In John Bell’s latest production of Tosca for Opera Australia we are transported into a troubling Nazi-occupied Rome, combining all the elements of this most tragic opera into a frighteningly real presentation. And above it all soars Puccini’s magnificent music- nothing compares to the works of this master of the operatic art. Scrawled across the…
In Opera Australia’s latest production of Tosca the period is transformed into Nazi-occupied Rome. A decision director John Bell explains “A tyrannical regime, resistance fighters hunted down, women forced to give sexual favours in order to protect a loved one — these things are still happening, and always have been, during war.” At the head of…
In what will be a rare solo appearance poet, writer and Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith will take to the Joan Sutherland Theatre Stage at the Sydney Opera House on April 23rd to talk, read and sing from her acclaimed oeuvre. Over the course of the evening Smith will touch on the…
Broadway actor, American Idol finalist and YouTube star Todrick Hall has announced his musical Straight Outta Oz will be hitting Australian shores in June, following a run of shows in North America and Europe. Straight Outta Oz is a twisted take on L. Frank Baum’s classic creation – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The show,…
Gorgeous green walls frame Balmain’s buzzy Mr., a new licensed cafe that serves booze from 10am and keeps it light even when they’re serving donuts stuffed with ricotta or classic cheeseburgers. Keen to stand out against the long strip of dining venues on Darling Street, the locally owned 40-seater is the very first cafe in…
With a description promising a “slightly hazy, summer smasher of a beer with a full blown dank hop nose and flavour, courtesy of some late addition hop hash”, the Dunies Lager sounds like the perfect liquid to pour into your shoe and skull on a scorching Sydney day. What’s Dunies Lager you ask? Oh it’s…
Why 23? Are you turning into Buzzfeed with your arbitrary numbers based on how much you can be bothered googling and presenting to your readers as some kind of faux-authoritative listicle they’ll share with their friends and be like “omgod dis so me fo’ real, fam. Sc-uhhh-reaming!”? Well, not quite. There has been too many…
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is a tiny marsupial, once found across Victoria and Tasmania. Due to predation from feral foxes and cats, the mainland subspecies has been classified as extinct – but Zoos Victoria are working to remove them from the extinction list, through complex breeding and re-population programs. There’s a point to this heartbreaking…
First emerging onto the scene with some catchy hooks and a sound akin to Kasabian’s younger, Adelaide-bred cousin, The Byzantines have continued to refine their sounds and broaden their horizons – the final and most recent result appearing in the form of their new EP, You Pull It. The Britpop influences are still a dominant feature within…
The Chooky Dancers achieved overnight success when Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy uploaded a video clip of the group dancing to “Zorba the Greek” on YouTube in October 2007. After touring extensively around the country and in places as far flung as Canada, China and Europe, Djuki Mala are now part of the Adelaide Fringe, performing in the…
The Polish Club have announced their largest tour to date, the release of their debut album Alright Already, and have dropped a video for “Come Party”. If their high energy, soul-rock wasn’t enough of a giveaway, this duo is an unstoppable powerhouse. We love this video, and the boys – sorry, girls – are super proud of…
Since forming in 2014, Brisbane trio Morning Harvey have been building a diverse fan-base, through their charismatic live shows and even more charismatic music. Their latest single, “Holy Gun”, is no exception, the smooth track driven with just the right amount of bravado, guitar, and synth. Taken from their forthcoming debut album, due out mid-2017, this…
On February 15th, APRO AMCOS announced Sydney-based independent music publisher ORiGin Music as their fifth and newest participant of their Pan-Asian Digital Licensing and Administration initiative. Launched in July 2013, APRO AMCOS’ Pan-Asian Digital Licensing and Administration initiative works to represent the publishing catalogues of select global publishers throughout Asia, including India and China, playing a key role in licensing the participating companies’ collection of…
Sometimes when you’re reviewing something subjective, like music or art, you run up against this age-old debate between subjectivity and objectivity. That’s where I am with Dirty Projectors’ new, self-titled album. I think it might be really interesting, from an objective technical standpoint, but I know it bored me and made me feel weirdly twitchy….
During their b-annual investor call yesterday, Australian film distributor Village Roadshow unveiled a new five-point plan for taking on Australian film piracy, including the pursuit of legal action against individual offenders — something they’ve been threatening for years but never actually followed through on.
We caught up with T2 Trainspotting Director Danny Boyle on the red carpet of the film’s Sydney premiere to chat about how he approached making the film, (his first ever sequel), his recent TV work, filming in Edinburgh and we find out if he has any Oscar picks for next Monday! You’re a filmmaker who has famously never…
It’s almost impossible for Nioh to dodge comparisons to the Dark Souls franchise. From Software’s monstrously brutal action RPGs have become touchstones for hardcore gaming in the 21st century but, as Team Ninja prove with their latest title, there’s more than enough room for improvement. Instead of coming across as a desperate imitation, Nioh draws it’s strength…
How T2 Trainspotting juggles change and continuity is quite extraordinary. In a world of disappointing reboots and sequels that don’t quite justify their existence, Danny Boyle’s follow-up to his drug-addled 1996 icon is not only good, it’s damn near perfect, complementing the first without repeating it as we catch up with Renton (Ewan McGregor), Sick…
Cameraperson shines a light on the individual behind the camera. In this case it is cinematographer, Kirsten Johnson, a woman with some 25 years’ experience in the movie-making business. She’s also known for having worked on films like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Citizenfour, among others. Cameraperson is a documentary that lets the footage speak for itself…
Rillington Place is a grim, biological crime drama about one of the UK’s most prolific serial killers of the 20th century and a gross miscarriage of justice. Here are five things we learned from this series, which is currently airing on BBC First. 1. Samantha Morton is a brilliant actress. Some readers will be familiar…
Starring Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Alison Pill and Jake Lacy, Miss Sloane tells the thrilling story of Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), the most sought-after and formidable lobbyist in Washington D.C. Known equally for her cunning track record of success, she has always done whatever is required to win. But when she takes on the most…
Tom Cruise flexes his action muscles as Jack Reacher in this sequel based on Lee Child’s bestselling novel Never Go Back, which finds the itinerant ex-military, problem-solver accused of murder, and learning that he may have a child he has never met. It’s a compelling, slick action-adventure with suspenseful plotting and an abundance of smarts…
Best known for her roles as the seductive Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones and daring film-maker Cressida in the last two Hunger Games films, British actress Natalie Dormer is headed Down Under for the new television adaptation of the 1967 Australian historical mystery novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. Foxtel announced earlier today…
When it comes to Australian hotels Art Series Hotel Group is one our most valuable and inventive assets. The beloved hospitality group has been playfully sprinkling creativity on unique locations for years now, echoing a focus on one Australian artist for each property to make for colourful, idiosyncratic accommodation that not only reinterprets classic hospitality,…
It ain’t all about whisky and cider down in Tasmania. New local distillery Southern Wild have dove into the domestic market in a big way, making a splash with a range of gins named after the two wild rivers which run from the snowmelt of Cradle Mountain through the hinterland to the pristine coast of…
A globe-trotting coffee menu defines new Crows Nest roster Monte Alto, who offering a “Round the World” coffee experience which also explores different ways a well-made cuppa can be served. Focusing on the distinctive differences between the likes of an Austrian wiener melange, American red eye, Portuguese mazagran, Vietnamese ca phe sua da and others,…
Everything from political to wacky and exuberant designs are nothing new for Foot Cardigan, but this may be their best range yet. The zany online sock retailer is now taking subscriptions and individual orders for Mean Girls themed socks, featuring fetch AF designs inspired by the endlessly quotable 2004 comedy. The new line, which is…
After beginning life on the Gold Coast in Queensland’s Great South East, the EB Expo gaming convention has made its home in Sydney for the last few years. It was an important growth period for the con, and with its draw now larger than ever, one of Australia’s two largest consumer show-and-tells is heading home.
Real-time strategy has all but disappeared from the gaming lexicon in the last twenty years. From its heyday in the 1990’s with Command & Conquer, StarCraft and Total Annihilation, the genre seemingly peaked with Blizzard’s Warcraft 3 in 2002. From there, it entered an evolutionary phase, emerging in the early 2010’s as the all-powerful genre known as the MOBA. Halo Wars…
Sitting on a beautiful outdoor terrace in Alexandria at the back of Sun Studios, I had the opportunity to meet up with seasoned professional photographer Matthew Vasilescu, who also happens to be an aspiring film director. In a midst of bright greenery and sunlight, we talked about his long-running immersion, passion and sacrifice that he…
