
For this year's Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Jim Black, percussionist extraordinaire, led a quartet from the back of a blue lit stage at the Toff in Town.

It’s a treat to hear jazz backed with a big sound, from an army of saxophones and a giant of a musician on double bass who enjoyed a solo moment.

George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 has seen a surge in sales in recent years, as people suspect we are heading into an Orwellian future, where oppressive regimes manipulate the truth and undermine humanity and civilisation. Is there anything to learn from going back to Orwell’s 1949 text?

Book of Exodus comes to an affecting conclusion and a strong final image, and there is no denying the artistry that has gone into it, but it’s hard to walk out with a clear reaction to the whole thing.

Given the Monty-Python/Faulty Towers style humour it is little wonder that this show has enjoyed such popularity. The performances are all over-the-top and larger than life, accentuating the fact that this is the portrayal of amateur dramatics.

Princess Elsa. Princess Anna. Twirling on skates in sparkly costumes. Falling snow. I challenge you to think of a way to make a four year old girl happier than by taking her this year’s Disney on Ice: Frozen edition.