Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Pleasance Courtyard, Forth
Playing August 13-18, 20-26
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The year is 2016. The beautiful, talented, iconic Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow (Linus Karp) is seeking respite from the daily stresses of running Goop and starring in Marvel movies she can’t remember by hitting the slopes for a full day of skiing in Utah.
Also hitting the slopes is Dr Terry Sanderson (Joseph Martin)… some other guy.
On that fateful day, an unexplained collision happened between the pair, leading to an infamous court case in 2023 that sparked memes galore. Karp and Martin (known as Awkward Productions) immortalised this bizarre trial last year when they debuted Gwyneth Goes Skiing, and now the show is back for a run at Edinburgh Fringe — with some new additions.
Karp is positively goopy as Gwyneth, hilariously embodying the Hollywood star’s air of superiority and complete lack of self-awareness. Meanwhile, Martin is the perfect grumpy old man as Sanderson, also delivering an inspired performance in puppet form as his Paltrow-stanning lawyer.
The duo are joined by a ludicrous supporting cast, including the Deer of Deer Valley (a cardboard cutout voiced by Leland), Gwyneth’s daughter Apple (a literal apple on a piece of string), and Blythe Danner (a video cameo by drag queen Trixie Mattel).
If you’ve ever seen an Awkward Productions show before, expect more of what they do best: niche pop culture and internet meme references, delightfully silly physical comedy, and very funny audience participation. Gwyneth Goes Skiing also has an extra layer of camp with witty original songs by Leland, lip synced by Karp and Martin with superb vocals by Cat Cohen and Darren Criss.
As well as nailing the delivery of their joke-a-minute script, Karp and Martin also delight when they go off-book when interacting with the audience — or dealing with a technical difficulty. They’re both masters of crowd work and have a gift for getting their willing (or unwilling) participants to embrace the chaotic fun of the proceedings.
It’s a testament to the increasing popularity of Awkward Productions and their shows that they’re able to sell out Forth, one of Pleasance Courtyard’s larger spaces. While the tiered seating means that everyone gets a great view of the on-stage action, some of the audience participation which happened near the back of the theatre was difficult to see from my front row seat (yes, I’m an eager beaver).
Awkward Productions have refined their unique style of queer comedy to a T, and the show’s climax is a hilarious recreation of the infamous courtroom scene. I’m not sure whether it’s a result of the duo’s skills or the complete absurdity of the real-life trial that it’s near-impossible to tell whether many of the lines in these scenes are scripted or not.
All of these elements fuse together to craft a wildly entertaining 80 minute extravaganza that’ll leave a smile on anyone’s face. If you’re new to Gwyneth Goes Skiing this Fringe, prepare to be well and truly gooped by this gwymsical, high camp comedy romp.
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