A tongue-in-cheek gothic fantasy and a laughter spinning, giggle-fest and chuckle coaxer if ever there was one.

Choreographer Wayne McGregor’s vision to create a ballet inspired by Virginia Woolf’s three novels Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves was daring enough.

Musicals are on song. With the recent release of ‘La La Land’ the staging of Ladies in Black is timely. I looked forward to hearing Tim Finn’s score.

Whether that ‘ovation’ was an Aussie welcome for a European singer, prompted by her followers or a sympathy vote who knows but it felt unjustified given the concert’s lack of zip and drive, polish and authority.

It’s one of those story within a story plots which charts the production of a musical version of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ as well as the frisson on-and-off stage between Fred Graham, sung by Coleman-Wright and Lilli Vanessi played by Barker.

This was an astonishing concert by two jazz giants. One of those rare occasions when ninety minutes was simply not enough.

This feel-good theatre is surprisingly entertaining in these short attention span, social media, crime show and reality TV saturated days.

‘I am the true me whenever I play on stage,’ says doublebass player Kirsty McCahon. ‘Sometimes I’m so tuned in to support a pianist in a chamber work I almost sit inside the piano.’

‘Schubert’s ‘Wintereisse’ intimidates me, there’s a fear that I may not be able to offer anything new,’ says British Baritone Roderick Williams.

There’s a sense of real sharing on stage, no clashing egos, just sublime music making by some of the best in the business.