to ten mates to share the adventure. Circus Arts is at Sydney Olympic Park, a 40-minute train ride from Town Hall Station. FIRE UP YOUR COMIC SKILLS AT A FREE IMPROV CLASS Fancy making an onstage appearance at Sydney Fringe Festival 2020? You will after seeing the fun and funny Law & Order Improvised Case Unit or Unplanned Melodies. Get started at Laugh Masters Academy's free improv classes in Redfern. Every second Saturday of the month, you're invited to turn up and try out the art of improvisation. The classes are simple, fun, relaxed and designed for beginners, so don't worry if you're a total newbie, horribly nervous or still traumatised by your high school drama teacher. You'll get to play games, do exercises and learn basic techniques, such as "active listening" and "react, adapt and communicate". WARM UP YOUR VOCAL CORDS WITH KARAOKE AT GOROS Sydney Fringe Festival isn't just about watching from the sidelines. Half the fun is getting involved in some way or another — whether you brave the front row of a standup show or put yourself in the firing line at an open mic. So, get in the spirit with a karaoke session at Goros, Surry Hills' late-night ode to Japanese dining, singing and gaming. They have three private rooms available, which means it's only you and your mates who'll hear you belting out the tunes. Once your vocal cords are warmed up, you'll be ready for a Fringe singalong session, happening every Friday night in The Rocks. Join the Shanty Club for seafaring songs at the Observer Hotel from 6-8pm, or, for classic pub tunes, make it the Fortune of War, from 8pm-midnight. CREEP YOURSELF OUT ON A GHOST TOUR What's a Fringe Fest without a few thrills and chills? The scariest show on the program is undoubtedly Hillbilly Thriller, an immersive experience that will take over Legs Hub, Lilyfield, from September 1–8. Once your taste for terror is tempted, spook yourself further on a ghost tour. On Cockatoo Island — a short ferry ride from nearby Barangaroo — there's Ghostyard: A Paranormal Tour, which leaves at 9pm every Saturday night. Alternatively, book into the Maritime Museum's Murder Mystery at Sea 2019, an adventure that takes you to the high seas, to solve a murder mystery. It's running for four dates only, from Saturday, September 14. IGNITE YOUR OWN CREATIVITY AT NEARBY MARKETS Throughout the festival, the long-running The Rocks Markets will adopt a new identity, with a bunch of eclectic, Fringe-inspired stalls. Prepare for left-of-field eats, creations by local makers, imaginative designs and live performances that will take you utterly by surprise. Located just 15 minutes' walk from West Hotel, the markets are open 10am-9pm every Friday and Saturday, and 10am-5pm every Sunday, throughout September. Another spot where you can soak up creative ideas is The Big Design Market, which will bring more than 200 stalls to Barangaroo for three days, from September 20–22. KEEP THE PARTY GOING AT A STELLA DRAG SHOW The Fringe Festival is definitely addictive. Chances are, you'll find yourself at the end of at least one show ready for more entertainment. The good news is the party doesn't have to finish, thanks to The Imperial Erskineville's dedication to drag. Swing by any evening from Wednesday to Sunday, for a spectacular show in the pub's Priscillas Restaurant; its menu includes plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Executive Chef Dave Clarke and his team take their culinary influences from California, so expect loads of fresh ingredients and bright colours. There's also an entire bar devoted to ceviche. RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK AT PANIQ ROOM One Fringe show that's bound to get your heart racing is Speed: The Movie, The Play, which invites you to climb aboard a vintage bus for an interactive, comedic experience involving plenty of Keanu Reeves jokes. After conquering that, test your self against the clock in Paniq Room, an escape room that could have you locked inside a military bunker, handcuffed and blindfolded in a smoky cell or trapped in a small space with a very tricky magician — with just 60 minutes to get out. Alternatively, try Fringe Festival's very own theatrical pop-up puzzle room, Lilies and Dust, which challenges you to bring your dead cat back to life. Afterwards, you can celebrate your success (or commiserate your loss) with happy hour drinks at Solander Dining and Bar — between 5–7pm each day, you can get beers and wine for $8, or spritzes for $12. Sydney Fringe Festival runs from September 1–30. Cruise between the festivals' main hubs from the convenience of West Hotel Sydney, found on Sussex Street.
