J A Stevens’ debut novel, A Change of Pace, gives every impression that it is the opening chapter of a long running Regency era mystery series. Its lead character, Georgina Pace, feels like a combination of Phryne Fisher and Lord Byron – hopping from bed to bed, flouting convention, and solving a few problems for…
Skullcandy are no stranger to a wide range of over-ear and in-ear options across a range of price points, but the Crusher 1080 ANC over-ear headphones now stand as their most premium option on the market. At $399.99, I would certainly consider this a premium pair of headphones, but after using these for a few…
Over a decade ago, if someone knocked on my door, I would pretend I wasn’t home and peek through the window to see who was there. My first port of call was to hide and make sure the person knocking didn’t see me, because “stranger danger”, obviously. But with security cameras and doorbell cameras flooding…
Michael Bisping knows a thing or two about taking a hit. But carrying an action film on his shoulders? That presented the former UFC champion with an entirely different kind of pressure. In Atlas King, Bisping steps into the title role as a former fighter drawn back into a world he thought he had escaped….
Los Angeles-based performer Bryn Woznicki (aka Bryn Woz) brings her latest show SMUT to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In the one-woman show, Bryn plays burlesque character Entendre Entendre, as she launches her memoir Smut. In the show, she her share stories from the novel, and her life of promiscuity and pansexuality. As you can tell…
Every September, Toronto briefly becomes the centre of the cinematic universe, and in 2026 The AU Review will once again be on the ground for the Toronto International Film Festival, taking in as much as humanly possible across 11 days of premieres, discoveries, red carpets and those inevitable scheduling clashes that force you to choose…
Australian queer drama Invisible Boys is heading stateside, with the acclaimed Stan Original finding a new home on Hulu in the United States. The Disney-owned streaming service has acquired the Australian series through Banijay Rights, which handles its international distribution, giving the homegrown drama access to a significant new audience following its Australian debut on…
Being called a mooch isn’t usually the type of insult one spends a decade transforming into a feature film, but Jeff Ryan has never seemed particularly interested in taking the expected route. Following YouthMin: A Mockumentary and the horror-comedy Mean Spirited, Ryan once again writes, directs and stars in Mooch (read our full review here),…
Heavy metal legends Mastodon return later this month with Marrow Deep, an album forged through loss, brotherhood and the determination to keep moving. Five years is a long time between records, but for Mastodon, the journey to Marrow Deep has been shaped by far more than creative ambition, with the band’s ninth studio album arriving…
Ellena Savage’s debut novel, The Ruiners, is exactly the kind of novel that abounds in Australian writing at the moment. Predominately focussing on characters who are over-educated and under-employed, it is a smart, witty novel which zones in on characters at a particular moment in time, all whilst favouring philosophical and intellectual insights over plot…
I’m a massive fan of anything Marvel and fighting games in general, so it’s no secret that I’ve had my eye on Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls for a while. I also believe that Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is one of the best fighting games of all time, so I was worried…
Anthony Bourdain knew exactly what kind of young man he had been. Tony opens with his own less-than-flattering assessment: “I was – to be frank – a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking.” It’s both a warning and something of an invitation. Rather than attempting…
Have you ever wanted to know what it might be like to perform with one of the world’s most lauded Symphony Orchestras? Now is your chance, with the immersive VR experience at the Edinburgh Fringe, Concerts of the Future. A collaborative experiment between The Sonicrats and the MSO (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Concerts of the Future…
Universal Studios now offer no less than eleven official accommodation options across its four theme parks in Orlando. But until 2013, only three were in operation. Loews Royal Pacific Resort was their third property, opening in June 2001, two years after the launch of their second gate, Islands of Adventure. It sits a brief walk…
With an increasing range of cellular and Wi-Fi-enabled devices that we take on the go with us nowadays, it feels like portable internet is equally important. There are options like Starlink, which are great for those travelling in a caravan through rural areas, for example, but in most cases, it’s nice to just have something…
When I heard Kristen Schaal was coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, after her run at Netflix’s Comedy Festival in LA, I knew I couldn’t miss her show. By all reports, the comedian well known for her turns on Flight of the Concords, What We Do In The Shadows and of course Bob’s Burgers, had…
Part of the House of Oz series at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival is Birds, a show that is set to make its stars Alex Hines and Sarah Stafford (known collectively as Sons of Susan) fan favourites of the festival. Less a traditional play and more of an absurdist character study, the 50-minute show takes…
Whose perspective shapes history? What happens if we look through a different lens? That’s what acclaimed historian Henry Reynolds’ asks in Looking from the North: Australian History from the Top Down. His latest book explores history from the vantage point of the tropical north, delivering an important truth telling. Known for seminal works, including Why…
One of the must-see plays at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a parody of Reginald Rose’s classic 1957 12 Angry Men, that was a hit of the 2003 Edinburgh Fringe. With equal humour and cruelty, this version of the show is titled 11 1/2 Angry Men, due to the shortness of one of the…
Seduction is rarely just about sex in Corpus. It’s about power, desire, vulnerability, and that dangerous willingness to ignore the warning signs when what’s waiting on the other side is attractive enough. Set against the sultry haze of upstate New York in 1998, Corrin Evans’ feature directorial debut lures Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg), his increasingly famous…
The Edinburgh Fringe brings in performances from all over the world, and this year, Spanish theatrical company Yllana have delivered their inspired flamenco comedy show Flamenc Oh!!. If you have never seen a show with such a description before, you’re not alone. I really had no idea what to expect when I walked in the…
A certain amount of beautiful stupidity comes with believing your teenage band could actually become something. That blind conviction – the kind that tells you stealing a car and driving across America might somehow be a perfectly reasonable response to an invitation to open for Green Day – sits at the heart of Nimrods, writer-director…
From Edinburgh Fringe mainstay Matt Tedford (Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho) comes his follow-up Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Hollywood. It’s a fast-paced, absurdist musical that sees the titular former Prime Minister take on modern Hollywood in an alternate reality where she is still alive, and in her own Oscar-winning cinematic universe. Tedford commits impressively to…
If Frenzal Rhomb are reading this, I promise this is not another bad review. Let me set the scene… it’s a Thursday night at one of Adelaide’s most iconic gig venues. Rain drizzles over patrons eagerly waiting for Frenzal Rhomb to take the stage and kick off their Sans Souci 23rd anniversary tour at The…
There are certain comedians who want to make you believe that they’re not “allowed” to make jokes about “anything” anymore. That life is so hard for a privileged, straight white guy. That woke culture is destroying comedy. Yet up-and-coming British comedian Finlay Christie, who brings his new show Champagne Casanova to this month’s Edinburgh Fringe,…
Journey into the life and mind of travelling salesman Willy Loman in Neil Armfield’s adaptation of Death of a Salesman, an exploration of the flaws of the American dream, consequences of family expectations and the perceived rules of masculine success. Arthur Miller’s timeless two-act tragedy has stood the test of time, captivating audiences through countless…
Frenzal Rhomb‘s San Souci has just turned 23 and, to celebrate, the band have taken to the road for a mammoth Australian tour running from August through to November. On Friday night, they took to the stage at The Gov in Tartanya/Adelaide, with support from Handouts. Photographer John Goodridge was there to bring us all…
One of the longest running and most popular shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the improvised musical Showstopper!. Like this very website, they kicked things off 18 years ago, in August 2008. Since then, there have been a dozen sell-out seasons, and they’ve even taken it to the West End (twice!) for which they…
There’s a certain honesty in opening your movie with the declaration that it is “based on a pathetic true story.” It’s an immediate indication of the wavelength Jeff Ryan is operating on with Mooch, a scrappy comedy noir that understands there are few things funnier – or, occasionally, sadder – than watching a grown man…
Aussie pop-punk legends Stand Atlantic are set to grace local stages once more, with October dates locked in to support the release of upcoming album GODBREATH. They’ll hit up Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth throughout October and early November, before heading over to Florida to join the line-up at the iconic Warped Tour. GODBREATH,…
