Gwyneth Goes Skiing Review

Gwyneth Goes Skiing Review

31st July – 26th August 2024

When I walked past a poster recently of Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story near London’s King’s Head Theatre, little did I know that it is produced by the same team behind undoubtedly one of my favourite shows at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. Awkward Productions, comprising Joseph Martin and Linus Karp, brings Gwyneth Goes Skiing to Pleasance Courtyard until August 26th 2024. 

We walk in to a medley of upbeat pop hits including Britney Spears’ Hit Me Baby One More Time, and TV screens to either side of the stage showing videos of skiing, Gwyneth Paltrow movie posters, adverts for Goop and an introduction to the stars of the show. When the songs have certain words spoken over by the cast such as KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I Ski (See), the audience is already in fits of giggles. “Shall we go Skiing?” a voice over asks. Yes please.

“Gwyneth Goes Skiing is Gwonderfully funny camp cabaret-theatre, guaranteed to brighten up even the greyest of days”

A set comprising two small tables and sets of chairs with red and white checkered tablecloths sits in front of a mountain scene projection to the rear. In walks retired optometrist Terry Sanderson (not an optician, he wants to make very clear), played by Joseph Martin. Given Martin’s age, this is a quite a transformation into the 76 year old, grey-haired, bearded man who took Gwyneth Paltrow to court, claiming she crashed into him at Deer Valley ski resort, Utah, in 2016. In fact, everything is grey in grumpy old Terry’s world. Quite the opposite to Linus Karp’s deliciously serene portrayal of Paltrow who brings the sun out wherever she goes and cute Disney forest animals appear in her mere presence. Members of the audience are picked to play Paltrow’s then boyfriend, now husband, Brad Falchuck, and Sanderson’s girlfriend at the time Karlene Davidson, as we follow the lead up to that famous incident. Paltrow’s daughter Apple, is played by, well, an apple.

The whole 90 minutes are filled with non-stop jokes, references to Goop’s famous candle scent, and Paltrow’s movies “Don’t put your head in a box”. All this, along with surreal moments including squirrels throwing snowballs at Terry and a giant cardboard deer (attached to a trolley with black gaffer tape), being wheeled in by a dead pan, wonky-headphoned production assistant, which was one of the funniest moments of the whole production – give her her own show!

With music by American singer/songwriter Leland (RuPaul, Troye Sivan, Cher), which is recorded by Darren Criss (Glee, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story), and Catherine Cohen (Edinburgh Comedy Award winner) and lip synced for their lives by Martin and Karp, Gwyneth Goes Skiing is Gwonderfully funny camp cabaret-theatre, guaranteed to brighten up even the greyest of days. Awkward Productions: I wish you well.

Rhea Shepherd

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