Stage: Make the yuletide gay

The Fit Prince
Who Gets Switched on in the Square in the Frosty Castle the Night Before (Insert Public Holiday Here)
writers, directors, actors Linus Karp & Joseph Martin
video guests Tove Lo, Sebastian Croft, Malte Gardinger, Joshua Whitehouse, Misia Butler, Yshee Black, Kate Butch, Geri Allen, Julia Bender
music Leland • choreography Sam Carlyle
design Stella Backman • puppets Hugh Purves
sound Kate Marlais • lighting James Appleby
King's Head Theatre, Islington • 2.Dec.25-3.Jan.26 ★★★★

Awkward Productions brings their latest Fringe hit to London, appropriately during panto season, and it's a riotously camp show that chaotically plays with the traditions of holiday movies and all things Scandinavian. The cast features two gifted actors, plus a harried stage manager, a raft of sparky video performances and several up-for-it audience members, whose dialog appears on screens just as they need to say it. As the show spirals through its deliberately silly plot and messy improvised moments on-stage, the show becomes increasingly absurd and very, very funny.

As it opens, the king of Swedonia has died, and Crown Prince Elian (Linus Karp) can only inherit the kingdom if he marries before Christmas. But he hasn't yet met the man of his dreams. Nevertheless, time is short, so while Elian interviews eligible princes, the palace hires top New York baker Aaron Butcher (Joseph Martin) to make the wedding cake. As they meet-cute, clash, connect and fall out, Elian and Aaron of course are falling in love. Aaron also convinces Elian to leave the castle and explore his country, and they discover an orphanage in need of royal assistance. Meanwhile, the prince's doppelgänger (an audience member) is making a nefarious power move.

Along the way, we also get a raucous concert by national-treasure popstars BAAB, performing a medley of hilarious pastiche hits, from The Loser Gets Nothing to the anthemic Movement King. Yes, this show spins gleefully out of control at every turn, while the engaging Karp and Martin miraculously keep things on track. Alongside their lead roles, they play a variety of amusing side characters, including the female BAAB singers (audience members play the guys) and a couple of puppet characters that have enormous personalities (orphanage director Gerta McMurder is iconic). Meanwhile, starry guests chime in on video screens. To add to the surrealism, the audience member playing the doppelgänger in our performance was Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper), leading to some amusing romantic interaction with himself on video.

Of course, all of this is resolutely queer, with some surprisingly sweet romantic beats alongside the madcap nuttiness. Dialog is packed with witty wordplay and meta-gags, while mercilessly poking fun at Swedishness from saunas to Ikea. Original songs written by Leland are hilariously epic. And the story has a lot of fun subverting the usually strait-laced nature of Christmas romantic comedies. All of this plays out with a slapstick sensibility that will make each performance a different experience. With its rather abruptly tidy ending, the thin narrative even wraps up with a point about the place for a monarchy in the modern world. But we're too busy laughing and cheering to worry about that.

For details, KINGS HEAD >

photos by Dave Bird • 8.Dec.25