Emily Nicol

NOTE: Katie Beckett has been replaced by Tuuli Narkle in the role of Evonne Goolagong  A dynamic new theatrical production transforms the Sydney Town Hall into a tennis court to celebrate the life and career of tennis legend and national living treasure Evonne Goolagong Cawley some 50 years after her first Wimbledon win. Yorta Yorta/Gunaikurnai writer/director Andrea James’ witty and inspired show Sunshine Super Girl stars Katie Beckett in the lead role. It will take audiences behind the iconic images of Goolagong on court, smiling next to her giant silver winner shields, to the unseen moments that paved the way to her becoming the world number one women’s player. Goolagong’s story is lined with serendipitous moments. From a hometown with a predominantly white population that rallied behind the tennis champ when she was just starting out, to the sacrifices that her family made. “What would have happened if she didn't put her hand down the back of her dad’s car when she was three and find a tennis ball?” James wonders. “And what would have happened if her family didn’t move to Barellan where there was a tennis court literally at the back of their house? There’s all of these beautiful moments where you get to see all of these stars align.” In light of the recent resurgence in the Black Lives Matter movement, and systemic change in tackling racism within sporting codes, the production offers a timely look at the Wiradjuri sporting hero who wasn’t always comfortable discussing ra

Summer in Sydney is prime time to get an arts fix, with Sydney Festival taking over the city for three weeks, blockbuster international exhibitions at our major galleries, and a stack of all-singing, all-dancing musicals. But what’s your personal arts flavour? We’re here to help you find your perfect match.

In a city with such a dazzling harbour, it’s easy to miss all of the complex little worlds surrounding us every day. That pretty purple wildflower or innocuous green shrub you may pass on a lunchtime walk contains food and medicine, if only you look a little closer. If you are curious to discover the genius within our natural environment, and the people and culture that thrived here for thousands of years before you, the Aboriginal Walking Tour at Barangaroo is a good place to start. Named after a badass fisherwoman and defiant champion of sustainable practices, Barangaroo is now a park that has committed to being carbon neutral and water positive with zero waste emissions. In small groups led by one of several Aboriginal guides, you can explore the reserve, which sits on the edge of the harbour and has been redeveloped with over 75,000 native plants. History and wisdom is woven into humour and personal anecdotes from the tour guides. It’s a leisurely stroll, with many stops to touch, smell and taste the plants that have sustained life and communities that lived in harmony with the land and its bounty. You’ll learn which plants can cure toothaches, repel mozzies, or be ground into flour for a sweet bread or even used as a syrup in wine. You’ll also discover the stories of the many animals and sealife that once flourished here and how they have adapted like us, to the many changes of modernisation. Find more of Sydney's best tours.

The story of circus pioneer PT Barnum has been told recently on screen in The Greatest Showman and on stage in the local production of Barnum. But while both had plenty of razzle-dazzle, neither touched on Barnum’s connection with Australia, nor the Aboriginal performers that paid with their lives for his promise of ‘entertainment’ to a curious audience during the 1800s.  Rhoda Roberts, head of First Nations programming at the Sydney Opera House, hopes to reveal the reality that gets conveniently left out of Barnum stories in the world premiere of Natives Go Wild, a cabaret fuelled by the fun and frivolity of burlesque and vaudeville, but delivered with a sharp turn of political and social commentary. “It's a different night at the circus that has a little dark edge to it,” Roberts says. “But it's celebratory; it certainly will have some debauchery in it.” Bringing together a cast of First Nations artists from Australia and across the Pacific, Natives Go Wild will not only showcase their talents, but bring to life a part of circus history largely unknown. Barnum kidnapped Aboriginal peoples from Australia, across the Pacific and the world, taking them on the road to be the star attractions of his show The Ethnological Congress of Strange Tribes. The show was a hit and a moneymaker for Barnum, with audiences of the time intrigued by attractions such as Tambo, a senior leader from Palm Island who was ‘recruited’ by one of Barnum’s henchmen, Robert A Cunningham, alongside 16 oth

When the Shepparton rapper and label owner was asked to put on a show at the Sydney Opera House, Briggs didn't hesitate. “To be able to take over such an iconic building with a young, fresh, new wave of Australian musicians who are all Indigenous, and people of colour...” he says. “It’s gonna be something else.” Briggs’ Bad Apples House Party, on May 30, will see the Yorta Yorta man take to the Joan Sutherland Theatre stage alongside friends from his Indigenous hip-hop label, Bad Apples Music, including up-and-comers the Kid Laroi, Jesswar and Rebecca Hatch. Briggs’ hope for the night is for everyone to walk away thinking that they’ve just witnessed something they haven’t seen before. “I just try to create those moments that people remember, both artists and punters,” he says. Special guests include exciting duo Electric Fields, in what is shaping up to be a night filled with powerful lyrics, hard-hitting performances and an unapologetic sense of purpose and pride that only the Bad Apples collective could bring.   Electric Fields Photograph: Matsu Photography   Known for his own style of political activism, Briggs, who is also a comic writer for The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and a regular contributor to ABC’s The Weekly and Black Comedy, recently created his first billboard-sized joke. After driving past a billboard in his hometown promoting One Nation’s Pauline Hanson, declaring that the senator has “the guts to say what you are thinking”, Briggs couldn’t pass up

This month, Dan Sultan will release his fourth album Killer, which signifies a break from the trad rock’n’roll of his past. Working with long-time collaborator and close friend Jan Skubiszewski (from Way of the Eagle studios) Sultan says his freedom to go in a new direction is partly down to being an artist who's not limited to one genre, and this new record is his favourite work yet. “I’ve changed things up stylistically and instrumentally,” says Sultan, who is billed for Splendour in the Grass in July. “I like to keep myself interested and on my toes.” In Killer, Sultan introduces synthesisers, drum machines and gospel backing vocals. Thumping opening track ‘Drover’ has been described as a prequel to Paul Kelly’s ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’. In ‘Hold It Together’ there’s a booming gospel chorus, and ‘Fire Under Foot’ is emotionally charged and vulnerable. It’s clear we’re being taken on a different journey, though not too far away from Sultan’s personal and reflective lyricism. “Jan has done a lot of stuff with that kind of sound and that sort of instrumentation, so he could articulate what I was trying to hear, he could get that out. I’ll describe something as ‘fluffy’ and then he’ll go ‘Oh a sound like this…?’ “We are very close,” says Sultan of his relationship with Skubiszewski. “There’s a brotherhood there. We read each other’s minds in the studio. There are times when I tested his patience, absolutely, which we won’t go into,” he says, laughing. Sultan spent

Welcome to the 25th guest blog post of Time Out Sydney's 52 Weeks of #SydCulture 2017 challenge! June's culture selector is Emily Nicol, a journalist and producer for Koori Radio and NITV, and the guest editor for Time Out Sydney's May 2017 Deadly Sydney issue. Every Wednesday of May, Emily will be telling us what she loved the week before. Think of it as your recommendations for this week, from someone who sees a helluva lot of arts and culture. Over to her. Every time I walk into the Art Gallery of New South Wales I immediately think: I need to come here more often! The green and lush grounds and the building itself are always beautiful to see, but inside you’re guaranteed to be transported somewhere else – within your own psyche, or to another time and place. This week I decided to check out two of the current exhibitions, and experienced a nice respite from a very busy week. In the 20th and 21st century Australian art section, AGNSW have curated a one-room exhibition of works by American-born Tasmania-based photographer David Stephenson, titled Human Landscapes and mostly featuring works from the early ’80s.   David Stephenson ‘Alaska pipeline, Brooks Range, Alaska’ (1981) Photograph: Felicity Jenkins, AGNSW     Stephenson’s approach to landscape photography draws the viewer in, piquing curiosity about the subject and its environment, however stark. It takes a clever hand to unveil the layers and cinematic life that live beneath an otherwise ordinary everyday scene. Two

Welcome to the 24th guest blog post of Time Out Sydney's 52 Weeks of #SydCulture 2017 challenge! June's culture selector is Emily Nicol, a journalist and producer for Koori Radio and NITV, and the guest editor for Time Out Sydney's May 2017 Deadly Sydney issue. Every Wednesday of May, Emily will be telling us what she loved the week before. Think of it as your recommendations for this week, from someone who sees a helluva lot of arts and culture. Over to her. This year’s Sydney Film Festival has come and gone, and despite grand plans I only managed to get along to see one film. But what a film. I’m a huge fan of music docos; I love the untold stories behind the artists and their music – and on Friday night I was in my happy place, thanks to Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World. Many musical greats were inspired and influenced by Native American musicians, some of whom never revealed their cultural heritage, flew under the radar, or were legends only within the world of musicians. Rumble reveals the artists who helped to shape the modern sounds of blues, rock’n’roll and jazz, as told by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Slash, Steven Tyler and Tony Bennett, just to name a few.   EP Stevie Salas and producer Christina Fon at the opening of 'Rumble' at Sydney Film Festival, June 14 Photograph: Rocket K     The film was executive-produced by Stevie Salas, a Native American (Apache) guitarist (named in the top 50 guitarists of all time), author, record producer and TV host. S

This month, Dan Sultan will release his fourth album Killer, which signifies a break from the trad rock’n’roll of his past. Working with long-time collaborator and close friend Jan Skubiszewski (from Way of the Eagle studios) Sultan says his freedom to go in a new direction is partly down to being an artist who's not limited to one genre, and this new record is his favourite work yet. “I’ve changed things up stylistically and instrumentally,” says Sultan, who is billed for Splendour in the Grass in July. “I like to keep myself interested and on my toes.” In Killer, Sultan introduces synthesisers, drum machines and gospel backing vocals. Thumping opening track ‘Drover’ has been described as a prequel to Paul Kelly’s ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’. In ‘Hold It Together’ there’s a booming gospel chorus, and ‘Fire Under Foot’ is emotionally charged and vulnerable. It’s clear we’re being taken on a different journey, though not too far away from Sultan’s personal and reflective lyricism. “Jan has done a lot of stuff with that kind of sound and that sort of instrumentation, so he could articulate what I was trying to hear, he could get that out. I’ll describe something as ‘fluffy’ and then he’ll go ‘Oh a sound like this…?’ “We are very close,” says Sultan of his relationship with Skubiszewski. “There’s a brotherhood there. We read each other’s minds in the studio. There are times when I tested his patience, absolutely, which we won’t go into,” he says, laughing. Sultan spent

Welcome to the 23rd guest blog post of Time Out Sydney's 52 Weeks of #SydCulture 2017 challenge! June's culture selector is Emily Nicol, a journalist and producer for Koori Radio and NITV, and the guest editor for Time Out Sydney's May 2017 Deadly Sydney issue. Every Wednesday of May, Emily will be telling us what she loved the week before. Think of it as your recommendations for this week, from someone who sees a helluva lot of arts and culture. Over to her. If ever there was a movement I’ve felt compelled to be a part of, it’s the kind of fun and boldly liberating one I couldn’t help but feel connected to last Thursday at the Opera House. The show was Hot Brown Honey – a fabulous dance/comedy/strip tease/song extravaganza served up with some social activism by an all-female cast; and it’s much, much more than just a performance.   The cast of Hot Brown Honey Photograph: Anna Kucera     I was super excited to catch the show, which is on a return tour due to popular demand, as I missed their last season and had heard nothing but praise. Co-created by Kim “Busty Beatz” Bowers and Lisa Fa'alafi, Hot Brown Honey is an honest, clever, funny, and super entertaining look at stereotypes and the reality of living in Australia as a woman of colour. The music is hot and the production is slick. It makes you want to dance, and you get the chance to; it’s in your face – at times very literally (just a heads up for the guys!). I laughed out loud. But the best part is it’s all the things

Welcome to the 22nd guest blog post of Time Out Sydney's 52 Weeks of #SydCulture 2017 challenge! June's culture selector is Emily Nicol, a journalist and producer for Koori Radio and NITV, and the guest editor for Time Out Sydney's May 2017 Deadly Sydney issue. Every Wednesday of May, Emily will be telling us what she loved the week before. Think of it as your recommendations for this week, from someone who sees a helluva lot of arts and culture. Over to her. It’s that time of year when it’s starting to get a bit chilly and we just feel like hibernating, but Vivid comes along and entices us all out of our cosy caves to experience some of the world’s best in music, ideas and light installations. And Vivid really does deliver on all fronts. This year’s programming has packed so many of the city’s venues with arty goodness, intriguing discussions, food and lights. Just to see the city lit up is a beautiful experience in itself – a free show that can thankfully be enjoyed from afar or with the crowds. This year I decided to circumvent the crowds by focusing on one particular piece: Bangarra Dance Company’s Harbour Bridge South Pylon projection, Eora – Bennelong. It’s the fourth in a series of light projections created by Bangarra for Vivid Lights, exploring the Indigenous spirit of a nation who have lived on the land for thousands of years. To me it’s hugely important to have an engaging and culturally relevant display as part of this festival. While the programming of the festiv