‘Musical’? Check. ‘Parody’? Check. Pop culture buzzword plus whimsical piece of punctuation? Check. The title of
Thrones! is one of the slickest shows at the Fringe this year
Yes, a lot of the jokes are fairly obvious, and the writers clearly have no qualms about seizing the lowest common denominator by the crotch at every other moment. Calling Geoffrey a knob is hardly groundbreaking stuff. But to take serious issue with this would make me… well, a bit of a Geoffrey really, since the extent to which the audience shrieked, sniggered and belly-laughed their way through the hour-long performance can not be overstated. Besides, if George RR Martin will insist on fleshing out his plot with a plethora of boobs and willies, then it is a foolish spoof that does not milk the double entendres for all they are worth.
It is the not-on-TV twists which really make the show, though. The mysterious, braces-wearing ‘stranger’, George, is wonderful, and the gag only gets better with every return. Keep an eye out for ‘Brother Trump’ of the Wall - his desire to “make Westeros great again” went down uproariously.. The silliness was even put on hold for a genuinely beautiful tribute to Hodor, reminding us that the cast is not only made up of very capable comedians, but superb vocalists too. The composers should also be congratulated for delighting any musical theatre fans in attendance with several clever send-ups of the showtune format.
Thrones! is one of the slickest shows at the Fringe this year; set changes are tight, harmonies are polished and the gags come thick and fast — even the usher is in on the act. Whilst the jokes are, by and large, no more complex that you would expect from a Game of Thrones spoof, they are certainly very funny, and the fan-fiction ending grants the show a final, meta-theatrical nod of self-satisfaction. Thrones! The Musical Parody will have you coming back for more.
