REVIEW: Count Dykula, Airlock Theatre in association with Soho Theatre, EdFringe 2025 ★★★★

In this hour-long comedy-horror-musical romp, follow Count Dykula on her mission to infiltrate Scare University and take down the current curriculum, which focuses on making monsters more palatable to humans. Count Dykula revels in the silly, in the individual and the collective, and in the non-conformist. It is a hilarious, joyful, and touching piece of musical comedy that is somewhere between a panto, High School Musical, a campy horror flick, and a love letter to queer spaces and communities.

After years of scaring children and draining their blood, Dykula finds herself out of fashion – all the scary vampires are ultra-fem now, and her brooding butch look isn’t going to cut it anymore. She heads to Scare University to learn how to fit into this brave new world, only to find that the problem runs far deeper than she feared, and the administration is plotting to force all of the monsters conform to the human gaze, erasing their individual scariness. Notorious loner Count Dykula is adopted into a group of “freaks” (reminiscent of the Glee club), who want to help her save the day, and let all monsters be themselves. But can Dykula hold onto her identity against the threat of forced conformity? Can she let herself accept help from her community? And can she beat the busty Dean in a fight? 

Of course, this is a clever (but not necessarily subtle) discussion of gender non-conformity within the queer community, and the way that some queer people are critiqued by members of their own circles for not conforming to the straight gaze. It takes a stand against transphobia, and celebrates all gender expressions and experiences, highlighting the importance of solidarity within the queer community.

The performers are all clearly having a ball, working together as a true ensemble to bring the eclectic cast of characters to life. They each bring passion, enthusiasm, and impeccable comic timing, effortlessly switching characters and costumes throughout the play. They do a lot with a little, making full use of a breast-plate, a puppet ghost, and the audience themselves. 

Self-aware, political but not preachy, and genuinely hilarious, Count Dykula is scrappy, campy theatre-making at its finest.

Drink recommendation: Blood, of course! Fresh from the neck.

You can catch Count Dykula at Ace Dome at Pleasance Dome from 30 July to 25th August at 17:30 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.