New musical DEATH ON THE THRONE to play Upstairs at the Gatehouse
It has been announced that new musical Death on the Throne will make its London debut at Upstairs at the Gatehouse from 26 March-13 April.
Featuring a captivating live score from German pop-rock star Tobias Künzel (of Die Prinzen) and British screenwriter Mark Underwood, this eccentric comedy musical cleverly blends wit and surrealism.
A mischievous child, Louise—determined to stay awake—convinces her father to tell her a bedtime story. This simple tale swirls into an unforgettable adventure where four puppets die on the ‘throne’ and find themselves in a purgatory like you’ve never seen before—a celestial lavatory.
With four new arrivals but only three spots in the afterlife, St. Peter is barely keeping his head above water. As each soul pleads their case for a second chance on Earth, ‘help’ arrives in the form of the King of Rock and (toilet) Roll, Elvis Presley and, yes, you guessed it, former leader of the German Democratic Republic, Erich Honecker. With further assistance from Queen Elizabeth II, Maggie Thatcher and Mahatma Gandhi.
With a live four-piece rock band and hints of Avenue Q, this toe-tapping romp through the absurdity of bureaucracy, the search for meaning in utter chaos, and the hope that even the most flawed among us can find redemption promises to be anything but bog-standard.
With incredible direction and choreography from Blair Anderson, the production touches upon highly relevant themes today, and search for new meanings whilst highlighting the power of visceral storytelling and human connection.
Musical director and lyricist Tobias Künzel said: “I hope the audience has as much fun as we had when we wrote this. The moment, when actors for the first time bring the characters to life and get a personal relationship to the music is worth all discussions and sleepless nights before. The interaction between actors and puppets is very thrilling. Especially when the puppets start to sing. Mark and I wrote a lot of tunes and Leitmotivs which was good fun. If I play one of the songs to somebody, these guys start to sing along after one minute and laughing when they listen to the words. I think that’s a good sign. It’s not easy to place a new plot into a world of so many existing successful musicals, so I’m very grateful for the trust of our wonderful international production team. It’s great to be back at Upstairs at the Gatehouse - it feels a little like coming home.”
