Things to do in Sydney today

In one unassuming corner of Sydney’s corporate high-end Barangaroo, a temporary portal to a strange and fantastical realm has materialised. It holds its curious tear in the everyday order through the Department of Legend and Myth; a new bar filled with cocktails, magic and quirky decor, now serving as the threshold extension to the mystery world that lies within. Take a tipple from the bar under neon pink clouds, become pleasantly unmoored from your day with a resident DJ’s serene poppy beats, and then, your journey begins. And oh, how it unfolds is up to you. Eternityland is Sydney’s newest large-scale immersive theatre adventure, brought to us from Danielle Harvey, the director of the acclaimed A Midnight Visit (another production to score an elusive four-stars from us). Where A Midnight Visit was concocted from the life and legacy of Edgar Allan Poe, spuming gothic madness and morbid hysteria, Eternityland is a delirium populated by the idea of the hero: a figure variously mad, noble, tragic, triumphant, misunderstood, overlooked and absurd. It is a vast delirium of many vaults and chambers, with a dizzying two storeys and twenty rooms drenched with Eternityland’s electric, acid-popping dream. Each is more bizarre and captivating than the last, and each invites the curious to explore its secrets and activate its pleasures. Within these rooms, strangely clad warriors, kings, and feminist badasses enchant us with their skills (from circus and cabaret, to music and storytelli

After the opening to critical acclaim, the season of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has been extended until September 10. Get your tickets here (before they sell out again!).  Having already reinterpreted Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray for the modern stage, Sydney Theatre Company artistic director Kip Williams returns to the well of Gothic literature with this bold take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  Telling the story of a respectable London physician, Henry Jekyll –who concocts a potion to purge the evil part of his nature only to find himself increasingly under the control of his brutish alter ego, Edward Hyde – Stevenson’s tale has been much adapted, parodied, and lifted from over the years, but never in so bold a manner as this.  Whereas Williams’ Dorian Gray saw one performer take on a multitude of roles, here we have two: Ewen Leslie, who last collaborated with Williams on the STC’s Julius Caesar, and Matthew Backer, a veteran of Williams’ Cloud Nine and Chimerica. Each is credited as simply “performer” in the production materials. But there’s nothing simple about Williams’ Jekyll and Hyde. This production takes the well-worn terror tale and drills deep into its themes of identity and duality. While the script itself is a relatively straightforward take on the source text – with the actors giving voice to reams of prose so frequently that at times it feels more like a recital than a dramatisation – in e

Exciting, delicious news ahead: Rosa Cienfuegos of the Tamaleria and Mexican Deli in Dulwich Hill is launching a series of intimate and nostalgic taco nights, celebrating all things about the bite-sized staple. To kick things off and celebrate her partnership with Jarritos, on (Taco) Tuesday, August 16, Rosa will be giving away 50 tacos for the first 50 people that come into the Redfern store. To add to the fiesta, from 6pm there will be live Mariachi performances. After a two-month stint exploring and eating her way through Mexico, Cienfuegos will launch her very own culinary adventure at her Redfern Itacate venue that will explore the flavours, preparation, origin and importance of a variety of tacos. Introducing "Rosa's Taco Journeys", a celebration of Mexican culture and cuisine – inherently intertwined and rich in history. Over six special nights throughout August and September, diners can get involved in a taco making master class.  Kicking off on August 16, learn about the history of the tacos al pastor, then on August 23, the traditional Mayan pork taco of conchinita. August 30 will have the ever popular slow-cooked brisket taco, suadero; September 6 is all about the Guadalajaran quesadilla-style birria taco with goat; September 13 means it's time for tacos de Barbacoa, an ancestral dish that uses an earth oven to slow cook a whole lamb wrapped in agave leaves. The final night of the festival comes on September 20, when you'll get amongst the fatty, unctuous and delic

The year is 1978. Wall Street has been taken over by a new generation. The flood of petrodollars has elevated US banking to an indomitable position. Luxury hotel rooms, fine dining and attractive company is the life of those who jet around the globe selling loans to developing countries eager to borrow, and there are plenty. But the writing on the wall tells a different tale. It tells of the overwhelming recklessness of the banks, of countries struggling to repay their debts. And before long, an unthinkable nightmare starts to be made reality. Dream Plane Productions – the team behind Fuente Ovejuna! and Ditch – bring you another chilling Australian premiere from the mind of award-winning writer, Beth Steel. Labyrinth is directed by rising star Margaret Thanos (artistic director of Meraki). As sharp-tongued as Succession but with a Lynchian descent into madness – Labyrinth is a surreal financial thriller that tries to make sense of one of the most catastrophic economic crises of modern history – the Latin American Debt Crisis – which melted down banks, brought the world economy to the brink and unleashed devastation to an entire continent that lasted decades. You can see Labyrinth at Marrickville’s humble Flight Path Theatre from August 17 to September 3, 2022. Grab tickets here. Want more? Check out the best shows to see in Sydney this month.

Edge is a series of weekend-long arts festivals in Inner West neighbourhoods – and in August, the cool-kid creative enclaves of Sydenham and Marrickville get their turn under the spotlight. Expect edgy art and performance, underground and indie venues, live music and late-night parties, all presented by local collectives. Over the weekend of August 13 and 14, you can follow the Creative Trails self-guided map, book a guided tour on a vintage bus, or a workshop to explore an underground world of makers, machines, warehouses buzzing with artist spaces, studios, performers, and producers. Learn how creatives experiment, share stories, invent, and produce new products, bringing ideas and inspiration to our homes, streets, and public spaces.  On Saturday, August 20, bring along friends and family for a free day and night showcase of all that the area has to offer at Edge Celebrate Postcode 2044 at Sydenham Green. Featuring the Soul Movers, Dorothy the Dinosaur (now an international cultural export, Dorothy was conceived locally), loads of live music, local produce, and delicious food. Learn physical theatre with Legs On the Wall, to skate, or paint your own skateboard. Or join in creating bold public art installations. Later, from 4pm, you can explore Tortuga Studios' dystopian night playground – Glitch: a playground of the apocalypse. With its fractured light, warped sound and large-scale installations, this multimedia event features some of Sydney's leading industrial artists, p