This comedic double bill from Airlock Theatre provides a one-two punch of queer musical theatre at its very campest.
Written and performed by Eleanor Colville, Rosanna Suppa and Robbie Taylor Hunt, Count Dykula and Lesbian Space Crime are both camp musical romps, set respectively in a monster’s university and on a spaceship. Using the company’s signature style, the actors use pithy turns of phrase and expert timing to entertain, whilst simultaneously sharing a message about the importance of being your authentic self.
Count Dykula is the newer of the productions, and appears to have been trimmed from its original 70 minutes to the obligatory Edinburgh hour. Suppa is charasmatic in the titular role, while Colville plays a villainous vixen who is practically all tits. Hunt’s characterisations run the gamut from Classics-loving zombie to cheeky ghost, with many others in between. There are great gags and very funny moments, but although the performances are strong, the plot is not well defined, and becomes a little lost in the middle. Aside from the opening number the songs are a bit hit and miss, in particular an Evanesence parody too similar to the original to have the necessary bite. That said, when it is on point, Count Dykula is incredibly funny, and the audience was having an absolute ball.
The far stronger of the two productions was the stellar smash-hit, Lesbian Space Crime. It opens with an undeniably catchy musical number, accompanied by hilarious choreography which is all the funnier for being delivered with utmost sincerity. The storyline is tight, and the characters well-developed. Suppa is again in the lead role, this time as Sue Albright (as the real person is very litigous…). As a member of the US Army and a female astronaut, Albright is taking “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” to heart, hiding her Goop-like ex-wife from her bosses at NASA so she can do the space walk of her dreams. Colville is a dastardly foil to Albright’s wide-eyed optimism, and plays a variety of other characters with skill. Hunt is hysterical as spaceship AI assistant TWINC, and gives a strong performance in each of his many other roles.
Both shows are loaded with laughs, strong signature songs and comical choreography. As well as playing numerous roles in each piece, Hunt has also done a commendable job as director, with a keen eye for slapstick and counterpoint touching moments. Lesbian Space Crime is certainly the slicker of the two – it may be that Count Dykula is really missing those extra ten minutes from its original run time – but even when there are minor dips, the cast are so skilled and likeable that you are happy to roll with them.
Best viewed as a pair, this double-ender will surely leave you completely satisfied.
By Deborah Klayman
Count Dykula and Lesbian Space Crime play at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh until 25th August 2025.
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