With every endeavour, there comes a time when you're faced with difficult decisions. Whether it's scaling back, making a major change or trying something different, it's important to know when and how to make a tough call that just might benefit you in the long run. So how do you know when you're making the right choice? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but we sought out some advice from two Sydney venues who have become beloved local fixtures in the industry, in partnership with Square. Good Ways Deli started slinging sandwiches in Redfern in 2021 and quickly developed so much of a following that they opened a second outpost in Alexandria the following year. The Barber Shop is a fair bit older, having opened in 2013. The city speakeasy is known for its extensive collection of 700-plus gins and has been voted Australia's Best Gin Bar by Australian Bartender Magazine four times. The Barber Shop's co-owner Mike Enright and Good Ways' co-founder Jordan McKenzie share their wisdom on making big changes, unexpected surprises and what they've learnt along the way. [caption id="attachment_960054" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit Cassandra Hannigan[/caption] The Barber Shop on Closing the Actual Barbershop The Barber Shop was, aptly, concealed behind a fully operational barbershop that served clients during the day. However, after consistent losses from that portion of the business, the team decided to shut down the front of the venue. "We closed our actual barbershop at the front of the bar. The barbers are a completely different business to hospitality. It was taking up too much time and we barely broke even post-covid," said co-owner Mike Enright. "It meant that we could focus on the bar and not have our bottom line suffering by the losses it was making." When asked whether it was a tough call, Enright answered: "We had to make a few redundancies, but it was a smooth transition." He elaborated, "We tried hard and long to keep that part of the business operating and I didn't want to let it go, but it was the best decision in the end." Did it work? "The space is now a prop for the bar. It still looks like a barbershop but with no cutting hair, which is a shame. It used to be a great business pre-covid." But, Enright added, "It turned out exactly as planned — the losses and the stress of trying to run two businesses disappeared." Another benefit of closing the barbershop was that Enright was able to devote more attention to producing events, which he says are "another source of additional income for us and great promotion for the brand." Thanks to Square, these events, whether on or off-site, can go off without a hitch. "The Tap-To-Pay on iPhone is super useful," Enright shared. "We always have a device to take payments on." Good Ways Deli on Choosing to Bake Their Own Bread Good Ways Deli had been making their own bread for about a year when they made the decision to commit to baking on a bigger scale. "We started to think about what made Good Ways what it is and how we could double down on that. Baking bread in house is a labour of love for a sandwich shop, and we needed a way to make it worthwhile and differentiate us from the market," shared co-founder Jordan McKenzie. McKenzie recalled when they shut down the store to renovate the space. "To make this change we had to close the shop for four days — we ripped apart the bar and benches, and rebuilt them in a way that left more space for a deck oven and a bigger mixer. Our trades came in and upgraded the services to account for the new equipment. It was an ambitious feat in the timeframe we gave ourselves and sleep wasn't really factored into the equation, but we got it done!" So how did they make this decision? "We looked at our business plan and what we'd done up until now, and what would take it to the next level. You can't do everything you want to do when you first open, so change is inevitable," said McKenzie. "We knew that quality, healthy and sustainably minded food were core values for us, and the health benefits of slowly fermented sourdough breads were a big draw in a growing sandwich scene." Once the decision has been made, it can be another challenge entirely to get the staff and customers on board. "We have regular staff meetings to communicate our values and why we have them, but people who come to work at Good Ways can see what we do and it really resonates. There is strong buy-in." As for the customers, "we have some messaging on the website and through social media, but for the most part, we try to let our actions speak. The fact that you can see the bread being made as soon as you walk in really helps," explained McKenzie. Was it a success? "I don't know if I'd pin it as the game-changer, but it's definitely been a step forward for us in this long walk." McKenzie added, "The fact that not only Tom and I, but all of the team are still excited to eat a sandwich for lunch every day after four years is testament to that." McKenzie's additional piece of advice was: "Cafes and restaurants are well-oiled machines that rely on repetition to hone efficiency, so whenever you make changes there will always be teething issues. You can't have business without problem-solving though, so get on with it!" He went on to say, "Ask people smarter than you for advice, plan well and crack on. When you find the problems, fix them." Find out how Square can kickstart your business at squareup.com.
Much has been written about Sydney's newest ARI, Alaska Projects. Having only been around for four months (and already nominated for a SMAC Award, which must have happened within the first week of the Alaska launch date) it seems that Sydney loves to feel like it is oh-so-underground. You know, an artspace in a carpark — so effing cool. And with 400 people along to Samuel Hodge's opening last week it looks as though the people speak volumes. But then again, anywhere where you can drink and smoke and look at art and be in a carpark sounds pretty good to me. We all want to feel like we live in New York sometimes. I may sound a little cynical and to tell you the truth, prior to visiting Alaska Projects I was. ARIs come and go but Alaska has just a touch of magic in the form of director, Sebastian Goldspink. As MCA VSO alumni (you may also remember him from here) he really has the gift of the gab and unlike most jaunts to art galleries in this city (ARI or otherwise) a visit to Alaska is met with the warm, extended hand of Seb, "Hi. Have you been to Alaska before? Do you know Sam's work? Let me talk you through the show." Which is suitably refreshing. And welcoming. And inclusive. And not at all the usual blank stare of nonchalance that you would expect from a gallery director running a space in a carpark in Kings Cross. Anyway, if you venture down to Alaska over the next week you will find the sprawling archive of Samuel Hodge’s Euro-hued post-Vice photographs. As a commercial photographer who also sees himself as a visual artist many of the photographs are outtakes from fashion shoots and other banal made moody everyday moments. A couple are particularly striking, the rest didn’t change my life, but might change yours. Either way, I would well recommend searching out Alaska on a Sunday afternoon when the Level Two car park doubles as the backpacker car market. Expect to exit the lift and be faced with some sort of Buffy vampire lair — backpackers nestled at plastic tables, munching on rice crackers, practicing their sideways glances of 150, 000 kms. 2 bedder conversion. New tyres. 3 months rego. Gold, Charlie, gold. Samuel Hodge runs until Sunday 22 January. Alaska Projects is open Thurs-Fri 6-8pm and Sat-Sun 1-6pm.
Not one, but four brand spanking new exhibitions featuring all-female artists kick off on June 2 at AirSpace Projects, including Tracey Clements' intriguing Metropolis Experiment. An installation of creeping salt and corroding steel, the piece is "part architectural model, part mad science" — the result being a ruined cityscape infused with the mood of a laboratory where something has gone horribly wrong. Clements is yet again inspired by JG Ballard's 1962 post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, The Drowned World. Enter another room and you'll find My Emotionalism, a colourful group exhibition curated by Ali Noble that features her own work alongside that of Grace Burzese, Cybele Cox, Danica Firulovic, Katy B Plummer and Helen Shelley. The group show sets out to "translate emotional states" — calling on viewers to feel rather than to think, to respond emotionally rather than to intellectualise. In another room you'll find the colourful geometrics of Susan Andrews' Off-Centre. Andrews, a lecturer in painting at NAS, is intrigued by the intersection of contemporary art with architectural design, and this collection sees her create triangles, squares and rectangles to play with the idea of imbalance. Finally there's Mangala Country by Broome-based artist Lydia Balbal, whose paintings explore stories of her family's country in the Great Sandy Desert, which they were forced to leave during severe drought. Sounds like the perfect way to spend a wintry afternoon. Image: Tracey Clements 'Metropolis Experiment I', 2016-17
Disney has its own. Apple has one too. And so does Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. If you're fond of documentaries, you have not one but two local choices. The same applies if you're eager to get viewing for free, especially if you can handle retro flicks and titles that you've never heard of before. And if you're eager to support Australian content, there's one for that as well. We're talking about streaming platforms, of course. Throw in Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, SBS On Demand and ABC iView, and Aussies can't say there isn't anything to watch. That's not an exhaustive list either, because this space just keeps growing — with a new service dedicated to British television now joining the fold as well. Britbox was already operational in the USA, Canada and, of course, the United Kingdom, but it only launched in Australia on Monday, November 23 — after announcing it was coming to our shores earlier this year. It's a joint collaboration between two English TV networks: the BBC and ITV. They both have a hefty stable of programs up their sleeves, and you can expect retro and recent series. Think Doctor Who, Absolutely Fabulous, The Office, Blackadder, Pride and Prejudice, Prime Suspect, The Vicar of Dibley and Mr Bean, for instance. There's also Luther, A Confession, and David Attenborough's Blue Planet and Planet Earth. And yes, the list goes on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2DCExerOsA Britbox focuses on box sets of UK shows, which means full seasons all there at once ready for audiences to stream. You can do to do so via mobile devices, tablets, connected TVs and Chromecast — and via the online site. And price-wise, it's offering a seven-day trial, with subscriptions costing $8.99 per month or $89.99 for a year. Britbox is now available to stream in Australia via the service's website.
Transcendence feels like a movie out of time. For one, it seeks to pack far too much into its 119-minute run-time, but — more to point — it feels like a movie that's 14 years too late, and not just because it specifically references Y2K without any irony or reminiscence. Set in the 'could be today, could be tomorrow, but in no way distant' future, it concerns itself with married couple and MIT-supergraduates Will and Evelyn Caster (Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall). They, along with friends and colleagues Max (Paul Bettany) and Joseph (Morgan Freeman), are amongst the world's leading engineers in the pursuit of a fully functioning, self-aware artificial intelligence. Opposing them is a group of militant luddites operating under the banner of 'Unplug', which again — in the age of wireless — seems markedly dated for such a forward-thinking movie. When these 'Unpluggists' (as they're definitely not called) launch a series of coordinated attacks against AI-focused research centres, Will winds up mortally wounded, albeit in a manner so unnecessary and bewildering that it's a genuine mystery how and why it was ever included in the plot. As his final days draw near, Evelyn decides to upload his consciousness to a mainframe in the hope that he can live on inside the machine. It's at this point that things turn bad for both the characters and the film. The compelling ethical questions raised in the first act largely fall away, dismissed with the apathetic resignation of 'oh well, we went and did it so what does it all matter now?' As Will's intelligence rapidly surpasses that of humanity's — a theoretical moment known in conventional science as 'the singularity' and in the film as 'transendence' — his aspirations and ideas become, just like the movie, too broad, too incorporeal and too numerous. Moments of extraordinary innovation and emotion, such as the bestowing of sight upon a man who'd only ever known blindess, are shown and then dispensed with absent almost any sentimentality or drama. It's not that any of the ideas are necessarily bad, it's just that any one or two of them would have made for an excellent film, whereas all of them combined prove little more than a confusing and threadbare mess. The glue that binds it all together is the delightful Rebecca Hall, whose performance as the dutiful, then grieving, then wilfully blind accomplice to Will's increasing 'transcendent interventionism' instills some much-needed humanity to the film. Her stubborn refusal to acknowledge the possibility of confirmation bias in believing the AI she's interacting with is anything but her dead husband is both moving and unsettling, demonstrating how important objectivity is in any scientific pursuit, let alone one with global implications. The recent, exceptional Her raised many of the same questions relating to artificial sentience, and — to put it plainly — did it much better. Given the rate of technological advancement, there's an undeniable sense of inevitability when it comes to the singularity, and doubtless we'll soon see many more films exploring the possibilities (and dangers) of blurring the lines between man and machine. The issues are genuinely fascinating, though future films would do well to learn lessons from Transcendence and explore just one of them instead of all of them. https://youtube.com/watch?v=QheoYw1BKJ4
Set to open in the coming months, ultra-chic 25hours Hotels will make its Australian debut with the arrival of The Olympia in Paddington. As the opening date gets closer, the team has announced that London-based creative hospitality group Studio Paskin will also make its Australian debut, working alongside celebrated local chef Mitch Orr as Culinary Director. Studio Paskin's sibling founders, Zoë and Layo Paskin, will bring their immersive blend of storytelling and cultural richness to the gastronomic offering. The group's reputation for working with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients from small artisans and growers dovetails perfectly with Orr's experience, with his local insight and trusted relationships set to prove a harmonious pairing. As for The Olympia, the hotel will feature four venues, with three presented as a fresh iteration of Studio Paskin's existing London hotspots. The main restaurant, The Palomar, will draw on multifaceted influences, from Southern Europe to North Africa and the Levant, with cuisine produced on a woodfired grill in an open kitchen. Next, The Mulwray is an intimate wine and cocktail bar, named after the character of Evelyn Mulwray from the 1974 classic film, Chinatown. Mysteriously elegant, this film noir inspiration sets the scene. There's also Jacob the Angel, an all-day coffee house and bakery, shaped by the ever-evolving landscape of independent coffee shops. Primed for a top-notch brew with the treats to match, Baker Bleu bread will adorn the shelves. Finally, the stylish rooftop bar Monica is inspired by the sun-drenched nostalgia of West Hollywood. Conceived by creative F&B studio Carte Blanched, expect panoramic views of the city and an easygoing vibe. Launching Studio Paskin in 1995, Zoë and Layo's journey into the world of hospitality began with the opening of The End — a highly influential London nightclub that ran until 2009. With Layo touring the globe as one half of the DJ duo Layo & Bushwacka!, he's more than familiar with Sydney's nightlife venues, including the site of The Olympia, which was formerly the Grand Pacific Blue Room nightclub. The pair's creative collaboration with Mitch Orr is set to be an exciting one, as the so-called Prince of Pasta will bring plenty of inventiveness to the kitchen. Learning his trade at some of Sydney's highest profile restaurants, including Pilu at Freshwater, Sepia, and his own venture ACME, he's perhaps best known as the former Head Chef of Kiln, the Ace Hotel's acclaimed flame-forward rooftop restaurant. 25hours Hotel The Olympia is expected to open in mid-2025 at 1-11 Oxford Street, Paddington. Head to the website for more information.
On September 25, 1981, Sydneysiders got their first look at the revolving restaurants inside Sydney Tower. Exactly 39 years later, the restaurants have reopened after a $12-million renovation, with new looks, A-plus cocktails and a star cast of Sydney hospitality elite. The tower's dining precinct is split into three levels: 70s-inspired Bar 83, opulent fine-diner Infinity and casual buffet restaurant Sky Feast. Each space has a unique design by Loopcreative, pulling inspiration from the likes of space odysseys, Aussie backyard pools and bygone Kings Cross bars. Sky Feast, according to the team, caters to a broader tourism market. Its design is a throwback to suburban Aussie backyards of the 70s and 80s with pebblecrete, breeze blocks, terracotta tiles and plenty of blonde furniture by Melbourne's Ross Didier. Food here is served buffet-style, but at the moment, because of COVID-19, it's a buffet that the staff bring to you for $80 a head (or $60 for lunch). There are more than 30 dishes on the menu, which we won't run through here, but expect plenty of seafood (oysters, mussels, baked barramundi), curries, noodles and six different desserts. If you've got a hunger that a regular dinner just won't fix, a big feed here might be just what you need. Images: Robert Walsh
Purrfect news, feline fans: everything a dapper doggo can do, a cute cat can as well. While that's an accurate statement in general, as anyone who has ever shared their life with both a pooch and a kitty will know, it's also the thinking behind Sydney's returning animal event. From the folks behind the Dog Lovers Festival comes the mouser equivalent: the Cat Lovers Festival. If you wear the 'crazy cat person' label as a badge of honour, stop to pat every moggie you meet while you're walking down the street or spend your all of your spare time watching cat videos (or all of the above), then you'll want to block out Saturday, August 26–Sunday, August 27 in your calendar. Expect Sydney Showground to come alive with the sounds of meows, and expect pussy lovers to come out in force. On the agenda: feline-focused education and celebration. Before you go thinking about adorable kitties wearing glasses and sitting at desks, or popping streamers and wearing party hats (awwwwwwwww), humans will be doing the learning and rejoicing. Really, what's more informative and exuberant than entering the Pat-A-Cat zone and getting cosy with cats of all shapes and sizes — and possibly taking one home with you? If that doesn't tickle your whiskers, expect to meet more than 200 kitties, hit up a cat supermarket, listen to talks about felines, watch cat shows, see a Hello Kitty! performance and grab a bite to eat. Just remember: there'll be plenty of mousers in the Cat Lovers Show house, so you'll need to leave your own moggie at home.
Whether you're heading south from Brisbane or north from Sydney, a small patch of northern New South Wales boasts your next boozy road-trip destination: Husk Farm Distillery. Located on the Tweed River at North Tumbulgum, less than half an hour's drive over the Queensland–NSW border and only 45 minutes from Byron Bay, this quiet estate whips up agricole rum at its onsite distillery — and features views across the Tweed Valley over to Mt Warning to soak in as well. Given the leafy surroundings, it won't come as a surprise to hear that Husk Farm is a paddock-to-bottle operation — Australia's first in the agricole rum realm, in fact. Focusing on sustainability, the 60-hectare site grows its own raw materials for its tipples, which includes Ink Gin as well. What isn't used in making booze is then fed to the farm's herd of cattle, and what they don't eat is used as compost on the 12-hectare rainforest. Freshly opened to the public, the distillery also features a cellar door, cocktail bar and cafe, plus an area for lawn games. That means that you can take a 45-minute tour from Wednesday–Sunday — which costs $35 and include a gin and tonic on arrival, as well a rum tasting flight at the end — then sip cocktails, nab a bottle to take home with you, tuck into a snack and relax. Beverage-wise, the cocktail list will change seasonally, not only heroing Husk's spirits but blending them with native bush food as well as locally growth produce. Think roasted wattle seed, flamed lemon myrtle and lilly pilly flavours, in concoctions such as the Husk, Finger Lime and Soda, Flamin' Myrtle, and cane honey and grapefruit-heavy winter Sun. As for the food, three types of grazing boards, marinated olives, dips and breads, a daily selection of baguettes, and a range of cakes and cookies are on offer.
If you're someone who loves indulging in a few G&Ts on a summer evening but doesn't love waking up to dehydrated, hungover skin, we've got you covered. Beloved Aussie brands Four Pillars Gin and Go-To Skincare are bringing back their extremely limited-edition Go-To Gin — a spirit that sent fans of Go-To founder ZFB (that's Zoë Foster-Blake for the uninitiated) into a frenzy on its release last spring. When we say frenzy we mean it — the inaugural batch of My New Go-To Gin sold out in just five hours. This year you've got some time to gather yourself — the second release drops on Thursday, November 17. Ready for cocktail mixing and shaking, flavours in this coveted drop include native Aussie peach, lemon myrtle, pink peppercorns and ruby grapefruit. The familiar peachy pink Go-To label means you could probably add it to your bathroom counter's line-up and nobody would notice anything out of the ordinary. And if you sip a few too many the night before another event (hello, festive season) you're in luck: Every bottle comes with a Go-To 'Transformazing' sheet mask to soak your skin in much-needed moisture. Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cam Mckenzie said in a statement he was aware gin and skin are an "unlikely duo". "But after a G&T or two (or three) with the Go-To team we realised there was a lot we had in common. We're both champions of using best-in-class ingredients, we're both sticklers for quality and, speaking personally, we both have a thing for Sunday night face masking." To celebrate the launch, the skincare brand is taking over the gin garden at the recently revamped Four Pillars Distillery in Healesville for a series of cocktail workshops and skincare tutorials on November 18–20. Melbourne readers (or fans willing to travel) can find out more about that here. If last year is anything to go by, we imagine this gin is going to sell out pretty quickly, so sign up to the waitlist here — you'll also find a festive cocktail recipe. If you miss out, or peach isn't really your gin infusion of choice, you've got options however you choose to imbibe. Four Pillars has brought back its annual cult-favourites bloody shiraz gin and Christmas gin for your festive cocktail needs, or you can opt for a ready-to-pour bottled gin martini. The 2022 Four Pillars Go-To Gin will go on sale online on Thursday, November 17. Head to the Four Pillars website to sign up to the waitlist and to register for the launch weekend at Four Pillars' Victorian distillery.
Dinosaurs. Sir David Attenborough. This planet we call home, but 66 million years ago. That's the Prehistoric Planet template, and it's a winner. It proved a treat when Apple TV+'s impressive and immersive documentary series initially arrived in 2022, becoming one of the best new shows of the year. And, now that the program is back for a second five-episode run with more photorealistic ancient creatures and more Attenborough-narrated insights into their behaviour — streaming one chapter per night between Monday, May 22–Friday, May 26, then available to watch whenever viewers like afterwards — that formula works just as charmingly again. Prehistoric Planet achieves a magical feat, which both seasons have perfected: making viewers feel like they're travelling back in time, and spectacularly so. The concept for the program is over a decade old, coming to executive producer, veteran Attenborough colleague and BBC Natural History Unit Creative Director Mike Gunton (Planet Earth II) while filming with the iconic broadcaster in Africa, but the end result unsurprisingly took time to come to fruition. "We did a very early test — actually, in fact it became the heart of the T-rex on the beach sequence in the opening series. We did that as a sort of initial proof of concept and it was it was astonishing, actually, how good it was," Gunton tells Concrete Playground in a chat about the show with series producer Tim Walker. Being able to capitalise upon advancements in technology to make Prehistoric Planet look as stunningly lifelike as it does is a happy result of the years spent making the show happen; however, if was it's presenting wasn't scientifically sound, all that imagery would mean nothing. [caption id="attachment_779232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Attenborough, A Life on Our Planet, WWF[/caption] "We're very proud of the scientific rigour that underpins the series," adds Walker, who has also enjoyed a lengthy history delving into natural history on-screen, including on Attenborough projects such as David Attenborough's First Life. "Every sequence — when we talk about sequence, we're talking the short films within the film, so each episode has about five or six sequences in it — each of those sequences takes years to create, both in the research and then in the execution of it." That effort is evident, whether Prehistoric Planet is observing raptors display their cleverness, peering at mating rituals — oh-so-many mating rituals — or unpacking the often-perilous search for food and always-dangerous quest for survival. It shines through as the series surveys all the regular go-to dinosaurs, when it broadens its remit to lesser-known creatures and as it heroes non-dinosaur inhabitants of this pale blue dot during the Cretaceous age. How did it all come about? How does it look so astonishing? How important is the one and only Attenborough to making the series what it is? Gunton and Walker chatted with us about all those crucial Prehistoric Planet details and more — including the tense experience of watching Attenborough watch the show's first footage. ON HOW PREHISTORIC PLANET INITIALLY CAME OUT — AND WHY IT DIDN'T EARLIER Mike: "That's often the sign of a good idea, I think. Of course it should've have been done — it's blindingly obvious when you think about it. The idea came about actually with Sir David, doing some filming with him in Africa about 12 years ago now, maybe even more. He was doing the opening for a series I was working with him on about Africa, and his opening piece of camera was on top of this mountain on the equator in Africa. He was saying, the kind of thought was: 'nowhere on earth does nature put on the greatest show than here in Africa'. And I thought 'that's interesting — it is true, but I wonder if that's always been the case? I wonder when the greatest time of all time would have been?'. And I thought it was probably when the dinosaurs were running around here. So I thought 'could you do that?'. Could you take that crew that was standing on that mountainside, stick them in the time machine, fly them back 66 million years ago, and Sir David, and make a film, a series, as we were trying to do there, but instead of being lions and wildebeests and elephants, there'd be T-rex and triceratops. So that was the that was the germ of the idea, but it took a long time, many years, to get every all the stars to align — the planets to align, whichever the way you want to say it — and to get the team together, to get the resources and to find the right broadcaster before we finally made it. But actually, as David has said — he said 'I'm glad we waited ten years, because actually we've learned so much in those ten years'. And he's probably right. As Tim says, this is a golden age of dinosaur research now." ON MAKING THE SERIES LOOK SO STUNNINGLY PHOTOREALISTIC — AND THE HUGE TEAM EFFORT BEHIND IT Mike: "I think definitely the technology does improve all the time, but again another another sort of star alignment that I think was critical was that Jon — Jon Favreau — had in that time made The Jungle Book, then The Lion King. They basically did millions of dollars in R&D for us really, because to make those shows, Jon wanted to do that effectively — he said he wanted to try to take some of the grammar and approaches from wildlife documentary-making and apply those to those shows in terms of the look and some of the way the camera worked. And and that hyper-accelerated the sorts of CG that we needed to make to make this show. But it's accelerating — these these advances are going all the time." Tim: "[It takes] lots and lots and lots and lots of hard work. That's the basic answer. We are a multidisciplinary group of people. We've got, over the course of the the two series, we've approached almost 2000 people working on the project in various different disciplines. Marry them all together and you get a piece of work which is greater than the sum of its parts. We've got fabulous wildlife filmmakers based at the BBC's Natural History Unit, who've spent years in the field filming animals, making animal films. And then we've got wonderful CGI artists at MPC, who were the FX producers. And then we've got a wonderful relationship with the palaeontology world. So we have a lead scientific adviser who's embedded in the team. He's got his finger on the paleo pulse, and through that connection we talk to people all over the world. And of course, the internet has enabled that to happen really, really quickly — the exchange of data to happen really quickly. So marry all of those disciplines together, as in paleoclimatologists, paleobotanists, locomotion specialists, paleo artists, and you start to create this wonderful machine that starts thinking about what we're going to put in the series by looking at the fossil record so. That's our base entry level. We look to see what animals were around in the time period. Our time period that we feature is only the last five or six million years of the dinosaur evolution, called the Maastrichtian. And so we look to see what's in the Maastrichtian fossil layer. That gives us the animals — not just the dinosaurs, but the whole cast of characters. So the dinosaurs, the pterosaurs in the air, and the marine reptiles. And then the other animals that were around as well, because it was a very rich and vibrant time —so the mammals, the snakes, the amphibians, the other reptiles, the fish, the birds — to paint this very rich habitat of the of the planet. Then we start with that fossil record — that gives us the animals, it gives us the habitats — and then we start to think about the storylines based on what we know the behaviours would have been like. Animals face the same challenges to survive their daily rigours whether it's today or 66 million years ago. They've all got to find a mate. They've all got to procreate. They've all got to find food. They've all got to avoid being eaten in some cases. So that happens in Australia today, Africa today, America today. It happened in those places 66 million years ago. And so combining all of those different skills with the different personnel, that's how we start to get the series." Mike: "That's the that's the short answer, by the way." ON DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S IMPORTANCE TO THE SERIES Tim: "One of the things that we all are very proud of is the incredible execution, not just of the CGI imagery, but also the aesthetic of the whole series. It's beautifully filmed, beautifully put together. But we always maintain that it doesn't matter how good something looks, it's all about the storytelling. And if you don't have the storytelling, the images may wash over you a little bit. So then to add the gravitas of the storytelling, we have a wonderful opportunity to work with Sir David. And Mike has worked with David for what, 35 years, Mike is it?" Mike: "Nearly, yeah." Tim: "And if anyone can tell you a story about Sir David it's Mike." Mike: "One thing that was interesting about working with David on this was that he did — actually, with one of the questions you asked earlier about why hasn't it been done before, I think he was always quite anxious that he'd seen people making dinosaur shows, and he always thought were a bit fantastical and a bit lacking in rigour. And so one of the things that he was very, very keen to interrogate was the level of rigour and the authenticity that we were bringing to the show. Not just how good the dinosaurs look, but how much evidence we were using to come up with our deductions and the representations we made. In the end, I literally had to go there to his house with two sequences to show him in story form, in sort of a storyboard form, and to explain what we're doing and how the stories will play out. And I thought 'I'll take some of the data that we've got, that we've collected, to support these two stories'. And each of those was a carrier bag, a holdall full of papers. I had to hump two massive great holdalls of paperwork up to London to talk to him about it. And sure enough, he wanted to see them. We flipped through some. So it needed that kind conviction for him to want to do it, because if he's going to do it — this is the one time he's going to do it, probably — he wanted to make sure it's going to be to the best and the most authentic and most rigorous representation you could ever have." ON DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S REACTION TO SEEING THE FINISHED PRODUCT Mike: "When we finally showed him the first episode, we again went up there to show it. He had it on my computer, and he sat and he said 'let's watch it then'. And he sat down, he sat there — not a word, he watched it without a word, and his fingers were slightly drumming on his the arm of his chair as he was watching. He was very intensely watching it. He finished it — he's very theatrical in this way, he flipped the computer down, and then [he says] 'but I don't know how you could have done it any better'. And from that moment on he was utterly — every commentary recording, he'd say 'when's the next one? That was amazing. What's happening? I can't wait to see the next one. What are we doing next?'. Really, really, it was a great, great pleasure, wasn't it Tim?" Tim: "It really was." Mike: And those PPUs — those little behind-the-scenes ones at the end — that's David at his absolute most joyful, with an object in his hand that he could talk about and tell you about. 'This is what this tells you, and this, and this and that, and this asks this question and that question'. It's amazing. It's fantastic." Tim: "One of the things is, we've got so many people involved in this — and you know, we get notes from a lot of people. So, as we're making the film, lots of people check the films along the way and people give us notes and suggestions. When you get notes from Sir David Attenborough, that's when you listen, because you know he's seen it all and done it all. And if he points something out, 'oh yeah, good point'." Prehistoric Planet season two streams via Apple TV+ across Monday, May 22–Friday, May 26, with a new episode available each day. Read our full review of season two — and of Prehistoric Planet season one.
If Cottesloe starts to feel a little too sharky for your liking, take a break from the beach and head to AGWA for Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures before it wraps up at the end of January. Celebrating the Perth-born actor's charisma, exemplary career and passionate creativity, it's a must-see for all Ledger fans. Put together by AGWA, the WA Museum and guest curator Allison Holland, the exhibition follows Ledger's career from his teenage years up to his final role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). You'll get to see costumes — including the Joker suit from The Dark Knight and the shirts he wore as Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain — alongside research journals (on display for the first time) that grant an insight into how Ledger developed his roles. Also included in the show are photographic portraits by the likes of Karin Catt and Bruce Weber, Ledger's Best Supporting Actor Oscar and BAFTA, and a chronological narrative of his career — including his own experimentation with image making and creative projects as a director. Promises to be a bittersweet reminder of just how talented Ledger was, and what even greater heights he would have gone on to achieve. Image: Brokeback Mountain, 2005, © Kimberley French, photographer.
The Baroque Room is one of the multiple venues located within The Carrington Hotel, the Blue Mountains institution on Katoomba Street. Soon, it will play host to Ngaiire. The singer is undoubtedly a creative force of nature, as well as the first Papua New Guinean to feature in Triple J's Hottest 100. Since her Australian Idol appearance back in 2004, Ngaiire has been working on her unique brand of R&B and neo soul, which has seen her tour alongside acts as diverse as Flume and Alicia Keys. Her live performances are renowned for their theatricality, attention-grabbing costumes and incredible vocals — it's no exaggeration to say the mountains won't know what's hit them this spring. If you're keen to head along, you best get in quick as her later performance has already sold out. For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
Sydney Fringe doesn't start until September, but it's never too early to start building the hype. Turns out the folks behind New South Wales' largest independent arts festival have big plans for 2017, starting with a massive new festival hub in a warehouse opposite Sydney Park in Alexandria. The 7000 square metre hub will be made possible thanks to a major new corporate partnership with local property developer HPG. The project is still pending final approvals, but will hopefully be up and running by later this month. Once completed, the hub will feature multiple performance and exhibition spaces, installations, and immersive art experiences. It will also play host to monthly events in the lead up to the festival. The programmers have also teased a number of events in this year's lineup. The Kensington Street Festival Village will be bustling all September long, and will be home to a pair of pop-up performance venues specialising in theatre and comedy. Cirque Africa, featuring 38 performers from six African countries backed by a live African band, will make its Sydney premier following a blockbuster run at Adelaide Fringe. Meanwhile, Digital Dinner will serve up an "immersive digital dining experience" incorporating food, art, music, installations and digital media. As in previous years, emerging artists will be featured heavily in the 2017 Fringe program, with more than 60 percent of the works on offer created by artists under the age of 30. The full Sydney Fringe program will be revealed in August. The festival will run from September 1-30. For more information visit www.sydneyfringe.com.
Chee Soon & Fitzgerald is well established in the Sydney design scene. The shop has a rich and impressive history — it first opened in Surry Hills in 1996, and were the first in Australia to stock Finnish homewares giant Marimekko. If you're a fan of lush textiles and left-of-centre homewares, this place is sure to become one of your favourites. The Redfern store is home to Japanese ceramics, African textiles, folk art from all around the world and, if you're lucky, that one-of-a-kind antique piece you've been dreaming of. We recommend bringing your credit card.
Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, is a willowy enigma wrapped in feathers and furs. The musical world of the Brighton-based singer-songwriter is one of full moon's, fairytales and sparkling things, all composed with the kind of delicate intensity that inspires obsessive devotion from people sitting in their bedrooms wearing headphones around the world. Nominated for a collection of Brit Awards and Mercury Prizes, Bat For Lashes' reputation rests on two albums — Fur And Gold and Two Suns — a handful of cover-versions, including The Cure's 'A Forest' and Depeche Mode's 'Strangelove,' and 'Let's Get Lost', a collaboration with Beck, which is the one solitary thing that convinces me the Twilight franchise can't be as bad as all that. Although frequently likened to Kate Bush, Bjork and PJ Harvey, the similarities are drawn mostly because her powerful voice and echoing melodies mark her out as completely unique amongst other contemporary female artists. Which is why Bat For Lashes is one of the most highly anticipated acts set to perform during this year's Vivid Live Festival. Bringing with her a modest orchestral contingent to accompany her, and a whole lot of creative energy from the new album she's currently working on, you can count on Bat For Lashes to deliver the sort of magical performance to match the kaleidoscopic sails of the illuminated Opera House. https://youtube.com/watch?v=n1wnOUH2jk8
Twilight at Taronga — the after-hours live music series that boasts arguably the best view of Sydney Harbour, as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven it's got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs. Past lineups have featured the likes of The Jezabels, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, Mavis Staples, Paul Kelly and Wolfmother, and, from the looks of things, its 2023 series will be just as epic. Held in Taronga Zoo's natural amphitheatre, the next batch of shows will run from Friday, February 10–Saturday, March 11, 2023. And we've got some real humdingers to look forward to, including Daryl Braithwaite breaking out 'The Horses', plus fellow homegrown stars Kate Miller-Heidke, The Church, The Living End, Xavier Rudd, Kasey Chambers and Busy Marou. ABBA parody/tribute Bjorn Again will also hit the stage, as will James Morrison running through the 'A–Z of Jazz'. And, a big drag gala will bring together Karen From Finance, Kita Mean, Spankie Jackzon, Carla From Bankstown, Elektra Shock and more, all for Sydney WorldPride — while a comedy gala will feature Nazeem Hussain, Melanie Bracewell, Anne Edmonds, Lloyd Langford, Claire Hooper and Danielle Walker. You can BYO a picnic, but there'll also be gourmet hampers available onsite alongside a handful of food trucks. Ticketholders can also purchase discounted same-day entry into the zoo (so you can sneak in a visit to your favourite mammal, bird or reptile beforehand) and, if you want to make a weekend of it, you can add on a night at Taronga's luxe eco-retreat. As always, all proceeds will go back into Taronga's ongoing conservation work, including its campaign to protect our marine life. So, you can see a gig and feel good about helping the zoo. Get excited and check out the full lineup: [caption id="attachment_745448" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taronga Zoo Wildlife Retreat[/caption] TWILIGHT AT TARONGA 2023 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES LINEUP: Friday, February 10 — The Living End Saturday, February 11, 10am — Justine Clark Saturday, February 11, 6pm — Bjorn Again Saturday, February 18 — Xavier Rudd Friday, February 24 — The Church Saturday, February 25 — James Morrison's A–Z of Jazz Thursday, March 2 — Drag gala featuring Karen From Finance, Kita Mean, Spankie Jackzon, Carla From Bankstown, Elektra Shock and more Friday, March 3 — Daryl Braithwaite Saturday, March 4, 10am — Teen Tiny Stevies Saturday, March 4, 6pm — Comedy gala featuring Nazeem Hussain, Melanie Bracewell, Anne Edmonds, Lloyd Langford, Claire Hooper, Danielle Walker and more Friday, March 10 — Kate Miller-Heidke Saturday, March 11 — Kasey Chambers and Busy Marou Tickets for Twilight at Taronga 2023 Summer Concert Series go on sale at 12pm AEDT on Thursday, November 3 via twilightattaronga.org.au, with Twilight at Taronga member pre-sales from 12pm AEDT on Tuesday, November 1.
Indonesia might be one of Australia's closest neighbours, but our understanding of its cuisine often doesn't stretch far beyond nasi goreng and sate. And yet, the world's largest archipelago boasts one of the most diverse food cultures on the planet, shaped by the unique flora across its 17,000 islands, its pivotal role in centuries of spice trading — nutmeg, clove and pandan leaves are just some of the spices native to Indonesia — and subsequent influences from Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This is the starting point for Aroma of Indonesia. The 44-seat Clarence Street venue, which bills itself as Sydney's first premium Indonesian restaurant, is on a mission to showcase regional dishes rarely seen outside Indonesia. Yes, there's nasi goreng and sate — but here, they share the spotlight with lesser-known specialties that read like a journey through the archipelago, from a Padang-style rendang made with 2GR Full Blood wagyu, to tongseng domba, a Central Javan lamb shank curry with charred cabbage and tomato. Desserts nod to tradition with playful twists, like a pandan sago pudding with jackfruit and coconut, or a crème brûlée infused with the famously divisive durian. Cocktails follow a similar theme — signatures include the Aroma Island, a mix of coconut rum, purple ube, pineapple juice and condensed milk topped with a coconut aroma bubble, and the Toraja Negroni, made with house-infused coffee gin and a touch of gula aren (palm sugar from South Sulawesi). Set within the Barrack Place precinct, Aroma of Indonesia is the latest venture from Indonesian-born, Sydney-trained chefs Nessiana Pamudji and Ferry Tshai, the husband-and-wife duo behind Kent Street fave The Sambal. With Aroma, they've channelled both their heritage and 15 years of combined experience in some of Sydney's top kitchens, including China Doll and Billy Kwong, into a menu that elevates Indonesian flavours without losing authenticity. Warm interiors inspired by Bali's Tegalalang Rice Terraces set the scene for an elevated yet inviting dining experience — one that gives Indonesian cuisine the stage it deserves.
Whether your school holidays were filled with chilling tales by campfires or reading Goosebumps by torchlight, you'll appreciate the historic spooks this after-dark tour inspires. Cockatoo Island's history of paranormal encounters stretches back more than a century, with reports of apparition sightings and sensory experiences — like unexplained bursts of air and smoky aromas — colouring its past as a convict prison and dockyard. This spine-tingling exploration will take you through rarely visited buildings and corridors, where true tales of murder and botched prison escapes will be shared while you wield spirit-detection devices to seek out lingering souls. Only brave ghost hunters over 18 are invited to this two-hour journey into the unknown that sets out on select Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm ($47 per person). Images: Robert Mulally, Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
Kaldor project 31 — a tough follow-up to Marina Abramovic: In Residence — promises cutting-edge choreography from French artist Xavier Le Roy. This ambitious project will unfold in three parts at Carriageworks and will be realised through the assistance of artistic collaborator Scarlet Yu and a group of 18 Australian performers. Self Unfinished is Le Roy’s seminal solo performance, which premiered in 1998. Unlike his later projects, this work was designed for a theatre space and has received acclaim for reconfiguring the relationship between audience and performer. You can also see two sides of Temporary Title – the rehearsals and the final product. Spoiler: everyone will be in the nude for the latter. Don’t let that deter you though. This piece will be an exploration of not quite human forms, testing the boundaries between the strange and the familiar.
Beloved camping music festival Beyond the Valley returns to its regular programming this year, set to ring in the new year at Barunah Plains, west of Melbourne, from December 28, 2022–January 1, 2023. And it's got a stacked lineup to celebrate, too, headlined by none other than the legendary Nelly Furtado — the Canadian singer behind 'I'm Like a Bird', 'Turn Off the Light', here for a one-off Aussie-exclusive performance. Joining her on the eclectic bill: Denzel Curry, Dom Dolla, Kaytranada, BENEE, Yeat, Flight Facilities, Honey Dijon, Lime Cordiale, Patrick Topping, Charlotte De Witte, Diplo and more. That includes Bicep, which'll come as no surprise if you saw the video earlier in the year announcing the fest's return, which was set to the sounds of 'Glue'. The fest's sprawling new Barunah Plains home comes complete with a 100,000-square metre-natural amphitheatre, playing host to its three usual stages (main stage, dance tent and multi-level dance spot Dr Dan's), as well as a new podcast stage featuring live and interactive recordings. The 2022 instalment will also include a beach club for swims; a small space that's only accessible via secret entrance called Schmall Klüb; and the Poof Doof 'pride patrol'; plus speed-dating, yoga, pilates, meditation, open mic sessions and a fortune teller. Beyond the Valley has released a range of ticketing options, including single-day passes and multi-day entry — though you'll want to be quick as they're all expected to sell out. [caption id="attachment_866660" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption]
It's possible to wish that I'll Be Gone in the Dark told its story in another way, and to still find yourself captivated by every single thing the six-part series serves up. In fact, there's no way to watch this immensely personal true-crime docuseries and not wish that author Michelle McNamara was a part of it in a very different way. She's the reason the show exists, and her obsessive work investigating the Californian murderer known as the Golden State Killer helped keep the case alive. She even wrote a book that shares this program's name, but she died from an accidental overdose in 2016, before it was published. I'll Be Gone in the Dark charts McNamara's quest to expose the man who committed at least 13 murders and 50 rapes between 1973–86, but it also intertwines McNamara's own story — including interviews with her husband Patton Oswalt. If you think you've seen every spin on the true-crime genre there is, you'll change your mind when you watch this highly detailed and also intimately personal series.
Say beer and the Aussies around you perk up. As a nation, we love a quality cold one like nothing else, so if we get a chance to sip exclusive brews from some of our fellow hop-loving neighbouring nations, we take that chance. Here's the good news: the leading Japanese brewing group Suntory is bringing a beer brand typically exclusive to Tokyo, in the form of a pop-up brewing event, back to Sydney. Suntory The Premium Malt's House has come to Sydney once before, selling out for beer aficionados night after night. This year, the Sydney popup will be available from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, August 11. This time, it's setting up shop in Darling Quarter at the Japanese eatery ICHOUME. You'll be able to enjoy ICHOUME's menu of Japanese snacks and share plates — with carefully selected pairings to go alongside five rare brews of Suntory The Premium Malt's: Premol, Premol Black, Half & Half (a mix of Premol & Premol Black), Mliko and Sunset (a 7:3 blend of Premol and Premol Black). Each option varies in flavour and frothiness, but all boast the The Premium Malt's staple of Kami-Awa (aka 'creamy foam'). One particularly special opportunity is planned for Friday, August 2 — International Beer Day. There are popups like this happening all over the world, and Sydney guests that day will join an international live stream where you'll be able to join a truly unique worldwide toast. For a bit of fun every other day, you can snap a selfie and have it printed on the foam of your order, or you might be able to win some Suntory The Premium Malt's merchandise before you go. The Suntory Premium Malt's is taking over ICHOUME from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, August 11. For more information, visit The Premium Malt's website or Instagram.
Spending your days in classrooms might be behind you, but binge-watching your way through school-set hit Australian TV shows is something that you never grow out of. When Heartbreak High first arrived on television in the 90s, it became one of the nation's classic teen series. When it returned in 2022 via Netflix, the new Heartbreak High revival also had everyone turning up. Your next date with its dramas: April 2024. 2020s-era Heartbreak High was promptly renewed the show for season two when its first season proved a huge smash. In 2023, Netflix advised that school would be in session again sometime this year. Now, the streaming platform has announced that term starts again on Thursday, April 11, 2024 for the International Emmy-, AACTA- and Logie-winning show. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix Australia & NZ (@netflixanz) Hartley High will be reopening its gates, "rack off" will be the strongest insult there is again and more than just nostalgia for the OG 1994–99 series will be on the agenda. And, as announced last year, there'll be new faces among the students. Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans) will play country boy and classic cinema fan Rowan Callaghan, and he's destined for a love triangle. Also, Kartanya Maynard (Deadloch) joins the Hartley crew as Zoe Clarke, who has big thoughts on celibacy — she's in favour — as part of a gang of Puriteens. Plus, in new news, Bump's Angus Sampson is joining the show as Head of PE Timothy Voss. On the returning crew, character-wise: Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect), Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman), Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, Troppo), Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), Ant (debutant Brodie Townsend), Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Missy (fellow newcomer Sherry-Lee Watson). [caption id="attachment_938095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heartbreak High S2. (L to R) Gemma Chua-Tran as Sasha, Ayesha Madon as Amerie, Sherry-Lee Watson as Missy, James Majoos as Darren, Chloe Hayden as Quinni in Heartbreak High S2. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024[/caption] Season one started with Amerie becoming a pariah at Hartley after a big revelation — an "incest map" plotting out who's hooked up with who throughout the school — and also struggling with a sudden rift in her friendship with bestie Harper. Attempting to repair her reputation, she called on help from her new pals Quinni and Darren, all while working through her crush on Dusty and developing feelings for Malakai. And that's just the start of the Heartbreak High revival's season one story. In season two, everyone will back for a second term after doing some growing up over the holidays, and Hartley is now the lowest-ranking school in the district. Netflix is teasing that threesomes, chlamydia and burning cars will be distant memory for the gang — but there'll still be teen chaos, of course, or this wouldn't be Heartbreak High. [caption id="attachment_869123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HEARTBREAK HIGH[/caption] It was back in 2020 that Netflix initially announced that it was bringing the series back — and yes, it sure is a 2020s-era take on the Aussie classic, including everything from friendship fights, yelling about vaginas from the top of a building and throwing dildos at walls through to consent, crime, drugs and police brutality. The original Heartbreak High was a massive deal, and was filled with now-familiar faces, including Alex Dimitriades, a pre-Home and Away Ada Nicodemou, and Avengers: Endgame and Mystery Road's Callan Mulvey as Drazic. It painted a multicultural picture of Australia that was unlike anything else on TV at the time. And, for its six-year run across two Aussie networks, the Sydney-shot show was must-see television — not bad for a series that started as a spinoff to the Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid, too. Check out the trailer for the Heartbreak High revival's first season below: Heartbreak High season two will arrive on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The show's first season is available to stream now via Netflix. Read our full review.
If someone had told me years ago that the Old Clare Hotel would become the most sophisticated venue in Sydney, I would have laughed in their face. Today, however, I'm just hoping they let me inside. The first restaurant to open in the Old Clare complex is Automata, which marks the debut solo opening for ex-Momofuku Seiobo sous chef Clayton Wells. We're given a dining room that looks like a luxury spaceship, filled with sleek polished metals and machinery-styled fittings. I can't wait to see where this meal takes me. The decision-making process is fairly straightforward: there's one option, a five-course, frequently changing degustation ($88), which is pretty reasonably priced as far as degos go. If you can afford to, splash out and get the matching drinks ($55), which will have you sipping umami-based sakes and spirits alongside thoughtfully chosen boutique wines. The meal kicks off with a starter of storm clams swimming in a fishy seawater made from rosemary dashi and ground nori; it's a much more delicious mouthful than you'll find at the beach. It's followed with a clean and cleansing serve of blanched asparagus rolled in sesame leaf and topped with umeboshi plum stock, poured at the table. Dish number two takes a bolder step forward. A meltingly tender hapuka fish is served with creamy roe emulsion and little pops of sea succulents, draped in a melty sheet of dashi-dipped seaweed. The dish combines silky textures with umami punch to create an absolute knockout of a dish. It's about this time that the bread and butter arrive. I wouldn't bother mentioning it except it's pretty much the best butter in the entire world. This ambrosia of the gods is made by whipping butter with chicken jus (chicken jus), anchovies and sunflower seeds until it's as light and fluffy as Chantilly cream with just a hint of nutty crunch. Well done, Wells. Mid-way through the meal, they bring out a big steamed cabbage leaf. Thanks for that. Wait, there's more underneath! Phew. Talk about an Instagrammer's worst nightmare. Concealed beneath a head of braised purple witlof is a slow-roasted quail and creamy smear of burnt eggplant puree. The final savoury dish is a slab of Rangers Valley skirt steak served with morel, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms in a brown butter and tamari sauce. Skirt is the unlikely hero of the day; it's expertly flamed to create a rich, winey caramelisation on the crust while staying moist, pink and tender within. The meal concludes with a scoop of not-so-sweet pumpkin seed sorbet, served alongside freeze-dried mandarins and meringue with a hint of Angostura bitters. The flavours are quite savoury, but it makes perfect sense within the context of the meal. As we leave, we're given two green chartreuse petit fours. I warn you now: consume at your own risk. Chewing on one unleashed a burst of freshness not akin to chugging a bottle of Listerine; it completely wiped my body clean like a herbal nuclear explosion. With no trace of the meal left at all, I started to question whether the dinner even took place. The Old Clare Hotel, the most stylish restaurant in town? Couldn't be.
In a glorious era where phones can be unlocked using facial recognition, what are we still doing slumming it with pesky plug-in chargers? Well, chaining your smartphone to a power point and fumbling with tangled cords could soon be a thing of the past, when San Francisco company Pi releases what it says is the world's first ever contactless, wireless charger. The brainchild of a pair of MIT alumni, this little guy does away with the cords, the charging pads and even the need for your phone or tablet to be touching anything at all. Instead, Pi harnesses groundbreaking electromagnetic charging technology developed by the founders, John MacDonald and Lixin Shi, over more than three years. That's a whole lotta math problems. The cone-shaped Pi can simultaneously charge four devices within around 30cm, at full speed. It can charge additional devices on top of that, albeit at a slower pace. Perhaps most enticing, you can use your phone and move it around while it's juicing up. Of course, this kind of modern day witchery doesn't come easy. As MacDonald explains, "creating this technology required solving one of the most difficult mathematical problems in electromagnetics, and that's why no one has done it before." It sounds like Pi will be available sometime next year, although you can reserve yours right away. MacDonald and Shi believe it will retail for under US$200. The first 314 people in the world to order will score a $50 discount.
There is an exhibition on at the Museum of Sydney called House, (in its last week) which is a series of still-lives of objects from famous houses in Sydney: Vaucluse House, Elizabeth Bay House etc. It's an homage to the way homes were brought to life in past times, objects that mattered to their owners and tell us about how they lived their lives. On the other side of town, an exhibition exploring how a different culture has made a home in Australia is an interesting point of comparison. Chinalink Gallery, as part of the Chinese New Year Festival, is showing four artists who explore the common experience of Chinese Australians growing up in the 1970s and '80s in Australia. Through painting, photography, installation and video art, Danny Chang, Pia Johnson, Shuxia Chen and Cyrus Tang seek to investigate issues about cultural difference, diaspora and identity; the experience of both belonging to and feeling remote from two cultures. Pia Johnson’s series Who’s That Chinese Lady Who Picks You Up From School? is comprised of portraits of Chinese Australians. The simple, straight on photos without any adornment are similar to a passport photos or another form of portraiture which is purely for an official record of identity, with few visual clues about the person’s personality. It acts as a record of the new generation of Australians, the most tangible product of Australia’s cultural melange: its people. Head to Chinalinks Gallery to have a look at how the other artists approached the subject matter, or if you are interested in the Chinese art scene in Australia, these artists are ones to watch out for.
William Yang is a storyteller like no other, documenting his life through poignant, personal photos and theatre throughout his long and illustrious career. Moving to Australia in 1969, he has dealt with themes of belonging, Chinese-Australian identity, travel and sexuality and connected with audiences all over the world with his raw, honest style. For his play I Am A Camera, he invites the audience in one step further. Yang is intrigued by Facebook and the voyeurism it invites, where users view intimate photos of people they barely know to get an idea of who they are. His photography has always been highly personal, but this time he incorporates the idea of flicking through photos as a source of visual information, informing one of a person's identity. He will be showing photos from the last five years, with his typical sense of humour and emotion clearly visible in this fascinating display of his work. He has collaborated for the first time with celebrated composer Elena Kats-Chernin, who wrote a score inspired by Yang's work to be performed live, complementing and engaging with Yang's remarkable images. I Am A Camera will be showing at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta from January 13-15 before coming to the Seymour Centre, Chippendale.
If you believe that bigger is better, then it has been more than a decade since Melbourne boasted one of the most important claims to fame in the country. From 1991 to 2005, the city was the home of Australia's tallest building — but soon, after temporarily losing the crown to the Gold Coast, everyone will be looking up again in the Victorian capital. Thank a just-approved 323-metre, 90-storey tower for thrusting Melbourne back to great heights, with the giant structure destined to change the skyline at Southbank. Called One Queensbridge, it'll form part of the Crown precinct, and will feature a six-star hotel with 388 rooms, 708 residential apartments and the kind of other reasons to drop by (most likely shops and restaurants) that have been dubbed "visitor attractions". The development will also see Queensbridge Square get an upgrade that includes landscaping and new cafes, a new bike strip installed on Southbank Boulevard, and street furniture and additional trees placed along Queensbridge Street. And as for the building itself, it has been designed by WilkinsonEyre, who got the gig by winning an international design competition. Don't expect to see the massive complex towering over the city just yet, though, with construction not expected to start until 2018 — or finish for five or six years after that. Until then, Queensland's Q1 will keep winning in the big building stakes, with Melbourne's Eureka Tower in second spot.
Make a comic-book blockbuster, then make a smaller-scale but still star-studded comedy: that's been Taika Waititi's formula of late. The first time that he jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Thor: Ragnarok, he followed it up with Jojo Rabbit, an "anti-hate" comedy mocking Hitler that won the New Zealand filmmaker an Oscar. Now, after returning to the MCU with Thor: Love and Thunder, he's turning a true tale about American Samoa's soccer team into his next flick. If Next Goal Wins sounds familiar, there's a few reasons for that. Firstly, it's already the title of a documentary from 2014 about the national football squad and their efforts to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Also, Waititi's dramatised version of that story has been in the making for four years, both beginning and wrapping initial production pre-pandemic — before doing reshoots in 2021. And, of course, the details themselves might ring a bell if you're a fan of the world game and you remember the American Samoan team's big 2001 defeat. Playing Australia in a qualifying match two decades back, the squad lost 31–0. Cue the hiring of Dutch American coach Thomas Rongen, who Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) plays in Waititi's movie. As the just-dropped trailer for Next Goal Wins 2.0 shows, Rongen has just lost his job when he gets the new gig in the South Pacific. From there, Waititi and the film are in classic underdog sports-film territory, but stepping through events that genuinely happened. There's another important part of this story, too, with American Samoa squad member Jaiyah Saeluathe first non-binary player to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. The doco made for rousing viewing, which the latest flick overtly aims to ape — mixed with the brand of comedy that Waititi has established in everything from Eagle vs Shark and Boy to What We Do in the Shadows to Hunt for the Wilderpeople before he hit the MCU. And yes, to answer the immediate question that any trailer for one of the writer/director's pictures inspires, Waititi does indeed pop up on-screen. Alongside the filmmaker and Fassbender, the latter of which hasn't made a movie since 2019, Next Goal Wins also stars Oscar Kightley (The Breaker Upperers), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Will Arnett (Murderville), Uli Latukefu (Young Rock), Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death), David Fane (Duckrockers), Lehi Falepapalangi (Doogie Kamealoha, MD), Semu Filipo (The Justice of Bunny King), Rachel House (Heartbreak High), Angus Sampson (Bump), Beulah Koale (Dual) and more. Check out the trailer for Next Goal Wins below: Next Goal wins releases in cinemas Down Under on January 1, 2024.
This summer, the National Gallery of Australia comes to life with a major exhibition on two greats of the modern art movement. Matisse & Picasso presents an Australian-first gathering of the iconic works of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, with the pair's intense friendship and rivalry considered a defining factor behind contemporary art's development during the 20th century. The pair first met in 1906 when Picasso was essentially unknown to the art world, but Matisse was already considered one of the avant-garde's most prominent artists. Staying close throughout their lifetimes, they looked to each other's work, responding and challenging their peer to stay on the cutting-edge. As Picasso explained to one of his biographers Pierre Daix, "No one has ever looked at Matisse's painting more carefully than I; and no one has looked at mine more carefully than he." Running until April 13, 2020, Matisse & Picasso showcases more than 200 paintings, sculptures, prints and costumes. Across many of their most famous works, Matisse & Picasso makes the artists' intrinsic connection clear. The exhibition has been designed so instead of walking from start to finish, you'll be wandering back and forth between the artworks as the similarities emerge. To give you a head start before your visit to the NGA, we've picked out six artworks that you can't miss at Matisse & Picasso. [caption id="attachment_756083" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Woman by the Sea', Pablo Picasso (1922). Bequest of Putnam Dana McMillan, Minneapolis Institute of Art. Copyright Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency.[/caption] PABLO PICASSO: WOMAN BY THE SEA (1922) Following the First World War, both Picasso and Matisse demonstrated a deep fascination with classical Greek art and stories. A distinct departure from the Cubist aesthetic that he's best known for, 'Woman by the Sea' is one of many paintings with dreamy human figures set against plain landscapes that Picasso would go on to produce. Taking inspiration from the ancient statue known as Venus de Milo and a sculpture of the Greek goddess Hera that he saw in Naples, for this work, Picasso translates the relaxed posture and flowing dress of the marble structure into a two-dimensional format. [caption id="attachment_756086" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Woman by a Window', Henry Matisse (1920–22). Gift of Ferdinand Howald, Columbus Museum of Arts, Columbus. Copyright Succession H Matisse/Copyright Agnecy.[/caption] HENRI MATISSE: WOMAN BY A WINDOW (c. 1920-22) As you look over the art of Matisse, one of the most common motifs that repeatedly appears is his use of open windows. Following the end of the war, a despondent Matisse retreated to southern France where he found inspiration within the soft colour palette and charming interiors of the region. Turning his hotel rooms into art studios, these intimate quarters provided him with a new creative drive that became emblematic of his art. "[Matisse] was inspired by the southern light and painted a series of light-filled hotel rooms facing the sea," explains NGA's Curator of International Painting & Sculpture Simeran Maxwell. "When Picasso paid homage to Matisse after his death, he used this distinctive device in his own paintings." [caption id="attachment_756092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Reading', Pablo Picasso (1932). Musée Picasso, Paris. Copyright Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency. Photo: RMN Grand Palais[/caption] PABLO PICASSO: READING (1932) Throughout Matisse and Picasso's lengthy careers, the various women in their lives often became the subjects of their artworks. Reading features one of Picasso's most adored muses, Marie-Thérèse Walter, whose face and figure was interpreted in a variety of ways through dozens of paintings and sculptures. Reading also demonstrates a significant change in artistic direction for the Spanish artist, showcasing his newfound interest in bold colours and patterning — a style that Matisse had been using to great effect within his artwork. [caption id="attachment_756096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Seated odalisque', Henry Marisse (1926). Gift of Adele R Levy Fund Inc 1962, The Metropolitan Museum of Arts, New York. Copyright Succession H Matisse/Copyright Agency.[/caption] HENRI MATISSE: SEATED ODALISQUE (1926) Following trips to Morocco in 1912 and 1913, Matisse became fascinated by the bright clothing, distinct architecture and the daily life of the locals, which was so foreign to him having only experienced life in France. One way that the North African experience influenced his artwork was the inclusion of models dressed as odalisques — members of harems — alongside vibrant textiles that he had collected during his visit. For this work, Matisse "uses an appliquéd wall hanging as a backdrop for model Henriette Darricarrère dressed in Moroccan pantaloons and a sheer blouse," explains Maxmwell. [caption id="attachment_756102" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'The studio', Pablo Picasso (1955). Presented by Gustav and Elly Kahnweiler 1974. Accessioned 1994, Tate. Copyright Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency.[/caption] PABLO PICASSO: THE STUDIO (1955) Over two weeks in 1955, Picasso painted 11 canvases of the studio in his Cannes villa known as La Californie. While the idea of the artist within the studio was something that Picasso explored many times during his career, this series stands out as the structure of the building is the central focus of the work. With the studio one of the subjects that often appeared in Matisse's work, it's been suggested that Picasso created this series in direct response to his contemporary's death the previous year. As Maxwell describes it, "One of Matisse's longstanding subjects was an interior scene with a view through a window. Here Picasso adopts this idea, as homage to his late rival." [caption id="attachment_756101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Annelies', Henri Matisse. Purchased 1981, National Gallery of Australia. Copyright Succession H Matisse/Copyright Agency.[/caption] HENRI MATISSE: ANNELIES (1946) Matisse was best known for his colourful paintings and sculptures. But he often expressed the belief that drawing was the most intimate way to translate a subject onto the page. In 1946, he met Dutch model and artist Annelies Nelck, who would spend six years living with Matisse and posing for his artwork. "He would repeatedly draw the model from all possible angles with a deliberate, confident and clean series of lines," explains Maxwell. "When viewed in order, it would appear as if Matisse had been circling his model as he worked." Matisse described this process of repetitive and intensive creative process as "a cinema film of a series of visions". Matisse & Picasso is on display at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra until April 13, 2020. Tickets and exhibition information are available on the NGA website. Top images: Installation view of Matisse & Picasso, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, © Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency 2019, © Succession H. Matisse/Copyright Agency 2019.
Positioned less than a 100 metres from Mona Vale beach, Armchair Collective is a local favourite for its quirky style and the seamless way it blends eating, drinking and shopping. The cafe's menu honours simple, honest dishes that make it a perfect place to sink into one of its namesake armchairs for brekkie and a cup of Single O coffee, lunch and vinos, or tea and cake. Meanwhile, the back of the space is full to the brim with collectable art, books, furniture and homewares that will give your sanctuary from the world some chic coastal vibes. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
UPDATE: JANUARY 27, 2022 — Twilight at Taronga has been cancelled due to current public health measures in place. You can find a full statement from the event organisers, here. Taronga Zoo's twilight concert series is returning next year with an all-Australian lineup. The after-hours live music series that boasts arguably the best view of Sydney Harbour (as well as lots of adorable animals) has had some incredible acts in the past and next year's lineup shines just a bright. The concert series will kick off on Friday, January 28 and will run until late February. You can catch live shows from Aria award-winning artist Josh Pyke, summery six-piece Winston Surfshirt, harmonic masterminds Vika and Linda, and indie-pop favourites San Cisco. But it doesn't stop there. Two of Australia's finest singer-songwriters, Washington and Odette, will be co-headlining a special evening together on February 10. And, you might even get to belt out Daryl Braithwaite's classic Horses when the man himself takes to the stage on closing night February 19. All proceeds from the gigs contribute to Taronga's conservation work, including its collaborations with the Litter Free Oceans campaign which is pushing for the reduction of single-use plastics. So, you can see a gig and feel good about helping the zoo, too. If you want to up the ante, you can add optional extras to your ticket including gourmet hampers, sundown chairs, picnic blankets and same-day zoo entry. Or, you can go all out with a VIP ticket that gets you one of the best seats in the amphitheatre and a luxury overnight stay at the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga. Ready to lock in a spectacular summer music session? For more information and to book, visit the website.
Italy's Cesare Marchese, aka Cesare vs Disorder brings his own brand of groove-laden techno to Goodgod Small Club this Saturday, on behalf of Subsonic and Techno Tuesday. Marchese, a resident DJ at infamous Berlin club Kater Holzig, is joined by sultry Brazilian DJ Anna Leevia, who has been making a name for herself spinning at Berlin hotspots Club Der Visionäre and the late Bar25. Since his debut performance in Australia at the ‘09 Subsonic Music Festival, Cesare's club credentials have sky-rocketed thanks to his tracks being released on labels like Vakant and having featured on mixes from techno-luminaries such as Sven Vath, Konrad Black and Damian Lazarus. There’s never been a better time to become acquainted with Cesare — not only is he on the cusp of releasing an EP with Inxec, Konrad Black and Cesar Merveille, he is also reportedly set to unleash his debut artist album mid-2012. Marchese and Leevia are joined by Glitch DJs, MSG and seductive microhouse entrepreneur Chris Honnery. The party kicks off at 10pm and, in true Goodgod fashion, runs till the wee hours. $15 presale tickets are available through Resident Advisor.
Is the 21st century Middle-earth's golden age? For viewers, that keeps proving the case. The 00s had barely begun when The Lord of the Rings franchise started its journey to becoming one of the global box office's biggest-ever film sagas — it currently ranks 12th — by first arriving between 2001–2003 as Peter Jackson's initial trilogy based on JRR Tolkien's beloved and iconic fantasy novels. After The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King met such adoring cinema audiences and earned accolades, of course The Hobbit next made the leap to the silver screen under Jackson's direction, from 2012–2014 and again as a trio of flicks. A decade has now passed since An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies as 2024 wraps up. The lack of Middle-earth at the movies also comes to an end via The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Jackson has focused on documentaries since The Hobbit films, courtesy of the First World War-centric They Shall Not Grow Old, plus TV series The Beatles: Get Back and accompanying movie The Beatles: Get Back — The Rooftop Concert. Since becoming almost as synonymous with all things LoTR as the author who created it, however, he's still attached to the saga. In the live-action realm, planned Andy Serkis (Venom: The Last Dance)-directed and -starring 2026 release The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum boasts Jackson as a producer. First, though, he has executive-produced The War of the Rohirrim, the franchise's new anime instalment. One of his greatest choices from The Two Towers and The Return of the King still echoes here, too, and literally, with Miranda Otto reprising her role as Éowyn. The 21st century's original LoTR pictures were a massive deal everywhere, but the wealth of Australian actors among the cast didn't go unnoticed across the ditch from where New Zealand's green hills earned their most-famous movie use yet. While Otto, David Wenham (Fake), Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer) and Hugo Weaving (How to Make Gravy) weren't strangers to the screen by any means at the time, The Lord of the Rings remains one of the projects that they'll each forever be known for. Playing elves, Blanchett and Weaving were each able to return for The Hobbit flicks, but popping up at different times in the saga isn't as easy when you're portraying a human. In Otto's case, The War of the Rohirrim has found a way to bring her back as Éowyn. Like streaming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but unrelated to it, the new film is set before the events of the LoTR movies, but is told as a tale relayed by Rohan's best-known noblewoman and shieldmaiden. Imagine Éowyn "coming back and telling this story to her children"; that's what Otto did, she tells Concrete Playground. The narrative that the character unfurls from 183 years prior to her time has another Rohan heroine at its centre, explaining why she's someone that Middle-earth's kingdom of men, as well as its famed horsemen, should champion — even if her deeds don't furnish Rohan's songs and haven't been mentioned to audiences before. Héra (Gaia Wise, A Walk in the Woods) is the daughter of king Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox, Succession), whose reign and house are threatened by a marriage proposal. When Wulf's (Luke Pasqualino, Rivals) hand in matrimony is rejected, so sparks the battle that gives filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama's entry into the LoTR franchise its moniker. With episodes of Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Star Wars: Visions, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 on his resume, Kamiyama is well-versed at stepping into existing and already-adored worlds, and at giving them the anime treatment — a task that awaited with The War of the Rohirrim, and that the director handles with ease. That said, in connecting a tale that wouldn't be so resonant if viewers weren't familiar with Éowyn paving the way in the saga first with its on-screen past, Otto's voicework couldn't be a more crucial part of the movie. Returning to the role, she understands how the pair are mirrored, and also Éowyn's impact on the page and on the screen so far. "This character was really significant to a lot women growing up," she notes. Reteaming Otto with Philippa Boyens — who shared a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar with Jackson and Fran Walsh for The Return of the King, then penned the story for The War of the Rohirrim's script and also produces the new film — the latest LoTR movie adds to a busy few years for an actor who last graced cinemas in 2023 hit Talk to Me. On the small screen, she's also brought her talents to everything from Wellmania and Koala Man to The Clearing, Ladies in Black and Thou Shalt Not Steal of late, expanding a filmography that has taken her through War of the Worlds, Cashmere Mafia, Blessed, South Solitary, I, Frankenstein, The Homesman, Rake, The Daughter, Homeland, 24: Legacy, Annabelle: Creation, Downhill, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, True Colours, Fires and more in the past two decades. We also chatted with Otto about what excited her about a Lord of the Rings comeback, reprising the role solely as a voice actor and the responsibility of portraying Éowyn — as well as whether the diversity of parts that she's been enjoying was the original dream back in her pre-The Two Towers days in The Last Days of Chez Nous, The Nostradamus Kid, Love Serenade, The Well, Doing Time for Patsy Cline, What Lies Beneath and Human Nature, plus what she makes of her journey across her career so far. On What Excited Otto About Returning to the World of The Lord of the Rings, and to Playing Éowyn, But This Time in an Animated Film "I was really excited by the idea that it was anime. I thought it was so interesting to go back into this world of Lord of the Rings and Tolkien and tell the story as an anime, and all the things that that gives you licence to do. The films have always done so well over there, and I feel like there's something in Japanese mythology that really has some kinship with Tolkien's mythology in some ways. So it just sounded like a great fit. And the idea of coming back as a narrator was really lovely. It made utter sense to me the way that Philippa put it forward to me when she wrote to me about doing it. I could understand the concept, that it was Éowyn coming back and telling this story to her children. I just really liked that idea." On How Otto Approaches Not Only Reprising the Role of Éowyn, But Solely Doing So as a Voice Actor "The first time I came back to do the recording was, I think, in 2022, and I'd just had COVID and my voice was croaky — and I thought 'oh they'll like it, because I sound kind of husky and deep and mature'. And then they were disappointed because they wanted me to have the same voice. They really very much wanted to hear the Éowyn voice from 20 years ago. So when we came to do the second recording in Wellington, it was great to actually be in the studio with Philippa and with Kenji, and to actually get to see more of the film. And I worked with Roisin [Carty, The Agency] again, who had done a lot of the dialect work on the original films. So that was a great way of really fully getting back into the character. And just being back in Wellington, and being back with a lot of the same people, really took me back to that feeling of Middle-earth." On Whether Returning to Éowyn Was Something That Otto Could Imagine Two Decades Ago When She First Played the Part "It's just amazing — you think 'my gosh, that much time has passed, wow'. No, I never. I very much knew when we made the films, I remember the first time coming over and seeing some of the footage, and going to the costume fittings and seeing the footage, I remember that night I did not sleep because I was so excited to be a part of it. I felt like I knew in that moment that these films would last a really long time, and it's exciting as an actor to be a part of something that will actually last for people. But I never thought at the time about being able to come back in any way. I know when they made The Hobbit, many of the Elvish characters got to come back. But me being a mere human, I wasn't involved in that story. So I never envisaged that I would get the call, but it was very lovely." On Héra's Story Following in Éowyn's Footsteps, Even If the New Tale Is Set Before the Original Films "I think it's really lovely that there's that mirroring of those two characters. To me, it also felt like in Lord of the Rings, Éowyn holds this legacy of the women of Rohan, the shieldmaidens. And she speaks about the women of Rohan, and you get a sense that there's this this lineage of women who have come before her, the people she looked up to and formed her. So when you go into this film, you get to see the women that she admired. She is telling the story because she admires Héra and finds Héra inspirational, and so it's really lovely to get a sense of that history." On Otto's History of Playing Influential Women Beyond Éowyn "I think it's the way the interesting roles have come my way. I think I just gravitate to women like that. It's really to do with the writing of the character, and whether it speaks to me — like sometimes I can read something and think 'that's really good, but I don't have any emotional connection to it' or 'I haven't got that spark'. In a rational sense, I know it's really good, it's probably going to be a great project, but I just don't have that launch point within myself in my gut that tells me 'I want to do this'. So I think I just respond to what's on the page. I don't make tactical choices of thinking 'I need to play influential women' — it's more just that I'm drawn to those characters. They're interesting to me." On the Sense of Responsibility That Comes with Playing Éowyn "It does come with responsibility. When you're a returning to a film, I think you have the responsibility, you're carrying the mantle of the history of those trilogies into this film. And I certainly feel when I meet people who are huge fans of film, that this character was really significant to a lot women growing up. Really, really significant, Éowyn's story. And I'm just the person holding that role. The character was written by Tolkien, invented by Tolkien and brought to the screen by Peter Jackson, and I'm just the conduit of it. But it is a responsibility when I meet people to understand their stories and how significant Éowyn was to them." [caption id="attachment_983393" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thou Shalt Not Steal[/caption] On Whether the Diversity of Otto's Roles From the Past Few Years, Including Talk to Me, The Clearing, Thou Shalt Not Steal and Ladies in Black, Was What She Hoped for When She Was Starting Out "I definitely hoped that I didn't get stuck in the girlfriend roles. I sensed, in the scripts I would read along the way, there was a lot of female roles where you were just the girlfriend and they didn't have a lot of character written on the page. I prefer playing characters that are strongly written on the page, that I can leave myself and become someone else. And it's not just relying on my personality — that I can be somebody else. So I definitely didn't want to, from the beginning, be typecast into any particular thing. I really didn't want to be boxed in. And that's probably why I do tend to choose really different things, because I just don't want to be in any kind of cage, I guess." On What Otto Makes of Her Journey as an Actor So Far, Including Returning to Lord of the Rings "I feel really lucky. I have to say, Lord of the Rings was a really significant part of my career because I think it's given me that longevity in some ways. To have been a part of something that was so beloved has definitely helped my career. I feel really lucky that that I'm working, and that I still get to work with really interesting people. I've worked with a lot of younger, like first-, second-time directors in recent years, which has been really great. I feel really blessed. It's been really nice coming back to Australia, where I've felt like I've been able to jump around and do lots of different things. I've felt like in recent years in Australia, in film and particularly in television, there's a lot of different genres happening now, a lot of different styles, which has been so great and so inspiring to see. Dylan's [River, Robbie Hood] work in Thou Shalt Not Steal is so different to Gracie's [Otto, Seriously Red] work in Ladies in Black, and they're so different to Danny and Michael's [Philippou] work in Talk to Me. So it's just been really nice to work with all those different energies, I think." The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
The sun is peeking out from behind the clouds, the birds are thinking about swooping, and now we really know winter will soon be out of here because summer's Sydney Festival 2015 has made its first lineup announcement. It's a show called Tabac Rouge by acclaimed circus mastermind James Thierrée, and in true festival style, it's a medium masher. The dance, theatre and acrobatics fusion is described as a "feast of visual poetry" by Sydney Festival director Lieven Bertels, who saw it in London earlier this year. "The show explores a world somewhere between the silent cinema classic Modern Times and a Jeroen Bosch painting — sometimes dazzling and funny, sometimes alienating and grotesque, but always hypnotic," he says. An adventurous recent work with a thumbs up from Europe (less so the UK), Tabac Rouge revolves around a disillusioned dystopian king trying to make sense of the world. Frenchman Thierrée plays the lead role, surrounded by a cast of agile performers, a junk shop aesthetic, an imposing scaffold set and plenty of smoke, mirrors and dramatic lighting effects. It sounds weird and enigmatic, but hopefully not quite so weird and enigmatic as this year's mostly impenetrable signature event, 'underwater opera' Dido and Aeneas. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VH2MmpE9THc The grandson of Charlie Chaplin and great-grandson of Eugene O'Neill, Thierrée was raised in his parents' circus troupe, Le Cirque Imaginaire. Needless to say, his understanding and flexibility with the circus arts is right up there. He's a Sydney Festival veteran too, having brought us Junebug Symphony (2003), Bright Abyss (2006) and Au Revoir Parapluie (2008). You won't be able to miss Tabac Rouge; it plays at the Sydney Theatre for the whole duration of the festival. Tickets for the Australian exclusive start at $85/$72 concession, and premium tickets ($119/$109) are on sale now through the Sydney Festival website. Look out for full festival lineup announcement on October 23.
You could say life has been somewhat colourless over the past couple of years thanks to a pesky thing called a pandemic. That may be a touch melodramatic, but you catch our drift. With summer on the horizon, we're itching for days at the beach, road trips with mates and kicking back with our families and loved ones. Bliss. Here to inject a big dose of colour into the months ahead is Aussie artist Mulga (AKA Joel Moore), whose super-fun designs radiate summer vibes. Recently, the Sydney-based muralist and illustrator teamed up with go-to outdoor retailer Kathmandu for a limited-edition collection of beach essentials. To celebrate the new range, we chatted to Mulga to get a sense of what it's like to be in his brightly hued, quirky character-filled world — plus what he's got planned over summer. Then, you can head to our competition to go in the running to win some of the next-level beach gear. MULGA THE LATE BLOOMER First up, Mulga wasn't always creating art; he only picked up the practice in 2012. "I worked in financial planning. I realised I didn't like that," hey says. Once he got serious about his art, though, he didn't look back. He began painting murals — which he still loves doing — then expanded to making his own products such as printed tees, boardies, totes, art prints and oh-so-COVID-appropriate face masks. He's also a big fan of brand collaborations, which has seen his work pop up in Sydney streets, on buses, across swimming costumes and even on Maxibon wrappers. In his art, you'll find a lot of bearded dudes and chiller animal characters — think koalas holding surfboards, sunglasses-clad chickens and cockatoos eating ice cream. One of the first animals he got into painting was gorillas after a visit to Taronga Zoo, which has become a motif in his years-long practice. "I use lots of bright colours and try to inject a little bit of humour into my creations." HIS VISUAL CATCHCRY Looking at Mulga's work, it's clear that laidback summer vibes are Mulga's visual catchcry. "I love summer and the beach and surfing and my love for that just flows out through my art," he says. It makes sense, considering he's an avid surfer: "One of my dreams is to spend a year on a tropical island doing nothing but surfing and making art." Why summer specifically? "It's a time of summer holidays and Christmas and pool parties. What's not to love?" The man's got a point. And when the mercury's soaring, he'll be at the beach with his kids, getting an ice cream, cruising around on a boat and "chilling in the hammock under a palm tree". HIS LATEST COLLAB So, it makes sense that his collab with Kathmandu is all about making the most of sunny days at the beach. The range combines Mulga's signature bright, quirky prints and patterns with Kathmandu's functional designs. "I did my thing which is making funky artworks and Kathmandu did their thing which is making quality products, and the result is funky quality products." There are t-shirts, sand-proof towels, water bottles, camping chairs, sun shelters and beach umbrellas — all of which will take your summer adventures to the next level. "The beach tent is pretty rad." Mulga says. "I'm looking forward to the moment when I go to the beach and see someone with the Mulga x Kathmandu tent. I'll stroll by and say 'nice tent'." Check out the full Kathmandu x Mulga beach collection on the Kathmandu website. Keen to score beach gear for free? Enter our competition to go in the running to win a sweet Kathmandu x Mulga prize pack before November 14.
What stars Selena Gomez (The Dead Don't Die), Steve Martin (It's Complicated), Martin Short (Schmigadoon!), the ageless Paul Rudd (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), and the one and only Meryl Streep (Don't Look Up)? What's arriving to add a bit of murder, a new mystery to solve and plenty of laughs to your winter? That'd be season three of Only Murders in the Building, which has locked in a date for its eagerly awaited premiere: Tuesday, August 8. "Is this really happening again?" asks Oliver Putnam (Short) in the first teaser trailer for the new batch of episodes. "Well, you know, who are we without a homicide?" replies his neighbour, fellow murder-mystery buff and co-podcaster Mabel Mora (Gomez). Clearly, this hit sleuthing comedy will be back doing what it's always done, and well, since season one made it one of the best new shows of 2021 and season two put it in the best returning category in 2022. This time around, Mabel, Oliver and Charles-Haden Savage's (Martin) will still be bantering while solving a murder. Given that season two ended with another big death, the latter won't come as a surprise — and neither will the victim. From the initial sneak peek so far, season three will devote a fair amount of its focus to working through the events leading up to that killing, piecing together what happened, why, how and who's behind it. Enter Rudd and Streep, because this series does love adding names to its on-screen roster. Over both season one and two, Tina Fey (Girls5eva) has been a significant presence, Sting and Amy Schumer have played themselves, and Cara Delevingne (Carnival Row) has also popped up. If you're yet to experience Only Murders in the Building's charms, it follows the odd trio of Charles-Haden, Oliver and the much-younger Mabel after they bond over two things: listening to a Serial-style podcast hosted by the show's own version of Sarah Koenig, aka Cinda Canning (Fey); and a death in their luxe abode. Of course, they did what everyone that's jumped on the true-crime bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation, starting their own audio series that's also called Only Murders in the Building. That's how season one kicked off — and continued, proving a warm, funny, smart and savvy series at every step along the way. In the show's second go-around, another death needed investigating. That time, it was someone the main trio were all known not to be that fond of, so suspicions kept pointing in their direction. Check out the first trailer for Only Murders in the Building season three below: Only Murders in the Building's third season will start streaming Down Under via Star on Disney+ from Tuesday, August 8. Season one and two are currently streaming. Read our full review of season two — and of the show's first season, too.
Starring Sydney Sweeney as a virginal American nun in Italy whose new life as a bride of Christ finds her in the family way, Immaculate is the kind of movie that horror fans pray for. In the realm of religious-themed frightfests, which is as packed as Catholic mass at Easter or Christmas, the nunsploitation flick is as unholy as cinema gets. It's eerie and unsettling from the outset, when a fellow sister (Simona Tabasco, giving the film not one but two The White Lotus alumni) tries to escape the My Lady of Sorrows convent, only to be chased by cloaked figures, then buried alive. It ripples with unease from the moment that Sweeney's Cecilia arrives from the US to leering comments. From there, Immaculate spans everything from controlling priests and envious nuns through to winding catacombs, secret laboratories and a crucifixion nail (yes, from that crucifixion). Then there's the unforgettable ending. Immaculate is the type of film that Michael Mohan prays for, too. Chatting with Concrete Playground about directing one of the horror movies of 2024 — and being asked to by Euphoria's Sweeney, who he previously helmed on TV series Everything Sucks! and erotic thriller The Voyeurs — he calls the feature's final two minutes the highlight of his career. "It's such a visceral experience, and the way that people sort of slowly catch on to what's happening in the audience is just so fun to discover," he advises. "Really, the last two minutes are my favourite part of the movie. My favourite thing I've ever directed is the last two minutes of this movie, and it's just something to behold." For Mohan, all hail the reaction that Immaculate is garnering as well, starting with the response when it premiered at SXSW 2024 (the US version, not the Australian fest) in March. "It's made it so that I can't watch the movie with any other crowds, because it was like a drug," he jokes. "To a filmmaker, the experience of watching the movie at SXSW was like the cinematic equivalent of heroin — just because people were screaming, people were yelling, people were making fun of each other for screaming, people were standing up and cheering. It is everything a filmmaker could ever want out of an audience reaction. It was amazing." Immaculate almost didn't happen, however. The tale behind the flick making it to the screen takes almost as wild a ride as the picture itself. It was a decade back, before she was in everything-everywhere-all-at-once mode — this is her third movie since December 2023 to reach cinemas, slotting in alongside Anyone But You and Madame Web — that Sweeney initially auditioned for the picture. Now, she's a producer on it, handpicking both the script as her ideal horror effort, plus Mohan to guide it. A text asking "interested in directing a horror film?" is how she started bringing the filmmaker onboard. Barely 18 months later, Immaculate has moviegoers worshipping. Mohan's path to here doesn't just involve getting Sweeney in front of his lens, then turning her into a helluva scream queen. Short films — both writing and directing them — began gracing his resume in 2003. 2010 coming-of-age comedy One Too Many Mornings marked his first feature, followed by Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall)- and Lizzy Caplan (Fatal Attraction)-led rom-com Save the Date. After that came the 90s-set Everything Sucks!, which he co-created, but it only lasted one season. If it wasn't for that show, though, he mightn't have crossed paths with Sweeney. Call it divine intervention? Notably, Mohan wasn't new to the picture's Catholicism, growing up in it ("I grew up super Catholic, so it was in my bones. I was the leader of the youth group. I'm since a lapsed Catholic," he tells us.) With Immaculate now in Australian and New Zealand cinemas, we chatted with Mohan about that first text message about the movie, working with Sweeney as a producer as well as a star, his initial vision for the film, taking inspiration from 70s horror and the feature's take on religion. Also part of our conversation: Sweeney's versatility, how to get the perfect movie scream — of which she contributes plenty — and the picture's unshakeable imagery, plus more. On Receiving a Text from Sydney Sweeney Asking "Interested in Directing a Horror Film?" "I was just scared because I needed to love the script. I want to make as many movies with her as I can, but I also need to feel like I can bring myself to it and that I'll elevate it. So thankfully when I read the script, I realised there's so much potential here, there are twists and turns that I did not see coming. When I pitched my ideas for where I wanted to take the story to Sydney, she was thankfully very receptive. Even though we didn't have a whole lot of time to massage the script, we just went for it. She sent me the script in August of 2022, and I was then on the ground in Rome basically three months later prepping the movie." On Working with Sydney Sweeney Not Just as an Actor, But as One of Immaculate's Producers "It's interesting. At the start, I took an approach like I was a director for hire, to some degree; however, my stipulation in doing the film is that I wanted her to buy into what my vision of the film was. So I put together a lookbook, like as if I wasn't her friend. And I was like 'here, this is what I would do if I didn't know you. This is what I would do if I were trying to win this job'. And the imagery that I sent her and the things that she responded to were exactly in line with how she saw the movie, too. So going into it, we were both on the same page. At the same time, she's the producer, I'm the director, so we had a push and pull in terms of in terms of what we were doing creatively. Anytime I came to her with a new idea, her first response was always like 'but is it scary? Because it needs to be scary'. Luckily our dynamic is such in that my approach to anything in terms of creative is that if you have the same end goal in mind, there's no right or wrong in the journey going there — there's only who feels the most passionate about something. So if you get into a creative disagreement, if it's something that really matters, I can say to her 'this matters to me more than it matters to you' and she can go 'okay' and let go. For instance, there was a scene I cut out of the movie. She was like 'I really want you to put that scene back in'. And I was like 'I really don't think it needs it'. She was like 'no, this is important. This is important to me'. I'm able to look at her and go 'this is more important to her than it is to me, I'm putting it back in the movie' — and that's how you have such a great give and take in terms of collaboration, where it doesn't feel like there's too many cooks in the kitchen." On Mohan's Initial Vision for Immaculate "The initial vision was just to make something that would hopefully traumatise people. We wanted to really go hard. But we wanted to do it smartly. When the film starts, it kind of feels like a traditional horror movie. Yeah, there are all of these horrific images, there are these great jump-scares and it's bumping along, but then it starts to get a little bit more disturbing. Then it starts to get a little bit more disturbing, until at the end of the movie you're seeing something that is actually a lot more similar to French extremist horror than The Conjuring. And so to be able to craft that arc for the audience, where they feel more and more in peril as they're watching the film, was part of the design." On the Importance of Sydney Sweeney's Versatility in Taking Audiences on the Film's Journey "I love when a movie takes a character from point A to point Z. So, to start her off as this sort of meek and quiet, mild-mannered nun, into what becomes like this insane feral creature covered in blood, screaming at the top of her lungs — that's just dramatics. That's just creating a wider arc. And it's very easy for me to conceive of such a wide arc when I know that the person playing it will be able to knock it out of the park. Sydney's ability to go to completely unhinged places is her superpower as an actor. It is incredible to see because I don't know how she does it. And so for me as a director, just my job is to make sure she stays out of her head, and to gently nudge her this way or that way to shape the performance and find the deeper levels. But it's a like driving a Rolls-Royce when you're directing her — she takes direction perfectly. And we just have this history. It's just really easy for the two of us to work together." On Making a Movie That Feels Like a Blend of Both 70s-Era Horror and Contemporary Horror "That's just what I watch. If you look at my Letterboxd, it's a balance of absolute trash and The Criterion Collection — and I think this film is perfectly in the middle. I just love the horror films of the early 70s. I think that there's something a little bit more fearless about them. If you look at The Exorcist — I mean, everybody has talked about The Exorcist until the end of time, because that scene where she has the crucifix and she's stabbing herself and she's bloody, it is so disturbing. Yet that is a mainstream film. That was a studio movie. And it's almost more scary, the fact that it's really well-photographed, than seeing the grimy independent version of that. So to me, it's bringing that level of elegance, coupled with the lurid — that's just where my voice happens to live." On Immaculate's Unholy Imagery "Similar to Sydney, my cinematographer [Elisha Christian, The Night House] and I have worked together forever. He was my roommate senior year of college. And so something that we're always trying to do is bring a sense of beauty to everything we do, whether it's a horror or whether it's an erotic thriller, or some of the earlier comedies that we were working on. I'm just a huge fan of his work. I love what Elisha has done. Here, it goes back to what I was talking about with The Exorcist — when you take something that is absolutely horrific and you film it with a formalism and a beauty, that's a type of cinema that I feel like is lacking. And so for us to be able to do that, it's really just our natural voice is how we shot this film. All of our inspiration poured into it in a way, and this is how it turned out. Also, the name of the movie is Immaculate, and so we wanted to have it immaculate — and so it could also just be as simple as that." On How to Get the Perfect Horror-Movie Scream "Every actor is different. I can tell you that for Simona, at the beginning of the film, Simona Tabasco, there's a scream that she has to let out — and she brought me aside and she was like 'I'm scared of screaming'. So I was like 'okay, come with me'. We went out into the middle of the field and I was like 'I'm just going to scream with you'. And so I just started screaming, and then she started screaming. And then I started screaming back at her, and then she started screaming back at me, and you lose your inhibitions with it. I think that's the most important part, just making sure that the actors aren't self-censoring themselves. Because when you scream, it's an unnatural thing, especially if you're not actually in pain. So it's just all about letting go, and allowing allowing them to let go. Then in the case of Sydney, she's got a set of pipes and she uses them." On Finding Inspiration in the Production's Italian Location — and in Giallo "With religion, I was trying to bring that sense of majesty to it and that sense of power, because this is a movie that doesn't have a whole lot of backstory for the characters. I wanted to keep it to a tight 88 minutes, and I needed the audience to understand from her perspective why she was so swept up in this world. So we were able to do that visually by finding these locations that were absolutely majestic. At the same time, I'm in Italy making a horror film. The responsible thing to do is to at least honour the elders that came before me. So I did watch a ton of giallo films, not to bite off the aesthetic in the way that like Edgar Wright did in Last Night in Soho, but more to have a little bit of a deeper understanding of some of the more-nuanced aspects of the genre. So, for instance, there's this great film What Have You Done to to Solange?. What I love about that film is how they visually capture the patriarchal dynamics between the men and the women. So there's a scene in ours that's an interrogation scene where Sydney's at one end of the table, and she's framed with the flames behind her, almost like she's coming from hell. Then the men are on the other side of the table, and they're all standing, looking down on her. And you see that throughout the course of the film, this playing with heights. The same with in the ceremony at the beginning, she is kneeling in front of the men who are towering above her. And then at the end of the movie, obviously those paradigms are completely shifted, when she gets the upper hand and she is the one who's the powerful one in the frame. So some of that comes from those giallos that are a little bit more naturalistic. Additionally, there's this great film called The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, and I listened to the score of that film non-stop. I loved it. It helped put me in the vibe of that type of cinema, and I loved it so much that I actually used a cue from that in a key montage about half an hour into the film as well." On Why the Combination of Religion and Horror Keeps Appealing to Audiences "I think especially in Catholicism, it's so dark. Part of the ceremony of a mass is eating the body of Jesus, and it's not a representation — it's the literal body, it's transforming when you pop it in your mouth. It's wild that that's what we believe. It's wild that we take a sip of wine and believe it to be his blood. So Catholicism is metal, and so it lends itself to horror just very, very naturally." Immaculate released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, March 21. Read our review. Images: Fabia Lavino, courtesy of NEON.
Cafe owners and baristas are the cornerstones of every community they serve, providing excellent food and cups of precious coffee to keep the world (and all of us) turning. Who better to show appreciation for these local legends than the businesses they source their coffee from? Enter Toby's Estate and the annual Local Legends competition. Every cafe in Australia that grinds, pours, and serves coffee made with Toby's Estate beans is up for voting by its community. The winner receives the prestigious title of one of the most popular cafés in their state and a well-deserved moment in the spotlight. We're proud to present the NSW Toby's Estate Local Legend of 2024: Hippo Espresso in Warners Bay. We spoke to Aaryn Algie, owner and Hunter Valley resident, about the cafe and his favourite spots around town. How Did You Get Into The Hospitality Industry? I've been involved in the industry for about 20 years. I got into it because I really enjoyed interacting with people, and hospitality was the best way I could do this and get paid! Like most people, I started at the bottom and have worked my way up, doing everything along the way. It's the perfect industry to meet people, and the friends I've made through the industry are unbelievable. What's Your Go-To Coffee Order, and Do You Have a Trick For Making The Perfect Cup Every Time? An almond latte gets my day going. There's no real reason why it's almond; I just got one by mistake one day and stuck with it. My secret to getting a perfect cup every time…get someone else to make it. Things always taste better when you don't have to make it yourself. From Your Menu, What's The Perfect Pairing with a Morning Coffee? If it's a grab-and-go kind of day, it's hard to beat our breakfast wrap: scrambled egg, hash brown, bacon, spinach, and tomato relish. Or one of our famous Acai Bowls, where you can even create your own with unlimited toppings! But if I have the time (which isn't often) to sit and eat, our omelettes are a must! They're like an egg pizza with the lot! Why Do You Use Toby's Estate? We've been using Toby's for nine years now. It's a very smooth and consistent coffee, easy to drink, and I think that's what appeals to me about it the most. What's Your Favourite Toby's Estate Roast? We use the Woolloomooloo or 'Wolly' as its friends call it! So, it's obviously my favourite, but they all have their own unique qualities. What Made You Choose to Open in The Area You're in Today? The cafe had been here a couple of years before we purchased it. I grew up nearby and knew the area pretty well, and it really is the perfect spot for a cafe— a busy little hospitality strip with Lake Macquarie just 50 metres away! Where's Your Favourite Local Spot to Grab a Bite? (Other than Here) Living an hour from the cafe, I don't get to eat nearby too often, but when I do, my go-to is definitely Emilio's, the perfect Italian restaurant. Their pizza and pasta are fantastic, and the chilli octopus is next level! Where's Your Favourite Local Spot to Grab a Drink After Work? Close to home in The Hunter Valley, Nineteen at The Vintage is my go-to. A couple of Stone & Woods on tap is the perfect end to the day. Where Do You Like to Go to Escape Into Nature Nearby? There's a little sand island at the bottom end of Lake Macquarie called Naru. It's the perfect spot on a summer's day: crystal-clear water, a sandy beach area—just the perfect chill-out spot. If You Had a Friend Come to Visit, Where's The First Place You Would Take Them? I'd take them to the best vineyards in the world and do some wine tasting in the beautiful Hunter Valley. What are Some Other Local Small Businesses You Think People Should Support? Sharon at Warners Bay Dog Shop supplies us with dog treats to sell to all our furry customers. It's a great local business with a great team! Even her dogs, Fifi and Max, pop in occasionally. Is There Anything Else That You'd Like People to Know About Your Business? We know the majority of our customers by their coffee orders, not their names. So much so, we were watching a Matildas game once, and Emily Van Egmond (who's a regular when she's in Australia) came on the TV, and one of the staff said, "OMG, that's a small flat white and coconut and pistachio girl!" Hippo Espresso is the Toby's Estate Local Legends winner for NSW in 2024. For more information on it or other cafes that serve Toby's Estate, visit the website.
They're the masters of immersive thrills, such as smash-hit shipping container installations Seance, Coma and Flight — also known as the Darkfield series. But not even the folks at Realscape Productions are immune to the realities of pandemic life. They're currently locked down with the rest of Melbourne, putting their nerve-jangling real-life projects on hiatus until later in the year. Luckily, in the meantime, Realscape and Darkfield (UK creators) have teamed up for a brand-new audio experience fans can enjoy from the comfort of home. They did just that a couple of months back with Double, and now they're doing so again with Visitors — which, although delivered remotely once again, is still geared to be every bit as creepy and unsettling as its IRL predecessors. Launching on Tuesday, October 6, Visitors will be presented via the producers' new digital project Darkfield Radio. Like its siblings, it plunges participants deep into an immersive experience by perplexing the senses — this time, with the use of a 360-degree binaural sound, played through your own headphones. Visitors is aimed at groups of two, and starts with another two folks as well — a dead couple who invite themselves into the your home. They're eager to escape their current state, even if only temporarily. "We didn't know where else to go," they'll tell you — and then you'll each hear two different sides of the story. To listen along, you'll need a $22 two-person ticket, and to book a spot at 8pm, 9pm and 11pm AEDT on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. While this is clearly a great thing to add to your October must-do list — 'tis the spookiest time of year, after all — Visitors will run until the end of December. Visitors runs at 8pm, 9pm and 11pm AEDT on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Tuesday, October 6 until the end of December.
It may no longer be a functioning substation but the vibe here is electric. Gone are Alexandria's dining days of takeaway joints and vending machines, the industrial 'burb is now enjoying sprightly new spots for food and flat whites. But with workers and residents aplenty and an espresso-lacking strip in McEvoy Street, Sub-Station Cafe is a welcome and indeed wanted addition. Housed in an old electric substation, the cleverly designed space is abuzz with happy people, and for good reason: here is a lovely, light-filled spot for recharging one's batteries. A big pumpkin at the front door signifies Sub-Station out of the grey lines of warehouses and smash repairs, and is a cute indication of the sense of humour inside. Lightbulbs hang from bedsprings in makeshift chandeliers and vintage advertisements of Coles and David Jones are framed resplendently. The narrow coffee bar – clad with old-world tiles and laden with freshly baked bread – opens up to an outside courtyard. It's green, private, quiet: a rarity in this truck-heavy part of town. Single-origin coffee (from $3) is rich and respectably creamy, and would go down a treat with one of Sub-Station's freshly baked goodies: think homemade brownies and lemon tarts. The breakfast offerings hit the mark with a balance of savoury, sweet and simple. The highlight has to be the Morning Dream breakfast roll ($16): a house-baked bread roll with egg, bacon, avocado, spinach, tomato and a chutney-like homemade sauce. The bacon is crackly crisp, American-style, which bacon-enthusiasts will attest can be hard to source. The just-baked station granola ($12) is a delight and baked at the spot itself. Grassroots fare is clearly a Sub-Station priority; with free-range eggs and organic honey in the kitchen and potted spinach growing outside. There are homespun touches throughout, like the wooden spoon–fashioned table numbers and wall-hung chopping boards. A hidey-hole haven in Alexandria, this substation is deliciously delivering energy and good vibes to Sydneysiders.
The mercury is soaring, cold and cloudy days have become a distant memory and enjoying a few hours of sunlight after knock-off time is a daily occurrence. Yes, it's summer — which means that soaking in Australia's sultry weather is the number-one pastime across the nation. Well, that and finding something refreshing to drink on those hot days and nights when you're hanging with your mates and having a fiesta. Enter spritzes. They're light, they couldn't pair better with our climate and they have long been a warm-weather favourite. Feel like you've tried every type of spritz there is, though? Don't want to simply serve the same old drinks to your friends next time you're kicking back by the barbecue or pool? That's where the tequila versions come in — and they're sure to get the party going at any at-home do. We've teamed up with top-notch tequila brand — and, fun fact, Matthew McConaughey's go-to agave juice — Jose Cuervo to bring you four incredibly easy spritz recipes to add to your must-drink list. THE CUERVO SPRITZ Serves one Sometimes, you don't need a complicated recipe — you just need a tasty beverage. This zesty spritz is big on fruit flavours, but still impossible to get wrong. Ingredients 30ml Jose Cuervo Especial Silver 20ml lychee liqueur 10ml lemon juice 15ml simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 120ml soda water 1 mint sprig (optional) Method Add ice to a tall glass, then fill with Jose Cuervo Especial Silver, lychee liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura orange bitters and soda water. To finish, garnish with a mint sprig. THE TEQUILA BUCK Serves one Every buck cocktail features two key ingredients: ginger beer and something citrusy. This version also adds tequila, plus raspberry cordial or grenadine and aromatic bitters for a rosy-hued tipple. Ingredients 45ml Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado 15ml raspberry cordial or grenadine 20ml lime juice 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters 120ml ginger beer 1 lime wedge or candied ginger (optional) Method Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado, raspberry cordial or grenadine, lime juice and Angostura aromatic bitters. Shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into a wine glass and top with ginger beer. Then, garnish with lime wedge or candied ginger. Or, you could just watch this quick how-to video below. https://youtu.be/lxpNiYKB514 ELDERFLOWER T'N'T Serves one Tequila pairs mighty well with tonic, as this take on an old favourite shows. You'll also enjoy the distinctive taste of elderflower here, so you won't confuse this for any other spritz. Ingredients 30ml Jose Cuervo Especial Silver 20ml elderflower liqueur 10ml lime juice 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 120ml tonic 1 cucumber slice (optional) Method Fill a wine glass with ice, then add Jose Cuervo Especial Silver, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, Angostura orange bitters and tonic. Stir, but only briefly, then top with a cucumber slice as a garnish. SPARKLING MARGARITA Serves one A margarita, but make it sparkling? This spritz is as simple and straightforward as it sounds. It's also a perfect go-to for when you only have a few ingredients on hand. Ingredients 45ml Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado 120ml lemon soda 1 lemon wedge (optional) Method Fill a wine glass with ice, add Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado and top with lemon soda, then garnish with a lemon wedge. See? Simple. Find more Jose Cuervo cocktail recipes by visiting the brand's website.
If you're anything like us, you don't really feel like sipping on a tannic shiraz or a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon when the mercury hits above 26. And, if we're being totally honest with ourselves, we've really given the standard rosé (frosé, rosé icy poles, rosé spritz, rosé Christmas ornaments, rosé bath bombs…) a good run for its money. So, we think, maybe, it's time to branch out. This is where the orange wines, the skin-contacts, the pét-nats and the naturals step in. If you haven't had one yet, you've heard your friends talk about them. And they're perfect summer drinking — light, textured and exciting. To help you make some educated oenological decisions these holidays, we asked funky-wine aficionado Joel Amos, co-founder of DRNKS — an online wine store specialising in sustainable, organic and biodynamic wine — to give us a rundown of the top ten interesting drops to drink during the scorching summer months. To buy these wines, head to DRNKS (they're offering same-day delivery from now until Christmas in the Sydney metro), check the wineries' websites or ask your favourite local bottle-o. KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE, OCHOTA BARRELS, ADELAIDE HILLS Ochota Barrels began as a conversation during a Mexican surf trip, now it's a name synonymous with natural wine. If you're a stranger to funky wines, this is a good place to jump in. This drop is a light skin-contact riesling, so it has a touch of orange colour but tastes fresh and zippy. For the uninitiated, skin-contact refers to white wines that are fermented with the grape skins left on for longer, which gives the wine an orange colour (usually the skins are removed before fermentation when making white wine). Amos says this wine is, "kind of like perfect perfection being made perfectly". So, perfect? SKINS, FROM SUNDAY, ORANGE "Orange wine from orange," says Amos. "It's always exciting to see interesting wines out of NSW." You'll notice that a lot of wines on this list are from SA, but NSW has been producing some interesting wines recently, too. This one is a skin-contact pinot gris — it's light, but textured, and way too easy to drink. It's also more rose-coloured than orange, but don't be tricked by its tint, we still recommend drinking it chilled. Then, taking it outdoors to a beach, park, forest or garden. RIESLING 2017, OISEAU ET RENARD, CLARE VALLEY Bird and Fox (the English translation of its name) made a similar skin-contact riesling in 2016 that was widely popular. This is the 2017 version and it doesn't disappoint. It's fresh and pretty, while still have a noticeable texture. It's also fermented in an amphora — a terracotta jar used often in Roman times — instead of barrels or stainless steel tanks. Amos says that it's, "pretty special stuff". We think you should order a bottle before it sells out. GEWURZTRAMINER, YETTI AND THE KOKONUT, BAROSSA VALLEY This wine label possibly has the best name in the business (yes, big call). It has also produced a might fine array of wines during its two years in production. A typically European grape, this gewürztraminer was grown in SA then fermented on skins. Now, you can find it in a host of restaurants and bottle shops around Australia. Amos says it's "fruit juice that can get you drunk", so we're going to recommend you drink with caution. RAINBOW JUICE, GENTLE FOLK, ADELAIDE HILLS Do you want to drink rainbow juice? We want to drink rainbow juice. We think the more rainbows in 2017 and beyond, the better. Gentle Folk is another big name in the funky-wine business, and another name that sells out quickly — so don't hesitate when buying your rainbow juice. It's made from 23 different red and white grape varieties, from around Basket and Forest Range, that spent some time fermenting in oak. Once again, Amos would like you to not be fooled by its colour — "serve it ice cold". PINOT BLANC, LUCY MARGAUX, ADELAIDE HILLS Last year's Lucy Margaux wines were pretty wild — highly textural and oft described as pond scum (which is not necessarily a bad thing with natural wine). This year they're slightly more pared back, light, fresh and really well priced. This pinot blanc is made organically (as are all the LM wines) and slightly dry and carbonated. We suggest pairing with a secluded beach. PINK, SI, MARGARET RIVER OK. We lied. We included a rosé. But it's not a typical rosé. It's a minimal-intervention cabernet sauvignon (with a touch of malbec) grown and fermented in Western Australia. Amos says, "this is really light and pretty — who knew you could have a not gross cabernet rosé?." Si knew. Now you know. And Santa won't cross you off his Christmas list if you turn it into frosé. PASH RASH, BORACHIO, ADELAIDE HILLS Luckily, this pash rash has nothing in common with the one you experienced during high school. It's a blend of pinot gris and sauvignon blanc and it's tart and easy to drink. The winemakers, Mark Warner and Alicia Basa — who can usually be found stomping grapes at another natural winery, Jauma — call it "boozy pub squash". GOOD TIMES, LATTA VINO, WESTERN VICTORIA Rounding out the lineup with a bang (literally), is this 1.5-litre bottle of pétillant-naturel. A pétillant-naturel, or pét-nat, is a sparkling wine made using the traditional méthode ancestrale — it's not a quick process to describe, but there's a full rundown here if you're interested. This juicy bottle is made using pinot gris and we highly recommend you ring in the new year with a bottle or two.
New South Wales is dotted with seemingly endless country towns and weekend destinations. Among the best of these is Kangaroo Valley, named for the Kangaroo River along which the tiny village is situated. The town is only two hours south of Sydney but packs all of the charm that we love about rural NSW — breathtaking mountain and valley views, bushwalks aplenty and wineries galore. Kangaroo Valley is a cabin retreat that will feel decades away from the city hustle and bustle, but is still close enough for a quick weekender. Here's how to make the most of it. [caption id="attachment_581967" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @she_eats[/caption] EAT/DRINK Kangaroo Valley may not be the most talked about wine region, but it sure is a quiet contender. The region is distinguished by its rich volcanic soil which is ideal for viticulture — aka growing grapes. The winding pathway to the remote Yarrawa Estate is not an easy one to follow, but you'll be pleasantly surprised as the path opens to this lakeside vineyard. If the golden retrievers and frolicking children remind you of a visit to the family country home you either have or dream about, well, it should — the cellar door is quite literally set in the Foster family dining room, where strangers momentarily become relatives. Apart from the incredible wine, they also offer a range of nuts, jams and pickles made from homegrown produce. Be sure to taste their homemade walnut liquor wine, a combination of both passions. Possibly the best known among the region's wineries is Silos Estate. The cellar door is run by friendly, knowledgeable locals and set among the estate's sloping Shiraz vineyards. Order a local producer's cheese plate at the cellar bar while you enjoy your free wine tasting or peruse the collection of locally-made smallgoods for sale. If you're hankering for something more substantial, head over to the Silos restaurant which is set in a 100-year-old hay shed and has a relatively reasonable tasting menu ($29.95 for lunch, $95 for dinner). Head chef Nick Gardner (Tetsuya's, Quay, The French Laundry) focuses on native Australian ingredients and local produce, like the decadent red snapper topped with warrigal greens, smoked oyster cream and citrus caviar sauce. The open fireplace keeps you cosy in the winter months while outdoor seating is perfect for warm weather days. Once you're out by Silos, might as well stop over at The Famous Berry Donut Van for their notorious cinnamon-sugar doughnuts. You deserve a second dessert — you're on holiday after all. [caption id="attachment_575084" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Southern Pies.[/caption] If wineries aren't your thing, Kangaroo Valley holds plenty of small town eateries to explore. If you're looking for a quick, road trip snack, check out Southern Pies — the cheeseburger pie or the curry beef are standouts, and vegetarians will love the award-winning lentil and chickpea dhal pie or the honey-roast pumpkin and spinach. The only pub in town, The Friendly Inn, has been around since 1892 and is one of the oldest in the region. Though it's pretty standard pub fare, the real draw is the expansive beer garden which overlooks the rolling valleys and mountains beyond. On the drive down from Sydney, or on the way back home, have a stopover at Berrima's Bendooley Estate, which houses the original Berkelouw Book Barn. The architecturally-designed winery is situated within a gorgeous backdrop, while the produce-driven restaurant sits within the bookshop itself. Check out our Foodie's Guide to Kangaroo Valley for more eating destinations. [caption id="attachment_581969" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Angus L.[/caption] DO As the town lies along the Kangaroo River, one of the best ways to see the valley is via kayak or canoe. Two companies in town, Kangaroo Valley Safaris and Kangaroo Valley Kayaks are comparable in price and both offer pick-up service at the end of the five-kilometre, self-guided journey. The gentle rapids and overall calm river is easy to navigate and includes spectacular scenery and plenty of wildlife to sight. A pro tip is to go on an overcast or drizzly day when the tourist count will be at its lowest and the river will be as peaceful as ever. If bushwalks are more your speed, Mortan National Park and Kangaroo Valley Nature Reserve seem to have an endless number of hiking trails to explore. Within the park is the Fitzroy Falls walking track, which offers both forest and cliff-side views, as well as a good chance to see platypus and lyrebird in their natural habitat. The full West Rim walking track, a moderate 3.5 kilometre trip, will take you through eucalypt and lush rainforest, remarkable gorges and waterfalls before finishing at Twin Falls. Beach lovers should go for the Seven Mile Beach track, which includes stunning ocean views and beach side picnic areas. [caption id="attachment_581975" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Maarten Danial.[/caption] Once the great outdoors has you good and tired, it's time to check out the many antique shops around town. While Kangaroo Valley town itself is loaded with boutiques and craft shops, our favourite is the out-of-towner, Grandpa's Shed. Located down the road from Fitzroy Falls, this warehouse has every antique imaginable, from hand-axes and old farming equipment to antique jewellery and comic books. The shop is connected to an old-school, working gas station, which will offer a much needed cold drink if you're visiting after a trek. [caption id="attachment_581976" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Heavens.[/caption] STAY Kangaroo Valley is ideal for a cabin getaway weekend and there are plenty of options to that end, from The Heavens to Kookaburra Hill. Twin Falls Bush Cottages is by far our favourite — family-owned and operated, the five one- or two-bedroom cottages are nicely spaced for privacy from the neighbours and include a fireplace, full kitchen and outdoor barbecue. The expansive property is set right in the bush, with private hikes and mountain bike trails, as well as a communal tennis court, pool and fire pit to boot. The location is also perfectly situated for both for Twin Falls and Fitzroy Falls treks and the remote location is a true removal from city living. If you're looking to stay closer to town, the Tall Trees Bed and Breakfast is conveniently located just one kilometre from the town centre and is walkable for those without a car. You can either choose a traditional B&B or a self contained unit here. Another, more upscale option is the villas at Kangaroo Valley Golf and Country Club, only a four-minute drive from town and offering sweeping valley views. [caption id="attachment_581974" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] LET'S DO THIS, HOW DO I GET THERE? By car: Kangaroo Valley is two hours drive south of Sydney along Hume Highway. This is the suggested route, as it makes it much easier to travel around the valley for hikes and wineries. By public transport: Catch the Southern NSW train line from Central Station to Moss Vale Station, then transfer to the 810 bus toward Nowra, which stops in the heart of Kangaroo Valley. Top image: Rodney Campbell.
A Sydney institution, White Rabbit Gallery has been running free exhibitions showcasing contemporary Chinese art for over a decade. But visitors to the Chippendale space between now and Sunday, August 1 can expect a particularly luminous experience, with its latest eye-catching multimedia exhibition centred around the wonders of light. Showcasing works from 30 artists, Lumen's lineup stretches from interactive light pieces and frozen copper sculptures to video projections and rooms full of LEDs. As well as grabbing attention, each work on display uses light in a thought-provoking, awe-inspiring or fully immersive fashion. The boundary-pushing Zhang Peili, dubbed the father of video art in China, is displaying 2012 Portraits, a series of 14 portraits in which the both the subject and the viewer are blinded by light. Or, there's Yao Chung-Han's DzDz, which invites the audience to stand under movement-sensitive beams of light and create music by using their bodies. And, thanks to Wu Daxin's Ashley's Heart, you'll see copper tubes suspended in the shape of a heart and gradually frozen over the course of the day, creating a unique ice sculpture. Art collective Luxury Logico is presenting two works as part of the exhibition. The first is Solar, a twinkling representation of the sun created using donated desk lamps — while the second, Miniature, is one of the exhibition's showstoppers. The display of LED lights draws upon images from a video reel, with each LED corresponding to a pixel. Both vivid and architectural in its appearance, the work is designed to remind viewers of celestial bodies in the sky, all while cycling through everything from reality TV and ads to soap operas and Adam Sandler movies. Lumen is running over all four levels of the White Rabbit Gallery. As usual with the site's exhibitions, entry is free and there are no bookings, so folks can just rock up and enjoy the art. And, free guided tours are available at 11am, 1pm and 3pm Wednesday–Sunday. Top image: Miniature by Luxury Logico.
When the Victorian Government last year announced a huge new citywide arts festival was set to launch in winter 2020, they didn't expect it to fall in the middle of a global pandemic. As that is what happened, though, the new annual festival — merging Melbourne International Arts Festival and arts all-nighter White Night — will not go ahead this year, with the inaugural festival now set to take over Melbourne in 2021. Called Rising, it'll kick off on the May 26 full moon and run until June 6, 2021, encouraging the audience to "celebrate the night with a surge of art, music and ceremony in the heart of the city". Pulling the strings are co-Artistic Directors Gideon Obarzanek and Hannah Fox, who are both practising artists and former Artistic Associates of Melbourne Festival. Fox was also the Creative Director at Tasmania's winter festival Dark Mofo, while Obarzanek founded dance company Chunky Move and was a resident artist at the Sydney Theatre Company. [caption id="attachment_770990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chinatown at night courtesy of the City of Melbourne[/caption] As this year's festival cannot go ahead, Fox and Obarzanek have instead announced a $2 million fund for local artists to create shows, exhibitions and events for 2021's program. And the duo are encouraging ideas that are as boundary-pushing as possible. "Rather than prescribing specific outcomes, we are seeking ideas that are ambitious, unusual and that could only happen in a festival context," explained Obarzanek in a statement. "Whether these respond to the times or reach beyond them, we invite ideas that are radical and critical; ideas that are absurd and bombastic; ideas that are contemplative and philosophical; and ideas that are celebratory and unifying." Victorian artists have until Monday, June 8 to submit their idea and bid for a piece of the $2 million pie, via a 300-word or two-minute video proposal. While details about this year's festival — and next year's program — are fairly under wraps for now, The Age reported leaks suggesting the 2020 lineup would've included transforming Chinatown "into a 'sensory wonderland' of lighting, video art and music, open late into the night" and a 400-metre light installation on the Yarra River. Rising is set to support Victoria's tourism and hospitality industries in the quieter months and, no doubt, provide a Melbourne equivalent to Sydney's popular Vivid festival, Rising will take place in Melbourne from May 26–June 6 2021. Top image: 'A Purple Poem for Miami' by Judy Chicago.
If catching a flick in style is your thing, get ready to plan a night out at Restaurant Hubert. The subterranean CBD restaurant and theatre is back with another season of its hit Magnum & Movies series for 2023, entertaining Sydneysiders with film, food and plenty of wine (in magnums, of course). It'll largely all take place every second Monday in Hubert's Theatre Royale, to really ramp up the film-meets-dinner vibe. Each evening will feature plenty of popcorn; canapes on arrival; an intermission buffet featuring braised beef cheek, roasted heirloom carrots and seasonal buttered greens; Restaurant Hubert's famous crème glacee for dessert; and magnums of wine, which will be passed around throughout the night. While past events have had running themes, this season's group of films is quite varied. Star-studded titles like The Big Short (January 23) sit alongside classics such as Amelie (February 13 and February 14) and Whiplash (March 27), while other picks include Dallas Buyers Club (February 27) and beloved music documentary Searching for Sugar Man (March 13). Tickets don't come cheap at $165 per head, but that price includes everything (food, wine, film andpopcorn). And, it's the kind of decadent weeknight affair you don't get to enjoy every day. These sessions unsurprisingly sell out quickly, so booking your spot ASAP is recommended.
Not once, not twice, but nine times now across 46 years, cinema audiences have stepped into the world of xenomorphs, facehuggers and chestbursters — and of cats onboard spaceships, androids resembling humans and screams not heard in the universe's vast expanse. When Ridley Scott (Gladiator II) directed the initial Alien film, he helped start a sci-fi phenomenon. 2025's Alien: Earth is a first, however, given that it's the franchise's debut TV series. One of the show's twists is right there in its title, with the pale blue dot that humanity calls home giving Alien: Earth its setting. As the just-dropped full trailer for the series advises, there's another fresh element to its setup: "five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe". In the works for a few years now, executive produced by Scott and due to debut via Disney+ on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 Down Under, this is Noah Hawley's addition to the saga — and another of his projects, after Fargo, where he's expanding upon the realm of a beloved film on the small screen. Set in 2120, his Alien entry follows the fallout of deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crashing onto earth, then the discoveries made as a result by a crew of soldiers that includes human-robot hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler, Sugar). As it peers just under a century into the future, Alien: Earth sees its namesake planet under the control of five companies: Weyland-Yutani, of course, because this is the Alien franchise, plus Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. It also witnesses a society where hybrids like Wendy — the first of her kind, with human consciousness inside a robot body — live side by side with humans, cyborgs and AI-driven synthetics. Hawley's cast not only includes Chandler, but also Fargo alums Timothy Olyphant (Havoc) and David Rysdahl (The Luckiest Man in America), plus Alex Lawther (Andor), Essie Davis (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Adrian Edmondson (Kidnapped), Samuel Blenkin (Mickey 17), Babou Ceesay (Killer Heat), Lily Newmark (A Gentleman in Moscow) and more. Alien: Earth expands a saga that began with one of the best sci-fi/horror movies ever back in 1979, and has since spanned 1986's Aliens, 1992's Alien 3, 1997's Alien Resurrection, 2012's Prometheus, 2017's Alien: Covenant and 2024's Alien: Romulus — as well as the 2004 Alien vs Predator and 2007 Aliens vs Predator: Requiem crossover flicks with the Predator franchise. The Predator world is also expanding in 2025 courtesy of the animated Predator: Killer of Killers and live-action Predator: Badlands, both directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who helmed 2022's excellent Prey. Check out the full trailer for Alien: Earth below: Alien: Earth starts streaming Down Under via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
