After beginning the year with a devastating bushfire season, then following it up with a global pandemic that rid the area of tourism, the Blue Mountains, it's fair to say, has has a tough 12 months. In response, Mount Tomah's Blue Mountains Botanic Garden has turned to an unlikely partner on its road towards bushfire recovery: gin. In collaboration with Sydney-based gin brand Grown Spirits, the Botanic Garden has released the Blue Mountains Grown Gin in a limited run of just 1000 bottles. All profits from the gin go to supporting the garden's horticultural and scientific staff in their efforts to restore hundreds of specimens and areas of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden destroyed in the bushfires earlier this year. The Blue Mountains Grown Gin was created by Grown Spirits and Master Distiller Philip Moore at Distillery Botanica in Erina. It combines local eucalypt plant the silver-leaved mountain gum with juniper, valencia orange and liquorice root for a textural gin with a hint of spice. "In creating a gin homage to the Blue Mountains and the Garden, there was one botanical I was immediately drawn to, eucalyptus pulverulenta, or "Baby Blue" as some people call it," Moore said in a statement. "It brings fresh, cooling qualities to the gin much like the mountains themselves." The team recommends serving it in a G&T or a martini with a lime zest. You can also try it at Dead Ringer in Surry Hills, shaken into a cocktail called Evergreen. If you're looking for ethical holiday gifts this time of year, the Blue Mountains Grown Gin fits snuggly into a Christmas stocking. Not a gin enthusiast, but still keen to support the area? You can take a trip to the Blue Mountains — and the Garden — and spend liberally on local businesses. To start planning your adventure, check out our guide to the upper Blue Mountains and these enchanting local stays. The Blue Mountains Grown Gin is now available now for $129 at the Garden Grown Gin website or at select bottle shops across Australia.
Two of our city's most dynamic arts organisations — Carriageworks and Sydney Dance Company — are joining forces again to give up-and-coming choreographers a platform to showcase their work. Running every year since 2014, New Breed is an initiative supported by philanthropic organisation The Balnaves Foundation and is an ongoing collaborative commitment to nurturing Australia's next generation of performers and artists. Now in its sixth year, it boasts a successful track record of recipients going on to do national and global tours, picking up many awards along the way. So, this is your chance to catch the new wave of talent before the rest of the world. This year's program features a powerhouse lineup of independent choreographers: Josh Mu (Melbourne), Lauren Langlois (Melbourne), Arielle Casu (Sydney) and Davide Di Giovanni (Sydney). These four dancers, who have decades of training and dozens of accolades between them already, were selected to create original works and were also given the opportunity to work at Sydney Dance Company's studios with some of Australia's best contemporary dancers to bring these creative pieces to life. And now, you get to enjoy the fruits of their labour with an evening of stunning and wildly diverse performances. New Breed 2019 will run nightly at Carriageworks from Thursday, November 28 to Saturday, December 7. Tickets cost $35 per person and can be purchased here. Images: Pedro Greig.
Power in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is brutal. It's corrosive and fleeting. It makes good people do bad things for their short-term survival, leads them to blur the public interest with their own. A manipulative entourage operates behind each visible figurehead. The citizenry's patience is short and their memory shorter. They martyrise their last despot not long after rejoicing in his removal by another. Their favour sways like a rope bridge over a gusty ravine. Sound familiar? The Bell Shakespeare Company thought so, too, which is why their slick and effective take on Julius Caesar speaks to modern executive government generally and the Kevin-to-Julia Labor leadership switch specifically. By keeping the allusions from getting petty or gimmicky, they pull off the production with grace and resonance and built it up to possibly the best Caesar you'll have the pleasure to see. The set is ringed by steel-framed meeting-room chairs and oversized spotlights; the cold corporate aesthetic interrupted only by the presence of a ruined Roman column bursting through the floor (which has a point, you'll see). There's shoe throwing and Q&A-style discourse, and the abridged script emphasises imagery of "the faction" and conspirators with "faces hidden in their cloaks" that were sketched 400 years before we made a cliche of 'faceless men'. Brutus (Colin Moody), Cassius (Kate Mulvany) and their supporters begin moving against tyrannical old Caesar (Alex Menglet) in a gently paced first half before the infamous execution scene is split by intermission. You're then dropped into a relentless and regularly jaw-dropping second hour where the set comes alive with a mesmerising assemblage of scaffolding, two great orators battle for the audience's hearts, and there's much navel-gazing on the part of the losers as they get their comeuppance at the Battle of Philippi. There are some great performances here, particularly from Mulvany (who's also the excellent dramaturg). Making one of the key political players female proves an instant way to modernise the play, and disregarding gender, she is a brilliant Cassius — bitter, sharp and determined. With regard to gender, it creates an interesting opportunity to play with sexual power and subtly question how we see women in positions of authority. Director Peter Evans and the creative team have had a clearly conceived idea of what this show should be and proceeded to impressively execute it. The drama features some strong choreography, including explosive fights. Where most Caesars have chosen to swim in blood, this one marks its wounds with movement and white chalk dust — it's bloodless, in fact. Like in modern politics and warfare, this violence is clean and distant. It doesn't get its hands dirty, and it's more disturbing for it.
Let's get the obvious out of the way immediately: a business's use of technology is fairly integral to its day-to-day functionality. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule but, for the most part, how a business is able to embrace technology and shape its output accordingly is fundamental to long term success. That's why the City of Sydney and founder-focused development and investment firm Investible got together to devise the Retail Innovation Program — an eight-week intensive that provides forward-thinking businesses with expert mentoring, in-depth workshops and guidance as they look to keep themselves ahead of the retail game. We spoke to four of the Sydney-based small businesses that have taken advantage of this innovative platform. Read on to discover how these entrepreneurs are using tech to do everything from making the design process more sustainable to rethinking how supply chains can work — and are thriving because of it. [caption id="attachment_734147" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] POP UP FINDS: HIRE SERVICES YOU DON'T NEED TO OWN It might come as a surprise, but pop-up events don't simply just pop up — a huge amount of work goes into ensuring they run smoothly, which can often rack up big bills very quickly. Pop Up Finds is designed around reducing wastage and minimising the hard costs associated with running events. "Brands were purchasing furniture to use as a one-time event and then throwing it away or storing it in their warehouse never to be used again," explains co-founders Kim and Taryn Hoang. Given this ethos is ingrained into their business model, the pair are pretty skilled at taking advantage of tech services that follow this same principle. Instead of forking out money to own a van, the Hoangs use car-sharing service GoGet to hire one as and when they need. The same goes with staff — the pair rely on platforms like Freelancer and Upwork to scale up the crew and fill gaps in skill sets when required. [caption id="attachment_731486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] CITIZEN WOLF: BUILD ALGORITHMS FOR THE PERFECT FINAL PRODUCT Have you ever thought about the nature of your relationship with clothes? For the past three years, Citizen Wolf has argued that tailoring your clothes is the optimal way to feel attached to them and wear them for longer than a season. Instead of using outdated tape measures, it's built the Magic Fit algorithm. What's that, you ask? Well, it's a statistical model that caters for height, weight, age and bra size to design the perfect fitting shirt for each individual. Citizen Wolf takes the Magic Fit pattern and uses a laser to cut the fabric before local Sydney sewers pull the final product together. Ultimately, this model is making the design process as straightforward as possible and reduces the likelihood of buyers returning products or, even worse, throwing them away because they don't fit properly. The fabrics the business uses are 100 percent natural fibres, and it's currently investigating biodegradable threads, too. Plus, it's looking to start working with a Spanish mill to turn old t-shirts into recycled yarn which will complete the circle entirely and reduce waste. [caption id="attachment_734138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] FOODCOSTR: ADOPT DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS TO REDUCE WASTE Whether it's due to poor stock management or massive portion sizes, many Australian restaurants and cafes are wasting a huge amount of good quality food. That's what Foodcostr, and its founder Min Chai, is hoping to change. As the founder of the now-closed ice cream chain N2 Extreme Gelato, Chai knows a few things about the challenges of food stock. Having shifted his focus away from N2, Chai is now committed to helping other businesses operate more sustainably – both financially and environmentally. While it's still in development, Foodcostr is aiming to be a piece of tech that chefs can use to future-proof their restaurants — and it'll take advantage of other tech platforms to do so. Initially, the app was just going to be a way to calculate food costs, but Chai is now investigating ways to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict exactly what a restaurant has to buy in order to meet the demands of its customers and minimise wastage. Plus, he hopes to get to a point where the app is generating valuable data-driven insights, like pinpointing specific ingredients to add or remove from the menu to improve the bottom line. [caption id="attachment_734152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] MODSIE: KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Getting your hands on authentic second-hand luxury fashion is the dream, but when you dig some up at your local op-shop or online, how can you be sure that it's the real thing? Modsie is Australia's answer to this conundrum as its members are safe to buy and sell their goods, which are verified by the company's own expert in-house quality control team. Co-founder Josephine De Parisot says that the Retail Innovation Program helped Modsie build a strategy to communicate with a wider audience. "The digital tips we received from Kelly Slessor from ShopYou and Emma Lo Russo from Digivizer were really interesting and helpful," says De Parisot. "They've made us aware of easy ways to improve our business's visibility, to determine clearly who our target is, and how to communicate better with our customers on Facebook, Google or simply on our website." Learn more about the City of Sydney Retail Innovation Program here. Image: Kimberley Low.
Each year we anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and the arrival of Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. This year, the gelato chain is bringing back its version of the quintessential Australian dessert: the trifle. Yes, we're talking Christmas desserts already. The Christmas Coma will return for its third year running — and this time it's more fruity than overly decadent. The epic ice cream creation will feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina has switched out the vanilla gelato for a mango sorbet, and will be slathering it with its house-made passionfruit mousse. Then it will be layered with — here we go — whipped guava jelly, coconut cream, sponge soaked in mango and macadamia crunch. Oh, and garnished with a chocolate coconut. Plus, it'll come with some Messina rum custard to douse all over the mess and a box of Christmas crackers for the table. The trifle, which serves 20–30 (or less if you really commit), costs $170 and can be pre-ordered from October 28. You can pick up your Christmas Coma between midday on Friday, December 20 and 6pm on Christmas Eve, from all Gelato Messina stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane except The Star, Surry Hills, Richmond and Coolangatta. It comes in a Messina cooler bag and, if you keep it in there sealed, can survive for up to two hours. Last year, the trifle sold out super fast, too, so we suggest you don't wait on this one. The Christmas Coma available to order from Tuesday, October 29. Updated October 29, 2019.
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.
Can you get much more rock 'n' roll than your band having its own signature Harley Davidson? The members of Dutch outfit DeWolff might have the answer: they received the honour last year. Like The Black Keys, with whom they've been invited to perform, DeWolff plays music that hearkens to another era — that of 1970s psychedelic rock. They're loud, highly energised and passionate about playing like they mean to be heard. "We put everything we have into our shows, so it's one hell of a psychedelic rock 'n' roll trip," vocalist Pablo Van De Poe has explained. It seems to be working: Rolling Stone named them European 'Must See Live Band' of 2012. To mark their 2013 Antipodean tour, DeWolff is releasing three albums: their new blues-rock project, DeWolff IV, and a double CD that includes Strange Fruits and Undiscovered Plants and Orchards/Lupine, to be released in Australia only. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gh-8lQbTUoY
Twenty years ago, Tracey Moffatt became the first Australian Aboriginal woman to make a feature film, in the process polarising critics, who argued over whether BeDevil was a work of genius or a cinematic failure. Contemporary audiences will have the chance to make up their minds on Friday, April 19. Public intellectual and activist Professor Maria Langton AM has chosen BeDevil to open Debil Debil, an event combining a weekend-long cinema programme at Carriageworks with an exhibition at Anna Schwartz Gallery. Saturday, April 20 will see screenings of Rachel Perkins's stirring musical drama, One Night the Moon, and two works directed by Ivan Sen: his psychologically penetrating Wind, and his intimate study of life on the mission, Toomelah. A series of short films will run on Sunday, including works by Wesley Enoch, Darlene Johnson, Beck Cole and r e a. All screenings are free, but numbers are limited. Avoid disappointment by booking online.
If you're looking to host a house party soon, you might want to enlist the help of Behringer. The German electronics company has just revealed the iNuke Boom - a 700 pound, four-foot tall, eight-foot long dock and speakers for the iPod. While these speakers are wildly disproportionate to the device, they'll have a sound to match their size, with the capability of cranking out 10,000 watts. They are being released in January and will set you back a cool $30,000. The iNuke Boom is unusual given that electronic companies are constantly trying to make everything more minuscule and compact. Behringer are reminding everybody that size does matter. Dust off your old Snoop Dogg and NWA records, upload them onto your iPod and see how the old classics sound coming out of this absolute beast. Just keep your fingers crossed that the bass power doesn't cause the iNuke Boom to collapse and crush somebody. [via Gizmodo]
As plant-based eating has become increasingly normalised (just ask these top chefs), it can be difficult to begin when it comes to incorporating more plant-based meals into the home. This probably shouldn't be all that surprising — with so much to work with, rather than just the standard protein and three veg many of us grew up with, there really is a whole world of delicious, nutritious and, yes, even indulgent ingredients that can easily be transformed into meals that are as good for you as they are for the planet. To make things a little easier for you, we've teamed up with Vegkit to showcase seven easy-to-make plant-based dishes that'll please even the pickiest of eaters, from entrée right through to dessert. HERBED MUSHROOM AND LENTIL SAUSAGE ROLLS Whether it's a playful entrée or a game-night staple, sausage rolls are always a no-brainer when you've got guests over. This plant-based version is an umami-laden treat, packed with mushrooms, lentils and a host of fragrant herbs and spices. They're a cinch to make, too — especially when you let a food processor do the heavy lifting — but also make it look like you've gone to more effort than you probably have. That's what we call a win-win, folks. ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CRANBERRY AND ALMOND SALAD Take the humble brussels sprout from supporting player to headline act with this delicious salad. This hearty dish is just as good as part of a lazy weekend spread as it is to elevate a quick weeknight dinner, thanks to its minimal prep time and abbreviated list of ingredients (most of which you probably already have on hand). Less definitely means more in this case, though, with well-balanced flavours that seriously pack a punch. One more reason to add this dish to the rotation: with the cooler months approaching, brussels sprouts are back in season. TOMATO FILO TART WITH PESTO This golden, flaky tart looks more difficult to make than it is — and when it looks this good, that's really saying something. We reckon this all-rounder would go down well at any time of the day, whether it's for a plant-based brunch or an easy weeknight dinner. You can use any tomatoes you like, and the recipe also calls for a homemade pesto, so it's a great fridge-clearer that you can graze on all day. EASY CHEESY CAULIFLOWER BAKE The clue is in the name with this one, folks (maybe not the 'cheesy' bit though, to be fair) — it's an easy-as, warming AF bake that we think could become a new weeknight favourite. Think of this like mac and cheese's sophisticated sibling, with florets of cauliflower topped with a creamy (in consistency only, we assure you) garlicky cashew mix and crunchy golden breadcrumbs. Your favourite comfort dish just got a wholesome upgrade. MUSHROOM AND LEEK PIE Pie time to upgrade your baking game? Start here. This very doable — and very smashable — plant-based pie is comfort food at its finest, with a golden filo ceiling giving way to a luxuriously gooey mushroom and leek filling that's lifted with onions, garlic and a hum of cracked pepper. You can also add a whack of protein by adding cubed tofu (smoked tofu works particularly well here) to the white sauce when you stir the veggies through it. APPLE BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE What looks like a pie, smells like a pie, even tastes like a pie, but is a whole lot easier to make than a pie? This fragrant, colourful beauty. Just ten minutes' prep and 15 minutes of oven time is all you need to serve up this rustic, indulgent apple blueberry crumble. While the cinnamon-laced fruit is an umami-packed delight, the real highlight here is the homemade crumble, a buttery, toasty mix of oats, wholewheat flour, maple syrup and coconut oil. Top with a generous scoop of vegan ice cream or thick vanilla-flavoured coconut yoghurt to take this dessert to the next level. MANGO, LIME AND COCONUT SWIRL POPSICLES The only difficult thing about making these summer-ready mango, lime and coconut swirl popsicles will be waiting for them to set. These sticks feature all your favourite summer flavours, and are the perfect treat at any time of the day — and surely one of these would count as one of your five-a-day, right? The recipe for these bad boys calls for just four ingredients, but we'd suggest a cheeky fifth if you're making them for grown-ups: a splash of rum. Piña colada popsicles, anyone? To discover even more plant-based dining and recipe inspiration, head to the VegKit website, or check out MasterChef Australia's Simon Toohey's three favourite plant-based breakfasts to get your day started. Don't feel like cooking tonight? Try our picks of the best date spots with plant-based menus in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The Powerhouse may revive memories of some dorky, primary school excursions, but its late night series has us pumped. (Did you go eat 3D-printed chocolate last time the museum opened its doors after-hours?) This time around the it plunges further into new technologies, with an interactive, electronic art hallapalooza called Electric Dreams. Aside from late viewings of current ISEA exhibitions — Experimenta Speak to me, Semipermeable (+), and Synapse: a Selection — there's a whole program of artist talks and fun stuff to do. Among ISEA2013's artists, Katie Turnbull, George Khut and Benjamin Forster will all speak about their work. Meanwhile James Nichols helps you make your own party machines, Beryl Nicolai lets you wield a camera lucida, and Melinda Young provides old computer parts for you to craft into awesome jewellery. Google Earth Liquid Galaxy and Streetview Hyperlapse cameo for your interative pleasure, and the soundtrack for the night features the brilliantly named Rainbow Chan, who mashes up antique music boxes with 8-bit keyboards. The real clincher is the chance to play a bunch of throwback video games — Pac Man and Donkey Kong will also be in attendance.
For proof that Australia's cocktail game is world-class, look no further than the calibre of the international mixology stars lining up to play on our turf. In 2015, it was New York's famous speakeasy Please Don't Tell, taking over the bar at Fitzroy's acclaimed cocktail haunt The Black Pearl. Then Sydney Bar Week 2016 saw The Everleigh in Melbourne and Sydney's Henrietta Supper Club each play host to pop-ups by Asia's best bar, 28 Hongkong Street. Now it's time for one of the world's most famous hotel bars to make its way Down Under. The American Bar, which is located at London's Savoy Hotel, will take over The Black Pearl on October 15–16 and Darlinghurst's own cocktail gem Eau de Vie from October 18–19. As England's longest surviving cocktail bar, The American Bar has quite the pedigree — in the last year alone, it's scooped the title of Best Bar in Europe at the World's 50 Best Bars awards and seen its team voted Best International Bar Team by Tales of the Cocktail. Backed by the creators of local coffee liqueur Mr Black (who are behind the Espresso Martini Festival in Sydney and Melbourne), this Aussie adventure gives The American Bar the opportunity to showcase some of its own caffeinated mixology magic. At the helm will be senior bartender and World Coffee In Good Spirits champion Martin Hudak, as he treats local audiences to American Bar signatures like the Green Park, the Black Diamond and the Hanky Panky. It's not a ticketed event, so you'll have to be there when the doors open at 6pm each night for the best chance of scoring a seat. The American Bar takes over The Black Pearl, at 304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, from 6pm on Sunday, October 15 and Monday, October 16. Then, it'll land at Eau de Vie, 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, on Wednesday, October 18 and Thursday, October 19.
Just a few short months ago, no one could've predicted that the Queensland border would become one of 2020's most debated topics. It's a subject that has inspired plenty of comments, especially among interstate and federal politicians calling for Queensland to open back up — with the state closing its border to help stem the spread of COVID-19, then keeping it shut while other restrictions have been easing. Come mid-July, all that chatter could finally stop, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirming Friday, July 10 as Queensland's target date for reopening to interstate visitors. As initially outlined in Queensland's COVID-19 roadmap, that's the date that the state's third stage of loosened coronavirus limits is due to come into effect. Included at that step: allowing interstate travel, which means opening up the border. While this isn't new news, just whether Queensland would forge ahead with — or consider — reopening the border in its next phase of eased restrictions has been far from certain over the past month. Premier Palaszczuk even suggested that the border could remain closed until September. After the last national cabinet meeting on Friday, June 12, however, Queensland officials have been quoting July 10 as the date the state is aiming for. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, June 15, Premier Palaszczuk said that "our roadmap clearly says July 10". She confirmed that the state government "will review at the end of the month, but it is our clear intention that July 10 would be the date for consideration". [caption id="attachment_743610" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] A day earlier, at a press conference on Sunday, June 14, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young also stated July 10 as the target date, as dependent upon a review at the end of June. "At the end of this month, we will review all of that epidemiology — not only us here in Queensland, but across the country — to make those decisions about our border," she said. Young explained that just when Queensland opens back up depends on a number of factors, including the ongoing levels of community transmission in southern states, while advising that the target date would only change if "something was very different either way". Expanding upon that further, Young noted that "if something were to happen interstate, I'm sure everyone would expect that we then push that date out". In good news, she also advised that "if things were a lot better, then of course we could bring that date forward, as did happen for this month's stage two." Initially, Queensland's second stage of eased COVID-19 restrictions was due to kick off on June 12, but was then brought forward to June 1. At the same Sunday press conference, Deputy Premier Steven Miles also said that opening up to New South Wales but not Victoria is a possibility — depending on community transmission levels — and that some work had been done in exploring the logistics, although it's not a favoured option. "Our preference would be to lift the borders all at once, hopefully on the 10th of July," he noted. If you're a Queenslander hoping to hop over the border for a mid-year holiday — and come back home without any hassle — the confirmation of July 10 as the target border reopening date will be a welcome development. If you're a resident of the rest of the country eager to soak in the Sunshine State's splendours during winter, it will be as well. At the federal level, the Australian government has also been aiming for July as the date the country's internal borders are lifted, as noted in the national three-step roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in May. But, like all coronavirus restrictions — whether being implemented or eased — each step has to be put in place by every state individually. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
For the second year in a row, North Byron Bay Parkland won't be welcoming in bands and music lovers this July, with Splendour in the Grass' 2021 festival already rescheduled to November. But if enjoying a jam-packed lineup of tunes is a cherished part of your winter routine, that's still on the cards, with the fest's organisers announcing that a new virtual Splendour event will take place in its usual midyear times slot. Called Splendour XR, the mud-free two-stage event will pop up across the weekend of Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25 — but you'll be watching along from home. Or, from wherever you choose to tune in via your mobile, tablet, browser, desktop or VR headset, all to watch more than 50 acts take to the virtual stage over two days. Leading the charge are headliners Khalid and The Killers. The former will do the honours on Saturday, while the latter will take over on Sunday. They'll be joined by a hefty list of talent, including Chvrches, Denzel Curry, Duke Dumont, Tash Sultana, Violent Soho, Phoebe Bridgers and Band of Horses on the first day, plus Charlie XCX, Vance Joy, The Avalanches, Of Monsters and Men, The Jungle Giants and Ocean Alley on the second. If you're wondering how Splendour XR will work, that's understandable — and no, you won't just be watching old gig footage or clips from past Splendours. Instead, the fest will feature new, never-before-seen live sets that have been created especially for the virtual event. And, while they'll be available to watch worldwide, the fest will operate on Australian time — running from 12pm–2am AEST each day, with tunes starting from 2pm. You'll also be able to view the performances for seven days afterwards. Splendour organisers are also aiming to take as much of the IRL festival experience with them into the virtual realm, too, with attendees set to access "an imaginatively embellished but faithful recreation of Splendour's Byron Bay venue", according to the festival announcement. You'll also create your own schedule so that you can hop between stages to see whoever you like, and you'll be able to virtually meet up with your mates in the process as well. Also part of the fest: raising funds for live music industry workers, mental health and wellbeing, and sustainability. There'll also be an online medical centre designed to help anyone that's struggling with their mental health after the chaos of the past 15 months or so. Obviously, attending Splendour XR will be much, much kinder to your bank balance than going to the real thing. Tickets start at $17.49 for one day for existing Splendour IRL ticketholders during early bird sales, which are open now — and max out at $49.99 for both days when it gets down to final release tickets (just a couple of days out from the event). SPLENDOUR XR LINEUP: DAY 1 Khalid Chvrches Denzel Curry Duke Dumont Tash Sultana Masked Wolf Russ Millions Band Of Horses Little Simz Violent Soho Aurora Phoebe Bridgers Vera Blue Pink Sweat$ Client Liaison Griff Pond Tayla Parx Dune Rats Methyl Ethel The Chats Triple One Cat & Calmell King Stingray The Southern River Band DAY 2 The Killers Charli XCX Vance Joy Grimes Metaverse (Super Beta) The Avalanches Of Monsters and Men Kaytranada Black Pumas Hot Dub Time Machine Millennium Parade The Jungle Giants Ocean Alley Jungle What So Not King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Sinéad Harnett Holly Humberstone Spacey Jane Crooked Colours Amyl and The Sniffers Wafia Aviva The Snuts Band-Maid Ziggy Ramo Gretta Ray Splendour XR will take place on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25. For further details or to buy tickets, head to the festival website. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Sydney is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Sydney. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, play backgammon to a soundtrack of jazz, spook yourself on Halloween and channel your inner Beyoncé. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the next few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
It's hard to believe that Australia has been without rock legend Chrissy Amphlett for almost one year; she sadly lost her battle with breast cancer at age 53. Blender Gallery is having a photographic exhibition, #ITouchMyself, curated in conjunction with her husband Charley Drayton and the Cancer Council NSW to honour her memory. The exhibition will feature previously unseen images of Amphlett taken by renowned rock 'n' roll photographers, including Ian Greene, Tony Mott, Sandrine Lee, Jasmine Hirst and Tony Notarberardino. Prints are available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds donated to Cancer Council NSW. Her most famous song with band Divinyls, 'I Touch Myself', inspired the exhibition title. Amphlett used the song as rallying cry for self-examination in her later years of life, hoping to inspire greater awareness of breast cancer and early cancer detection. Image by Jasmine Hirst.
We've been whining about much-needed change in the TV industry for awhile now. Audiences are downloading and streaming content more than ever. Legislators are waving their fingers and threatening us with angry letters. And local Australian content is suffering huge drops in viewers simply because they're not catalogued in Netflix. It's a weird time for TV, but some networks are doing better than others. In a landmark move, the ABC has just announced it's launching an iView-only series next month... but it's a little more niche than you might expect. Launching on September 20, Wastelander Panda, is a "post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi western" about a panda. The main character is a tough loner with an earnest Aussie accent and a heart of gold. This "bamboo eating Mad Max" battles corrupt tribespeople, lives off the land and, conveniently, it never seems to come up that he's an enormous anthropomorphic creature surviving well out of his natural habitat. Co-produced by Epic Films and Madman Productions, this project has been in the works for awhile now. In 2012, the prologue for the series racked up thousands of views on Vimeo and even found its way to Buzzfeed (as often happens with videos of talking animals). Now, the first series consists of six ten-minute episodes to be released in full on September 20. It's a strategy that the ABC have been flirting with for awhile now. Earlier this year, the entire first reason of Jonah From Tonga was released on iView during the weekend ahead of its first episode airing on TV. It was a huge success for the site as they saw traffic increase by 50 per cent while it was streaming. Elsewhere, the strategy has been championed by US giant Netflix. Original productions like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and the most recent season of Arrested Development are released in the same desperately unhealthy, but wholly satisfying way. All in all, we're happy about the move. It shows Australian industry is finally willing to start catering to our viewing habits. And, although the panda's eyes are a little soulless and terrifying, we couldn't think of a better face for the digital revolution. Via Gizmodo.
Everyone has different ideas of the perfect holiday - lying on a tropical beach until you're as brown as Giorgio Armani might be your thing, or maybe you dream of walking the El Camino Del Ray. But you would be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't have a trip to Italy on their bucket list. Who could possibly not love a land of the best pizza and ice cream you will ever eat? Italy is not just about the food though, as the folks at Mr & Mrs Smith know. Their website offers reviews of the most unique and stylish hotels from all over the world, for those who are looking for an alternative to the bland monotony of Holiday Inns. They've now created a beautiful coffee-table-worthy travel guide of Italy, including, of course, 32 of the country's coolest boutique hotels from the grand, baroque kind to the sweet and rustic and hidden coastal retreats. Also included is an insider lowdown of what to do in each destination, including restaurant recommendations, what to pack and tips like which deli sells the best prosciutto or which vineyard to visit for the most romantic day. A perfect Christmas present for someone who's been talking about doing the Italy trip for far too long. To win one of five books by Mr & Mrs Smith, make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au (for Australia) or auckland@concreteplayground.co.nz (for New Zealand) by Wednesday 7 December, 2011 at 5pm. Winners will be notified by email soon after.
With its cafes, little bars, book and second-hand stores, Glebe Point Road is one of Sydney's most loved and atmospheric streets. And it's about to get even more remarkable for the day of Glebe Street Fair, which each year welcomes more than 100,000 visitors to its streets. This year the day-fest will farewell its twenties. But the Sunday, November 17, event is one 30th that won't fret its burgeoning wrinkles. Nope, Glebe's down to party with a kilometre of diverse market stalls, performances and entertainment. This year you can expect performances from the local Latin Dance Academy and live music from The Maybes and Angie Who, amongst a whole mixed-bag more. A gold coin donation will send proceeds to the Glebe Chamber of Commerce for local community initiatives and have you jiving down the stretch from Parramatta Road to Bridge Street. So join the local creative community for a good cause and an even better day. The event runs from 10am-5pm.
This article is part of our series on the 17 most unique things to have come out of Japan. Check out the other 16. If breakfast usually involves a battle between you, your toast and your butter knife, ending in lots of holes, there’s a solution. Let the ‘easy butter former’ bring peace into your home. It’s like a grater, but it’s specially designed for butter. All you have to do is pop your pat inside and turn the lid. Presto, it emerges as impossibly thin slivers, which means soft, evenly spread butter wherever you need it, be that on toast, cakes, biscuits or straight into your mouth. There’s no more having to leave the butter out of the fridge, waiting for it to warm up to a spreadable temperature. Actually, it’s pretty difficult to believe that it’s taken this long to solve such an ancient dilemma — and with such a straightforward yet ingenious invention. You can check out the easy butter former in action on YouTube and buy one of your very own online via Metex for $26. A similar Australian invention, the Butter Up Knife, is a little more slimline. According to the website, the easy butter former is also good for chocolate and cheese. Your homemade cappuccino just got a thousand times better. It’s possible your arteries didn’t fare so well. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
A day without laughter is a day wasted, which works out well for comedy rooms around Sydney looking to sell out shows and fill out insurance claims for patrons whose sides have split from the funnies on-stage. Whilst there are copious clubs dedicated to your regular serving of stand-up, there are also a number of alternative, lesser-known and uniquely hilarious shows and events across the harbour city ready to leave you with a breathless stitch. Concrete Playground has laughed (and cringed) at a range of them to bring you the best seven non-stand-up comedy events in Sydney. Story Club Story Club is the wonderful grown-up version of a bedtime story. The best storytellers around read their (often) true stories to avid audiences in the club's new Surry Hills home, The Raval, on the third Wednesday of every month. And with each new evening hosting a brand-new theme, the material is always fresh and hilarious. Adding to the majesty are the the ornate story throne and enormous book the authors read from. Curated and hosted by the affable Ben Jenkins and hilariously dark Zoe Norton Lodge (The Hamster Wheel), Story Club is the most honest and hilarious evening of comedy available in Sydney and will crank the LOL factor up to ten. The Raval, 1/42 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills. Full Body Contact No Love Tennis Full Body Contact No Love Tennis delivers hands down Sydney's best long-form improvisation. Performing upstairs every Tuesday at the Roxbury Hotel in Glebe, a rotating cast of improvisers perform alongside fan favourites including creator Cale Bain and Steen Raskopoulos (winner of the Sydney Comedy Festival's Best Newcomer Award) create hilarious scenes from your audience suggestions that will never be seen again. Regarding the mouthful of a name: don't worry, it barely makes sense even to the initiated, but it sure does add charm. The Roxbury, 180/182 St Johns Road, Glebe. Sydney Fringe Festival Sydney's favourite festival of eclectic performances is about to begin, running from September 6-29, 2013, meaning that there is a glut of alternative comedy to check out. Whether it is The Human Jukebox skills of Benny Davis; MotherFather's newest comedy cavalcade, DoctorDoctor; Pat Magee's brave attempt to stage Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever Live on Stage in an hour; or the Game of Thrones-themed sketch show Make Way For Winter, there is plenty to enjoy without having to watch one person stand at a microphone. Club Cab Sav The secret to humour is surprise. With these famous words of Aristotle in mind, Club Cab Sav is a comedy night all about surprising its audience. Club Cab Sav offers its patrons an alternative take on the traditional night of laughs. Expect to see a mixed bag of entertainment experiments, laugh-inducing comedy and an eclectic palette of performances on the last Wednesday of every month at FBi Social, all for just $10. FBi Social, Level 2, Kings Cross Hotel, 244-248 William Street, Kings Cross. Project 52 Project 52 is Sydney University's home of comedy, playing host to a rotating roster of formats that includes one of Sydney's last sketch shows, Make Way for Ducklings; Sydney's best young improvisers at Improv Den; themed trivia nights; and Christmas Spooktaculars. Performing out of Sydney University's Hermanns Bar, the guys behind P52 clearly have you covered for a stand-up alternative (but they also have a stand-up night), and all are welcome to enjoy one of Sydney's best comedy rooms curated by Sydney comedy regulars Michael Hing, Steen Raskopoulos and Ben Jenkins — correct, it was the birthplace of Story Club. Hermanns Bar, University of Sydney, Cnr City Road & Butlin Avenue Butlin Avenue, Darlington. Theatresports Theatresports has always been a Sydney stalwart but it has experienced a resurgence in recent years. 2012 saw a surge in crowds attending the Cranston Cup, the state's most prestigious theatresports competition, and it's winners, MotherFather, deservedly went on to be crowned national champions. With this year's Cranston Cup only a month or so away from beginning, excitement is building. Erotic Fan Fiction Whether it is delving into the wonderful world of Harry Potter and exploring the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries, which happens to be a sex dungeon, or enjoying the sordid tales of Buffy the Vampire Layer, erotic fan fiction is funny. So imagine an entire evening dedicated to it. Whilst it does not have a regular night in Sydney, this adds to the allure, making it a must-see when it climbs out of bed to amuse and arouse audiences at events such as Penguin Plays Rough, Late Night Library, Story Club and the Sydney Writers' Festival.
In the first season of The Last of Us, Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Wild Robot) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget) didn't always get along, but their best chance for survival was together. In season two, as the just-dropped full trailer for the HBO hit's long-awaited return shows, that may no longer be the case. Amid warnings about monsters — and scenes showing why those cautions are so important — the most-haunting moment of the new sneak peek arrives with two words: "you swore". Ellie flings that phrase at Joel like she's throwing a weapon — and it cuts deep. Exactly why, and also why the pair are in conflict with each other, will start to be revealed from Monday, April 14, 2025. Yes, the wait for this game-to-TV smash's seven-episode second season is almost over. In Australia, watching The Last of Us season two will also mean signing up for a new streaming service, as it'll stream via HBO's own platform Max, which is launching locally on Monday, March 31. How does humanity endure in the aftermath of the Cordyceps virus, and the global devastation caused by it? What does it mean to persist? Also, who do we become in the process? Audiences will find out again in mid-autumn. The new trailer for The Last of Us isn't the first glimpse at the show's second season — others have come as images, in promos for the network's full upcoming slate and via teaser trailers — but it does firmly set the scene for what's to come. Prepare for a time jump. Prepare for a guitar. Prepare for hordes of infected. Prepare for flames. Prepare for an eerie feeling, too. Also, prepare for sirens, flares and a stern warning: "there are just some things everyone agrees are just wrong", one of the teasers advises. In season two, it's been five years since the events of season one. And while there has been peace, it clearly isn't here to stay. The show's main duo also have company from both familiar faces and a heap of newcomers in its second season. Rutina Wesley (Monster High) and Gabriel Luna (Fubar) return as Maria and Tommy, while Kaitlyn Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar), Isabela Merced (Alien: Romulus), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), Young Mazino (Beef), Ariela Barer (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope), Spencer Lord (Family Law), Danny Ramirez (Black Mirror) and Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) are the season's additions. The Last of Us made the leap from video games to TV in 2023, and was swiftly renewed after proving a massive smash instantly. The series gave HBO its most-watched debut season of a show ever — and its first episode was also the network's second-largest debut of all time. Locking in a second season was also hardly surprising because the 2013 game inspired a 2014 expansion pack and 2020 sequel. For first-timers to the franchise on consoles and as a TV series, The Last of Us kicked off 20 years after modern civilisation as we know it has been toppled by a parasitic fungal infection that turns the afflicted into shuffling hordes. Pascal plays Joel, who gets saddled with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (his Game of Thrones co-star Ramsey) out of a strict quarantine zone to help possibly save humanity's last remnants. There wouldn't be a game, let alone a television version, if that was an easy task, of course — and if the pair didn't need to weather quite the brutal journey. As a television series, The Last of Us hails from co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin, who already brought a hellscape to HBO (and to everyone's must-watch list) thanks to the haunting and horrifying Chernobyl. He teams up here with Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. Check out the full trailer for The Last of Us season two below: The Last of Us season two will arrive on Monday, April 14, 2025 Down Under, streaming via Max in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of the first season. Images: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The Effect is a romantic comedy about a boy and a girl with instant chemistry. That sentence is true, but The Effect is also a contemporary 'issue play', where the boy and girl's bodily chemistry is being experimented on, and the very nature of our knowledge about mental health is under the microscope. From Lucy Prebble (the UK writer behind Enron and TV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl), the clever, warm and hyper-relevant play is a response to something her country and ours have in common: the rise of psychotropic medications. Antidepressant use has risen by about 10 percent per year since 1998, the program tells us, when not only is it still a fairly fledgling science but the self-interest of big pharmaceutical companies is skewing our progress in the field. The arguments are fought overtly by the conflicted Dr James (Angie Milliken) and her supervisor, Toby (Eugene Gilfedder), who are conducting a drug trial in which subjects are given increasing dosages over several weeks. It's there that buttoned-up psychology student Connie (Anna McGahan) meets scruffy free spirit Tristan (Mark Leonard Winter from Thyestes), while each is holding their pee cups — a meet-cute if ever there was one. Their attraction grows with each passing day in the isolated facility, but Connie resists. Not only is sexual contact verboten during the trial, she's worried it's the mood-elevating drug that's causing the flirtation, not their real feelings. Dr James isn't happy either; she's worried it's the flirtation that's elevating the duo's moods, not the drug she's testing. Props to Prebble — where this tangled web leads after intermission is completely unpredictable. Like that ex you're hung up on, this script is charming, funny and ultimately a heartbreaker. Prebble does great work in a fairly unforgiving style of drama that can so easily get didactic or contrived. And while the false dichotomy set up between the positions of Dr James and Toby can be frustrating, it's also eye-opening. Did you know 'chemical imbalance' is just one, contested hypothesis about the cause of mental illness? That's a pretty important bit of knowledge I owe to Prebble's Dr James, who thinks it'll be the 20th century's four humors. Director Sarah Goodes has put on a clear and energising staging here, bringing out four completely seductive performances from the actors. It's pretty easy to fall in love with both McGahan as Connie and Winter as Tristan (a key factor missing from so many rom-coms). The set — a clinical, reflective room positioned around a giant lightbox by designer Renee Mulder — is an appropriate space said to be inspired by the work of optical trickster Olafur Eliasson. It only seems to get the chance to fulfill this ambition on a couple of occasions, however, and also plays its part in some less-than-smooth transitions. On top of its generally good execution, The Effect is just a great piece of programming. It's the sort of theatre that can speak to a wide audience, about an issue that's touched nearly everyone. Also, and there's never an appropriate place to say this but: the STC programs are the very best around. This one includes a glossary, a contemporary Australian love poem and a medical history essay by science journalist Wendy Zukerman — all wonderfully interesting. Get one when you go.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we highlight the Gili Beach Resort located on Indonesia's Gili Trawangan island. If you're itching to get away and ready to book an island holiday now, on Concrete Playground Trips we have a fabulous lineup of deals on great stays across Indonesia and packages on incredible Bali getaways that you can't find anywhere else. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This accommodation is made for big groups of people looking to experience laid-back (but still pretty damn luxurious) island living, without spending exorbitant amounts of money. THE ROOMS Both multi-level timber villas have four enormous bedrooms — each with extra-large double beds, ensuites and balconies overlooking the private pool and beach. You'll feel like you're living in a postcard when staying at this character-filled resort. And because there are only two villas on the property, you'll be getting brilliant service from the staff. You'll also have your own fully-kitted-out kitchen with a few indoor and outdoor dining areas (including tables and chairs right on the beach). There are also multiple spots made just for lounging – either choose the pool, the beach or one of the terraces. Roll from one spot to the other during a lazy day of drinking, eating, napping and sunning yourself. FOOD AND DRINK The staff at Gili Beach Resort will greet you every morning with a big breakfast, and the restaurant next door will also deliver to your door all day long. This restaurant is known to be incredibly good and the French chef serves up an ever-changing menu but the focus is — unsurprisingly — all about the fish of the day dishes at this island haunt. But that's not all. On your first night at Gili Beach Resort, you get an epic BBQ and private bonfire made for you by their team — they go above and beyond when it comes to service. They'll even help you with your grocery list and enlist a horse-pulled cart to help you manage a big shop (there are no motor vehicles on this island so all transport is either man or animal powered). THE LOCAL AREA The resort is located on the quieter side of Gili Trawangan, one of Indonesia's three Gili islands. These small islands are best known for their sandy beaches lined with large trees and the coral reefs full of colourful marine life. It's not unusual to find turtles swimming in front of your villa (with snorkelling equipment available to guests too). You're also fairly close to town – either a short walk or an even shorter bike ride (also provided as part of your stay). Find a local beach bar or restaurant for sunset and enjoy great Indonesian cuisine and inexpensive but powerful cocktails. Alternatively, you can go hiking up into the forests and get some unbeatable views of the surrounding islands or walk around to quieter beaches to find your own remote paradise. Whatever you're up for, the incredibly accommodating staff will make it happen for you. THE EXTRAS For small additional costs, the team at Gili Beach Resort will bring just about any brilliant experience right to you. They'll organise massages on your balcony overlooking the sea, horseback rides along the coast and traditional Indonesian cooking classes in your own villa. The friendly and attentive service is one of the resort's most well-known traits. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If glass slippers, pumpkin carriages and fairy godmothers were on your must-see theatre list for 2021, we have bad news: the Cinderella musical won't be bringing its magic to Australia this year. That was meant to be the case, but then lockdowns hit; however, in a supremely welcome development, the beloved Broadway show is now heading our way in 2022 instead. First premiering in New York in 2013, this version of the adored fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.) Now, the Broadway production is finally making the jump Down Under, debuting locally at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from May 20, and then heading to the Sydney Lyric Theatre at The Star from October 23. The tour is a collaboration between Opera Australia and Crossroads Live, after the two organisations teamed up on The King and I, another Rodgers and Hammerstein hit — but this time they're all about gleaming footwear and masked balls. Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. While she's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin. Shubshri Kandiah (Aladdin, Fangirls) will play Ella, Ainsley Melham (Merrily We Roll Along, Aladdin) has been cast Prince Topher and Silvie Paladino (Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables) will sparkle as Marie, the Fairy Godmother. Also set to feature in the Australian production: Tina Bursill (Doctor Doctor, Wentworth) as Madame, Ella's stepmother, as well as Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz, Shrek) as Sebastian, the Lord Chancellor. The cast will be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period. If you're wondering how the musical works its magic, check out a clip from the original Broadway show below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wypPkiBW1Z4 Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will hit the stage at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from May 20, 2022, before heading to the Sydney Lyric Theatre at The Star from October 23, 2022. For further details, and for tickets — for Melbourne shows from November 29, and for Sydney's season from November 22 — head to the musical's website. Images: Carol Rosegg.
It's said that it takes a village to raise a child. In the case of Prince of York, it took a tribe of Sydney's top hospitality elite. Creative Director Paul Schulte (former partner at Keystone Group), Executive Chef Sam Bull and Sous Chef Adrian Jankuloski (both Icebergs Dining Room and Bar), Andy Emerson and Ed Loveday (Bar Brosé, The Passage and the recently closed Acme), Venue Manager Ed Verrill (London's Temper), Reece Griffiths (founder of Agave Cartel and behind Chula) and Events Manager Katherine Jankuloski (also IDRB) — they're just some of the talent behind Sydney CBD's ambitious new restaurant, bar and underground nightclub. Masterminding the project is Schulte, who's brought together a team that is "passionate about doing things differently, but don't want to be part of a big group". "It's meant to be fun," explains Schulte. And fun, Prince of York certainly is. Located inside a historic 1878 cash reserve, Prince of York is split into three distinct areas: the ground floor and mezzanine area, the downstairs cellar and Pamela's, a nightclub in the basement. As Schulte puts it, "upstairs is for eating, downstairs for dancing". [caption id="attachment_737671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ground floor by Kimberley Low[/caption] So, let's start upstairs. Step through the glass front doors and you'll be greeted by black-and-white Stephen Dupont photos, exposed brick walls, a giant central concrete bar, tan leather stools and an imposing metal light fixture hanging from the high ceiling. All of this furniture — including the light — was custom built by Schulte's furniture design company, Line. Take a seat at the bar — or at a table up on the mezzanine level — during lunch or dinner and order tomatoey crab pasta served in a bag, giant shells of pasta baked and filled with 12-hour lamb ragu and fontina, a $160 800-gram wagyu rib eye, banoffee pie or — the next big thing on Instagram, we're sure — the toastie. Filled with cheese and bone marrow, topped with a fried egg and served with a side of venison tartare, it's Loveday's lunchtime go-to. "If I was having lunch, I'd want to have a glass of the Envinate 'Benje', which is from the Canary Islands, and that toastie," Loveday says. Verrill, on the other hand, would go for a bowl of the thick-cut chips and a "really expensive champagne". Luckily, at Prince of York, you can do both. [caption id="attachment_737650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] That toastie by Kimberley Low[/caption] Walk downstairs and you'll find the cellar. Here, predictably, the focus is wine. Less expected is the 150-year-old safe that took Schulte almost a a year to open. While there was nothing inside — "we were hoping there were going to be bags of gold and we were going to be able to pay for the fit-out with it," laughs Loveday — it's since been filled with rare wines and mezcals, some of which will soon be on offer by the glass using a Coravin. The rest of the wine list, while filled with mostly bottles that are organic, minimal intervention and made by small producers, is still approachable. Lighting bolts mark the glasses and bottles that are "a little crazy" — like the naturally fermented Costadila prosecco, which tastes nothing like your run-of-the-mill Italian bubbles. [caption id="attachment_737657" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wine safe by Kimberley Low[/caption] Once you've finished exploring this level you can, finally, descend to Pamela's. An ode to Schulte's mum — who loved champagne, tequila and disco — the nightclub is filled with pink suede banquettes. But, as comfy as they look, Loveday says guests should "get off the couch and dance on the tables". On Fridays, you'll be boogying to disco at the regular Bola de Disco night — inspired by a crazy night Loveday had at the notorious Pare de Sufrir bar in Guadalajara, Mexico — and on Saturdays, shuffling to post-punk and new wave with Love Tempo. While you're dancing to these tunes atop the sturdy terrazzo tables, you can sip tapped margaritas or the Happy Pammy cocktail — with tequila, tangerine and bubbles — served with 'cosmic dust' on an LED coaster. If you're looking to make a night of it, you could, instead, order one of the giant punchbowls (which will serve a group of four to eight), made with whole bottles of tequila, pét-nat and seasonal fruit. [caption id="attachment_737654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pamela's by Kimberley Low[/caption] At the moment, that night will end at midnight, but when the new liquor licence is approved, it'll extend till 2am. The team is also hoping to open at 8am in the near future for coffee and a short three-item menu of breakfast snacks. It's a space you could definitely get lost in till the early hours — and that's exactly the point of Prince of York. "The idea was to be a bit of a one-stop shop," explains Loveday. "To bring back that idea of a of a destination where you can come in for dinner, stay for a drink and kick on down in Pamela's." Thankfully, there are lockers that will allow you to eat, drink and dance on tabletops without losing your possessions, too. Find Prince of York at 18 York Street, Sydney. It's open from Monday–Saturday midday–midnight (soon to be 2am, pending approval of licence). Images: Kimberley Low.
Bernie Tierde is a kind-hearted and compassionate assistant funeral director from a small town community. He wouldn't hurt a fly, so how would he be able to murder a woman? Everyone in the town of Carthage, Texas has a very special fondness for Bernie (Jack Black), who spends his days comforting widows, bestowing gifts and singing at services. The townsfolk are shocked, however, when Bernie strikes up an unlikely connection with the richest, meanest old widow in town, Marjorie Nugent (Shirley Maclaine). The two travel the world together, shop, and gossip, until one day Marjorie goes missing and Bernie is the prime suspect for her murder. Based on events which really did occur about 15 years ago, much of the film is presented in documentary style, with interviews of the townsfolk and their comedic takes on the turn of events inserted into the film's narrative. Black gives an authentic performance as the complex character of Bernie, and Maclaine puts in a similarly strong showing as the impatient, overbearing old hag that everyone loves to hate. Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Bernie. To go in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Artist Vicki Lee and photographer Ted O'Donnell celebrate life's sensuality by giving flowers the Nickelodeon slime treatment with bright-hued paints in IS./WET, their new artistic collaboration showing at Sun Studios. Oozing and dripping, the motion of the paint was painstakingly captured by a combination of O'Donnell's lighting mastery and Lee's carefully timed pouring. The artists' Tumblr has stop-motion videos showing the process. It would be tempting to watch it all happen in slo-mo, so mesmerising is the trail of liquid colour over petals. What is the message and mood of these images? The symbology of flowers ranges from the appearance of fragility and beauty to the simple fact that we all live and grow. The addition of glossy pigments only heightens the sense of relish the artists take in presenting these living sculptures, pinned by the camera in a moment of flux. The key word is "vitality".
There's a lot of idiosyncratic work knocking around the creative industries, hidden from view by the demands of client vision and in-house style. It's easy to get so absorbed in work that the art and style intended to be made gets lost in a cycle of the day-to-day. While the pace of the commercial whirl can tend to overwhelm the individual's art, a new gallery is opening in Darlinghurst which aims to draw these artists' art out of the shadows and into the embracing glare of the public gaze. Showcase Gallery aims to let you see what creatives make happen when they're away from the office. For their Launch show, Mark Mawson is going old school with frozen moments of liquid smoke, Bianca Chang will make paper make words, spreading it in spirals like the most delicate of papal stairs, and Chuck Bradley's close-up photography will make the micro macro, resolving every piece of rust, dirt or tiny bump into giant focus in a collection mysteriously titled Really Tiny Things. Paul Meates' broad-drooped drawings and Nicholas Alan Cope's fiery black and white abstract photos also feature. The launch party is at 6pm on July 28, RSVP is essential. Image by Bianca Chang.
If you have lived in Sydney for frankly any time at all, you should be familiar with King Street Wharf mainstay Cargo. It's the place that you inevitably end up when, already a few drinks down, someone in the group (occasionally you) suggests finding a dance floor to tear up. But this winter, the venue is keeping things cosy, filling its waterfront space with lit-up igloos. To match the Vivid madness currently happening around Darling Harbour, the transparent igloos will be glowing with fairy lights, and decked out with cushions and blankets so you can people watch (just minus the winter chill). Each igloo houses up to eight people, and for a very reasonable $25 per person, you'll get a grazing plate for everyone to share and a warm cocktail each. When you're done with that, you can order more snacks — like vegan tacos, fried chicken and loaded waffle fries — straight to your igloo. Keep your insides (and your hands) warm throughout the night with hot mugs full of pumpkin hot toddy, buttered rum and dirty chai martinis. Availability is limited, though, so we recommend rounding up the crew and booking in a session pronto — especially while Vivid is on. Even if you miss the lights, the igloos will be hanging around until the end of August.
When a franchise has spent more than a decade intertwining 20-plus films and multiple TV shows, watching along often becomes a game of 'spot the other superheroes'. Yes, we're talking about the never-ending, always-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, which loves popping as many caped crusaders as it can into its flicks and shows — and serving up surprises, too, beyond the usually sizeable list of main spandex-wearing players that any of its movies or series have already announced. The next film set to do just that: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the 28th big-screen chapter in the MCU, the followup to huge 2021 hit Spider-Man: No Way Home and the direct sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange. It first dropped a trailer last December, back when No Way Home arrived. In fact, that trailer was tacked onto the end of the Spidey flick if you sat through it till the very end of the credits. But now Marvel has released a second sneak peek at Doctor Strange's next adventures — Super Bowl day is always a big trailer day in the US, which is why it's dropping now — and it comes with quite the tease. Already, fans knew that The Power of the Dog Oscar-nominee Benedict Cumberbatch is popping his Doctor Strange cloak back on, as he did in No Way Home. We were also already that this new dive into the mystic arts would include a post-WandaVision Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) — plus Benedict Wong (Nine Days) as Wong, Rachel McAdams (Game Night) as Strange's ex Dr Christine Palmer and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Locked Down) as fellow Master of the Mystic Arts Mordo, too. The new trailer seems to add to the film's cast in a huge way, however, which is exceptional news for anyone that's loved movies based on Marvel comics since other superhero teams were doing big things in the early 2000s pre-Iron Man. The surprise is best discovered by watching, could signal the arrival of a whole heap of other familiar characters into the MCU, and arrives in a trailer that sees Doctor Strange forced to face the consequences of breaking the rules for Peter Parker. Indeed, Wanda points out that the repercussions for his actions appear to have been rather different than the fallout for hers post-WandaVision, and she's really not thrilled about it. Expect Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to serve up will trippy Inception-style imagery, Strange's brooding demeanour and Marvel's usual world-in-peril shenanigans as well, all in a flick that also boasts a nice piece of symmetry. The movie marks the MCU filmmaking debut of acclaimed Evil Dead franchise director Sam Raimi, the man who helmed the original three Spider-Man movies in the 00s, way back before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a glimmer in the comic book company's eye, and obviously long before Doctor Strange and Tom Holland's Spider-Man became pals. Check out the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer below: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in cinemas Down Under on May 5, 2022. Images: Photos courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Sydney's once vibrant Oxford Street is set to face yet another loss: The Australian Centre for Photography, a cornerstone of Paddington's creative history for the past 40 years and one of the longest running contemporary art spaces in Australia, is selling up. For ACP, the lack of accessibility along Oxford Street has been the major drawback. Director Suzanne Buljan sees the decision to move the home of Australia's photo-media community to a more central location as an opportunity to “adapt with our ever changing medium and produce innovative shows that overcome both building and transport barriers for audiences." The proceeds from the auction of the Paddington property will go towards ACP's new space. "We have started looking … close to Central, either in the evolving arts district around Central Park or in lower Surry Hills," says Buljan. "Such locations provide accessibility to a greater audience and also attract a creative community that will enhance ACP’s profile." It wasn't long ago that Paddington's main strip was a definitive hub for local creatives — a melting pot of independent galleries, eclectic boutiques and the big names in Australian fashion. The mass exodus, however, of retail and restaurants in recent years has left the area comparatively lifeless. Are the two Westfield centres bookending Oxford Street to blame? Is it the cost of parking? The high rent? This recent Sydney Morning Herald investigation of the street's decline highlights just how complex the issue is. The auction is scheduled for October 1, and ACP will move homes later in 2015. In the meantime, catch the spring season show at the Paddington location this month, an exhibition presented in association with the Reportage Festival of Photography and showcasing four award-winning photojournalists: Robert Knoth and Antoinette de Jong from the Netherlands, South Africa's Jodi Bieber and our own Ashley Gilbertson. Find the ACP Gallery at 257 Oxford Street, Paddington. It's open Tuesday - Saturday from 10am - 5pm and Sunday from noon - 5pm (closed public holidays and Mondays). Admission is free.
Every Italian will tell you that no one cooks like their nonna — and to prove that claim true, Sydney's best Italian chefs and their grandmothers are teaming up for a brand new two-week festival of Italian deliciousness. Running from November 17–27, the Festival of Nonna will be a celebration of the traditional matriarchs of the Boot, with a whole fortnight filled with dinners, drinks and workshops at Redfern's 107 Projects. Preented by Sandhurst Fine Foods, it will show off the modern interpretation of Italian food coupled with the tried-and-tested traditions that make the cuisine so damn good. Sydney chef and restaurateur Andrew Cibej (of 121BC, Berta and Vini fame) will be teaming up with his mum to host a pop-up trattoria on the rooftop of 107 Projects. Together they'll host eight meals over the two weeks, where they'll showcase Andrew's skills that have fed hungry Sydneysiders for years, and pay homage to the humble roots of his craft. "Nonna taught me everything I know about the importance of fresh and simple ingredients," Cibej says."But I always show her a thing or two about throwing new flavours or techniques into the mix." For those keen to cook like nonna does, chefs — including two Luca Ciano of Milan's two Michelin-starred Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia, Massimo Mele of the Woollahra's now-closed La Scala on Jersey, and MasterChef's Sara Oteri — will have their own grandmothers in tow to deliver hands-on demonstrations that show off the tradition and the techniques of crafting the perfect Italian meal. Tickets for the workshops are $30 a pop, while tickets for the pop-up dinners are $50 and include five courses with paired wines and a sweet party bag. Many of them are already booked out — so hop to it. The Festival of Nonna will run from November 17-27 at 107 Projects, 107 Redfern Street, Redfern. For more info, visit festivalofnonna.com.
Eleven days of soccer action kick off in Darling Harbour this month. Held on a floating football pitch in Cockle Bay, the Big Issue Street Football Festival will bring together players and fans from across the country. The inaugural event in 2011 welcomed 600 participants in no less than 148 football matches, and this year's festival promises to be even bigger. Incorporating government, corporate and junior events, the festival spans a range of competitions, including the national championships of the Big Issue’s Community Street Soccer Program. The program supports disadvantaged people who are experiencing homelessness, disability and long-term unemployment. Check out the full event program for dates of and details on other matches.
Sydney's lockout laws have kept the city talking since they were first announced — and they'll continue to do so on February 18. After their last rally was stopped at the last minute due to a Supreme Court ruling, Keep Sydney Open's new and third anti-lockouts protest will take place from 12pm. "We are announcing that the rally will go ahead at a later date, and it will be bigger, louder and stronger than the one originally scheduled," said KSO in a statement, which also highlights a second reason for the peaceful gathering. "This time we're not just protesting to draw attention to the lockouts, but we're fighting for our very right as citizens of NSW to gather on the streets and express ourselves politically." Included on the bill for the event, which will take place at Martin Place, are a host of passionate voices. Join GANGgajang, Montaigne, Hugo Gruzman from Flight Facilities, FBi Radio DJs Adi Toohey and Andy Garvey, Isabella Manfredi from The Preatures, Liberal City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster and Alex Greenwich MP — and, because sustenance is important, Gelato Messina and Wholly Schnit as well. Further details, including a venue, have yet to be revealed, but yesterday's cancelled event was due to team up with Sydney's ARIA-winning duo Flight Facilities. As fans would know, Flight Facilities invo Flight Facilities has been continually outspoken in their opposition to the lockouts. After all, the duo played some of its first gigs after 3am at now-closed Kings Cross venues, including Hugo's, Soho, Tank Room and the Piano Room. Flight Facilities were included in a group of artists commemorated recently in a KSO project, which paid tribute to closed Sydney venues and the artists who cut their teeth there. Flight Facilities have long been associated with Kings Cross's now-closed Piano Room, where Jimmy and Hugo met. While the most recent development regarding the lockouts saw three venues receive a 30-minute extension to current cutoff times, Keep Sydney Open does not see that as a viable solution. Instead, the organisation wants to work with the NSW Government to implement a seven-point plan, as follows: Developing best-practice policing strategies; Investing in 24/7 public transport; Implementing integrated urban planning reform; Encouraging diversification of after-dark activities; Establishing anti-violence education and intervention campaigns; Incentivising well-run venues; and Appointing a Night Mayor or office charged with managing Sydneyʼs night-time economy. "A 30-minute extension will not be enough to reverse the damage being done to the cultural areas and small businesses that make Sydney an exciting place to be," said Tyson Koh, director of Keep Sydney Open. "Itʼs barely enough time to line up for the bathroom or get a kebab. "For too long the debate about our city and how we live our lives has been dominated by misinformation and fear-mongering. We call on the lobby groups who support the lockout laws to enter the conversation about smart solutions, instead of clearing people off the streets." By Jasmine Crittenden and Sarah Ward. Image: Kimberley Low.
A lot of things are difficult in No Man's Land: working out who's who and what's true and what time it is and just how many drinks you've had. This applies both to the audience and to those onstage, in whose strange world an hour and a half of our time and at least a day and a half of theirs is more than enough. This is not to say this production isn't very good, because it is: it's good enough to be a difficult experience, one in which the audience is bounced between laughing and looking full-face into the void. "[It] IS funny, up to a point. Beyond that point, it ceases to be funny, and it is because of that point that I wrote it." Pinter made this statement about one of his early plays, but it seems applicable to them all. The setting of a Pinter play is strikingly real, its dialogue is believably conversational, and it tends to be hilarious — up to that point where things tip absurdly over into some of the bleakest moments possible onstage. As the main characters Hirst and Spooner, veterans John Gaden and Peter Carroll live up to their showcase casting by giving clever and affecting performances. If there are occasions where No Man's Land feels a bit like an exercise in 'Ladies and gentlemen, Gaden and Carroll, at their best!', well, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Audiences having developed admiration and affection for an actor doesn't mean that their work is no longer good, and the play itself is one that benefits from the comfort of familiar faces. Andrew Buchanan and Steven Rooke are also good in the supporting roles of Briggs and Foster, giving performances that are broadly comedic over suggestions of real threat and spite. This is a solid production, committed to getting across a difficult play in a way that does service to it and addresses the audience on through its innate merits rather than some kind of transformative reworking. The set itself looks like somewhere you'd want to live, and the costumes have some pretty nice one-liners all on their own. Productions like this sometimes suffer by virtue of their very seamlessness, ending up lacking in impact, but in this case the possibility of immersion in the fictional world the play puts forward and the realisation of the very nasty things indeed abounding within it makes No Man's Land sneakily devastating.
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.
When COVID-19 case numbers started rising in New South Wales before Christmas, beginning with the northern beaches cluster, the NSW Government asked residents of Greater Sydney to wear face masks indoors. Then, when January hit, masks became mandatory in some settings. Now, the first month of 2021 almost over, and the area's caseload has been waning. So, with NSW marking ten days without community cases — as at today, Wednesday, January 27 — Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that mask rules will be easing. At a press conference to announce the easing of gathering and venue restrictions from 12.01am on Friday, January 29, Premier Berejiklian said the list of situations where masks are compulsory is rolling back at the same time as well. Once the end of the week arrives, they'll only be mandatory on public transport, in health settings, in gaming rooms, for front-of-house hospitality workers, for folks going to a place of worship, and for anyone attending a beauty or hairdressing salon. Face masks will no longer be compulsory for retail workers, however, or for anyone going shopping — including at supermarkets. That's a big change, but they remain recommended in those settings if you're unable to socially distance. Of course, wearing masks if you can't socially distance anywhere remains the overall advice, too. If you don't have a mask by now, Victoria's Department of Health has put together a handy step-by-step guide for how you can make your own. We've also put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
VJing on now-defunct pay TV music channel Channel [V], then hosting Australian Idol, The Bachelor franchise and The Masked Singer: they're dream gigs. So is appearing as yourself on Neighbours and Offspring, narrating Bondi Rescue, popping up on everything from Thank God You're Here to Have You Been Paying Attention?, running successful podcasts and writing a book. Since getting his start in radio in Brisbane, Osher Günsberg has ticked off all of the above and more for over two decades, and has rarely been far from the spotlight — but he's also always wanted to make fun of the news live in front of an audience. That show now exists, complete with the requisite tongue-twister name: NTNNNN: Night Time News Network Nightly News with Osher Günsberg. "It's an old joke, but it works," Günsberg tells Concrete Playground, his enthusiasm evident over the phone. "How many Ns can you make it? I think The Chaser had four and I wanted to get more than that, so I've gone with five Ns." Premiering in January and playing Marrickville's Factory Theatre in Sydney until Friday, February 17, then set for a debut Victorian stint at Malthouse's Beckett Theatre from Thursday, March 30–Sunday, April 9 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, NTNNNN is a fully improvised live satire of the news of the day. The show's targets don't stop with whatever's earning attention before each gig, however, also parodying the entire news industry plus Günsberg's stardom. "It's just such a ripe field to plough. It deserves fun being poked at it," Günsberg notes. "Essentially, it's a news show. It's like the six o'clock news or the late news, the 10.30 news. And it's the headlines of the day, with my intrepid NTNNNN news team out in the field — on stage," he continues. "It's completely unpredictable. It's news in the way you've never seen it before. It completely takes the piss out of what people want to cling to in times of uncertainty, which is someone being super sure on television — whether it be a leader or a news anchor or someone who's paid to do long-form editorials late at night on television. We have commercial breaks, because you've always got to have commercial breaks. And if you've never been in a TV studio for a filming, the commercial breaks are a very strange time. People at home are watching ads, but you in the studio are still there, and all the TV people are still in the room. So that actually happens." The end result: Günsberg in a comedic role that he doesn't usually get to slip into, and one that's worlds away from hosting The Bachelors and the like. He's also hoping that it's a step towards making NTNNNN an on-screen reality, as he explained in a chat about the onstage show, his own fame, his need to always give 100 percent and the best advice he's ever been given. "I've always wanted to host a live satirical news show. I'm going the long way about it, but yeah, absolutely, would I want to see this on TV one day? For sure. By the time that it gets there, will what we call television exist? Who knows. I'm only interested in building things that scale, so I'm going to see how far I can take it." ON MAKING HIS LIVE SATIRICAL NEWS SHOW DREAMS COME TRUE "I've always wanted to host a satirical news show since I was a kid. I've always felt that satire, particularly satire of news and current events, was as valuable in the public discourse as a really solid, well-researched editorial or a really great newspaper article that exposes something. I think satire has the ability to expose stuff that is usually shrouded in solemnity, for example the solemnity of office. 'Ooh, we can't say that, that person's very important' — but look what they've done, you know? When you use satire, you can break out of that stuff and look at things from a different angle. So I've always wanted to host a show like that, and I've had a few chances here and there — I've done a stint on a panel once or twice. And I guess I figured out that no one was going to walk down my front path knock on my door and say 'hey, we've got this great television show, can you come and host it?'. It was going to be up to me to create it, so that's what I've done. It's the news show that I've always wanted to host — it just isn't on television at the moment. But it plays with all of the language of television and television news, which is ridiculous. It's a product just like any of the TV shows that I make, and it deserves to have a bit of fun poked at it as well. So that's the show we've made." ON WHY MAKING FUN OF THE NEWS IS SO FUN — AND IMPORTANT "I think as the news becomes more and more of a product, in that it's a business — whether it's a website or a newspaper or a radio station, or a television network or program on a television network, essentially that's a product — it needs to rate. It needs to be able to justify the expense of it being created, so hopefully it brings in more money than it costs to make. There are ways to get that to rate. There are ways to get eyeballs onto your content, and it doesn't matter what's in the news — the way the news is framed is to try to push those numbers, which is also worth having a crack at. Those are the laughs that we find, I think: the laughs of just the ridiculousness of how the news is told, and the ridiculousness of the way the systems and the people who are in charge of those systems play the news against itself from one publication or one network to another. There's a way that you'll get quoted on one particular network and then the very same press conference will have a completely different soundbite, because that is the lens through which those networks view the situation. I think it is in exposing those moments and having fun with that, those are where the laughs are. So it doesn't matter what's in the news cycle, there's always something funny — there's always something to laugh at." ON TAKING THE PISS OUT OF HIMSELF AS WELL "I've been working in TV for nearly 25 years. It's ridiculous that I'm even still on air, so I think it's important — most of this is me taking the piss out of myself as well. I think I'm this ridiculous character on television, and I really enjoy taking the piss out of the way that I do some of the jobs that I do on television. I know I'm very good at them, but that's not everything about me. So it's funny for me to take the piss out of the person I become when I do those jobs — I think it's quite funny for me to have a crack at him, too. There's a lot to work with. I think there's this mystical idea of a person on television. I enjoy busting the bubble of what people think life is like when you have a job like the job that I have. Because there's only one person who's actually really living the mega mega mega mega dream, and that's the man who's the smartest with his money than any of us — that's bloody Larry Emdur. Me, I'm paycheque to paycheque, and I think that's hilarious — and well-worth making fun of. I was in television before the global financial crisis, and maybe there was a time when I was getting paid that kind of money. But, that was also a time when I was drinking very heavily, and I was doing really dumb stuff, so all that money's gone. And they don't pay that kind of money anymore, so it's pretty funny. I am going do whatever job people want me to. I have kids and a mortgage. I'm in the business of topping up my super and making sure I pay off my mortgage. I'm making sandwiches after this. I've got two podcasts going on, I'm trying to get this live show happening — I've got not enough room on my stove, there's that many irons in the fire." ON THE PATH TO NTNNNN "I'm nearly 50, and what you want in life changes over time. When I was working in radio at B105 in Brisbane, what I wanted in radio is certainly not what I want in radio now. Through this show, am I exorcising that need to question authority or challenge the status quo that I just adored watching people on television do when I was a kid? Yeah! I think that's important. Systems should be challenged, status quos should be challenged, because that's how you refine them. There's always 'ooh, you can't say that about the Prime Minister' — but you can. And it's useful when you do, if you do it in the right way. I'm thrilled to be calling back to that 14-year-old watching TV at night in Brisbane, feeling he was being naughty hearing someone say something about the leader of the country that he in his heart felt was also true. ON THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE HE'S EVER RECEIVED "I lived in America for about ten years, and my manager was an absolute legend of the game over there, a bloke by the name of John Ferriter — a really big bigwig. I was so lucky to get in with him, and he's the one who told me that only you know how hard you've worked to make your dreams come true. He's right. Because you can tell everyone around you, 'oh, I didn't get into that course' or 'oh, I didn't get the job' or 'oh, he doesn't want to go out with me'. And people will go, 'yeah, no problem, moving on'. But you're the only one that knows 'did I actually pick up the phone enough times, did I put the work in, did I study hard enough, did I train hard enough?'. You're the only one that knows that, and you're going to have to be okay with that. That means that whether you're going for a job on television, or you're going for a job at the coffee shop down the road, or you're studying for your grade ten exams or your grade 12 exams, or you're trying to pass your apprenticeship certificate, or you're going for uni — or you're trying to meet someone and convince someone to fall in love with you, or you're trying to date somebody — only you will lie in bed at night knowing how much effort you actually put in. For someone like me, I am no good if I haven't put in everything. So I'm pretty stuck, I've got to do it as hard as I can, because I can't rest if I don't." NTNNNN: Night Time News Network Nightly News with Osher Günsberg plays Marrickville's Factory Theatre in Sydney until Friday, February 17, and will then head to Malthouse's Beckett Theatre from Thursday, March 30–Sunday, April 9 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Some of Sydney's best foodmasters have joined forces to take over The Unicorn on Oxford Street. Mary's owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham have teamed up with Bodega/Porteno's Elvis Abrahanowicz and Young's Henrys' Oscar McMahon as a Sydney supergroup to revamp the Paddington pub. Yeah, holy crap. And now it's open. It's not a Mary's in the eastern suburbs, it's a craft beer pub, and it's not the dreaded buzzword: a gastropub. It's a pub the lads would drink in themselves. With no TVs and no pokies, but a reclaimed red gum bar and native Australian flora illustrations, the revamped Unicorn is an Aussie-inspired pub without the tacky trimmings — although VB sits proudly on tap beside Young Henrys brews. Speaking of tipples, the dranks in this establishment is largely and wonderfully local, with a totally Australian wine list — some of South Australia's top South Australian winemakers (think Tara Ochota, James Erskine and Tom Shobbrook) are already armed with wine for the new pub. Obviously Young Henrys have plenty of goodies behind the bar, but there's also a round-up of Australian beers represented. With the minds behind Mary's and Porteno behind this, what of the nosh? Abrahanowicz is in charge of the menus, and the horizon is pub food done well, going back to basics instead of doing any fancy schmany modern twists — roast chicken, both 'daily' and 'fancy' steak, and generous sangas with cheese, chutney and glazed ham cut right off the bone. Obviously, there's Mary's burgers on the menu too. This will hopefully be a long and happy new chapter for The Unicorn, who just closed their doors a few months ago — along with the closure of '70s basement bar Easy Tiger. Redesigned in March 2014, after a disastrously Westfield-like renovation of Fringe Bar in 2012, The Unicorn seemed to have found its Paddington groove once more. But after closing up shop, here's hoping the Mary's, Young Henrys and Porteno crew can see The Unicorn ride again. The Unicorn is now open at 106 Oxford St, Paddington. Open Mon-Wed 11am-late, Thurs-Sat 11am-3am, and Sun 11am-midnight. Via Australian Gourmet Traveller and Good Food.
Carrie Fisher is bringing back those famous bagel buns and reprising her role as Princess Leia in the upcoming Star Wars trilogy. Or at least, so says Carrie Fisher. Since Disney and LucasFilm confirmed the new Star Wars trilogy scheduled for release from 2015 would concern the post-Return of the Jedi era, the casting rumour mill has gone into hyperdrive. However, when asked by Palm Beach Illustrated if she would be back for the new saga, Fisher confidently declared "yes". She ventured that an older Leia "would be just like she was before, only slower and less inclined to be up for the big battle." Whilst Mark Hammil, the original Luke Skywalker, has said he is keen and Harrison Ford has not dismissed the notion of playing Han Solo, neither have been as definitive as Fisher. When contacted by Entertainment Weekly, LucasFilm representatives stated that "we haven’t made any announcements about casting". We hope Fisher is telling the truth though, else we are looking for casting information in Alde-wrong places. In the meantime, with no script written, fans can only speculate over what her role may be, but we reckon that bikini will be staying in the wardrobe this time round.
Crack out your boat shoes and best shades — this summer, Cargo is embracing its proximity to the water with a nautical-theme takeover, complete with boat-style lounges and a pop-up spritz bar by Belvedere Vodka. From Friday, November 2 until the end of December, you can enjoy a leisurely day-drinking (and eating) session at this King Street Wharf hot spot. You'll find five different summer spritz options — cucumber, Aperol, peach, cherry and citrus concoctions — for just $15 a pop. And in keeping with the theme, Cargo has designed a nostalgic seaside-inspired food menu to enjoy with your many drinks, featuring grilled scallops, neopolitan ice cream sandwiches and good old-fashioned fish and chips. For those who can't get enough spritz action (we don't blame you), there's also a spritz and seaside package available for $60 per person. Across two glorious hours, the spritzes will be free-flowing as you snack on potato scallops, oysters, salmon poké and cajun shrimp with creole mayo. Plus, if you come down on a Sunday, you'll be graced with live acoustic music from 1–4pm. To book the Bottomless Belvedere Vodka Spritz and Seaside Package, head to the Cargo website.
NSW venue lockout and bottle shop closing times are set to be pushed back, with Premier Mike Baird expected to announce new details for statewide lockout laws today. Reported by The Guardian, Baird will today detail a later lockout time from 1.30am to 2am (with the proviso that live entertainment be provided in the venue) and a new closing time for CBD venues from 3am to 3.30am. Cut-off time for takeaway alcohol, whether purchased across the counter or from a bottle shop, will be pushed back from 10pm to 11pm. The new lockout time of 2am will form part of a two-year trial. Small bar licenses will change too, with the definitive capacity of a small bar being upped from 60 to 100. The changes come three months after the release of the controversial statutory Liquor Law Review by former High Court Judge Ian Callinan (read our handy breakdown of the review here). Among other things, Callinan suggested an easing of the time the lockout takes effect for live entertainment venues and an extension of the opening hours for bottle shops and home delivery services. But really, is half an hour enough to change Sydney's shackled nightlife? Nightlife lobbyists Keep Sydney Open took to Twitter to vent their frustration, calling the legislative changes a "joke". What a joke. A 30 minute relaxation is an insult to businesses and Sydney's global status. Mike Baird is in for a rough ride. https://t.co/EeuklMgxc3 — Keep Sydney Open (@KeepSydneyOpen) December 7, 2016 Via The Guardian. Image: Kimberley Low.
When you consider the conventional response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, one of impassioned environmental outrage, you almost feel like director Peter Berg accepted his latest film as a dare. "Hey Pete, here's one for ya. You know that Deepwater thing that happened back in 2010? Worst oil disaster in US history? 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico? 11 workers missing and never found. Millions upon millions of marine animals wiped out and a $100 billion company doing everything it could to avoid liability? Yeah, well…make that an uplifting story". Impressively – and to Berg's definite credit – he's done a more than solid job of it. Deepwater Horizon does indeed find its heart by telling the story of the 'roughnecks' who kept the rig running right until it didn't: the engineers, the riggers, the crane operators and the cleaners. BP executives feature too, but you'd better believe they're the bad guys, especially in the eyes of the Deepwater team. Penny-pinching and regulation-bending, the BP/Transocean head honchos (led by John Malkovich) come across like comic book villains, delivering silver-tongued insults and making unyielding demands of their subordinates through toothy, moustachioed grins and deep-south Louisiana drawls. If Deepwater Horizon were a cartoon, Foghorn Leghorn would be the first one cast ("I say, I say, I say, I do protest sir that this here rig be nigh on 43 days past delivery date, yiiiih-ha!!") Squaring up against the suits is a solid ensemble cast of hard-arses and hillbillies from the Transocean team responsible for keeping the Deepwater rig afloat. At the helm, Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, a straight-talking electronics technician, husband (to Kate Hudson) and father who tells his buddies how to fix their cars and his superiors how to fix their floating oil station. Alongside his boss Mr Jimmy (Kurt Russell), Williams has no difficulty in seeing that BP's determination to complete the drilling project and advance to the next site as quickly as possible puts at risk not just the oil reserve but all the crew members responsible for drilling it. Greed and gross negligence, in the film's frustratingly simplistic estimation, explain what happened next. We say frustrating, because in Deepwater Horizon there existed an opportunity to delve deep into the specifics of what precipitated the massive blow-out and subsequent explosion on that fateful evening. Sadly the script, based on the New York Times article "Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours", rarely advances beyond repeated mentions of a 'cement bond log test' not being performed. Berg's focus is clear from the beginning: this is a human story centred on a very specific couple of hours from within a much larger tale. But whatever the movie lacks in narrative depth, it does its best to make up for in action. As with any real-world disaster movie, the inevitable cataclysmic conclusion endows it with an inherent suspense. Berg's job is to simply build the pressure until its explosive release can be held no longer – and he's happy to take his time. As in Clint Eastwood's recently released Sully, the film's patience in delivering the heart-thumping disaster moment means its eventual arrival is almost overwhelming, aptly showcasing the horrors endured by those on board, and the heroism of the few whose actions saw so many others survive. An intense and gripping piece of cinema, Deepwater Horizon ultimately resonates more than one might have expected for a film of this type and subject matter, offering at once an earnest tribute to the men who lost their lives and a solid rebuke to those who were responsible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-UPJyEHmM0
Our team of editors have curated a Hobart getaway package for Concrete Playground Trips, taking guests on an exclusive tour of Tassie's art, wine and culture scene. This trip covers your Hobart essentials, but then we've stepped things up a notch for you. Take a scenic flight over the iconic Wineglass Bay, get the 'posh-as' MONA experience (with a long, boozy lunch included), and squeeze in a series of wine tastings across the region. Plus, all the organising has been done in advance. No need to scour the internet for the best accom (the trip includes a four-night stay at the fantastic Henry Jones Art Hotel), book cabs or create an itinerary of your own. We've done it all for you. But we also know how important it is to keep holiday plans flexible — that's why there's no formalised itinerary for this trip. Instead, you can lock in the below included experiences at a time that suits you. MONA ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL If you haven't heard of MONA, you've been living under a rock. This art institution is a can't-miss Hobart experience. And this package doesn't just give you a ticket to the galleries and grounds. Booking through Concrete Playground Trips gives you a ferry ride to MONA and a private guided tour and wine tasting at their Moorilla winery. Then you'll enjoy an excellent two-course lunch that comes with even more locally produced wine, plus a bottle of Moorilla's Muse to take back to your hotel. If you're going to visit MONA, do it this way. WINEGLASS AND WILDLIFE TOUR On another day, guests take to the skies over Wineglass Bay. During a 45-minute flight, you'll soar further above Freycinet National Park, home to dramatic pink granite mountains, secluded bays, crystal clear waters and pristine white beaches. Leaving the peninsula, you'll fly over the seal colony of Ile Des Phoques and continue towards Maria Island, where you'll touch down to explore the island on foot. Known for its abundance of wildlife, Hobart's Maria Island is home to rare and endangered species like the swift parrot and Cape Barren goose, wombats, kangaroos and of course, the Tassie Devil. We even manage to squeeze a decadent seafood and vino lunch into the day – bring on all the local oysters! ACCOMMODATION We have the hotel picked out for you too. The Henry Jones Art Hotel will be your home for four nights, giving you somewhere historic and calming to rest your head. The jam warehouse turned dedicated arts hotel comes with in-house restaurants and cocktail bars serving up innovative feasts and cocktails from Tasmania's best seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_865273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] Luxe amenities and foodie delights aside, what's most intriguing about a stay at The Henry Jones Art Hotel is the unique opportunity it poses to stay inside a – very comfortable, very cosy – art gallery, essentially. Some 400 artworks (most by emerging Tassie artists) adorn hallways, guest rooms and public spaces here, and you might just spot an artist in residency toiling away on their masterpiece in the lobby. Need further inspiration? Read our Long Weekender's Guide to Hobart and travel further afield to get a taste of all things Tassie with our extensive guide to the best of Tassie's fantastic food, produce and culinary culture. Book tickets to this exclusive getaway through the Concrete Playground Trips website. Main image credit: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett
The sun slipping away earlier in the cooler months isn't a bad thing — it just means there's more time for fun to be had after dark. This is something our pals at Sydney Living Museums know all too well, thanks to its monthly art and music series. Since February, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks has presented its new late-night program After Dark. Once a month, from 5–9pm, you can enjoy drinks at the pop-up bar while checking out the live tunes, performances and more. And at this month's event on Thursday, June 24, you can get cosy around the fire pit with marshmallows courtesy of the Country Women's Association. Then, let Muruwari Man Willy Stevens give you a First Nations perspective on astronomy or join a yarning circle with D'harawal Saltwater Knowledge Keeper Shannon Foster. There'll be installations by artist Ella Condon to enjoy and live music from Sparrow, Lady King and FBi Radio DJs, too. The next Hyde Park Barracks After Dark event is happening on Thursday, June 24 from 5–9pm. Each month boasts a new lineup to enjoy. To stay up to date, visit the website.
Whether you're a fan of the season or can't wait for it to disappear, the time has come to give winter a stylish send-off. And what better way to do so than at The Governor Hotel's rooftop bar, where they've assembled an alpine-themed one-night-only bash. Taking over the space from 12pm–late on Saturday, August 30, this winter wonderland will feature wall-to-wall mountain-inspired fun. Think snow machines, giant igloos, fire pits and winter cocktails that rise above your average mulled wine. Of course, every good blowout needs the live entertainment to match. Apres DJs K-Time and Helena Ellis will light up the dance floor from 5pm, while drink specials like Aperol spritz snowcones and espresso martini slushies will be served throughout the night. Then, get ready to experience even more heat amid the winter fun. The crew from Fireball have put together an ice luge with spicy shots flowing down cinnamon slopes. Plus, there's a Fireball bubbler to face head-on. Don't worry, you'll protect yourself with a ski mask. Meanwhile, spin the wheel to see if you win sponsored merchandise. Bringing a flavour hit to the snowy madness, The Gov has also cooked up a selection of food specials for guests. You'll encounter hot pretzels paired with Fireball dipping sauce, Canadian-style loaded fries and freshly baked cinnamon cookies. Keen? This raucous event might be your last chance to don your favourite winter outfit and indulge in some winter escapism.
Customs house has been reworked any number of times. It's got a pretty rude facade, pocked with classical columns, a coat of arms, ornamental clock with deformed dolphins, arcades and some Indian symbols which have long shifted their meaning. It's already a bit of a strange texture, but as part of this year's Vivid Sydney they're giving this building yet another facelift. It's Customs House's turn to have its front electronically painted with projected light for Lights On — a whole new level of strange being slapped on the building by The Electric Canvas. The Electric Canvas has worked on light installations in Auckland, Adelaide and Singapore. Not to mention being the regular motive force behind Vivid's sail-lighting projections on the Opera House, and lighting up Sydney's governing district last year for Macquarie Visions — where they gave a full-body makeover to St Mary's Cathedral, from its Papal steps to the reconstructed spires. In Auckland they shook the walls themselves and pulled spectators up into the image, and here in Sydney they promise to transform Customs House from stone to paper and glass, and shiver it to liquid. *Lights are turned on from 6pm — midnight. Original image from State Records NSW.
In August 2000, the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea after a torpedo exploded on board. There were 118 sailors on board the submarine and many believe at least 23 survived the initial explosions for hours before perishing. UK based sound and theatre company, Sound&Fury, in collaboration with playwright Bryony Lavery, have taken inspiration from the Kursk tragedy, creating an immersive production about the final hours the sailors endured before being lost to the sea. The performance titled Kursk will play at the Sydney Opera House Studio from October 6 to 16, 2011. In consultation with top naval psychiatrists and submariners, Sound&Fury and Lavery explore the banality and psychology of life in the dark. The interior of the submarine is rebuilt on stage as the audience is invited to step into the built-to-scale model with Sound&Fury's eerie mix of deep sea sounds to authenticate the experience. Step into the dark and witness the psychology of the sailors trapped at the bottom of the sea. We have five double passes to giveaway to see Kursk. To win, simply make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name through to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Autumn is truly a season of celebration in Sydney, with Easter, Ramadan and other calendar events giving locals time off work and extra time to enjoy the festivities. Returning from its 2023 debut on that ever-expanding list is the Strathfield Festival, a celebration of the diverse community of Strathfield taking place nightly from Thursday, May 2 to Saturday, May 4. In true Inner West fashion, there'll be excellent food on offer. Several popular restaurants and cafes are serving delicious culinary treats from different cuisines. Fancy some Malaysian street food? Make a beeline for Ho Jiak. For authentic and refreshing Vietnamese food, look to Lush Bowl 'n' Roll. Fight off the winter chill with a hearty bowl of pasta from Barone, or dare to snack on something equally chilly with a jug of bingsu from Cafe Crop. The festivities are just as plentiful, with a block party led by Soul of Sydney on Friday, May 3 and an all-day program the day after. That all-day celebration includes the likes of a long lunch, henna painting, a silent disco and live music. Keep an eye out for kids' fringe band The Vegetable Plot, cross-genre performers Baker Boys Band and rowdy performing group Bermuda Social. That's just the tip of the iceberg. The Strathfield Festival will run in Strathfield Square from 6-9pm on Thursday, May 2, from 6-10pm on Friday, May 3, and from 12-10pm on Saturday, May 4. Funding for this project was provided by the NSW government. For more information, visit the website.
