Writers and Directors: Linus Karp & Joseph Martin
Creators and performers Linus Karp and Joseph Martin’s cult comedy hits include Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story. The duo’s trademark mash-up of queer fairy tale, flamboyant songs, puppetry, video cameos, and audience interaction stays pretty much the same in The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)), which enjoyed rave reviews at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. The narrative, drawn directly from the direst of Christmas romcoms, is about as flimsy as they come. The chaotic, panto-infused humour is an utter delight.
Prince Elian (Linus Karp, arch, gloriously camp, with impeccable comic timing) is grieving his late father King Lambreck, whose “monstrous corpse”, in the form of an audience member, lies prone in a coffin. Elian is next in line for the throne of Swedonia, but there is a hitch. Swedonian law demands he marry within two weeks of his forbear’s demise or forfeit the throne. Given that the Prince has never left the castle (his Grindr dates typically come to him), opportunities to meet a suitably high-profile husband are few. Princes from foreign realms pay court in the form of Zoom-style video cameos, but nobody rocks his boat.
Meanwhile, in New York City, bakery owner Aaron (Joseph Martin) is mourning the departure of his long-time lover Jacob (another audience member gamely reading his lines from screens around the auditorium). By happenstance, an invitation to bake cakes for Prince Elian’s wedding arrives from distant Swedonia. Encouraged by his puppet colleague Jenny, Aaron takes the commission and jumps on a plane.
A palace meet-cute sees the Prince and the baker mix up their phones. A date at the castle café follows, as does a visit to an orphanage drawn from audience members and overseen by a life-size puppet called Gerta McMurder, who looks like a benign version of Vecna from Stranger Things. Steamy sexual tension raises its head at the castle sauna.
Will the course of true love run smooth for Elian and Aaron? Opposing forces arise in the form of the Prince’s shady, scheming doppelganger, who is called up from the dungeon to cover for Elian on special occasions. The comic highlight of the show comes when the men attend a concert by sequin-clad Swedonian pop sensations BAAB, whose hits include Dunkirk, The Loser Gets Nothing, and the all-time classic You’re The Movement King.
The success of The Fit Prince relies on zinging one-liners, an extraordinarily well-devised camp aesthetic, and game audience members (press night saw a serendipitous superfluity of willing actors). If you are looking for panto-style laughs with a queer bite, this beats most adult panto on offer this season.
Runs until 3 January 2026
