Review: The Glamification of Loki, Southwark Playhouse

Myths are more than just stories. They come from deep within us and teach us something about our shared human nature. The Glamification of Loki, an exciting new musical from British Youth Music Theatre, doesn’t quite do that. Instead, it sugarcoats greed and selfishness in a delightful coating of fun and chaos – and it’s an absolute blast to watch.

The premise is gleefully absurd. Loki, the God of Mischief, is on the hunt for apples that will provide eternal youth. His meddling leads him straight into a beauty company named Tree of Life, where vanity and ambition run riot. What follows is a fizzy collision – think Norse mythology meets Lush.

The production bursts with energy. Eden Tredwell’s score delivers snappy, melodic numbers, paired with slick choreography and dazzling stage trickery, such as Loki’s ‘Friends In High Places’ number which features an apple totally suspended in mid-air, plus some sleek costume changes and doubling to give the illusion of vanishing and reappearing. Grace Taylor has done an excellent job with slick direction, capturing just the right amount of chaos.

The cast – far too many to single out – are uniformly strong, with many of them juggling multiple roles with precision and humour. That ranges from an acrobatic janitor, to a flamboyant French photographer named Jean-Paul Jean-Claire, to a deadpan stockroom manager, to actual ravens who absolutely nail the physicality. The sheer commitment across the ensemble drives the story forward and ensures there’s never a dull moment. Much praise should also be given to the terrific vocal prowess on display, with a special mention for the beauty company’s formidable boss.

That said, the framing of the story falters slightly, with some initial scenes set in Asgard, the home of the Gods. These moments feel unnecessarily shoe-horned in, but that is not to say the actors playing them don’t do a good job. We are even treated to a delightful tap routine. It is just hard to see these scenes as necessary to the narrative.

The parallels between the shallowness of Loki’s self-righteousness and the frivolousness of the beauty industry itself are glaringly obvious. Tredwell is making a point here – that perception of beauty really doesn’t matter, and that everyone has beauty. But this message is delivered skilfully by the cast.

The show comes to a head when Loki finally learns what it means to be selfless, and thus the moral of the story is revealed and a high-energy final number draws the production to an end. In 80 minutes, there are is a plethora of delights with this show, and it’s clear that many members of the cast have bright futures in musical theatre.

It may not probe the darkest corners of mythology, but it doesn’t need to. The Glamification of Loki offers something else: a riotous, inventive romp that makes ancient gods, eternal youth, and corporate beauty culture feel like a divine match.

Written, composed and lyrics by: Eden Tredwell
Directed by: Grace Taylor
Choreography by: Steven Moore
Musical Director: Lavie Rabinovitz
Design by: Cory Shipp
Presented by British Youth Music Theatre

The Glamification of Loki has now completed its run at Southwark Playhouse.