Community theatre is an inherently strange little ecosystem. It’s a place where people with wildly different levels of talent, ambition and self-awareness come together and, for a few fleeting nights, treat a modest suburban stage as if they’re opening on Broadway. For some it’s a hobby. For others it’s a calling. And for the particularly…

I first saw Empire of the Sun at the Sydney Opera House in 2013. On the way out, I turned to my partner and said, “If you didn’t love that show, there’s something wrong with you.” I’ve caught them every time I’ve had the opportunity since, and the sentiment remains. Empire of the Sun transport you…

Friendships don’t necessarily end with an argument or betrayal. Sometimes life simply starts pulling two people in different directions, and the fear of what might be lost along the way can prove just as painful. That anxiety sits at the emotional centre of DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island, a vibrant fantasy adventure that sends lifelong best…

Growing older has a way of revealing which friendships were chapters and which became part of the entire story. Or, as Forgotten Island co-director Januel Mercado rather wonderfully puts it, perhaps we’re not getting old so much as we’ve simply “been younger, longer.” That perspective feels particularly fitting for DreamWorks Animation’s latest original adventure, a…

DreamWorks has been enjoying something of a creative renaissance in recent years, but even with the studio increasingly willing to push its visual language, Forgotten Island feels like a particularly special swing. Vibrant, wonderfully strange and ultimately far more emotional than its chaotic adventure initially suggests, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado’s Filipino mythology-inspired feature takes…

I don’t have much of a connection to the original Onimusha games from the PS2 era, but I did play them briefly. While that was many years ago, I did review the more recent remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, and felt that it had plenty to offer both new and existing fans amongst modern-day action…

For the second night in a row, Nintendo kept Aussies up till the early hours with a second packed direct full of announcements for new titles, expected titles, and so many ports of existing games coming to the Switch 2. Metroid Ravenous After the middling reaction to Metroid Prime 4, Samus is back in a…

After selling out their six-date Australian tour in 2025, The Fray are wasting little time coming back, announcing a major Australian and New Zealand run for February 2027. The Summer of Light Tour will take in a mix of headline arena shows and outdoor dates, with Dashboard Confessional, Bastille, Killing Heidi, Little Birdy and Rachael…

Hollywood has always been particularly adept at selling dreams whilst quietly destroying the people trying to live them. In Misty Green, Chris Rock turns that contradiction into something funny, furious and increasingly uncomfortable, crafting a showbusiness satire that isn’t afraid to let its laughter curdle. Rock’s latest effort as writer-director centres on Misty Green (Rosalind…

This month the State Library of NSW celebrates its 200th anniversary with a six-week program of talks, performances and live music, including new commissions from some of Australia’s most prolific creatives. On Friday night, the Mitchell Library Reading Room, known for its vast ceilings and the multi-storey bookshelves lining its walls, became the site of…

A name like Housework is one that evokes domestic drudgery, or if you want something a bit more fun, Freddie Mercury in the “I Want to Break Free” video. But do not be fooled; this new play about Australian politics is nothing short of sharp and hilarious. It is a show that will surprise you…

Family can make us feel safest, but it can also reopen wounds we thought had long since healed. That tension sits at the heart of River, the nerve-shredding feature debut from writer-director Joshua Giuliano, which celebrated its world premiere at Midnight Madness at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Jane Levy, Jessica Rothe and Max…

Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company opens today in Brisbane, and we managed to score a sneak peek of the exclusive exhibition yesterday morning. Opening at QAGOMA from September 12th and running right through until April 18th 2027, this world-first exhibition is perfectly timed to celebrate 70 years of Henson magic,…

Sometimes horror really doesn’t need to be complicated. Give us a handful of characters we care about, isolate them somewhere they shouldn’t be, introduce something terrifying and let nature take its course. Joshua Giuliano understands this remarkably well with River, his feature directorial debut and a brutally efficient love letter to the kind of slasher…

For the last two decades, Interpol have been creating moody, dark songs that have worked their way into our consciousness. The 2002 album Turn on the Bright Lights was a slow burn, with songs such as “Obstacle 1” and “PDA” becoming fan favourites over time. Original members Paul Banks on vocals and guitar and Daniel…

Even if Jordan Firstman has never particularly been someone you’ve vibed with, Club Kid may completely rearrange your perception of him. Serving as writer, director and star of his feature filmmaking debut, Firstman initially seems determined to test that theory. His Peter Green is a New York club promoter whose existence is fuelled by late…

Following a Best Picture winner is no enviable task, but Siân Heder has never seemed particularly interested in taking the easy route. With Being Heumann, her first feature since CODA, the writer-director turns her attention to disability rights activist Judy Heumann and a landmark moment in American civil rights history, delivering a film that is…

There was something wonderfully incongruous about the fathers of British punk bringing their Final Damnation 50th Anniversary Tour to the Sydney Opera House while My Fair Lady was performing next door. But The Damned have never really been a band that concerned themselves with doing what was expected. From the opening notes of “Street of…

“In order for a dance to exist it requires an audience to witness it.” – Amrita Hepi Bringing together movement and storytelling, internationally renowned Bundjalung and Ngāpuhi artist Amrita Hepi presents Rinse at the Sydney Opera House. A collaboration with acclaimed theatre maker Mish Grigor, this solo work combines dance with theatre to create a…

After more than three decades, Sixpence None The Richer will finally make their long-awaited Australian debut in March 2027. Led by vocalist Leigh Nash, the US favourites behind the timeless global hit “Kiss Me” will bring their much-loved catalogue to audiences around the country, including favourites such as “There She Goes”, “Breathe Your Name” and…

This week we’ve added ten new tracks to our Discovery Playlist, including two premieres we were thrilled to bring you earlier in the week. Taking out our Track of the Week is Zach Stephenson with his debut solo single, “In N Out”. Best known as one half of the much-loved duo Hockey Dad, Stephenson is…

Insomniac Games did such a great job with Marvel’s Spider-Man over the course of three titles that I would personally trust them with any superhero game they wanted to tackle. With that being said, Wolverine is one of my absolute favourites, and I really can’t believe it’s here. In many ways, Marvel’s Wolverine absolutely nails…

Apple held its annual event overnight, showcasing the brand-new phones that will grace us by the end of 2026. While the usual suspects were shown off here, including a new Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch and AirPods, there was a slightly larger, heavily rumoured device that’s sure to get everyone talking. So let’s dive…

Tove Lo is heading back to Australia, with the Swedish pop powerhouse announcing four headline shows for March 2027 as part of her global ESTRUS TOUR. Presented by Secret Sounds and Live Nation, the tour will take Tove Lo to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, with Australian rising pop artist SALTY joining her as special…

Nintendo kept us up till the wee hours delivering the first of its two Directs this week. The first one focused purely on The Legend of Zelda, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. With the recent announcement of the Ocarina of Time remake, I was excited to see some actual gameplay footage and…

It’s been seven years since we last heard new music from Pony Face, and the Melbourne indie-psych four-piece make up for lost time with the fabulously hypnotic “Expire”. We’re thrilled today to be premiering the video for “Expire”, the first taste of a forthcoming new album from Pony Face and a welcome reintroduction to a…

After two surprisingly addictive outings in the Hot Wheels Unleashed series, developer Milestone has taken that same arcade racing and put it into an open world spanning four massive islands in their latest game, Infinite Rush. The result is a game that handles brilliantly but loses some of the structure that made the last two…

Following extraordinary demand, global breakout star sombr has added a second and final show in Brisbane and third and final shows in both Melbourne and Sydney to the hugely anticipated You Are The Reason Tour. After selling out his Australian and New Zealand debut shows and making a major impression at Spilt Milk Festival in 2025,…

Generally around this time each year, people start asking about the new iPhones on the horizon, and if they should pull the trigger on the current range, or simply wait for the new ones to launch. Apple has confirmed their iPhone 18 event will take place in the early hours of Thursday, the 10th of…

As a die-hard Boston Celtics fan, I was hoping NBA 2K27 would be kinder to me than the offseason was. It’s a tradition that I jump straight into Play Now and whip up a quick match between the Celtics and whoever I believe will be the best in the East for the upcoming season. As…