Review: Death On The Throne – The Loosical, Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Four souls arrive at Purgatory – a greedy capitalist, a narcissistic influencer, a monstrous mother and a plonker of a plumber. It’s a great setup for a joke, and an even better setup for one of the goofiest musicals ever seen on the London stage.

On arriving in Purgatory it’s revealed that one of our heroes will win a second chance in life if proven worthy, and so the race is on for each to convince the afterlife’s bureaucrats that their case is the most compelling. They are assisted on their journey here by deceased luminaries as random and distinguished as Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II, and each character sings and slapsticks their way through a series of divine judgments all leading up to a courtroom session with, naturally, the most famous individual to die a toilet-related death – Elvis himself.

It’s downright silly stuff of course, but as the characters go through the expected trials and tribulations the laughs and the hits never stop coming. The former is thanks to Mark Underwood & Tobias Künzel’s writing, with an energy that pulls out all the stops to ensure the best jokes (taste and convention be damned). The latter is upheld by an outstanding four-piece band that fill the back of the stage throughout. Tying all of this together, then, are the puppets.

While often a divisive inclusion onstage, the puppets on display here are undoubtedly showstoppers, ranging from miniature dolls to larger than life angels (plus whatever strange rubber contraption brings Gandhi to life). All lean into the anarchic comedy of the show to brilliant effect, proving that beyond all the toilet humour there is wonderful stagecraft on display. 

And, like the rest of the show, the staging itself is gorgeous and funny, dotted throughout with innumerable nooks and crannies for the delivery of countless physical gags, with the centrepiece a giant toilet seat. A mix of the sublime and ridiculous is present everywhere, and this is ultimately the show’s greatest strength.

It can also be its weakness, as sometimes there’s really too much going on to keep track of. The music can perhaps become overly loud at moments when multiple physical gags make it hard to catch a rapidly told joke or two. It’s a testament to the show’s creativity that there can sometimes be an excess of everything, but hopefully the delivery will improve as the show continues what’s sure to be a brilliant run.

At 90 minutes, the evening flies by and the show feels perfect for its length, never losing its impressive pace and delighting all the way through. Don’t miss this one.

Music & Lyrics: Mark Underwood & Tobias Künzel
Directed by: Blair Anderson
Musical Direction by: Michael Kuhn & Tobias Künzel
Set & Costume Design by: Angela Baumgart
Puppet Designed & Built by: Louise Nowitzki
Lighting Design by: Tyler Forward
Sound Design by: Mathias Schroeter
SFX by: Tobias Künzel
Produced by: Kay Schöttner & Jan Mewes

Death on the Throne plays at Upstairs at the Gatehouse until Sunday 13 April.