It's no exaggeration to describe Mythos: Ragnarok as a knockout show: it combines Viking tales with ... professional wrestling.
It's the only show in the world that uses pro wrestlers as a cast of actors, says writer, actor, stunt performer and strongman Ed Gamester.
"Which means that when there are fight scenes, we can use pro wrestling, no one's ever used wrestlers in theatre like this before," he told AAP.
"We just pick each other up and slam each other around."
He's aware that might not prove a drawcard for everyone.
Many people associate the sport of wrestling with the likes of The Rock, John Cena and Hulk Hogan, and highly staged US events such as WWE Superstars and Wrestlemania.
But in the ancient power struggle between the Norse Gods, using wrestling for Viking fight scenes works far better than the stringently choreographed sword fights audiences usually see onstage, he said.
What's more, much of the fighting is improvised.
"We haven't rehearsed," a laughing Gamester said.
"Our rehearsals and our performance happen at the same time because we don't have any funding."
One performer in the show's first week in Melbourne had learnt his lines, but the first time he'd been through the show was in front of a live audience, said Gamester.
They may not be trained actors, but wrestlers have a talent for picking up action choreography fast, he said.
The story follows Odin and Loki in their battles with Norse Gods to create the world of Asgard - with greed, death, betrayal, and a dose of comedy.
Mythos sold out Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 and toured the UK before returning to Edinburgh for a second run this year.
The Melbourne Fringe is its first international outing, and Gamester is hoping to return to Australia for the Perth and Adelaide Fringe Festivals.
Mythos: Ragnarok is on at Festival Park until Sunday October 29 as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
