Death on the Throne – Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Death on the Throne continues at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London until 13 April 2025.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Prepare for something different with Death on the Throne: The Loosical, an uproarious new musical splashing its way across the stage at Upstairs at the Gatehouse. Crafted by the offbeat team of Mark Underwood and Tobias Künzel, this is the second production the duo have been involved with at the Gatehouse, a dive into the afterlife, where toilet humour meets toe-tapping brilliance in a spectacle that strives to be as clever as it is comical. With energetic choreography and direction by Blair Anderson, the show boasts a vibrant cast which sustains a frenzied pace, leaving audiences somewhat lost in the frantic process.

The plot unfurls in the quirky corridors of Purgatory, where three freshly departed souls arrive, bewildered by their sudden exit from the mortal coil. They’re greeted by an outrageous twist: one of them might earn a ticket back to life, but only if they can impress a trio of legendary judges overseeing their fates. Enter Mahatma Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth II and Elvis Presley – historical giants with larger-than-life quirks, each presiding over a cosmic courtroom where the stakes couldn’t be higher. Yet, the show’s narrative does not always align with its promise of being a romp through the absurdity of bureaucracy with hints of Avenue Q, as rumour would have it. Instead, the plot often meanders, leaning more into disjointed absurdity than structured satire.

The production’s strength lies in the meticulous set design (Angela Baumgart) and striking puppetry (Louise Nowitzki) which craft an engaging visual spectacle, with lifelike puppets of Elvis Presley and the GDR leader Erich Honecker, as well as creatively reimagined versions of Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II. Honecker, presumably meant as a representation of bureaucratic rigidity, ultimately has little to do beyond delivering random lawyerly remarks about some of the applicants for heaven’s limited vacancies. Meanwhile, the potty humour at times becomes more of a scattered barrage than a sharp satirical edge, with punchlines emerging from too many different directions – the toilet paper manufacturer, Queen Elizabeth and various bureaucratic figures all vying for comedic dominance. As a result, the satirical flow lacks cohesion, missing the steady narrative pacing seen in Avenue Q and perhaps resembling more closely Spike Milligan and John Antrobus’ absurdist 1962 play The Bed-Sitting Room, where mutations and transformations follow no particular logic.

Despite its inconsistencies, the show has a versatile score including a Sondheim-style opening (don’t expect too much!) and closing number with lines such as “don’t applaud too much”, the orchestrations fusing Broadway bombast with jazzy, rockabilly flourishes. The powerhouse cast wields puppets and vocals with equal mastery.

The intimate Upstairs at the Gatehouse is perfectly transformed into Purgatory, its cozy confines amplifying the show’s madcap energy, while the minimalist set shifts effortlessly from ethereal waiting room to glitzy tribunal, bathed in an otherworldly glow by lighting designer Tyler Forward. Beneath the barrage of puns – think “flushing out the truth” and “passing judgment”– lies an attempt at a broader reflection on mortality and redemption, though it ultimately struggles to provide the sharp commentary it aspires to. The musical thrives on spectacle, toe-tapping melodies and exuberant performances, but a more focused satirical flow and a reduced reliance on repetitive toilet humour could have elevated it to its full potential.

Although the show offers undeniable visual and musical pleasures, its script doesn’t fully live up to its ambitions. Nonetheless, Death on the Throne is a gloriously irreverent creation, inviting audiences into its absurdist vision of the afterlife with reckless abandon. Whether it’s a riotous triumph or a chaotic muddle will depend on the eye of the beholder – but for those with an appetite for unfiltered theatrical madness, it remains an experience worth witnessing.

Patrick Honoré