Award-nominated theatre collective Airlock brings its signature queer chaos to Soho Theatre’s Main House with Count Dykula, a biting comedy about vampiric academia and resisting societal conformity. Co-creators Robbie Taylor Hunt and Rosanna Suppa unpacks the show’s blend of camp horror and queer defiance in this exclusive interview.
Fresh off sell-out runs of Lesbian Space Crime and Pansexual Pirate Pregnancy, Airlock’s latest production stars butch vampire Count Dykula, who battles Scare University’s “human-normative regime” with garlic naan and bat transformations.
The show merges lowbrow humor with sharp commentary on queer self-expression. Catch Count Dykula at Soho Theatre from 11 February – 1 March 2025, with matinees on select Saturdays. Tickets are on sale here: sohotheatre.com/shows/count-dykula.
You’re bringing Count Dykula to Soho Theatre’s Main House – what can you tell us about the show?
RTH: Count Dykula is a horror parody comedy with songs all about queerness and finding your place in the queer world.
How does Count Dykula use chaotic comedy to challenge societal pressures on queer identities?
RS: Let’s be clear bro, it mainly uses chaotic comedy to do chaotic comedy.
RTH: Stop shouting, but for real because we’re *insanely clever* we’ve used the allegory of being the right kind of monster for how there’s a pressure sometimes for queers to do their queerness the right kinda way (only brag brunch (women kissing 4 dudes (mighty hoopla)))
RS: We also couldn’t be bothered to make a play about the real world because the real world is dogshit.
You describe it as a “parable for gays” – what inspired this satirical take on vampire tropes?
RS: This is a love letter to Aesop. We love his fables. We hate the soap. We wanted to write our own down-ya-throat feel-good message, and he used animals and we’re using vampires. If anything our work is com-parable!!!!
RTH: Also all vampires are a bit fruity. But usually palatable.
Can you share a standout moment from rehearsals that captures the show’s irreverent energy?
RS: There’s a certain silicone costume piece that has provided endless hours of comedy joy and multiple rehearsal room tears.
RTH: Also choreographing a WWE fight scene between two vampires who fight dirty and/or horny.
How did the collaborative process with wider creative team shape the production?
RS: Who are they?
RTH: You wouldn’t ask that of Simon and Garfunkel!!!!
RS: I’m sick of not being treated with the same respect as Simon and Garfunkel!!
RTH: Or Ant and Dec!
RS: Or fish and chips!
RTH: Anyway, we did some improv, wrote some bits separately, some bits together, shaped it as a whole, smashed into a patty, slapped it on the grill; the fry cook (a sponge) assembled a bun, the squid at the front desk gave him a hard time oh no wait I’ve just described SpongeBob again why does this keep happening
RS: we can make whatever silliness we want because we have an amazing creative team who elevate the whole production, plus we’re so grateful for Soho Theatre championing us.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Count Dykula?
RTH: Do it! Promise you’re guaranteed a good time, it’s funny weird and not that long.
RS: We all multirole enough that you’re bound to find someone hot. Most likely the goblin.
“we can make whatever silliness we want because we have an amazing creative team who elevate the whole production, plus we’re so grateful for Soho Theatre championing us”
