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From Hungarian child prodigy to feted Australian musical genius, Tommy Tycho led a stimulating and adventurous life, overcoming a series of setbacks. He is front and centre in a fascinating, illuminating and stimulating documentary, titled TYCHO! Beyond the Baton, written and directed by Stephan Wellink. Tommy was born into an upper middle-class family in Budapest on 11th April, 1928. His father was general manager of what constituted the electricity commission, while h

The global refugee crisis is brought into sharp focus in a tightly wound, suspenseful drama based around a family holiday. The attention is on Danish school teacher Mikkel (Esben Smed) and his workaholic health ministry official wife, Louise (Danica Curcic). They have taken their two young daughters, 11-year-old Sille (Sif Lucca Gersby) and Ella (Chili Olivia Jensen), six, away to a resort on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Heading home one night along a dark road,

With so many stars and planets in the universe, why is Earth the only one we know of so far that can support a preponderance of human life? That is a question answered categorically in the interactive and immersive virtual reality experience Smithsonian Starstruck. Developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is an invitation to explore distant galaxies. In fact, there is an abundance of information, coupled w

A cavalcade of colour, movement and sound, EONARIUM Enlightenment is a sensory sensation with huge emotional resonance. Upstairs at the Immigration Museum is the perfect venue to immerse yourself in this spirited showcase that dazzles and delights. Antonio Vivaldi’s Baroque era masterpiece The Four Seasons provides the ultimate sound bed for an extraordinary half hour of moving projections. Vivid colours in a huge variety of shapes and styles, including naturalistic and

It starts with a pointed quote from Oscar Wilde: “One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.” Then, a whip smart script and some seriously good acting transport us to eye opening conversation between two couples living in the same apartment block. Music teacher Joe (Seth Rogen) and his wife Angela’s (Olivia Wilde) daughter is sleeping out for the night. The couple isn’t exactly on the same page when Angela invites their free-spirited upstai

It is known as the magical world of Disney for a reason, which is immediately evident when you witness the spectacular show Disney on Ice presents Magic in the Stars. Featuring a surfeit of Disney favourites, this is something special. As technology continues to develop and with creativity in abundance, I venture to suggest this is the best Disney on Ice yet … and I have seen many. Think ice skaters par excellence performing somersaults, lifts, twirls and jumps, not to o

There is so much to get excited about in Victorian Opera’s new production of The Coronation of Poppea. It is chock-full of skulduggery, subterfuge and intrigue. Think ruthless ambition and illicit passion. Photos by Jeff Busby As director Sam Strong well puts it, Brian De Palma’s classic film Scarface meets 1980s Miami and neo-classical kitsch. Into that mix you should add ancient Rome and the gods. Talk about a heady combination … and I assure you The Coronation of

Her parents died when she was young. She only knew fragments of their lives, material she had pieced together from her mother’s diary. Her grandparents on her father’s side kept her at arm’s length, but why? This is the story of 18-year-old Marina (Llúcia Garcia) who is looking for answers. The year is 2004 and she arrives in Vigo, on the Spanish Atlantic coast. She wants her grandparents’ signature on documents she needs for a scholarship application. But before s

Let’s start with a simple question. What is the Minions’ mantra? If your answer is to find the most evil boss of their time to serve, you get an elephant stamp. But what would any Minion worth his salt do along the way? Create mayhem, of course. So it is that this seventh film in the franchise, dating back to Despicable Me in 2010, is built on the contention that Minions have always been around. Grainy black and white footage at the start of the movie – a nice touch – g