In Jacques is Bacque, Adelaide based French group, Les Flâneurs Volants, perform a catalogue of old French songs as they tell us about Jacques’ quest for love at Adelaide Fringe 2021.

Jacques is lead-singer Jean-Marc Spiler, who wears the very stereotypical Frenchman outfit of a Breton striped long-sleeved shirt and a little red cravat/scarf. Every few songs, he would disappear off stage where he would re-emerge from the Men’s toilets, occasionally with a slight costume change (the addition of a leather jacket and dark sunglasses for one song) or addition of a musical prop (a ukulele for another).

Jacques is Bacque was a very fun show with the story of Jacques love-life being the basis for the songs chosen. It was also very touching particularly when Jean-Marc presented a photo of his young parents at a ball before launching into Le petit bal perdu by Bourvil.

Their back-to-back shows at the Tin Shed at the back of Thebarton’s Wheaty Hotel were sold out and while socially distanced, very full. People sat around tables, cabaret style, watching and occasionally singing along to the songs. A screen to the side of the stage, projected English language lyrics to the songs – helpful for the non-Francophone Francophiles in the audience. The songs featured in Jacques in Bacque cover a wide period from the early 1940s to the early 1980s.

Les Flâneurs Volants – read our interview with them here – are a polished 5-piece band with Lewis Todd on drums, Nick Jones on saxophone and clarinet, Ian David on double bass, Paul Burns on guitar, Steve Oppes on accordion and Jean-Marc Spiler as lead singer (and as Jacques).

While ticketed as a 75 minute show, with the surprising break, this show ran well into almost two hours, so people definitely got more bang for their buck – only problematic if people need to run off to another Fringe show which is often the case during Mad March.

Jacques is Bacque is a fun, light-hearted evening of French chanson with many French songs you may not have heard before