Cabaret / Paris After Dark,  Milko Foulcault-Larche Productions. At The Street Theatre, October 18. Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

The promise of an afternoon of authentic French cabaret drew an appreciative audience of Francophile’s to The Street Theatre on a perfect, sunny spring afternoon to be transported to the boulevards of Paris with many of the most famous chansons of all time.

They were not disappointed as MO Award winning Mauritian-Australian balladeer, Milko Foucault-Larche, who arrived in Australia as a young man who couldn’t speak a word of English, and his Parisian born leading lady, Corinne Andrew, who’s appeared in the legendary Folies Bergère, serenaded them with a generous program of songs made famous by the likes of Édith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand, Josephine Baker and Charles Trenet.

For around 90 minutes, without interval, the pair held their audience enthralled, performing a program of solos and duets on a stage decorated with a Parisian café table and chair, bearing a bowl of red and white roses, to one side, and the genial Joseph Macri providing stylish accompaniments from a handsome grand piano on the other.

Both performers changed costume frequently, each change more glamorous than the last, performing their songs in both French and English, and prefacing many with titillating stories about their creators, or the performers who made them famous.

Among the many expected favourites, Corrinne Andrew delighted with her interpretation of Édith Piaf’s, Non, je ne regrette rien, Josephine Baker’s theme song, J’ai Deux Amours, and particularly with her dazzling rendition of Tico Tico, a tongue-twister associated with French performer, Dalida.

Foucault-Larche offered masterful versions of songs by Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand and Charles Trenet, then surprised by performing, The Impossible Dream, from a French production of the musical, Man of La Mancha, and a rousing rendition of Stand Up and Fight from the musical Carmen Jones, but justified of course, being best known as The Toreador Song from the Bizet opera, Carmen.

Even Joseph Macri had his moment in the spotlight offering a charming rendition of Richard Clayderman’s lovely piano solo, Ballade Pour Adeline.

But it was two songs from a little-known musical by Charles Aznavour, Monsieur Carnaval sung as duets, the first, La Bohème and an ear-wig finale song, “La Vie est un Carnaval, that were most likely buzzing in the heads of their delighted audience as it headed out to, hopefully, a delicious French meal.

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.