The Mothman is a modern cryptid, a mysterious moth-like creature from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, USA. In addition to being a tourist attraction, it has become something of a meme in recent years, partially because the statue of Mothman in West Virginia is very unusual and eye-catching. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Mothman is also very unusual and eye-catching, but for entirely different reasons.
The Mothman Cometh introduces this unusual creature to comedy fans. This one-person interactive show happens mostly in darkness, Mothman’s red LED eyes glowing in the gloom. Mothman needs your help; he consumes darkness, and he’s hungry. Through a series of funny group exercises, the Mothman guides us into the light. Kind of.
Part self-help parody and part earnest self-discovery, this is a show that uses audience participation and repetition to tell a fun story about a monster that is both part of and afraid of the dark. At points, the show feels very similar to another cult hit, The Dark Room.
Not in the sense that they both take part in darkness, but because there’s a heartfelt core of empathy and self-reflection that runs through the show. This earnest vibe enhances the fundamental wackiness of the show’s concept, making it all the funnier.
The Mothman Cometh has sing-along elements and some mild moments of audience participation. Certainly, you’ll be asked to examine your personal sense of darkness, but you shouldn’t take that too seriously. This cryptid is genuinely funny and one of the finest, oddest experiences we’ve had so far. Seek out the Mothman if you can; he is very silly. Fantastic fuzzy, flappy, fun.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about the artist and future shows here.
