Originally reviewed June 2019 for Theatre People.
Looking to fill that giant Monday night hole that the conclusion of “Game of Thrones” has left in your life? Do you desperately need your Daenerys, Jon Snow, Sansa, Bran, Tyrion fix? Want to wash the bitter taste of season eight out of your brain? Then look no further than “Thrones! The Musical” a sell-out darling of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Do you have that one friend that has never seen an episode of “Game of Thrones”? Meet Linda (Leslie Collins), recently divorced and surrounded by five friends who are GoT superfans, who decide to throw her a divorce celebration on the same night as the series finale.
To catch Linda up, they take her on a trip down memory lane of all of the highlights (and lowlights) of the past eight seasons whilst also weaving in more pop culture references than there are ravens in Westeros.
It’s pretty safe to say SPOILERS as no major moment is left unexplored through a variety of musical styles from a “Stabbin’” a hip hop/rap look at The Red Wedding, to a vaudeville-esque look at how Joffrey And Ramsey were just “Misunderstood”, to a Book of Mormon inspired “Push It Off” look back at Tyrion’s life.
All six actors play several different characters throughout the show, some wearing multiple wigs at once, but for this reviewer there were two stand out performers. Jordan Stidham, who plays Jamie Lannister and Jon Snow certainly got the biggest laughs of the night with his drawl, muddled, is-it-Scottish-or-Irish, Jon Snow accent. Tyrion, the Mountain and Hodor were embodied by Eric Michaud, who brought the house down with the astounding tribute to Wylis’s life in “Hold the Door”.
There are an absolute plethora of in-jokes and references, that may only make sense a meme-loving, behind the scenes gossip talking super-fan. Of which I am proud to count myself, so spent the majority of the show absolutely doubled over in laughter.
As many of us fans wish we could, the show ends with the cast writing their own ending, including special appearances from other fandom universes and from the father of Game of Thrones himself. No spoilers from me though!
Jump on your nearest dragon and get yourself to the Playhouse before the Night King raises the dead and kills us all.
B at The Bows 