by Ed Fortune
Bowjangles is an internationally acclaimed, long-running string quartet that likes to tell very silly stories with a mix of musical performance, comedy, dancing and acting. Their 2023 fringe presence begins with Bowjangles seeking their fortune in the reaches of space. Obviously, this unconventional space journey sees the crew split along musical lines rather than competence which is why the ship’s captain is also the first violin.
The plot of the show, such as it is, has the Bowjangles crew lured into the arms of one Dr Acula, a very sexy vampire who promises to give the team plenty of corporate gigs and make them mainstream super-stars. To their immense surprise, this turns out to be a trap. The narrative follows (quite loosely) the story of Dracula. But in space. Like it says in the title of the show.
The plot, such as it is, regularly stops in order to make way for a slew of gags and puns. There’s one staunchly anti-patriarchy sequence that serves as both a Buffy The Vampire Slayer parody as well as a fairly funny (and painfully on-point) rant about the challenges a modern woman faces. It features a dancing sanitary product, and yes, that’s as silly as it sounds.
There are plenty of jokes about music, fringe theatre and the industry itself. If the show is about anything, it’s about being true to your art and not letting day-to-day bloodsuckers grind you down, which is a light enough message to keep the jokes flowing.
Of course, the music is superb. When you’ve stopped laughing at the dumb horror and sci-fi-related clowning and finished scratching your head about the musical history puns, there’s the music itself, which is life-affirming and energetic. This is a very daft show and one with a powerful talent behind it. It’s a joy.
Though Bowjangles is unlikely ever to have their name plastered on a limited edition bottle of Edinburgh Gin, we feel that Dracula In Space cements the quartet’s place as Edinburgh Fringe Darlings. The show is a good mix of silly genre-inspired fun, string quartet goodness and beautiful silliness. Catch it at the Fringe if you can or during its inevitable tour.
You can book tickets for the show here.
