Loki, Odin and a Half-Nelson - Mythos: Ragnarok rocks Edinburgh

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Friday 18th August 2023

It's the sort of thing Fringes should be all about: two wildly different cultural worlds, coming together with an almighty crash. And those crashes really do look painful.

Mythos: Ragnarok is a retelling of the mighty Norse legends - Thor! Odin! Hela! etc - but with, er, wrestling! And the results are absolutely hilarious: slapstick with actual slaps, pratfalls with real falls, and all sorts of high-flying, big-kicking, beefcake-on-beefcake action. Hugely popular it's proving too.

We caught up with creator Ed Gamester and star Rhonda Pownall to find out how on earth - or on Asgard - this epic event ever happened.

Ed Gamester

Mythos: Ragnarök may sound a bit mad, but it's a fabulous concept - when did the idea hit you?

Thank you! The idea to combine wrestling and theatre occurred to me many years ago, while I was using my skills as a wrestler to transition into working in acting and stunts. The crossover is enormous, yet nobody outside of wrestling realises that because they don't really know what we do.

I knew that if I could show people wrestling in a different context, they'd enjoy it in a different way and it would create opportunities for wrestlers outside of wrestling specifically.

How did it all come together?

My first shows were mainly immersive and improvised, but once I'd decided to write a theatre show the idea to base it in the Nordic mythology was immediate. For one thing, it's something I've loved and studied my whole life, so I wanted a chance to create my own versions of those stories.

For another thing, the similarities between ancient myths and pro wrestling storylines are obvious and amazing: this was a way to tell my favourite stories in my favourite way with my favourite people.

How would you describe the show? Do you sometimes need to convince people who aren't keen on glitzy US wrestling?

Mythos isn't a wrestling show: it's a play performed by wrestlers. It contains elements of wrestling and has the most exciting fight scenes you've ever seen on stage, but it's still a story told by a cast of very talented actors. They just happen to also be superhumanly powerful!

Thus far, I haven't had to convince anybody to come - or to come back multiple times in a row. Lots of people are certainly put off by their preconceptions of wrestling, but I think Mythos speaks for itself.

Your Ragnarok a much spicier storyline than the Marvel version - is this closely based on the classic Norse mythology?

Oh absolutely, Mythos is a loving adaptation of the Nordic myths. I've added, removed and tweaked some things to interpret the stories and characters in different ways (and to do justice to them within 70 minutes), but it is very important to me that Mythos is a way of keeping ancient stories alive and relevant.

At the same time, you don't need to know anything about the myths to understand and appreciate the show. People who know the stories will appreciate what we've done with them; people who don't know them will experience them for the first time - which I think is even cooler.

Any plans for your next show?

Of course! I've already written the next two Mythos shows, which are based around other mythologies and folk tales. For now, I want to do justice to how much appreciation Ragnarok is receiving before I get distracted with anything else.

I want people all around the world to get a chance to experience the first ever show of its kind before I release the next one - that's why our next stop after Edinburgh is Australia!

Rhonda Pownall

What's your background, pre-Mythos? I'm guessing wrestling generally comes first?

I've been a dancer since I was two years old and have a musical theatre/acting background. Wrestling holds a big place in my heart but for me my soul is in theatre.

Some really good US actors were previously wrestlers - do they cross over a fair bit?

Wrestling, especially in the US, is without a doubt the biggest theatre show in the world. Everyone can name at least one wrestler whether it's from current times or 30 years ago. We remember them because they are unique, charismatic and can put on a fantastic performance. Acting and wrestling go hand-in-hand. You need to make the audience suspend their disbelief with your character and you also need to believe it yourself.

Tell us about your character in Ragnarok - or characters?

Gullveig is the golden goddess. Pompous and arrogant but not afraid to get her hands dirty if she thinks she can win. She has a soft spot for her half brother, Loki, but absolutely detests Odin and will do anything to see him crumble.

Hel, or Hella, is a beloved character from the myths. We see her in all her sweet innocence until she is cruelly ripped from the realm, only to return almost unrecognisable as the Queen of the Underworld.

Presumably your offstage Fringe regime is slightly different than all the partying comedians and actors?

Mythos is a team and we like to partner up and hit the gym during the daytime. We usually eat quite early (as it's quite a physical show!) and then refuel again in the late evening after we've performed. Our cast is quite big, in numbers and size, so we go through a lot of food! We take to the streets in costume and flyer for our show every day in shifts; the costumes are amazing so it's quite a sight to see, us all wandering about.

Any painful injuries doing Ragnarök, too?

On the first day of Fringe 2022, my first ever performance for Mythos, I landed awkwardly on my shoulder during a scene. I carried on but thought I'd broken something and was devastated. It wouldn't have been too bad, but there were only four people in the audience.

We get pretty beaten up over the course of Fringe and at the end of it I'm usually the one with the most visible bruises! It's a running joke now.