It is great to see that the old theatre is being used for its original purpose and that concessions to the present are few, it retains that old world ambience. In many ways this venue is just the place for Louise Blackwell to transport us back in time to Paris in the last century.

One thing is very clear, the time she spent living in Paris has left an indelible mark and her passion for the city is very evident in this show. For this year’s shows she is backed by a four piece band with piano and musical direction left in the capable hands of Mark Simeon Ferguson. The violin of Julian Ferraretto also gave a very Parisian feel to the music.

All of the music was, not surprisingly, French and Blackwell spent some time giving each song a context and detailed background, so much so that the audience were almost transported to the great city. This was probably contributed by the very obvious theme running through all the songs, love and romance. Very French.

If there was a downside, occasionally the introductions were a little too long and convoluted, they could have been edited and a little focused, we would all still have drifted off to Paris.

Aside from a very good show, it was great to see the old theatre full and the gathered, including the Premier, loved every minute.