Suspended in Space @ Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester, 9 Jul

Just the mention of sci-fi conventions instantly conjures up some interesting mental images, and Keith Temple’s newest comedy, Suspended in Space, certainly utilises a few of them: a past-her-prime star of a 30-year-old show; an extra from the same show dressed in a half-robot, half-crab costume; and, of course, the over-excitable socially oblivious fan – and his camera phone. Oh, and did we mention they’re all stuck together in a lift?

Shown as part of the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, Suspended in Space draws on Temple’s own experiences at sci-fi conventions, and alternates between witty one-liners and remarkably touching moments of revelation from each of its characters. If a bunch of sci-fi fanatics in crazy get-ups doesn’t sound like your thing, don’t be alarmed: at its heart, the show is more concerned with human stories than sci-fi craziness.

Julia Nelson’s aloof diva actress, Jen, starts to show cracks in her ‘star-of-the-show’ mask as she admits that things haven’t been quite so high-end for her lately. Dave Dutton manages a sincere performance – no mean feat considering he's wearing a robot-crab costume that appears to be made out of tin foil and a generous amount of duct tape – as an actor who’s sure the fans love him, but who in the end has to face up to the fact that he's merely a supporting player. And, while he may be playing the part of a fan, it’s Sean Mason’s socially inept sci-fi geek Gregory who steals the show. Pitched partway between endearing and cringeworthy, Gregory’s bumbling observations seem to serve as simple comic relief until, after we learn more about his past, it becomes impossible for anyone in the audience not to be touched by the saddening and compelling reasons behind his becoming an ultra-fan.

In the past year or so, The Avengers, Doctor Who and the strange new habit of wearing big glasses for no apparent reason have all contributed towards making nerdy the new cool, but that’s not what Suspended in Space is all about. This funny and heart-warming play aims to go beyond the sci-fi geek stereotypes and examine the human stories they conceal. [Conori Bell-Bhuiyan]