At the Drop of a Hippopotamus Town Hall Friday 16 June

Devizes Town Hall Assembly Room was full; tickets had sold out early on. That is a sign of the affection held for Flanders and Swann in this town. So could their upstart impersonators rise to the challenge? They certainly did.

The ability of Jordan Clarke on the piano and the lively and rich baritone voice of Tim FitzHigham were much appreciated. Not only did they bring the old favourites back but they also added their own deft touches of humour and topical updates to some of the lyrics. We joined in the hippopotamus song to extol the virtues of glorious mud but could not keep up with the sheer pace of their version of Mozart’s horn concerto, played on a length of hosepipe and a plastic funnel. The “Slow Train” was beautifully rendered and the audience was temporarily silent as the mood changed from hilarity to nostalgia.

Altogether a delightful and energetic performance and one of the highlights of this year’s festival which, judging by the volume of applause, was enjoyed by all present.

Vivienne Cuckow