This foreshore Pyrmont park, named after what the area was known as to the local Eora People, is a favourite among visitors and locals alike. Located within a sheltered bay, it overlooks the quieter side of Darling Harbour as well as the Anzac Bridge to the west. The grassy, 1.8-hectare park offers heaps of shaded space for picnicking, plus barbecue facilities and a playground. There's also an onsite cafe (set adjacent to the playground) for those who are too lazy to pack a picnic. When you're not lounging in the grass, go for a walk along the waterfront, or grab a seat on the steps and cool your feet in the sparkling water. On a warm day, be sure to bring along your swimmers for a full dip, with a designated swimming hole available. Image: James Horan, Destination NSW
Sometimes, when you're a kid, Shakespeare ain't that much fun. It's bad enough that you may not understand what they're saying without having to worry about all the tragedy you have to witness. Then there are the seats you have to sit on and the rules of silence out have to obey. Dang, there are so many rules in Shakespeare when you're a kid! But what if you're in a park — Centennial Park? Hmm, this already seems to have improved my 8 year-old self's impression of the event. Then, while you're busy roaming around there while mum and dad and all the other couples in skinny jeans are eating fancy home made picnic hampers on sweet picnic rugs, these mysterious and mischievous characters like Puck and Bottom emerge. The whole way through the play they make you giggle until at the very end a couple of lovers kiss and make up (eww!). That actually sounds like something you could easily drag my 8 year-old self to and, in fact, you could also drag my 25 year-old self to. I guess it's lucky then that Wild Rumpus Productions is staging a Spring season of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Centennial Park — it's Shakespeare without all the rules. A Midsummer Nights Dream will be performed every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm
Finding a way to brave the cold nights and avoid three months on the couch is a wintertime necessity. Luckily, galleries and venues across Sydney host late-opening exhibitions, workshops, artist talks and live music, all in the resplendent warmth of indoors — so your night doesn't have to start and end with Netflix. We've partnered with Samsung to bring you the finest Sydney cultural institutions that invite your night-time custom. Samsung's new Galaxy S9 and S9+ phones have brilliant low-light abilities, so you can capture all your artsy discoveries, no matter the hour. Spend your evening moseying around these five spots, phone in one hand, drink in the other. 4A CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ASIAN ART Based in Haymarket and run by the Asian Australian Artists' Association, 4A exhibits Asian-Australian contemporary art and stays open until 8pm on Thursdays. Its mission is to support emerging artistic talent, facilitate cultural dialogue between Australia and Asia and highlight Australia's place in the Asia-Pacific. Stop in after 29 June to see Jason Phu and John Young Zerunge's exhibition The Burrangong Affray. It traces the events and repercussions of racially motivated riots that took place in the Burrangong goldfields in the 19th century. These riots eventually led to Chinese immigration restrictions, known as the White Australia Policy. 107 PROJECTS Rambling Redfern creative space 107 Projects serves the community with a host of night-time cultural events to keep you busy all winter. The venue includes not only a gallery but also a co-working space and rooftop garden. This is the spot to come for everything from wine-enhanced life-drawing sessions to beginner-friendly dance workshop Groove Therapy, live music gigs and a biweekly creative hangout, which encourages locals to get together and work on personal projects. Catch exhibitions on their opening nights — coming up is No Where=Space, where five interdisciplinary artists promise to transform the gallery into "a physical embodiment of an abstract nowhere space". Sounds like the kind of trippy visual you'll want to capture in photographic form for posterity. SYDNEY OBSERVATORY Stargazing may seem like a sport best reserved for balmy summer evenings, but a clear winter's night is actually the perfect time to explore our southern sky. The nights are longer and the sky is clearer, making the Milky Way look all the more magnificent. While it's generally recommended to steer clear of well-lit areas when gazing upwards, for those times a city escape isn't feasible, the Sydney Observatory has you covered. Each night, it runs two tours starting at 6.30pm and 8.30pm, plus an additional 9pm tour on Fridays and Saturdays. The 90-minute tours consist of a visit to the Planetarium and dome plus a viewing on one of the three working telescopes. You'll be able to spot stars, the moon, a nebula and even a planet or two, weather permitting. Camera Tip: A longer exposure will capture the light at night and create a dynamic motion effect. Adjust your settings by swiping your S9 into Pro Mode. Lower the ISO, increase the shutter speed and keep very still as you take your shot. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART The Museum of Contemporary Art is well known for its over-18s ARTBAR event. A quintessential night of creative discovery and bonkers Instagram fodder, it's held on the last Friday of every month from 7pm. But did you know the MCA actually stays open until late every week? On Wednesdays until 9pm, you can roam the gallery, experiencing images and ideas from some of today's leading artists. This is the time to catch a Mystery Tour to discover lesser-known creators, or search out art of the non-visual kind with live music series Sounds on the Terrace. If you become an MCA member, you will be invited to an introductory tour — with bonus wine and food — plus monthly night tours and dinner events. ART GALLERY OF NSW It is little wonder that the Art Gallery of NSW stays up late on Wednesdays, given how much it has going on. The restaurant, gallery shop and members lounge stay open until 9pm, the cafe until 9.30pm and exhibitions until 10pm. Head to the stately venue during winter to see the ever-popular Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize shows, photography display Hold Still and Unpainting, a selection of abstract paintings from the gallery's collection. As part of the Art After Hours program, the gallery also hosts guided tours, live music, film screenings and artists talks. Instead of spending your winter nights on the couch, discover all the after-dark happenings in your city here — and don't forget to document it all on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, designed especially for low light so you can capture your best moments no matter what. Images: Cole Bennetts.
If films like The Darjeeling Limited or Slumdog Millionaire weren’t enough to convince you that India should be your next travel destination, cyber architect James Law's new concept is sure to challenge your stance. The Aquaria Grande is a breathtaking residential complex design thought up by Law for real estate company, The Wadhwa Group, in Mumbai, India. Aesthetically and architecturally stunning, the signature features of the facility are the floating pools located at the edge of each apartment’s balcony. Although the pools may not be ideal for those of us who are prone to vertigo, The Aquaria Grande boasts 37 storeys of 200 luxurious, eco-conscious, energy efficient apartments. In the densely populated city of Mumbai, it provides a fresh new outlook on the direction of the architectural industry in India where there are increasing pressures on the land. Designs like James Law's are not only innovative but necessary to provide sustainable living in a increasingly developed city like Mumbai where cars and high rise buildings make the prospect of eco-friendly living fragile. By raising the bar on architectural aesthetics and design, the Aquaria Grande is sure to place India on the map in terms of the international architectural scene. Now all we need is someone to build one of these complexes in Australia.
Circular Quay welcomes a new rooftop bar into its ranks as the Salt Meats Cheese team opens Bar Ombré on the top level of the Gateway Dining Precinct. The bar boasts house-made cheese, a dedicated spritz menu, a daily happy hour, free bar snacks and sunset views across the Harbour Bridge. And it has opened just in time for Vivid. Expect a bright fit-out with heaps of greenery and colourful furnishings to greet you as you enter the bar on the third level. Inside, you'll find stretched cheese —made onsite daily — along with antipasto plates of cured meats, burrata and wood-baked focaccia. Share plates include marinated white anchovies with tomato, fried calamari with crumbed zucchini and prosciutto with grilled eggplant, basil and rocket pesto. If these snacks don't quite touch the edges, you can head downstairs for a heartier meal — woodfired pizza or a big bowl of pasta, for example — at the Circular Quay outpost of Salt Meats Cheese, which is located on level two of the dining precinct. To drink, the European-inspired cocktail menu includes the likes of the Forget Me Not (gin, lychee and elderflower liqueurs, egg white and plum bitters) and the Smokin' Nights (amaro, mezcal, Angostura bitters, cream and cinnamon), as well as a pear and maple old fashioned and a vanilla and grapefruit barrel-aged negroni. You can also choose from five different spritzes and a drop off the wine list, which focuses on Italian drops and local biodynamic, vegan and organic labels. [caption id="attachment_723368" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] We recommend stopping by after work to catch the sunset and the daily happy hour, which runs from 4–6pm. Nab $5 beers, $10 spritzes and $20 cocktail carafes (including Aperol spritz, sangria and margarita jugs). Then, from 6–8pm, punters can enjoy free bar snacks — similar to Venetian cicchetti. Expect truffled pecorino, roasted peppers with salsa verde and wood-fired crackers with pesto, plus smoked olives, cured pancetta and truffled popcorn all on offer (for free). This is the 13th venue for Salt Meats Cheese co-founders Edoardo Perlo and Stefano de Blasi, with other recent openings including SMC outposts in Dee Why and Brisbane's South Bank. Bar Ombré is now open at Level 3 Gateway, 1 Macquarie Place, Circular Quay. Opening hours are Monday through Saturday from 11.30am until late. Images: Kitti Gould
Gone are the days when a lobby was just a lobby. Now, you'll find all sorts of great cafes, wine bars and coffee nooks jazzing up the bottom of office buildings and residential complexes all over Australia. And for Sydney, one of these is cafe Lobby Boy, which has made its home in Northpoint Tower, right in the middle of the action of the North Sydney CBD. Spurred by the success of the original Lobby Boy over in Commonwealth Bank's Eveleigh site, this northern counterpart is once again the work of Ramzey Choker — the mind behind hits like The Grounds of Alexandria and The Grounds of the City. The result of another collaboration with design studio Acme and the Cromwell Property Group, Lobby Boy North Sydney is decked out with rustic timber flooring, soft lighting and splashes of musk pink and deep green. It's a warm and relaxed space, designed to act as a chilled out meeting place for the buzzing Miller Street office block above. From the kitchen comes a contemporary daytime offering, flecked with international influences. You'll spy the likes of a brioche brekky jaffle stuffed with maple-glazed bacon, roast tomato, egg and smoked barbecue mayo, and a brown rice chirashi salad starring tuna tartare, edamame, charred avocado and salted kombu. A ploughman's-style sandwich is loaded with leg ham, cheese, pickles, heirloom tomato and relish, and a lineup of small plates features the likes of Asian-style South Australian mussels, fried school prawns and an heirloom carrot and buffalo mozzarella tart. Of course, coffees are pumping all day. To match, there's a range of shakes and smoothies, and a line of house-made sodas in flavours like Berry Minty and Pine Passion Fizz. Choker and his team also have plenty more big things in the works, including a huge new dining precinct, espresso bar and coffee research lab opening in South Eveleigh next year. So stay tuned for that one.
From casual after-work meetups to private events surrounded by fairy lights and garden scenery, the Shelbourne is one of the CBD's favourite spots for unwinding with good company. With different settings to explore — like a garden bar with forest-like foliage — and an interesting fusion menu, the Shelbourne is a great place to add some flair to your weekdays and enter the weekend on a high. It even has a rooftop bar with stunning views over Darling Harbour. When it comes to eating, you can be adventurous with a peking duck pizza ($19) or stick with the classics, like fish and chips ($20) or chicken schnittys ($19.50). Wine offerings include a plethora of regional options with fresh flavours to treat your taste buds. During the week, you can expect specials like $10 espresso martinis, yes, please. On the weekend, join in the dance parties hosted by Sydney's finest DJs.
Gaming and esports are coming to Harbour City in a big way. From Saturday, April 8, Chippendale's Central Park Mall will welcome Fortress Sydney, a multi-level centre devoted to computer, video, console and tabletop gaming. When it launches, it'll become a bigger sibling venue to Fortress Melbourne — which opened in 2020 to become the largest site of its type not only in the country, but in the southern hemisphere. Fortress' second Aussie outpost, this 1000-person venue will be a seven-days-a-week haven for Sydneysiders eager to mash buttons with their mates somewhere other than their lounge room — or beyond your respective homes while connected online. Head to this sprawling spot for gaming PCs, suites dedicated to consoles, an arcade and a fantasy-themed tavern. And, for feeling like you've walked into gaming heaven, clearly. If you take your favourite pastime a bit more seriously, you'll definitely be in the right place. The esports arena turns playing into a competitive spectacle, and there's also broadcast and production facilities. Unsurprisingly, Fortress Sydney will host events year-round, such as live tournaments and international playoffs. Elsewhere, function rooms with their own computer setups will be available to hire for private events and parties — and there'll be a merchandise store onsite as well. When it comes to kicking back after a few games, that's where that tavern comes in, serving both drinks and food. Monday nights on-site will be all about trivia over beverages, while Wednesdays will focus on board games, letting patrons work their way through the venue's hefty board game library. On Fridays and Saturdays, there'll be late-night gaming sessions. And Sundays will host Dungeons and Flagons, self-contained D&D sessions guided by an expert Dungeon Master — and with a drink, stationery and character sheet all included, and all experience levels welcome. Whether you're a Super Smash Bros lover or a Counter Strike fiend — or maybe you just love Uno, the card game of champions — Fortress Sydney aims to appeal to everyone, catering for casual fans, competitive gamers and esports diehards, as well as families and after-work crowds. It arrives at a stellar time for gaming culture — The Last of Us is one of 2023's best new TV shows; Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, The Super Mario Bros Movie and Tetris are heading to screens big and small; and there's always obviously something new to play. Fortress Sydney will open at Central Park Mall, 28 Broadway, Chippendale on Saturday, April 8 — head to the venue's website for bookings and further details.
Surry Hills trattoria Mille Vini (which means a thousand wines in Italian) emerged from Sydney's lockdown with an updated menu and a knockout refurb that should put it back on your radar when Italian food and wine and a vibe is calling. The restaurant-bar has achieved borderline institution status as a stalwart of refined casual dining along Crown Street and, in its new iteration, will bring back the principles of Italian hospitality and food (genuine, simple and beautiful) with a noticeable facelift. The design overhaul has swapped out the rows of empty wine bottles that once lined the walls (presumably now recycled) for swanky boudoir-meets-Belle Epoque vibes where brass and draped velvet details live comfortably alongside the building's 1840s sandstone walls. But, to the food! With a refreshed menu, Mille Vini Head Chef, Francesco Di Gioia, (Fred's, Charlie Parker's) has maintained the venue's classic Italian roots, emphasising recipes from all Italian regions and the requisite servings of freshly handmade pastas, alongside signature dishes like poached octopus salad, battered zucchini flower, truffle pecorino with blossom honey and a selection of freshly made crostini stracciatella. The wine list is a generous selection of Italian wines and local producers, plus an adventurous offering on the cocktail list. And if you need help getting through the menu, on the mezzanine level, the private dining room can comfortably accommodate eight guests. All images: Kitti Gould
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If 50 of the world's most renowned street artists transform a derelict, glamorous 19th-century bathhouse-turned-nightclub into a temporary gallery space but no-one sees it, does it even exist? Paris's historic Les Bains-Douches building is steeped in history — built in 1885 as a civic bathhouse where Marcel Proust reportedly enjoyed a morning dip, the grandiose space became a pumping discotheque in the late '70s, until some overzealous renovation attempts led to the iconic club's closure in 2010. It's set to reopen as a mystery venue in 2014, but for now owner Jean Pierre-Marois has invited a stable of prominent urban artists, commissioned by the Magda Danysz Gallery, to reimagine the soon-to-be demolished space. Les Bain's fleeting metamorphosis as a gallery space will never open to the public; instead it's memorialised exclusively in the online exhibition platform Un Artiste Un Jour ('One day one artist), as captured by photographers Stephane Bisseuil and Jerome Coton. Perhaps a throwback to the pleasure-seeking days of disco when Les Bains was a playground for the debauchery of Andy Warhol, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Grace Jones, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger and Johnny Depp, the beautifully decaying artwork is here for a good time, not a long time. Hedonistic? Perhaps, but what is art if not beauty for beauty's sake alone. Take a sneak peek below, no fake ID necessary. Lek and Sowat Thomas Canto Jeanne Susplugas Joachim Sauter Sten Lex Zeer Image credits: Sambre, Lek and Sowat, Thomas Canto, Jeanne Susplugas, Joachim Sauter, Sten Lex, Zeer by Jerome Coton and Stephane Bisseuil. See more images here.
If you're a fevered festival-head, you'll know all about New Year's Eve favourite Beyond the Valley. At the end of 2022 an eclectic bill of musos will be taking to the stage in Barunah Plains, a region west of Melbourne, to see out the year with a dance floor heaving with good vibes. Nelly Furtado is heading up the festivities, and she'll be joined by the likes of Flight Facilities, Kaytranada, Charlotte De Witte and Lime Cordiale, too. It's set to be a big one. Now to squeeze as much fun as you can out of your festival experience, you don't just rock up without some forward thinking. To have the best time, you've got to know what you're doing — you've gotta plan. In our opinion, even the most experienced Aussie summer festival-goers could do with a few hacks. That's especially true with the influx of new tech and gadgets that work hard to see that our experiences are funner, easier and cheaper. Take, for example, inDrive, the new-to-Australia ride-sharing biz that lets you negotiate your own fares, and choose your own driver (based on star rating, pick-up time and car). Torn between surge pricing and waiting who-knows-how-long for public transport? That's not how you finish off a fest. Together with inDrive, we spoke to Taylah Hume, Beyond the Valley's Customer Experience Manager, about how to make the most out of summer festival season. BOOK YOUR RIDE BEFORE YOU GO "I cannot stress this enough — sort out your transport ahead of time! If you're going to a single-day event, make sure you've decided how you're getting home (or to kick-ons). No hitchhiking home please, and no one has time for surge pricing. Luckily there are businesses making this easier and cheaper — like inDrive, the ride-share app that lets you choose a pick-up time, a driver and your fare. You'll have no need to worry about being stung with surge pricing at the end of your night. That's a huge win for those of us on a budget — we don't need costly surprises at the end of a big festival when we're heading home. You can party as hard as you like, start and end your experience on a high with heaps of peace of mind." PACK D-FLOOR SNACKS "The best way to ensure you're not partying on an empty stomach — and crashing early — is to snack on the dance floor! I've never been as popular as when I opened a bag of chips in the middle of the dance floor on the second day of a camping festival. Don't forget to pack yourself some sweet treats, too. People are always so practical with their festival shopping and forget about the fun stuff. I bring lamingtons to every camping festival — they're perfect for summer festivals as they don't melt in the heat! You're welcome." [caption id="attachment_879657" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Beyond the Valley[/caption] ARRIVE EARLY "Always arrive early to catch the opening acts, because you'll never be disappointed — these artists are booked for a reason! And when they start getting more traction, there is no greater flex than telling your friends you were onto them months ago, duh. You'll also give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the festival's other activities — there's always more going on beyond the stages. Arrive early to get the full experience without rushing." DON'T BE AFRAID TO OVERPACK "You don't have the creature comforts of home, so a camping festival is the one time it's okay to overpack. My essentials? Face masks, a few extra pairs of socks, a portable charger, duct tape (you'd be surprised how often this comes in handy). And don't just come prepared with items, come prepared with an itinerary too. Who are your must-sees? When are they playing? And if you're still working it out, the best way to get prepared is to create a playlist ahead of the event — with both the artists you're already into and the new acts you want to check out all queued. Listening to the playlist on your way to the event is the best way to hype your crew, too!" KEEP YOUR KEYS IN A SAFE PLACE "There is nothing worse than having a big day/night/weekend — you're tired, the funs worn off — and then realising you have no idea where you left your keys. You want to be able to get home, and you want to be able to get inside once you're there. Make sure you keep them in a safe place — and make sure that safe place is not inside your tent (the tent that is currently packed up and wedged in between everyone else's belongings in the back of the car), because I guarantee you'll be getting the silent treatment the whole car ride home. If you can't tell, I learnt this one the hard way." If you're heading to a music festival this summer, or simply enjoying your city, inDrive will make sure you get to where you need to go — without any surge pricing. Head to the website for more information and to download the app. Top image: Mackenzie Sweetnam (first)
Have your weekday lunches and dinners been lacking in lustre a bit recently? Are you ready to retire the soggy sandwich, or underdressed salad, and make your meals a little more exciting? Thanks to the Rockpool Dining Group you can — without breaking the budget. A heap of the group's fancy Sydney restaurants, which are overseen by chef Neil Perry, are serving up tasty dishes — and a glass of wine or cocktail — for a mere $25 at lunch and dinner for ten days this month. Head out for a meal in the CBD between Monday, April 15 and Sunday, April 28 and you can pick from the likes of a David Blackmore wagyu burger at Rockpool Bar & Grill paired with a glass of shiraz, pizza and Chianti at Rosetta, three tacos and a margarita at Bar Patrón or a prime rib sandwich and a glass or red or white at The Cut Bar & Grill. And all of them will set you back just $25. It doesn't stop there, either. Regional Chinese fine-diner Spice Temple will be pairing one of its five bar noodle dishes — pick from spicy pork and fermented chilli belt noodles, Shanghai noodles with braised lamb and crispy chow mein with pork — with its famed Zodiac Cocktails for just $25 a pop, too. Since these 12 cocktails usually set you back at least $20, it's a pretty great deal. You can check them all out here. Not in the city? All all Saké outposts — in Manly, Double Bay and the Rocks — will be offering a $25 deal, too, serving up a selection of sashimi and nigiri with a Sapporo or glass of wine for the discounted price. To snag the deal head in to any of the below restaurants for lunch or dinner — the only catch is you'll have to sit at the bar. Bookings can be made here. ROCKPOOL DINING GROUP'S $25 BAR LUNCH LOCATIONS Rockpool Bar & Grill Spice Temple Rosetta Trattoria The Cut Bar & Grill Bar Patrón Saké The Rocks, Manly, Double Bay UPDATE: APRIL 12, 2019 — Rockpool Dining Group's $25 meals were originally only available at lunch. They're now available at lunch and dinner. The above copy has been updated to reflect this.
Whether Banksy is building the world's most depressing theme park, crafting a dark tourism ad for Gaza, opening a Bethlehem guesthouse with a view of the Israeli-Palestinian border or spray painting his pieces all over the globe, the artist's work tends to make a statement. That said, nothing sends a message quite like ripping your own painting to shreds. In a turn of events that the crowd at London's Sotheby's auction house definitely weren't expecting, Banksy's Girl with Balloon artwork self-destructed as the hammer fell on the winning bid. The moment that the painting had been sold on Friday, October 5 — for the hefty sum of £860,000 (AU$1.6 million) — the piece emitted a beeping noise. Then the artwork began to slide through a shredder embedded in the bottom of the frame, coming out the other side in torn pieces. In a video posted on the artist's Instagram feed and YouTube channel, Banksy is shown secretly building a shredder into a painting, with an explanation that this was done a few years ago "in case it was ever put up for auction". The clip then jumps to the scene at Sotheby's during and after the auction. Unsurprisingly, things get chaotic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiO_1XRnMt4 Sotheby's has advised that it had no knowledge of the prank before it happened. "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Alex Branczik, head of contemporary art for Europe, told The Art Newspaper. Just what will happen to the piece now is still being determined, with suggestions that the work has gone up in value after being partly shredded. It certainly does continue Banksy's fascination with both creation and destruction, which has long been a theme at the centre of the street artist's work. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier, The Art of Banksy / Banksy.
If you can find a better date than hearing talks and seeing live music over cheeky vinos in an art gallery, we'd love to hear about it. This spring and summer, the Art Gallery of New South Wales’s Art After Hours program is extending the The Greats love to live music. Each Wednesday night, AGNSW will be brimming with after-hours shenanigans for free in the Gallery’s entrance court, in conjunction with the epic exhibition from the National Galleries of Scotland. Each week will see a different lineup of art-inspired happenings in the Gallery, from comedy to talks and music. Want to get a serious art education? Comedian Hannah Gadsby will be getting serious about art history. Apparently Gadsby has a secret identity as a 'serious art nerd'. Every week, she'll be putting on her serious art scarf and delving into the great eras of Western art history, tackling a different theme each week with her serious art brain. According to the Gallery, "Please note, this is not stand-up comedy. IT WILL BE VERY SERIOUS. It will be very silly. SERIOUSLY." If you're a snuggle-into-a-dark-cinema type of person, check out the European Cinema Classics series — bi-weekly showings of iconic motion pictures from all across the continent. Held on select Wednesday and Sundays between now and the first week of February, the program features ten films in total, spanning more than five decades in European film history. Highlights include Roman Polanski’s violent adaption of Macbeth, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s biblical drama The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Werner Herzog’s medieval epic Aguirre: the Wrath of God and Ingmar Bergman’s undisputed masterpiece The Seventh Seal. If you're an earlybird who can't wait to bust out of the office and head to the Gallery, each Wednesday at 5.30pm will see exhibition talks — the 'masterpiece series' will see one expert a week discuss, in detail, one work in The Greats exhibition they're particularly fond of; rom Dr Michael Hill from the National Art School discussing Georges Seurat’s La Luzerne, Saint-Denis to artist Michelle Hiscock picking apart Camille Corot’s Ville-d’Avray: entrance to the wood. Art After Hours runs till 10pm every Wednesday night, except December 16, 23 and 30 — the Gallery closes at 5pm then. While you're there, why not check out the The Greats? Here's six artworks not to miss from the exhibition to start. By Shannon Connellan and Tom Clift.
You sure couldn't accuse Sydney restaurant Bill & Toni's of expanding too quickly. After all, it's only now — with more than 50 years under its belt — that the Darlinghurst institution is preparing to add three more venues to the family. So, why now? Well, the venue has a new owner, Chris Montel, who, since taking over last year, has swiftly made plans to launch three more outposts by the end of 2018. Surfers Paradise and Melbourne's Lygon Street will each get their slice of Bill & Toni's in the coming months, followed by a venue in Montel's own stomping ground of Cronulla later in the year. The aim for each, according to Montel, is to recreate the vibe and offering of the original — everything from the retro-leaning decor to the memorabilia lining the walls will be reimagined for the new spaces. The loveable old-school diner has cemented its status as a cult favourite of Sydney's Italian dining scene with its generous fare, pinball machines and the complimentary orange cordial that makes its way onto most of the tables. But, arguably, its charm lies in the fact that it's been around forever, and we're not quite convinced that will resonate with new cities and communities — especially Lygon Street, which is full of long-running old-school Italian joints already. While details for the Cronulla restaurant are still vague, the planned interstate outposts will be a little smaller, each boasting just one level and room for about 150 people, though they'll be dishing up the same short and snappy menu Darlinghurst folks have been loving for years. Time will tell if those hefty serves of crisp chicken schnitzel and spaghetti bolognese will win over a few new lifelong fans. Bill & Toni's will open on the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Cronulla in Sydney's south this year. We'll let you know opening dates and exact locations of the three new venues as they drop. Until then, you can visit the OG Bill & Toni's at 72–74 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst. Images: Kimberley Low.
Parramatta has always had lots of good places to eat, but things are getting more and more refined. Just this year, modern Australian diner Husk & Vine recently arrived in the neighbourhood, the Speakeasy Group will open a much-anticipated rooftop bar, and big names Rockpool and Sake have announced they'll be part of the exciting development at 8 Phillip Street. Also keen for a piece of the Parramatta pie is the Aslan Hospitality Group, which has just opened its ambitious new all-day venue, Alex & Co. beneath Church Street's Meriton Altitude Towers. And it's a monster. The 600-square-metre, $2.5 million, 350-seat space is a restaurant, cafe and cocktail bar in one, featuring three separate menus, function spaces, sweeping river views and seating options for all occasions. It's open almost all the time — from morning till midnight every single night of the week. Fresh from the pans at NOLA Smokehouse in Barangaroo, executive chef Kyle Quy's delivering a menu of familiar favourites, cleverly executed and crafted around local produce and modern techniques. There's coddled eggs with blue swimmer crab in the morning, freshly shucked oysters and salt and vinegar calamari to scoff alongside after-work drinks, and the likes of oxtail tortellini and a three-hour braised lamb shoulder to see you through the evening. Meanwhile, Vasco's Max Greco lends his award-winning talents to the drinks list, across a range of bespoke cocktails designed to complement Quy's plates. Highlights include sips like the Riverside — made on dill-infused Bombay Sapphire, chamomile, fresh citrus, white chocolate and an absinthe mist — alongside a tight, yet wide-roaming list of wines and a solid little spirits selection.
Sydney hospitality giant Merivale has unveiled the first phase of its 'Ivy 2.0' project, which will see four new venues open in the Sydney CBD this year. First up is Little Felix: a 60-seat cocktail bar and little sister to Ash Street's hatted French bistro Felix on George Street. The space itself — by lauded design firm Acme and stylist Amanda Talbot — is opulent and designed to transport guests back to 1920s Paris — or at least to the set of Midnight in Paris. Think Zelda and F Scott Fitzgerald parties at their grandest. In terms of drinks, Group Bar Manager Sam Egerton has created a succinct cocktail list featuring eight old-world classics made with premium French ingredients and liqueurs. Instead of a straightforward French 75 (gin, citrus and champagne), Little Felix serves up the Paris Meridian, which uses Chandon blanc de blancs and Farigoule de Forcalquier (a French thyme liqueur). Then there's the Le Ricain (the bar's take on a Sidecar), made with Hennessy VS, Cointreau and Armagnac. The wine list is impressive in its own right, too, curated by Merivale's Master Sommelier Franck Moreau and Head Sommelier Jean-Charles Mahe. Expect by-the-glass wines and champagnes to be poured from magnums — 1.5-litre bottles — and a custom-built wine fridge behind the bar. Guests can also order back vintages from the (impressively large) wine list next door at Felix. To eat, Head Chef Nathan Johnson has created a dedicated menu of simple French dishes for Little Felix, with the focus on charcuterie, cheese and tartines (temptingly spread out on the bar). Order a plate of jambon and melon, creamy duck liver parfait or one of the nine different cheeses. Also joining the group's Ivy Precinct this year is a casual Middle Eastern eatery by ex-Rockpool Chef Simon Zalloua, a sister to Bondi's Italian restaurant Totti's and a new Mexican joint. The precinct is already home to Bar Topa, Felix, Palings, Ash St Cellar, The Royal George and Ivy Pool Club, Den and Lounge. The openings coincide with the big Light Rail reveal and the soon-to-launch George Street pedestrian zone that comes along with it, as well as City of Sydney's newly approved late-night trading plan. This phase of Merivale's 'Ivy 2.0' project is the first step toward entirely redeveloping the site, but that won't come into play for many years to come. We'll keep you in the loop as we learn more about all of the new Merivale happenings. Images: Nikki To.
The charmingly titled Juniper Hall, also known as Ormond House, dates back to 1894. That's when its construction began under gin distiller Robert Cooper, who clearly inspired its more recent moniker. Unique in its design given its Old Colonial Georgian style, it features an upper balcony which looks directly onto the heart of Oxford Street. Located a stone's throw from the idyllic Paddington Reservoir, the majestic mansion was restored to its original state in 1988, when the modern shops and houses in front of it were also removed. A sight to behold alone, the Paddington site currently plays host to the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize exhibition of photographs and portraits. Here, you can take a step back in time — and out of the hustle and bustle of city life — while losing yourself in an afternoon of art, stories and imagination, and soaking in a slice of Australian history as well. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Maybe you've gone in for pizza and had a surprisingly great cocktail. Or maybe you've done it the other way around. Either way, one thing is for sure: Maybe Frank does great pizza and cocktails. And now, the team behind the Surry Hills' restaurant is expanding its offering with Maybe Sammy, opening in The Rocks tomorrow. Owners Stefano Catino and Vince Lombardo have just completed their new Harrington Street digs, which sits just opposite Neil Perry's Rosetta. The venue is fittingly named after another jazz era icon, Sammy Davis Jr. — if you hadn't guessed, Maybe Frank is named after Sinatra. But this new venture is all about the cocktails — something that Maybe Frank has gained quite a following for. The restaurant's leading barman Andrea Gualdi most recently won the Australian Bartender of the Year at the 2017 Diageo World Class Competition. He's a co-owner along with Catino and Lombardo, and leads the bar team at the new venue. Gualdi's cocktails at Maybe Frank are theatrical — complete with rose petals, pop rocks and charred wood — and the drinks at Sammy are equally creative and entertaining. Named after the Rat Pack's favourite venues, the cocktail list features eight signature sips, including the Circus Circus, made with rye, vermouth, mint and poblano and presented with a magic trick; the vodka- and passionfruit-infused Lady Luck, which is, interestingly, served with house-made hand cream (to use, not drink); and the Thunderbird, made with jasmine kombucha, Aperol and a Czech herbal bitters called Becherovka. Those whose wallets are noticeable lighter after the festive season will be happy to know that a lineup of 'minis' also features on the menu — a rotating list of classic tipples for only $10 a pop. If, on the other hand, you came into possession of lots of coin over Christmas (lucky you) you may choose to indulge in one of the 'high roller' cocktails, which start at a cool $70 each and feature ingredients like Champagne and Hennessy. Coffee also features heavily on the menu, with a list of non-alcoholic caffeinated drinks and boozy ones, such as the Sammy Shakerato (with Ethiopian coffee, Campari and limoncello). What the new menu doesn't feature is pizza. Replacing the Italian eats are snacks inspired by 1950s Hollywood glamour, complete with a fit-out that emulates a high-end hotel bar. Designed by Sydney's LD Studio, the space is opulent, with pink velvet banquettes, gold lamps, brass fittings, marble tiles and lots of indoor plants. Find Maybe Sammy at 111 Harrington Street, The Rocks from Wednesday, January 9. It's open from 4pm–12am, Tuesday and Wednesday; 4pm–2am, Thursday–Saturday; 4pm–12am, Sunday. Images: DS Oficina. Updated January 7, 2019.
Made out of sponge cake, chocolate coating and desiccated coconut, the humble lamington is a jewel of a sweet treat. Australian childhoods aren't complete without them, and neither are trips to the bakery any old time. But Sydney-born dessert chain Tokyo Lamington likes to mix up the classic cake, making a great thing even better by serving it up in an array of inventive flavours. And, in a first, the brand is also spreading the lamington love by releasing its own custom sneakers as well. To eat, Tokyo Lamington's wares have come in varieties such as Ferrero Rocher, Neapolitan (yes, taking inspiration from the ice cream combo), yuzu meringue, vegan red velvet, black sesame and more. To wear, the brand's shoes also reimagine the dessert's usual setup — so you'll see cream and brown colours like you do on OG lamingtons, and also blue and pink hues as well. The shoes: Nike Dunk Lows, which the artists at Customs Den are using as a canvas. Tokyo Lamington hasn't formed a partnership with Nike, but has purchased 40 pairs, then tasked Customs Den with working their magic on them. Yes, the range is that limited. As a result, these kicks don't come cheap. If you love lamingtons, Tokyo Lamington or both so much that you need a pair of sneakers to show it, they'll set you back $450. At that price, you might want to display them rather than wear them — calling all sneakerheads as well as lamington fiends, obviously. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tokyo Lamington (@tokyolamington) Every pair of Tokyo Lamington x Customs Den shoes is individually handcrafted, and bespoke for each order — so your kicks won't just be one in 40, but unique as well. When you woke up this morning, you likely had no idea that lamington-inspired footwear exists. Now, you're probably keen on new shoes and, understandably, craving a cake. [caption id="attachment_774463" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tokyo Lamington x Koko Black collaboration[/caption] For more information about Tokyo Lamington's sneakers, or to buy a pair, hit up the chain's website.
I imagine that Travis Cotton, the writer and director of Robots Vs Art, was watching Arnie curl his fingers into a gloriously corny thumbs-up towards the conclusion of Terminator 2 when he decided that the notion of robots being able to feel and emote needed to be revisited with more meta, and that that decision resulted in the creation of his incredibly entertaining play. Robots Vs Art is set in a dystopian (or utopian, depending on your stance) future where humans have been eradicated by their humanoid creations and sent to work in mines to source energy for the now-sustainable world the robot overlords rule. However, fate intervenes for Giles (Daniel Fredriksen) — the last human alive — when Master Executive Bot (Simon Maiden) charges him with the task of making robots feel through the final frontier they are yet to conquer, art. What ensues is one of the funniest plays I have seen in some time. It is littered with brilliant one-liners — "wanker detected" will bring a smile to my face for the foreseeable future — and expertly written jokes about the theatre industry that Mr and Mrs Normal Viewer can also enjoy. The didactic dictionary-defined nature of the robots also provides some side-splitting moments. However, it is the physical humour of Clawbot (Paul Goddard) that steals the show. Goddard is magnificent as the dysmorphia-suffering robot, and he provides the heartiest laughs of the evening, both when he attempts to pick up a pencil with his claw hands and later with his over-the-top acting of 'being taken aback', which still has me giggling hours later. He is brilliantly supported by Maiden, who becomes hilarious once he explodes with emotion, and Natasha Jacobs, who plays the fembot Gib to perfection, right down to her meticulously hypnotic double blinks. The play has its flaws; Fredriksen's performance is ironically unemotional as our human hero Giles, the scene changes are clunky and dislocating, and the ending is quite abrupt. However, these do not detract from the overall enjoyment that Robots Vs Art delivers, and it delivers it in spades. It is a thoroughly entertaining and witty, 80-minute exploration of the value of art that will more than quench your thirst for hilarious theatre.
What's better than one IMAX in Sydney? Two, obviously, which is a big-screen dream that's about to become a reality. A second IMAX experience is on its way to the Harbour City, setting up shop in an Event Cinemas location. The where and when haven't yet been revealed — but this is still literally massive news. Between 2016 and spring 2023, movie lovers in the New South Wales capital would've been content with just one IMAX, of course, after Sydney's IMAX at Darling Harbour closed down to get demolished and then rebuilt. The venue was originally meant to get its projectors running again in 2019, then in 2021; however, that didn't happen. Thankfully, giant flicks have been back on the agenda since October on one of the biggest cinema screens in the world, which measures 692 square metres. The news of a second Sydney IMAX comes via EVT and IMAX Corporation. The former is the hospitality company behind IMAX Sydney, Event Cinemas, Moonlight Cinema, the Skyline Drive-In and the State Theatre; the arrival of surround-screen viewing Down Under; a heap of bars and restaurants; QT Hotels, Rydges and other hotel chains; plus IMAX venues in Auckland and Queensgate in New Zealand, as well as IMAX Karlsruhe in Germany. The latter is self-explanatory. Together, the duo announced a deal for five new state-of-the-art IMAX setups, but only one in coming to Australia. To check out the other four, you'll need to head to Germany. "Expanding our collaboration with IMAX aligns to our strategy of providing customers with choice on how they want to watch a movie. The right combination of our proprietary cinema experiences such as gold class, boutique and V-Max alongside global premium formats like IMAX is proving to be successful," said EVT CEO Jane Hastings, announcing the news. "IMAX performs exceptionally well at our current locations in Sydney, New Zealand and Germany, and we are thrilled to bring state-of-the-art IMAX with Laser systems to more locations in Australia and Germany in the near future," Hastings continued. "On the heels of the wildly successful debut of IMAX Sydney, we are excited to expand our collaboration with EVT, a partner that transcends exhibition in creating premium experiences that span cinema, hospitality, leisure and more," added IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond. "Australia and Germany are two markets where consumer demand for IMAX vastly outstrips our footprint, and this deal is great for our fans in both countries and our continued network growth worldwide." That Sydney success that Gelfond mentioned? Within mere weeks of opening, the new IMAX Sydney has become IMAX's highest-grossing location outside of the United States and United Kingdom. Wherever the second Sydney IMAX experience pops up, it'll combine Laser by IMAX technology, which means 4K laser projection showing the flicks, plus EVT's range of seating. At Darling Harbour, choices to get comfortable include standard places to sit, as well as getting comfortable in a full recliner, cosying up with your plus one in a couples' recliner and going with a private box for up to four people on an elevated platform. Film fans outside of Sydney, you'll have a second spot to add to your must-visit list when you visit the Harbour City — especially if you're in a city like Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth that doesn't have its own IMAX. IMAX Sydney is now open at Darling Harbour, 1/35 Wheat Road, Sydney, from Wednesday, October 11. Details of the city's second IMAX experience, including where it'll be located and when it will open, are yet to be announced — we'll update you when more information is revealed. Images: IMAX Sydney.
Two men walk into a bar. One, Larry (Colin Friels), waiting to meet his daughter's fiance, is a Bostonian self-made man whose suave banker get-up is interrupted by a broken arm and accessorised with a reckless ownership over all that he touches. The other, Jimmy (Bryan Brown), is an Australian real-estate broker on the wrong side of the housing bubble who is bleeding from the head and will trade his limited-edition Hummer watch for a tab. It's 11am in the middle of a recession, so the bar is empty except for the salty barmaid, Robinson (Nadine Gardiner). There are punchlines coming aplenty. The STC's ZEBRA! is a new play by Ross Mueller (Concussion) with a transnational perspective and very funny, rambunctious, rapid-fire dialogue. It all unfolds on one set that looks like it won't be bumped out in a hurry — a fully realised, Irish-centric New York dive bar decked with leather stools, Celtics memorabilia, mounted game and firefighters' helmets, pictures of JFK and a framed harmonica gifted by Shane MacGowan. If you were to cross the worn timber floors, you could pull a beer from the tap. It's a marvel. Those hoping for the promised answers as to "who we are post-GFC" will likely be disappointed. It's a long time until the salesman and the entrepreneur start discussing the new financial world order, and the conversation rarely crystallises the surrounding abstract ideas. For something written with lofty intentions, ZEBRA! too often feels like it's about nothing at all. But sometimes, just sometimes, a thin thread does pull together the finest patches of verbal jousting and subtle introspection to evoke one very good question: What can be bought? Ultimately, the tension between the characters becomes a weight of shouting that blows out on near random lines, and it grates. Friels performs every word of it, but that's within the realms of possibility for the brash American Larry (who, after all, introduces himself to new acquaintances as "a millionaire"). Brown wears the ocker, make-do Jimmy like a comfy sweater. The two have a good dynamic, but the pleasant surprise is Robinson; her character is actually the one with the most depth, and Gardiner, ribald sass covering wounded stares, makes her especially compelling. The few leftover standing tickets will get you ringside for the rumble between these nationally prized actors, although maybe not close enough for the best bit of the play — seeing Friels' and Brown's brilliantly creviced faces at work.
There's no official Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe. That label isn't bandied across his trailers and posters to describe connections between his movies, storylines don't continue from one film to the next and characters from past flicks aren't popping up in the writer/director's new works. Fan theories can speculate otherwise however they like; however, rather than any overarching narrative tidbits, it's the inimitable auteur's distinctive style, recurrent themes and familiar troupe of actors that connect Anderson's movies — delightfully so 13 full-length titles into his resume (if you count 2023 shorts The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher and Poison as one charming anthology). Still, being a part of one of the Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs' helmer's features is akin to entering a specific realm for his cast. Starring in an Anderson picture means working with a filmmaker with a precise aesthetic and meticulous direction, the results of which then get splashed across the screen for audiences to cherish in elaborate detail. In The Phoenician Scheme, Benicio del Toro (Reptile) and Michael Cera (Sacramento) are two such players. They're each either relative or literal newcomers to Anderson's world — del Toro first collaborated with him on The French Dispatch, while Cera was slated to be in Asteroid City but the birth of his son understandably took precedence — and they're loving it. Nothing is accidental in the making of a Wes Anderson film. Nothing is anything but intricately planned and orchestrated, in fact. Accordingly, it should come as zero surprise that del Toro and Cera weren't merely cast in the 50s-set The Phoenician Scheme — they're the only actors that Anderson had in mind for the roles of European business magnate Anatole 'Zsa-zsa' Korda and Norwegian tutor/entomologist Bjorn, respectively. Chatting with Concrete Playground, they both use the same word to describe that situation. "It's a hell of a gift," del Toro advises with a smile. "It was really a treat and a gift," says Cera. Zsa-zsa is The Phoenician Scheme's protagonist. The plan that gives the flick its name — as stored in shoeboxes, and involving a range of business partners spread far and wide (as portrayed by Here's Tom Hanks, The Studio's Bryan Cranston, Relay's Riz Ahmed, A Private Life's Mathieu Almaric, The Last of Us' Jeffrey Wright and Fly Me to the Moon's Scarlett Johansson) — is all his. Brought to life by one of Oscar-winner del Toro's greatest performances, he's also wealthy, charismatic, cut-throat in his professional endeavours and, after surviving his sixth plane crash, keen to get reacquainted with Liesl (Mia Threapleton, The Buccaneers), the nun in training that's also his estranged daughter and preferred heir. As for Bjorn, he's enlisted to teach Zsa-zsa about insects, but finds himself acting more as a personal assistant while getting close to Liesl — who is expectedly wary about her father and his endeavours — as they jet around attempting to lock in The Korda Land and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme. Cera is stellar, too, as well as a seamless fit into Anderson's repertory cast; his work here ranks up there with Arrested Development's George Michael Bluth, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World's eponymous figure, Twin Peaks' Wally Brando and Barbie's Allan among his most-memorable characters. [caption id="attachment_1006881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Giulia Parmigiani[/caption] For co-stars, del Toro, Cera, Threapleton and the fellow talents listed above also have everyone from Richard Ayoade (Dream Productions), Benedict Cumberbatch (Eric), Rupert Friend (Companion) and Hope Davis (Succession) to Willem Dafoe (Nosferatu), Stephen Park (Death of a Unicorn), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Étoile) and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) for company. And for plot specifics, the ensemble has "disrupting, obstructing, impeding" bureaucrats, the price of bashable rivets, lie detectors, suspicious uncles, locomotives, basketball shots, terrorists, freighters, marriages, grand hotels and heaven to navigate. They're stepping into a redemption story, and also a complex family dynamic with deep emotional resonance. This group is in another Anderson gem, then. Ask del Toro how he approaches plying his skills for Anderson, a filmmaker who is giving him rare comic parts — so much so that the actor was astonished the very first time that the director called — and he speaks about his commitment to telling the truth no matter the role. Ask Cera about conveying complicated bonds for the helmer, and also about the path that's brought him to Bjorn after more than a quarter of a century of acting, and he's all about the people around him. For both, trust and faith in Anderson are pivotal to them giving their all, and the results are on the screen. "You trust him and you try to be as honest as you can, even when you're lying," del Toro notes. On Digging Into a Wes Anderson-Penned Redemption Story That's Characteristically Both Comic and Has Emotional Depth Benicio: "I think I do what I do in every movie — I try to tell the truth. Wes and Roman Coppola, together they wrote this incredible script. You just draw from it. You know, I'm not known to do comedy — and one thing that we tried to keep in mind was 'don't try to be funny'. If the laughs come, good. If not, it's good. Don't try to make the laugh happen. Let the laughs follow. So try to tell the truth. And for me, it's just like what I do in other movies. I mean, this time I have to do it verbally, and there's a lot of dialogue. So for that, you just have to get ready and practice that dialogue. But the bottom line for me is basically what you said — it's the depth of this arc of this character. But also those dream sequences or heaven sequences, that is his subconscious also talking. It just added for the actor to know what was the arc about. It helped. It was like having your psychiatrist explaining the character as well. It's like having the psychiatrist explaining who the character is. Those dreams fed a lot of information to me of where we were on this story — also where was his emotional arc of that particular moment in the story." Michael: "I think the material and the writing takes care of a great deal of that for you. If it's able to get you invested in the story — which, it's just such strong writing — you feel it when you read the script. You feel and you know completely — you know where the feeling is going to come from and how you know it needs to be rendered. But even so, I found the movie much more moving in the end than I even expected, even after having shot it. I find it to be very moving." On How del Toro, Cera and Mia Threapleton Worked Together to Convey Their Characters' Deepening Bond Across the Film Michael: "We did have a little bit of a rehearsal period, fortunately, with the three of us and with Wes. And we just really worked, the four of us privately, for a couple of weeks — like two weeks or so. And it's a great thing to be able to do. It makes you get ahead of things a little bit. It allows you to come up with some observations and ideas that that later can feed into the work. And it also, but most importantly I think, just creates a strong sense of a team and comfort and trust with each other. And that carries into the work, I think. But we discovered, also I think, in reading it, discovered the dynamics and the emotions that these characters feel toward each other. And what it feels like for to be betrayed, when there are betrayals that happen. It was nice to get ahead of all of that and find the specific way in, and what was specific about it — because I love the way it's played. Things are salvaged even though there's a major betrayal. And there's an emotional bond that helps them all pull through that even, which is really nice. A really nice turn, I think." On the Significance of Anderson Writing Specific Parts for Del Toro and Cera Benicio: "Well, it's a hell of a gift. I think that we never talked about anything. 'Hey, did you write this for me? Am I your second choice?'. I never really questioned that. He called me up. He sent me the first 20 pages. I have to go back and explain to you that when I got The French Dispatch and he first called me, I was super elated. It was hard to believe that Wes Anderson was calling me to be in one of his films, because most of the movies I do, even though they're fiction, they tilt towards documentaries. Wes movies, they're fiction but they tilt more to theatrics — to the theatre, let's put it that way. When he called me up the first time, I was a little bit like 'wow, is he, is he really?'. I immediately thought 'wow, he's thinking outside the box, he's going against stereotypes'. Because there's many actors that do comedy better than me, and he could have gone to those actors. But for some reason, he pulled me into that world, his world. And I was really elated by it. When I read the part of The French Dispatch, it was like it was so good, and then I realised that it came to an end and another story happened and that was it — and it was like 'wump, wump, wump'. I was little bit like 'oh, wow, I could really get into this character, the painter Moses'. And so then that happened. I did the film. I had a blast working with him. When you work with Wes, you have to let the kid in you, you've got to let them out, the imagination. You have to play. It's a lot of fun. It reminded me — I was trained in the theatre, so it was kind of like back to the future, in a way. It was like I had travelled back in time to my beginnings, studying with Stella Adler and being on the theatre. And then come to this, when he sent the first 20 pages, I was like 'oh wow, this is amazing'. But I thought that might be it. And then he sent the next 20 pages and I'm still in the movie. And then the next 20 pages — and then I'm going 'oh my god, now this is going to be hard work'. So it was kind of like one of those, and I was really excited — and it's a gift from Wes. But at the same time, you had to really put on, strap on your boots and get to work, because there was a lot of work to do." Michael: "I didn't know that really, to be honest. So I'm not sure — like I don't know exactly what his process was with that or when I came into his mind for it. But obviously just so happy to be considered and invited. Wes had offered me one role once before, in Asteroid City, and I ended up not being able to do it because of the birth of my son interfering with the dates. So I was so disappointed. I mean, obviously it was the most-important kind of life event for me. So it was all good, but it was just horrible timing. I was like 'oh no, I finally got offered by Wes to come along and be a part of his one of his productions and I can't go'. It was heartbreaking. But this more than redeemed it. So I was just happy that he was still thinking of me, and then so delighted to read it and to discover this character — and so caught, really, by surprise by how involved of a role it was too in the whole story, and in the whole play of everything. I didn't expect to be given such an opportunity by him. So it was really a treat and a gift." On Cera's Knack for Taking on Distinctive, Specific Characters That Aren't Going to Be Mistaken for Any Others, Including in Arrested Development and Twin Peaks Michael: "It's the greatest thing when you get a piece that's exciting to read and an amazing opportunity as an actor. I remember reading the script for Arrested Development when I was like 14 or 13, and really, it was very clear how special it was. I don't know — I think there are things that you just gravitate toward and you just want in. There are a lot of things that I have felt that about that I didn't have a chance to work on, too, but you're just like 'oh, I need this. I want this. I get this. I love this world. I love the people making it'. So when you are lucky enough to get onto the ones that you feel that way about, it's the greatest." [caption id="attachment_1006861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roger Do Minh/TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.[/caption] On How Working with a Filmmaker with Such a Precise Visual Style Influences the Way an Actor Approaches a Role Benicio: "Well, you know his movies are handmade. There's nothing there that is — let's say CGI, very little. You might have to use something but very little is CGI. Everything is built. Everything is put together. Everything is really — you can touch it. So my approach to it was the same way I approach any movie: is just try to tell the truth unless, and trust Wes that if I do what I do, he will take it to the finish line. He will do his thing and take it to the finish line. And, like any actor, you try to tell the truth — even when you lie. So that's what you do in a Wes Anderson movie as that's an actor. You trust him and you try to be as honest as you can, even when you're lying. That's what I did. Hey, there might be other ways, but everybody's different." Michael: "Well, you have a lot of faith in him. You have a lot of trust in Wes, because you know that he's across every inch of the movie and he's not going to let something get through that breaks the spell or destroys the nuance of what he's creating. So you just feel you're in incredibly good hands and he's going to make you shine — and make you look better than what you did, even. So working with someone on that level, it makes you feel very confident. And then you can you can try things and you can work with confidence. That feeling is not always there, and sometimes you have the opposite feeling, and it's really hard to really put yourself out there as an actor when you have that, when you have doubts." On What Cera Makes of His Journey as an Actor Over More Than a Quarter of a Century, Leading Him to The Phoenician Scheme Michael: "I feel really lucky to be doing this for a living and doing what I was attracted to from that age. When I was a kid, it wasn't like a career. It was just something I loved. And then it turned into something that was kind of a job, but I loved that, too. It's an interesting life. I've had a very positive experience of coming up as a child actor and turning into an adult person who's acting. There are obviously the famously unfortunate versions of that. But for me, I was always just around great people. [caption id="attachment_1006880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Giulia Parmigiani[/caption] It was exciting to be nine years old and having colleagues that were grown people that you admire and that took care of me and showed me how to do it. Even first assistant directors and things, when I didn't even know what I was doing. I didn't know where I was supposed to go, what I was supposed to, what I was supposed to say — and people helped me. So I feel very lucky. I've had a very good road to be where I am now. And it's really nothing but good luck that made it that way. I just have had really good people around me." The Phoenician Scheme opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Film stills: courtesy of Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
By August, winter can begin to feel as though it's been dragging on forever. Some of us, like migratory birds, make an annual pilgrimage to our favourite Northern Hemisphere destination, avoiding the darker months altogether. Others dig in like grizzly bears, travelling no further than is necessary to obtain food and money. Fortunately, one of Australia's geographical benefits is its proximity to an abundance of eternally sun-kissed destinations. Whether you prefer the seemingly boundless expanse of the Pacific Ocean, or the monsoonal mystery of the Indian Ocean - the warmest ocean in the world - you're only ever a a few hours' flight time away from winterless climes. So, if you're feeling as though you'd like a quick preview of summer before December ushers in the main act, here are ten destinations that could well have you digging out your long lost swimmers. Eratap, Vanuatu If you happen to be sitting at an airport on the eastern seaboard of Australia right now, this view is just three hours and twenty minutes' travelling time away. That's a three hour flight to Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, and a twenty minute drive to the pier pictured above. Even though the exclusive resort of Eratap is comprised of just twelve villas, all located on the waterfront, it occupies an entire peninsula, incorporating eight acres of lush gardens and three lonely beaches. Plus, the resort's gardeners will drop you to one of several surf breaks just off the beach should you feel the inclination. Semara Luxury Villa Resort, Bali If you like your rooms over-sized, your ocean views panoramic and your gardens perfectly manicured, Semara is likely to tick all your boxes. Located on Bali's southernmost point, this resort features seven commodious, architect-designed villas, which overlook the Indian ocean from the spectacular heights of Uluwatu's stunning white limestone cliffs. Zeavola, Phi Phi, Thailand Encompassing an unspoiled stretch of too-white-to-be-true sand on Phi Phi Don Island's northern tip, Zeavola promises an indulgent experience based on sensual pleasure. The accommodation, modelled on island-style housing, is built of hand-hewn teak, and the landscaping features quiet gardens, romantic outdoor showers and hand-painted murals. Wayalailai Ecohaven Resort, Fiji One of the few 100% locally owned resorts in the Pacific Islands, Wayalailai offers a beach-side break in the heavenly Yasawa Islands that isn't quite as devastating on the wallet as other, more luxurious options. Run by nearby villages, Wayalailai features traditional-style bures (both doubles and dorms) and enables the visitor to experience Fijian society and culture as it occurs on a daily basis, rather than as a construction for the purpose of tourist entertainment. Prices start at $70, inclusive of three meals, and you can even pitch a tent for $55. All profits go to improving living standards and increasing access to education in local communities. Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, Cook Islands Many a well-seasoned traveller has concluded that Aitutaki Lagoon is the most beautiful in the world. 'No artist's palette could ever conceive of a more perfect, more luminous turquoise,' Steve Daley wrote in Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die. The only resort in the Cook Islands to occupy its own private island, the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, perched on the lagoon's edge, is renowned for its intimate, Polynesian-style over water bungalows. Te Tiare Beach Resort, French Polynesia Te Tiare Beach Resort - one of the smallest and most intimate in French Polynesia - is located on Huahine, one of the less visited and most tranquil of the country's islands. There's a local farmer's market, a strong traditional fishing culture and an abundance of fertile plantations and orchards - vanilla, noni fruit, taro, watermelon, mango, papaya, banana and breadfruit are all made for the South Seas. You can choose your bungalow according to your tastes - garden, premium garden, beach, lagoon overwater or deep overwater. L'Escapade Island Resort, New Caledonia Like French Polynesia, New Caledonia offers a little European je-ne-sais-quoi without the pain of a gruelling long-haul flight. In fact, it's less than three hours' time in the air from Sydney. Similarly to the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, L'Escapade inhabits its very own private island, twenty minutes' boat ride from Noumea. Access to both inner and outer lagoon areas enables an array of sun-blessed activities, from swimming and snorkelling to windsurfing and kayaking. 69 bungalows - both over water and terrestrial - comprise the accommodation. Fregate Island, Seychelles With 2000 free-roaming Giant Aldabra Tortoises, hundreds of Hawksbill Turtles' nest and an indigenous forest rehabilitation plantation, Fregate Island is not just one of the world's most prestigious holiday destinations, it's also an important conservation project. Visitors can rent one of 16 spacious private pool residencies, a five-building estate or an entire island. Niyama, Maldives The world's first underwater live music club and a 24-hour spa mean that Niyama offers more than your regular beachside vacation. Located forty minutes by seaplane from Male, it features over water pavilions and stand alone studios with unimpeded views of the horizon. The onsite restaurant serves meals just five hundred metres from the water's edge. Sila Evason Hideaway and Spa, Thailand Found on the northern tip of Koh Samui, Sila Evason is famous for is its 41 pool villas, each of which comes with its own private infinity edge pool. They're set in twenty acres of native forest, on a sloping headland, and offer panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding scenery. There's also a Six Senses Spa on the premises.
Now that New Year’s resolutions are well in the past you no longer need an excuse to drink mid-week and eat pizza, but Li’l Darlin’s Surry Hills outpost has one anyway. Each Wednesday from 8.30pm until late they’re serving up a big slice of acoustic goodness along with their signature pizzas and cocktails, starting with 25-year-old Sydney singer/songwriter Jordan Millar. Millar’s jam is pretty folksy pop backed by bluesy riffs and an addictive intimacy — it’s stirring, yet still provides a light balance to a plate of Crispy Chilli Chicken Drummers ($11.90). His quietly (and independently) released EPs have sold thousands of copies since he released the first back in 2009, and since then he’s been touring with the likes of The Fray, Xavier Rudd, Colin Hay and Tim Freedman. Millar’s new album Cold Lights On Curious Minds came out just last week, so it’s a good chance to try before you buy.
If you like your art medieval with a splash of mystery, you definitely need to see The Lady and the Unicorn exhibition at AGNSW this autumn. Since arriving (in separate planes at that) last month from the Musèe de Cluny — Musèe National du Moyen Âge in Paris, the six mind-blowingly exquisite wool and silk tapestries have been intriguing Sydney crowds. While art buffs know the wealthy Le Viste family commissioned them around 1500, no one knows exactly who designed them, or why, or for whom exactly. And although now widely interpreted as a meditation on courtly love and earthly pleasure through an allegory of the senses, the tapestries' potential to be read a variety of ways creates an enduring mystery that only adds to their charm. To help you get the most out of your visit, we spoke to Art Gallery of NSW curator and exhibition researcher Jackie Dunn about some of the symbols within the enchanting works, their varying interpretations and the pleasure of not ever being able to definitively solve the puzzle. [caption id="attachment_663309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Sight' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] THE MIRROR The depiction of a beautiful woman holding a mirror could be interpreted as a symbol of vanity. However, within the Sight tapestry, things are a little unusual. The Lady holds the mirror up to the unicorn, who sits tamely with forelegs in her lap and seems very taken with his own reflection. Has she used the mirror to charm him into submission? Or does the mirror have, as Dunn terms it, "strong religious underpinnings"? Many engravings of the time feature a similar configuration involving the Virgin Mary holding a mirror up to Jesus, revealing his humanity. This, along with several other elements, has led certain scholars to argue that the entire tapestry suite is a religious metaphor. Dunn however, is unconvinced. "I don't think it means the tapestries are religious per say," she says, explaining that the artist who designed the tapestries (most likely the anonymous 'Master of Anne of Brittany') would have been unavoidably influenced by the religious art of the time. "Scenes like this are part of their image bank, what they would have been brought up on." Whether about vanity, seduction, religious metaphor or all three, the mirror is just one of the tapestry cycle's "rich, crazy, mixed-up bag of symbols". [caption id="attachment_663307" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Hearing' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] THE INSTRUMENT At the centre of the Hearing tapestry, we find the Lady standing up and serenely playing a portative organ. Framed by unicorn and lion, she's assisted by what is most likely her maidservant (and a none-too-thrilled one at that) who stands working the bellows. Looking to modern eyes like a strange hybrid between panpipes, a keyboard and a small harp, a portative organ was a commonly used instrument within secular music at the time. If we go with the allegory of the senses interpretation, then we could argue the instrument, creating music, simply symbolises the sense of hearing. However, according to Dunn the presence of the instrument also tells us something notable about the Lady's class status and the period's new expectations of women of her social standing. "It was seen as important that women were getting a broader education in the arts," explains Dunn, including music, dance, languages and poetry. In this light, the musical instrument might represent that the lady is well educated and highly moneyed, but also that she has the ability to create music, to make beautiful things. "The instrument is interesting because, in a way, it's showing her capacity to make art." [caption id="attachment_663310" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Taste' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Orated.[/caption] THE RABBITS, THE DOG AND THE MONKEY Animals abound across all six tapestries, reflective of the era's fascination with the natural world. Aside from the lion and unicorn, within the Taste tapestry alone we can also see rabbits, a monkey, a bird, a sheep and several types of dog. Rabbits often symbolise fertility, but according to Dunn, here they could also be a warning about "the dangers of sex" and the likely consequences of breaching the chaste limits of the courtly love tradition, which dictated that "you could push the limits of seduction between a young man or woman to the point that they were completely filled with desire, but they never consummate it." What about the tiny pet dog seated on the train of the Lady's dress? Gazing up at her adoringly, it most obviously conveys ideas of loyalty and fidelity. However, Dunn adds that a collared or chained animal (occurring throughout the tapestries) might also symbolise the containment of animal desire in favour of moral self-control. On another, more worldly level, the pet dog — along with the monkey — again displays the Lady's wealth and fashionable status to viewers: "Only people with money can have pets like that rather than a working dog or a scrounging hound at the back door!" [caption id="attachment_663308" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'My Sole Desire' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] THE CHEST OF JEWELS When you stand in front of Mon Seul Desir, the sixth and final tapestry, ask yourself whether the Lady is lifting out the jewels or putting them away. Chances are you'll be undecided. "We're delighted that it's ambiguous," says Dunn. "For a long time it was thought that she was putting them on, but the way that it's now interpreted is that it's probably her renouncing the world of material things and returning the jewels to the box." Widely agreed to symbolise the Lady's purity and ability to control her earthly desires, the putting away of the jewels could also represent a more mature woman's rejection of the vanity of youth. There is a competing scholarly argument that the tapestry cycle depicts the various stages of a woman's life, with this tapestry portraying the Lady later in life. But while finding that reading "quite a beautiful one," Dunn isn't convinced it makes sense for the suite as a whole, preferring instead to embrace a multiplicity of not wholly resolved interpretations — an approach far more in keeping with the tapestries' romantic, multi-faceted and richly poetic medieval context. "It's a world of all these symbols overlaid. They love complexity, they love cleverness, not being able to fully resolve things but to bounce between different layers of meaning. There's nothing straightforward about the way they thought about the world. It's actually very rich." The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are on display at the Art Gallery of NSW until June 24.
Science fiction has never been afraid of unfurling its futuristic visions on the third rock from the sun, but the resulting films have rarely been as earthy as The Creator. Set from 2065 onwards, after the fiery destruction of Los Angeles that could've come straight out of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, this tale of humanity battling artificial intelligence is visibly awash with technology that doesn't currently exist — and yet the latest movie from Monsters, Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards couldn't look or feel more authentic and grounded. That isn't a minor feat. And, it doesn't simply stem from making a sci-fi flick with heart, which isn't a new move. Don't underestimate the epic yet intimate impact of seeing bold imaginings of what may come that have been lovingly and stunningly integrated with the planet's inherent splendour, engrained in everyday lives, and meticulously ensure that the line between what the camera can capture and special effects can create can't be spotted; The Creator hasn't. So, as undercover military operative Joshua (John David Washington, Amsterdam) is tasked with saving the world — that go-to science-fiction setup — robots walk and talk, spaceships hover, and everything from cars to guns are patently dissimilar to the planet's present state. Flesh-and-blood people aren't the only characters with emotional journeys and stakes, either, with AI everywhere. Even if The Creator didn't tell its viewers so, there's zero doubting that its events aren't taking place in the here and now. Edwards and cinematographers Greig Fraser (The Batman) and Oren Soffer (Fixation) know how to make this flight of fancy both appear and seem tangible, though. Indeed, The Creator earns a term that doesn't often come sci-fi's way when it comes to aesthetics: naturalistic. Also don't underestimate how gloriously and immersively that the film's striking and sprawling southeast Asian shooting locations not only gleam, but anchor the story. Edwards and his team, including production designer James Clyne (another Star Wars alum), have given their film human skin, then, amid all the tech workings. That's one of the big leaps forward in Edwards' screenplay with his Rogue One scribe Chris Weitz, too, with The Creator delivering its main examples of AI in humanoid form. These droids can easily be mistaken for something less cybernetic if the whirling circles where ears would normally be are covered, plus their exposed metal necks and backs of their heads as well. As Joshua discovers, they're also easy to connect with. The feature itself earns that same description — as it splashes two-plus hours of spectacular sights across the screen, this is big-thinking and big-feeling science fiction not just about where technology might lead, what that means for humans and how the species could spark such a situation, but also about empathy. Humans and AI are long past co-existing in happy harmony when The Creator initially drops into Joshua's life, but he's a glowing expectant dad enjoying domestic bliss with his wife Maya (Gemma Chan, Don't Worry Darling) anyway. They're in New Asia, the artificial intelligence-sympathising part of the world after Los Angeles went nuclear, and she considers machines her family. The catch: his special forces gig, then a raid with a tragic outcome. Five years later, Joshua is back stateside, grief-stricken and on clean-up duties when he's brought back in by General Andrews (Ralph Ineson, The Northman) and Colonel Howell (Allison Janney, To Leslie). On this latest mission, eradicating AI's enigmatic mastermind Nimrata — and therefore wiping out AI at the same time — is still the aim, just made more urgent by news of a war-ending weapon that's capable of annihilating humanity's beam-wielding and village-bombing winged NOMAD vessel. But Joshua doesn't expect to meet android child Alphie (newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles) while going about the job. As his resume attests, Edwards is head over heels for his chosen genre. His pre-Monsters gigs also span visual effects, which makes The Creator's seamless appearance hardly surprising. In fact, on his feature debut — a flick that's one of the great first films — he was also the movie's director of photography and production designer, and took care of the VFX, doing the latter at home in his bedroom. Back away from franchise land after his Godzilla and Star Wars stints, he's at his best making original sci-fi again, this time with a picture that grapples deeply with the big existence-changing development of our time. The Creator eagerly stands out there as well, clutching onto a message of acceptance in its central conflict. Shining with ambition, it's also a rarity with such an utter (and welcome) lack of past chapters, books, flicks, TV shows and any form of pre-existing intellectual property behind it, although it does worship a swathe of inspirations. There's a difference between gleaning that a filmmaker watched and adored Blade Runner, District 9, Aliens and Dune, though — plus Apocalypse Now, Akira, The Matrix, Interstellar, Laputa, Castle in the Sky and, yes, Star Wars — and sitting through a movie that just brazenly ticks through element after element from other sources. The Creator never falls into the second category, instead playing like it's its own machine rather than a Frankenstein's droid built from other tech's parts. The narrative, the world-building, the visuals (even with Rogue One's Fraser earning an Academy Award for Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part One), the heartfelt mood, the down-to-earth and old-school vibe, the sound (with a score by fellow Dune: Part One Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer, and also the exceptional use of Radiohead's 'Everything in its Right Place'), the ideas: they all ensure that this isn't cobbled together from spare components. So do the excellent performances by Washington in Tenet mode and first-timer Voyles, who convey a poignant rapport while selling their individual and shared yearnings. Also beyond a doubt: that AI couldn't have made this movie (a timely thought given that it arrives to tackle the topic as Hollywood's strikes have been raging partly due to that very possibility). The Creator feels like it has fingerprints everywhere. As its magnificent visual effects glisten so convincingly that they don't resemble VFX at all even though they clearly are, the film looks carefully and affectionately crafted. When its dialogue is a touch obvious and Joshua's path a tad predicable, that still smacks of relatable and inescapable human nature. And, as it tensely and thrillingly — weightily, too — ponders war, hate, fear, military control, the fast jump to divide, what technology can destroy and give alike, and who sits on which side of the humans-versus-AI clash, The Creator happily gets thorny. Edwards seems sincerely fascinated with every thing, person, gadget, backdrop, sight, sound, notion, theme and musing he packs inside his film. Matching that response couldn't be a more instinctive reaction.
If you listen carefully, you might just hear the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass. That's because the world's favourite celebration of pinot noir is finally returning, with the news Pinot Palooza will make its comeback in just a few short months. In its 10 years of life, the Melbourne-born wine tasting festival has become a global affair, with an estimated 65,000 tickets sold, worldwide. But once COVID hit in 2020, it saw the popular event shelved for two-and-a-half years. Now, that hiatus is finally over, with a huge tenth-anniversary edition of Pinot Palooza set to hit Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland in 2022. The comeback tour kicks off this autumn, returning to the festival's homeland of Melbourne with a couple of wine-filled days at Port Melbourne's Timber Yard from May 6–7. Brisbane Showgrounds are up next, hosting Pinot Palooza from May 20–21, before Sydney gets its shot on June 17 and 18. The festival then crosses the ditch for its Auckland edition from October 15–16. While the wine-sipping fun will play out similarly to before, across three sessions at each event, there is one big new addition in store — a dedicated Tasmanian hub set to showcase a curation of wine, spirits, cider and cheese from over 20 top Tassie producers. As always, you'll spend your event session swirling and sampling a huge array of pinot noir from across Australia, New Zealand and the world. Word is, over 70 winemakers are coming to the party. Also like before, there'll be pop-up bars and food stalls to keep you busy in between sips, with favourites Burn City Smokers, Taco Truck and Nama already confirmed for the Melbourne edition. Pinot Palooza 2022 will hit Melbourne on May 6–7, Brisbane on May 20–21, Sydney on June 17–18 and Auckland on October 15–16. To nab tickets or find out more, jump over to the website.
Since 2019, witnessing David Tennant utter the word "angel" has been one of the small screen's great delights. Playing the roguish demon Crowley in Good Omens, the Scottish Doctor Who and Broadchurch star sometimes says it as an insult, occasionally with weary apathy and even with exasperation. Usually simmering no matter his mood, however, is affection for the person that he's always talking about: book-loving and bookshop-owning heavenly messenger Aziraphale (Michael Sheen, Quiz). With just one term and two syllables, Tennant tells a story about the show's central odd-couple duo, who've each been assigned to oversee earth by their bosses — Crowley's from below, Aziraphale's from above — and also conveys their complicated camaraderie. Also since 2019, watching Tennant and Sheen pair up on-screen has been supremely divine. The actors clearly realised it themselves, spending lockdown making comedy Staged as versions of themselves, which they then continued for two more seasons. Great double acts feel like they've always been a twosome. They seems so natural that you expect them to continue the same routine off-screen as innately as breathing. They can be playfully parodied by themselves, as Staged does, and still just as winning. And, they're often the heart and soul of whatever project they're in. Good Omens, which hails from Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's award- and fan-winning 1990 novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, was always going to be about Aziraphale and Crowley. And yet, including in its second season on Prime Video from Friday, July 28, it's always been a better series because it's specifically about Sheen as the former and Tennant as the latter. In the first season, the end of the world was nigh (the fact that Good Omens debuted the year before the pandemic arrived and life began to feel ominous in reality was pure coincidence). In the show's narrative, Aziraphale and Crowley faced their biggest test yet after observing humans since biblical times: the always-foretold birth of the antichrist and, 11 years later, cosmic forces rolling towards snuffing out the planet's people to start again. Hell, where Beelzebub (Anna Maxwell Martin, The Duke) led the forces, was primed for a fight to claim power. As guided by the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm, Confess, Fletch), heaven was up for the fray, too. But in a comedic fantasy involving satanic nuns, witch hunters, prognostications, hellhounds, the four horsemen, seances, and also the simple pleasures of two pals bickering and bantering, the crisis to end all crises was ultimately averted. In the long-awaited second season, neither Aziraphale nor Crowley are beloved by their higher-ups or lower-downs thanks to their thwarting-the-apocalypse actions. One fussing over his store and remaining reluctant to sell any of its tomes, the other continuing to swagger around like Bill Nighy as a rule-breaking rockstar, they've carved out a comfortable new status quo, though, until a naked man walking through London with nothing but a cardboard box comes trundling along. He can't recall it, but that birthday suit-wearing interloper is Gabriel. He knows he's there for a reason and that it isn't good, but possesses zero memory otherwise. And, in the worst news for Aziraphale and Crowley, he has both heaven and hell desperate to find him. Returning for a second season saddles Good Omens with a considerable obstacle: when you've already told the tale that was laid out in print, what comes next? Thankfully, Gaiman is back as executive producer and co-showrunner, building upon his text with the late Pratchett by enlisting John Finnemore (That Mitchell and Webb Look) as his new co-scribe — and with director Douglas Mackinnon (a Doctor Who veteran) again helming every episode. The approach? A mystery, as Aziraphale and Crowley try to discover what's behind Gabriel's terrestrial visit. Gaiman crafts a missing-person search as well, including by the demon Shax (Rams' Miranda Richardson, switching into a new role from season one), and archangels Michael (Doon Mackichan, Toast of Tinseltown) and Uriel (Gloria Obianyo, Dune). Good Omens season two also takes a few sizeable trips elsewhere, spending time with Job (Peter Davison, Gentleman Jack) in the Land of Uz, during the Victorian era when robbing graves was a key way that surgeons advanced medicine and among undead Nazis in the Blitz in 1940s England (Finnemore solely scripts the Job segment, Ten Percent's Cat Clarke the body stealing, and Ghost Stories' Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman the zombies.) Also crucial: a few romances, commencing with Aziraphale and Crowley trying to get coffee shop proprietor Nina (Nina Sosanya, His Dark Materials) and record store owner Maggie (Maggie Service, Life) to fall in love by cribbing from Jane Austen and Love Actually filmmaker Richard Curtis. Any future season of Good Omens that purely regales audiences with Aziraphale and Crowley's past escapades would be a certain winner, but weaving such jaunts into season two still works a treat. For all of the show's drawcards — the irreverent battles for the fate of the universe, the heaven-versus-hell hijinks, the gleeful satirising of organised religion, the Paddington-esque aesthetic, the fact that anything and everything can occur (and does) in a comedy about angels and demons — Gaiman knows that Sheen and Tennant are its biggest. Cue more eager digging into Aziraphale and Crowley's bond, and more of Sheen and Tennant bouncing off of each other brilliantly. In the process, cue more unpacking the fact that Aziraphale isn't just pious and dutiful beneath his halo, nor fallen angel Crowley simply evil. And, also cue more examining what Aziraphale and Crowley mean to each other as an ever-wonderful chalk-and-cheese pair. Sheen and Tennant are visibly having a ball again, with both expressing oh-so-much through gazes, glorious line readings and the vibe that sparkles during their patter. They aren't the only ones enjoying their Good Omens stints, with Hamm leaning into his comic side — see also: 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Toast of London, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Childrens Hospital, Medical Police, Angie Tribeca, The Last Man on Earth, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Confess, Fletch — with gusto. Richardson is as much of a scene-stealing marvel as she's kept proving since her Blackadder days, Bridgerton's Shelley Conn relishes playing Beelzebub's new guise and Quelin Sepulveda (The Man Who Fell to Earth) is joyous as a daffy lower angel. Indeed, even when season two overtly puts the wheels in motion for a third spin, its cast ensure that too is a great and welcome omen. Check out the trailer for Good Omens season two below: Good Omens streams from Friday, July 28 via Prime Video.
Whether its Pappa Rich's nasi lemak burger or Betty's Burgers' prawn roll, limited-edition sandos are an easy way to have some fun with your menu, and Sydneysiders love when a local favourite pulls together an inventive new creation between two buns. The latest spot to mix things up in the burger world is Nashville-style fried chicken chain Super Nash Brothers who are bringing an outlandish Barbacue Shapes-flavoured burger to their three Sydney stores and to Deliveroo. The Super Shapes Sando takes the basics of the Nash Brothers' popular Super Nash Sando and adds the nostalgic flavour of Arnott's beloved snack. On the burger, you'll find a super-crispy fried chicken thigh, first seasoned in the Super Nash Brothers secret breading before it's deep-fried and then completed with a healthy amount of Barbecue Shapes-inspired seasoning. From there, it's joined by slices of pineapples and a tangy tomato and onion relish. The burger can be ordered solo or in a combo, which comes with chips, a Shapes-flavoured chicken tender, a drink and a sachet of Shapes seasoning which you can add to your chips. "Nostalgia is a big part of our vibe at Super Nash Brothers so we're super pumped to be working with such an iconic brand and flavour," Founder and CEO at Super Nash Brothers Ross Kemp said. The limited-edition burger is available at Super Nash Brothers Waterloo, Waitara and Willoughby, and can be ordered for delivery via Deliveroo. If you want to get your hands on one, you'll have to act fast. It's only available for the next six days, between Tuesday, September 20 and Sunday, September 25. The Super Shapes Sando is available in-store from Super Nash Brothers at 503 Wiloughby Road, Willoughby, 29 Amelia Street, Waterloo and 22 Waitara Avenue, Waitara, or via Deliveroo.
Turn Sydney's urban jungle into an urban jungle gym: play deviator by notorious Western Australian new media art collective pvi. Their site-specific project is here as part of the International Symposium on Electronic Art and runs from June 11-16. Over the course of an hour, using a smartphone provided, participants (or deviators) seek out hidden audio instructions and perform up to 15 interventions and interactions, turning the world into a playground. You could find yourself guerrilla pole-dancing or playing spin the bottle in public or sack racing or WHO KNOWS what else. You will, if you do it. But this is more than just a game. This is a call to arms (and legs) to get people out onto the streets, to reclaim them for revolutionary fun, to ignore commerce and to start a new narrative. What does playing a game mean as an adult? How can games alter your reality and open up new possibilities? deviator is inspired by psycho-geography, by modern-day revolution, anti-materialism and political interventionism. This is an opportunity to stop signing petitions on Facebook and start engaging with what's really happening, or not happening, and to start making it happen. Deviator is part of the Switched On season at Performance Space, which is part of ISEA (itself under the umbrella of Vivid this year). The works featured each take something from the electronic world and combine it with other practices such as theatre, dance and sound. You'll be able to watch as experimental dance meets motion-sensing technology in Breathing Monster by French choreographer Myriam Gourfink, consider how a person sits through dialysis in Body Fluid II (Redux) and consider what human society should put down for posterity with the launch of the Forever Now project, to be concluded at MONAFOMA 2014. Image by Lucy Parakhina.
William 'Billy' Blue was one of early Sydney's great characters. A ferryman, smuggler and raconteur, his rakish charm earned him the nickname The Old Commodore, with a legacy that lives on in the Lower North Shore. Now, nearly 170 years after his son opened the original Old Commodore Inn in honour of his old man, the storied North Sydney pub has been reborn for a new generation. Set on the threshold between the bustle of North Sydney's commercial centre and the leafy calm of McMahons Point, The Old Commodore is now pouring again under the stewardship of Glenn Piper's Epochal Hotels group (Harbord Hotel, The Scarborough Hotel, Merweather's Beach Hotel). The pub's smart new look celebrates contrasts — timber, steel and brick accents are softened with refined touches of travertine, brass and linen — while paying homage to its namesake via maritime stipes, pressed metal ceilings and handpainted signage, as well as walls adorned with portraits, artefacts and historic curiosities that tell the story of the Old Commodore himself. Music sits at the heart of the new Commodore, with a weekly lineup of local artists, small ensembles, DJs and the odd surprise act from further afield. You'll be able to catch a gig from the front bar's main stage or the verdant, sun-drenched terrace, with the occasional acoustic or songwriter's session soundtracking the main dining room. And come nightfall, the moody, cellar-style sports bar transforms from an elevated game-day destination into an after-dark music den. On the menu, expect no-nonsense classics: chicken parmi, fish and chips, woodfired pizzas and a standout shepherd's pie with braised lamb, lardons and red wine jus. There's seafood aplenty, too, from bug sliders to crab croquettes, as well as playful bar snacks like plantain crisps and lamb ribs. To drink, signature cocktails like the Commodore Spritz (bay leaf vodka, peach, passionfruit, apple and prosecco) sit alongside Aussie wines, craft beers and considered non-alc options — all served with a side of North Shore charm.
First up, let me start by saying that this film is not The Karate Kid. Yes, it's a remake of the beloved 1984 original complete with updated versions of Pat Morita's classic Mr. Miyagi and charismatic poster-boy Ralph Macchio's Danny Le Russo. Yes, it follows the same familiar Star Wars-like formula of helpless-lost-boy-meets-wise-mentor-who-him-to-greatness. But rather than combating bullies on the gritty urban streets of LA, our waif-like African-American hero is transported to the teeming streets of Beijing, China, where he's winded by culture shock and schooled in the art of kung fu not karate. So for the sake of preserving everyone's favourite childhood classic, I'll be referring to this remake as 'The Kung Fu Kid' henceforth. In 'The Kung Fu Kid', 12-year-old Dre (Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada) has a hard time adjusting when he moves with his mother (Taraji P. Henson) to Beijing. Not only is the language and landscape completely foreign, he has to contend with a group of schoolyard bullies who terrorise him via some pretty brutal fight scenes (kiddies, avert your eyes). Enter Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the solemn, reclusive maintenance man who lives in solitude next door and happens to be a clandestine kung fu master. He takes the young hopeful under his wing and trains him in the ancient Chinese art, enabling him to beat the bullies, win the girl and prove himself as a 'man'. As far as cinematography goes, this film hits it out of the park. It may be a kid’s movie, but the sweeping vistas of mountainous Chinese countryside and bustling streets of Beijing redeem it from the predictable storyline and make for compelling adult viewing. The other surprisingly notable features of this film are its leads, Smith and Chan. Smith, who's clearly right at home in front of the camera, is entirely his dad's son in terms of charisma and screen presence. At only 11 years of age at the time of filming, he manages to carry the weight of a hefty 140 minutes of cinema (a little too long? I thought so) with relative charm and ease, while Chan portrays the world-weary, multidimensional Mr. Han with honesty and heart.
"Time is an open-ended narrative — there's no right or wrong way to experience the space. People make their own story and every person will experience it differently." This is how international street artist Rone (Tyrone Wright) describes his latest and most expansive beauty-meets-decay exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow, Friday, October 28. More than three years in the making, Rone's ambitious new work will completely transform Flinders Street Station's hidden third floor and ballroom. "Flinders Street Ballroom is one of those urban legends — you hear people talk about it, rarely could you find a photograph of it, and access to it was near impossible," Rone says of Time's location. "When I began the process back in 2019, no one had really been up here for 40 years." [caption id="attachment_875111" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Switchboard Room, RONE's Time[/caption] Running with newly-announced extended exhibition dates until Sunday, April 23, 2023, Time is a masterclass in storytelling and imbued with history. Like a sentimental love letter to mid-century Melbourne, it invites audiences to time-travel back to post-WWII, its 11 themed rooms sharing fictional histories that shine a light on the working class. "I let the space and architecture inform the installation. For each building, I try to do something that feels like it has always been there — or belongs," Rone tells Concrete Playground. [caption id="attachment_875112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: The Classroom, RONE's Time[/caption] "One of the biggest challenges was just the logistics — it's up on the third level, it's five flights of stairs, everything has to come through a very narrow doorway on an active train platform — so you can only move things when there's not a train at the station," Rone explains. "From the very beginning, I wasn't able to be onsite because of COVID — so I've only been in the space for about eight weeks ... I had to do it all offsite and on the computer in 3D before we actually constructed anything. So I designed something that could be built, and then taken apart into small pieces, and then reassembled." Each chamber is brought to life via a curation of original — and carefully recreated — heritage artifacts, lighting, soundscapes and historic architectural features; with the haunting female portraits that have become Rone's trademark. Prepare to be transported back to the public libraries, typing pools and machine rooms of yesteryear as you wander through the intricately designed spaces, pondering the meaning of time, progress and loss. [caption id="attachment_875121" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: The Typing Pool, RONE's Time[/caption] The major installation has taken a team of over 120 people several months to deliver, including long-time Rone contributors such as interior set decorator Carly Spooner and sound composer Nick Batterham. "Nick, who is the composer and did the sound — he engaged 12-15 musicians to record the composition, plus there's a sound engineer who designs the speaker layout and installation. Then there are five or six people who install all that — so there ends up being 20 people just for sound." [caption id="attachment_875120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: The Work Room, RONE's Time[/caption] "There's been a couple of pieces that have really surprised me — that have been quite simple but come out really well, and quite beautiful," Rone says. Time follows similar large-scale transformations from Rone's famed back catalogue, including The Omega Project, which took over an abandoned Alphington cottage, and Empire, which transformed a deserted mansion in the Dandenongs. Both of these works presented imagined stories of the wealthy upper-class of old. The mysterious, long-closed Flinders Street Ballroom has enjoyed an artistic revival these past few years, having recently played host to Patricia Piccinini's otherworldly exhibition A Miracle Constantly Repeated. Find Rone's 'Time' at Level Three, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, from October 28, 2022—April 23, 2023. Tickets are available online. Top image: The Glasshouse, part of 'Time', photo by Rone.
When it comes to art exhibitions, second chances aren't common. A big-name showcase may display at several places around the world, but it doesn't often hit the same venue twice. French Impressionism is about to become an exception, then, when it returns to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2025 after initially gracing the institution's walls in 2021. When it was first announced for that debut Australian run, French Impressionism was set to be a blockbuster exhibition — and with 100-plus works featuring, including by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt and more, it's easy to understand why. But 2021 wasn't an ordinary year, like 2020 before it. Accordingly, when this showcase of masterpieces on loan from Boston's renowned Museum of Fine Arts opened Down Under, it was forced to close shortly afterwards due to the pandemic. [caption id="attachment_977038" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Camille Pissarro, French (born in the Danish West Indies), 1830–1903, Spring pasture, 1889, oil on canvas, 60 x 73.7 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Deposited by the Trustees of the White Fund, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] Cue another season in this part of the world four years later, thankfully, with French Impressionism returning to NGV International from Friday, June 6–Sunday, October 5, 2025. This is one of the largest collections of the eponymous art movement to ever make its way to Australia, complete with works that've never been seen here before. The exhibition's Australian comeback is the result of "long dialogue and negotiation with the MFA Boston", Dr Ted Gott, NGV's Senior Curator of International Art, tells Concrete Playground. "I think both parties, the NGV and the MFA, realised what a tragedy it was that this fantastic show closed after just a few weeks in 2021 due to COVID." [caption id="attachment_977037" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French, 1841–1919, Woman with a parasol and small child on a sunlit hillside, c. 1874–76, oil on canvas, 47.0 x 56.2 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Bequest of John T. Spaulding Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] "It's just extraordinary that it was sort of stuck here in aspic for months with the doors locked, because COVID also froze all the flights, so it couldn't go back automatically. So we had this bizarre situation where the whole exhibition was sealed up inside the NGV, and not even staff were allowed in to have a look at it," Gott continues. "Those who saw it in those first few weeks were amazed, and word of mouth got out very quickly that it was an extraordinary show, so we had really good numbers for those first few weeks." [caption id="attachment_977035" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926, Grand Canal, Venice, 1908, oil on canvas, 73.7 x 92.4 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Bequest of Alexander Cochrane Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] Again part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series, French Impressionism isn't short on gems, especially given the array of artists with pieces on display, which also includes Camille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot. But one certain must-see is the presentation of 16 Monet pieces in one gallery, all in a curved display to close out the showcase — and focusing of his scenes of nature in Argenteuil, the Normandy coast and the Mediterranean coast, as well as his Giverny garden. In total, there's 19 Monet works in French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts' collection (Water Lilies among them), and that still leaves the US gallery almost as many to display in Boston. Another section digs into early works by Monet and his predecessors, such as Eugène Boudin — and Renoir and Pissarro's careers also get the in-depth treatment. As the exhibition charts French impressionism's path across the late-19th century, visitors will enjoy three never-before-seen-in-Australia pieces, with Victorine Meurent's Self-portrait one of them. Ten-plus Degas works, as well as two pieces that were part of the very first exhibition of French Impressionism that took place in 1874, also feature. [caption id="attachment_977042" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926, Water lilies, 1905, oil on canvas, 89.5 x 100.3 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Gift of Edward Jackson Holmes Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] "People just feel excited and uplifted when they look at a glorious impressionist painting, and I think that's why they haven't lost their perennial fascination and value," notes Gott. If you made it along to the showcase's first trip Down Under, you will notice changes, with the exhibition design reimagined for its latest presentation. "I'm sure that those who saw it in 2021 will come back again, and we want them to have a completely different experience. Also, we just didn't want to do the same thing. That's too easy," says Gott. "So we've completely reimagined the design of the show, and also the catalogue has been redesigned. So it'll be completely fresh, and the design is going to be absolutely sumptuous — and that will also make people feel warm and fuzzy inside." [caption id="attachment_977040" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vincent van Gogh, Dutch (worked in France), 1853–90, Houses at Auvers, 1890, oil on canvas, 75.6 x 61.9 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Bequest of John T. Spaulding Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] French Impressionism will display at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne, from Friday, June 6–Sunday, October 5, 2025. Head to the NGV website for more details and tickets. Top image: excerpt of Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926, Grand Canal, Venice, 1908, oil on canvas, 73.7 x 92.4 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Bequest of Alexander Cochrane Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.
Following the opening of ground floor bistro Menzies Bar last month, historic CBD building Shell House welcomes two new sky-high venues named Sky Bar and Clocktower. Both bars offer guests the opportunity to sip drinks high above Sydney's skyline in two unique locations. Sky Bar boasts an open-air rooftop with top-notch city views. Those looking to gaze over Sydney while they enjoy their drink will be treated to floor-to-ceiling glass doors surrounding the bar. The doors fully retract, allowing for optimal appreciation of the venue's views. On the menu here: tasty bar snacks including pickled mussels, raw tuna and coal-roasted quail. If you're on the hunt for a more decadent experience, the Oscietra caviar service is truly luxe but will set you back $190. When it comes to drinks, the Sicilian Margarita has made its way up from Menzies Bar, however there is a range of cocktails unique to Sky Bar. The Tenth Floor Fizz mixes whey gin, native peach, yuzu, amaro, rosé and soda; while the Cloony Tunes is a Casamigos Reposado, mezcal and pineapple creation. "The Sky Bar is designed for fun and relaxation, a getaway, an oasis in the city. It just feels like the city's living room to me. It's just super relaxed," says Shell House owner and restaurateur Brett Robinson. Alongside Sky Bar, Clocktower Bar has opened, housing patrons within the Shell House's 400-tonne clock. The space inside the clock has been refurbished with a fit-out that pays tribute to 1930s art deco. The void of clocktower with restored operational clock mechanisms is situated above the bar, reminding visitors of the space's history with grandeur and flourish. The Shell House was announced back in May, with The Point Group laying out plans for a multi-level venue inside the Margaret Street building after signing a 15-year lease with Brookfield Place Sydney. The Point Group currently operates The Dolphin, Bondi Beach Public Bar and Harry's, and is set to open a restaurant, bar and wine room on former defence facility Fort Denison. Sky Bar and Clocktower mark the second and third bars to open in the venue, with the final piece of the puzzle, The Shell House Dining Room and Terrace set to open this November. "I spent a lot of my recent days thinking about restaurants that are essential — the havens that become indispensable to their communities, that galvanize trends, set standards for hospitality, or illuminate a cuisine in ways that feel fresh and magnetic," Robinson says of the dining room. "I want Shell House to feel essential to the Sydney CBD. I like the rhythm of the crowd, a clear mix of the crème of the corporate scene, the city's socially active, and those who are looking for a new experience from both near and far. This Dining Room holds a very special place for me as I hope it will for many others — it's the beating heart of Shell House." [caption id="attachment_834296" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clocktower[/caption] Sky Bar and Clocktower are now open at Shell House, 37 Margaret Street, Sydney. Shell House is open 4pm–late, Wednesday–Saturday. Images: Jonny Valiant and Jason Loucas
In 2023, Australia's east coast joined New York, Hawaii, Mexico and Croatia as a host of Palm Tree Music Festival, the fest filled with folks hitting the decks that was co-founded by Kygo. With one of the event's guiding forces himself leading the lineup — and Tiësto also on the bill — the Down Under debut went down well, so much so that a second spin is on its way. Mark your calendars for December 2024, then, because the festival is returning for round two. 'Stole the Show', 'Here for You', 'Stay' and 'It Ain't Me' talent Kygo isn't on the lineup this time, but The Chainsmokers happily lead the charge instead, ready to bust out 'Closer', 'Something Just Like This' and more. The Grammy-winners' spot on the bill marks Drew Taggart and Alex Pall's first trip to Australia in five years — and get excited about the festival's rendition of 'Don't Let Me Down' because Daya is also on the Palm Tree Music Festival roster. For company so far, Swedish DJ and producer Alesso, the San Francisco-born Gryffin and Harlem's Austin Millz round out the first announcement of acts. Accordingly, everything from 'Words', 'Remedy' and 'If I Lose Myself' to 'Woke Up in Love', 'You Were Loved' and 'Cry' — and also 'Lovely Day', 'Inside Out' and 'Bad Behaviour' — could echo through Palm Tree Music Festival's three 2024 Aussie stops. Just as with its premiere run in Australia, the festival will roll into Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, heading to Sydney Showgrounds, Brisbane's Sandstone Point Hotel and Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl. With its holiday-friendly name, it should come as no surprise that Palm Tree Music Festival takes inspiration from Kygo's stints touring the world. Expect a cruisy vibe set to EDM's greatest and latest, too — this time with the bonus of a summer berth. More names will be announced for the fest's 2024 return Down Under at a later date. Palm Tree Music Festival 2024 Australian Lineup: The Chainsmokers Alesso Gryffin Austin Millz Daya Palm Tree Music Festival 2024 Australian Dates: Friday, December 6 — Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Saturday, December 7 — Sandstone Point Hotel, Brisbane Sunday, December 8 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Palm Tree Music Festival returns to Australia in December 2024. Tickets presales start at 12pm local time on Monday, July 8, with general sales from 3pm local time on Friday, July 12. For more information, head to the festival promoter's website. Images: Jared Leibowitz.
If you've found yourself hankering for an Italian beef sandwich after watching The Bear or been inspired to devour a damn-fine slice cherry pie thanks to Twin Peaks, then you'll know that TV shows and movies can influence your culinary choices. You mightn't have expected Yellowjackets to be on that list, however. When a series follows a group of teenage girls stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash, then forced to get creative — and cannibalistic — to survive, then IRL menu options don't normally jump out. Trust Sydney's NEL to challenge that perception with its latest imaginative 11-course degustation. The Harbour City fine-diner has taken inspiration from pop culture before, including via its popular Disney-inspired feasts and its Moulin Rouge!-themed spread. Among the restaurant's other limited-time degustation menus as well — KFC-inspired dinners, Christmas meals, heroing native Australian ingredients and more — taking cues from Yellowjackets certainly stands out, though. On offer: dishes that dig into the wild and primal reality that the hit show's characters find themselves in. The fact that NEL has dubbed the four-day-only pop-up menu 'Eat Your Heart Out' says plenty. [caption id="attachment_991129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kailey Schwerman, Paramount+[/caption] "To be approached to create a Yellowjackets-inspired menu just felt like the perfect next venture for NEL Restaurant," said Chef Nelly Robinson about whipping up an inventive feast that aims to plunge diners' senses into Yellowjackets' world — not just via sights and sounds, but also via tastes. "For anyone that knows us, they understand we are about pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and getting to ask the questions of 'how do we make an ear appetising?' or 'how can we get someone to dig into a brain?' was a very exciting quest. The answer is obviously in the flavours, and while it might not be visually 'conventionally appetising', the flavours and aesthetics will most definitely leave you speechless." Across a three-hour experience that'll be on offer between Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025, think: digging for truffles, then tucking into the aptly named Salmon over River Misty (a moss- and salmon-heavy dish) and also seeing how NEL comes up with its own take on the show's darker survivalist scenario. Some dishes will nod to the diet consumed in the series, whether via heart-shaped servings, working in liver or plating up "something a little more ear-y". If you're feeling adventurous enough, you will need to try your luck not only in terms of testing your tastebuds, but to score a seat. Sittings are only available via entering for a chance to win on the NEL website between now and 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. So, attending is free — but only if your name is selected. If you're not located in Sydney, travelling there is at your own expense, but the Yellowjackets dinner at NEL will be on the house. For those who haven't dived into the series so far or need a refresher, Yellowjackets instantly proved one of the best new shows of 2021 when it debuted courtesy not just due to its killer setup — but it does tell a tale that fascinates from the outset. The thriller hops between the 90s and 25 years later. Across two seasons until now, life and friendship have proven complex for Yellowjackets' core quartet of Shauna (The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also No Return's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (I'm a Virgo's Juliette Lewis, plus Companion's Sophie Thatcher), Taissa (Law & Order's Tawny Cypress, and also Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, and also Atlas' Samantha Hanratty). The trailers for season three also put it this way: "once upon a time, a bunch of teenage girls got stranded in the wilderness ... and they went completely nuts." The full setup: back in 1996, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private aircraft, Shauna, Natalie, Taissa, Misty and the rest of their teammates entered Lost territory. The accident saw everyone who walked away stuck in the forest — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. Season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025. Check out the trailer below: NEL's Eat Your Heart Out degustation will be available from Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to go in the running for a seat — which is only available to competition winners, with entries open till 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 — head to the NEL website. Yellowjackets season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Dwayne Johnson (aka 'The Rock') is an absolute Hollywood powerhouse. Just physically the guy's so strong he looks like he could bench press someone while they were bench-pressing. Yet there's so much more than brute force to this wrestler-turned-box office behemoth. In recent times he's had years (such as 2013) where his films have grossed more than US $1 billion combined. With more instalments of the unstoppable Fast and Furious franchise on the horizon, he's fast becoming the most bankable man in the business. No wonder, then, he's recently been hailed as the official heir-apparent to the king of action – Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then there's Kevin Hart, fast-becoming a movie-making powerhouse in his own right. Since just 2014 he's already churned out thirteen films, prompting Chris Rock to joke at the Oscars that not even porn stars make them as quickly as he does. Hart is increasingly being likened to Eddie Murphy for his style of comedy, his likability and his growing credentials as an action-comedy star. With all that said, the only thing surprising about Central Intelligence is how long it took to actually put Hart and Johnson together. And if you're wondering, yes, the film immediately went to no.1 on the US Box Office. Plot wise, there's very little to speak of. Johnson plays Bob Stone, an unflappable CIA operative who may or may not have gone rogue from the Agency, and who twenty years prior was the enormously fat kid subjected to relentless bullying by just about everyone other than Hart in his high school. On the eve of their school reunion, Stone reaches out to Hart's character, Calvin Joyner – the former class president and guy voted 'most likely to succeed'. Joyner is now a mid-level accountant in the throws of a mid-life crisis. Together, the pair quickly find themselves pursued by the CIA as they chase down some secret classified information. It's a classic odd-couple, buddy action comedy in the vein of the Schwarzenegger/DeVito movie Twins, only with far less class and only the most threadbare of storylines. Both Hart and Johnson throw themselves completely into their roles, without which the film would be a proper stinker. They're both terrifically funny actors, and Johnson's deadpan delivery of ridiculous lines is when the movie is at its strongest. It's just frustrating to see the current kings of action and comedy let down by a movie in which the action is entirely dull and derivative, and the comedy is so absent that the only real laughs come from the outtakes playing over the final credits. It all has a feeling of 'she'll be right, mate', relying far too heavily on the celebrity and charisma of its leading men instead of giving them a clever, considered script through which to showcase all that they're capable of. The film does also boast a handful of 'surprise cameos' that briefly recapture your attention, but they're not enough to cover up the gaping holes in plot or direction. Full of potential yet thin on substance, Central Intelligence is best seen as a challenge to the next writer-director to put this pair together. Imagine how brightly these two stars could shine if only they had a decent script. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxEw3elSJ8M
A hole was left in the heart of the Neutral Bay dining scene when the Woodland Kitchen closed its doors after seven years. Last month, the venue was sold to the owners of Henrys Cronulla — and, after a quick refresh, will reopen the doors to its leafy lower north shore digs as Henrys Neutral Bay this Saturday, February 8. The Neutral Bay restaurant will boast a similar laidback vibe as its south Sydney sister restaurant, but in more refined surrounds. Expect black-and-white tiled tabletops, patterned chairs, heaps of light and outdoor seating aplenty. Head Chef Allan Mikami is coming up from Cronulla to head up the kitchen and — just like down there — his Brazilian-Japanese background heavily influences the menu. Think crispy flathead tacos with habanero mayo, yellowfin tuna sashimi with wasabi ponzu, Alaskan king crab soldiers with foie gras and crispy sichuan calamari. Larger plates include rare seared petuna trout with goats curd and chicken karaage with wakame seaweed and curried mayo, plus a lamb rump with chimichirri dressing. For drinks, expect a wine list focusing on biodynamic, organic and vegan drops — with a focus on bottles of rosé and bubbles in these warmer months. A list of cocktails will be available, too, and you can bet it'll include a spritz or two. It's open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Every neighbourhood needs a reliable Thai restaurant. For Potts Point, it's Llankelly Thai. The laneway restaurant is perfect for when you and your mates desperately need a catch-up but you're all on a budget. It likes to pride itself on simplicity, offering up food that always tastes great. The service is friendly and relaxed and they're open every day for lunch and dinner. The lunch special runs from 11:30 in the morning until 4:40 in the afternoon and it is a great place to swing by with a group of mates or colleagues. The laksa chicken is prepared in a homemade laksa based soup, paired with your choice of vegetables including carrot, broccoli and beansprouts before being topped with dried red onion. Alternatively the wanton soup with chicken wontons, vegetables and egg noodles is especially delicious. Vegetarians might enjoy pumpkin and tofu stir fry served with rice. The dinner menu is more eclectic but still has a traditional approach. Start with a roasted duck salad tossed in lychee with tomato, cucumber, shallots and chilli jam dressing and the tom yum noodle soup with Thai herbs and bok choy. For a main, the brave can try the spicy panang curry with bamboo, chilli and basil leaves, while a gentler option is the massaman with slow cooked beef, coconut milk and roasted peanuts. As you'd hope, the chef recommendations are spot on. Our favourite being the 'Holy Duck' — a stir fried roasted duck with chilli, mixed vegetables, pumpkin and basil. Llankelly Thai is the kind of Sydney restaurant you head to for classic and tasty Thai eats in a laidback setting. It's not trying to invent the wheel. That ain't necessary when the food tastes this good.
Sydney Festival is back in 2024 from Friday, January 5–Sunday, January 28 with a massive lineup, so clear your diaries because summer is going to be very, very busy. The huge citywide fest's program will feature over 1000 artists and a huge lineup of events that includes 26 world premieres, 29 Australian exclusives and 43 free activities. If you're looking to get your dose of art, theatre and live music without breaking the bank, we've rounded up eight of the festival's best events that you can nab tickets to for less than $50. There's blockbuster art series, giant overwater installations and a free moonlight symphony to discover.
UPDATE, May 19, 2021: A Quiet Place is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Silence isn't simply deafening in A Quiet Place. As a family attempts to evade aliens that attack every sound, the absence of noise couldn't scream louder. The film's stillness is forceful and unrelenting, creating a stunning soundscape. One type of silence fills a room, farm house, abandoned supermarket and sprawling country property with dread and anxiety. Another thrums with the comfort of routines designed to impart normality in a clearly abnormal situation. Moreover, this symphony of quiet doesn't just play at different volumes, but with different instruments. As voices drop below a whisper and words are signed rather than spoken, the surrounding din of a desolate, post-apocalyptic world buzzes faintly: the whistling wind, the rushing water, the creaking of branches. In a movie that's acoustically muted for most of its running time — a movie that infuses its hushed status into its very premise — all of the above couldn't be more crucial. As an achievement in sound design, A Quiet Place is positively thunderous, even if Buffy the Vampire Slayer did something similar years ago. Director, co-writer and actor John Krasinski makes every minute of silence and every sudden burst of noise count, executing a straightforward B-movie concept with exceptional technical precision. More than that, The Office star ensures that his third stint behind the camera echoes both literally and emotionally. Here, a protruding nail is a heartbreaking sight. A bloodied hand streaking along a pane of glass proves horrifying as well as surprisingly hopeful. A suppressed grimace of pain gets the audience's adrenaline pumping, as well as their empathy. Viewers first meet A Quiet Place's central family on day 89 of their ordeal. When the central unnamed couple (Krasinksi and Emily Blunt) and their young children (Millicent Simmons, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward) take a cautious trip to stock up on supplies, it ends in tragedy, establishing just how deadly absolutely any sound can be. Skip to day 472, with Blunt's character now heavily pregnant, Krasinski's patriarch trying to keep everyone safe, and the remaining kids quite rightly nervous. Still, they're as happy as they can be in their terse, jumpy, grief-stricken state. They're together, and thanks to the eldest daughter's hearing impairment, they're able to communicate via sign language. But the impending baby is certain to cry, the children waver between wanting to help and wanting to run, and the extra-terrestrial critters are rarely out of earshot. Krasinski's stripped-back use of sound reflects his entire approach, crafting a masterfully sparse movie from start to finish — and a downright masterful one too. Forget questions about why the monsters are there and where everyone else is: they couldn't matter less in this taut, fast-paced thriller, and they shouldn't even cross your mind. Disposing with the need to provide clunky explanations or exposition (something which can and has thwarted many horror flicks), A Quiet Place hones its focus on the protagonists, their immediate plight and their quest for survival. Indeed, the script's economical nature allows the film to flex its other muscles — or sharpen its other senses, fittingly. Visually, A Quiet Place flits between claustrophobic close-ups and the wide-open expanse of the family's farm, a contrast that ratchets up the tension as well as the movie's impact. When it's used, the score proves stirring without over-stressing the scenario's urgency, or making the bumps and jumps feel cheesy. Above all, however, it's the cast that not only benefit from the film's preference for showing rather than telling, but make their mark as a result. Like her work in Looper and Sicario, Blunt is both formidable and feminine, demonstrating that one doesn't negate the other in one of the best performances of her career. Watch out for the scene-stealing Simmons, though. The deaf young actress, who was similarly great in last year's Wonderstruck, is the strong, silent, expressive heart of this stellar picture — and its secret weapon in more ways than one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqy27Bk0Vw0
