Harbingers of entertaining chaos Awkward Productions is comprised of Joseph Martin and Linus Karp. Their show ‘Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story’ enjoyed a sold-out, award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe, and a run at The King’s Head Theatre. Their sell-out show ‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing’ transferred to the site of the fateful trial with a run in Utah, USA before heading the Edinburgh Fringe.
We spoke to Linus to find out more about both shows…
Hi! First things first, how are you?
Hello! I’m currently in sunny LA, so life is pretty goopy!
In your own words, can you describe for us what your show is about?
In 2016 Hollywood Superstar, health guru and gay icon Gwyneth Paltrow collided on a ski slope in Utah. Seven year later, the man she collided with took her to court. We share their story through drag, catchy pop songs, multimedia, puppetry, audience participation and queer joy – and you get to decide the outcome. That’s Gwyneth Goes Skiing. Diana: The Untold and Untrue story is a queer and ridiculous celebration of the People’s Princess that’s coming back to the fringe for a handful of performances after selling out completely last year.
And if you were to condense that into three words, what would they be?
Goopy, queer, life-altering.
What has preparation for the Fringe looked like for you so far?
We have just performed the show in Park City, Utah, where the trial happened. Making friends with the lawyers on both sides of the case, visiting the very ski slope where the collision happened and the court room where iconic lines like “are you good friends with Taylor Swift? ” were uttered seems like the perfect preparation for the Fringe!
What do you want audiences to take away from seeing your show?
A deeper understanding of the Utah legal system and feeling four times more queer than they were before.
How did you come up with the concept of your performance?
We were obsessed with the trial while it was happening and felt like there was a show in it… and here we are!
Edinburgh Fringe is certainly an incredibly busy event, what are you most looking forward to doing whilst there?
Running into Phoebe Waller-Bridge while flyering.
Where can people catch your show this summer?
Both Gwyneth and Diana will be at Pleasance Courtyard – Gwyneth in Fourth at 15:30 for the full festival and Diana is in Beyond at 23:00 for the final week only.
And where can people follow your work?
We spend too much time on social media – so come join us at @awkwardprods
Finally, what would be your dream venue or theatre to perform at?
Well, having just performed in the city where the trial happened with many of the people involved present, I guess the next dream venue would be Gwyneth Paltrow’s living room.
SHOW LINK: awkwardprods.co.uk
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT: @awkwardprod
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