Sybylla Melvyn announces (triumphantly and somewhat without apology) that this is a play all about herself. Stuck on her family property as the eldest of eight, her drunken father (Jason Chong) has squandered much of the family resources while her mother (Blazey Best), keen to marry her off, is worried she’s too plain. In strong…
And you thought the art of cinema was dead? Reading Cinemas Australia have announced it will open Australia’s most advanced cinema complex to date at the newly redeveloped DFO complex in Jindalee, Brisbane, just in time for Boxing Day. Reading’s new complex will be the company’s first in Queensland to feature full reclining seats in…
Love it or loath it, you cannot deny Disney’s 2013 animated musical Frozen is one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of our time. With box office figures, soundtrack sales, and merchandise revenue not seen since the Disney Renaissance of the early 1990s, Frozen was the cultural sensation the House of Mouse had been chasing…
Pippin is the first major musical to return to Sydney theatres, with distancing restrictions easing just before the show’s opening. The show’s offering of colour and magic are perfect medicine for our current climate. But, on another hand, its somewhat confusing premise and over-reliance on smoke and mirrors are yet another symptom of them. This…
Sydney Writers’ Festival and Sydney Festival are joining forces for one weekend in January to present four major events at Carriageworks. The four events, presented under the banner Something to Talk About will see Sydney audiences spending time with the 2020 Booker Prize Winner, Douglas Stuart; perennial Festival favourites Jennifer Byrne, Michael Mohammed Ahmad and…
With international travel still on hold, Australia’s summer arts festival have a distinctly local flavour this year. The freshly announced program for Perth Festival 2021, for example, is focused on celebrating and contemplating Western Australian artists, creatives, and landscapes, in all aspects this summer. Built around the theme of “Bilya”, meaning river, the 2021 festival will…
Sydney is to be the canvas for 24 days of culture, fun and artistry once again, with Sydney Festival set to start the new year from 6-26 January 2021. The 2021 program has been specially curated to showcase all things “Australian made”, with artistic director Wesley Enoch and his team lining up 130 events celebrating…
Though we weren’t able to attend Vivid this year, Surry Hills’ The Clock Hotel are putting on their luminous art exhibition in partnership with Bombay Sapphire, hosting the alluring “RE-CLAIMED”. Prepare for an an enigmatic light and sound experience created by Sydney artist Sam Whiteside and design-driven creative studio Babekuh. The Clock Hotel will, temporarily, become…
There’s a strange level of satisfaction reviewing a new album for such a universally loved band like Ball Park Music. It’s like listening to the news that your best friends are getting married, that you’re going to become a parent for the first time or that the coronavirus has been eradicated. It’s pure, unadulterated excitement,…
The Festival of Jewish Arts and Music (FOJAM) have prepared a special event to wrap up their Homeward Bound series. Ladies Who Sing Leonard will feature 16 of the world’s best female vocalists paying tribute to the legendary Leonard Cohen. The event will take place on November 7, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the…
Next month Australia’s largest performing writer’s program, Word Travels’ Story Week returns. Running from November 6th to 14th, this year’s program will be entirely virtual and feature a range of international and Australian guests and performers. This year’s line-up explores themes of race, ancestry, identity and more. “The global pandemic has had a large impact…
Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
With COVID-19 cases low, more people in Sydney are looking to get back to a sense of normalcy, alongside, of course, common sense practices to avoid further restrictions and keep the community safe. And that’s great news for Australian company Grande Exhibitions, who have created and, across 50 cities, shaped the innovative, multi-sensory art experience…
Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
The spectacular annual Parrtjima – A Festival in Light is now in full force, taking over the Red Centre of Northern Territory with a dazzling light display of various installations and artworks. Located in Alice Springs Desert Park, the lively art and light festival has now been firmly established as one of Australia’s best and…
“We’re back to, as Elvis liked to say, ‘taking care of business’”. And with that statement, Oscar-nominated director Baz Luhrmann once again controls the reins of Elvis, a musical drama detailing the life and music of the iconic Elvis Presley. After an unexpected delay in filming due to the unprecedented world events, cameras will roll…
As warmer weather approaches, what better way to celebrate spring than a good old fashioned BBQ or cooking up a Sunday roast? The AU Review spoke with MasterChef finalist and restaurant owner of Sum Yung Guys, Matt Sinclair, who enlightened us with his knowledge of the best beef cuts and cooking techniques. From slow braising,…
This year’s annual Queer Screen Film Festival, the little sister to February’s Mardi Gras Film Festival, will be held entirely online, allowing for anyone across the country to join the celebration. Running across 11 days from Thursday 17 September to Sunday 27 September, this year’s program features over 40 feature films, documentaries and shorts. With…
Van Gogh Alive is a large-scale, multi-sensory experience that has been seen by over 6 million people across 50 cities around the world including Rome, Milan, Berlin, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Moscow and many more. Finally, it comes to Sydney as a massive socially distanced, COVID-safe event. Van Gogh Alive will be held at Royal Hall…
Gold Coast’s impactful Home of the Arts (HOTA) has now confirmed the 20 Australian artists that will make up the inaugural exhibition program for the venue’s new $60.5 million HOTA Gallery in April 2021. Although it feels like forever away right now, the energetic cultural precinct is looking forward to next year [as we all…
After the great news that Carriageworks had been saved with the support of a group of donors, the Sydney art institution has officially announced Friday 7th August as a reopening date. And with the space once again being open to the public, comes new commissions that’ll take over the space as part of the ongoing…
In a bid to maintain the state of cinema and reimagine the festival mind-frame, the Melbourne International Film Festival has launch MIFF 68½, an online curated program that’ll allow home-bound Melburnians the chance to experience the festival’s intended 2020 line-up. Running from the 6th-23rd August 2020, MIFF 68½ will showcase 113 films across its schedule –…
Following a solid response from artists around the world, this year’s Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi has confirmed that more than 100 artists have been selected for the iconic outdoor exhibition. As one of the first major public arts events in Sydney since the Covid-19 lockdown, Sculpture by the Sea is currently scheduled to…
Through some temporal wizardry, January 2020 simultaneously feels like yesterday, and many years ago. COVID-19 and its resulting lockdowns has confused our sense of time and wreaked havoc on the numerous industries that define Australia. The arts has been a most prominent victim of this ongoing global pandemic, but that won’t stop the tenacious scene…
Comedian and YouTube sensation Nat’s What I Reckon has built up quite the profile based off his hilarious, straight-shooting, shit-pasta-sauce-hating cooking videos. As iso upped the demand for cooking videos, his blunt approach and cuss-heavy humour quickly positioned him as one of 2020’s brightest stars. Now, that star is hitting the road. Though Nat had…
Now that domestic flights are being heavily discounted, Australian who have all this pent-up wanderlust brimming about need to make a decision on which parts of the country they want to explore in the coming months. The Northern Territory should benefit greatly from this, especially now that it has been confirmed that the state will…
With international travel off the cards for the moment, virtual exploration has grown in popularity. From museums, galleries, and immersive documentaries, the world is full of wonders even if viewed on the screens of our electronic devices. So please sit back, relax and be inspired by art, institutions and our incredible planet. Beneath The Waves…
Along with reopening of restaurants across New South Wales, it appears the 22nd Biennale of Sydney has plans on welcoming art lovers back to its full public program. The free contemporary art exhibition, which takes place across various Sydney art institutions, will reopen from 16th June with its entire collection of more than 700 artworks…
Yesterday, Sydney Fringe Festival became one of the latest victims of the COVID-19 lockdowns, announcing that its September 2020 run would be cancelled. Festival CEO Kerri Glasscock said: “We are devastated not to be presenting our annual festival but the uncertainty and risk no longer make it viable for us proceed this year. Instead of…
Melbourne band Howlite make their return this week, with new single “Infancy”. Offering insight into their forthcoming EP Not Here, the single sees the trio venturing into the territory of “dark” other-worldly pop. We’re excited to bring you this exclusive first listen ahead of tomorrow’s official release date. Alison Thom’s beguiling vocal is what immediately…
