There aren’t many shows that once you’ve finished watching, you go straight to the box office to buy tickets to see it again. But Graeme of Thrones is one such show. Three actors, one throne and many many wigs all swirl together in a non-stop riot through the mythical Kingdom of Westeros. *Spoiler Alert* If you have never watched Game of Thrones, you probably won’t understand a lot of the jokes and if you have watched the show you have been warned it goes up to the fourth season.
Our hero Graeme (played by Ali Brice) has created a show retelling Game of Thrones but things aren’t going to plan. Despite trying to appeal to potential investors, gamefully portrayed by the audience, his co-stars change the show with hilarious consequences. As well as his slightly social awkward and hairy companion Paul (Mark Davidson), Graeme has hired his old school crush and recent drama school graduate Bryony (Libby Northedge) who seems intent on ‘messing with the system’.
And this is where the fun comes in. Script writers Toby Park, Andrew Doyle and Dan Evans send up the story of Game of Thrones, but also poke fun at the sometimes pretentious world of performance art. Libby Northedge is absolutely hilarious while performing scenes such as ‘The killing of Robert Baratheon – from the boars perspective’ and ‘Sansa’s first period, playing it completely straight and leaving the audience in stitches. Similarly, Mark Davidson is fantastically funny as Khal Drogo, styling out wig malfunctions with absolute aplomb. As the relatively straight man Graeme, Ali Brice has the hardest job, but he is adorably endearing and jolly good fun to watch.
With a sharp script and ingenious parodies, Graeme of Thrones is an absolute must-see for fans of the books and TV series. Written for geeks by geeks, it’s the most fun you can have this side of Dorne and will leave you shouting ‘You know nothin’ Jon Snow!’
Reviewed by Roz Carter
Photo: Marilyn Kingwill