TWO sisters from Musselburgh are now “doing it for themselves” as they prepare to debut at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe after being inspired by strong female relatives – and singing legend the late Freddie Mercury.

Elaine and Katrina Hunter will stage a plethora of musical styles at their new show ‘Star Inspirations’ at Greenside @ Infirmary Street, 6 Infirmary Street, Forest Theatre, Venue 236, from this Monday to next Saturday (August 24).

They will be joined by other cast members from Elaine’s Leith-based singing and performance coaching studio Vox Stars to celebrate aspiring singers.

The sisters, who were born and bred in the Honest Toun at Newhailes, where they still live, come from a long line of fisherfolk.

Their great grandmother Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Millar was known as the last creel-carrying fishwife in Scotland and went on to be awarded a British Empire Medal.

Elaine, 27, whose stage name is Lainey Vox, said: “We grew up on the same street as our great grandmother and she encouraged our performing arts ventures, clapping and waving her hankie to our living room performances on top of her wee box.

“She also loved nothing more than a chat about handbags and fashion over their Friday night fish dinners. I think this may have kickstarted my love for costumes.”

Their grandmother Patricia Millar owned her own fish van called M&G for nearly 30 years and these strong female family members inspired Elaine to open her own business Vox Stars in 2017.

They have also inspired the Fringe show which features a tribute to women who have influenced the Vox Stars’ vocalists who, in turn, will perform their own rendition of the Eurythmics hit Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves at the show.

Elaine said that she and her sister Katrina, 30, had always shared a love of performing arts, attending Morag Alexander’s School of Dance in Musselburgh as young girls.

At the age of just two, Elaine took part in her first performance at The Brunton, during which she was supposed to dance as a sheep to Baa Baa Black Sheep but she began to rebel and sing instead, to rave reviews.

Elaine can also been seen in old family film footage rocking to her favourite band Queen and she began teaching herself to sing and perform while watching the band’s frontman Freddie Mercury in action.

The sisters went through many challenges in their childhood, facing bullying over their dyslexic difficulties.

Freddie Mercury’s story and music, along withe encouragement from their family, inspired both sisters to celebrate their differences and gave them the determination to succeed.

Aiming to perform to a wider audience, Elaine began to attend lessons in Edinburgh as a teenager, progressing on to performances in a variety of social clubs and then became a finalist at Edinburgh’s Got Talent.

She graduated with a first-class honours degree in popular music and performance from Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands.

Katrina, who works in retail and is a key part of the Vox Stars’ team, attained a degree in psychology from Musselburgh-based Queen Margaret University.

Star Inspirations will feature classic hits by Queen and ABBA and modern favourites by Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran, as well as My Chemical Romance and Panic At The Disco. A Disney medley is also on the programme.

Elaine said: “This opportunity to grace the awesome Fringe platform has been given to children who are just starting their singing journey and adults who are rekindling their passion for voice.”

The hour-long show will get under way at 7.35pm, with tickets, priced £10 (£8), available from the box office on 0131 557 2124 or booking website tickets.edfringe.com