Fragmented storytelling might be all the rage, but it takes a work like Spur of the Moment to remind you of the rewards of a tautly written play that charges on forwards. British playwright Anya Reiss wrote Spur of the Moment at age 17 and it was first performed at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2010. This ATYP production is evidence that well-made plays allow actors to really flex their performance muscles. Reiss is on point in her characterisation of a tired middle-class marriage that has been pushed to its limits by money troubles and infidelity. Nick and Vicki Evans (played brilliantly by Felix Williamson and Zoe Carides) have managed to ensconce themselves in a pattern of amusing but nasty banter. Their 12-year-old daughter, Delilah (Holly Fraser), seems to take the whole palaver in her stride. To make ends meet, the Evanses have had to rent out a room to university student Daniel (Joshua Brennan), who is, in the parlance of Del and her friends, "so hot". The drama that follows is hilarious and excruciating. What’s immediately satisfying upon entering the large, draughty space at ATYP is the bourgeois cosiness that designer Adrienn Lord has created. The split-level set gives a view into Del’s room on the right and Daniel’s room on the left, with the kitchen and living room below. It’s a jam-packed design that fulfils the play’s need for private spaces as well as claustrophobic intimacy between everyone in the house. Director Fraser Corfield, assisted by Sophie Kelly, has thankfully muted the slight whiff of plaintiff moralising in the writing and chosen instead to revel in the absurd behaviour of a 'fucked up family'. And the cast is more than happy to abide by this interpretation; they look like they’re having fun. The acting champion of the evening is Williamson. Dressed in high-waisted slacks and knitted vests, he has nailed the bumbling, hopelessly out-of-touch dad. I recommend sitting as close to the front as possible so you can see his facial gymnastics, in particular his excellent TV watching face. Del’s group of bratty girlfriends, played by Simone Cheuanghane, Madeleine Clunies-Ross and Antonia Lewin are a fantastic support to the drama, as is Lucy Coleman playing Daniel’s irritating girlfriend, Leonie. Corfield mentions in his notes that young people’s theatre is for everyone, not just the young 'uns. He’s absolutely correct. This is up there with the best indie theatre you’ll see all year.
If you’re in the mood to dance why not take your gyrations on a perambulatory tour of Sydney while you’re at it? discoDtours, as the capitalisation of the ‘D’ might suggest, transform the streets of Sydney into your very own dancefloor. Running tours during Fair Day, and through The Rocks and Surry Hills, discoDtours will provide you with your own headphones, some Hawaiian leis for good measure, and then, after a brief warm up, you will be unleashed on the unsuspecting city. The Mardi Gras Parade eve dress up drag queen tour sounds like a particular highlight. Saturday, Feb 21, 2pm — Victoria Park, Camperdown (Fair Day) Sunday, Feb 28, 6.30pm — Cadmans Cottage, George Street, The Rocks Wednesday, Mar 2 and Friday, Mar 4, 6.30pm — The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills
Kate Grenville's 2005 novel, The Secret River, is the arresting story of William Thornhill, an English convict sent to Australia for the term of his natural life in 1806. The life he makes for himself and his family on the Hawkesbury River after his subsequent pardon is an example of clumsy and ultimately brutal 'settling' of Aboriginal land. Andrew Bovell's adaptation for the stage matches Grenville's novel with full force, and Neil Armfield's direction delivers a powerful blow to the gut. The story has been given its proper weight and significance in all elements of the production. Set designer Stephen Curtis has transformed the main stage at Sydney Theatre Company into a bush setting — a majestic, dusty-white swathe of canvas tumbles from the ceiling, evoking paperbarks or cliff faces. Eucalyptus foliage frames the space and a live fire crackles away throughout. Iain Grandage's music is a faithful support to the narrative such that it's an emotionally charged production. Music that follows storyline like a film score in theatre can be emotionally manipulative, but in this case the music is owned by all members of the cast, with Trevor Jamieson regularly picking up the guitar to accompany Grandage on the piano and others assisting with percussion. Grandage's arrangement of an English folk song overlapping a traditional Aboriginal tune, sung by the entire cast, is superb. The importance of this story cannot be overemphasised. On the one hand, it is a historical account of a tragic event, but on the other it's a crucial conversation with a persistently painful present. Armfield quotes actor Ursula Yovich in his programme notes from her letter to him about the generational damage caused by events such as the murders in this story: “The trauma is so deep that we believe in our own worthlessness." This large cast brings the tragedy to the stage with humanity and extraordinary courage. Jeremy Sims's characterisation of the vile Smasher Sullivan is brave for its extreme ugliness. Similarly, Daniel Henshall playing convict Dan and Matthew Sunderland as Sagitty both portray a confronting level of unthinking callousness. In contrast to this trio is the young Thornhill family, who for the most part try to live by some sort of morals. Thornhill’s characterisation by Nathaniel Dean is one of a decent man who can't quite command his own mind. Anita Hegh as his wife, Sal, is rough and warm, a smart woman counting down the days till her return to England. Their initially cordial but confused relationship with "those that are there" in the end gives way to violence. Roy Gordon as the elder, Yalamundi, is a dignified, gentle presence, as is Ethel-Anne Gundy playing Buryia. Last seen in The Sapphires, Miranda Tapsell is a versatile and captivating performer. Bruce Spence as a kangaroo is magnificent. The couple embodying reason and sense in this story are Thomas Blackwood (Colin Moody) and Dulla Djin (Ursula Yovich). Blackwood's advice is always, "give a little; take a little." In a potent moment, Yovich playing Dulla Djin responds to Thornhill's offer of a gift by saying calmly, "you could leave our place, William Thornhill." Yovich also performs as Dhirrumbin, the narrator. She is a gentle and steadfast witness, observing scenes at a knowing distance. STC has put a lot into this production, and it shows. Each aspect is carefully executed to form a moving whole. On opening night it fittingly received a standing ovation. This is the sort of epic theatre that can shape national identity. Photo by Heidrun Lohr.
The Pillowman by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (also the screenwriter of Seven Psychopaths and In Bruges) is a well-made play. Such plays can often be squeaky clean, with every theatrical nook and cranny exposed, each laugh well-placed and plot points expertly positioned, making for a tidy night in the theatre. But well-structured as The Pillowman is, its ambiguity and horror save it from being one of those plays. In a nondescript totalitarian regime, short story writer Katurian (Oliver Wenn) has found himself a marked man, labelled a dissident writer despite his claim that his writing is apolitical and any 'messages' are purely incidental. His accusers admit that they like executing writers, because it 'sends a message'. His macabre short stories such as The Little Jesus and The Little Apple Men seem uncannily similar to two child murders that have occurred in the town. Katurian's inspiration for his well-written horror tales is a childhood spent listening to his brother, Michal, being tortured in the room next door by his parents. His cathartic stories are all well and good until Michal feels inspired to re-enact them. It turns out these stories are not as innocent as Katurian thought. The play is a defence of artistic expression, but an absurd one. The initial evidence that his art is directly responsible for two murders seems to support the argument that violence in art is incitement. But the ensuing violence and farce turn that argument on its head as Katurian chooses his stories over his own life. Even bad cop Ariel (Jeremy Waters) decides the tales are worth saving. The play has a lot of meat to it and requires equal measures of heightened comedic and tragic energy from the cast. Waters offers an appropriately high level of energy that is not matched by other members of the cast. Wenn is at his best when reciting stories to the audience, but during the guts of the drama we're never sure how high the stakes are. He slips into noble resignation of his fate a bit too easily and the tragedy of his story doesn't find its full expression in his performance. Peter McAllum playing good cop Tupolski strikes an appropriate laconic chord but doesn't deviate from this even in the climactic moments. Overall the piece lacks rhythmic variation and the pace lags in the second half. The cast is so close to the level of raging, hysterical farce that the piece calls for. Maybe they just need a loud, hooting audience to encourage them. Get to it .
Fourteen brewers, two beer trucks, a cider tent, three food tents, live musicians, a petting zoo and plenty of beers will converge on Willoughby on Saturday, September 10, for the fifth annual Willoughby Craft Beer Fair. Entry to the shindig is free. But, if you're keen to sample, you'd be wise to invest in some tasting tix before the date. For $33 online and $36 at the door, you get a tasting ticket, which will let you do just what its name implies. Expect Australian brewers peddling their creations — Balmain Brewing Company, Gang of Four from Sydney's Northern Beaches, Mountain Goat from Richmond, Victoria, Yulli's Brews from Surry Hills and Murray's from Port Stephens have all been on the bill in previous years — plus a stack of drops from around the world. The Fair is hosted by The Willoughby Hotel, and is an all-day affair. Expect the craft beer fun to kick off at 11am and wind up at 5pm.
It's been over a decade since we first got hooked on the rough and rowdy antics of these boys from the deep South. Peddling fast-paced garage rock and loveable ratbag tunes like 2007's 'Bad Kids' or 2011's 'Modern Art' and 'Family Tree', Black Lips have been a staple of all your recent summer road trips. Now they're back in town peddling their seventh studio album (count 'em). Released early last year, Underneath The Rainbow and its lead singles like 'Boys In The Wood' and 'Justice After All' see the four-piece staying true to their roots with those iconic raw vocals and all-round messy musical style. Despite being partly produced by The Black Keys' Patrick Carney, the album does however lose some of the hooky melodies you know and love from their past hits. But even if you're not so keen on the new stuff, their live show is always worth the money on the door. Best to come with covered shoes and loose morals: Black Lips are known for intense crowd-surfing, regular nudity and a few disturbing moments where band members have spit into each other's mouths. Though they're coming off the back of a busy festival season in the US, Europe, the Middle East — they were actually the first American band to tour there since The Grateful Dead in 1978 — Falls, and soon Laneway, they're sure to deliver not only a good show but a great story too.
No one likes receiving the same Christmas gift twice, but when it comes to festive-themed films and their sequels, that's typically what you get. Unfortunately, Bad Santa 2 doesn't escape that trap. Back in 2003, the original film prove a rude, crude blast of fresh air that flouted and took the piss out of yuletide clichés. By comparison, the long-awaited follow-up plays like a half-arsed version of the exact same thing. For Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton), that means drinking, brawling, swearing, screwing, stealing, scamming, cracking safes and soaking in his own urine, usually while dressed up as Father Christmas. He's reluctant to return to the red coat and wig, but he's also eager to pilfer whatever cash he can when Christmas rolls around — 'tis the season to be burgling, and all that. That's why he agrees to re-team with his duplicitous, diminutive former partner-in-crime Marcus (Tony Cox), trading an unsuccessful suicide attempt for a scheme to fleece a Chicago charity. That the third person in their thieving plans is his estranged ex-con mother (Kathy Bates) complicates matters considerably. Add a lustful love interest (Christina Hendricks), plus a well-meaning but dim-witted hanger-on (Brett Kelly), and the Bad Santa formula everybody knows and once loved is back in action. Alas, with original director Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) and writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love) nowhere in sight — replaced by Mean Girls' helmer Mark Waters, first-time feature screenwriter Johnny Rosenthal and What to Expect When You're Expecting scribe Shauna Cross — Bad Santa 2 rides its sleigh straight into tired territory. If there's a cinematic equivalent of asking for a pony and getting a photo of one instead, Bad Santa 2 is it. Everything looks the part, but this follow-up is no substitute for the real thing. Instead of humour steeped in the dark side of the season — be it the rampant consumerism, the gnawing loneliness or the manufactured cheer — this sloppy second effort just dials up the obscenity and anti-social behaviour, then tops the tree with familial drama. Indeed, in trying to coast by with little more than a predictable premise, easy gags, outrageous situations, unlikeable characters and a late splash of sentimentality, Bad Santa 2 could be mistaken for one of the poor imitators that the first movie inspired. At least Thornton is on hand to do what he does best. If nothing else, the been there, done that air and apparent lack of effort suits his bad protagonist to the wearied, wise-cracking bone. Accordingly, when a handful of the script's grossly inappropriate jokes land, Thornton is usually the reason.
Many Sydney bars and restaurants are doing their best to brighten up lockdown a little — whether they're offering free meals to hospo workers or new takeaway options. The New Britannia is doing its part too, by offering locals tap beer at the wildly low price of $1 per 100 millilitres. The promotion is simple: bring any clear plastic or glass container, no matter what the size (within reason), to the inner city venue and you can fill it up with the bar's range of tap beers for $1 per 100 millilitres. The vessels must be able to be sealed once they're filled, but other than that — the sky is the limit. Round up your milk cartons or mason jars and swing by. The promotion will run until New Britannia's kegs run dry and on tap you'll find your pub standards and a selection of craft beers including Young Henry's, VB, Philter, Stockade Brew Co, Carlton Draught and vaccination kings Hawke's. The pub is also offering 20 percent off its natural and organic wines if you're not a beer drinker and is home to Angry Tony's Pizza which boasts a 25-strong list of pizzas available for pickup or delivery.
If the date of January 26 finds you looking for a thoughtful way to reflect on the impact of Australia's colonisation on its First Nations people, you should join the folks from Sydney Festival the evening prior. For the sixth year in a row, the festival will be running a vigil at Barangaroo Reserve. Unlike previous years, the 2024 iteration will span 45 minutes from 8.30pm, in place of the overnight ceremony that's taken place in years gone by. This year, the event is titled Vigil: The Future and will be all about hope and empowering young voices, giving them a platform to share their stories and art. The ceremony will feature a large-scale public installation and a performance from a choir of young First Nations singers. The event is free and registration is not required this year. If you can't make it in person, the festival is also streaming Vigil: The Future online as part of Sydney Festival's AT HOME digital program.
Sydneysiders, prepare to get hopelessly devoted — again — to Rydell High, summer lovers reuniting at school, leather jackets and Pink Ladies. Because giving Grease a prequel streaming series wasn't enough, the 50s-set musical is returning to its original home, with Australia's brand-new multimillion-dollar theatre production of the five-decade-old show set to be the one that local audiences want from Sunday, March 24–Sunday, May 26, 2024. Grease is shaping up to be Sydney's big autumn hit, zipping into the New South Wales capital's Capitol Theatre like lightening in January. Everyone knows the plot by now, given how popular the 1978 movie adaptation of the musical rom-com still is, especially Down Under. It is about an Aussie transfer student, after all, who falls in love with an American high schooler in California. After Grease sped from the stage to become a silver-screen classic, it spawned a 1982 Michelle Pfeiffer-starring sequel, too, then streaming's Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Cast-wise, Joseph Spanti (Friends! The Musical Parody, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) and Annelise Hall (The Marvellous Elephant Man, Aspects of Love) are slipping into John Travolta (Paradise City) and the late, great Olivia Newton-John's (The Very Excellent Mr Crocodile Dundee) leathers as Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson. Also featuring: Jay Laga'aia as Vince Fontaine and Marcia Hines as Teen Angel. The above stars, plus their fellow T-Birds and Pink Ladies, will obviously be belting out all the famous tunes — including the titular 'Grease' and fellow earworms 'Summer Nights', 'Sandy', 'Hopelessly Devoted to You', 'You're The One That I Want', 'Greased Lightnin' and 'Beauty School Dropout'.
Some film festivals whisk you away to far-off countries without leaving your cinema seat, or your home. Others expand your knowledge about the state of the world and what might be to come. Screening both in-person in Melbourne and online nationally from Friday, February 18–Sunday, March 13, Australia's annual Transitions Film Festival does both. And, after more than a decade of pondering the future of the planet, changing technologies and our evolving world, this film fest is showing no signs of stopping — with more than 20 titles on its 2022 lineup. Mostly, you'll be diving into docos, but German drama Ecocide takes a different route, putting world leaders on trial in 2034 for their inaction to combat climate change in our present. Other highlights include A.rtificial I.mmortality, about a life that might extend beyond our bodies; 70/30, following a quest in Denmark to reduce greenhouse gases by 70 percent by 2030; First We Eat, where filmmaker Suzanne Crocker bans grocery shopping for a year; Mountains of Plastic, where plastic pollution still finds its way to some of the earth's most isolated regions. Or, because the list goes on, there's also a movie-length economics lesson via Hot Money; Dear Future Children, about the new generation of global protesters; Forest for the Trees, which focuses on community of 100 tree planters; and Dream On, Yearning For Change, where five people endeavour to make the world better in their own ways. Top image: Dream On, Yearning For Change.
Gymnasts and circus-people are freaky. So are beatboxers. And drummers. It's all that weird coordination that they have going on. The Tom Tom Crew out-freaky the freaky by combining all of the aforementioned into a single show. It's Aussie hip-hop meets Aussie circus minus the mopey-looking elephants and bearded ladies. The crew - world renowned percussionist Ben Walsh, mix-master Sampology, beat-boxing whiz-kid Tom Thum, graduates of Australia's famous Flying Fruit Fly Circus - Ben Lewis, Daniel Catlow, Shane Witt - and elite gymnast Karl Stock - are fresh from an international tour, including an off Broadway debut and 21 sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. If you didn't catch Tom Tom Crew during their run at the Opera House, they will be performing alongside some of Australia's best hip-hop, street art and skate talent at the Dulwich Hill hybrid retail/art space, Westsyde Connection, at a subcultural extravaganza this Friday.
One of Sydney's best ramen spots is making sure you get your dose of hot noodle soup at home despite Sydney's current lockdown. Rising Sun Workshop has launched 'Ramen at Home' which allows ramen-lovers the opportunity to have everything they need for the Rising Sun Workshop experience in their living room. The at-home goodie boxes are available for pickup or delivery with each pack serving two. Inside you'll find broth, protein, garnishes and noodles and then all you have to do is put it all together with some boiling water in your kitchen. You can choose between its three signature ramens: The Darkness, a pork belly and black fungus creation, The Light, a chicken, pork belly and katsuobushi dashi bowl, and The Monk, a vegetarian shiitake mushroom and miso corn option. To order, head to the eatery's website, and while you're there you can also pick up beers and natural wines from the bottleshop, as well as kimchi and raw honey from the general store. [caption id="attachment_736378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
Blurring the lines between life and art, Ross Watson is getting a well-deserved party. An Anniversary celebrates his 15-year legacy with a gallery exhibition of some of his best hyperreal works. Running as a part of the Mardi Gras 2015 festival program, Watson's provocative creations will be showing at Waterloo's Depot Gallery for two weeks only. The Melburnian tackles issues of sexuality and self-expression in his signature playful style (without fear of ruffling a few feathers along the way). An international art-world favourite, Watson's dynamic, out-of-the-box efforts are what sets him apart, earning him the praise of Elton John and Stephen Fry, among others.
When we caught up with Whole Larder Love author Rohan Anderson, we became immediate fans. We love that not only does he talk green, he gets right in on the action. So the prospect of spending an afternoon in his company, discussing his often unconventional philosophies and picking up some tips for living off the land has us excited. Anderson will be making an exclusive Sydney appearance at Stories from the Cellar, organised by Sydney Living Museums and Wildwon Projects and to be held at Elizabeth Bay House on Sunday, February 23. Leading a journey into the dwelling's secret cellars, he'll be explaining how he went from part-time graphic designer to full-time gardener, forager, hunter and "family cook" in rural Victoria. Plus, there'll be demonstrations of some of his finer skills, like skinning rabbits and preparing game. Several Sydney food experts are also lending their expertise on the day. Turophiles will love artisan cheesemaker Kristen Allan, who'll be showing how to make labna, ricotta and assorted dairy delights from scratch. If you're partial to a dose of Italian seasonal goodness at Berta, you won't want to miss an opportunity to meet head chef O Tama Carey, who'll be conjuring up quick pickles and chatting about raising pigs for charcuterie. For fans of Fish Place, head smoker Steve de Launay will be engaging with all things sustainable and aquatic. Working up an appetite just reading about it? The good news is that the five-hour session will involve not only watching and preparing food but trying it out too. There'll be various samplings, as well as a long, lingering supper, created by Dan the Man Cooking and sponsored by Salumi, with drinks provided by Murray's Craft Brewing Co and live music from harpist and composer extraordinaire Jake Meadows of the Myall High Club.
If you've ever wanted to peek behind the closed doors of parliament, eavesdrop on crooks and high-rollers, and find out what it takes to make it to the top, go see this. Hell, see it anyway... it's bloody good. Aidan Fennessy's delectable new Aussie script The Way Things Work is a stark, yet frighteningly accurate representation of deep-seated state government corruption. His characters could well be governing us, approving developments and building our highways. On opening night, investigative journalist Kate McClymont confirmed she's met almost identical 'characters' in the courtroom of the Eddie Obeid corruption case. Following the recent spate of state pollies' misdemeanours, this show is the perfect way to close 2014. It's directed by Leland Kean and also marks his departure as Artistic Director at Rock Surfers Theatre Co. Kean goes out wonderfully with this thought-provoking and timely reflection of the men we have elected leaders. Men who engage in bribery, blackmail and who will betray all to escape public scrutiny. Fennessy and Kean expose that more drama and animal behaviour occurs in parliament, than in the theatres or zoos. This play travels across three locations, three sets of characters linked by one certainty: "democracy dies behind closed doors." Fennessy's three scenes are different windows into the same, rotten-to-the-core social system, all encased by a concrete bunker, designed by Kean. The rough brushstrokes on the walls transform from designer stucco to dilapidation, as the scenes demand, just as Luiz Pampoha's lights transform from vertical blinds to prison bars. The script is quick, wry, malicious, and unmistakeably urban-Aussie, just as the two actors who perform it so well. Nicholas Papademerriou is Pat Barlow, the obscene politician who has lost (maybe never had) integrity, and makes everything a joke to survive the job's dirtiness. His gives a stupendous performance as Barlow, summoning maniacal energy that pays homage to Mr. Bean in some of its absurdity and scale. Ashley Lyons is just as dynamic as Barlow's evasive and morally-compromised secretary. Fennessy's writing is a gift to both actors: each scene full of status games, reveals and reversals. This race-to-the-bottom play reflects the dirty, disgusting aspects of human nature. The drowning man inevitably panics, blindly dragging his companion down in search of air. This is a society of selfishness, which runs on money. There's no loyalty and no escape, unless people start looking deeper than surface symptoms. But that's just not the way things work. Image credit: Zak Kaczmarek.
Wolf Lullaby brings an Aussie murder story (by Hilary Bell) to the New Theatre, revealing impressive voice work by the actors, but a few of the small theatre’s limitations when exploring the horror genre. This production would make an incredible radio play. As it is, the macabre subject matter keeps the audience intrigued — a two-year-old boy is murdered and the main suspect is a little girl. Far from the big budgets and sensory saturation of horror films, Wolf Lullaby still makes some outstanding choices. The set (designed by Allan Walpole) is cleverly divided into three parts: the cosy domestic space of the Gael family, with nostalgic Aussie rock blasting from the ‘wireless’, sits opposite the ordered space of the small town’s police office. A prison cell behind is either revealed or obscured by lighting. In the middle sits a graffiti wall and concrete slab (the exact shape of a small child’s coffin — an eerie reminder of the dead child), which is the scene of the murder. It is here that young suspect Lizzie Gael (Maryellen George) struggles with night terrors, visions of ‘the wolf’ coming, and an ever-increasing tangle of lies and stories. The scenes shift between these three areas, generally with a blackout or sound cue as a diversion. The sheer number of these interchanges is a little jarring, both to story and character development. In moments when the characters are left quietly on stage in the near-dark, there is better dramatic flow, allowing us to connect to the characters and their dilemmas. This is Emma Louise’s directorial debut at New Theatre and her expertise in voice training shines through. The clarity, quality and richness of the actors’ voices really make the play, with George providing a very convincing nine-year-old voice. However, casting an adult actor in the child’s role does reduce the fear factor of seeing an actual child capable of killing. This is the pay-off for the maturity needed for the role, and George finds a medium between over-exaggerated childish physicality and charming slumps to the floor. Peter McAllum and David Woodland bring to life Sergeant Ray Armstrong and Warren Gael respectively as complex and sympathetic characters. The actual mystery of this murder mystery is revealed early, which leaves mother Angela Gael’s (Lucy Miller) internal struggle between her conscience and her maternal instinct as the play’s focus. Miller doesn’t always manage to communicate this emotional tug-of-war, sometimes seeming too detached. Wolf Lullaby has some valuable questions to ask society: are some children born evil? Do we teach our children to lie when we use scare tactics as discipline? What about how we treat children with mental illness? Bell’s tragic murder story is timeless and this production is challenging and energetic.
Whether you're a skier, snowboarder or hiker, New South Wales' Snowy Mountains are an adventure-lover's playground. But if you're fond of traversing the rocky region on two pedal-powered wheels, the Thredbo Valley Track has just upped the ante. While the beautiful mountain biking trail has long been one of the area's most scenic features, the Kosciuszko National Park spot is now more than twice as long thanks to a new extension. Increasing in length by 18.4 kilometres — to 35.1 kilometres in total — the lower Thredbo Valley Track extension winds from Bullocks Flat to Gaden Trout Hatchery. Mountain bike enthusiasts can now ride through mountain gum forests, pass by woodlands filled with snow gums, and cycle along open grasslands. In the process, you'll cross six bridges, enjoying alpine views and soaking in the splendour of this gorgeous patch of the country. Now open and welcoming mountain bikers from November to May each year, the extension connects to the existing 16.7-kilometre track at Bullocks Flat, with the original leg starting at Thredbo Alpine Village. Traversing tight bends, climbs and descents, the new section is particularly suited to experienced riders. In total, the whole thing should take around eight hours to complete one-way. [caption id="attachment_755080" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Robert Mulally, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service[/caption] Folks eager to take it easier will find milder sections of the total trail around the two tracks' midpoint at Bullocks Flat. And, whether you're up for the more manageable parts or the entire thing, guided tours are also available. Prefer rambling through the region on your own two feet? Come 2022, the Snowy Mountains will also be home to the Snowies Iconic Walk, 44-kilometre multi-day trail spanning from Thredbo to Lake Crackenback. The Thredbo Valley Track is open from November to May yearly. For further information, visit the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website. Images: Robert Mulally, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The best thing about film festivals? The surprises. And boy oh boy does the 2017 Russian Resurrection Film Festival have a great one. The touring fest has plenty of ace picks, including a drama set inside the Bolshoi Theatre, aptly called The Bolshoi; Attraction, the first Russian flick about aliens landing in Moscow; and the innovative Tolstoy adaptation that is Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story. It also has the 1989 action flick Tango & Cash starring none other than Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. Why is this big hair-loving, US-made buddy cop movie on the bill? Because it was primarily directed by Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky, who collaborated with the great Andrei Tarkovsky early in his career, and then spent a big chunk of the '80s and '90s working in America. It's the kind of nostalgic selection that is best appreciated with retro fun in mind (and a few beverages in hand). It's not quite so-bad-it's-good, but it is something that has to be seen to be believed. In more serious offerings, Arrhythmia explores the erratic pulse of a complicated marriage, Spacewalkers jumps into the Cold War space race, and the comedic The Kitchen: Final Battle pits chefs against each other. Catch them and more at Event George Street from October 26 to November 5, and Event Cinemas Burwood on October 28 and 29 as well as November 4 and 5.
First, Vivid made its big comeback after a couple of years on hiatus due to the pandemic. Soon, Sydney Film Festival will return to its usual wintry slot following a chaotic period for the same reason, too. Then, come mid-August, Sydney Fringe Festival will also hit the city in-person — and, for its first physical fest since 2019, this celebration of independent arts has huge plans. Get ready for six hefty weeks of performances, exhibitions, music, theatre, comedy, visual arts, film, dance, circus, literature and poetry, with Sydney Fringe beginning two weeks earlier than normal because its 2022 event will be that big. Running from Tuesday, August 16–Friday, September 30, it'll feature more than 500 shows. No, you won't be lacking things to see to wrap up winter and kick off spring. The reason that this year's Sydney Fringe will be so enormous: all those shows that've been gestating while theatres were shut. So, the 2022 lineup will be the fest's longest and biggest ever — with its full lineup set to drop on Monday, August 1. A few highlights have been announced already, though, so you can start getting excited. They include the return of Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett after a run earlier this year — and the return of the Runaway Gardens and Spiegeltent as well. That means more circus, cabaret, aerial feats and fire-breathing, plus food and drink pop-ups. Also on the list: cabaret company YUMMY teaming up with the Darlinghurst Theatre Company on a new show; micro-festival Limitless, which is all about celebrating performance and visual artists with disability; and an inflatable artwork by Goldberg Aberline Studio that'll take over World Square. Or, there's Babylon, which'll take over Chippendale's Kensington Street and Spice Alley with light installations, tunes, dancing, soundscapes, food, booze and performances; three days of eats and live entertainment in Marrickville's Smidmore Street; and plenty of free events, street parties and activations around town. Love hitting up festival hubs? Sydney Fringe loves hosting them, and will also include a bigger touring hub at The Seymour Centre that'll showcase award-winners from Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe, Melbourne Fringe, New Zealand Fringe and other fests. And, you'll be able to check out the emerging artists sharehouse at Erskineville Town Hall, too, plus the massive 100-plus comedy lineup at the Factory Theatre — while the musical theatre hub will sit at City Tattersalls and the cabaret hub at The Castlereagh. [caption id="attachment_856313" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Seiya Taguchi[/caption] Announcing Sydney Fringe's 2022 plans, CEO and Festival Director Kerri Glasscock said that the fest has "had an overwhelming response to our artist call out this year and are shaping up to be bigger than ever. This is really an incredible testament to the resilience and passion of the indie arts sector in Sydney, they are chomping at the bit to have their return moment and present all the work that has been bubbling away under the surface during the past two years." "There has never been a better time to get out and explore Sydney Fringe — this is our city's festival and a celebration of all we stand for," Glasscock continued. Sydney Fringe Festival 2022 will take place between Tuesday, August 16–Friday, September 30, with the event's full program set to be announced on Monday, August 1. For further information in the interim, head to the fest's website.
What's the deal with trivia nights based on pop culture commodities? They're great, that's what — and with events based on everything from Friends to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, they're clearly a hit. This time, it's Seinfeld's turn in the quizmaster's spotlight. The show about nothing has inspired an evening about everything that made its nine-season, 180-episode run so great. The fun unravels at the The Governor's Ess rooftop from 7pm on Wednesday, May 22. Entry free (just as George Costanza would like it), but you should book a table in advance as these trivia night usually book out. Lock in some mates who think they know every conceivable detail about the hit 90s sitcom — and about Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine. The quizmaster will put your affection to the test, potentially covering everything from soup to sponges, puffy shirts to Pez dispensers, and even the parade of famous faces that played Jerry's girlfriends. Yada, yada, yada — you get the picture. Of course, the bar will also be serving their usual array of drinks, in case those pretzels make you thirsty.
Spring has sprung and the weather's only looking up from here on out. But if you fancy getting things moving a little faster, you can go ahead and spice up your life at this weekend's annual Sydney Chilli Festival. Heating up Parramatta's Albion Hotel on Sunday, September 8, the fiery festivities are back for a second year, promising a day of spicy fun that'll raise much-needed funds for drought-affected farmers through Buy A Bale. Entry is by gold coin donation and you can also buy tickets for a raffle that'll be drawn throughout the day. Taking over the pub and its outdoor carpark from 11am, you'll catch a huge array of market stalls slinging top Aussie chilli products, from barbecue rubs, to hot sauces, to chilli beer. Taste, browse and buy, and make sure you visit one of the event's cool-down pit-stops, like Underground Coffee, Mr Whippy and the bar. There'll also be live tunes and a program of food competitions, including the 2pm Chilli Chocolate Challenge. Careful, though — this one's so intense entrants will need to sign a death waiver.
If you still think you could've done a better job at the How I Met Your Mother ending, been practising your Oscar acceptance speech for years or think Australian radio airwaves are in desperate need of some new voices, we have some welcome news. The Australian Film, Television and Radio School is gearing up for its biggest summer season with AFTRS Summer Intensives — a series of short courses running from November 2018 to February 2019. Whether you're brand new to the industry or just want to step-up your existing skill set, the suite of AFTRS courses will have you covered. All courses are taught by expert practitioners and provide students, ranging from beginners to those already in the biz, with the practical skills they need to succeed in their chosen field. On the technical side of things, there's prop and scenic art making, digital production and filmmaking courses, where you'll get hands-on experience in operating cameras and shooting, editing and publishing a short film. You can also learn to use your voice for radio and TV presenting (with an advanced course tutored by renowned journalist Tracey Spicer) or in written form with television and comedy screenwriting. Each intensive course spans five days. If you book 28 days or more in advance, you'll also receive a ten percent discount. Not sure which course to go for? Head to the website to check out the full range of courses on offer.
Music panel shows weren't invented when Spicks and Specks and Rockwiz started airing in Australia back in 2005, but the two series became Aussie icons quickly. Seemingly everyone watched one, the other or both, with the pair earning a devoted following by realising a pivotal fact: as well as seeing musicians live, audiences also love watching them banter, bust out their smarts and just generally connecting over music. Also taking that idea and running with it is Georgia Mooney's Supergroup, which originally debuted in Sydney in 2019 and is now taking its live variety show on the road. It's inspired by Spicks and Specks and Rockwiz, obviously; focuses on stellar songwriters; and also includes live music and interviews as well. If that sounds like your kind of night out, music fans in Sydney will get to rediscover Supergroup's wonders at the Factory Theatre from Saturday, August 13–Sunday, August 14, with an impressive lineup that includes Tim Minchin, Hannah Joy from Middle Kids and Ziggy Ramo on the first night, then Josh Pyke, Ngaiire and Martha Marlow on the second. But before that — and for the first time ever — Supergroup will also head to Brisbane and Melbourne for two shows in each city. In Queensland, from Wednesday, July 27—Thursday, July 28 at The Triffid, Ball Park Music's Sam Cromack will do the honours with Elizabeth and Seja, as will Jeremy Neale, Hope D and Evil Eddie from Butterfingers. In Victoria, Brunswick Ballroom will play host to Ruby Gill, Bob Evans and KYE on Thursday, August 4, and then to Mo'Ju, Maple Glider and Ryan Downey on Friday, August 5. Here's how it works: on each evening, the guests come together to form a band, with support from the Supergroup House Band. They'll only play together for that one night, with each high-profile songwriter taking turns to perform songs while their colleagues join in. And it's all spontaneous — with no rehearsals and absolutely zero prior planning. That means that guests get an experience that's never been seen or heard before, and won't ever happen again with the same songwriters and tunes, either. "There is something quite magical about it," says All Our Exes Live in Texas' Mooney. "It is communal and whimsical and musical in the purest sense. I have a feeling this tour will take that to a new level. It's going to feel incredibly poignant to connect again in this way, after the two years we've all had." SUPERGROUP 2022 TOUR DATES: Wednesday, July 27: The Triffid, Brisbane — with Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music), Elizabeth and Seja Thursday, July 28: The Triffid, Brisbane — with Jeremy Neale, Hope D and Evil Eddie (Butterfingers) Thursday, August 4: Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne — with Ruby Gill, Bob Evans and KYE Friday, August 5: Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne — with Mo'Ju, Maple Glider and Ryan Downey Saturday, August 13: Factory Theatre, Sydney — with Tim Minchin, Hannah Joy (Middle Kids) and Ziggy Ramo Sunday, August 14: Factory Theatre, Sydney — with Josh Pyke, Ngaiire and Martha Marlow Georgia Mooney's Supergroup tours Australia in July and August — head to Georgia Mooney's website for further information and to buy tickets.
UPDATE: MARCH 22, 2020 — Waverley Council has announced that Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte beaches all closed on Saturday, March 21 in response to the 500-person restriction. Randwick City Council announced that, because "favourable weather conditions on Sunday means we're likely to see more than 500 visitors to our beaches", beaches at Clovelly, Gordon's Bay, Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar, Little Bay, Congwong, Frenchman's Bay and Yarra Bay are all currently closed. And the Woollahra Municipal Council has also closed a number of beaches and harbourside pools until further notice, including Murray Rose Pool and Redleaf Beach, Parsley Bay Beach, Camp Cove Beach and Watsons Bay Baths. To check the status of beaches in both areas, keep an eye on the Waverley Council, Randwick City Council and Woollahra Municipal Council Facebook pages. Over the past week, the Australian Government has drastically ramped up its efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, including stressing the importance of social distancing, staying at home and not congregating in big groups in public. But despite non-essential mass events being banned, indoor gatherings being restricted, anyone arriving from overseas being forced to self-isolate for 14 days, and the country's borders closing to non-citizens and non-residents — and festivals and gigs cancelling and postponing en masse, cultural institutions shutting down and moving their activities online, restaurants and bars transitioning to takeaway options, and Aussie airlines suspending all international flights, too — people have still been flocking to Bondi Beach. In response, the New South Wales Government has now ordered the popular spot's closure. Announced by NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott today, Saturday, March 21, the iconic waterside stretch will shut down immediately. The temporary shuttering comes after mass crowds packed out Bondi Beach on Friday, March 20, behaviour that has been widely called out — including by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who said it was "putting others at risk". "This is not something we are doing because we're the fun police. This is about saving lives," Elliott said in a press conference. A timeframe for Bondi's closure wasn't revealed, but Elliott did advise that closures will be on the cards at any beaches across the state where the public isn't complying with the mass-gatherings bans. Asked how beach bans will come into effect in a practical sense, Elliott explained they'll occur when numbers on any given beach reach more than 500. The NSW Government will work with NSW Police and Surf Life Saving New South Wales in monitoring crowd numbers, with surf lifesavers undertaking head counts and shutting down beaches when more than 500 people are present — and the police being called if crowds fail to move on when asked. 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.
Bottomless cocktails, waffles and beats... it's hard to think of a better way to banish a hangover on a spring afternoon. Introducing Since I Left You's monthly Beats 'n' Brunch. Doors will open at midday, which is when the bottomless cocktails will start to flow — lasting an hour-and-a-half and helping everyone to settle in, before giving way to drinks specials. Keeping everyone's hunger at bay will be a selection of SILY's waffles (including waffalafels) and a massive dish of something delicious — this month's its a shakshuka, which could well be a contender for the world's biggest. Meanwhile, on the SILY stage will be taken up with live music and/or DJs. Karaoke too depending on how loose things get. Even though this thing's called a brunch, like the others, it'll inevitably carry onto into the late, late afternoon.
Alexander the Great is not your friend. A winner, a military genius, maybe a bit of a multiculturalist. Generations have tried to cast him as a hero, but the gist of his life is much more Game of Thrones. His conquests were a travelogue of ancient, fourth-century life, crossing Greece, Egypt (where one of his generals later started Cleopatra’s dynasty), devouring the ageing Persian Empire and even touching on the edge of India (and, famously and allegedly, its elephants). Alexander has been a symbol of strategy, lateral thinking and gay pride. Over the Sydney summer he's being cast as a bit of a blockbuster, as the Australian Museum and the Ark-worthy, Russian Hermitage Museum have put together a local incarnation of the exhibition Alexander the Great: 2000 Years of Treasures. This show is divided into three big main sections. The first concentrates on Alexander himself and his upbringing. The second looks at the people and places that suffered his military attention across what the Greeks regarded as Asia. The third, and possibly most interesting, of the larger sections concentrates on what Alexander left behind on his death, age 33. (One of the most immediate things being a bunch of generals suddenly at a loose end, with a ready-assembled military machine.) What this collection is definitely not about is everyday life as a Persian or Greek, or even as a Greek soldier. Most of these dazzling Alexander artefacts come from the Hermitage, a collection originally gathered together by another empire builder, Catherine the Great. And this is definitely a monarch's collection, seemingly drawn from the cabinet of curiosities of a powerful woman enamoured with the glories, and past, of a powerful man. This is not necessarily a bad thing. These treasures are glorious. And a modern Australian's look at this period from a lifestyle that is probably much closer (warfare aside) to that of the fourth century BCE's ruling Greeks, than hoi polloi of ancient Hellenism. The gold in this exhibition speaks power. The power of the cultures who made them, the cultures that bought them with conquest and the power of the woman who owned such things, and so many of them. Despite this, what strikes you most among the ancient statuary — their fugitive heads, armour fragments, gorytos or motive vases — is the humanity of the people depicted. Early on a happy Heracles (Hercules), casts his eyes about pleadingly for drinking company. Eros (Cupid) cocks his bow, dropping his visage into his work face. Demosthenes looks pissy. Meleager is zen. In a cabinet of uncannily preserved fourth-century BCE Scythian armour, a breastplate-drawn medusa sticks out her tongue. One of her eyes are missing, but her leer is full of play. The aftereffects of his rule is probably the most interesting of all. It includes ancient artefacts from India, the emergence of hybrid religions and ruler cults, and the occasional Serapis or Priapus (ancient NSFW). There's also an excellent final annex on (very recent) modern representations of the conquering monarch. This is a huge exhibition. It's easy to lose hours just looking at the ancient artefacts while missing some of the more recent or modern pieces hidden alongside. Details like a fragment of an ancient water clock, innumerable coins or immaculately preserved links of Scythain mail armour are apt to get lost along the way. Not to mention the brief video essays along the show's walls assembled from interviews with local (world-class) university scholars. (Or the exhibition's linked program of events and conference.) These interviews provide any number of surprising tidbits, not least Prof. D.T. Potts' reminder that in many places, like Iran, Alexander is not seen as 'the Great'. Why? He reminds us: Alexander killed a lot of people. Image shows a 19th-century reproduction of the Battle of Issus Mosaic © The State Hermitage, St Petersburg, 2012
The Chaser and One Man Show's Chris Taylor is kindly taking us on a tour down Oxford Street. From Woollahra down to Hyde Park by street number. Here we go. 315 - For lease 312 - For lease 307 - For lease 305 - Fashion boutique staffed by a lonely and sad-looking attendant 301 - For lease 295 - For lease 292 - Fashion boutique staffed by an attendant uploading Facebook photos of herself from a party at Backroom last night 284 - For lease 282 - Fashion boutique staffed by an attendant uploading Facebook photos of her recent “modelling assignment” for a student hair show 278 - 280 For lease 259 - For lease 257 - Fashion boutique staffed by an attendant hanging up a 'Back in 5 mins' sign so she can go and have her eighth smoko break of the morning with her friend down at MAC Cosmetics. 231 - For lease 229 - For lease 227 - The sole food shop in the area for 20 blocks 225 - For lease 221 - Multinational fashion store selling the kind of tops and skirts that the Ascham and Kambala girls go shopping for on Saturdays. 219 - For lease 217 - Paddington pub full of middle-aged men watching a Waratahs game 213 - For lease 205 - Multinational fashion store selling the identical tops and skirts that Ascham and Kambala girls go shopping for on Saturdays. 201 - For lease. 193 - Multinational fashion store that still thinks it's cool to play Jamiroquai on the in-store sound system. 185 - For lease 179 - Paddington pub full of middle-aged men watching a Swans game 173 - For lease 168 - MAC Cosmetics where, in the absence of customers, the three attendants take it turn to do each other's makeup. 162 - For lease 157 - Cockroach-infested cafe that offers patrons a choice of nachos or fettucine carbonara. 155 - For lease 143 - Sleek independent bookshop where a half-dozen introspective browsers thoughtfully thumb the new releases, before leaving with the latest Jamie Oliver. 139 - Rival independent bookshop where a half-dozen introspective browsers thoughtfully thumb the new releases, to pass time before their film session at the Verona begins. 138 - For lease 126 - Formerly popular and iconic gay bar that's now a multinational shoe shop. 122 - For lease 116 - Formerly popular and iconic twin cinema whose landlord is so greedy that not even a multinational shoe store can afford the rent. 112 - Pie Face 105 - Empty Brazilian restaurant 102 - For lease 95 - Empty Balkan restaurant, despite owners' best attempts to make it look busy by sitting on the one lone table out the front. 93 - Subway sandwiches 87 - Empty struggling bar and nightclub that clearly must be a front for something else. 84 - For lease 82 - Iconic gay bar full of heterosexual tourists. 78 - Fast food and kebab store where everything in the bain-maries looks as if it’s been there since 1987. 68 - For lease 62 - Pie Face 56 - For lease 54 - Pie Face 49 - Pie Face 45 - Pie Face 38 - Hipster bar that the real hipsters stopped going to 18 months ago because something better, or at least newer, opened up in Redfern. 33 - Pie Face 28 - Hipster bar full of people who couldn't get into Shady Pines. 26 - Gloria Jeans. 24 - Hungry Jack's 22 - Subway sandwiches 15 - Nightclub that’s bizarrely still in business even though no-one's ever seen or met anyone who's ever gone to it. Presumably it has a Pie Face inside it. 13 - IGA store that’s exclusively patronised by the mentally unwell. 301 - For lease 8 - Pie Face 6 - For lease 5 - For lease 2 – City of Sydney sign welcoming people to "Sydney's iconic Oxford Street – the pulsing heart of the city!" 1 - For lease You can currently see Chris Taylor in One Man Show, on in Sydney at the Metro Theatre on May, The Concourse Chatswood on May 2 and the Factory Theatre on May 24. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketek.
In today's unpredictable world of infighting, internets and readily available guitar tabs, it's more probable than ever before that the biggest fan of a band will end up actually in the band. Ron Wood joining the Rolling Stones, Robert Trujillo joining Metallica, and now Jon Davison joining English progressive rock legends Yes (that's right, Yes) as their latest vocalist. "I'm still a Yes fan," he says from somewhere in Los Angeles. "I can't help it, these things happen. In instrumental sections where I'm holding back, I get caught up in thinking 'wow, here are these amazing musicians I've always admired just a few feet away from me — and I have a better view that anyone in the audience!'" With the sprightly American as frontman, the 50-million selling princes of prog are heading to Australia to perform their two finest releases, Fragile and Close to the Edge, from start to finish. I've played with bands for which these albums were like holy texts, and Davison doesn't dispute it. "Close to the Edge is, I think, based on the teachings of Siddhartha — a soul's journey through many lifetimes. It's very beautiful but there's a lament in it, about what the soul must endure, the challenges and the hard lessons we face as we go on. That's how I interpret it." There has been a "touch of the metaphysical" in most of Yes' output, and Davison still decodes their evocative and often cryptic lyrics from the stage. "It's not always a clear meaning. I approach the lyrics more emotionally I guess, but there are parts of songs that I very much relate to. 'And You And I' is heart-expanding, and I love 'Starship Trooper'. Those uplifting ones." Dotted throughout Fragile, meanwhile, are tracks focused on individual band members, the vocal showcase being 'We Have Heaven' — a gloriously overdubby affair. "I'm working on my own version of it now actually, in my home studio. I won't do any of [founding member of Yes] Jon Anderson's tracks, but I'll loop my voice a lot, and possibly Steve and Chris will do some other vocals too. We're going to make it as much of a live track as it can be." Anderson was an expectedly huge influence for Davison while he was finding his own voice, though they haven't become acquainted at any Yes parties yet. "I haven't had the privilege of actually meeting him, but a few who know him quite well say we would be good friends. I hope it happens eventually." The upcoming album will be the band's first with Davison, and they're champing at the bit to keep being, well, progressive. "I was very much encouraged by the others not to try to reference anything in the past, because then you compare and end up restricting yourself creatively. We've been aiming to only move forward and break new ground. Even in their heyday the band were making mindblowingly distinct albums, and we're aiming for that now. There's a real freshness to it; it moves in a new direction and accurately reflects this five-member line-up, just as it should." Despite being the lone American in a band comprised of people old enough to be his English dads, Davison is unfazed. "It's surreal but I seemed to fit in right away. They're very accommodating. What we share in common, of course, is the music — we both speak that language, despite our ages." And in a perfect world, would he sing in any other of his favourite bands? "I'd love to be a part of early Genesis. I wouldn't mind being Freddie Mercury for a day either, that would be pretty exciting." Yes 2014 Tour Dates: November 12 — PERTH Crown Casino November 14 — GOLD COAST Jupiters Casino November 15 — SYDNEY State Theatre November 18 — MELBOURNE Palais Theatre https://youtube.com/watch?v=_RJYxDfsvdg
Sydney will be taken over by art, culture and events in March, when Art Month Sydney returns for another year to fill the city with artist talks, exhibitions and performances. Proud sponsors of Art Month, The Galeries on George St will be participating with what they're calling the Artists' Playground. From March 1-20 the centre will come alive with an immersive displays of interactive art. There will be 12 bespoke pieces curated around the centre, all completed by emerging artists. Art will be integrated into the walls, floors, columns and laneways — in some cases, hidden in plain sight. Customers can uncover the artwork and navigate the exhibition with an Augmented Reality app called EyeJack. Point your camera at each of the artworks to 'unlock' their movement and sound. Unlock all 12 artworks and win amazing prizes from The Galeries' lovely retailers. Artists were allowed to run free with their ideas. On March 2 and 16 (from 11am), performance art will blend its way into The Galeries, with a model whose body will be painted into a backdrop inspired by one of Gorman's exclusive, colourful prints. Another model will be painted to blend into an existing mural within The Galeries, created by Ox King. Also, if you spend $200 or more at the centre from March 1 - 20 and you can claim a SoL Cup (reusable coffee cup) that is printed with a lovely limited edition image designed by Furry Little Peach. Show your receipt at the SoL Cup pop-up on the ground floor between March 1-20.
While you might not want to spend the depths of winter in the waters of Bondi Beach, you will want to cross the road to The Pacific Club on Campbell Parade for $1 oysters. The million-dollar waterfront space — with a luxe fit-out by Michael McCann from Dreamtime Australia Design, the studio behind Mr Wong, The Argyle and Felix — is shucking cheap molluscs every Wednesday in July from 5–7pm (coinciding perfectly with after-work or after-WFH drinks). You'll get a dozen $1 oysters with every beverage purchase. You can go for a fancy glass of bubbles — a Ruinart, perhaps — an Aperol spritz or a kombucha cocktail, as well as something non-boozy if that's more up your alley. If those 12 oysters don't quite satiate your hunger, you could order another round (and another drink), or switch it up with a bowl of burrata with salsa verde ($18), smoked Cloudy Bay clams ($24) or a 250-gram wagyu rump with truffled mash ($45). With current restrictions on capacity, reservations are essential and can be made over here. Top image: Caroline McCredie
When you're making a movie about a well-known historical figure, how do you let audiences know you're not just traipsing through familiar territory? In Churchill, it's as easy as letting the breeze knock a hat from an old man's head. With the film's central figure famous for his headwear, Australian director Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man) wastes no time sweeping away Winston's favoured homburg with a stiff gust of wind. It's an obvious move designed to dispense with the war-time British Prime Minister's usual image. Still, it's an effective one. The hat, the silhouette, the cigar — yes, they're all here in this World War II-era examination of Winston Churchill. And yet this isn't a cradle-to-grave biopic or an applauding portrait of a political icon. You could say that Churchill asks audiences to trust in its approach in much the same way that Winston himself asked the public to believe in him, and you'd be right. Neither always take the standard path; however, when they hit the mark, they well and truly command attention. Set in lead up to the D-Day landings in June 1944, and featuring Brian Cox as the leader in question, Churchill is a film of discussion rather than action. In conversations with King George VI (James Purefoy), US army general Dwight D. Eisenhower (John Slattery), his Boer war pal Jan Smuts (Richard Durden), his dutiful wife Clementine (Miranda Richardson) and his new assistant Helen (Ella Purnell), Churchill talks and tussles with the impending mission in Normandy. His colleagues deem it necessary to stop the advancing Germans. But haunted by the First World War, all Churchill can foresee is the possibility of needlessly sending men to die. What follows is an anxious, depressed and struggling vision of the man once named the greatest-ever Briton. Teplitzky and screenwriter Alex von Tunzelmann are unconcerned with depicting the broad scope of the man's life and legacy. It's mentioned, of course, but on the whole the film prefers to focus on this particular moment in time – and all the contemplation and turmoil that came with it. While plenty of other biopics have done the same thing, revealing the complicated thoughts, choices and emotions plaguing historical icons, Cox's towering performance makes Churchill feel as though it's stepping into fresh territory. Everything around him is competently shot and handsomely staged in the typical historical drama manner. But the veteran actor is the bolt of electricity the film really needs. Inhabiting rather than simply impersonating, Cox falls on the Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln side of the spectrum, rather than Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Audiences can expect to be captivated by his bluster-filled speeches, even though much of his screen-time involves chatting and looking grim. At least, that's how it appears at first, but then that's the other thing about Cox's turn in Churchill: look closer, and a world of complexity lurks within. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCxUDHY0iWQ
Trained by an opera singer and influenced by jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday, Parisian chanteuse Caroline Nin describes her discovery of Edith Piaf as the "ultimate gift". Part tribute, part re-invigoration Nin's show HYMNE A PIAF is a journey through Piaf's "musical life and times", cabaret style. This is a return season - her wildly successful show sold out in July. Don't miss it this time around.A classic femme fatale and a seasoned performer, she has appeared at the Lido and the Sunside in Paris, channeling Marlene Dietrich with cabaret as her "lounge". She'll make you feel right at home in the intimate setting of The Vanguard; re-live Paris of the decadent 30s. https://youtube.com/watch?v=DGSIB-hZAiI
These days, Pokémon GO might just be another unused app on your phone; however the game's cute little pocket monsters aren't staying confined to a small screen. Animated Pokémon movies have been around for almost as long as the animated Pokémon television series, but now the game-to-TV-to-cinema franchise is getting a distinctive new addition: a live-action flick featuring a particularly realistic-looking Pikachu, who happens to be voiced by Ryan Reynolds. While playable Pokémon titles date back to 1996's Pokémon Red and Green for Game Boy, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is based on the 2016 game of the same name — where, as the title suggests, everyone's favourite yellow, furry creature solves mysteries. He also talks, exclaiming more than "pika!"; is addicted to caffeine, like most of us; and has arrived to help former Pokémon trainer Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) track down his missing dad. The result: basically a Pikachu-and-human buddy cop movie, jam-packed with other Pokémon, of course. Two trailers have been released so far, and if you've spent to much of your childhood catching 'em all when it comes to Pokémon — and, thanks to Pokémon GO, plenty of your adult years as well — you'll be in heaven watching the newest sneak peek, which just dropped this week. As well as lending his acerbic attitude and vocal talents to what's certain to be the world's most adorable detective, Reynolds performed the role via motion-capture, and is joined by Kathryn Newtwon, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy among the cast. The first live-action Pokémon flick, Detective Pikachu is directed by Robert Letterman, who has Shark Tale, Monsters vs Aliens, Gulliver's Travels and the first Goosebumps film to his name. Catch the Pokémon: Detective Pikachu trailers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8CKgQFo5U8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzvbzYoQE5o Pokémon: Detective Pikachu opens in Australian cinemas on May 9. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Waterfront precinct The Streets of Barangaroo is getting into the spring spirit with a new public art installation and a series of limited-time activations and specials popping up this November. Australian muralist and figurative painter Lisa King has transformed The Streets of Barangaroo with a series of art installations which include floral illustrations hanging around the precinct and across the area's main staircase. This is all part of Bloom, a celebration of spring and the return to relative normality following lockdown. Accompanying the public art is a series of events and drink specials you can enjoy at the precinct's bars and restaurants. Head to House Bar, Love Fish, Tequila Daisy or Anason to try each of their special Bloom cocktails that include the gin and Rhubi Mistelle Ruby Reviver and the vodka, Aperol, rose syrup, peach and dusted rose petals Kosem Sultan. Over at Barangaroo House, DJs will be on hand to welcome you back to Sydney's nightlife, while United rooftop bar is running its vegan bottomless brunches and pink-hued Euphoric Wednesdays set menu which features a three-course pink meal, 2 cocktails and bottomless frosé.
Do you ever find yourself standing in the bottle shop, staring at the wall of pinot noirs thinking "I feel like I've had that one before" or picking a bottle of riesling for your dinner party based on the look of the label? If this sounds like you, it's entirely fair enough, but wine subscription service DiVino is looking to help you nail down your favourite drops across the full spectrum of vino with a quick-fire wine-tasting party. DiVino is flexing its comprehensive catalogue of white, red, skin-contact and sparkling wines with a one-off, three-hour pop-up at one of Surry Hills' best neighbourhood wine bars. Taking over Bar Suze from 2–5pm on Saturday, April 15, DiVino will have 40 bottles from its collection on hand and ready to be sampled. Expect a spread of samples ranging from old-world classics to new age minimal-intervention varieties. Inventive Australian winemakers like Adelina, Spinifex and Ashton Hills will be represented on the lineup, alongside producers from Morocco, Tuscany and France (yes, there will be champagne). Rounding out the day's activities will be a sabrage station where you'll learn the art of slicing off the top of a champagne bottle with a blade — safely, of course. Tickets are $50 and grant you access to sample as many wines from the 40-bottle collection as you want over the three hours. There are only 50 spots available so purchase a ticket in advance if you want to ensure your place at the party. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DiVino (@divinocomau)
There's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve when it comes to cinema, watching the latest and greatest flicks on the silver screen well before anyone else. And at Australia's biggest short film festival, you can do just that. The internationally acclaimed Flickerfest is celebrating its 31st year come January 2022, too, so you can expect an A-class lineup of cinematic delights. The annual short film festival is Australia's leading Academy Award-qualifying short film fest, and is backed with BAFTA recognition, too. In January, you can catch screenings under the stars at the festival's beachside home in the northern end of Bondi Beach Park. The outdoor deckchair cinema, supported by Waverley Council, will be set in a glam garden and feature an indoor cinema in the mirrored, circus-style tent The Famous Spiegeltent, which is a spectacle to behold in itself. You can choose from a program of over 200 short flicks from Australia and around the world, handpicked as the most inspiring, provocative and entertaining among the whopping 3100 submissions this year. The program is divided into 29 sessions, so you can catch all the flicks in the genres that interest you most — like comedy, romance, LGBTQIA+ and documentary films. Want to make a night of it? Drop by the festival's new beachside pop-up garden bar for a pre- or post-show drink and snack. Plus, there'll be an ultra-swish opening night gala and closing night event which, for a few extra bucks, you can attend to be part of the action. After wrapping its ten-day stint in Sydney, Flickerfest will share the short-film love, popping up at over 45 venues across the country between February and October. To see the full Flickerfest 2022 program and grab tickets, head to the website. Flickerfest will run in Sydney from January 21–30, before touring nationally from February–October 2022.
One of the joys of watching Jessica Chastain on screen is watching an excellent actress at the top of her game. Another, and one that occurs again and again in Miss Sloane, is watching everyone else react to her presence. Whether she's hunting down terrorists in Zero Dark Thirty or playing a scheming sibling in Crimson Peak, no one sharing her scenes seems to know quite how to react — which is a testament to the kinds of roles the two-time Oscar-nominee chooses, as well as the way she plays them, rather than a comment on her co-stars. Ambitious, determined and daring to defy categorisation, the bulk of Chastain's characters simply demand attention. Ruthless lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane certainly does, as does the movie that shares her name. "Lobbying is about foresight," Sloane tells the camera during the film's opening scene, with everything that follows demonstrating the accuracy of her assertion. Miss Sloane starts with a congressional committee, where she has been asked to explain her behaviour during a high-profile job, before jumping back to fill in the gaps. Three months earlier, Sloane worked for one of Washington D.C.'s top firms — until the gun lobby came calling, she put them in their place, and the other side wooed her to lead their cause. Even her new boss (Mark Strong) didn't expect her to do more than put up a spirited fight, but losing isn't something Sloane knows how to handle, particularly when she's finally working for a cause she cares about. Her former colleagues (played by Sam Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg, among others) swiftly turn nasty and combative. Her new co-workers, including the kindy and impassioned Esme (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), try to adjust to her calculating ways. Sloane herself, meanwhile, stands in the middle, providing not only a compelling centrepiece in a high stakes political battle, but a meaty example of the treatment that plagues strong women. She's a force to be reckoned with — exceptional at her job, capable of handling whatever comes her way, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed and thoroughly unconcerned about whether or not people like her. As a result, she's always a target. Arriving on screen so soon after America not only visibly rejected a vision of female leadership, but was quick to paint the prospect in highly unflattering terms, it's no wonder that Miss Sloane strikes a chord. That applies equally to the film and to the character — though the latter outshines the former, thanks largely to Chastain. Still, as the dialogue flies thick and fast, Miss Sloane proves a sleek, taut and tense political thriller. The film represents something of a change of pace for director John Madden after helming The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel; still, the veteran filmmaker proves more than up to the task. First-time screenwriter Jonathan Perera also acquits himself well, spinning an engaging narrative about duplicity, deceit, corruption and control. Of course, if you've ever watched a film or TV show about US politics, you've seen tales like this before. Proficient wheeler-and-dealers have weaved their way through shadowy landscapes on screen before, and painting the American capital as an ethical sinkhole is nothing new – as viewers of The West Wing, House of Cards, Scandal and Veep can all attest And yet, Miss Sloane is never less than involving, even when it feels a tad familiar. Plus, for the record, not everything plays out exactly as expected.
Step back into Japan’s oldest tradition of dramatic art with Theatre of Dreams, Theatre of Play at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This exhibition features a range of cultural materials, from enigmatic masks and dazzling costumes through to paintings, musical instruments and songbooks. Drawing upon the theatrical tradition of no, often referred to as Japanese Opera, this exhibition will uncover the historical rituals and symbols that shape the refined elegance and complexity of this continuous art form. This type of performance is also interspersed with brief comedic interludes, known as kyogen skits, typically recounting folk tales and anecdotes from everyday life. In representing these two styles, curator Dr Khanh Trinh explains, "These objects are not just functional props but also items of great aesthetic appeal ... the patronage by the military nobility also means that no costs and efforts were spared in their production." There has been an immense effort to preserve the fragile beauty of these objects, handed down through influential households. Dating back to the samurai age, many of these artefacts have never been exhibited outside of Japan. It's a rare opportunity to marvel at the richness and intricacy of one of the world’s most ancient forms of performance.
Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And, like last year, it's also bringing the decadence to you. Whether you're a Melburnian who can't make it to one of the three venues outside of town, or you're located elsewhere and you really love hot chocolate, Yarra Valley Chocolaterie is churning out boxes filled with creative hot choccie flavours. Like this year's physical fest, the flavour range is being released weekly — so you have an excuse to order more than a few boxes. To kick things off, there's the Tim Tam caramel bomb, which turns caramel Tim Tams into a ball and serves it with a caramel hot chocolate. Also tempting: the Devonshire kronut version features a berry hot chocolate topped with — you guessed it — a kronut. And, the Snickertini includes shots of Baileys and vodka, while the Dreamtime hot chocolate features lemon myrtle. Fingers crossed that fan favourite flavours like Tim Tam Slam and Golden Nutella Spoon will pop up throughout the month, along with the more adventurous likes of If You Like Piña Colada, Zingy Chilli and Cherry Matcha. All limited-edition hot chocolates come with an extra shot of hot couverture chocolate and handcrafted marshmallow, too. Plus, in previous years, some of the highlights arrived with exploding marshmallows, melting chocolate discs and truffle balls. If the eight-flavour pack each week is a little much — it'll set you back $49.95 — you can also order individual varieties for $6.50 a pop. The boxes are available to order until the end of August, and there's a flat-rate shipping fee of $15 to anywhere in Australia.
Surry Hills cafe Gratia and its nighttime counterpart Folonomo are no strangers to the concept of dining for a cause. The Bourke Street venue donates 100 percent of its profits to charity. Usually, customers choose which of the three rotating charities will get their money when settling the bill. But for the next three months, the focus will be on helping one organisation in particular, as Gratia is transformed into a pop-up OzHarvest Café. From July to September, it'll be sporting a few fresh pops of yellow and a brand new food offering, and all of the cafe's profits will go towards supporting OzHarvest's work fighting food waste around the country. If you're not familiar with the charity, OzHarvest rescues quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it to more than 1000 charities across the country, providing much-needed meals to those who otherwise may not have access to any. The same philosophies have inspired the OzHarvest Café. While not all the food will be salvaged food waste, OzHarvest executive chef Travis Harvey has designed a special waste-conscious menu that features lots of ingredients that would otherwise be binned, including food donated by Brasserie Bread, Black Star Pastry and Select Fresh. Here, he's flexed plenty of creative muscle, transforming rescued food into some very clever brunch fare. Expect elements like pickled broccoli stalks, roasted cauliflower leaves, and ramen noodles crafted from bread crumbs. The avocado toast features a pesto made from rescued salad leaves and pumpkin seeds, banana curd will be made from donated egg yolks (and poured onto pancakes) and the house jam is a crafty reworking of excess fruit peels and Black Star's watermelon rind off-cuts. With every $1 spent at the OzHarvest Café by Gratia able to deliver two meals to someone in need, this is brunching for a cause other than your morning hunger. Gratia will operate as the OzHarvest Café by Gratia until September. It's open Wednesday to Sunday from 8am–3pm at 372 Bourke Street, Surry Hills. Image: Bodhi Liggett.
Lost Paradise is back for the fourth year in a row, after selling out its past three incarnations. Returning to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1, the event will host 76 local and international artists, including local electronic goalkickers RÜFÜS, Sweden's Little Dragon, Aussie folk favourites Matt Corby and Meg Mac, Sydney lads DMAs, dynamic Melburnian duo Client Liaison and more. There'll be two new stages this year, My Mum's Disco, where, in between retro beats and '80s kitsch, you'll be playing bingo and banging out karaoke, and K-Sub Beach Club, to be run by Kraken, a collective dedicated to all things Victorian. Main stage Arcadia will host what's been designated as 'indie', while techno and dance will settle into the Lost Disco stage. Meanwhile, the Paradise Club will take care of late night shape-throwers with DJs and surprise guests. If you've blissed your way through previous New Year's Eves at Lost Paradise's Shambala Fields, you'll be glad to know they're making a return, with their cornucopia of yoga classes, dance workshops and meditations. Teachers on the schedule include Ana Forrest, Jose Calarco, Mark Whitwell, Simon Borg Olivier, Nicole Walsh and Mark Breadner. In between dancing and getting mindful, you can fuel up in Lost Village, where a herd of food trucks will be dishing out all sorts of tasty morsels. Look out for Eat Art Truck's hot smoked pulled pork buns, Agape's organic goodies, The Dosa Deli's handmade samosas, Maverick Wings' crispy chicken and kimchi coleslaw, Harvest Life as Tsuru's poke bowls and Cuba Cantina's street food from Havana. Here's what you're in for this year: LOST PARADISE 2017 LINEUP: RÜFÜS Little Dragon Matt Corby Meg Mac DMA's Client Liason Cut Copy San Cisco Tourist Stephen Bodzin Cigarettes After Sex Patrick Topping Jon Hopkins (DJ Set) Jackmaster FKJ Middle Kids Âme (Live) Skeggs Palms Trax Apparat Nadia Rose Sampa The Great Koi Child Mall Grab Dean Lewis B.Traits Roland Tings My Nu Leng Cut Snake Human Movement Billy Davis & The Good Lords CC:Disco GL Tiny Little Houses Alex The Astronaut Nyxen Sloan Peterson Mammals The Ruminators Motorik Vibe Council Robongia Krankbrother Thunderfox Gypsys of Pangea Uncle Ru Ariane Ben Nott Brohn Dibby Dibby Soundsystem DJ Gonz Elijah Something Foreigndub Inner West Reggae Disco Machine Kali and more... Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1. Tickets are on sale now from the festival website. Image: Dave Anderson and Boaz Nothham.
Sydney's rambunctious leotard-loving lads, Bluejuice, are calling it a day. The beloved pop/rock/dance/errrthang ratbags Jake Stone, Stavros Yiannoukas, Jamie Cibej and James Hauptmann have announced their final national tour and an upcoming greatest hits tour to wrap everything up by the end of 2014. "After 13 years of broken bones, broken hearts, sore heads, passive aggression, regular aggression, several arrests, questionable skin infections, and a busload of infuriated tour managers, Bluejuice are announcing they are calling it quits at the end of 2014," says today's press release. Abercrombie-going Purple Sneakers alumni are shedding many a tear today. Since 2001, the beloved Sydney outfit have had one heck of a ride, keeping the chin of Australian music up with three celebrated albums (Problems, Head of the Hawk and Company) on the shelf and still holding the position of most played track on triple j ever ('Vitriol'). https://youtube.com/watch?v=ldBhDmvWFXE Bluejuice have decided to part ways to test the waters in other projects, with the sad intention of giving those leotards a rest. Before they take their final bows, the team will release a big ol' greatest hits album — a retrospective ride dubbed Retrospectable, with all your favourite mid-2000s sticky-floored party go-tos, best bits from their three albums, extra rare content and new single 'I'll Go Crazy', produced by Dann Hume (Sticky Fingers/Alpine). Bluejuice will kick it on their final national tour this September/October. Starting at Adelaide's Uni Bar, the pair will meander through the capitals and rural centres before finishing up where it all started — Sydney (at the Metro Theatre, where many a drunken Bluejuice escapade has roamed before). In one of the most emotionally-charged press releases we've ever seen, Bluejuice's legacy is laid down. "They shall leave behind a body of work of which they are all very proud, and they look to the future with a mix of hope and fear of starvation, not unlike the chick at the end of Children Of Men." Top notch. Bluejuice — Retrospectable: The Farewell Tour (with special guests to be announced) Tickets on sale August 9 THU 25 SEPT — Uni Bar, Adelaide. Tickets via Oztix. FRI 26 SEPT — Capitol, Perth. Tickets via Oztix. SAT 27 SEPT — Red Earth Arts Festival, Karratha. Tickets via REAF. THU 02 OCT — Hi-Fi, Brisbane. Tickets via Oztix. FRI O3 OCT — Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta. Tickets via Oztix. SAT 04 OCT — Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay. Tickets via Oztix. FRI 10 OCT — Hi-Fi, Melbourne. Tickets via Oztix. SAT 11 OCT — Hi-Fi, Melbourne. (Under 18's only Matinee show 12-3pm) Tickets via Oztix. SAT 11 OCT — Village Green Hotel, Mulgrave. Tickets via Ticketmaster and Village Green Hotel. SUN 12 OCT — Barwon Club, Geelong. Tickets via Oztix. FRI 17 OCT — Waves, Wollongong. Tickets via Moshtix. SAT 18 OCT — ANU Bar, Canberra. Tickets via Ticketek. THU 23 OCT — Bar on the Hill, Newcastle. Tickets via BigTix. FRI 24 OCT — Metro Theatre, Sydney. (LIC/ALL AGES)? Tickets via Ticketek.
"They're more scared of us than we are of them," many mothers have told their offspring, soothing fears of monsters, spiders and other scary forces — and in The Boxtrolls, the adage proves accurate. The village of Cheesebridge is intent on exterminating the cardboard-wearing, subterranean-dwelling titular creatures, driven by tales of child stealing, people eating, and rivers of blood. All the benevolent grey critters want, however, is to play with junk and tinker with machines. A lost baby is the source of the boxtrolls' bad reputation, after the villainous Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) convinces the townsfolk of their involvement. A decade later, the missing boy has been raised by his new pals and christened Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright), happy in his existence beneath the streets. Then Winifred (Elle Fanning) spots him, her morbid curiosity soon turning to affinity. Alas, Snatcher's pursuit continues, with the rest of the populace ambivalent to the girl's protests. From animators Laika, The Boxtrolls is steeped in the offbeat and styled in the eccentric; this is the stop-motion studio that brought Coraline and ParaNorman to life, after all. Adapted from Alan Snow's novel Here Be Monsters!, the film shares many aspects with their previous hits: gorgeously grotesque imagery, smart gags slipped amongst endearing detail, a winning blend of the sweet and surreal, and intelligent messages for young and old. With a steampunk aesthetic, directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi lovingly revel in their intricate world, complete with rusting metal, slops of mud, unattractive adults and more. They remain unafraid of letting the harshness of life manifest in the gothic look, albeit lightened by the sense of adventure, the cuteness of the boxtrolls, a celebration of cheese (food, not corniness) and a story concerned with acceptance outside the norm. The weighty themes don't stop there, nor does the studio's penchant for a specific type of material. Outcast children find fondness in things typically considered strange, looking beyond accepted bounds to discover their identities and values. Open-mindedness is championed, just as the blinkered view of most — Snatcher's coveting of social-climbing grandeur, and Winifred's father's (Jared Harris) preference for dairy over his daughter — is skewered. The thoughtful feature even contemplates self-determination and the outsourcing of immoral deeds to the poor through the comic conversations of Snatcher's employees, voiced by Richard Ayoade, Nick Frost and Tracy Morgan. Such high-profile casting tops the delightfully dark film, its talent deepening the characters rather than merely inciting the usual celebrity spotting (although Ayoade and Frost's banter is always a treat). Stitching together the sensibilities of Tim Burton and Roald Dahl, The Boxtrolls is a warm and witty excursion through the weird and wonderful, as well as a true slice of cinematic enjoyment for all ages. https://youtube.com/watch?v=uHfkJMILG4U
In late 2015, after a $10.5 million makeover, the Albury Regional Gallery reopened as the Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), with a 14-metre-high curved wall and a visionary director named Jacqui Hemsley, who's passionate about getting people excited and engaged. To that end, MAMA is currently hosting its first blockbuster: Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon. The exhibition, which has come via the USA and Brazil, features a survey of more than 100 works by 50 leading contemporary artists who have celebrated Marilyn Monroe over the last two decades. Being the enduring cultural phenomenon she is, the works span both privately and publicly owned paintings, photos and video from artists such as Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier-Bresson and more. As well as the artworks — which will be on display until Sunday, May 8 — MAMA will be hosting a whole heap of events, including lectures, bus tours, drinks and even a Marilyn lookalike competition. Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon was organised by Sairally Fine Arts & Consulting, Hamburg, Germany and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. Image: Cecil Beaton, Marilyn Monroe (1956/2005), Silver gelatin print, © Cecil Beaton Archive / Sothebys.
If you were already excited about the Tatsuo Miyajima exhibition opening at the MCA later this month, prepare to psyche up even harder — because now edamame and alcohol are involved. To celebrate the Japanese artist's first solo Australian exhibition, a Cherry Blossom Bar will be popping up on site from Friday, October 28 until March next year. Similar to the pop-up gin bar the MCA put together for last year's Grayson Perry exhibition, the Cherry Blossom Bar will be inspired by Miyajima's work, serving up a menu of izakaya-style share plates under a canopy of cherry blossoms and lanterns — think edamame, gyoza and chargrilled yakitori skewers. Drinks are being mixed by mixologist Jared Thibault (who you'll usually find at QT Sydney) and the selection will consists of Japanese classics, including whisky, sake and themed cocktails. The pop-up bar pays tribute to the Japanese artist, who's known for his immersive and dramatic tech-inspired pieces. His installations largely feature LED lights and counters that countdown from one to nine. However, they never reach zero as Miyajima believes zero is a meaningless, Western concept. As he told Frieze back in 1992, there is no physical zero. It's heavy stuff and you'll no doubt appreciate a stiff sake while staring at the water afterwards. The Cherry Blossom Bar will open on Friday, October 28 and run until Sunday, March 5 at the MCA, 140 George Street, The Rocks. It will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm and Saturdays and Sundays from noon. For more info, visit mca.com.au. Image: Stuart Garske.
Vivid Sydney is gearing up for its tenth anniversary and it has one epic lineup. At Carriageworks alone, an artistic program of music, screen, creative thinking and visual art will take over from May 24. And it's being headlined by Grammy Award-winning artist St. Vincent, who will take the house down with a live performance on June 17. St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) has been rocking the music game for over a decade now, with breakout hits from 2007's 'The Apocalypse Song' to 2017's 'Los Ageless'. The indie-pop luminary is oft referred to as the "female Bowie". For those who aren't already huge fans, we suggest putting her fifth album, Masseduction, on repeat now. The meta-pop album, which is both strange and moving, was released to critical acclaim in 2017, cracking the top 10 on the Billboard 200. This year marks Carriageworks' fifth Vivid program, which also includes design forum Semi Permanent, Clipped Music Video Festival and electronic and dance event Curve Ball. In 2017 London's electronic duo Goldfrapp headlined, preceded by Bjork in 2016, who took over the precinct with a huge virtual reality project. Needless to say, the multi-arts centre is known for putting on ambitious programs, and this year is slated to be another big one. Images: Nedda Afsari
Proving that Italian food is a universally accepted good for humanity, this year’s Sydney Italian Wine and Food Festival has something to suit everyone. Held at Sydney Town Hall, the festival will feature some of the best Italian chefs in Sydney, including from the kitchens of Pilu at Freshwater, Ormeggio, Balla, A Tavola, Aperitivo, Ajo, Osteria Russo + Russo and Capriccio. They’ll be serving up street-style pizza, freshly made pasta and all the finest dishes you would associate with your imaginary Italian nonna. Alongside them, the Gourmet Traveller food market will offer up 250 of Italy’s finest wines along with all of the most comforting take-home treats, from cheese and gelato to salami and coffee. But the Italian Wine and Food Festival is not just a chance to stuff your face with quality goods; it’s also a chance to learn a little something, with a wine masterclass led by writers Huon Hooke and Max Allen and an olive oil masterclass led by Nino Zoccali from Pendolino. If neither of those liquids satisfy you, make your way to the Espresso di Manfredi’s Espresso Martini Bar, the Menabrea Birra Beer Bar or the festival’s Negroni Bar, where Max Greco from Vasco will be acting as mixologist-in-chief. All this, plus a soundtrack of live Italian jazz and DJs drifting from the wine garden until 9pm. Sounds like la dolce vita. Image: A Tavola.
Can Cava Pinxtos and Wine is giving Sydneysiders a reason to welcome the last licks of the weekend with Sunday Funday. The Bondi bar hosts a weekly party with live music, cheap-yet-fancy booze and Barcelona-style eats. All-day drink specials include $10 cocktails off the seasonal menu — think passionfruit martinis, grapefruit margaritas and daiquiris for summer — and $20 jugs of red sangria. Plus, organic cava, house wine and Estrella beers will all be five bucks apiece. Spanish sounds from flamenco guitarist David Holberton will accompany the drinks from 5–8pm. Of course, the kitchen will be slinging pinxtos throughout the day, including our personal favourites: the whipped goat cheese croquettes ($5 each) and the king prawns with wasabi and paprika ($7). The bar opens at 2pm and the breezy corner spot has plenty of outdoor seating too, making it the perfect spot to round out the weekend after a day at Bondi Beach.
American Express has pulled together a killer lineup for the ultimate live music bar crawl happening throughout Surry Hills and Darlinghurst on Sunday, May 29. The new initiative, Back the Night, will see a selection of beloved venues, bars and restaurants hosting live sets from a huge roster of local music talent performing some of their most intimate gigs to date. The night is being headlined by Gang of Youths who are trading in the country's festival main stages and arenas for underground live music hub Oxford Art Factory. Coming off the band's latest standout album Angel in Realtime, the gig will mark their first show back in their hometown since 2019. The always-popular five-piece will be bringing their high-energy live show to the OAF at the very reasonable Sunday time of 7.30pm. In the lead-up, ticketholders of Back the Night can catch the likes of Boy & Bear, Alex Lahey, Odette, Didirri, Imbi, Jess Kent and Maple Glider popping up around the city. While the likes of Lahey, Kent and Maple Glider can be found at more traditional venues Hyde Park House and The Columbian, Didirri will be performing with Cap Carter at Stanley Street Italian restaurant Bill & Toni's, and Boy & Bear will be making their appearance around the corner at American barbecue joint Surly's American Tavern. All the venues taking part in the night are within a 15-minute walking radius of each other, meaning you can mosey around the inner-city suburbs, catching whichever bands you please. Tickets are $70 and grant you access to all of the different venues. Head to the AMEX website to see the full lineup and set times. [caption id="attachment_655350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bill & Toni's, Kimberly Low[/caption] Top image: Andre&Dominqiue via Destination NSW
