REVIEW: Mothman: A Romance Musical, Finger Guns and Liebenspiel Present, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★★

What has red glowing eyes, a mystery-shrouded backstory and an utterly bizarre sense of humour? It’s the Mothman musical, one of two fringe shows inspired by the legendary humanoid creature from West Virginia. Written and performed by Alex Franklin and Nikola McMurtrie, with Alex Prescot and Hudson Hughes, this show takes the sentiment of not taking yourself too seriously to new heights.

Following a group of friends in search of the mysterious Mothman, this new musical offers non-stop laugh-out-loud moments thanks to the most absurd twists and turns. As such, I don’t want to give much of the plot away because it’s the element of constant surprise that makes the experience of this brilliantly ridiculous show such a joy.

The performers play a wide range of memorable characters, really showing their acting chops whilst also relying on silly yet truly effective costumes and occasionally absurd casting choices. Whilst the set is very bare, projections help set the scene but are also used for laughs. (The pull-down projector screen. THE PULL-DOWN PROJECTOR SCREEN. If you know you know, if you don’t you’ll have to go see the show).

Absolutely nothing in this show is serious and there were moments when I genuinely wished the jokes would stop just for a second because my belly was cramping from all the laughter.

What Mothman does incredibly well is take the concept of a romance musical and adapt it to the cast; instead of having them change themselves to fit a sometimes very exclusive artform, they reform the artform to serve their skillsets and vibes.

As a result, the characters are like nothing I’ve seen in a musical before, the songs are hilarious whilst also being absolute tunes, and there is a wholesome and welcoming vibe to the show that is more often than not missing from mainstream musicals.

Mothman: A Romance Musical is queer, unapologetically strange and non-stop fun; it embodies the spirit of fringe theatre and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a cult classic.

Recommended Drink: Whatever you don’t mind spitting out or joking on because you will be laughing non-stop.

You can catch Mothman: A Romance Musical at Underbelly Cowgate from August 5 – 30 (not 18) at 18:50 (60 minutes). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.