Remember UNO — it's lotsa fun, it's number one? Well, this hugely popular card game that never seems to go out of vogue is levelling things up with a playful activation that's sweeping across the country. Presented in collaboration with hospo jugganauts Australian Venue Co., now your chance to get social with your pals in a much-loved pub near you. Fresh from a Vegas Residency and activations across the UK, the UNO Social Club has kicked off in Brisbane at Riverland. Running until Thursday, February 5, visitors will encounter a UNO-themed extravaganza by the waterfront, combining special gameplay nights, long-weekend celebrations, themed cocktails, free UNO decks and heaps more. "UNO has been part of Australian homes for generations and that familiarity is what makes this experience special," says Paul Faulkner, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Mattel Asia Pacific. "Our Social Clubs will give people a fun, welcoming place to meet up, enjoy the atmosphere of a well-loved pub and share a game that brings people together — we can't wait to see how Aussie fans embrace the unique experience." While Brisbane is the first stop on this national tour, you'll soon be invited to shout UNO or pull off the reverse of the century in Melbourne at Hotel Esplanade or Sydney at Bungalow8. Bringing a little friendly competition to your summer sessions, get ready to embrace the nostalgia at UNO Social Club. Just make sure you and your mates agree on the rules before the game gets started. "UNO Social Clubs have been thriving across the United States, from the Las Vegas launch to pop- ups in New York, Chicago and UK – we have seen how strongly people connect with the UNO experience and are thrilled to kick off the Australian tour at Brisbane's Riverland," says Faulkner. UNO Social Club is happening now at Riverland in Brisbane, with the Hotel Esplanade in Melbourne and Bungalow8 in Sydney soon to follow. Head to the website for more information.
UPDATE, July 26, 2020: Charlie's Angels is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. The first line of Charlie's Angels circa 2019, uttered by a glammed-up Kristen Stewart, makes a statement. "I think women can do anything," Stewart's Sabina Wilson tells Australian Jonny (Chris Pang), responding to his smug assertions otherwise. Naturally, Sabina is swiftly forced to prove her point. The film she's in conveys this notion across its duration, too, although not always in the way that it intends. Written and directed by Elizabeth Banks (as well as co-starring the actor-turned-filmmaker), the third iteration of Charlie's Angels embraces the idea that women can do whatever they please — and, more importantly, that women needn't fit any mould. And yet, by emphasising these messages in a movie that's largely generic, there's an emptiness behind the film's empowering words. Sabina's altercation with Jonny is just the action-packed picture's opening punch. A year later, when computer programmer Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott) seeks the Angels' help, the movie kicks its main narrative into gear. Meeting with Bosley (Djimon Hounsou), Elena explains that she's been working on a revolutionary clean-energy project, but it can be weaponised — and, just as it's about to hit the shelves, her boss (Nat Faxon) is hiding that fact from his boss (Sam Claflin). When, mid-conversation, a tattooed henchman (Jonathan Tucker) starts shooting Elena and Bosley's way, the main Angels swoop in. Soon, Sabina and no-nonsense ex-MI6 agent Jane Kano (Ella Balinska) are protecting Elena, trying to save the world and showing their new friend the wig-wearing, outfit-changing, globe-trotting, go-get-'em-girl spy ropes. Four decades since the initial Charlie's Angels hit the small screen, and nearly 20 years after the first two films brought the concept to cinemas, this feisty espionage franchise sports a few superficial changes. Like Men In Black (albeit far more convincingly), the Angels have gone international in this reboot-slash-revival (it introduces a new team, but exists in the same world as its predecessors). Plus, Bosley is now a rank rather than a specific person. So, Patrick Stewart also plays a Bosley. He's the retiring senior figure, as well as the man who spread the organisation's wings. Banks is a Bosley too, with her character overseeing Sabina, Jane and Elena's mission, singing day drinking's praises and stressing that there's nothing wrong with needing a hug in a time of crisis. That sentiment from Banks also makes a statement — one that's as crucial as KStew's opening words. Charlie's Angels is guilty of including a few easy female stereotypes (a love of cheese and a fondness for big wardrobes, for example); however it also highlights that being formidable and being vulnerable aren't polar opposites. From Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson to Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz, viewers have already seen previous Angels demonstrate different strengths and play dress-up as different kinds of women. Here, they let their multi-faceted personalities shine. Each of the new Angels does this in their own way, and it's a meaningful touch. It's also something that isn't always part of the 'strong female lead' package, with Hollywood frequently struggling to realise that proficient and powerful women aren't one-dimensional. With that in mind, Stewart, Balinska and Scott make a lively crew. While Stewart provides the off-screen star power, the three actors share the on-screen spotlight. Indeed, although Stewart is set up to steal scenes as the goofiest member of the group — playing against her usual type of late (see: Clouds of Sils Maria, Certain Women and Personal Shopper) — her co-stars make as much of a splash. Balinska cracks Jane's stern exterior, but never lets either her tough or open sides seem like a flaw. Scott, already a standout in this year's live-action Aladdin remake, plays the awkward but capable newcomer with charm. Banks often saddles the three leads with stating the obvious and relaying exposition, but they're a trio that audiences won't mind spending time with. And, in resurrecting a decades-old property, that's really the movie's main point. It's an incredibly timely moment to be back in the Charlie's Angels game, as Banks clearly recognises, but her task isn't simple. Sitting in the director's chair for the second time (after Pitch Perfect 2), she's charged with updating the series in-line with today's #MeToo mindset, and also reviving a potential cash cow. Filmmaking is a business, so the second part of the equation was always going to weigh heavier than the first for Sony. Cue action scenes that, though energetic and well-executed, rarely leave an imprint — especially given that nicely choreographed espionage antics are oh-so-common cinema fodder these days. Cue an overall mood that's perky, dips into thoughtful territory, yet still has a noticeable cookie-cutter vibe. And, of course, cue an engaging-enough but inescapably standard movie that's primarily here to whet appetites for more sassy girl-power antics to come. Yep, amidst the many things that women can do, they can star in passable franchise scene-setters as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKeRgPPQcoc
If you're keen to soak in the Great Barrier Reef's natural underwater delights, 2019 has served up plenty of new ways to do just that. This is the year that Uber launched a submarine, albeit temporarily. A few months back, an underwater art trail also opened in The Whitsundays. And, just this month, Australia's first underwater hotel started sailing through the waters off Airlie Beach. Now, add the Museum of Underwater Art to the list. Created by marine sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the new attraction just just installed its first two artworks. Four pieces are planned in total — located off the shore from Townsville, and at Palm Island and Magnetic Island — with the project aiming to highlight reef conservation, restoration and education. The first artwork, Ocean Siren, can be found 30 metres offshore from The Strand jetty at Townsville — and while it actually towers above the water, it interacts with live water temperature data. Designed to resemble Takoda Johnson, one of the area's Wulgurukaba traditional owners, it receives information from the Davies Reef weather station on the Great Barrier Reef, then changes colour in response to variations as they happen. "She is a visual representation of current conditions underwater and a warning of potential stresses to the marine ecosystem," deCaires Taylor explained in a statement. [caption id="attachment_756032" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Museum of Underwater Art, Jason deCaires Taylor[/caption] As for the second just-unveiled artwork, Coral Greenhouse, it sits well beneath the ocean's surface on the John Brewer Reef off Townsville — 18 metres below the waterline, to be specific. Measuring 12 metres high, weighing around 58 tonnes, and made out of stainless steel, neutral marine grade cement and zinc anodes, it does indeed look like a greenhouse. In fact, it's an underwater building. It's also filled with more than 20 sculptures, many resembling local school children — and has been made to both stand up to wave pressures and cyclones, and remain visible to divers and snorkellers. Most importantly, it isn't just a greenhouse in name, with the piece featuring coral garden beds. With that in mind, Coral Greenhouse is also designed to "offer opportunities for scientists, marine students and tourists to engage in action-based learning and to conduct globally important research on coral reef restoration and new technology," deCaires Taylor noted. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OoyKooA6D/ Marking the southern hemisphere's first underwater museum — and Australia's — the project has taken more than three years to come to fruition. Once it is fully operational, it is expected to attract 50,000 visitors each year. Palm Island's forthcoming installation will connect the spot's the cultural story to the land and sea, according to the MOUA's website, and is expected to be in place by the end of 2020. And no timeline has been set for Magnetic Island as yet, with funding currently being sought. Find the Museum of Underwater Art off the shore of Townsville, Queensland. For more information, visit the museum's website. Image: Museum of Underwater Art.
Broken Hill is arguably New South Wales' ultimate long-distance road-trip, and it's a must-visit at any time. If you did need an extra push, however, the inaugural Mundi Mundi Bash gives you the opportunity to camp for three days in the remote outback while enjoying performances from some of Australia's brightest and best. Paul Kelly is probably the best-known name on the bill, but there are also artists such as Kate Ceberano, country songwriter Caitlyn Shadbolt and perhaps the world's most famous cover band, Bjorn Again — odds are they'll bring the house down. If you've ever wanted to spend a weekend partying away in the red dirt, here's your perfect excuse. For more information, head to the website. Images: Nathan Edwards, Destination NSW
When Westworld finally returns for its third season next month, it's time for a big farewell and a few huge hellos. Firstly, say goodbye to the futuristic show's status quo, with the series finally stepping outside of everyone's favourite android amusement park. Then, prepare to watch a heap of series newcomers — including Aaron Paul. Yes, the Breaking Bad actor is joining Westworld for its next batch of episodes. As seen in the initial trailer for the third season, his new character was promised a better world, but this dream hasn't come true so he's now searching for something real. In the just-dropped full trailer, we see him join forces with Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), who is free from the theme park's confines, well aware of what she is and undertaking a similar justice-fuelled search herself. When it comes to newcomers, Paul is joined by Vincent Cassel (Black Swan), Lena Waithe (Master of None), Scott Mescudi (How to Make it in America), John Gallagher, Jr (The Newsroom) and Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy) — with Cassel playing a mysterious figure who isn't too fond of Dolores' plans. Obviously, plenty of familiar faces are returning for the third season as well, including Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris and Luke Hemsworth. If you feel like you've been hanging out for new Westworld for years, that's because the show's second season aired back in 2018. If that seems like a long time between android dramas, remember that the first season of the show arrived 43 years after the Michael Crichton-directed movie that it's based on, and 40 years after the film's sequel Futureworld. If you haven't done so already, both are worth viewing while you're waiting for the TV series to return. Check out the full trailer for Westworld's third season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJbFA32_QY Westworld's third season will air from Monday, March 16 — screening in Australia on Foxtel.
Some museums are filled with art. Others are dedicated to interesting pieces of history. The National Communication Museum in Melbourne, Australia's latest, falls into the second category. It's also a museum with a hyper-specific focus, celebrating the technology that's allowed humanity to interact and, in the process, shaped how we engage with each other. Rotary phones, cyber cafes, MSN Messenger: they all get a nod here. Opening to the public on Saturday, September 21, 2024, and marking the first new major museum in Melbourne for more than two decades — since the Melbourne Museum launched — the National Communication Museum lives and breathes nostalgia, then. Phone boxes, burger phones, the speaking clock that you could call to get the time and only shut down in Australia in 2019: they receive some love as well. But this space isn't solely about looking backwards, with peering forwards also part of its remit. Yes, that means grappling with what artificial intelligence might mean for communication in the future. Emily Siddon, NCM's Co-Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director, calls the two-level Hawthorn site "a trip down memory lane", but also notes how it looks at the present and what might come. "The technologies featured in NCM were developed in response to the innate human need to communicate and connect — yesterday, today and tomorrow," she explains. "It also answers the pressing questions about communication technology today. Things like: how far away are we from uploading our consciousness? How am I tracked and where does my data go? And how can I tell real from fake or human from machine?". Across an array of rooms featuring both permanent and temporary exhibitions — located in an old 1930s telephone exchange building, which includes a working historical telephone exchange — visitors can dive into First Nations storytelling, celebrate the speaking clock, explore a 90s-era internet cafe and check out an interactive display that takes its cues from regional Australia's phone booths. There's also a section dedicated to research, spanning both successful and unsuccessful ideas, plus launch exhibitions dedicated to surveillance, the human-made satellites sent into space to circle the earth and the infrastructure underpinning digital communication. Find the National Communication Museum at 375 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, from Saturday, September 21, 2024 — open 10am–5pm Wednesday–Sunday. Head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Casey Horsfield.
Josh Niland has achieved a lot. He's opened many of Australia's top restaurants, written two acclaimed books (and just dropped a third), challenged how we see seafood in the kitchen and been named in the world's top 100 best chefs. Now, he's taking his success to the world, opening his first international restaurant at The Singapore Edition hotel. Niland's new opening will be the signature restaurant at the soon-to-open 204-room hotel, Edition's first foray into Southeast Asia. At the core of its offerings will be the chef's distinct passion for sustainable seafood — but, unlike Niland's Sydney openings, the hotel venue will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After initially making a splash with Saint Peter, Josh and his partner Julie Niland have taken the Sydney culinary scene by storm with a series of openings including Fish Butchery, Charcoal Fish and Petermen. The duo are also revamping The Grand National Hotel, moving Saint Peter from Oxford Street into the pub. Niland's Singapore outpost will be one of five restaurants and bars that are set to open inside The Singapore Edition. The lavish accommodation is located in the downtown Orchard district and also promises to offer a rooftop pool, a spa and a fitness centre. [caption id="attachment_910017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Petermen[/caption] The menu will be a la carte, featuring fish cut to order including rib on the bone, crown roasts and cutlets. As with all of Niland's operations, the restaurant will work with world-class ethical producers and suppliers — and minimising waste will be a top priority, with the menus at the restaurant and lobby bar working in unison to ensure all produce is used to its fullest. The Singapore restaurant doesn't have an exact open date quite yet, but it's expected to swing open its doors in November of this year. [caption id="attachment_771911" align="alignnone" width="1920"] by Rob Palmer, from Josh Niland's The Whole Fish Cookbook[/caption] If you want to get a taste of this world-class sustainable seafood operation without venturing over to Singapore, you have a few options. Book a table at the intimate Saint Peter for the classic Niland experience, or head to Charcoal Fish for a more casual takeaway-style offering. And, you can venture over to St Leonards for his newest offering Petermen, which just launched a weekly pescetarian-friendly Sunday roast. [caption id="attachment_826817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saint Peter[/caption] Josh Niland's new Singapore venue will open at The Singapore Edition, 38 Cuscaden Road, Singapore — it's expected to launch in November 2023. Top image: Alan Benson.
Before he was a key member of Euphoria's cast, stepping into Elvis Presley's blue-suede shoes in Priscilla and proving a drawcard in Saltburn, Australia's own Jacob Elordi scored his first on-screen acting credit beyond short films in Aussie movie Swinging Safari. From there, once the three Kissing Booth films also helped boost his career, the Brisbane-born talent has largely focused on working overseas — but he's returning home to star in a new five-part streaming drama series. Elordi leads the just-announced cast for The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which will make the leap to Prime Video from the page, adapting Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name. Also set to feature among the show's starry lineup of talent: Olivia DeJonge, fresh from playing Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis; her The Staircase co-star Odessa Young; Limbo's Simon Baker; Heartbreak High's Thomas Weatherall; Love Me's Heather Mitchell; and Belfast's Ciarán Hinds. [caption id="attachment_919075" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacob Elordi in Saltburn[/caption] The project's impressive names extend behind the camera, with The Narrow Road to the Deep North hailing from Snowtown, True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram collaborators Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant. Kurzel will direct, while Grant is on adaptation duties — and both are also executive producing. Exactly when the series will hit your streaming queue hasn't yet been announced, but production has just started on Prime Video's latest Australian original. No matter when it drops, it'll join 2023's Deadloch and Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles among the platform's Australian fare. [caption id="attachment_856508" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Odessa Young in Mothering Sunday[/caption] Elordi shares the role of Dorrigo Evans with Hinds, playing the younger version of the character in a tale that jumps between different time periods. The Narrow Road to the Deep North's protagonist is a Lieutenant who becomes a prisoner of war on the Thailand-Burma Railway. His story will encompasses becoming a surgeon and war hero, and a life-changing stint of falling in love with Amy Mulvaney (Young). DeJonge and Baker will also feature with Elordi and Young in the show's 40s-set segments, where World War II obviously casts a shadow. Hinds hops in when the series gets to the 80s, which is where Mitchell, Weatherall, Show Kasamatsu (Tokyo Vice) and Charles An (Last King of the Cross) will also pop up. [caption id="attachment_927128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Olivia DeJonge in The Staircase.[/caption] "With talents like Jacob Elordi, Ciarán Hinds and Odessa Young at the helm, The Narrow Road to the Deep North promises to be a cinematic, visceral, and undeniable contemporary love story, which explores the power of mateship and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity," said Sarah Christie, senior development executive at Amazon MGM Studios, announcing the series. "We just know that this series is going to resonate with customers in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and are proud to be partnering with Curio Pictures' Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner, who will bring this incredible story to life alongside the award-winning director and executive producer Justin Kurzel, and award-winning writer and executive producer Shaun Grant." [caption id="attachment_869120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thomas Weatherall in Heartbreak High.[/caption] The Narrow Road to the Deep North doesn't yet have a release date, but will stream via Prime Video — we'll update you with more details when they're announced. Top image: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic for HBO via Getty Images, supplied by Prime Video.
Forget everything you thought you knew about eating schnitzel. Forget whatever ideas you have about which other food items can sit atop them, too. Now isn't the time for plain old parmas/parmis/parmys (whichever you prefer), as great as they are — because The Bavarian has dropped a limited-time loaded schnitzel menu that's as OTT as schnitties come. On offer from Monday, March 7–Saturday, April 30, this chicken schnitty range takes the loaded concept super-seriously. There are six different varieties, and they all stack a whole heap of toppings and sauces upon a crumbed piece of chook. Plenty of them also turn this good schnit into another beloved meal — like the avo smash version, which comes slathered with smashed avocado, cherry tomatoes, feta and sesame seeds, plus fries. There's also a bangers and mash version with cheese kransky, creamy mash, caramelised onion and gravy; a pizza-style option with spicy salami, kalamata olives, roasted capsicum, mozzarella and fries; and a nachos option with corn chips, chilli con carne, salsa, jalapenos, cheese and sour cream. Or, go for schnitty topped with cheddar cheese, fries and lashings of gravy — a choice that's been dubbed a hangover cure — or a schnitty decked out with fried calamari, chorizo, roasted pumpkin, crispy potatoes and jalapeno sauce. Prices range from $26–28 for just one schnitty loaded with any of the above options, but you can also go for a one-kilogram schnitzel snack if you really do love this schnit. That'll set you back $80, and put you in the running to win either a $1000 if you finish it faster than anyone else — with winners announced on Monday, May 2 — or one of nine $100 dining vouchers for runners up. Hungry? You can head to any The Bavarian venue to tuck in. There are 16 in New South Wales — including everywhere from Entertainment Quarter and Green Hills to York Street and Chatswood — so you've got options.
It's the page-to-streaming YA series that turned into a smash hit, made Lola Tung a star in her first-ever screen role and gave a second Jenny Han franchise a successful leap to the screen. It's also the show that's earned such passion and obsession that free tickets to a live book club event featuring Tung, fellow actor Rain Spencer (Test Screening) and Han in Sydney were snapped up instantly. The series in question is The Summer I Turned Pretty, of course, aka Prime Video's adaptation of Han's 2009 novel of the same name, as well as 2010's It's Not Summer Without You and 2011's We'll Always Have Summer. The show's third season is streaming now — and with it, the flower crown-loving, often Taylor Swift-soundtracked small-screen sensation is coming to an end. 2025 marks a mere three years since the world was first introduced to Tung as Isabel 'Belly' Conklin, then an about-to-turn-16 teen living her summer dream. Whenever the weather turns warm, the coastal Massachusetts town of Cousins Beach has always beckoned her family, who vacation at the luxe house owned by her mother Laurel's (Jackie Chung, Coming Home Again) best friend Susannah Fisher (Rachel Blanchard, Uno). Belly is the youngest among the next generation, thanks to her elder brother Steven (Sean Kaufman, Walker), plus Susannah's two children Conrad (Christopher Briney, Mean Girls) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno, Queen of the Ring). She's also been in love with Conrad since she can remember. In the initial sunny season charted in The Summer I Turned Pretty, neither of the Fisher siblings see Belly as a kid anymore. Enter the Team Conrad-versus-Team Jeremiah clash — and a hard choice for the show's protagonist between her lifelong dream and her forever best friend. Which of the duo that Belly's heart is swooning for at any given moment has changed more than once as season two and now season three have arrived, but can you ever truly get over your first love, or move past the person that's always known you better than anyone else? Audiences will soon find out for the character that turns 21 in the series' final run, and is so established in a long-term relationship with Jeremiah that the pair are making big plunges. Although Conrad is at Stanford chasing a medical career, he's clearly still deeply affected by how his time by Belly's side faded in the previous season. A coming-of-age story and a summer-romance tale all in one — several summer romances, in fact, thanks to Belly's love triangles, catching up with its characters summer after summer, and other relationships surrounding Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah — The Summer I Turned Pretty was always destined to follow Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy to the screen. It was published first, but made its way to streaming after 2018's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, 2020's To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and 2021's To All the Boys: Always and Forever films, all on Netflix, where that saga's spinoff series XO, Kitty debuted in 2023 and dropped its second season in early 2025. One of the key reasons that Han's work keeps finding a home on the small screen, as well as in the hearts and minds of fans — both those familiar with the source material and others brand-new through the adaptations — is an approach that's pivotal to the author. Han also created both The Summer I Turned Pretty and XO, Kitty in their streaming guises, and is a showrunner on both. That crucial factor: allowing the teenage girls and young women that are her protagonists to experience the entire and full spectrum of their feelings, and genuinely appreciating that with all sincerity and earnestness, which can't always be said about the depiction of characters in that demographic. Such an approach is essential to Han — and also to Tung and Spencer, who've grown up with their starring roles on The Summer I Turned Pretty. As Taylor Jewel, Belly's ride-or-die best friend, who has her own complicated romantic situation with Steven, Spencer has also been navigating a storyline that expands well beyond the novels, charting new territory even for avid readers. That said, whether book diehards actually know who Belly will end up with when the show says goodbye after its 11-episode third season isn't assured. Han, Tung and Spencer are all feeling good about where The Summer I Turned Pretty wraps up, though, they tell Concrete Playground. "I feel great," says Han, accompanied by smiles and nods from Tung and Spencer. "I feel excited for people to see it. The last episode is one of my favourites of the whole series," she continues. "I think — I hope — people feel satisfied, but I think I feel satisfied as a storyteller with the work that we did." What's in store will keep being revealed weekly until Wednesday, September 17, 2025; however, we also chatted with Tung, Spencer and Han about the viewer response to the series and what it means to them; the importance of the show valuing young women's emotions; the fact that The Summer I Turned Pretty has always been Team Belly first and foremost, regardless of what's happening amorously between her and Conrad or Jeremiah or anyone else; Tung and Spencer's experience with Belly and Taylor's journeys; and more. On What the Viewer Response to The Summer I Turned Pretty, Including Events Like Prime Book Club LIVE and Fans Obsessing Over the Show's Love Triangles, Means to Tung, Spencer and Han Lola: "It makes me so excited. I feel cool." Rain: "It's so cool." Jenny: "It's an honour. I think as an author of books, it makes me excited anytime I see people reading or being passionate about stories. So it's really cool for us." Lola: "We were walking around Sydney the other day, and it was just cool to see how many people watched the show." Jenny: "I was like 'whoa'. I was very surprised. Because I think you often just think about who's watching it in the US. We live in the US and people come up to us. So it's very exciting to leave the country and be like 'you've heard of us?'. It's so cool." On the Importance of The Summer I Turned Pretty Allowing Its Teenage Girls and Young Women to Experience the Entire Range of Their Emotions — and Appreciating That with Sincerity Jenny: "To me, it's essential. As somebody who writes stories about young people, I've always approached it in that way — with, I hope, respect — where every experience is meaningful and valid. And I think a lot of times adults can minimise a young person's point of view, because they're like 'oh, puppy love' or 'oh, they're just kids'. But I think It's all relative. It's kind of what you were saying earlier, Rain — that's always been my ethos, is that your experience is your experience, and it's relative to what you've already experienced." Rain: "Yeah." Jenny: "So as a teenager, if I have a really bad fight with my mum, that can be really destabilising and really horrible, right? And so I think people look back on it and laugh, but you forget how big that was in the moment — to not have someone to eat lunch with at school or to be dumped publicly." Rain: "Yes, it's the heightened emotion, the different definitions of love as you get older. But the first love that you experience, it might not be your experience when you get older, but it is absolutely real and true in that moment. That is what love means." Jenny: "And in some ways, that's more real than anything, because that's the first time and everything is magnified." Lola: "It's so special, yeah." On the Series Always Being Team Belly First, No Matter Her Romantic Status with Conrad or Jeremiah Lola: "I think that's more credit to Jenny, because that's always been a huge conversation, and that's always been a priority as a writer and as the creator — to protect Belly and to make sure that her story is fulfilling to her as a person on her own. And I love getting to explore all of that. The relationship with the boys, absolutely — and the relationship with Taylor, the relationship with her mum and her dad, and with Susannah. It's been so cool to get to feel like she has a proper story, and that Jenny is really fighting for that always." On How Tung and Spencer Feel About the Journey They've Taken with Belly and Taylor Over the Show's Three Seasons — Not Just What the Characters Have Gone Through, But Going on That Ride with Them Lola: "It's been so special. I mean, we really did grow up with them. And this was one of — this was one of our first, like my first project, her second project. So we've learned so much about this world and what it's like to be on a TV set. And also had a lot of time to really form this relationship, this friendship, that Taylor and Belly have together, and what it looks like as time goes on. And they're not kids anymore — and they spend a lot of time together even when their lives take them in different directions. And how they continue to be best friends. I think it's been really lovely." Rain: "It has been really lovely. Like Lola said, we grew up with these characters. I think something that's so beautiful about acting is there is a part of Taylor that will always be with me, because she taught me so many things. I've spoken before about the level of confidence that she had, I didn't have when I started playing her. And so she sort of taught me what confidence feels like in my body. And so I'll have that forever." On Taylor's Storyling Expanding Well Beyond the Books, Charting New Territory Even for Readers Rain: "I think I just feel so grateful to Jenny for the ability to explore the character and go deeper with her. It's been just one of the joys of my life thus far, is getting to know this character and having the opportunity to do so." Jenny: "But you also bring so much of yourself into it, which I think suits the character so much. So it's really, I think, special. I've loved being able to expand the character out and see more of her as a character. I think now, Rain, the way that you've brought Taylor to life, it's to me in some ways it's its own thing, which is really fun." The Summer I Turned Pretty streams via Prime Video. The Summer I Turned Pretty images: Erika Doss © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.
Dust off your picnic blanket: Tropfrest is back. Following a six-year hiatus, the world's biggest short-film festival — which launched in 1993 and, at its peak, would pull crowds of up to 100,000 — returns to Centennial Park this February for a free celebration of short-form cinema from Australia and around the globe. While the world has changed quite a bit since the last edition in 2019, Tropfest's core mission remains unchanged: to give filmmakers at any stage of their careers a genuinely global platform. The traditional Tropfest signature item — included in every film to prove it was made specifically for the festival — is also back. This year's prompt is an hourglass, so keep an eye out for the creative ways it appears on screen. New for Tropfest 2026 are two initiatives in partnership with YouTube. The first is a digital development program for emerging filmmakers and creators; the second, launching in February, is a series of talks, workshops and masterclasses spanning everything from screenwriting to working with AI. As well as premiering their work to tens of thousands of cinephiles — both in Centennial Park and via a global YouTube livestream — filmmakers will compete for some serious prizes, including a $50,000 first prize and a share of $100,000 through the new CommBank-Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund. And if you needed any more incentive to snag a spot on the lawn, Tropfest has a long history of spotting talent early. Past alumni include Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Rebel Wilson, Nash Edgerton and Sam Worthington — so you might just catch Australia's next breakout star before Hollywood does.
As the force behind Cake Wines, Glen Cassidy has been shaping Sydney's epicurean side for six years now — and enjoying partaking in it as well. The brand is known for getting involved with the city's cultural events, while the man himself is full of tips and praise for Sydney's dining and drinking scene — particularly Redfern, the evolving inner-city suburb where Cake Wines opened its own cellar door in 2016. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Sydney, we've called in Glen, whose favourite spots range from the restaurant that's home to Gourmet Traveller's 2018 Chef of the Year to the joint slinging his favourite burgers in town. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in central Sydney — Hyde Park and Quay Grand Sydney Harbour (there's also two more at Sydney Airport and Sydney Olympic Park) — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you rest and digest in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Glen's top Sydney food hot spots in his own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. ESTER The team at Ester in Chippendale are big supporters of interesting wines — mostly natural, I think. The food is simple, but with what seems like a few very personal twists by the 2018 Gourmet Traveller Chef of the Year, Mat Lindsay. These guys have got the "local undiscovered but always full" vibe totally dialled. I love going there and sitting at the bar, with a couple of share plates and a few vinos. I've had some memorable afternoons there with Cake staff over the years. HUBERT Best in the game? Probably. The wine list, the menu, the atmos — CBD restaurant Hubert is a reimagining of classic dining, but without the stiffness that often accompanies food and wine this good. Hats off to the team (the Swillhouse Group, also behind Sydney establishments Shady Pines Saloon and the Baxter Inn) who have created this special place, and to the crew who work there. They deliver killer service and vibe, week in, week out. CAKE WINES CELLAR DOOR Yep, ok, I'm biased, but our Cellar Door in Redfern captures everything we love about food, wine and culture in this city. We have all our wines, different cultural programming each week, a solid selection of simple pizzas and charcuterie — all in a beautiful space down on Eveleigh Street. Vibes are always high at the Cellar Door as Redfern continues to evolve, and we're super proud to be part of it. ACME What's not to like? Acme in Rushcutters Bay boasts simple but creative cooking, a banging wine list, great staff and just an all-round vibe. Their creative approach to Italian food means you'll see dishes like cold spaghetti with okra, sesame and ponzu, and pig's head macaroni with egg yolk. We recently had a staff night out there for the launch of Ochota Barrels' new wines and the food was beautifully matched. No wonder they've just been awarded one hat by the Good Food Guide. REDFERN CONTINENTAL AND GDR Legends of the game. Redfern Continental presents a near-perfect example of casual dining, with a hidden gem of a night spot out the back. A complement to the pan-European offering in front, Gunther's Dining Room (aka GDR) is loosely East Germany themed, with curywurst and traditional German hotdogs on the bar menu. Factor in a killer wine list with selections from all around the world, and you've got it made here. $1 Oysters on Sundays in the bar are a must. This place is a regular haunt for Cellar Door staff. Redfern on the come up! SUPERIOR BURGER I grew up near this joint, so I am fond of the crew that is making such a positive contribution to the rapidly changing region that is Western Sydney. In a city overrun with burgers, I can hand on heart say these guys are the best I've tasted by far. The love, skill, energy and drive Jovi [chef Jovan Curic, formerly of Pub Life Kitchen] and the crew have for creating the best-tasting burgers comes out in spades. Get in your car and head to Wakeley — you will not regret it. HANOI QUAN Hanoi Quan offers a truly authentic northern Vietnamese experience. It's been at this spot in Marrickville since forever and gives nothing away from the outside. Had it not been introduced to me by the one and only DJ Arno, I wouldn't know about it, and I can honestly say my life would not be the same had I not tried their signature combination pho and grilled pork vermicelli. BART JR A new kid on the block in Redfern, Bart Jr is a cosy little joint that is quickly becoming my go-to. They have a great wine list (I drank a bottle of Piss Christ there only last week!), plus a fresh and simple menu that changes weekly. Do yourself a favour and stop by today. George, Anne [George Woodyard and Anne Cooper from Scout's Honour and Morris] and the crew have brought something special to the area for sure. DA ORAZIO PIZZA + PORCHETTA Food + wine + music = vibe. It's a hard combo to nail but full respect to Maurice [Terzini, the restaurateur who is also behind Icebergs] and the crew who balance this beautifully (shouts to Picnic on the bookings!). The Napoli-style pizza is made from dough that's left to rise for 48 hours before heading to the woodfire stove, while a whole Berkshire pig hits the spit roast every day (explaining the titular pizza and porchetta). Bondi needs more joints like this. FATIMA'S LEBANESE RESTAURANT Ok, this is the straight-up best "late night on the way home and don't want to get something gross" spot around. We are talking next-level Lebanese food. When it comes to takeaway, kebabs are as legit as they come, served by a proper maestro who has been there since as long as I can remember. Get the lot with chilli sauce, hummus, tabbouleh and salad. Fatima's will make sure you arrive home in one piece. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Looking for a little luxury this summer? Consider this: you and your mates, champagne, oysters, canapes and internationally-acclaimed DJs onboard luxury superyacht, The Jackson. You can find the luxury you're looking for at 'In the Sun', featuring Veuve Clicquot, onboard The Jackson. Combining summery vibes and all the fine things in life, these luxury events are taking place across six Saturdays in January, February and March 2024. The Jackson can accommodate its guests across three sophisticated levels, both indoors and outdoors, to immerse its passengers in the views of Sydney Harbour. Your ticket to this luxurious summer offering in the sun includes two glasses of Veuve Clicquot, roaming canapes (champagne lobster brioche, anyone?), a luxe oyster bar, mini gelato and four hours of sailing on The Jackson, soundtracked by live music from the likes of Jarred Baker, Aroha, Troy Beman and more. Optional extras to this extravagant voyage include pickup from Circular Quay, Rose Bay or Manly Wharf, plus the option to purchase a magnum of Veuve Clicquot to share onboard, you deserve it. If you haven't had the pleasure of a voyage on The Jackson, this summer is your opportunity to change that. 'In the Sun' featuring Veuve Clicquot runs on select Saturdays throughout January, February and March 2024. For more information and to get tickets, visit the website.
Neo. John Wick. Johnny Utah. Ted "Theodore" Logan. Across Keanu Reeves' almost four-decade acing career, the inimitable star has played many iconic parts — but only one thrust him to stardom as a time-travelling high-school slacker who had to round up famous figures from the past to pass his history report and save the future of humanity. As a result, the Bill & Ted movies have always held a soft spot in Keanu fans' hearts. Since first hitting screens in 1989 and 1991, the franchise has long been the subject of follow-up rumours, too. And now, just when the world particularly needs a reminder about being excellent to each other, the series is returning with its long-awaited third instalment. Nearly 30 years after Reeves last rocked out, grappled with fate and used a telephone box as a mode of transport in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, he's back doing the same thing. So is Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston, Esquire, Ted's best buddy, San Dimas High classmate and fellow founder of Wyld Stallyns, aka the garage band that'll change life as we know it and inspire a utopian society — at least according to Rufus (the late George Carlin) in film that started it all, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. But as both the first teaser and the just-dropped full trailer for Bill & Ted Face the Music shows, that plan hasn't quite panned out as yet for the franchise's central duo. A quarter-century ago, they played a concert in front of the entire world. One month ago, they played a gig in California for 40 people — "most of whom where there for $2 taco night", they're told. After being reprimanded by the folks from the future for their lack of progress — when you're supposed to write the song that unites the globe and rescues reality, 25 years without any progress isn't going to go by unnoticed — Bill and Ted decide to head forward in time to a point when they've already penned the tune in question. Once they're there, they figure they can just steal the track from themselves. Plenty of hijinks await, naturally, including singing at weddings, playing air guitar with the Grim Reaper (William Sadler) and coming face to face with beefed-up versions of themselves. Oh, and then there's Ted's daughter Billie Logan (Bombshell's Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Bill's daughter Thea Preston (Ready or Not's Samara Weaving), who follow in their dads' footsteps and get in on all the time-travelling fun. If the first teaser was enough to make you exclaim "party on, dudes!", Keanu-style, then this longer trailer will evoke more of the same. Bill & Ted Face the Music is clearly taking more than a few queues from its predecessors, too — as well as needing to create a song in 78 minutes that'll save the world and bring harmony to the whole universe, Bill, Ted, Billie and Thea also enlist some well-known personalities from the past to help. As for what happens next, how often someone will say "whoa!", and what the rest of the cast — which includes Kid Cudi, Kristen Schaal, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Jillian Bell, Holland Taylor, Beck Bennett, Hal Landon Jr and Amy Stoch — gets up to, that'll all be revealed when the film hits Australian cinemas on Thursday, August 27. Until then, check out the full Bill & Ted Face the Music trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnTuWEKSXw&feature=youtu.be Bill & Ted Face the Music is scheduled to release in Australian cinemas on August 27.
A dark room, a void. A woman speaks, murky yellow light throwing shadows across her face. She speaks, as a woman preparing for her day, a day like any other. An air hostess, guiding her passengers through emergency guidelines. And as a victim relentlessly pursued. This is a surprising twist for writer Duncan Graham and director Sarah John, who are long term collaborators. Another production that played last year at Belvoir Downstairs, Ollie and the Minotaur, was resolutely realist, where Cut draws more on Artaudian techniques. It's twisted, dark and disorienting. Despite this, both productions share a particular irresistibility and a determination to take the audience beyond: a recipe for truly powerful theatre. As the lone actor, Anita Hegh's role is hugely demanding. The splintered monologue is unrelenting, pushing and pulling her between the everyday and the surreal. And it's to her credit that the performance, almost as demanding on its audience as on its actor, flies by in an instant. It would also be an oversight not to mention Ekrem Mulayim, whose sound design is integral and exceptional. Delving into the murky depths of the unnamed, this is a production of sensation. It is difficult to express or comprehend and, in this, it is incredibly powerful theatre. Belvoir St Theatre have offered Concrete Playground readers a discount on all Cut performances over the Easter weekend. To purchase for just $25 (instead of $42), enter the code EASTERPLAYGROUND when purchasing tickets. Image: Anita Hegh, photo by Heidrun Lohr
While today it's best known as the location of a major navy base, Sydney Harbour's Garden Island — that bit of protruding land near Potts Point — has also become the subject of a swag of innovative development proposals, following a report exploring the island's future by former Deputy NSW Premier Peter Collins. Perhaps the most ambitious of these plans comes courtesy of architecture firm LAVA, who were commissioned by the Urban Task Force to respond to the report. The firm's plans involve heritage buildings being given new life as cultural facilities, and the modern-day realisation of a pyramid structure first proposed by colonial architect Francis Greenway. LAVA's vision for this Garden Island of the future would see the relocation of the Navy base and the introduction of an international cruise terminal, providing scope for some of the world's largest cruise ships to finally add Sydney to their itineraries. The 30-year plan shows the island's former dry-dock revamped to host floating markets, theatre shows and harbour baths, while residential towers inspired by the Sydney Harbour landscape would feature rooftop terraces, swimming pools and an array of community facilities. Meanwhile, Greenway's lofty pyramid structure — first envisioned during his time as the country's first government architect — would be imagined as a sprawling waterfront space for events and functions. While this plan is certainly visionary — and a great way to populate prime harbour real estate with publicly-accessible intitutions — it is just that: a plan. It will be interesting to see if the State Government acts on Collins' suggestion to move the navy base and open up Garden Island for Sydneysiders to enjoy.
Subscriptions services have taken off over the last few years and for good reason. Whether it's for craft beers and natty wines, house plants or colourful socks, it's like giving yourself a little gift every month. If you're a caffeine enthusiast and you enjoy brewing your own cuppas at home or you're looking to cut down on your trip to the cafe, Thieves Coffee is the subscription service for you — and it's just introduced a new coffee pod option to its range so all home brewers can get involved. Thieves Coffee drops you off a different bag of coffee beans or set of pods from a new roaster each month. You can expect choice selections from small independent coffee companies like Stella or Criteria Coffee, through to larger beloved brands like Rumble and Industry Beans. If you're the kind of coffee drinker who enjoys branching out and trying different makers and flavours in your morning cup o' joe, your subscription will provide you with a regular rotation of top-quality varieties that the Thieves team has hand selected. Originally focusing on beans, Thieves has now added the option to have selections of pods for your pod-based coffee machine dropped to you each month. Plenty of popular and boundary-pushing brewers have expanded to offering compatible coffee pods recently, including local favourites like Stitch and ST. ALi, as well as the sustainability-minded Tripod. With your daily flat white or oat cap hitting upwards of $5 at cafes right now, Thieves is also a penny-pinching alternative. If you go the bean route, you have the option to order between 250 grams of beans each month, all the way up to three kilograms. If you want just one bag delivered each month, that will set you back $25 including shipping Australia-wide, or you can up your delivery to two bags (500g) for $40 or four bags (1kg) for $60. This means each cup of coffee will cost you as little as $1. These beans can be ordered either for espresso machines or for simpler filter or Aeropress coffee — plus you can choose between whole beans or pre-ground coffee depending on if you have your own grinder. As for the pods, subscriptions start from $15 for 10 pods and go up to $255 for 300 pods which can be ordered on a monthly basis or once every two or three months. Head to the Thieves Coffee website to check out all the options and treat yourself to a monthly coffee surprise. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Menswear, womenswear, homewares, designer labels, jewellery, antiques, objets d'art — Arida is the boutique that has it all. Curating collections from across the globe, the MacLeay Street store can boast such names as Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy sitting alongside the finest in high-end, high-street fashion, such as Mahsa, Eton Shirts and Samantha Sung. The shop interior is an aesthetic dream, too, creating an immersive environment that's equal parts chic and aspirational. Simply put, time spent at Arida is an absolute treat and, given you're as likely to emerge with the perfect item for your new season wardrobe as you are the missing piece from your living room set-up, it's time that's never wasted.
Oxford Street is no stranger to a party, and a new multi-storey venue is bringing more good times to the bustling street. Kissuu is combining two of Sydney's favourite activities — hitting the dance floor and snacking on top-notch Japanese food. Now open in Darlinghurst, the combination bar and restaurant is serving up feeds from former Nobu chef Adam Burke and disco curated by his partner, DJ Richy Penny, five nights a week. "We miss Sydney's glory days and we're so ready to bring the energy back and provide our guests with the complete package under one roof — an exceptional restaurant layered with a late-night bar boasting a rotation of the best DJs on the scene," Penny says. "It's the sort of place you can keep coming back to for a guaranteed quality night out." The two levels of Kissuu each provide distinct energy and utility. Downstairs is the 40-seat restaurant, boasting moody lighting, an eye-catching green marble counter, several banquet tables and a collection of Burke's Japanese dishes that he's perfected across his time in kitchens at Nobu London, Toko Dubai, Gordan Ramsay's restaurants and Sunset Sabi. The menu is calling out to be enjoyed as a banquet-style feast of share plates, however, it can also be attacked solo. There are snacks like stuffed chicken wings with prawn and wasabi kimchi or tempura Balmain bug lettuce cups; prawn and scallop dumplings; crispy tuna, kingfish or eggplant tacos; and a wood-fired robata menu staring the likes of miso-glazed toothfish, lamb ribs and koi-marinated spatchcock. "This menu is all about using fresh ingredients, having fun and making delicious and creative dishes," Burke says. "My unique style draws inspiration from my extensive travels around the world and my Burmese heritage to create Japanese dishes that celebrate local, seasonal and native ingredients." Head upstairs and the attention shifts from the food to the music. According to Penny, "Disco lends itself perfectly to getting a sexy Japanese eatery grooving." Once you're ready to cut shapes, you can head to the luminous dance floor, flooded by red neon lights. Complimenting the Diana Ross and Gibson Brothers remixes emerging from the DJ booth are orange lounges, mirrored walls and Kissuu's vibrant cocktail menu. "We are going to have our guests shifting in their seats, then as the night goes on, the volume will go up and the dance floor will come to life!" continues Penny. "The intimate space makes it feel like you're at the most epic house party with 100 of your closest friends and with our international connections, depending on who is in town, you never know who you could catch playing." Kissuu is located at 245 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. It's open 4pm–late, Tuesday–Saturday.
The InterContinental Sydney is a five-star stay in the heart of Sydney that boasts 509 guest rooms (including 28 suites) and two bars — one of which provides some of the most spectacular views of the harbour and Opera House you can find on offer. Set within the restored and heritage-listed Treasury Building on Macquarie Street, the hotel gives guests a reliably excellent five-star experience from check in to check out. Luxuriously spacious rooms furnished in an amalgam of calming blue tones pay homage to the water you can see from the view of your signature cloud bed. If, like us, you are very fond of a hotel bar, of the two available on site, the first is appropriately named The Treasury — a classic lobby bar decked out in fresh greenery and sleek Art Deco interiors. The second is the sky-high rooftop bar Aster located on the 32nd floor of the hotel. The rooftop has been equipped with an outdoor terrace primed for sipping cocktails as you take in the uninterrupted views of Sydney's skyline. No better place for a margarita as the sun goes down before you hit the town for dinner or stroll down to the Opera House for a show.
Belles Hot Chicken is opening its third and most impressive Sydney outpost on Friday, March 3, bringing its cult-favourite fried chicken to Circular Quay. The Belles team has built a passionate fanbase — and landed on our favourite Sydney fried chicken spots — through its Glebe and Barangaroo eateries in Sydney, alongside multiple Melbourne outposts. Now, it's bringing its fun and flavoursome approach to takeaway to a 130-seat restaurant-style opening. To celebrate the opening, the Belles team is giving everyone the chance to come in, check out the venue and get their hands around a Belles spicy chicken sandwich on the house. That's right — the expansive inner-city opening will be kicking things off by giving away its signature Nashville-style sandwiches. The promotion will run for two periods during the opening day: 12–3pm and 5–9pm. Head down to Young Street during either of those two slots and you'll nab your complimentary burger. Leave your packed lunch at home, or head in for a cheap and cheerful Friday dinner — as well as a few after-work drinks. The fried chicken sandwich comes with chicken thigh tossed in Belles' traveller spice, then topped with lettuce, onion, cheese and specialty sauce on a fluffy milk bun. While you're there, the rest of the menu will be for sale on the day, so feel free to settle in, soak in the restaurant's harbour views, and order something and a couple of bevs. Arriving in the Quay Quarter Tower, Belles Hot Chicken Circular Quay will bring the expected hallmarks of the chain to an exciting new space. The other location's vintage Americana style is here in spades. Fresh from working with Lune, Ewert Leaf has collaborated with Belles' Design Director Vicki Punch to create a warm, welcoming space fitted out with neon signs, vintage tiles and vending machines, plus an entirely chrome ceiling and cork detailing. On the menu, things stick close to Belles' more takeaway-driven spots in Tramsheds and Barangaroo. Pair tenders, drumsticks, wings and buffalo cauliflower — all available in heat levels ranging from chicken salt to Really F**king Hot — with Belles Original Draught, orange wines and house cocktails like spiked iced tea. The aforementioned chicken sandwiches and loaded fries also feature, with a highlight-reel set menu available for $40 per person if you want the decisions taken out of your hands. Some of the more extravagant or unique drinks you'll find at the Circular Quay spot include Pappy Van Winkle 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon available for $85 a pop, Louis Roederer Cristal Brut — because who doesn't want to pair champagne and fried chicken? — and rakija and tonic RTDs from Baba's Place and DNA Distillery. Rounding out the vibrant energy of this new outpost is a set of vinyl turntables ready for a DJ to take hold and spark a party at any point in time. With enough champagne and spiked iced tea, it could just happen. Bookings are open if you want to reserve a spot at the new flagship Belles in Circular Quay. Half the venue will also be available for walk-ins if you want to make an impromptu trip. Belles Hot Chicken Circular Quay will open on Friday, March 3 at Quay Quarter Towers, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney (entry on Young Street). It will be giving away fried chicken sandwiches on opening day between 12–3pm and 5–9pm. Top image: Parker Blain
Sydney's sunny season is in full swing — and, if you like celebrating warm weather, adorable animation and mini golf all at once, the part-tee is just about to begin at Darling Harbour. Everyone's favourite Pixar characters are popping up in Sydney at a putt-putt course inspired by the Disney-owned studio's loveable films. Yes, Pixar Putt is returning, with the kidult-friendly course heading to the Pier St Underpass from Friday, December 16–Sunday, February 5. Designed to challenge both eight-year olds and adults, Pixar Putt features nine- and 18-hole courses that take you past childhood heroes like Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Elastigirl. Flicks such as Monsters Inc, Onward, Finding Nemo, Up, A Bug's Life, Wall-E, Inside Out and Soul all get some putting love, too. Clearly, there's no need for a trip to Disneyland — and this year's course features new holes inspired by Pixar's recent Turning Red and Lightyear. So, if you don't think you'll beat your cousin at backyard cricket over the summer, challenge them to a match here. All you need is your hat and A-game (and no pressure if you remain defeated, there's always the nineteenth hole nearby). Pixar Putt is also open for after-dark sessions every Thursday–Saturday night — and they're only for adults. Operating from 7–10pm, the late-night putt-putt hours are perfect for those date nights when you want to do more than just have dinner and see a movie. Otherwise, head along from 10am–8pm Sunday–Wednesday, and be prepared to have littlies for company.
Traipsing through a decaying apartment complex, getting his rotting teeth checked, and munching on roasted dog leg: all part of an ordinary day for Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston). It wasn't always this way though. Just three months earlier, the surgeon was a fresh resident in the gleaming tower, filling his new home with boxes, meeting his neighbours, and talking about starting over with a clean slate. He soon discovers, however, that a strict hierarchy rules the titular structure, and when it starts to falter, so does anything resembling a civilised existence. All it takes is a power outage and an unauthorised dip in a communal swimming pool for classes to clash and all hell to break loose. Welcome to the world of High-Rise, with director Ben Wheatley and his regular screenwriter and co-editor Amy Jump bringing the dystopian vision of J.G. Ballard's cult 1975 novel to the screen. They're the perfect pair for the task, particularly in light of their previous output. Psychological horror Kill List, murderous black comedy Sightseers and hallucinatory historical thriller A Field in England all examined the bleak and brutal side of the human psyche. If those films aren't the ideal stepping stones towards exploring the mayhem of the masses when left to their own devices, then we don't know what are. The eponymous property's descent into anarchy runs in parallel to Laing's ascent through its social ranks, though the smooth, suave newcomer proves a friend to those who inhabit all levels. He mingles with seductive single mother Charlotte (Sienna Miller), who lives directly above him, as well as documentary filmmaker Wilder (Luke Evans) and his pregnant wife Helen (Elizabeth Moss), who dwell several stories below. Much to the dismay of the folks that consider themselves at the top of the pecking order, he also befriends Royal (Jeremy Irons), who created the block and resides in its penthouse. Just as Wheatley and Jump are the best off-screen team to make High-Rise scale the satirical heights its seeks, so too is Hiddleston the ultimate leading man for the job. Managing to lure the audience into the twisted tale while still making sure that his protagonist keeps a little distance from the disorder around him, the actor proves as fascinating a point of focus as the film's true main character: the building itself. Given the attention-grabbing antics that take place within its walls, that's saying something. Indeed, as the alcohol flows freely, the sex grows more debauched and petty arguments spiral rapidly out of control, everything plays out like a big, bold, busy bash that slowly turns oh-so-sour. With dance sequences aplenty and the increasingly frequent sight of ordinary life turning to the stuff of nightmares, Wheatley ensures that every frame of High-Rise looks the part as well. Whether crafting a quick-cut montage out of carnage and carnality, or switching between a sublime Portishead cover of ABBA's SOS and Clint Mansell's ominous score, the '70s-set film proves a slick but festering affair in its aesthetics and themes from start to finish. It's little wonder that it's also incredibly divisive. If you don't adore the film's deliciously dark and unashamedly scathing depiction of humanity, you'll probably abhor it.
It's 1995. You're sitting down in the local theatre to watch an animated film called Toy Story. You're about to witness Hollywood history. Now, 30 years later, with almost 395 million USD at the box office from its debut film, the studio Pixar is a household name. Toy Story has been cemented as an all-time animated classic, and you've got the opportunity to see it on the big screen again. But this time, it's not your local theatre. It's the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, and if you tilt your head down ever so slightly, you'll see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra sitting on stage, ready to perform the soundtrack as the movie plays behind them. If you've never had the pleasure of attending a symphonic screening before, the talented musicians at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra — conducted by Nicholas Buc — have a way of bringing film soundtracks to life like you've never seen before. And what a film to see live in concert. Toy Story, and its soundtrack by singer-songwriter Randy Newman, made animation history. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz, the starring toys of the titular story, are two performances that are in the Pixar hall of fame. No matter if you're set for a long overdue rewatch or if you haven't seen anything of the film beyond online clips, you've got plenty of chances to see it with five epic shows at the Sydney Opera House between Wednesday, July 16 and Saturday, July 19. 'Toy Story' in Concert will be playing at the Sydney Opera House from Wednesday, July 16 to Saturday, July 19. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the website. Presentation Licensed by Disney Concerts © Disney
We love a spontaneous adventure as much as the next person, but sometimes it pays to plan ahead. Case in point: Canberra. Sure, there are plenty of excellent ways to fill an impromptu jaunt to the capital — from hiking and mountain biking to blowing a few weeks' income in the Braddon boutiques. But if you're willing to do a little forward planning, you can secure your spot on some tours and take that trip to the next level. On such adventures, not only will you get to meet some locals (both humans and animals) and uncover some of the city's hidden gems, but you'll also avoid spending the entire time staring at Google Maps trying to navigate your way around. And, in the interest of saving you time now — and to save you from any internet rabbit holes — we've picked seven unexpected experiences you can have on your next Canberra vacay. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
Dust of your black-hued and gothic-looking outfits: what else do you wear to Wednesday Island, a fan festival dedicated to the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky Netflix series, that'll have Jenna Ortega (Death of a Unicorn), Emma Myers (A Minecraft Movie) and Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) in attendance? On Saturday, August 16, 2025, one Australian spot — Cockatoo Island / Wareamah in Sydney Harbour — will embrace the macabre with the Wednesday crew themselves. Netflix has been teasing Wednesday Island for a few weeks now, including officially announcing the event when the platform dropped the full trailer for Wednesday's second season, then opening entries for VIP attendance to feel like you're at Nevermore Academy. Now, the streamer has confirmed that Ortega, Myers and Burton will be there, and also Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who created the show in the spotlight (and wrote the screenplay to 2024's Burton-helmed, Ortega-starring Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). All five key Wednesday folks will make appearances at Wednesday Island as part of their global Doom tour to promote the series. Peach PRC and ŪLA are also on the lineup at Cockatoo Island's temporary makeover, providing the tunes. Netflix is calling the pop-up takeover a "Nevermore playground" and promising a "most grave surprise", too — and there'll be a walk-in doll's house and a cocktail spot as well. If you've always had a fondness for anything Addams Family-related, this probably sounds like a dream. Whether you first discovered pop culture's eeriest family via the 90s films, through old episodes of the 60s TV show, in various animated guises over the years — including on the big screen — or thanks to Wednesday, that fantasy can now become an IRL reality if you score admission to Wednesday Island. Applications for VIP double passes have closed, but you'll be able to enter for regular passes between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3 via the pop-up's website. To do so, you'll need to provide your details, and give an original and creative answer to this question: "in 25 words or less, confess your most delightfully deviant Outcast trait — the kind that would make Wednesday smirk with approval". You'll find out if you've scored a ticket on Monday, August 4. Only those aged over 16 can go in the running, and you'll then need to dress in attire to suit the Wednesday celebration. Boat transport to the island, plus one food and one beverage token, will be included if you're selected. As for watching the series when it returns for its second season, you'll be doing that in two batches. Part one arrives on Wednesday, August 6, then part two on Wednesday, September 3. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday Island is taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney on Saturday, August 16. Head to the pop-up's website to enter for general admission tickets between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3, 2025 — or just for further information. Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Bernard Walsh, Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
We all have private lives different to the ones we make public. And many of us assume that for every secret weird thing we have, uber rich people have 10. Extreme ambition and extravagant living seem to require a flipside. It's a tension explored on stage in Griffin's Dreams in White, which is partially inspired by the murder of Melbourne businessman Herman Rockefeller, who knew his killers through a swingers site. Michael Devine (Andrew McFarlane) is a debonair property developer with a loving wife (Lucy Bell) and better-than-average relationship with his 18-year-old daughter, Amy (Sara West). But it's a life he doesn't get to return to after he harasses a couple, David (Steve Rodgers) and Paula (Mandy McElhinney), who hooked up with him via his sex ad once and have no desire to do so again. Playwright Duncan Graham (Cut, Ollie and the Minotaur) does not take the obvious route in his storytelling, and that's a big part of what makes Dreams in White so appealing. It's a thriller in which you already know whodunnit, so the mystery is instead in seeing how a seemingly good man comes to be murdered by two other seemingly good people. We know Michael had a normal relationship with his wife, who never suspected his secret proclivities, but we assume this normal interaction rather than see it played out on stage. In fact, the husband and wife do not share a scene. Instead, we see Michael's sweet side through his relationship with his daughter. Their revealing late-night chats are singly the thing that gives Dreams in White great depth. The friendship and understanding he shows her, and the way he encourages her self-respect while she's going through typically dubious teen relationship experiments, seem in contrast to the man he is on the side — and yet also somehow essentially a sign of it, since he might not have that flexibility if not for his own experience with deviance. The performances are strong and fearless all round, with Bell's unanchored angst being particularly moving. Impressive, too, is the coolly manipulative calmness that suddenly switches on in McElhinney when she moves into her secondary role as Anne's psychiatrist. Once you've been hooked on the lean tension in Dreams in White, there is a brutal, unreserved payoff. Director Tanya Goldberg (The Story of Mary MacLane By Herself, Way to Heaven) has chosen to go all-out on the ending, which is confronting in the intimate confines of the Stables Theatre and saddening in the context of the characters you thought you knew. Image by Brett Boardman.
If there's a time warp we still love stepping into, it's a video store like Dr What. A local Sydney institution, the shop with Australia's largest range of rental titles brings back nostalgic memories of return dates, rewinding tapes and carefully curating the perfect combo of new releases and weeklies for $10. That was the '90s. Today, the shelves at Dr What are largely empty. The Crisford family, owners for 30-plus years, will soon be closing the doors of the iconic Bondi shop with its mad doctor mascot painted above the awning. Although the quirky name is thanks to the original owners who opened the store in 1981, it's the Crisfords who made it what is today. "It was in liquidation, there [were only] about two thousand movies and we had to work hard to build it back up," says Neal Crisford. "Very early it was porn and horror, then the action movies came in." Gradually, Neal, his wife, Carol, and later his son, Daniel, expanded the number of genres to include no less than 40,000 videos, all curated into carefully thought-out categories. "Rather than buying fifty copies of the one movie, we would buy a range," says Crisford. "We concentrate on buying odd stuff and in the early days, I … spent my time going around warehouses and finding little gems." You can hear the passion in his voice as he reminisces about finding these lesser-known movies, a testament to the store's support of the independent film industry. For years, filmmakers, university students and cinephiles have come to Dr What to source the rare and obscure, knowing that, as Crisford puts it, "if its available, there's a good chance you can get it at Dr What." At its peak, video rental was a ritual for most Australian families, with VCRs selling faster here than anywhere else in the world. Crisford considers the late '80s and early '90s as the most successful years, "before cable, before people had internet". "Back then you didn't have a lot of movies at home, they were expensive to buy," he says. "Purchases were probably 10 percent of the market, so most people would rent." But Crisford is also the first to admit the industry has been a roller-coaster. Though the store survived the transition from VHS to DVD, the online availability of films today has meant the store simply isn't profitable. "We're a non-profit organisation", Crisford adds with a wry smile. Until the end of the month, all VHS and DVD stock at Dr What is on sale and the loyal following the store has garnered over the years means "they're all going to good homes". "We worried about breaking up the collection, but people who really appreciate films, who love them and who've been our regular customers … can take a little bit of Dr What home with them". Crisford is also positive these regular customers will follow the store's move to an online platform. Though it may be the end of the bricks-and-mortar Dr What, part of the legendary collection will have an online life through Quickflix, which has bought some of the titles. Plus, Dr What will continue to provide film production services through their own website, and since Crisford has previously moonlighted as a film producer, he is keen to spend more time behind the camera. "That's an area we're going to expand … a TV show about films is one of the things we're looking at doing". In the days left, drop in to the shop for a heady dose of nostalgia and some bargain film finds to boot. Find Dr What at 562 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, open 10am-9pm Mon-Sat and 11am-9pm Sun. The store closes for the final time at the end of August.
It's been a long time coming, but the Speakeasy Group's hotly-anticipated Parramatta rooftop bar finally has a launch date — just a casual 18 months after it was first announced. Set to open its doors next week, way up on the 26th floor of the V by Crown development, Nick & Nora's will mark the group's sixth venue, joining a stable that includes hospitality hits like Eau de Vie, Mjolner and Melbourne's Boilermaker House. Pulling inspiration from Dashiell Hammett's novel The Thin Man and its fictional sleuthing characters Nick and Nora Charles, the sophisticated space is an homage to the roaring 30s. The group is currently putting the finishing touches on the venue, which features an opulent fit-out, lavish art deco touches and a whole lot of Champagne. It has room for an impressive 300 people, complete with a sprawling terrace boasting views across the CBD and Sydney Harbour. Even so, you can rest assured booze isn't taken lightly — the back bar selection will run to a hefty 900 spirits, while climate-controlled fridges are stocked with over 50 Champagnes from the world's most celebrated houses. The cocktail offering will be as tight as you'd expect from these pros, with a 30-strong list featuring multiple variations of martinis, sours and Champagne-infused sips. And we can't wait to see what delicious mischief the bar gets up to with its five liquid nitrogen stations. As for the food, expect an offering that holds its own against the plush vibe and ritzy drinks lineup — fine cheese and charcuterie, top-quality oysters and some of the world's best caviar promise an all-round opulent affair. The bar is part of Parramatta's huge V by Crown complex, which features a luxury 72-suite hotel, residential apartments and restaurant Husk and Vine. It's a big opening for the area — and one that looks to really kick off a bar boom. Nick & Nora's will open at Level 26, 45 Macquarie Street, Parramatta in the second week of October. We'll let you know when it's officially open. Images: Jiwon Kim.
Thinking about work-life balance when January hits is an annual tradition. The Christmas break has been and gone, everyone is making resolutions for the new year, and better dividing your time between your professional and personal realms becomes a goal for most. Come January 2025, the subject will get a bigger push via a hugely anticipated TV returns — and so will how work-life balance can weigh on your mind, or not. Capitalising on perfect timing, Apple TV+ will finally end the wait for more Severance, the sci-fi mindbender where disconnecting from your job come quittin' time — and giving your gig 100-percent of your focus during your daily grind — has become literal in a nightmarish way. At Lumon Industries, employees agree to undertake the titular procedure, which splits their memories between work and home. That tale will continue from Friday, January 17, 2025, a date that no one will want surgically removed from their head between now and then. This news calls for a waffle party, an egg bar or a melon bar. In the upcoming second season of the series — which was one of the best new shows of 2022 — more celebrations must be on the way based on the first sneak peek at new footage from back in June. Apple TV+ has now added to that initial glimpse with a first proper teaser trailer for Severance's second season. It's still brief, putting most of its emphasis on the elevator that Lumon's workers take to its labyrinthine workspace, as well as the verbal agreement that the show's key characters gave to having their recollections severed. If you missed season one, its dive into the kind of scenario that Black Mirror might've dreamed up, and technology that could've been used if Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was about punching the clock instead of romance, pushed Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark S (Adam Scott, Loot) to the fore. He willingly signed up for severance, all to help process his grief over the death of his wife. And he's happy with the situation until his work BFF Petey (Yul Vazquez, The Outsider) leaves suddenly without saying goodbye, then new staff member Helly (Britt Lower, American Horror Stories) comes in to replace him — and instantly starts questioning the insidious setup, the rules and restrictions needed to keep it in place, and why on earth her "outie" (as the outside versions of Lumon employees are known) agreed to this in the first place. In season two, Mark and his work pals will attempt to dig deeper into the consequences of the severance procedure, and trying to escape it. There isn't much more detail in the trailer, but the mood is disquieting — in typical Severance fashion. Tramell Tillman (Hunters), Zach Cherry (Fallout), Jen Tullock (Perry Mason), Michael Chernus (Carol & the End of the World), Dichen Lachman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), John Turturro (Mr & Mrs Smith), Christopher Walken (Dune: Part Two) and Patricia Arquette (High Desert) also star — and season two newcomer Gwendoline Christie (Wednesday) also pops up in the sneak peek. Ben Stiller (Escape at Dannemora) is back as a director on five episodes, and executive producer across the whole season, with ten episodes on the way. Apple TV+ will drop instalments through until Friday, March 21, 2025. Check out the first trailer for Severance season two below: Severance returns for season two on Friday, January 17, 2025 via Apple TV+.
To put it lightly, 2020 has been a pretty surprising year for most. And, while so many small businesses have been forced to downsize in recent months, business owner Lauren Lance found herself in an unexpected position: signing the lease on a second location for her bespoke plant store, The Borrowed Nursery. "I've been so fortunate that I'm in an industry that has seen growth," says Lance. "People are taking more pride in their house because they're spending more time in them." Pre-COVID-19, Lance's focus for The Borrowed Nursery was for it to be a plant hire company servicing people from Brisbane to Byron Bay. The initial inspiration struck when helping some friends plan a wedding. "We were mixing and matching pots to plant succulents in, and I thought there might be something in this idea," she says. As a former interior designer, Lance quickly identified a gap in the market. "There was corporate plant hire available, but nothing where you could be a bit more creative about what you were choosing," she says. "It was all about finding an identity of our own. We wanted to focus on a more 'design' approach." [caption id="attachment_780820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shaelah Ariotti[/caption] The early days were a flurry of activity, and Lance remembers scribbling down her daily figures on scraps of paper: "I was not tech savvy. Eventually I realised I needed systems in place, to see which plants were doing well, and where we were making money." After starting with a traditional point of sale system, Lance moved the business across to Square. "We had a machine from a bank, but there were too many limitations. With Square, we could still get all the information and tracking we needed, but it was more user-friendly and cost-effective for the business." After outgrowing its original space, The Borrowed Nursery moved into a new spot at Mermaid Beach. Now with triple the floorspace, Lance was able to start offering the nursery for event hire, too. The industrial-chic venue is a dream location, with soaring ceilings, exposed beams, painted brickwork, and peach-hued doors. Unsurprisingly, the hiring arm of the business was a huge success, and Lance was able to hire the space out for weddings and engagement parties, baby showers, corporate workshops and photo shoots. The business was moving rapidly when suddenly the industry came to a standstill. Under Queensland's lockdown restrictions, with weddings and events postponed indefinitely, The Borrowed Nursery had to pivot in order to survive. "It was really nerve-racking at the start. The plant hire and event hire just completely dried up," she says. [caption id="attachment_780817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shaelah Ariotti[/caption] Luckily, Lance was able to lean into the online retail side of the nursery, and noticed that people were buying plants in "volumes we usually only see at Christmas". Shoppers were particularly interested in air-purifying plants, with increased sales of snake plants, ribbon plants and devil's ivy. With people entertaining more at home, The Borrowed Nursery was also quick to boost its homewares line, adding cheeseboards and platters for sale. "Last week we even branched out and added in a cocktail mix, which is kind of random but it's really working, and it's nice to support another local brand," says Lance. Going forward, the business owner is excited to open her next outpost of The Borrowed Nursery, at a location recently secured in Albion, Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_780818" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shaelah Ariotti[/caption] Following Queensland's lockdown period, The Borrowed Nursery is currently focusing on traditional bricks and mortar retail. But Lance feels confident the e-commerce side of the business will be supported as it expands. "Square helped us with Click and Collect, and it's good to know that it's in the background for our next stage," she says. "You have to ride the wave. You have to be resilient. And you have to remember what your motivation is. For me, it was always about creating something from nothing, creating something truly unique, so that has kept me going." Find out how Square is supporting small businesses with the tools they need to grow, here. Top image: Shaelah Ariotti
The icy winter months have returned, and with them, an onslaught of hearty comfort meals — and plenty of truffles. To celebrate the return of truffle season, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is ushering in the cooler weather at Mode Kitchen & Bar with a winter-themed menu available from Tuesday, July 9. Until the end of August, the venue is making truffle more accessible by offering guests the option to add a shaving of black truffle to top off any dish for an extra $20. You'll be able to indulge in dishes curated by Executive Chef Francesco Mannelli, from a creamy truffle-topped risotto to a lobster spaghetti or the restaurant's belly-warming vego tagliatelle ripene with a seasoning of truffle and more. Plus, truffle enthusiasts have even more reasons to celebrate as Mode Kitchen and Bar will also be hosting a single-night sagra event on Thursday, August 8. You can join the team at Moda for Sagra, a traditional Italian-style celebration dedicated to showcasing the finest of the seasonal delicacy, black truffle. Guests will venture through five stations of truffle-infused dishes curated by award-winning guest chefs and top-notch vino to pair. You'll indulge in a stellar selection from tagliatelle served in a parmesan cheese wheel and fine cuts of wagyu to bite-sized gnocchi fritto and a truffle tiramisu. Renowned names like Luca Ciano, Enrico Maritan and Andrea Accordi are set to appear on the stacked lineup of celebrity chefs, so you'll want to snap up your ticket ASAP. Plus, there'll be live entertainment to accompany, with the accordion duo According To Us playing vibrant tunes throughout the night. Tickets are $120 per person but are available for a discounted $100 as part of an early bird offer until Wednesday, July 31. Find more details on the website or secure tickets at the event page.
If you're more about the bean than the brunch, then Primary Coffee Roasters is the joint for you. The only food on offer is a selection of mouth-watering pastries from Penny Fours in Leichhardt, so the staff's full attention is focused on making you the perfect cup of coffee. And Primary's team has quite the background, too — with owner Dan Kim known in Sydney coffee circles for his work at Brewtown in Newtown and Heritage Coffee Brewers in Summer Hill. As well as serving up great lattes and the like, Primary is also a big supporter of The Umuvumu Project, raising money to help the children of coffee farmers in Rwanda. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Watching a cursor move around a computer screen doesn't sound very exciting, let alone frightening. There's only so much intrigue to be found in basically watching over someone's shoulder as they flick between YouTube, Skype, Facebook, Spotify, Gmail and iMessage — or is there? It depends what they're up to, of course, and in these always-online times, that could be anything. In Unfriended, the MacBook user in question, high schooler Blaire Lily (Shelley Hennig), is doing quite a few things. First, she's watching shocking footage of her friend, Laura Barns, committing suicide exactly a year earlier, as well as the embarrassing video that drove her to her death. Next, she's cyber flirting with her boyfriend, Mitch (Moses Jacob Storm). Then they're both video chatting with pals Adam (Will Peltz), Jess (Renee Olstead), Ken (Jacob Wysocki) and Val (Courtney Halverson). They're not the only ones taking part in the conversation, as they soon realise. Their Skype call also includes an unknown party, but hanging up on the unpleasant troll isn't as easy as it should be. At the same time, Blaire starts receiving strange Facebook messages from Laura, despite her dearly departed status. Mitch suggests that their virtual gatecrasher is Laura's ghost in the machine, a prediction that seems laughable at first, but less so as the interloper's taunts get increasingly violent — and personal. Yes, this is a supernatural revenge film. Yes, it swaps a handheld camera for a computer screen in the next evolution of the found footage genre. Yes, that means that the entirety of Unfriended unfolds on a laptop, as scared teens are taunted by an unseen foe. Director Levan Gabriadze, writer Nelson Greaves and producer Timur Bekmambetov — the helmer of Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as well the most famous name involved with the ultra low-budget production — simply toy with the usual horror narrative in the same way their villain plays with the characters. It's both obvious and ingenious, and it mostly works. Setting the movie within an overlapping cascade of constantly minimised and maximised application windows places the potential victims in an immensely relatable situation — i.e. staring at a computer for hours on end. More than that, it also ramps up the suspense. A couple of bloody set pieces aside, the usual jumps are largely absent, with few scares to be found in pixilated video that keeps the characters' fearful faces on screen as much as possible. However, tension ripples through every typed then deleted message and every mouse move to the wrong place. Blaire and her friends are on the edge of their keyboards, and the audience is inching towards the edge of their seats. Unfriended also offers a critique of online interaction from bullying to shaming, though there's nothing new in its exposé of the awful ways people behave when they think they're anonymous. There's nothing new in the cast's performances as self-absorbed, fighting and terrified teens, either, other than accurately reflecting the right age and behaviour. Innovation doesn't matter here, though; the movie only ever promises a modern update. When it clicks, it clicks. When it doesn't, it's still not enough to make you want to log off.
It's not every day that Thom Yorke just happens to turn up at your festival. But that's exactly what happened last year at the inaugural OutsideIn. Taking that as a pretty good sign, as well as the crowd’s intensely positive response, promoters Astral People (Tom Huggett, Lee Danilewitz and Vichara Edirisinghe) are back for another round. The festival aims to capture the energy and scope of an outdoor Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival and reproduce it inside. This year's lineup features Hermitude, Freddie Gibbs, Astral People presents Since I Left You, BadBadNotGood, Jam City, Objekt, Laurel Halo, Mark Pritchard, Cosmo's Midnight, Oisima Andras Fox & Oscar Key Sung, Rainbow Chan, Snakehips, Wave Racer, Willow Beats, Elizabeth Rose, Movement and I'lls. After headliner Zomby's cancellation, there are also two new sideshows scheduled for 21 and 22 September. Sideshow 1 features Objekt, Laurel Halo and Jam City on Saturday, 21 September 21, at the Civic Underground, and sideshow 2 sees Freddie Gibbs, BadBadNotGood and Snakehips take the Oxford Art Factor stage on Sunday, 22 September. Ultimately, Astral People are hoping to take OutsideIn nationwide.
Great news, dog lovers of Australia: you can now expect to see more pups at more pubs around the country. When 18 venues around the nation start serving pooches their very own version of charcuterie — adorably dubbed 'barkuterie' — there's bound to be one big result: a flurry of humans bringing their four-legged best friends out for a bite. If you spend your life with a canine companion, you'll be able to take your barking buddy to bars in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia from Saturday, September 16. On the menu: barkuterie boards created in collaboration with online pet supplies retailer Pet Circle, featuring three dog treats from Nature's Cuts and Zignature paired with seasonal fruit and vegetables. So, while you drink and graze, so can your pupper. Just don't go giving your dog any beer to go with their barkuterie board, of course. The canine snack plate comes in at $12, and arrives to celebrate spring. It's a limited-time special, however, getting tails wagging for four weeks — or until stocks last. Of course BrewDog is getting in on the barkuterie spread, which is great news for folks who can hit up the Scottish beer brand's venues at South Eveleigh in Sydney and Murarrie, at its DogTap Brisbane Australian base, in Brisbane. Harbour City residents can also take their pup to The Winery in Surry Hills, while Sunshine State folks can make a date with the Crown Hotel in Lutwyche and Everton Park Hotel. In Victoria, Richmond's Bridge Hotel is joining in — and folks in WA have Victoria Park Hotel and The Bassendean Hotel to choose from. It's a great time to be a dog devotee in SA, with Brighton Metro Hotel, The Duck Inn, Mick O'Sheas, Waterloo Station, The Hope Inn, Robe Hotel, The Colonist, Parkside Hotel, Naracoorte Hotel and The Victoria Hotel in Strathalbyn all on the list. "More Aussies than ever consider their dog as their fur-child and are looking for experiences to do with them. They are taking them to cafes and pubs, and now dogs have their very own menu. They say the way to a dog's heart is through its stomach so we hope all the dogs really love the barkuterie boards," said Pet Circle Head Vet Teagan Lever. 2023 has already delivered doughnut-shaped biscuits for dogs — now this is your next excuse to treat your pet. Pet Circle's barkuterie boards will be available from Saturday, September 16 at 18 venues around Australia — for four weeks until Friday, October 13, or until stocks last.
Hanging solo in Sydney can be a beautiful thing. When you're caught up in company you might not notice the little things — like the fact that your train is going over Sydney Harbour on the actual Sydney Harbour Bridge — and you definitely don't get the whole plate of dumplings to yourself. But Sydney ain't no Japan and we don't have a restaurant that will place a giant stuffed animal across from you so you don't feel awkward dining alone, so if you're seeking full loner solitude, it's best to choose your spots wisely. We got solo artist and new Sydney producer Wishes — who's doing some shows with Neon Indian next month and has just racked up some pretty sweet Spotify stats with his debut single 'I Want To Be Alone With You' — to give us the prime places for successful solo hangs. They're perfect for brooding, staring blankly off into the horizon or simply drowning your lonesome sorrows in a big, beautiful plate of dumplings. CHINESE NOODLE RESTAURANT(S), HAYMARKET Best dumplings in Sydney, hands down — and it just happens to be right near my studio. Dirt cheap as well. There are three Chinese Noodle Restaurants in close proximity of each other, but they all offer the same menu, so take your pick. It's communal seating and they pack people in, so they're are perfect for sneaking in a meal alone. I went by myself once and was allocated a seat at a two-seater table. Five minutes later a pretty girl sat opposite me and we struck up a conversation — things we’re going great until it became clear she had come to meet a Tinder date, and after realising I wasn't the guy she was suppose to be meeting, left abruptly. True story. OBSERVATORY HILL PARK, MILLERS POINT If you don't have a massive problem with people rocking selfie sticks, then I'd definitely recommend Observatory Hill. Great views of the harbour, and plenty of spaces to sit alone and stare off into the middle distance pensively. I went to the actual observatory (i.e. not the parklands surrounding, but the building housing the telescope) on a year six excursion and, from memory, it was great. So would recommend that too. THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE, SURRY HILLS I could have just done a list of five bars to drink in by yourself – but The Local takes the cake. The ambiguous seating arrangement in the downstairs section means that you're unlikely to get that I'm-alone-in-a-bar-and-everyone-is-starting-at-me feeling, as the orientation of the couches defies all logic. For the more outdoorsy solo drinker types, there is a great rooftop bar. Additionally, they have heaps of beers on offer, and they are constantly changing their kegs. Perfect for drowning your lonesome sorrows. HORNBY LIGHTHOUSE, WATSONS BAY There's a bit of a walk to get up there, but the Hornby Lighthouse has, without a doubt, the best views of Sydney. It’s pretty much a cliff with a lighthouse and a stone gazebo-like structure. If you stand on said cliff you can see Sydney in all its glory on one side, and the ocean/big wide world on the other. Perfect for loner reflection. Word of warning, though: it's probably a make-out spot at night, so maybe best that you make day of it. CHINESE GARDENS OF FRIENDSHIP, DARLING HARBOUR Feeling lonesome in Sydney? Then what better place to go then the Chinese Garden of Friendship. Right? I've never been inside, but the photos look amazing — and apparently they've got real live carp! I went once and baulked at the price of admission, and instead just walked around the outside of the place. I managed to catch a glimpse of a big lizard (Komodo dragon?) through the fence — so if you're cheap, maybe just do that. By Wishes. Wishes will be supporting Neon Indian in Wollongong on Monday, December 14 and Sydney at the Oxford Arts Factory on Tuesday, December 15. For more information, visit his Facebook page. Images: Chinese Noodle Restaurant, Alpha via Flickr; Hornby Lighthouse, Toma Iakopo; Chinese Garden of Friendship, Matt Chan.
Electric Keys will showcase the Powerhouse Museum's newly acquired private collection of 20th century keyboards in a refreshingly niche, long running exhibition. The electronic instruments will complement the Museum's existing collection of mechanical musical objects, which includes early 20th century pianos and organs to modern-day synthesisers. The collection will explore the modern keyboard's development and contribution across jazz, pop, soul and rock. One of the highlights is the Model B3 Hammond organ: a 1954 invention which weighs in at 132 kilograms and was a favourite among professional musicians in the 1960–70s. Image: Hohner Clavinet D6, developed by Ernt Zacharias for Hohner Germany, 1967, Powerhouse Collection
Following blockbuster exhibitions in 2017 and 2019, The National: New Australian Art is once again gracing Sydney's galleries, with the monumental contemporary Australian art exhibition spanning the Art Gallery of NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Carriageworks. Just what this biennial showcase highlights is right there in its title — and there's plenty of it in 2021, with the exhibition unveiling 39 newly commissioned works. The focus: art from local emerging, mid-career and established artists, including creatives that hail from both urban and regional areas. The exhibition opened on Friday, March 26, and is on display through until June 20 at Carriageworks, until August 22 at the MCA and until September 5 at AGNSW. Highlights include Betty Muffler and Maringka Burton's large-scale landscapes, Alick Tipoti's hefty fibreglass sculptures that resemble sea creatures and James Tylor's daguerreotype installation, which reclaims Kaurna place names, all of which are now on display at AGNSW. Or, the MCA is currently home to a five-metre-tall kinetic wind-powered sculpture by Cameron Robbins and Lauren Berkowitz's statement on the environment using plastic waste, while the Karrabing Film Collective, Vernon Ah Kee, Dalisa Pigram, Isadora Vaughan and Lorraine Connelly-Northey all have pieces on display at Carriageworks. [caption id="attachment_805496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alick Tipoti, 'Dhangal Madhubal' (2021) & 'Baydham' (2021). Courtesy the artist. 'Girelal' (2011) Carins Art Gallery, Queensland donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Editions Tremblay 2021. Courtesy the artist and Cairns Art Gallery. Copyright the artist. Photo by AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] As overseen by AGNSW Curator of Asian Art Matt Cox, AGNSW Assistant Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Erin Vink, MCA Chief Curator Rachel Kent and Carriageworks' independent curator Abigail Moncrieff, the multi-gallery exhibition spans everything from sculpture, textiles, painting, photography and film to installation and performance pieces, all exploring a number of interconnecting themes. Some works cast a particular lens on the environment, its destruction and the role we play in that destruction — as well as delving into the general feeling of global uncertainty which seems to permeate into every aspect of life lately. Other themes explored include relationships to Country, collaboration and intergenerational learning. Also pivotal: works from remote communities such as Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands), Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land, Zendah Kes (Torres Strait Islands), and Belyuen, on the northwest coast of the Northern Territory. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in this exhibition present works that exist between moments of categorisation and form, relying on and claiming Indigenous and non-Eurocentric forms of knowledge," said Vink, with AGNSW's lineup spanning pieces from 17 artists, including five Indigenous creatives. If you're heading to MCA, you'll see works from 13 artists, with a key focus on diverse approaches to the environment and storytelling. Over at Carriageworks, questioning and responsiveness are in the spotlight, as seen through the efforts of another 13 artists and artist collectives. This year marks the third instalment The National, which started as a six-year initiative to explore and display the latest practices, ideas and philosophies in Australian modern art. Previous iterations have proven huge hits, attracting more than 600,000 visitors across the three venues. It's career-defining stuff for many artists involved — and all three venues have committed to the continuation of The National beyond 2021. The National 2021: New Australian Art opened on Friday, March 26 — and displays at Carriageworks until June 20, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia until August 22 and at the Art Gallery of NSW until September 5. For further details, head to the exhibition website. Top images: Kate Just 'Anonymous Was a Woman' (2019–2021, installation view. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Image courtesy and copyright the artist. Photo by Anna Kucera. Maree Clarke, Photograph of Jacob (2020), Photograph of Aaron (2020), installation view. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Image courtesy and copyright the artist. Photo by Anna Kucera.
A great cocktail doesn't have to be merely a fun drink — in the right hands, it can also be a form of entertainment. This is a facet of mixology that the multi-award-winning crew at Maybe Group know intimately. At each of their venues in Sydney, including the much-lauded Maybe Sammy, theatrics and cocktails go hand in hand, so it comes as no surprise that the latest drinks selection at Maybe Group's plush penthouse bar, Dean & Nancy on 22, has more than a few surprises in store. Offering a journey beyond reality, this lofty cocktail lounge at the A by Adina Hotel (which Concrete Playground ranked as the 6th best place to drink in Sydney) is inviting Sydneysiders to explore the World of Dreams menu. Featuring 14 deliciously creative cocktails, including Dean & Nancy's first interactive sip, the new menu adds yet more whimsy courtesy of Sydney artist Sue Cadzow, who drew inspiration from her own dreams to create fantastical illustrations for each new signature mingle. Among the weird and wonderful beverages on offer is the Velvet Venom Milk Punch — served in a sea urchin-shaped vessel — which mixes Flor de Caña 12-year-old Rum infused with matcha, toasted rice, coconut, almond and vanilla to deliver an unexpected tropical sweetness from within its spiky exterior. The flavours of this cocktail slowly unfold like a hidden treasure found by those willing to plunge deeper. The Hanami Bellini brings together Roku Gin, Amaretto Disaronno, peach, Sakura Vermouth, orange and sparkling wine, evoking the beauty of cherry blossoms and the fleeting nature of dreams. For something a little more on the nose, the Bubble Dream Spritz takes inspiration from the idea that bubbles are doorways to new and thrilling realities. The star of the show is sure to be the Ayahuasca Daisy, featuring tequila, honeydew and apricot tea, berries and Montenegro amaro. Each order comes with 3D glasses so drinkers can enjoy an innovative, sensory, dreamlike experience. We won't spoil the surprise, but this drink ranks among the most ambitious beverage concepts Maybe Group has ever served. For those hoping to dream a little longer Dean & Nancy on 22 is collaborating with A by Adina Sydney to offer an overnight cocktail lover package. By booking accommodation, visitors will receive a $100 credit to spend at the hotel's penthouse bar, along with a guaranteed table reservation. And to sweeten the deal, guests can enjoy a 1pm late check-out and a box of Maybe Sammy's famous bottled cocktails. "The World of Dreams cocktail experience awakens the dreamer with every sip," says Stefano Filardi, Dean & Nancy on 22's Bar Manager. "Each cocktail is crafted to evoke wonder, mystery, and the desire to explore and enjoy the uncharted territories of your imagination." Find Dean & Nancy on 22 at 2 Hunter Street in the CBD. For reservations, head to the Dean & Nancy on 22 website.
The last week of summer is here, so you might soon expect your social calendar to take a major dip. Yet electrolyte brand Liquid I.V. is working to keep you immersed in life-affirming experiences for the foreseeable future, giving away $100,000 in prizes designed to keep people out and about both in Australia and overseas. Taking place at Manly Wharf from 10am–5pm on Saturday, February 28, simply scan any stick of Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier or Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free Hydration Multiplier at the on-site booth. This earns you a special 'Sticket' — aka your chance to win any of the epic prizes — with the loot up for grabs no small thing. Your Sticket could score you tickets to the Elrow dance music festival in Spain or Bali, as well as tickets to Field Day 2027 or Mighty Hoopla 2027. Also in the prize pool are passes to Yacht Social Club 2027, a 2026 United Cup Champion Player Autograph, LSKD activewear vouchers, and a year's supply of Liquid I.V — alongside 1800 more instant-win prizes. On the day, singer-songwriter and television personality Alli Simpson will be hosting the fun-loving giveaway, ramping up the feel-good vibe even further. What's more, there's an incentive for getting down early. The first 50 people are guaranteed a prize, so put that hydration to good use and score a memory-making prize that ensures your last day of summer is extra special.
Four-legged friends are much more than just friends. They are a reason to get out of bed in the morning and go for a walk; they offer unwavering loyalty; and they can sense your emotions to know exactly when you need a cuddle. So, it's only fitting that you treat your pooch like a member of the family. Just like any good family member, sometimes pooches need to be spoiled, too. So, in partnership with American Express, we've rounded up a selection of the most useful, cute and plush pet presents to bequeath them with. Whether it's a botanical wash that will leave your dog smelling as good as (or even better than) you, or a chew toy that's as chic as the accessories in your own wardrobe, these gifts will be sure to please the pup in your life.
For more than two decades now, the sound of much in the science-fiction, fantasy and horror genres on-screen — small and big alike, and across not only TV and movies but also video games — has hailed from Bear McCreary. The show that kickstarted his career: Battlestar Galactica. In his mid-twenties, McCreary began living his score-composing dream when assisting on the 2004 miniseries led to a job on the 2004–09 TV series that followed. Next came Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, another entry on a resume that's now filled with bringing his own sonic spin to well-known realms again and again. With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., McCreary stepped into Marvel's orbit, for instance. Before it was a television sensation, The Walking Dead came from graphic novels. Outlander stems from the books of the same name. Everything from the Snowpiercer TV series and Isaac Asimov adaptation Foundation through to prequel series The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, streaming's Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Halo as a television show — plus movies Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Child's Play, and both 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox — also fit. "I did the show for The Omen," McCreary notes to Concrete Playground, mentioning more. "I did a game in the Star Wars universe." "That's quite a list," he continues. "It's funny, now that you put it all together, it's like 'wow, maybe more often than I haven't, I've been'," McCreary says of his long lineup of projects based on recognisable titles so far. "But that really is a commentary on our industry today, which involves so much recycling of older IP." [caption id="attachment_1013960" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Timothy Norris/Getty Images for The Recording Academy[/caption] For God of War and God of War Ragnarök, McCreary has two BAFTA Games Awards. His three Grammy nominations in three successive years — 2023–25 — come from Call Of Duty: Vanguard, God of War Ragnarök again and the latter's DLC pack God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla. The Emmys have recognised his work on Human Target, Black Sails and Outlander with nominations, and on Da Vinci's Demons with a win for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. McCreary has also scored five films in a row for director Christopher Landon: Happy Death Day and its sequel Happy Death Day 2U, Freaky, We Have a Ghost and 2025's Drop. He's been reading scripts for the upcoming third season of The Rings of Power when we chat, and his efforts are now echoing from the third season of Foundation, too. But 2025 has also been about a first for him; although he's far from new to performing his music in concert, he's been embarking upon his first proper tour. After dates in Europe and North America across April and May, McCreary is playing four Australian dates between Wednesday, July 23–Monday, July 28: at The Forum in Melbourne, Sydney's Enmore Theatre, Eatons Hill Hotel in Brisbane and Perth's Astor Theatre. [caption id="attachment_1013953" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ted Sun[/caption] When you primarily compose for the screen, what does it mean to be able to play your music live to an audience in concert? "There's a fundamental thing about making music that I love and crave. And when you write music for the screen, you get it in a weird way — and that is that audience feedback," McCreary advises. "You get it over time. You get it online, interacting with people out in the world that may figure out who you are — but for the most part, you don't experience your music with other people. You just sort of trust that it's out in the universe and people like it or they don't; they're having an experience." "So I wanted that visceral, immediate sense of community and interaction. And playing music live for an audience, it happens immediately. You can feel it. There's an electricity in the air. And I was craving that. I had performed a lot, maybe 15 years ago, when I had done Battlestar Galactica — I performed that music live with increasing frequency. And I sort of stepped away from that in order to solidify my career in film, television and video games. But it was time to get back to it. It was time to get back to my roots," he says. Australian audiences aren't just being treated to music from many of the above titles live when McCreary takes to the stage, however. In 2024, he also released The Singularity, his star-studded debut rock album. How did his big break on Battlestar Galactica help lead him to here — and before that, how did being self-described lifelong "soundtrack-collecting nerd" and "sci-fi/fantasy/horror nerd", too, as well as the type of kid who recorded the soundtrack to Back to the Future in the cinema as a six year old, set him on this path? We also spoke with McCreary about that, finding inspiration for his projects, the intimate relationship that audiences have with music for the screen, evolving the sound of a series, repeat collaborations, a future stage musical and much, much more. On Battlestar Galactica Becoming McCreary's Big Break "I really have to go back to when I was five. I was obsessed with film music, even when I was five or six years old. I started collecting soundtracks. I started trying to write my own music when I was like seven or eight. And by the time I was 13, I was writing music all day, every day — and bringing in everybody around me that I could. My friends in high school, I would force them to be in bands and come over to record. When I got to college, I started doing student films with increasingly large student orchestras. Anybody that I met that could make a movie or play an instrument, I tried to work with them. So by the time I was an assistant on Battlestar Galactica at the age of 21, 22, I'd put in my 10,000 hours a couple times. So as I recall, I had the opportunity to score one episode of the show while they were looking for a real composer — because no television series of that scale would hire an unproven 23-year-old child. Whether or not I'd worked on the miniseries, I mean, it just didn't matter, they were looking for somebody else. And I did the first episode of the show — I did work with Richard Gibbs [The Simpsons, 10 Things I Hate About You] on the miniseries and learned a lot during that experience, and contributed some to the sound of Battlestar Galactica. And then I had the chance to do one episode, and I guess the rest is history. I remember at the end of that episode, the producer sat me down and said 'well, why don't you come in tomorrow? Let's take a look at the next episode'. And there it was." On Why McCreary Was Drawn to Film Scores as a Child "When I was a baby, my mum would take me to movies. She took me to movies that you shouldn't take a baby to go see — dramas like The Natural and Gandhi. I saw The Empire Strikes Back when I was two. I was so small that I think I wasn't tall enough to see over the seat. My mum would set her purse down, because the flip seat would otherwise smash me. So I do think that for some of these movies, I sat there staring at the back of a chair, listening to the movie. And when I was six, a film called Back to the Future came out. And that one really caught my ears. And I asked my mom to take me a second night. So we went back the next night after I saw Back to the Future. This time, I snuck in a cassette recorder — my little Fisher-Price cassette recorder — and I held it up over my head and I recorded the movie so that I could hear the music, and fast forward past all that annoying dialogue and sound effects. So even at age six, I was trying to filter out the other sounds in a film so I could hear what was going on in the music. Why that is, I don't know. But you can easily imagine how you take a kid that's wired that way, and I'm definitely on path to become a soundtrack-collecting nerd, which I still am — if you combine that with the piano playing that I started learning at that time, it was almost like 'ohh, it's chocolate and peanut butter, let's put those together. I can use those skills to explore this passion'. So it really was something I knew that I wanted to do from a very young age." On Where McCreary's Inspiration Comes From, Especially When Working on Projects with Such Pivotal Source Material "I definitely feel very fortunate that I can take on projects that inspire me. And every once in a while somebody will call me about a project, and I will confess to them that I think their story is really solid and their vision is really clear, and I'm just not excited by what they want and that they deserve to have someone who's passionate about the kind of story they want to tell. That happens pretty rarely, because I started my career with Battlestar Galactica. And then I went to Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and then The Walking Dead and Outlander and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And I've worked with Godzilla and Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and God of War. I grew up a sci-fi/fantasy/horror nerd, so I very much planted my career in the orchard I wanted to grow in. So I'm very fortunate to be inspired by the material that I'm offered, but also I am inspired by going back to the music that I loved as a kid. I think there's some scientific truth that the ages 12 to 16 are where our brains form, and we form a bond with media at that age that is lifelong. And I do find myself returning to that material and even applying it to modern material. When I scored The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, I was inspired by Howard Shore's music for the films to a degree, but I was 21 when those came out. I was more inspired by James Horner [Titanic, Avatar], John Williams [Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park], Basil Poledouris [Conan the Barbarian, Starship Troopers], Jerry Goldsmith [Planet of the Apes, Star Trek], Ennio Morricone [The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West]. I think if you put my scores for Rings of Power up against those older scores from the 80s and 90s, there's a more obvious connection there. That's where my heart lies. So I want music to make you feel the way the music from my childhood made me feel." [caption id="attachment_794091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jackson Lee Davis/AMC[/caption] On Thinking — or Not — About the Intimate Relationship That Audiences Have with Music for the Screen "I try not to think about that, because it adds undue pressure. Ultimately, my job is I need to write that scene and make it work, and if I start thinking about writing something that transcends that, it just adds undue pressure. When I wrote The Walking Dead main title, if I had been thinking 'well, this needs to last 15 years — or more, the rest of your life. This little idea, is it good enough? Is it good enough to last forever?', I would freak myself out, right. 'No, it's not. It can't be that good.' No, I just needed to tell this 30-second story for The Walking Dead main title. And that 30 seconds arguably is the most-successful 30 seconds I've written in my entire career. So I try not to think about those things, but I am grateful for those transformative relationships, because I have those. So many of my favourite scores are for films that I have not seen as many times as I've listened to the scores. Or the scores transcend even the movies. The movies not might even be that good, but the scores become invaluable to me. And I try to have space in my heart for being grateful for that. If that happens, if I can write this scene, do my job, but also be open to the fact that maybe some six-year-old kid will hear that and want to record it and listen to it again — if I could be part of somebody else's journey the way that Alan Silvestri [Back to the Future, Predator] or Elmer Bernstein [The Magnificent Seven, Ghostbusters] inspired me — that's a pretty magical thing. And I try to be grateful for the possibility without applying pressure to myself that I have to do that." On the Sense of Responsibility That Comes with Working on Projects with Inbuilt Fanbases Attached Because They've Existed in Some Form Before "That definitely comes with, I don't want to say pressure, but a thing to be mindful of. And I always try to look at something through the lens of a fan and deliver what is most effective for the most-passionate fans, and yet will not be distracting or kitschy for someone who does not know that material. I think I was very successful in that in particular with Battlestar Galactica and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Both had big, brassy fanfares that were — in one, the Godzilla march was written in the 50s by Akira Ifukube; Battlestar Galactica was written in the 70s by Stu Phillips, obviously as a response to Star Wars. And nothing could have been further from the trend in scoring when I did Battlestar or Godzilla than big brassy marches. But in both cases, I struggled and found ways to very earnestly and lovingly take that music and bring it into something that sounds very modern — that doesn't sound like a cameo or an homage, it just sounds like the score. And if you know, you know. And that's what, I guess, I pride myself on that. I try to be very respectful of the older material, and maybe part of it is karmic — eventually people will be doing new versions of all these things, right? I'm a steward of this material for a while, and I hope at some point in the future, when somebody does a remake or continuation of something I worked on, that I'll be afforded the same consideration." On the Thrill of Being Able to Add Your Voice to a Genre or Title That You've Always Loved, Like Fantasy and Lord of the Rings "It's pretty incredible. It's almost unlike anything else. Just earlier today, I was reading scripts from the new season. And I've had the same experience every time I read the scripts: 'I get to do that? I get to do that! Wait, I get to do that!'. I'm giddy. It's like a joyous experience. It fills me with joy. I've never really felt pressure, except in the second season, I think, when I wrote a song called 'Old Tom Bombadil' — I did feel the weight there. Tom Bombadil [played by Rory Kinnear, Toxic Town] appears in the show. He's a beloved character who goes very deep in the lore. If you loved these movies and you don't know who we're talking about, that's how deep it goes. He was not in the Peter Jackson films. Probably the most-glaring omission from those films. So for him to be in our show is a big deal — and he sings. When you read the book, like half his dialogue is in verse. And I realised that aside from writing a song for a television show, I was potentially codifying, in an official adaptation of Tolkien's material, a melody for Tom Bombadil that people would hear in their heads when they read Fellowship of the Ring. That is the first time that I've really felt that weight — of working outside the medium. I'm not even thinking about the show. He appears very briefly in the show. It's not really that big a deal. But the idea that if this melody is good, it might resonate with people the next time they read Fellowship of the Ring — and at that time I was writing it, I was reading it to my daughter. And so before the show even came out, I got to give it a test run. When we got to the Tom Bombadil pages and I caught myself going 'ohh, he started to sing. Should I? Should I try it? Should I try my melody? Here it goes'. And I just rolled those lyrics right off the tip of my tongue, using that melody, and it worked. And I was pretty happy. I was pretty happy with that." On Bringing a Sense of Weight, Urgency and Epicness to a Score, Such as Foundation "I am still looking to the masters that I grew up listening to. And in the case of Elmer Bernstein, I came of age with him as a mentor. I knew him personally. I think it's fascinating your question — because how does the Foundation main titles start? Sparkling flutes and clarinets. Cellist. Glockenspiel. This very light, delicate, sparkling cloud of particles. It's not heavy at all. And you get acclimated to that texture — and then halfway through, when the bottom drops and suddenly 'boom', now we're getting epic. It feels more epic, because I actually reacclimate your sense of frequencies. I sort of took those frequencies away for a while. So it's through that kind of contrast that I think you can achieve real dynamics and emotional impact. And with Foundation, that's the name of the game. We're telling a story that takes place over like a millennium, and asking the audience to keep track of characters spanning centuries. So I'm really trying to tread lightly where I can, so that I can come back in with devastating impact." On Evolving the Sound of a Series Across Multiple Episodes and Seasons "I have found I have to be very open-minded. Not evolving the sound is much harder for me than evolving it. Granted, I've never done like a Law & Order show that goes on for my entire life and is very similar every week, so I'm already taking on shows where the characters change a lot. And look, my first show was Battlestar Galactica, and I learned this real fast — I had a theme for Starbuck [Katee Sackhoff, Fight or Flight] and I really wasn't looking ahead. So she escapes from the planet in episode 104, big triumphant moment, and I've got this theme that I kind of decided 'oh, that's her theme'. And then in the eighth episode, she starts torturing this guy, Leoben [Callum Keith Rennie, Star Trek: Discovery]. And suddenly I'm realising the range that our show has, and we are creating complex characters. Just four episodes later, after her triumphant fanfare, I wanted to use that same theme but tell a very different story — and I had to really work because I hadn't prepared for that. I really wasn't looking ahead. So having learned from that, I am often looking ahead now. Knowing what's coming really helps, but also just being flexible. You don't always know what's coming. Certainly when I started the first episode of Walking Dead, no one would have been talking about season ten. No one would have been thinking 'in a dozen years'. We were just thinking 'we've got six episodes here, how can we we stretch this formula for six episodes? Here we go'. And I ended up doing 100, I don't even know — I've lost count. Many, more than 100." On Returning Collaborations with the Same Filmmaker, Such as Christopher Landon's Movies From Happy Death Day to Drop "I adore Chris Landon. I love that relationship. And so many of my favourite composers had these long-term relationships. And I've studied their scores. I think subconsciously, we all have. Spielberg-Williams. And George Lucas and John Williams. Hisaishi and Miyazaki on all the Studio Ghibli movies. Danny Elfman and Tim Burton. Fellini and Rota. There are so many more. And we start understanding that this director's style, this director's voice, is aided by this composer's sound. And with Chris, he is the feature film director with whom I have worked the most. We've currently done five films together in the span of not ten years. So I cherish that relationship. And I'm always trying to keep up with Chris. He is such a visionary. He's always combining different genres. It's a slasher and teen drama. Now we're going to throw in Back to the Future time travel. Now I'm going to do Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th. And I'm just like 'okay, okay, hold on. Hold on, Chris. Give me a minute. Let me catch up. Let me catch up with you'. Drop was — maybe it was in some ways the easiest, and in some ways the hardest, because it completely shook up the rhythm. I read his script for Drop, and I called him and I said 'Chris, I think you're just making a movie — you're making a movie with one tone. I can't believe it. This is essentially a high-concept 90s thriller. That's it'. And he goes 'yeah, isn't it fun?'. So it really took me a minute to recalibrate and just do one genre with Chris Landon. That was a nice, welcome surprise. [caption id="attachment_1013961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images[/caption] On the Ultimate New Composing Music Challenges for McCreary "I think to be completely honest with you, I am so grateful to have worked on all of the things that I already described. Any one of those is a dream project. I think it's why you can see me working in other mediums where I am not established — where I'm the very small fish in a big pond. I put out my first metal record last year, The Singularity. And on that I collaborated with Serj Tankian from System of a Down, Slash, Jens Kidman from Meshuggah, Kim Thayil from Soundgarden, Corey Taylor from Slipknot and all these people. And I learned so much about rock 'n' roll. And I've been working on a show, a musical intended for Broadway, working with some incredibly talented people for the last six, seven years. We're going into a number of readings over the next two years. And again, I'm learning on the job — and how to write a Broadway show. So in many ways, when it comes to being fundamentally challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone, I kind of am looking at records — and I made a graphic novel out of The Singularity — and just other mediums. Because as fun and thrilling and exhilarating as scoring film is, I've been doing it professionally for 20 years. And if you factor in all my childhood experiments with trying to do it, I mean it's 30 years, right? So if you give me footage and tell me what you want, I have a lot of experience, no matter what the footage is, in doing that. So I think also ultimately, that's why I'm going on the road — is it's another huge challenge, just suddenly bringing this music out on the road, bringing it to an audience and playing it for an audience that maybe isn't used to hearing this music live. That's really scary. I feel like I'm up on the tightrope there. So those are the kinds of projects I think you'll see me adding to my portfolio as time goes on. But I love I love scoring. It's like my happy place. I've been working on a movie all week for a director I've never worked with before who I admire greatly and it's just, it's the best feeling. So you know me, I'm just multitasking and juggling all this stuff all the time." Bear McCreary is touring Australia between Wednesday, July 23–Monday, July 28, 2025 — head to his website further details and the tour website for tickets.
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.
When it comes to a romantic weekend for two, a solo trip or a break with the besties, you can't beat the cosy feels of a tiny house. Perfect for escaping the daily grind, a mini abode makes up for the space it lacks with plenty of good times and fresh air. With so many tiny houses in NSW, it's easier than ever to find the right one for you. Whatever your vibe, whether it's a quaint rural stay complete with rolling green hills or a luxe cabin by the water, NSW has a pint-sized holiday home to suit. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best small-but-mighty tiny houses you can book in NSW. Pick a favourite, pack a bag and get set for a taste of that minimalist life. Recommended reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Australia The Tiny Mile, Old Bar Perched along a private stretch of Berady Creek on the mid-north NSW coast, The Tiny Mile pairs modern amenities like a sauna, bath, kitchenette, fireplace and movie screen with the pure serenity you can only find in the country. Simply lounge on the deck or get up and explore the nearby Saltwater National Park. From $229 a night, sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_1009756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Robert Walsh.[/caption] Billy's Hideaway by Huch, Wollombi Surrounded by bushland and overlooking a Billabong, this architecturally designed cabin is completely off-grid, offering a luxurious yet sensitive addition to the landscape. Enjoy panoramic views from the open-plan living, or settle in the hot tub with a glass of wine. From $448 a night, sleeps two adults, two children. Kumbogie Cabin, Daruka A cosy off-grid cabin for two, set among rolling green hills and bushland. Unwind on the porch overlooking the trees, or settle in by the outdoor fire. From $170 a night, sleeps two. The Bower at Nanny Goat Hill, Kangaroo Valley This charming tiny house in NSW is a farm retreat that makes for the ultimate small group getaway, boasting all the creature comforts, and a tranquil setting complete with resident goats and chooks. From $230 a night, sleeps four. Vineyard Cabin by Outpost, Exeter Nestled amongst the vines of Exeter Vineyard & Cellar Door in the Southern Highlands, this cabin combines rustic country charm with understated luxury. Cosy and authentic, unwind and immerse in the simple beauty of the Australian countryside. From $290 a night, sleeps two. Byron Hinterland Tiny House, Possum Creek A chic escape for two in a peaceful pocket of the Byron hinterland. This off-grid stay is effortlessly stylish, complete with sunny deck, hammock and reading nook. From $230 a night, sleeps two 6Sixteen The Banks, Agnes Banks With its idyllic rural setting and Blue Mountains outlook, this tiny home is one dreamy getaway. Enjoy the fire pit, sun-drenched deck and comfy loft bedroom. From $229 a night, sleeps three. Ligo, Wolgan Valley An architecturally designed tiny home surrounded by the picturesque cliffs of the Newnes Plateau within the Gardens of Stone National Park, escape the daily grind and immerse in the ruggedness of the Australian bush, with a side of luxury. From $449 a night, sleeps two. Horseshoe Hideaway, Mullion If you fancy stargazing from a hot-tub off the beaten track and waking up to sweeping mountain views, make this tiny house in NSW your next getaway. There's a fire pit and a floor-to-ceiling window in the shower, so you'll never miss the view. From $350 a night, sleeps two. Tiny Escape Tiny House, Wollombi A pint-sized paradise for two sitting among rugged bushland that promises a rejuvenating time away. There are luxury linens, a fire pit and acres of nature waiting to be explored. From $200 a night, sleeps two. The Hill Station, Mount Tomah Nestled in the heart of the Blue Mountains, this renovated cabin is the ideal couples retreat. Conveniently close to the Mt. Tomah Botanical Gardens, enjoy plenty of tranquil garden walks followed by afternoons curled up by the fireplace. Fron $380 a night, sleeps two. Boatshed Bliss, Dangar Island Soak up the sun on the shores of the Hawkesbury River in this pet-friendly retreat. You will have to get a boat to this secluded tiny home. With a private beach at your doorstep, you'll enjoy plenty of time by the water, whether you're taking a dip or watching the sun set over the lapping waves. From $275 a night, sleeps three. The Salty Dog, Newport One of the best tiny houses in NSW that's close to Sydney, this tiny boathouse takes 'on the water' property to the next level. The floating home for two comes complete with a cosy loft, downstairs dining space and kitchen and yes, a boat to get back to shore. From $655 a night. Sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_786394" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Wilken Photography[/caption] Arabella, Beaumont An award-winning designer stay, complete with fairytale-like forest setting. While the tiny home itself is impressive, but it's the incredible one-way glass bathroom hidden among nearby trees that steals the show. From $290 a night, sleeps three. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Top image: Arabella by Love Space Photography. All other images supplied.
In a society as culturally diverse as Sydney, food is an excellent way to highlight community approach and rich global culture. In particular, Newtown is a hub of good food and community spirit. So what better way to celebrate this success than with the Newtown Good Food Fair? On Sunday, 13 October, Newtown will mark Sydney's Good Food Month by playing host to a celebration of food and community. Newtown locals and broader Sydneysiders alike are invited to embark on a taste sensation: sampling a little of everything that the friendly neighbourhood will be offering on the day, for the dirt cheap prices of regular street food. Held in the Newtown Square, the culinary lineup for the day is, in itself, something to celebrate. On offer will be feasts from a selection of Newtown's 'new wave' of food, with spreads put on by Miss Peaches, Newtown Hotel's The Animal, Suzy Spoon's Vegetarian Butcher. Old favourites like Bloodwood, Mad Pizza e Bar, Kuki Tanuki, Rubyos, Twelve, Coopers Hotel and WaterHorse Small Bar will also be there to cook up a bite-sized storm. Newtown Good Food Fair has been organised in association with the Newtown Precinct Business Association, with all money raised going towards the Newtown Community Centre. The event will take place from 11am to 4pm. Image: Miss Peaches.
If Twin Peaks can return after 25 years, then holding out hope for Mindhunter's comeback eight years since its second season remains perfectly reasonable. According to star Holt McCallany (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning) — the Bill Tench to Jonathan Groff's (Étoile) Holden Ford — there might be reason to be optimistic. He's shared the tidbit that David Fincher (The Killer) could continue the acclaimed serial-killer series, but as three movies rather than a new season. Mindhunter debuted in 2017, then released its second season two in 2019 — both of which were exceptional. Since then, however, viewers keen for more of the show's look into the origins and operations of the FBI's Behavioural Science Unit haven't been showered with good news. Netflix let the cast's options expire in early 2020. In 2023, Fincher himself said that there'd be no more. But McCallany now notes that the door to reviving Mindhunter is open, even if only slightly. "I had a meeting with David Fincher in his office a few months ago, and he said to me that there is a chance that it may come back as three two-hour movies," said the actor in an interview with CBR. "But I think it's just a chance," he continued. "I know there are writers that are working but, you know, David has to be happy with scripts." Fincher not only executive produced and directed episodes of Mindhunter for Netflix, but did the same on House of Cards — and on Love, Death & Robots as well. His last two movies, Mank and The Killer, were also made for the streaming platform. Next up on his filmography is a follow-up to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, as penned by QT, directed by Fincher, starring Brad Pitt (Wolfs) as Cliff Booth and backed by Netflix. Both as a true-crime series and a streaming series in general, Mindhunter has always stood out from the crowd. Combine Fincher, the serial-killer domain that he dug into earlier in Seven and Zodiac, non-fiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit and a whole heap of real-life cases, and you get the greatest show that the streamer has ever made. Its focus: the folks who interview mass murderers to understand how they think, then use the learnings to help stop other killings, with the series drawing on its factual source material to dramatise the Behavioural Science Unit's beginnings. In its first two seasons, McCallany and Groff starred alongside Anna Torv (Territory) — and IRL notorious figures such as Ed Kemper, David Berkowitz and Charles Manson were part of the narrative, with help from Cameron Britton (Mickey 17), Oliver Cooper (Burt) and Damon Herriman's (The Bondsman) performances. There's obviously no word yet as to when Mindhunter could return if it does return. Check out the trailer for Mindhunter's first and second seasons below: Mindhunter's first and second seasons are available to stream via Netflix. We'll update you about any Mindhunter movies if and when more details are revealed. Via CBR. Images: Merrick Morton/Netflix.
If you're bored of holidays spent idling by a pool, sunbaking on a beach and ambling in a park, step up your holidays with these next-level adventures. With Intrepid Travel, we have selected six adventures that will take you to the planet's most extreme corners, from Antarctica's pristine icy beauty to the Himalayas' rugged peaks. Whether you seek the roar of cascading water or the silent majesty of remote landscapes, prepare to be immersed in experiences that redefine the meaning of epic. Antarctica There's nowhere on the planet quite like the extreme icy desert that is the unspoiled Antarctic wilderness. Spy penguins, whales and seals (oh my), snowshoe to the best viewpoints and learn from the talented expedition team. Start your adventure at the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina, before boarding a vessel to the ends of the earth. Cross the infamous and unpredictable Drake Passage — it can be calm as a lake or rough and turbulent. Experience the temperature falling as you reach the Antarctic Peninsula. Daily excursions will take you to Anvers Island, Deception Island and the South Shetland Islands. Explore the icy wilderness, with backdrops of towering icebergs, impressive glaciers, imposing snow-capped peaks, and waters dotted with ice flats. Mt Everest If bushwalking and hiking are your usual weekend activities, take your excursions up a notch (or 50) with a trek to the highest peak on our planet. Tick the mighty Mt Everest off your bucket list with an expedition to Base Camp. This trip of a lifetime to Mt Everest Base Camp will take you past unfathomably high peaks, stunning alpine lakes, icy glacial plains, unforgettable vistas and to the limits of your strength. Hiking the mighty Himalayas is no walk in the park. This trip includes 12 days of hiking for up to eight hours a day, reaching altitudes of over 5000 metres. Are you up for the challenge? Iceland What's more extreme than a hike to the highest mountain? How about an island created by volcanic eruptions? Iceland is a geographical marvel — but there's more to this island than ice (and Björk). This Nordic island nation is defined by its dramatic landscape of actively rumbling volcanos, scenic fjords, natural hot springs, gushing geysers, massive glaciers and gigantic waterfalls. Iceland is frequented by volcano-loving tourists who love to take a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, gasp at the giant Skogafoss and Detifoss waterfalls and spy the aurora borealis as they circumvent this North Atlantic island. Madagascar Madagascar isn't just a lush jungle island overloaded with cartoon characters who like to move it, move it. This lush island nation has white sand beaches, steamy, humid jungles and numerous lemur species. Connect with nature as you travel down bumpy roads bordered by baobab trees and explore the national parks, reserves and lush rainforests. This adventure isn't for those who love to watch wildlife from the comforts of sleek bedsheets and spa baths. This is for wildlife lovers who want to get up close and personal with local animals in the rainforest. Scotland Embarking to the Orkney Islands promises a captivating adventure through untamed landscapes and rugged beauty. Located off the tip of Scotland in the North Sea, these islands boast an otherworldly charm, where ancient history collides with the raw forces of nature. The Orkneys are a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, offering a sanctuary for diverse bird species, seals, and other marine life. As you traverse the untamed terrain, be prepared to witness dramatic sandstone cliffs, windswept beaches and ancient Neolithic sites, all contributing to the untamed allure of the archipelago. From the mysterious standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar to the ancient village of Skara Brae, the Orkneys tell a story of a wild, resilient landscape shaped by natural forces and its inhabitants' resilient spirit. Central Asia Kyrgyzstan's rugged mountainous terrain, including the formidable Tian Shan range, beckons adrenaline seekers with challenging trekking opportunities and high-altitude landscapes. Uzbekistan captivates with its ancient mosaic-tiled ancient cities and arid deserts. Explore both on the trip to these contrasting landscapes, encountering nomadic traditions in Kyrgyz yurt camps and exploring Uzbekistan's historic cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Witness where the past meets the present, offering an unforgettable journey for those seeking a blend of adventure and history. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
Theatre lovers rejoice, because Sydney is about to bear witness to a Broadway debut: Waitress is coming to town. The long-awaited Australian debut of the production is confirmed for a premiere at Sydney Lyric Theatre in July 2026. Sara Bareilles, the creative force behind the musical's original score, expressed her excitement about the Australian premiere. "It's been a dream of mine to see Waitress (finally) find its way to Australia," she stated. "This story is about dreams, friendship and the courage needed to learn to love oneself, which feels so universal, and so timely." The musical, inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, tells the story of Jenna, a small-town waitress and expert pie maker trapped in a difficult marriage who dreams of escape. When a baking contest and unexpected romance present new opportunities, Jenna discovers that change might be closer than she imagined, supported by her fellow waitresses in a tale of resilience and self-discovery. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2N_svvx-uA[/embed] Producer John Frost from Crossroads Live highlighted the production's impressive credentials, noting its four Tony nominations and six Drama Desk nominations during its original Broadway run. Waitress became a huge hit on Broadway where it played for almost four years," Frost explained. The musical has since enjoyed successful runs in the West End, multiple US tours and international productions, establishing itself as a global phenomenon. The production holds particular significance in theatre history, having made Broadway history with women filling all four top creative positions. Alongside Bareilles' music and lyrics, the creative team features Jessie Nelson's book, Lorin Latarro's choreography and Tony winner Diane Paulus's direction. This groundbreaking achievement occurred when the musical opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on April 24, 2016, running until January 5, 2020. Original producer Barry Weissler acknowledged the lengthy journey to bring Waitress to Australian audiences, stating: "Collaborating with our longtime partner John Frost and his team at Crossroads Live, we are thrilled to finally have the chance to share this story 'baked from the heart' with audiences in Oz." Critics have consistently praised the musical's blend of humour, heart, and memorable music. The Times called it "5 Star musical pie," while New York Magazine described it as "sweet, sassy, passionate & delightful!" The Washington Post praised it as "simply delightful! A glorious reminder that life is messy and wondrous!" Tickets go on sale later this month. Join the waitlist to get yours as soon as they're available.
Bondi Junction locals, your lunch game is about to level up. Pappa Flock (home of everyone's favourite juicy, crispy, crunchy chicken tenders and the cult-status Flock Box) will open its doors on Friday, May 16. Born in Parramatta and known across Sydney for its American-style fried chicken, signature sauces and lemonade freshly squeezed in-house daily, this proudly Australian chicken shop is now bringing the flavour to the eastern suburbs. To celebrate the new opening, Concrete Playground readers can score an exclusive offer: a full Pappa Flock Box for just $7.90 (normally $17.90) for two weeks only (Monday, May 19– Sunday, June 1). That's three juicy, crispy, crunchy chicken tenders (classic or spicy), seasoned chips, buttery toast, a regular drink and a side of Pappa Flock's signature sauce. Whether you're already a die-hard Flocker or just curious about the buzz, we've got expert tips to help you hack your next box like an absolute pro. From DIY sandwiches to secret sauce mixes, here's how to get the most out of your Pappa Flock Boxes. Build Your Own Chicken Sandwich If you want to crank up your Pappa Flock Box experience, get the O.G Box with slaw and an extra tendie. Take the buttery toast, add a couple of delicious chicken tenders, some hot chips, pile on the slaw and drizzle it with Pappa Flock's signature sauce. Boom. You've just built your own fried chicken sandwich. It's crunchy, creamy, tangy and rich all at once. Expert tip: Ask for a second slice of toast to make it a complete sandwich. Add Spicy Mango Habanero to Your Lemonade This one's a bit rogue, but very refreshing. Grab a cup of freshly squeezed, in-house lemonade and stir in a little mango habanero sauce. It's spicy-sweet, citrusy and addictive. Expert tip: Just add salt to the cup rim for a spicy mocktail margarita. Mix Your Own Signature Sauce Pappa Flock's signature sauce is a standalone treat, but mixing it with other sauces is where the real flavour customisation begins. For a super saucy experience, try a half-and-half blend with the Spicy Mango Habanero for something slightly sweet and hot, or throw it into your coleslaw for a creamy twist. Expert tip: go to the counter and ask for their secret Jumbo Sauce (aka the Cup of Sauce). Make It Into a Chip Butty If you know, you know. The humble chip butty is a carb-on-carb classic. Originating in England, it's essentially a sandwich filled with chips. For Pappa Flock's version, grab your toast and load it up with seasoned chips and a lashing of signature sauce. It's the kind of snack you didn't realise you needed until you take your first bite. Expert tip: for more of a flavour boost, add creamy Ranch — or for heat lovers, add Spicy Mango Habanero. You'll find the new Pappa Flock Bondi Junction store inside Westfield (opposite McDonald's, near the Bronte Rd entrance) from Friday, May 16 – just follow the scent of chicken tenders. To claim your $7.90 Pappa Flock Box, head to the Pappa Flock Bondi Junction store between Monday, May 19, and Sunday, June 1 and mention Concrete Playground when ordering. That's three juicy, crispy crunchy chicken tenders (classic or spicy), seasoned chips, buttery toast, a regular drink and Pappa Flock's signature sauce all for under a tenner. Pappa Flock is open at Westfield Bondi Junction from Friday, May 16, with other stores in Parramatta, Westfield Miranda, French's Forest, Casula, Westfield Eastgardens, Macquarie Centre Food Court and Rouse Hill. Follow along on Instagram or TikTok for more Sydney locations, menu tips, offers and updates. Pappa Flock Bondi Junction opens Friday, May 16 at 12pm. The Bondi exclusive $7.90 Flock Box offer (normally $17.90) is available in-store for a limited time from Monday, May 19 to Sunday, June 1, 2025. Delivery excluded. +$1.50 for Lemonade upgrade. Mention 'Concrete Playground' to redeem. Maximum of two boxes per customer. While stock lasts. By Jacque Kennedy
