Jacques performed at the school on Wednesday to help expand the students’ French knowledge.

The school’s head of French, Min Myers, said she saw Jacques perform at the Port Fairy Folk Festival and knew he would be ideal to raise awareness of French culture.

“I really wanted to inspire the kids about French street theatre and I knew this would be something different,” Ms Myers said.

Students Darcy Zaina and Tom Lopes said they found the performance – which also incorporated knife throwing and even pulling plenty of poses for The Courier’s photographer – as “really good”.

But Darcy, who got roped in as a slightly unwilling participant in one act, also described it as “pretty awkward but fun”.

Jacques, who hails from Dijon but came to Australia at the age  of five, said he had been circus performing most of his life.

“I do a lot of shows and festivals and I’ve done a handful of schools,” he said.

“I think it (the kids’ reaction) is great.”