The Spooky Men For Celebratory Qld Tour – From 27 May

Feature-The Spooky Men’s Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur - An Anniversary Tour

After a ‘warm up’ concert in Melbourne 3 May, the bearded, hatted, sensational singers celebrate “25 years of Pointless Grandeur” in Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Maleny & Noosa – before dropping into Sydney… then heading overseas for a 28-gig UK tour!

The spooky story so far…
On 4 August 2001, at Eastside Paddington Church, a genial scrum of bearded fellows shuffled onto the stage. How could any of us have known that 25 years later they would still be at it after nearly 1000 gigs, 8 albums, 14 tours of UK/Europe, and the small matter of singlehandedly redefining men’s singing?

But they are. And now, in the grandiose arena of the Enmore Theatre, the Spooky Men will celebrate their birthday with a show not quite like any other they have done. It will be a birthday party, a retrospective, and a showcase of everything they have become. There will be a number of chunky gems from the past, but also the very best pickings from their current spooky tool bag.

“It takes a rare skill to be very silly, thoughtful, and sing in perfect harmony, but the Spooky Men’s Chorale manage to achieve just that.” – The Guardian

The Spooky Men are not easy to describe: Founded by Stephen Taberner and Inspired by the great Georgian choirs of the Caucasian mountains, they aim to both celebrate and mock masculinity with a unique cocktail of mighty boofiness, charming stupidity, and exquisite tenderness that may well bring a tear to your eye.

Each show is a journey rich with theatrical and storytelling elements, but what is most notable is the humanity that is evoked. No subject is too trivial or weighty for their attention, and such ability to find new musical rooms to explore contributes greatly to their astonishing fan loyalty.

But, says Taberner, there is more: “This show will also offer the chance to join a massed audience choir, The Axis of Spook for a ridiculous musical sensurround experience. There will be special spooky guests, a musical favourites lottery and a massed spooky man finale!” And other surprises, too.

“Gird your loins: this is the one spooky show in the history of spooky shows that you should not miss….”
“Sheer musical excellence – like the ghosts of choristers long gone” Sydney Morning Herald

Iconic, eccentric, lyrical, larrikin… always supremely entertaining… The Spooky Men’s Chorale are very proud to announce their VERY SPOOKY QUEENSLAND TOUR from 27 MAY!

The Spooky Men’s Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur – An Anniversary Tour

Melbourne Recital Centre Sun 3 May 7pm

Queensland Tour:
Wed 27 May – QLD Conservatorium Theatre 7.30pm
Thu 28 May – Macleay Island Community Hall 6.30pm
Sat 30 May – Ipswich Civic Centre 7.30pm
Sun 31 May – Toowoomba Empire Theatre 2pm
Thu 4 June – Hota Gold Coast 7.30pm
Fri 5 June – Maleny Community Centre 7.30pm
Sat 6 June – The J. Noosa 7.30pm

Thurs 11 June – Enmore Theatre, Sydney

All bookings www.spookymen.com

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Sydney Film Festival Program Explores The Intersection Of Fashion And Cinema

Feature-SARTORIAL: FASHION ON FILM

Sydney Film Festival will present SARTORIAL: FASHION ON FILM, a program featuring new premieres alongside restored classics that explore the relationship between fashion and cinema, screening as part of the 73rd Sydney Film Festival from 3–14 June 2026. The program strand features seven films spanning decades of cinema, bringing together a striking body of work in which some of the world’s most distinctive filmmakers turn fashion into a lens on identity, culture and power. From the ateliers of Paris to the factory floors of China, these films trace how clothing reflects and shapes the societies that produce it, moving between documentary and fiction, and between candid portraits and global perspectives.

A centrepiece will be the Australian premiere of Marc by Sofia, Sofia Coppola’s first documentary, offering a personal picture of longtime friend, designer Marc Jacobs, and his creative world. Also featured is the world premiere of Australian film French Girls, directed by Hyun Lee, following a young woman drawn into Sydney’s modelling industry after being scouted, as she begins to navigate its shifting expectations and pressures.

Acclaimed filmmakers have long turned their attention to the fashion industry from multiple perspectives. From the recently deceased master, Frederick Wiseman’s Model offers a landmark depiction of a New York modelling agency, observing castings, shoots and the relentless demands of image-making, while Jia Zhangke’s Useless traces the human cost of industrial production across China’s garment industry, from factory floors to haute couture runways.

Chronicles of influential figures in fashion and culture also feature. Agnès Varda’s Jane B. par Agnès V. offers a playful and unconventional portrait of Jane Birkin, while Wim Wenders’ Notebook on Cities and Clothes follows designer Yohji Yamamoto, reflecting on creativity, authorship and the parallels between filmmaking and fashion.

Fictional takes on the fashion world bring satire and spectacle. Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter, filmed during Paris Fashion Week, presents a sprawling ensemble comedy set amid the industry’s backstage dramas and personalities.

Sydney Film Festival Senior Programmer Jessica Moraza said, “The relationship between fashion and film extends far beyond the traditional fashion documentaries we know and love. In this special series, we wanted to highlight instances where some of cinema’s most distinctive directors have brought their singular perspective to the fashion world.”

The films in the strand include: French Girls (2026) Dir. Hyun Lee; Marc by Sofia (2025) Dir. Sofia Coppola; Useless (2007) Dir. Jia Zhangke; Prêt-à-Porter (1994) Dir. Robert Altman; Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989) Dir. Wim Wenders; Jane B. par Agnès V. (1988) Dir. Agnès Varda; Model (1980) Dir. Frederick Wiseman.

Tickets to SARTORIAL: FASHION ON FILM, as well as Flexipasses and subscriptions to Sydney Film Festival 2026 are on sale now. Visit sff.org.au for more information. The full Sydney Film Festival program is announced on Wednesday 6 May 2026, when tickets to all films will be on sale.

 

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Full Cast Announcement For Once The Musical!

Feature-ONCE The Musical

An exceptional Australian cast led by award-winning director and performer Mark Taylor, and The Voice finalist Sian Fuller, will bring the eight-time Tony award-winning characters from Once to life in this cleverly reimagined production under the stewardship of Melbourne’s critically acclaimed independent production company, AG Theatre. With rehearsals well underway, the cast is preparing to bring this global smash hit to Melbourne’s Chapel off Chapel stage, with preview performances starting from the 8th May. Renowned director Pip Mushin is at the helm of this much loved production, having enjoyed a stellar run with AG Theatre over the last 18 months including their recent sell out productions of Avenue Q and Mamma Mia.

Green Room Award-nominated creative Mark Taylor, who recently directed the recently nominated production of American Psycho, is stepping into the lead role of Guy. Playing alongside Mark is 2021 The Voice semi finalist and seasoned musician, Sian Fuller, who is taking on the lead role of Girl. Both of these incredible performers are joined by a stellar community of talent that includes the highly respected performer Donald Bridges as Da – who has just been announced as the recipient of The MEAA Equity Foundation’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The production also stars Western Australian actor and multi instrumentalist Frazer Shephardson as Billy; VCA student, vocalist and violinist Rose Stephens as Reza; actor, singer, and multi-instrumentalist James Frampton as Andrej; star of ABC TV’s The Piano and up-and-coming theatre performer John Yanko as Svec; seasoned international performer of stage and screen William Lopez as the Bank Manager; talented recent graduate of Federation University Misha Gordon takes on the role of Ex-Girlfriend; seasoned Melbourne musician, actor and composer Bridget a’Beckett plays the role of Baruska; young performer and violinist Felix Star plays Eamon; young child stars Lila Colombi, Imogen Young, Emersyn Orchard will play the role of Ivonka. The rest of this talented cast includes Kaiyeesha Kim Tambakau (Kye Tamm) as Emcee; and Jackson Cross and Belinda Jenkin as swings.

Evolving from John Carney’s cinematic success in 2007 into a critically acclaimed stage production, Once has captivated theatregoers on Broadway and in London’s West End, thereby solidifying its distinguished position within the history of Western musical theatre. The production showcases the spell-binding score composed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, which notably features the Oscar-winning song, “Falling Slowly.” Once possesses the unique distinction of being the sole Broadway production whose musical composition has garnered the Academy Award, Grammy Award, Olivier Award, and Tony Award.

Once is truly a production that combines the infectious rhythm of Irish céili, an incredibly talented cast of actor-musicians, an Academy Award-winning soundtrack and a heart-warming story, following a Dublin-born busker and vacuum-fixer as he meets a young Czech mother with a faulty vacuum cleaner who reinvigorates his passion for music.

Tickets are available for purchase now at https://booktickets.com.au/

A pre-sale offer is currently available, with all tickets priced at $89 until March 30th.

Once The Musical will play at Chapel off Chapel from Wednesday to Sunday from May 8th, 2026 until May 30th, 2026.

CAST LIST:
Mark Taylor – Guy
Sian Fuller – Girl
Frazer Shepherdson – Billy
Rose Chambers – Reza
James Frampton – Andrej
John Yanko – Svec
Will Lopez – Bank Manager
Misha Eve Gordon – Ex-Girlfriend
Bridget a’Beckett – Baruska
Donald Bridges – Da
Felix Star – Eamon
Kaiyeesha Kim Tambakau – Emcee
Lila Colombi – Ivonka
Imogen Young – Ivonka
Emersyn Orchard – Ivonka
Jackson Cross – Swing
Belinda Jenkin – Swing

PRODUCTION TEAM:
Executive Producer: Andrew Gyopar
Director: Pip Mushin
Musical Director: Timothy John Wilson
Choreographer: Jamie White
Production Design: Abbey Stanway
Costume Design: Karen Spencer

Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia)
Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
Book by Edna Walsh

DURATION
2hr 30 min with a 20-minute interval

 

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HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival Teases Festival Program Ahead Of Its June Arrival In Australia

Feature-HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival

From 10 June, cinema screens at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova Cinemas and Luna Palace Cinemas across Australia will heat up with a sensacional selection of contemporary cinema from Spain and Latin America. The 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival has today revealed a first tantalising taste of its 29th edition, including an award-winning drama, a rom-com starring one of the most well-known Latin American actors, a historical epic, salsa documentary, and more. Set against the backdrop of a corporate crisis, NOTHING BETWEEN US (Nada entre los dos) is an intimate and charming love story from Argentina and Uruguay, starring Gael García Bernal and Natalia Oreiro. In the first time the two popular actors have appeared on screen together, they star as colleagues on conference at a beach resort in Mexico faced with the fragile balance between personal freedom and social expectations.

The Festival Centrepiece is the highly awarded Spanish box office hit SUNDAYS (Los domingos), from writer/director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, which won the Golden Shell (Best Film) at the 2025 San Sebastián Film Festival, in addition to five Goya Awards and five Feroz Awards. The quietly spellbinding drama explores a family in crisis after their 17-year-old daughter defies expectations and declares that she is choosing the life of a cloistered nun.

From award-winning director Alejandro Amenábar, comes the epic historical adventure THE CAPTIVE (El cautivo), the Festival Special Presentation. The ambitious and thrilling drama starring Julio Peña (Through My Window) and Alessandro Borghi (The Eight Mountains) follows a young Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, who finds an unexpected refuge in the art of storytelling while imprisoned in 16th Century Algiers.

LA SALSA VIVE is a vivid documentary, from Colombia and the USA via Havana, that tells the story of two cities bound by the rhythm of salsa. From New York City, where the genre was born in the 1970s, to Cali, Colombia, the self-proclaimed “world capital of salsa” where it thrives with unmatched passion. The evolution of the genre is an illuminating journey of cultural heritage, music and dance, much like the global 1990s hit The Buena Vista Social Club.

Brazilian film ISABEL, direct from the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, is an intoxicating drama imbued with wine. It follows talented sommelier Isabel (Marina Person, who also co-wrote the script) in São Paulo’s fine-dining scene who dreams of opening her own wine bar away from her controlling boss. However, she must balance following her passion with the realities of opening a business. Watch ISABEL trailer here

In a feel-good origins tale inspired by true events, ANOTHER LEAGUE (Pioneras: solo querían jugar) tells the story of a group of girls in the early 1970s who decide to play football in a country that does not see a place for them in the sport. Through the many challenges they face, they meet an ambitious promotor who is determined to change the story of women’s football in Spain.

For families and schools, there is the charming family comedy and Spanish box office hit MY AMAZING GRANDMA (Abuela Tremenda). Contrasting overprotective parents with the wild and carefree energy of a mischievous grandmother, three generations of women experience hilarious disasters at a rural farm. And fun is guaranteed in BEAR CLAW CAMP (Campamento Garra de Oso) in which two nine-year-olds race against time to save their summer camp, combining live action and animation for an exciting adventure about the power of friendship and teamwork.

The 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival takes place nationally from 10 June to 12 July (dates vary) in Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Byron Bay and Ballina.

The full programme will be announced and tickets go on sale in mid-May at www.spanishfilmfestival.com

LISTING DETAILS:
Canberra 10 June – 5 July: Palace Electric Cinema
Adelaide 10 June – 5 July: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Brisbane 11 June – 5 July: Palace James Street and Palace Barracks
Perth 11 June – 1 July: Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX
Melbourne 12 June – 5 July: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema
Ballarat 12 June – 5 July: Palace Regent Cinema
Sydney 18 June – 12 July: Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park and Palace Central
Byron Bay/Ballina 18 June – 12 July: Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas

 

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