Mothman: A Romance Musical (a 2026 Fringe Fund recipient) is the brainchild of comedians Alex Franklin and Nikola McMurtrie, and follows three guileless teens in 1943 as they hunt for the mysterious Mothman, a folk legend who infamously appears just before someone dies. Our trio explore the woodland, with Anna (Alex Franklin) realising quickly that her celibate relationship with her boyfriend (Alex Prescot, also playing a French mole) of two years might not be as substantial as she had hoped, and contending with Natalie (Nikola McMurtrie) having him in her sights. All three performers are excellent, with Prescot particularly goofy and earnest as a improviser ‘attracted to the spotlight but who doesn’t want to be seen.’
It’s relentlessly funny, with fun whimsical touches and visual jokes; there are also brilliant meta moments (‘We could be the next Fleabag!’ ‘Yeah, she came from nothing!’) and running jokes about Anna’s name and accent. Despite only a projector screen as staging, the chirpy group rip through increasingly surreal musical numbers and plot twists, with an excellent dance break. Nikola McMurtrie and Hudson Hughes both appear as various characters, with fun moments as a local police officer, Wise Wisdom Tree, and the titular Mothman.
The whole show feels breathlessly silly and fun, with quality writing underpinning it. I’d love to see it go onto a bigger stage, with live music and additional orchestration, so I can appreciate the jokes a second time.
Mothman: A Romance Musical is on at Belly Button at Underbelly, Cowgate (6.50pm) until the 30th August