The Van Donk Family Old Timey Vaudeville Revue

The audience gather to watch The Van Donk Family - Mum and Dad, Vaughn and Lottie - who have been Vaudeville Stars since 1887, but Mum and Dad have been killed in a tragic tap-dancing accident….

The show must go on, so sibling pair Vaughn and Lottie embark on a retrospective celebration alone, recounting their brilliant career, and including a completely plausible explanation as to why this family act has managed to continue for over a century.

Performed by Fringe World favourite Louisa Fitzhardinge as Lottie, with husband Andrew McClelland as brother Vaughn, this is a family act in more ways than one.

Very funny, including some clever improvisation moments, this is a celebration of vaudeville, dipping into a variety of different talents. The songwriting is smart and this duo have the singing skills and timing to sell the songs to their best advantage. They dance well and tell a great story, but the biggest surprise is some hilarious but brilliantly executed magic.

A fabulous premise that worked very well, although not attracting the audiences that Louisa’s solo show Comma Sutra (Fringe World’s longest running show) has enjoyed. This show is just as clever and funny - so perhaps it just has not had time to build hype.

A show guaranteed to lift your mood; this gorgeously bizarre little gem was a personal favourite. I hope that it eventually is as successful as its sister show.

Kimberley Shaw