Edinburgh 2022: Review: MYTHOS: RAGNAROK, Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

On August 22nd 2016 professional wrestler Xavier Woods tweeted "Wrestling is one of the last forms of Shakespeare... The crowd is watching men and women tell stories through physicality with an audience at a 360 degree setting." No more is that analogy encapsulated than in Mythos: Ragnarok.

Although often overlooked or claimed to be fake, professional wrestling is very real to those in the ring. As Woods further explained in his tweet "unless someone has figured out a way to defy gravity then falling down will forever be painful and the pain we feel is very real." There is no greater way to discover this than to see wrestling live in the flesh.

In steps The Mythological Theatre, introducing us to the first and only theatre show performed entirely by professional wrestlers. The show follows the rivalry between Odin and Loki. If ever there were a way to tell such an epic story it is through professional wrestling.

The show comes with everything we have come to expect from the world of wrestling; entrance music, larger than life characters, trash talk and lots of pageantry. On top of the genuinely great wrestling that takes place between the members of cast there is a fascinating story in the rivalry of Odin and Loki.

A sibling rivalry is a popular form of storytelling in wrestling, producing memorable rivalries such as the one had between Owen and Bret Hart or Kane and The Undertaker.

There is plenty of build up to the rivalry between the two brothers with the show taking us through the creation of the world, Odin defeating his own father with some help from Loki before eventually being turned on by his brother. A story with so many twists and turns, all of which allow for plenty of impact come the time that any of the performers lock up in the ring.

Adding to the world of the show the costumes are absolutely incredible, a terrific blend between the world of wrestling and Norse mythology. Not only is the design eye-wateringly beautiful but the materials, props and makeup are all of the highest quality, bringing you some of the most gorgeous costume design and hair and makeup that you will see in theatre this entire year.

The music and the lighting also add plenty to the show, not only feeling appropriate to the story but also adding to the idea that this is a wrestling show through the entrances of each opponent to the ring.

Throughout all of this the cast are excellent, performing at such a high level every night, performing complex choreography, keeping the audience's energy high and giving good performances. Specifically the stars of the show Ed Gamestar (Odin, also writer and director) and Richard Summers-Calvert must be commended for their excellent performances, bringing their characters to life, and the show along with them. Both men truly encapsulate the fighting spirit of their characters, remaining true to the fans of norse mythology and delivering truly captivating characters to those who are new to the tales.

Sadly, on this night in particular, as well as the terribly uncomfortable seating and high temperatures of the Patter Hoose, the room was filled with a rather disruptive audience. On top of this the show itself overran massively, being advertised at 70 minutes and beginning at 10.10pm but not ending until around 12.05am.

There is no doubt that Mythos: Ragnarok is a show worthy of top marks but sadly on this night there were simply too many deterring factors that just stopped it from reaching its full potential.

With that in mind, aside from the conditions of this performance, Mythos: Ragnarok is an exceptional show. One that takes professional wrestling and shows you just how valuable it can be in telling a story, especially one of such magnitude.

It is a show that can make wrestling fans out of theatregoers and theatre fans out of the wrestling crowd. Go in with an open mind and get ready to be blown away.

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