The Pleasance, London – until 16 February 2024
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
5*****
In other hands, a show about THAT skiing accident would be an awkward mess, but Awkward Productions’ irreverent chaotic humour and charismatic performances create a hilariously queer and joyful show.
The insane and sometimes inane touches that made Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story and How to Live a Jellicle Life such weird and wonderful experiences are all present, from audience participation to bizarre puppetry, with some lovely branded treats on each table for the audience to enjoy.
Terry Sanderson suing Gwyneth Paltrow for damages after their collision on a ski slope in Utah resulted in one of the most bizarre trials possible – and Linus Karp and Joseph Martin have added their own ridiculous/ clever (mostly ridiculous) touches with glee.
The first act introduces Gwyneth (Karp) and Sanderson (Martin), riffing gloriously on Paltrow’s pseudoscience grift with Gloop. Linus Karp tosses his hair and nails the faux humility as Gwyneth reminds everyone of her achievements in nearly every serenely delivered line. The naming of daughter Apple is a fantastic running joke, with the part played by an actual apple, and poor Chris Martin takes a few hits as well. In contrast, Sanderson is a sad, angry failure of a man with a hint of madness in his eyes in Joseph Martin’s brilliantly OTT portrayal. Both parties’ love interests are played by audience members reading their lines cold – risky, but worth it when they are just the right level of drunk. The inclusion of a legendary deer to shoehorn in a Snow White-esque song shouldn’t have worked, but by the time the deer is wheeled on, Karp and Martin could have just sat in silence and the audience would probably have loved it – that’s how good this pair are. The defiantly low budget (but intricate) effects also involve the audience on the slopes.
The second act is set in the courtroom, and it is here that the line between reality and theatre gets fuzzy as many of the most ridiculous lines are taken straight from the trial. There are more of Leland’s songs in the second act – the best being sung by Martin as Sanderson’s puppet lawyer (not as batshit crazy as their Camilla performance, but still fabulously unhinged) – as expert and surprise witnesses are called and the jokes pile up until the climatic final statements are given. The audience are the jury and vote, meaning that there are two possible endings to the show – leaving many of us very tempted to go back hoping to see the alternative ending.
Brilliant nonsense – go get Gooped.