Being 16 isn't fun by any stretch of the imagination. Your body behaves strangely, self-aware awkwardness hijacks your natural state and the 'rents are seemingly bent on making your life a living hell. Meet Connor: an angry, defensive 16-year-old boy who doesn't know what to do with his newly found, volatile wrath. Award-winning playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer and Siren Theatre's artistic director Kate Gaul (Penelope, The Lunch Hour) join forces in The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You to tell the story of Connor and many other adolescents in a fresh and creative way. When Connor (Michael Cutrupi) starts becoming a bit of a handful, his parents do what anyone else would — they send him off to live with Uncle Mal in the middle of nowhere. Using shadow puppetry, dance and music to colour Connor's journey, The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You is a production targeted at audiences of all ages and, thankfully, aims to leave the cringe-worthy Misunderstood Teenager character tropes at the door.
As a screenwriter, Hossein Amini's name has graced successful book-to-film adaptations of thriller Drive, romance The Wings of the Dove and drama Jude, so seeing the scribe make his directorial debut with his own version of Patricia Highsmith's The Two Faces of January is far from surprising. The perfect storm of themes and styles exists in a story wholly suited to the first-time filmmaker's penchant for flawed characters and psychological developments, as set in the golden labyrinthine delights of Greece in the early 1960s. Forming a troika of trouble, sweet-talking, swindling tour guide Rydal (Oscar Isaac) meets wealthy American Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his younger wife, Colette (Kirsten Dunst), amidst Athens' famed Acropolis. He brands them an easy mark and they're wary of his overt charms, yet they all quickly — albeit tentatively — warm to each other's company. Their respective first impressions prove devious when the MacFarlands' past resurfaces. Soon, everyone is seemingly on the same side and on the run, but deception still reigns in their web of love, lies and larceny. The film's moniker references the Roman god for whom the titular month is named, typically depicted as having a pair of heads — one looking to the past, one to the future. Parallels with the duo of strong-willed men at the movie's centre are obvious; however, that doesn't make them any less effective. Both visually and narratively, Amini cloaks his dual duelling leads in shadows that question their allegiances and motivations. With a languid pace, he ponders their connection and divergence as they continue to clash and contrast. Are they bound by more than bad choices, inopportune circumstances and a shared affection for Colette? Selling the constant tone of suspicious questioning is an excellent cast aptly pitched to explore the failings of their protagonists. It shows that Amini and Isaac have worked together previously, their pairing continuing to create rich, resonant characters. Likewise successful is Isaac's match with Mortensen and Dunst, with the film ever the tight three-hander. The former is finessed even as he slowly frazzles, while the latter is given a more assured role than much of the rest of her resume has been built upon. Highsmith's works have earned cinema incarnations before, most notably Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tense and intricate, paranoid and precise, similarities seethe through a feature that looks as exquisite as its tale proves smoothly unsettling. It may all build to a finale seen before in idea and execution, but there's no doubting the film's satisfying manoeuvring and old-fashioned refinement. Read our interview with The Two Faces of January costume designer Steven Noble about developing the film's dreamy, 1960s Greek Isles look here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MhhsDkfX3Fw
Letting the likes of Little May, Aldous Harding and Boy and Bear take the backyard folk reins for a while, Australia's ARIA-dominating folksters Angus and Julia Stone are heading back to the stage to take back the wooden throne. Four years after their huge runaway hit 'Big Jet Plane' and their Everyone Should Just Stay at Home ARIA-blitzer Down the Way, the Sydney Stone siblings have announced a colossal Australian tour to mark their triumphant return. Teaming up with pop production legend Rick Rubin (Jay Z, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele), the duo have recorded their third studio album at Malibu's Shangri La studios. The pair's self-titled effort is set for release on August 1, timed perfectly for triple j Hottest 100 dominance. Having spent the last couple of years touring internationally and dropping solo material here and there, it seems high time for the Stones to head home for some epic shows — stopping by the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall on September 14 and 15. For their first national tour since 2011, Angus and Julia Stone will be joined by 18-year-old Brisbanite Tim Bettinson, aka super-internet-hyped falsetto wonder Vancouver Sleep Clinic. Fusing synthetic instrumentation with vocals sure to generate All the Feels, VSC will hop on tour with the Stones for all national shows except Canberra. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WTsinsfY6dk
There is a white ute parked just inside Artspace. Branching off it are fluorescent light tubes and multiple video screens. The uppermost screen features a vagina outlined by shimmering black-and-white patterns. Another screen pops out of a deep freeze, revealing a nude man delicately combing a section of tinsel. He appears to be in the act of assembling the expansive exhibition that fills the entire Woolloomooloo gallery. The Curtain Breathed Deeply is Justene Williams’ most ambitious venture to date. It is an elaborate ecosystem bursting with found objects and messy edges. Flanking the ute-and-genitals centrepiece, there are two tarpaulin curtains embellished with all kinds of materials. There’s some duct tape crosshatching, crinkly gold wrapping paper and plastic discs that look like road reflectors. Behind these mixed media murals are a series of video installations. Put simply, there's a large red room, a blue room and a few other nooks tucked in and around. Williams’ practice is influenced by a range of modernist masters, particularly those heralding the big, bold and bright. For instance, the video installations in the red room are full of chaotic geometry, calling to mind the Cubist styles of Picasso and Leger. As the performers move against the colourful latticework backdrop, isolated sections of the action are magnified. There's a pre- and post-production grid that becomes tangled and confused. Underneath all this optical intensity, the graceful movements of Williams’ male performers are quite mesmerising. As they are artificially sped up and slowed down, there is a conglomeration of different cultural dance styles. The fact that their costumes are tasselled with gold elephants and their hands and feet are stained red suggests a fascination with India; however, there is also a hint of homoeroticism. As the performers sparkle with sweat and glitter, there’s a fair share of camp dancing and bra-wearing. On the blue side of the gallery, there’s a bit of shamanistic suburbia in the form of a backyard pool/wishing well. This is Williams’ way of injecting blue-collar Australian stereotypes with an aura of Voodooism. It’s quite amusing to see these banal objects dolled up as mystic shrines. The video installations are in the same tenor, depicting a group of masked figures enacting a choreographed ritual. Although there's an obvious leaning towards Mexico's Day of the Dead festivities, with their cartoonish eyes and decorated sombreros, these lavish DIY costumes look like something you might see in The Mighty Boosh. This is a sprawling kind of exhibition; however, one of the most self-contained sections consists of a makeshift garage. With clear corrugated roofing and a stack of old televisions, it looks like a sanctuary for the typical '90s teenager. Flickering colours are reminiscent of early MTV or Rocko’s Modern Life, making it a surprisingly nostalgic little alcove. Williams' brand is a theatre of excess with a taste for the exotic. And The Curtain Breathed Deeply is an immersive sensory experience to say the least. Full of joyous and psychotic energies, it's like being inside the artist's head. It’s a fairly nonsensical universe. But it’s a fun one.
There are few bands with enough unfaltering stamina to line up a debaucherous, beer-fuelled pub crawl to kick off every night of their Australian tour. But Brisbane's Dune Rats leave the rules at home, abiding by one big ol' proviso: "no kooks, no gutties." Whatever the blazes that means, these bloody corker dudes surf self-generated waves of laidback party-fuelled philosophy. Dune Rats' BC Michaels, Danny Beusa and Brett Jansch have been away from home for some time now, heading to the US, staying in a New York AirBnB warehouse, driving along the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver and filming their own (sorta) web series American Death Trip of Dreams. Then they bailed over to Europe and the UK. After months on the road, the Dunies will head back home to Australia for a national tour, showcasing their debut album set for release on June 1. It'll be the first time the trio have played to home audiences for months. The tour kicks off on the west coast and ends up back where they all started. "I'm pretty fucking excited to get home, that's for sure. We haven't played in Brissy for ages," says bass player Brett Jansch. "We've been away for so long and hopefully we can just get back and hang out with our buddies and just talk about anything else, find out what they're doin'. Pieced together like a rambunctious escapade of regrets, the Dunies will host a pub crawl in every city before the gig for fans who've preordered their debut album (out June 1). Dune Rats is a rambunctious ride through moments of pure silliness ('Dalai Lama' has five words in total: "Dalai Lama, Big Banana, marijuana,") and heartfelt bouts ('Home Sick'). "Well I guess you just want to get as fucked up as possible before the gig with all our friends and buddies that have preordered the album in order to come to the pub crawl," Jansch says in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge moment of please-buy-our-albumness. "We'll find the right place where we can all hang out together near the venue or whatever and just go pub to pub. "So honestly, we'll be going on a pub crawl all around Australia I guess. I wonder if anyone will come all the way with us. If someone does, they can definitely have a fuckin' t-shirt! They can have a hangover as well." Supporting Dune Rats will be different buds in each state. "We've kind of put together just all our fucking favourite bands and our friends to play, you know... So it's going to be a fucking party every night, especially now with our pub crawls and shit.," Jasnch realises. "Fuck, I think it's going to be a full wash up by the end of it." Check out our chat with Dune Rats bass player Brett Jansch over here. TO REGISTER FOR THE DUNIES PRE PARTIES: 1. Pre-order the album Dune Rats for ten beans at iTunes or JB HiFi. 2. Forward your iTunes or JB HiFi album preorder receipt and your mobile number to stuff@ratbagrecords.com. 3. Let the Dunies you're off to the Sydney show at Oxford Art Factory. 4. Wait. Recieve the deets on the morning of the show. Then party on dudes. For more details about the Dune Rats pub crawls and to preorder the album head over here. Dune Rats debut album is out Sunday, June 1. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lU3n6vRX8yY
The Thredbo Freestyle Series is one of the few comps on the planet that calls for skiers of all levels. Whether you carve it up like Lindsey Vonn or you’re still experiencing pride at your newly acquired snow ploughing skills, you can get in on the action. And let’s face it: the more variety there is, the more fun the spectators will have. Five events make up the series — Slopestyle, Ridercross, Big Air, Banzai off the Bluff and Rails — and they’ll be happening over the course of July and August. Winners will be announced in every event, and, at the end, an overall, out-of-control Freestyle champion will be crowned. To be a part of the first chapter of the affair — Rails — rock up at the Thredbo Tennis Courts on Thursday, July 17. At 3.30pm, you’ll be handed your bib; from 4pm, training will begin; and, at 5pm, skiers and boarders of all abilities, shapes and sizes will head to Friday Flat for the starting gun. Once darkness starts to fall, spotlights will take over, keeping visible the array of specially built course features and the athletes attempting to conquer them. Live DJs will be supplying the tunes. Don’t fancy competing? Just come along and watch — it's a visual spectacle worth dragging yourself out of the Rekorderlig Hot Pool for.
As you reach for your lumpy knits to combat the incoming winter chill, Sweethearts Rooftop Barbecue are helping with the shift in seasons by inviting you to curl up with a cocktail and tuck into a hearty meat platter. From now until the end of August, the venue will be transformed into a German-inspired winter wonderland. The rooftop hot spot will be launching a new menu crammed with tasty Deutschland delights, including schnitzels, bratwurst, pretzels and oodles of sauerkraut. To sweeten the deal, there will also be a delectably gooey apfelstrudel, courtesy of Keystone's executive pastry chef, Vincent Gaden. Driving home their reputation as one of the Cross's foremost stomach-fillers, this is a change of flavour that should fare well with the after-work crowd and party-goers alike. Our dark and delicious friend Jagermeister is at the heart of this operation. The cocktail crew at Sweethearts will be whipping up a range of mixed drinks featuring Jagermeister Spice, a new winter flavour tempered with spicy cinnamon and smooth vanilla. You can stave of a frosty evening with a Jager Spice Espresso or perhaps a finger-tinglin' Jager Spice Toddy. Paired with a mouthwatering meat menu, it looks like you'll be in safe hands this winter. Danke Sweethearts!
There's a slight fuzz in the air on the East Coast. Twangy surf pop and singalong garage punk are teaming up in a predicted humdinger of a co-headlining tour — Brisbane charmers Major Leagues and Sydney's rascally trio Bloods have joined forces for one rambunctious escapade. Offering up gems from their Weird Season EP as well as snippets from their upcoming debut album, Major Leagues have had major deal signings and huge festival appearances on their plate over the last year. Bloods have their own reason to celebrate. Their latest single 'Want It' (to be officially launched on the tour) offers the sneakiest peek into their upcoming debut album, a hotly-anticipated LP set for release through brand new independent label Tiny Galaxy. Meandering into Newtown Social Club on Thursday, June 19, the local legends of fuzz, feedback and fun will throw down fast and furious sets one after the other. Major Leagues last supported Bloods alongside The Fabergettes last year at Brighton Up Bar and the Upstairs Beresford for the Sydney trio's EP launch. This time around Major Leagues and Bloods will be joined by the outstandingly-named Sydney duo, Hockey Dad. Gear up in your most easily toe-tappable, hair-thrashable threads and get a healthy dose of fuzz in your earholes, this one's going to be a right royal shindig. https://youtube.com/watch?v=n3NJc5ugGms
Calling all companions, Whovians and Time Lords: the TARDIS has materialised in Sydney. Again Thats right, a Totally Awesome Radical Doctor Who Impromptu Shop has opened up at World Square Shopping Centre (Shop 9.28), allowing you to purchase all of your favourite Doctor Who memorabilia and necessities to fight Daleks. The pop-up shop is touring this time to promote the new Doctor, Peter Capaldi. and the launch of series eight on ABC TV in August. It will allow Australians to purchase exclusive merchandise never before made available to them. This includes replica props and coats from the UK and Canada, as well as the Doctor Who Home range, allowing you to pour your tea from a TARDIS themed pot and pour your emotions over the deaths of past and present companions into a Dalek-themed diary. Traditional merch items will also be on sale, including DVDs, books and toys. Oh, by the way, you can get your photo taken in-store in the TARDIS photo booth. The store is open 10am-7pm daily (except Thursday when it's open until 9pm and Sunday when it's 5pm).
The oyster offers a unique taste and texture, and until you embrace this tender and aphrodisiacal snot of the sea, you're just not the refined cosmopolitan you might claim to be. Who could forget the first time they took a fortifying gulp of champers and then allowed the silky grey flesh to slide down their throat, fresh and lemony? And what about those ladies and gentlemen who know how to shuck oysters without severing their own fingers? This is the very height of urban sophistication. You now have the opportunity to join their shining ranks with some help from The Morrison's chefs at August's Shuck Me Silly oyster shucking class. As part of the Oyster Festival, the Morrison team will show you how to extract the suckers without drawing blood. The best part? You can eat the spoils of your labour directly after, enjoying a dozen oysters paired up with their ideal liquid partners: beer by James Squire or Champagne by Pommery.
Known for an avant-garde aesthetic and tailored, yet feminine silhouettes, local label Ellery has rocketed to the forefront of the Australian fashion scene. Seen on the likes of Madonna, Dita Von Teese, Nicole Ritchie, Jodhi Meares and Jennifer Hawkins, you can expect a price tag to match the brand's long-held celebrity status. Lucky for us mere mortals, Ellery is launching a sample sale this weekend. Don't blow a week's pay on that favourite piece — pick it up for a fraction of the price, and then browse the other previous season and limited edition offerings, all available at not-to-be-missed prices. Find the Ellery sale at District 01, 7 Randle Lane Surry Hills, Friday 19 8am-8pm, Saturday 20 10am-6pm, Sunday 21 10am-4pm.
Summer lineups just keep kicking bigger and bigger goals. The Sydney Opera House's full summer lineup for contemporary music program Music at the House is certifiably huge this summer, with Sinead O'Connor, Caribou, Mogwai, Flying Lotus, Rodrigo Y Gabriela and more joining already announced big guns Damon Albarn, Violent Femmes, Max Richter and the Wordless Orchestra, Asgeir, Ben Frost and Tim Heckler and Fat Freddy's Drop. Running late November to April, the 20-show-strong summer program is overrun with applaudably huge names. The legendary Sinead O’Connor will make her second Sydney appearance in 30 years with a retrospective set (ahead of her March 2016 memoir release), original 'Buffalo Stance' boundary-breaker Neneh Cherry makes her Australian debut and Britain's instrumental heavyweights Mogwai make their return to Australian shores. Crisp-as-blazes, London-based Canadian Caribou will surf a wave of hype surrounding his recent album Our Love, while Warp's Flying Lotus makes a triumphant return to the Concert Hall (where FlyLo sold the whole damn thing out last year). A tribute to the Twin Peaks mastermind, 'In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited' will see Australia’s Mick Harvey (ex-Bad Seeds) and Sophia Brous (Brous), New York City-based Cibo Matto and Irish-chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan will venture through Lynch's versions of the likes of Roy Orbison, David Bowie and Chris Isaak, as well as his work with Angelo Baladamenti. Swedish vocal powerhouse Lykke Li is set to make her Opera House debut, while fellow Swedes Little Dragon take over the Concert Hall — a fierce upgrade in space from their wildly raved about Oxford Art Factory show this year. Acoustic Brit Award winner Ben Howard is set to take things down a mellow notch, but if you're feeling the need to stomp a few floors, Grammy Award-winning flamenco legends The Gipsy Kings celebrate 25 years since their self-titled breakthrough album, and furiously talented guitar-duelling duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela return to Australia after a way-too-long absence. Music at the House is quickly becoming one of Sydney's most anticipated lineup reveals, with this year's performances including the recently-toured Rodriguez, the return visit of Vivid LIVE favourite Nils Frahm, Grizzly Bear, Bonobo, Boy and Bear, The National, The Jezabels and more — with performances from Max Richter and the Wordless Orchestra, Damon Albarn and Violent Femmes still to come before the end of the year. MUSIC AT THE HOUSE 2015 SUMMER PROGRAM (November 2014 — April 2015): Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am, Monday 10 November. MAX RICHTER & THE WORDLESS ORCHESTRA (AUSTRALIAN DEBUT, SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Sunday 23 November TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 DAMON ALBARN (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 December, 2014 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 VIOLENT FEMMES (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 29 December, 2014 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 ASGEIR (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Wednesday 7 January, 2015 TIME: 6.30pm & 9pm (SOLD OUT) VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 BEN FROST & TIM HECKER (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Sunday 11 January, 2015 TIME: 9.30pm VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre TICKET PRICE: From $39 FAT FREDDY’S DROP (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 26 January,2015 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 LYKKE LI DATE: Monday 2 February, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 CARIBOU DATE: Tuesday 3 February, 2015 TIME: 7pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 FLYING LOTUS DATE: Tuesday 3 February, 2015 TIME: 10.30pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $54 LITTLE DRAGON DATE: Thursday 5 February, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 MOGWAI (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 2 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 NENEH CHERRY WITH ROCKETNUMBERNINE+ (UK) (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Wednesday 11 March, 2015 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 IN DREAMS: DAVID LYNCH REVISITED (FEATURING MICK HARVEY, SOPHIA BROUS, CIBO MATTO, CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN + MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED) (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE ) DATE: Saturday 14 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 SINEAD O'CONNOR (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Thursday 19 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 BEN HOWARD DATE: Sunday 29 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 THE GIPSY KINGS featuring NICOLAS REYES & TONINO BALIARDO (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Tuesday 7 & Wednesday 8 April 2015 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $99 RODRIGO Y GABRIELA (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Thursday 9 April, 2015 TIME: 9.30pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 ANGELIQUE KIDJO + MAVIS STAPLES (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Sunday 12 April, 2015 T TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am, Monday 10 November. Visit sydneyoperahouse.com/music for further information and tickets.
Romantic comedy cliches have earned their label for a reason; the more they're used, the more expected they become. And so it's that films like Love, Rosie emerge, wholly comprised of the seen-before and the been-there-done-that, as rendered with similarly customary sweetness. Here's the gist: girl and boy have clear feelings for each other, but are forced to stumble through a range of obstacles. Even if you've only ever seen one rom-com, you know where this is going. Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) is an average 18-year-old girl. She's about to finish school and looking forward to a future certain to include her neighbour and lifelong best pal, Alex (Sam Claflin). There's a spark to their friendship that suggests something more, however when they take others to the prom — he escorts Bethany (Suki Waterhouse), and she goes with Greg (Christian Cooke) — it appears fate has other plans. The night has long-lasting repercussions pushing them in different directions. Alex moves to the US for medical school and after falling pregnant, single mother Rosie stays in the UK. Of course, they keep in touch. Cecelia Ahern's best-selling novel Where Rainbows End, upon which Love, Rosie is based, relates its tale through the pair's emails, letters and texts. The film uses the gimmick to a lesser extent, but their correspondence still guides a feature that charts the will-they-or-won't-they of this unconventional long distance relationship. Director Christian Ditter (best known for French for Beginners) and screenwriter Juliette Towhidi (Calendar Girls) don't stray far from the source material, nor do they need to. When it comes to cloying romantic plots, Ahern literally wrote the book. What good rom-coms do well, the most predictable included, is cultivate investment in the central couple. And even when forced into silly situations and saddled with stereotypes, Collins and Claflin are suitably charming, selling the camaraderie central to their close platonic relationship, as well as the uncertainty needed to make their 12-year flirtation endearing. They're the bright sparks in an effort otherwise happy with obviousness. You can count on picturesque imagery, heavy-handed pop cues, and tonal wobbling between contemplative drama and over-the-top comedy. Having each actor play their characters from ages 18 to 30 never quite convinces, but that's a minor issue. That's the film all over — never believable, constantly trite, but endlessly likeable. It's also the rom-com prescription in willingly evoking a necessary wish-fulfillment fantasy. Soppily telling tales of yearning loves and lives dictated by wanting what you can't have, Love, Rosie seemingly aims to be a younger-oriented successor of Bridget Jones' Diary. In its focus on its messy but spirited heroine, its lacings of cringeworthy humour and its adherence to genre formula, it doesn't miss the uninspired mark. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cweASWVpkVM
This article is sponsored by our partner, Toshiba. Forget sushi trains, pizza motorbikes, roller-skates and any other sub-par form of transportation for a delicious meal. If you’re using any method of food service that’s not a roller-coaster, then you’re doing it wrong. Set to take over the multifunctional space at District01 (7 Randle Lane, Surry Hills) is Toshiba’s latest display of being ‘seriously Japanese’. And it’s just how you’d imagine a sushi train redone by a computing and technology company: upgraded and revved up. Over three nights at the end of this month, Toshiba are teaming up with a handful of sushi professors from Zushi to create a different sort of Japanese pop-up. Entrants will be greeted by geisha girls, taken care of by suited-up professionals and then order sushi with the help of Toshiba tablets. Specially created sushi roller-coasters will then deliver your chosen Japanese delights. Although there’s no currently available record of what this invention will look like, we have no doubt the Zushi roller-coaster will be travelling a little faster than your local sushi train. The sushi roller-coaster is on from 6-9pm daily. It’s a free, first-come-first-served experience, so get there earlier to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fast-paced sushi good times.
'Hold Me Down' is the only song Sydney three-piece Mansionair have released. Ever. But it's got 5.5 million hits on YouTube and has peaked at number one on Hype Machine. Not bad for a first go. The Sydneysiders have also just been signed to CHVRCHES' label, Goodbye Records. (By the way, CHVRCHES seem to be on to a good thing with that one. Earlier this year they signed the baby-faced, angel-voiced Irish teenager SOAK — she plays the kind of hauntingly beautiful, emotionally complex acoustic tracks that will make you question your emotional development at her age, and now, and into the future.) Mansionair's debut EP will be released on October 13, but if you fancy yourself as someone with their finger on the musical pulse of this city — or you're just a fan of the mellow and mesmerising sounds of 'Hold Me Down' — get yourself along to their upcoming three-date string of shows, supporting Movement. If CHVRCHES' endorsement and the hype around the song are anything to go by, it's doubtful you'll be able to experience them in such an intimate setting again.
Art Pharmacy is all about getting emerging artists’ works on sale at affordable prices. They’ve done a number of pop-ups over the last couple of years, and for this year’s Fringe they’re throwing up the Lab for two weeks on the edge of Oxford Square. The Lab will feature free artist talks and an introduction to starting your own art collection, but the highlight of the Lab is likely to be the art itself. The Fringe selection includes work from Mulga the Artist and Will Coles, probably best known for his ambulant, grey mobile phone sculptures. The Lab is one of our picks of the Sydney Fringe Festival. Check out our other highlights.
Variety shows are back and doesn't comedian and radio presenter Scott 'Dools' Dooley know it. After selling out shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and taking off overseas, the funny man is leaving NYC and crashing Giant Dwarf with all of his talented friends. Over four Wednesdays (he obviously has a lot of friends), Dools will curate a selection of stand up, musical comedy, sketches and other fun bits featuring the likes of Tom Ballard, Genevieve Fricker, Matt Okine, Dools' secret best friend and loads more. He's also dipping into his musical friends' talents by calling upon The Delta Riggs, One Day, Wil Wagner from The Smith Street Band and Nina Las Vegas to provide the live tunes. Each night will be led by a makeshift news desk run by The Roast's Alex Lee and Ben Jenkins from The Checkout. For $25-30 a ticket or $90 for entry to all four shows, audiences can also enjoy DJ Joyride on the decks and live Tinder romance updates courtesy of Angus Truskett from Green Light Boys (which will hopefully resemble something like this).
Melbourne native Fractures has been pretty busy in the last few months. He debuted at Splendour in the Grass, his October tour schedule was totally sold out, he just announced he's heading overseas next year, and now he's spending this month holed up in Sydney and Melbourne for two very intimate evenings. Up until only a few years ago Paddington Uniting Church was reserved strictly for church and community related events. Now it's a hot spot for those looking to bliss out to ambient electronic pop. The contemporary music program has allowed a new kind of visitor to embrace the space with its exciting music programs and inclusions such as The Future Sound of Yoga. And now, Fractures. He'll also be hitting up his hometown, of course. The Hallowed Ground tour continues at the Shadow Electric bandroom in the conspicuous nunnery turned arts space that is the Abbotsford Convent.
Perhaps the most comforting of all hot beverages, tea is always there for you when you are a clogged-up, sniffling mess. It is there for you when you are freezing cold, have lost feeling in your hands and need to defrost your insides. Australia is the 13th highest tea-drinking nation in the world (the highest is Turkey, in case you were wondering) and on August 17, the beverage will be receiving the attention that it deserves in the Sydney Tea Festival. It's a whole day dedicated to tea. The festival will be divided into two parts. The first is a free tea market, where you can sample and buy all the different combinations of tea you ever dreamed of. We're not just talking your average run-of-the-mill, pick-up-from-the-supermarket variety; we are talking the artisan stuff. Aisles upon aisles of it. The second part of the festival is for the hardcore tea connoisseurs among us. An array of tea workshops are on offer which will include educational talks, tea tastings and tea making sessions. The tea workshop is free to enter, and will run from 9am – 4pm at Carriageworks. Tickets for tea workshops range from $15 – 35, and can be booked here.
Red Bull Flying Bach is a serious clash of cultures, a performance where Bach meets breakdancing, two things most would never dare to put together. But hey, as well as wings, Red Bull gives you crazy ideas for collaboration and, from all of the reviews this show has received to date, it also gives you an incredible artistic spectacle. When you look past the preconceptions that say this show shouldn't work, it is really no surprise it has been so successful; it features music from arguably the greatest composer of all time (who happens to be German) expressed physically by four-times breakdancing world champions Flying Steps (who are also German). No coincidence, just a collaboration that shatters the suggestion that breakdancing and Bach don't blend and thrusts the cohesion of the classic and the contemporary into the present. Set against Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Well-Tempered Clavier' — led beautifully by opera director Christoph Hagel — the breakdancing troupe create something truly memorable that challenges conventional constrictions placed on cross-era and cross-cultural collaboration.
Melbourne multi-instrumentalist Mark Zito, better known as Fractures, fell and fractured his neck last year — a pretty unfortunate (dare we say ironic?) incident given he was due to set off on his debut live tour at the time. (It probably hurt a bit, too.) Fortunately, Zito has made a full recovery and kicked off a short string of EP launch shows with an appearance at Splendour last week. Fractures' sounds are delicate, emotive, swoonworthy. Take a listen to his first single 'Twisted', or his most recent, the hypnotic, caramel-vocaled 'Won't Win'. Zito's is a pretty classic, oldie-but-a-goodie formula: the five-piece band, the quiet haunting melodies, plenty of emotion and an aesthetic comparable to Justin Vernon's (comparisons to Bon Iver really shouldn't be purely musical) — but one which earned him a couple of sold-out Sydney and Melbourne shows earlier this year. Zito will launch his Fractures EP at The Vanguard on August 8. (Fingers just crossed he doesn't fracture anything else first.) https://youtube.com/watch?v=q809aWGOsrY
Constellations, written by Nick Payne and directed by Anthony Skuse for Darlinghurst Theatre Co, is a thing of complex beauty, taking place in several universes at once. On one level, atoms attract, repulse, collide and deviate. On another, a physicist, Marianne (Emma Palmer), and a beekeeper, Roland (Sam O’Sullivan), pit love and free will against scientific notions that all events are preordained. For those of you still harried by memories of incomprehensible high school physics textbooks, fear not; this is by no means 'A Brief History of Time: The Play'. Constellations is a love story, but one which refuses to afford love the status of a cure-all. Although the characters find themselves in varying states of love throughout the play, they are also plagued by questions of an existential nature. Constellations revolves around the theory that for every choice or action there is an alternate universe in which the opposite outcome occurs. Consequently, when Marianne meets Roland at a barbecue, the audience witnesses not one but several iterations of the encounter, with each version tracing a different path and creating further possibilities. As the play continues, so do these glimpses into other worlds slightly skewed by the variables of each scene. In his director’s note, Skuse remarks at the delightful incongruity of performing a play so steeped in scientific theory in an old church. The set and lighting designers have taken full advantage of the surroundings. The sparseness of the stage — a raised platform, and a couple of chairs — encourages the audience to drink in the fading opulence of the surrounding space. All of the action takes place under blue light and a peeling painted banner proclaiming ‘Reverence and Sanctuary’. Reflections in the stained-glass windows add countless alternate realities to those presented on stage. Constellations bagged Payne the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play upon its release in Britain in 2012 and it has garnered much acclaim since then. However, as a play that not only ventures into other dimensions but also jumps around in time, this script is a monster and one which requires some seriously good actors to wrangle it. Palmer is fantastic as Marianne; her ability to swap seamlessly between chaotic exuberance and desperate fragility makes for a rock-solid performance which seems to fill the space effortlessly. O’Sullivan, despite having less to work with, plays a credible Roland. His oscillation between quiet strength and ‘arsey’ indignation provides a nice contrast to Palmer. Constellations is an intriguing collection of conundrums scientific, existential and emotional. It is powerful and innovative and it would be a shame to let your multiverse doppelganger be the one who chooses to go and see it instead of you. Image by Gez Xavier Mansfield.
The Nike She Runs campaign has hit the ground running since its debut event in 2012. On Saturday, May 3, thousands of women will once again get together at Centennial Park for the third annual event. Previously named She Runs the Night, last year's event transformed Centennial Park into an interactive light and sound show, with DJs to keep up the excitement. Registration is open via their Facebook page, which has grown to a whopping 150,000 likes. As the only night running event open to women only, you can expect the 10k run to have more than last year's 6,000 participants. Women of every ability are encouraged to join the event to share their love for, and feel safe, running at night. So put your best foot forward and don't miss the May 3 event.
With innovative startups taking centre stage in the tech industry, it was only a matter of time before the ideas behind creative culture, technology and entrepreneurship converged. Creators of the website Culture Label observed this trend with fascination and created Remix, a conference that focuses on the growing entwinement of technology and cultural consumption. The global summit is making a stop at Carriageworks and features two days of lectures, panels and masterclasses from some of world's best and brightest creative leaders. With over 75 speakers, the variety of industries they represent is vast. Presenters include Fabien Riggall, founder of the massive Secret Cinema in London; Tom Uglow, creative director of Google's Creative Lab; and Louise Herron, CEO of Sydney Opera House. These corporate leaders and creative entrepreneurs come together to talk about how they can use the challenges they face in their business sectors to grow their industries in the future. Initially launched in London, the Remix global summit aims to explore the digital culture in some of the most influential cities in the world, including New York, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Forget what your eight-year-old self knows about collages and abandon your trusty Clag glue pot. The newest exhibition at the Anna Schwartz Gallery gives sleek insight into the art form using images from Hollywood's golden era. British artist John Stezaker has been making collages and photomontages for decades but has only very recently turned heads in the art sphere. In some collages, Stezaker creates interesting and often creepy contrasts by cutting and reassembling mid-20th century cinema memorabilia and agency head-shots of unknown actors. In others, the artist cleverly and purposefully places picturesque postcards over the expressions of failed movie stars, to unsettling effect. Although recognition was belated, Stezaker is certainly receiving attention for his artwork now; he won the 2012 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize (even though he is technically not a photographer) and held an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the 19th Biennale of Sydney earlier this year. If you think all collages are the same, be prepared to be proven wrong.
Any reference to acid in a nom de plume naturally elicits the intention of a band that bids to seduce you into their unearthly altered perception of the world. Renegade alt-electro supergroup, The Acid, portends to do just that. A formidable coalescence of distinctive individual talent, the trio is part comprised of Byron-native and early-buzz Splendour favourite Ry Cuming (RY X), who has notably been making waves since the release of his compelling Berlin EP in late 2013. Cuming's haunting vocals are paired with Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Adam Freeland's innate ability to effortlessly reinvent nu-skool breaks; captured by the skills of Steve Nalepa, whose dexterity as a producer and sound technician has led him to collaborate with the likes of Drake and The Weeknd. Together as The Acid, their debut album Liminal (released July 4 via Infectious Music/Liberator) may be described as both impulsive and restrained. If Bon Iver and The xx went on a 'trip' together, they'd probably sound something like this. As the album title suggests, Liminal subversively lulls the listener into an inner sanctum, where shimmering synths and lonely lyrical murmurs make you feel as though you've been bestowed with an indelible secret. Dive into The Acid at Goodgod on July 23 and get clued in. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kOucrAFX810
This is the X-Men movie for X-Men aficionados; a filmic Grange Hermitage, Stradivarius and Cohiba Behike rolled into one. That's not to say newcomers won't enjoy themselves, but X-Men: Days of Future Past is a considered, intricate and devoted film that rewards both the audience's fidelity to, and memory of, its predecessors. It's set (initially) in the future, where earth's mutants — good and bad — have all but been exterminated via an unstoppable army of adaptive, mutant-seeking robots named 'Sentinels'. With one last throw of the dice available, the survivors send their own indestructible spork, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), back in time to 1974 to attempt to alter the course of history. Wolverine's principal task is to reunite a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) with the man responsible for putting him in a wheelchair — the metal-manipulating champion of mutants known as Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Xavier, however, has become an addict of alcohol and painkillers whilst Magneto has been buried in a cement prison for participating in a tricky little incident in Dallas, 1963. Together, they must all reconcile their grievances and work collectively towards stopping an embittered Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from attacking the inventor of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Back in the director's chair is Bryan Singer, whose first two X-Men films were by far the strongest in the franchise. The key to their success was focusing on stories bolstered by special effects, rather than delivering 'special effects movies' for the sake of special effects. They were rip-roaringly fun and exciting pictures that also represented compelling parables on prejudice and discrimination. One or two space-time continuum hiccups notwithstanding, X-Men: Days of Future Past rediscovers that balance and the result is a complex and comprehensive film that ingeniously marries the old Singer cast with the younger, First Class one. It also introduces some fantastic new mutants, including a Portal-esque character named Blink and the lightning fast Quicksilver (Evan Peters), whose keynote slow-mo scene is the film's undisputed highlight. X-Men: Days of Future Past is a delightful reboot of a series that was in danger of losing its way. Full of subtle yet instructive allusions to future moments from past films (remember: time travel), it refreshingly keeps things relatively small-scale amid a growing compliment of contemporaries that now deem city-wide devastation par for the course. Dark, enthralling and undeniably exhilarating, it's an elegant and accomplished thrill-ride for both new fans and old. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pK2zYHWDZKo
Texan psych-folk favourites Midlake are heading to Australia to join the already amazing Vivid LIVE lineup. The beardy sextet will be touring off the back of their recently released fourth studio album, Antiphon — and for a band who's been around for over a decade, their sound hasn't changed a whole lot. Since their breakthrough 2006 release, The Trials of Van Occupanther, and its standout singles 'Roscoe' and 'Young Bride', Midlake have always sounded a little like a contemplative day in the countryside. The kind of day where you rug up in a flannel shirt and suppress your emotional problems with a bottle of hard cider. The band itself has been facing some hardship recently as lead singer and songwriter Tim Smith left the band during the recording of their recent album to pursue other projects. Midlake will be touring without him in their Australian shows, to the disappointment of some long-term fans. But overall, the band is bouncing back well. Antiphon is a little more on the psych side of their signature psych-folk, but it will definitely complement a Vivid lineup that already includes The Pixies, St Vincent and James Vincent McMorrow.
In attempting to engage the lucrative teenage market, a film could do worse than conclude its opening monologue with the line, "Everybody knows where they belong... except me". "Oh my god," say those teenagers, "that's basically what I think! I need to get all my friends and see this movie eighteen more times!" There's a reason more than 17 million copies of the novel by Veronica Roth are in print worldwide with no signs of slowing down. Sure, there's the plot about a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world in need of courageous teenagers to save humanity, but at its heart, Divergent remains a simple story about teenage isolation and the possibility that a cute boy might actually like you. Set 'after the war' (that's as much detail as we're given), the survivors of this Chicago 2.0 have instituted a new form of social order to ensure the sustained peace. The community is divided into five factions: carers, pacifists, protectors, thinkers and truth-speakers. When the teenagers come of age, they're subjected to a series of tests to determine their factional predisposition, and while 99 percent of them fall clearly into one group or another, every so often a 'divergent' individual comes along whose skills and feelings cross into multiple factions. A simple but boring version of this idea would be: In a world of left-handers and right-handers, some people are ambidextrous. And then those ambidextrous people are hunted down and murdered. The problem with divergents, you see, is that they can't be controlled. They're a threat to the system because they don't play by the rules. So now, in addition to cute boys and isolation, there's a heady dose of 'screw you mum — you can't tell me what to do!' The divergent in this instance is 15-year-old Beatrice (Shailene Woodley), a daughter of two 'Abnegation' parents who dreams of being one of the 'Dauntless' caste, the fearless (if also reckless) group charged with maintaining order in the city. But some, like Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet), believe the system is broken, and as the balance of power begins to shift with dictatorial-like qualities, 'Tris' finds herself having to choose between faction and family. Woodley is the standout in Divergent; an undeniably talented young actress whose performances since The Descendants have shown both range and maturity beyond her years. She commands attention in every scene and convinces as the conflicted heroine who prefers not to pull the trigger but can and will without hesitation if necessary. Around her is a substantial supporting cast, including Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney and Zoe Kravitz, with Theo James as her sufficiently attractive and brooding love interest, Four. In the end it's all very Hunger Games Lite, mixed in with a bit of Brave New World for good measure. With much of the film centred around Tris's training instead of any actual conflict, it suffers from a lag that struggles to shake free until well into the second hour, by which time what action there is feels rushed and unsubstantiated. Fans of the books will be happy, especially given the film's fidelity to the material; however, newcomers may struggle to get on board. https://youtube.com/watch?v=336qJITnDi0
Tired of looking at the ugly milk crate you use as a chair? Now is your chance to learn how to upholster those undesirable pieces of furniture, making them cute and comfortable in the process. Work-Shop is offering a DIY Upholstery class taught by Maaike, owner of Furniture Resurrection. The class is designed to give you the basics of upholstering so you can start turning dull and worn-down pieces of furniture into statement-making decor. Maaike founded Furniture Resurrection in 2009, combining her creativity with her love of hands-on work. Resurrected furniture is available for sale through her Darlinghurst shop. If you have furniture that you would rather refurbish, she also takes commissions to restore pieces. If you particularly favour a certain fabric pattern, make sure to bring it to the class. Tools, baseboards, and some fabric materials will be provided.
Time to brush up on your gin. The Rook is celebrating Gin & Tonic day with a week of celebrations, so expect lots of homages to the versatile spirit. It kicks off on Monday with the usual monthly meeting of gin lovers at the Rook, the Juniper Society (named after the plant gin is infused with). Anticipate an array of modern twists on the classic G&T from some of Sydney's best bartenders. Slated for the celebration on April 9 — the official International Gin & Tonic Day—includes lemon sorbet inspired by the spirit of the week and music by Sydney-based Rainbow Chan. $5 Tanqueray will be on tap all night, making sure everyone gets their Gin & Tonic fix. Friday promises to be a French-inspired gin day, with French pop being spun all night by So Frenchy So Chic and Daniel Clement. G&Ts with a sophisticated twist of G'Vine gin are not to be missed either.
In the 1970s, recently de-closeted lawyer Paul (Garret Dillahunt) meets drag club singer Rudy (Alan Cumming), and the two hit it off immediately. Their relationship is both complicated and strengthened when Rudy discovers his drug-addict neighbour has a neglected son with Down's syndrome, and takes it upon himself to care for the kid. Before any of them know what's happened, a family unit has instantly formed, and the three must fight prejudices to stay together. Any Day Now has the vague whiff of being based on a true story, and does purport to have been inspired by true events, but press notes refuse to go into any detail about what this true story might have been. It's a important to note this, because tales that claim to be "inspired by true events" receive a cache of good will, as outrageous plot contrivances are forgiven under the assumption that it must have really happened. Without a grasp of what the original true life tale might have been, the series of coincidences in this film are a little harder to swallow. We can accept that life is stranger than fiction, but only when the fiction draws us in with the sort of verisimilitude that shocks us with its authenticity. Some films feel like real life; others simply feel like films. Any Day Now, for all its excellent intentions, feels like a film. Cumming chews up the scenery as the improbably accented Rudy, whose Joan Rivers-esque comebacks to every single utterance thrust in his direction makes him feel like a nightclub routine, as opposed to someone who occasionally performs a nightclub routine. It's a shame, because these unlikely quips undo the solid emotional work Cumming puts in as the prospective adopted father. Rudy's instant connection to Marco would feel too rushed if it wasn't for the frankly superb work by Isaac Leyva, the teenager with Down's syndrome. Marco is quiet and nonresponsive for a long period of the film, suggesting that the drama will come from the more experienced actors having emotions at him. But Leyva is called upon to do some pretty heavy work, selling us on tears of joy in one scene and tears of sadness in another. It's hard to watch him and not feel the overwhelming compulsion to adopt him yourself. Ultimately, Any Day Now suffers from its artifice. Too many things happen too easily, and for us to be convinced by the situation, the film would have been served by reducing the manipulation. As a weepy and capitalised Important Tale, the film is very good and some moments stir up emotion, but it isn't the film it should be, failing to hit the heights it is so earnestly aiming for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ghwGOuuNy0
Dropping out of the Conservatorium of Music worked out pretty well for The Presets. After ten years on stages and three full-length albums, The Presets will finally make their Opera House debut. The Sydney electronic heavyweights are doing it in good company too – hand-in-hand with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, directed by Richard Tognetti. If the joining of such potent musical forces weren't ambitious enough, they've decided to navigate their way through 42,000 years of musical history and more than 230 songs, starting 13.8 billion years ago and ending up today. Prepare to lose yourself in a mindbending journey from Mozart and Bach to Miles Davis and Bob Dylan, while Ignatius Jones masterminds the visuals. The first show (Sunday, May 25, 2pm) is already sold out, but if you're quick, you might be in with a chance of scoping out the second (Thursday, May 29, 7pm). https://youtube.com/watch?v=0H40riQv5Jk
Last year, Natalya Hughes brought us Looking Twice, a selection of works brimming with optical elusiveness and decadent delight. The geometric patterning that characterises her practice is influenced by the art and literature of Victorian aestheticism, particularly the icon of ornamental eroticism, Aubrey Beardsley. In the past, her crisp and colourful shapes have showcased a unique kind of Japonism, updated and retooled for the 21st century. Hughes’ latest offering at Alaska Projects, Bachelor's Pads, attests that she is still devoted to the decorative. In her earlier work, there tends to be a lot of figures and objects that have been symmetrically dissected and multiplied, as well as a graphic style that seems to imitate the soft creases of draped fabric. However, this collection errs more on the non-figurative side of things, combining paintings and custom-made interior furnishings. It is a homage to modernist abstract painting, full of flat surfaces and sharp edges, coupled with Hughes' decorative flair. Yet, there is a lingering eroticism mixed with '70s groove that courses through this exhibition. It is almost as if the 19th-century aesthete and antihero Jean des Esseintes has donned a pair of bell bottoms and platform shoes. Hughes describes it as “the cocktail party at the museum and the sleazy afterparty at the director's partner’s inner city apartment.” Reeking of cheap sex and urban glamour, there are two custom print mattresses slumped against the gallery wall, as if marking a hungover morning after. One of them, Dirty Deco, has a companion canvas of the same design — a pink oval fringed with blue and black spikes. There are also two works titled It’s the '70s, featuring that nostalgic colour combination of orange, blue and yellow. Almost every composition is made up of triangles within triangles, many of which are striped with thin black lines. This highlights Hughes’ intricate and geometrically precise method of building up optical richness. Pink Hole is a perfect example of how Hughes uses perspective, and perhaps a cheeky sexual innuendo. A number of intersecting lines are painted over an almost invisible circle. However, the lines then change in colour as they enter and exit the circle’s interior. Similarly, in her work Scoops, it is as if there has been a magnifying glass painted into the surface of the canvas — thin lines are disconnected and become comparatively huge. It’s this momentary struggle to comprehend the 'system' that governs these works that makes them intriguing. With Hughes’ energetic paintings, lush floral wallpaper and funky sleepers, it’s a bit of a party down here at Alaska Projects. Hopefully, it’s the '70s shindig you’re hankering for.
Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, playing at the Tap Gallery’s intimate upstairs theatre, is a sprawling play about ethics, romance, family and ‘doing the right thing’. If you saw another of Lonergan’s plays, This Is Our Youth, at the Opera House two years ago, you’d know that you’re in safe hands, as this production proves. Lonergan’s play follows a security guard, Jeff (Tom Oakley), over the course of four consecutive evenings as he works the graveyard shift. His supervisor, William (Dorian Nkono), visits from time to time, struck with a moral dilemma about his brother. Two police officers — Bill (Jeremy Waters) and Dawn (Shari Sebbens) — enter the lobby where Jeff works, bringing another twist or two to Jeff’s moral quandary. Directed by Kevin Jackson, Lobby Hero takes a while to find its stride. There’s a bravado about it, a slow-building crescendo which eventually reaches breaking point, while underneath we find four people, each facing their own moral problems, each trying to find a way through, aching and breaking. Hitting its stride late in the first act, the play bristled and sparkled with an energy and warmth, and as it neared its conclusion, despite the inevitable maelstrom of shorting tempers and swaggering bluster, you couldn’t help but want to reach out to Jeff and Dawn and William and try to reassure them that everything would, sooner or later, be alright. Oakley’s Jeff, essentially an Everyman character, is full of a luckless naivety which we can all empathise with; his scenes with Dawn are excruciatingly awkward at the same time as being honest and charming. Sebbens’ Dawn is not afraid to speak her mind and is determined to do the right thing and see that justice is brought to those who deserve it, but with Jeff we see another, more tender side to her. Nkono’s William is a larger than life character, but underneath his bluster and caricaturey performance is a truthfulness, a portrayal of a man walking the knife’s edge between the right and wrong decision. Jeremy Waters’ Bill is a fiery character; as Dawn’s senior officer he is intimidating and insinuating, but in Waters’ hands, we see the man inside him, see how he is torn by his choices and conscience. While the production takes a while to find its rhythm, and seems to falter towards the middle of act two, it is a strong show. Played on Christopher Pitcairn’s sparse set, lit simply by Rachel Smith, and with minimal unobtrusive sound design by Pete Neville, this Lobby Hero is one you’ll be cheering for a while yet.
Since its opening in 2012, 107 Projects in Redfern has offered locals an eclectic mix of creative and community-focused events. This month, the artist-led space will host Symbioses, a contemporary concert series curated by Australian soprano Jane Sheldon. Sheldon is not what you might think of when you think 'opera singer'. Last we've seen the New York-based Australian soprano around Sydney, she's been singing fragments of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species at the Australian Museum or facing a wall mesmerically warbling Holocaust poetry for the Sydney Chamber Opera. She fuses her ARIA Award nominated voice with contemporary experimentation, all while working with such international institutions as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and the Boston Camerata. Taking opera out of its rarefied (and expensive) concert halls, the Symbioses series will showcase a carefully chosen selection of recently composed pieces, including some Australian and worldwide premieres, as well as works of the 20th-century avant-garde. Sheldon will perform throughout the series, while Megan Clune (clarinet) and James Wannan (viola) will accompany her for the opening at 107 Projects. This intimate evening promises a new take on contemporary chamber music and the chance to appreciate the acclaimed vocals of one of our leading classical singers.
The acquisition of good vintage clothing can be a difficult feat. Much like the metaphoric fog, sometimes you have to sort through a whole bunch of crap until you find something good. Fortunately for us, the guys behind Foe, Like The Enemy have trawled through Asia and the Americas to source the best vintage clothing they could get their hands on. No longer will you have to wander around market stalls aimlessly on a Saturday morning trying to find vintage steals. No more fighting for mirror space as you try on clothes on top of what you are already wearing. From 6:30pm on July 16, Foe, Like The Enemy will be holding a pop-up sale in Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. For a limited time you can walk into a real-live shop and try on vintage clothes in an actual changeroom. If you're lucky, you might even get a mirror to yourself. Don't just come for the unique finds. Come for the drinks, courtesy of Havana Club. But stay for some very special sets from two of Sydney's best beatlovers — electropop queen Catcall and one half of smooth electronic Nicholas Jaar-like producer duo Phondupe. That's some serious Sydney talent behind the decks for a launch. Swing down to Fouveaux, get amongst the beats and one-of-a-kind threads and celebrate the worldly fashion travels of one of Sydney's best merchants of vintage. Launch night runs from 6.30pm, Wednesday 16 July. The pop-up shop is open Wednesday 16 — Saturday 19 July.
There are very few faces as synonymous with Australian cinema as that of actor David Gulpilil. From his 1971 breakout in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout to his recent collaborations with arthouse filmmaker Rolf de Heer, Gulpilil's career is full of unforgettable performances, many of which represent turning points for the depiction of Indigenous Australians on screen. His third and most recent film with de Heer marks the last part in a loose thematic trilogy — one that began with The Tracker in 2002 and continued with Ten Canoes four years later. But while those films dealt with Aboriginal history, Charlie's Country takes place in the present. It's also one of Gulpilil's first major film projects since his incarceration for assault in 2011; de Heer visited him in prison so they could work together on the script. It's perhaps for these two reasons in particular that the film feels so resoundingly authentic. Gulpilil's Charlie resides on an Indigenous settlement in Arnhem Land, the very same territory that his kinsmen have lived in for generations. But the truth is the land is no longer theirs. Charlie enjoys a genial relationship with the entirely white police force, yet differences in culture seem to make run-ins almost inevitable. When the cops confiscate his shotgun and destroy a lovingly made hunting spear, Charlie decides he's had enough. And so the ageing Charlie goes trekking into the bush, intent on living as his ancestors did before the first white settlers. For a time he's successful. He hunts, and paints, and sleeps in a makeshift hut. But then comes the rain and with it a sad realisation: the way of life he wants to return to is one that no longer exists. De Heer's slow narrative defies traditional arcing, the rewarding if occasionally directionless sense of realism enhanced by his naturalistic camerawork. The film's grim depiction of certain sections of the Indigenous community may put some viewers in mind of Warwick Thornton's Samson and Delilah. At times the film can be similarly difficult to watch, although on the whole it's much less unpleasant. Indeed, a warm sense of humour, particularly in the early scenes, puts harsher moments into relief. Gulpilil looks far older than his 61 years, but as Charlie he may never have been better — he's just taken home a best actor award at Cannes for it. It's a performance loaded with understated feeling, one that's obviously informed by a wealth of personal experience. His very face tells a story, about a country, its people, and its cultural and cinematic history. What a wonderful piece of acting in a likewise remarkable film. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ly8_7Su4m4c
Come December 3, 2013, we will say goodbye to analog TV forever. Will we miss the fuzzy quirks of the antiquated ‘box’? As the old signal bites the dust, a swarm of 20th-century events has started to flood back, excavated from public and personal memory. Tele Visions is an ambitious new project from Performance Space. Curated by Emma White and Alex Ramsay, it is a timely reflection on the televisual space. Over five days, a pop-up TV channel will broadcast live performances, screenings, talks and interruptions. As we’re thrust further into the digital age, Tele Vision aims to celebrate the end of an era, as well as mulling over the cultural and technological phenomenon that opened up the world in new ways and changed the way we interact with each other. Over the five days, why not join Kate Blackmore and Frances Barrett as they watch the entirety of the world's longest running sitcom, The Simpsons, for Box Set, a performance art endurance project that bears a lot of similarity with an activity many of us submit to on the best weekends? There's a sleepover at their binge base and everything. Or be there on opening night, when artist Lara Thoms "commemorates static", in a project executed with 86-year-old Joy Hruby, who broadcasts her own show, Joys World, from her Botany garage. Shortly after, Joel Stern, with Neurovision, will attempt to erase your understanding of television via some artsy neuro-programming. The one-off transmission will be available to view live online and via short-range analog TV broadcast. Or you can get amongst the action at Carriageworks and the Verge Gallery. So nestle in with some of Australia's most charismatic performers and get reminiscing. Tele Visions is part of the Performance Space You're History season, something of a birthday party for Performance Space, but don't worry about bringing a gift. They're actually giving you the presents: wrapped-up pieces of performance, visual art, dance, music and more, celebrating their big 3-0. Also showing is Brown Council's ode to feminist performance artist Barbara Cleveland, the bite-sized art of 30 Ways with Time and Space, the journey into mad methodologies in The Directors' Cuts and plenty more.
With the DIY trend in full force, everything from making your own jewellery to flavoured butter is 'in'. And although these projects look super-easy on Pinterest, they often don't turn out as well as one would hope (unless you're a crafty blogger mum). Luckily, there are little things called 'workshops' to guide you through the process. This terrarium-building one will teach you how to build your own mini-garden, even if you don't have a green thumb. And a florist, Justine Rose, hosts it; with a surname like that, you know she's legit. Everything you could need, including tools, a vase, tiny plants and earthy materials will be provided. All you need to do is show up with two small, cleaned glass jars, in case you want to make more for Christmas gifts. Its grammar school crafting on a grown-up level. Mum will be sure to love it even more than your noodle necklace from kindergarten.
It's not just a tour. It's a mega-tour, involving three singer-songwriters and 29 dates. In October, Mia Dyson, Liz Stringer and Jen Cloher will depart their Melbourne homes for what's shaping up to be one really long road trip. They've released an EP on Milk Records to mark the occasion, of which only 500 hard copies (all signed) are available. Between them, the trio count ARIA Awards, several short listings for the Australian Music Prize and eleven albums in their collection. Dyson is still witnessing the impact of the international release of her 2012 album, The Moment; Cloher recently launched her third LP, In Blood Memory; and Stringer's just returned from a European tour on the back of Warm In the Darkness. "This is a once in a lifetime experience for me — touring with the finest songwriter-musicians who are also my best mates!" Mia Dyson said. "I get to back them up while they sing and play their hearts out and they do the same for me. The road will not be tough and lonely on this tour."
You don’t have to venture all the way to the Hunter Valley to enjoy the many delights that the region has to offer. The eighth annual Hunter Valley Uncorked festival is coming to Balmoral Beach for a leisurely Sunday of wining, dining and hip swaying by the beach. The event will host award-winning wineries, restaurants and artisans showcasing the finest fruits of their labours. Guests can spend their time ambling through the many stalls and enjoy tastings and chats from winemakers from Allandale Wines, Bimbadgen, First Creek Wines, Ridgeview Wines, Thomas Wines and many more. Foodies will find epicurean heaven when sampling the artisanal cheeses, chocolates and olive oils. All of these treats and wines will be available for purchase, so you can stock up on those truffles that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. When you’ve had your fill of wine (or not), relax and enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch plate, sip fresh lemonade and savour rich gelato while enjoying live music from The Mammers. If you and your mates are looking for something to reward yourselves with at the end of a long week, sunshine, sand and Semillon may be the perfect anecdote. The event lasts until 5pm, with free shuttles operating approximately every 15 minutes from Mosman and Spit Junction to Balmoral Beach.
It's a pretty simple idea. Make an artwork that is A4. Yep, that paper size that we all use pretty much every day. Usually feeding it unashamedly into a printer. Finally, A4 paper is getting its moment of glory. As part of a major fundraising endeavour, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art made a callout across the globe to “artists, writers, designers, architects, animators, photographers and fashionistas and everyone in between”. Everyone was invited to submit a work, of any media, into the exhibition 4A A4. All the artworks will be sold at the fixed price of $200. The artist of each artwork will remain unknown to the buyer until after the sale. So you'll have something in common with the unsuspecting Banksy buyers of New York if you end up walking away with a hot artist's work for a steal. Plus, the money from each sale will go towards funding 4A's future exhibitions. Here's to both supporting a gallery that creates opportunities for artists and having a great, affordable new piece hanging in the lounge room. Image: David Lui, 4A's first Treasurer at the Fundraising Auction in 1997, courtesy of 4A.
Now in its eighth year, Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2013 offers a selection of the best shorts from New Zealand and around the world. After careful deliberation the hundreds of films submitted have been whittled down to just forty. These shorts are not only going to be critiqued by the public but are also judged by industry experts who select the winners of the nine different awards. What's really exciting about this year in particular is that Show Me Shorts has become Academy Award accredited, meaning whichever film wins Best Film will also be eligible for an Oscar nomination. The sessions are organised thematically and include groupings such as 'Dad's Decision', 'Laughing at Ourselves', 'My Generation', 'Our Place' and 'Through the Looking Glass'. The acting talent includes plenty of local names as well as top international talent such as Michael Richards (Sienfield's Kramer) in Walk the Light and the voice of Cate Blachett in the award-winning animation A Cautionary Tale. * Photo: Still from Aidee Walker's award-winning film Friday Tigers.
Carrie. You've read the book. You've watched the film. But you haven't seen the Broadway musical. Or at least Australia hasn't; Broadway's most infamous production Carrie the Musical is making its Australian premiere this November. Carrie the Musical will mark the final production in the 2013 Reginald Season of independent works. And what a show to go out on. The tale of outcast Carrie White, the musical is a freshly reimagined work, following the iconic original story but set against a stellar soundtrack. Its been reworked since its Broadway flop, though the musical's chequered history makes for an interesting lure itself. Produced by Squabbalogic and directed by the company's artistic director Jay James-Moody with music overseen by Mark Chamberlain, this Carrie the Musical boasts a standout cast aiming to do the kitschy revenge horror justice. With the Carrie film remake starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore to hit cinemas in November, this musical spin could not come at a better time.
Make a short film in 32 hours: ready, set, go. Sounds full on, doesn’t it? That’s the goal of Kino Kabaret, an intensive workshop for filmmakers and actors occurring in three separate weekend-long sessions. Open to all levels of expertise, Kino Sydney will provide all the professional equipment and technical mentorship needed to write, shoot and edit as many films as you (or your team) can make in one weekend. There are no limitations — if you decide you love it the first time, you can sign up for the other weekends as well. Each session wraps up with a closing screening party, complete with booze, food and live entertainment. Every completed film will be shown in front of a live audience, so it wouldn’t be a bad place to show your stuff and make some connections. If you’re a budding actor, director or just curious to test out a camera, Kino Kabaret is the perfect place for creatives to put their brains together and make something cool. The workshop takes place at The Kinolab at Metro Screen, Paddington Town Hall, Cnr Oatley Rd and Oxford St. The Sunday night screenings are held Night Parrot, Cnr William St & Yurong St, East Sydney.
On March 9, (in)famous American filmmaker John Waters will make the Opera House his stage and allow Sydney audiences a glimpse into his witty, sometimes seedy, frequently outrageous take on popular culture. This Filthy World Vol.2 is a one-man show covering a smorgasbord of topics including childhood memories, fashion lunacy, sexual deviancy, exploitation film and Catholicism. The Sydney date comes on top of his already announced Adelaide Festival appearance on March 6 and his Melbourne stop on March 10. Once christened 'The Pope of Trash' by William S. Burroughs, the Baltimore-native proves quite the raconteur. Reviewing his live show, the LA Times noted he "never seems to tire of wallowing in the dregs of pop culture, but his love of campy sex and tabloid mayhem is married with an intense appreciation for literature, history and high art". Unfamiliar with Waters and his trademark pencil moustache? He became a cult figure in US indie cinema for his notoriously subversive, filth-embracing 1972 film Pink Flamingos. By the late '80s he entered slightly more commercial territory with Hairspray, later remade into the 2007 film starring the somewhat less subversive, filth-embracing Zac Efron (although, you never know). Waters himself says, "It’s hard to offend three generations, but it looks like I’ve succeeded.” Want to join the offended hordes? Tickets go on sale on Monday, November 18, at 9am.
Menace is Chris Yee’s much-anticipated debut exhibition, inviting you into his world of dystopian Americana, revelling in parallel universes, rap royalty and bitter rivalries. Amid menacing cobras, mythological beasts and fearless warriors, it's a dangerous but exciting place to be. Exploring techniques reminiscent of '90s comics, such as tapered lineweights and aesthetic flatness, Yee’s black-and-white drawings are crammed with detail and hypnotic textures. His art abounds in urban absurdities, from Brooklyn grit to Chinatown sass. With continual references to the New York Yankees and the New York Police Department, the city seems to be Yee's spiritual homeland. He also experiments with the Yankees logo, with a double slash through the ‘Y’, evoking the appearance of a Chinese character. As well as being a nod towards the mass of overlapping subcultures that characterises this dense, bustling metropolis, the manipulated logo functions as Yee’s artistic brand. Much of his work revolves around American antiheroes fused together with manga content and visual stylings. There's also a strong narrative quality that characterises Yee’s anarchist aesthetic. For example, the humorous internal politics of Charlie's Angels, with three thought bubbles simultaneously uttering the word 'bitch'. There’s also the team of street-savvy teens sitting on the scaly back of a snarling crocodile, chewing on a confederate flag. Another favourite is the delightfully convoluted work, part of the 'Menace collection', depicting a raging brawl atop the debris of the Statue of Liberty. The NYPD riot squad battles an eclectic mix of impromptu assassins and opportunist rebels, quipped with even more eclectic weapons, such as spears and molotov cocktails. It is sprawling and chaotic, hard-edged and dystopic; a work that reveals more and more the longer you devote to it. As well as Yee’s Yankee logo, the American and Confederate flags figure prominently throughout his work, billowing from rooftops and strapped to the back of motorcycles. His more textual works blaze with phrases, such as 'New York, New York Is Burning', a punk-ish corruption of the Broadway catch phrase. These bold slogans are accompanied by edgy illustrations, such as salivating mongrels and leering gangsters. They could easily be the prototype for a motorcycle gang's coat of arms, a hair away from being stitched onto the back of a leather jacket. There's something raw and viscerally enthralling about Yee's black ink calligraphy and comic-esque epics. His meticulous anarcho-punk brand of art is stylistically accomplished and conceptually engaging.
It's fifteen years since Elefant Traks started putting their weight behind independent Australian hip hop. In that time, the label has released scores of albums, organised a smorgasbord of gigs and taken home the Best Independent Label at the Independent Music Awards 2012. In October, Jimblah put out his first Elefant Traks album, Phoenix, to critical acclaim; Hermitude played New York City's CMJ Music Marathon; and both Urthboy and Horrorshow were nominated for ARIAs. To celebrate their 15th birthday, Elefant Traks will be hosting two massive, two-night parties in Sydney and Melbourne this month, featuring a selection of their favourite artists, including Horrorshow, Hermitude, The Herd, Jimblah and Sietta. In both cities, the second evening will be held in limited capacity venues (Melbourne's Northcote Social Club on 23 November and Sydney's Red Rattler on 30 November), so two-night tickets have already sold out. However, they're still on sale for the Corner Hotel (22 November) and the Metro (29 November).
Contrary to popular conception, art and science are buddies. At the forefront of this friendship is Insight Radical, an Australian initiative exploring the fertile intersection between these disciplines in exciting and inspiring ways. This unique collective of artists and scientists will be exhibiting works at the McLemoi Gallery from November 27 until December 9. The aim of Insight Radical: Where Science Meets Art is to capture a creative journey into free radical chemistry. If you’re unfamiliar with this particular branch of science, free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons that are very reactive and damaging in their quest to find another electron. Whilst that’s flowing through your mind pipes, you might wonder what this has to do with art. Think luminous light media, sound-activated paintings, and sci-fi landscapes. To give a glimpse into these intriguing hybrid practices, Natalie O’Connor will be engaging with the way chemical processes both form and deteriorate paint. She states, “as artists, we have to predict how paint will perform for future generations.” Tony Lloyd, on the other hand, is taking the chain reaction and projecting it into landscape painting, offering the idea that paintings based on science are a form of science-fiction.
