The Vaudevillains

A solitary man dressed in a red top hat and frock coat appears on stage. He turns out to be the compere for tonight’s entertainment at the fictional Empire Theatre. Ray the Blade, a knife-thrower, saunters on to join him. Together they sing the first of the show’s catchy songs, 'Tonight at the Empire’, doing so with a suitably fin de siècle flair. Other circus artistes appear. First Gaston the mime, then the Siamese Striplets, a saucy trio in the widest costume you'll see this Fringe, and so on and so on. 

All of a sudden a shot rings out and, to our horror, we discover that Charlie, owner of the Empire Theatre, has been murdered. But who killed him? The show turns into a murder mystery, in which the various circus characters become suspects. Dark secrets from people’s pasts start coming to light as the investigation gets underway. Every one of them turns out to have a motive for doing away with Charlie.

This is a show filled with convincing performances: the knife thrower has real menace as he swaggers; the Siamese Striplets combine a soiled innocence with knowing laughter. Other roles are played with just as much conviction and finesse. The music, performed live by the actors, pulses with energy and mayhem.

With so many red herrings, it’s impossible to work out who murdered Charlie before we reach the denouement. And we're so involved by this stage that we're desperate for some answers. “Through the smoke and the mirrors we are having such fun,” says one of the characters. The same is equally true for the audience.

http://lesenfantsterribles.co.uk/shows/the-vaudevillains/