Festival of Dangerous Ideas is back in Sydney this August
Australia’s original disruptive ideas festival returns this August to provide a sanctuary for curious minds with a taste for danger.
FOOD & DRINK, ARTS & CULTURE, LIFE & TRAVEL
Category: ARTS & CULTURE
New LGBT romance CHUCK CHUCK BABY coming to London
CHUCK CHUCK BABY, funded by the BFI and awarding National Lottery funding, alongside BBC Film and Ffilm Cymru Wales and produced by Artemisia Films, will arrive in cinemas this summer just after Pride on 29 June! This highly anticipated film is set to be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 19th July, though the release date remains confidential and will be officially announced soon. Written and directed by Janis Pugh, known for The Befuddled Box of Betty Buttifint and Blue Collars and Buttercups, the film stars an impressive cast including Louise Brealey, Annabel Scholey, Sorcha Cusack, Celyn Jones, and Emily Fairn. The production is helmed by producers Anne Beresford, Adam Partridge, Andrew Gillman, and Peggy Cafferty. CHUCK CHUCK BABY tells a poignant story of love, loss, and music set amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory in present-day industrial North Wales. The plot centres on Helen, who divides her days between packing chickens and caring for Gwen, her dying mother-figure. Helen’s world is set on a new course with the return of Joanne, a figure from her past with whom she shared unspoken teenage passions twenty years earlier. Encouraged by Helen, Joanne initiates a playful wooing game that re-awakens their old feelings, reigniting Helen’s zest for life. However, Joanne grapples with darker shadows from her past, leading to a series of emotional upheavals. As Gwen passes away, Joanne’s haunting memories cause her to retreat, leaving Helen alone. The film explores the women’s journey as they reflect on their missed chance to break down… Read More
Bringing music to people with Live At Yours
For centuries, people of all cultures have gathered in places of worship to share the joy of music. Live at Yours is an artist-led organisation that brings local and international classical artists to audiences across Australia. Founded by husband-and-wife duo Vladimir Fanshil and Eleanor Lyons during the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative aimed to provide a safe and intimate setting for live music. Their mission is simple – to connect audiences of diverse backgrounds, including various religions, nationalities, and occupations. Next month, Live at Yours will present events featuring Konstantin Shamray, Midnight in Paris, and Andrey Gugnin at Sydney’s Great Synagogue and Melbourne’s Toorak Synagogue. These venues, usually closed to the public, offer a unique blend of historical significance and architectural beauty, serving as a time capsule of humanity, music, connection, and culture. The organisation’s programming approach combines the casual tradition of the 19th-century European salon with contemporary local influences, making classical music accessible and appealing to a wide array of audiences. Live at Yours’ upcoming events promise to be an incredible and unique experience, showcasing renowned artists and captivating performances in extraordinary settings. If you’re interested in learning more or attending an event, complimentary tickets can be arranged, ensuring a memorable and enchanting experience. Full 2024 program: Live at Yours is an artist-led organisation that presents local and international classical artists to thousands across Australia.
Rubens’ artwork ‘The Judgement of Paris’ returns to display in National Gallery
Following a meticulous 14-month restoration undertaken by the Gallery’s Conservation Department and supported by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project, Peter Paul Rubens’s The Judgement of Paris is now back on public display as of this June.
Experience the magic of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers at Sydney Town Hall
As part of Sydney Festival 2022, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs presented a sellout season of Night of the Soul in the majestic ambience of The Cutaway at Barangaroo. The audience, comfortably reclined on yoga mats and cushions, was immersed in a live performance against a backdrop of towering columns and ancient sandstone walls, resonating with sonic choral beauty. In 2024, this magic will be revisited with a rare performance of one of the most sublime a cappella works ever written—Sergei Rachmaninoff’s hauntingly beautiful All-Night Vigil (also known as his Vespers). This sublime concert will be presented in a specially crafted, dream-like environment at Sydney’s iconic Town Hall, on Saturday, July 20. Much like the 2022 experience, the audience will be invited to find the sweet spot between active listening and meditation. The exceptional voices of over 100 singers from the Choirs’ renowned Symphony Chorus will unite as a living, breathing instrument, interspersed with solos from special guests: mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser, tenor Louis Hurley, and saxophonist Nicholas Russoniello. For this immersive performance, conductor and Artistic Director Brett Weymark has reimagined Sydney Town Hall, creating a unique acoustic environment by removing much of the ground floor seating. The choir will be positioned centrally, surrounded on all four sides by yoga mats where attendees can recline, letting the sumptuous music wash over them. Traditional seating will also be available around the perimeter, on stage, and in the galleries. Best known for his heart-achingly beautiful piano concertos and lush symphonies featured in films like Brief Encounter and Shine, Rachmaninoff had… Read More
A rare Puccini opera production of Il Trittico in Sydney
Opera Australia is poised to make operatic history next month with the world premiere of a groundbreaking new production of Puccini’s renowned but seldom performed trilogy, Il Trittico. This remarkable staging, commissioned by OA’s Artistic Director Jo Davies, will feature three of Australia’s most promising young directors – Constantine Costi, Imara Savage, and Shaun Rennie – each bringing their unique vision to one of the operas in the triptych. Il Trittico, a powerful collection of one-act verismo operas, offers a diverse experience that ranges from heart-wrenching tragedy to uproarious comedy, all within a single evening. This event marks the first occasion globally where a main stage production of Il Trittico is crafted by three individual directors, underlining the inventive spirit of this production. “We are incredibly excited to have these three extraordinary Australian directors animating Puccini’s magnum opus,” said Ms Davies. “This production tackles significant themes with resonant contemporary relevance, from the deep sorrow of losing a loved one to the intricacies of familial and financial entanglements. The genius of Puccini’s storytelling remains as poignant today as it was a century ago, reflecting our enduring human experiences and inspiring audiences to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and hope.” Constantine Costi will helm Il tabarro, a tale of tense love set on a gritty barge, brought to life by Australian baritone Simon Meadows, soprano Olivia Cranwell, and tenor Viktor Antipenko in his Australian debut. Imara Savage directs the melancholic Suor Angelica, featuring soprano Lauren Fagan as the grieving nun in a convent garden, with OA chorister… Read More
Australia’s official Twistie is announced
In a nation-defining event, Twisties Chicken has emerged victorious as Australia’s Official Twistie. Following a nation-wide vote that left officials, onlookers, and long-time Twisties Cheese enthusiasts are stunned. This unexpected result capped off a month of vigorous campaigning by both Twisties Chicken and Twisties Cheese, each vying for the ultimate supremacy. The heated battle culminated in a celebratory gathering on Thursday, 27th June, where a monumental portrait by renowned artist Matt Adnate was unveiled. The Official Portrait features Twisties Chicken against Adnate’s signature abstract backdrop, a piece crafted under significant pressure not to look “too cheesy,” as Adnate quipped. Marketing Manager Sam O’Donnell expressed relief at the conclusion of the long-standing debate: “The Chicken vs Cheese debate is one Australians know well; we’re relieved to have settled it once and for all. The most appropriate way to celebrate this iconic win was through an Official Portrait, and having one of Australia’s most famous portrait artists commemorate Twisties Chicken’s win is a suitably twisted way to end this campaign.” While the future home of the portrait is still undecided, O’Donnell hinted at a potential donation to the National Portrait Gallery, should they show interest. The campaign was brought to life by high-profile endorsements from Robert Irwin and G Flip, with Robert championing Team Chicken and G Flip rallying support for Team Cheese. Throughout the campaign, familiar faces like Tanya Hennessy for Team Chicken and Matt Preston for Team Cheese played key roles, especially during the Democracy Twistie stand event at Bondi Beach. The nation responded with… Read More
Best of Hong Kong dance comes to Sydney
This July, audiences in Sydney are invited to immerse themselves in “Convergence,” an extraordinary blend of martial arts and Chinese dance, presented by the Hong Kong Dance Company at the Seymour Centre.
Hamlet coming to the Sydney Opera House
One of the most successful operas ever composed by an Australian, Brett Dean’s internationally acclaimed Hamlet will finally make its long-awaited Sydney Opera House debut with Opera Australia next month. Directed by Australian theatre royalty, Neil Armfield and based on Shakespeare’s infamous play, Hamlet premiered in 2017 at the Glyndebourne Festival UK and has since been staged at the Adelaide Festival, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, and most recently at the Munich Opera Festival. With Dean’s evocative music and thrilling libretto by Canadian Matthew Jocelyn offering audiences additional insights into the inner world of thought and emotion of the crazed son trying to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet is an invigoratingly modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s revenge thriller. Armfield has created a “viscerally physical” (Sydney Morning Herald) production, collaborating with Australian designers Ralph Myers and Alice Babidge to produce a slick royal court with darkness at its heart. Contemporary opera specialist, Anglo-German conductor Tim Anderson will make his Australian debut to guide the Opera Australia Orchestra through Dean’s immensely complex and astoundingly raw, visceral score comprising electronic music and cinema-like surround sound effects. Known as the ‘tortured tenor’ due to his extraordinary performances, British tenor Allan Clayton will reprise the demanding title role opposite homegrown soprano Lorina Gore, singing her spellbinding Helpmann-winning performance as Ophelia, and tour-de-force American baritone Rod Gilfry as Claudius. Australian mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby makes a welcome return to Opera Australia to make her role debut as Gertrude alongside an outstanding local cast and the Opera Australia Chorus, while Scottish accordionist James Crabb will… Read More
Bell Shakespeare presents King Lear, starring Robert Menzies
For the first time since 2010, Bell Shakespeare presents King Lear, starring veteran stage actor Robert Menzies in the titular role. The production stages Shakespeare’s epic of the imagination in an intimate setting as Australian audiences won’t have seen it before.