Review: Mothman: A Romance Musical, Underbelly Cowgate

If you have ever crossed paths with comedian Alex Franklin’s work, you will be prepared for the utterly absurd in any of their shows. Now, after rave reviews in London previews, Mothman: A Romance Musical makes it to the Edinburgh Fringe, and it’s a completely crazy, low-budget comedy written by Franklin alongside Nikola McMurtrie. Hey, but it really flies (see what I did there??).

Deep in the dark woods of West Virginia, Anna 5678 (like the beginning of a song), played by Franklin, and her friends/possible boyfriend find themselves in a bizarre, queer-coded encounter with the most curious of cryptids, the famous and rather alluring Mothman (brilliantly enacted by McMurtrie). If anyone has identity issues, it has to be a half-human, half-moth cryptid. We learn in their origin story how they were generated after a moth accidentally flew into a secret US military attempt to create a supersoldier. Does that sound vaguely familiar?

What follows is an absurd adventure through music and nonsense that will have you crying with laughter: it’s a completely unapologetic triumph of the ridiculous. The characters are odd and inconsistent, as are the American accents; the plot is patchy and irrational, with inexplicable cameos from characters such as the Tree of Wisdom and Stabbo the Clown, and it all just adds layer upon layer to the surreality and laughter. Floor-shaking laughter. Because in celebrating the stupid and the amateurish, the show becomes phenomenally funny. 

Franklin’s acting is deliciously shallow, sitting somewhere between being on the stage and performing as a stand-up, which is great because it signals they recognise that they know that we know that this is a spoof. They’re supported by some superb comedic character acting by Alex Prescot and Hudson Hughes, who totally immerse themselves in the absurdity. But it’s McMurtrie who really steals the show as the eponymous lepidopteran, with her onesie Mothman outfit and glowing red eyes (it’s a brilliant costume that I’ll expect to see in Primark outlets in the very near future).

Amidst all this celebration of the ridiculous and rubbish, the songs are actually pretty good, with great harmonies and offering a real variety throughout the show. ‘Monster in the Dark’ is kinda a standout, while ‘I’m Just Kevin’ brilliantly parodies ‘I’m Just Ken’ from The Barbie Movie.

Mothman: A Romance Musical has the potential for a cult following, and I couldn’t help but think about StarKid Productions taking The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals from online to the stage at The Other Palace and beyond. I’m convinced this show can definitely go bigger – maybe to Southwark Playhouse for a start, and I’ll be going back to see it again. Head for the city lights, Mothman (but just close enough so you don’t frizzle up…!)

Written and Created by Alex Franklin and Nikola McMurtrie
Creative Direction by Kathy Maniura
Additional Creative Direction by Michael Clarke
Jointly Presented & Produced by Finger Guns and Liebenspiel.

Mothman: A Romance Musical plays at Underbelly, Cowgate until Sunday 30 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.