Gwyneth Goes Skiing

Gwyneth Goes Skiing

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From courtroom drama to musical extravaganza 

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“We love pop culture,” Linus Karp tells me. He and Joseph Martin are the two halves of Awkward Productions, an unconventional theatre company who mirror and mutate society’s obsession with celebrity. Now, with Gwyneth Goes Skiing, the pair are taking on one of the disease’s more bizarre legal battles.  

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“What was so special about this trial is the ridiculousness of it,” he tells me. “We're so used to courtrooms and trials being serious things and often quite tragic for the people involved. But this time, it was two people going into each other on the slopes, and one of them being Gwyneth Paltrow; with all that brings with it. I feel like it was one of those news stories you could follow and just have fun with.”

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In case you missed the blaze of publicity surrounding the case, it all stems from a 2016 skiing accident between the Hollywood superstar turned lifestyle guru and a retired optometrist called Terry Sanderson. Culpability for the collision was hotly contested, leading to a highly public court case in front of a delighted celebrity-obsessed media.

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“We were sort of following it all online,” says Karp. “And more and more ridiculous quotes were coming out from it. So, I turned to Joseph and said: ‘Don't you think there's a show in this? Like, imagine a Fringe show called Gwyneth Goes Skiing?”

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There were conflicting accounts of what happened, debates about skiing etiquette, questions in court about Paltrow’s height, fashion and relationship with Taylor Swift and a failed attempt to buy lunch for the building’s security staff. Each bizarre turn became the subject of speculation, amusement and several internet memes.

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“Obviously, this was a real case with real people at the centre,” says Martin. “But the consequences were very little or non-existent. When it was playing out online, it was giving people joy to watch the crazy moments which were coming out of it, at a time which was pretty miserable.”

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I’m talking to the pair over Zoom, while they find themselves in the middle of another critically-acclaimed and sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe. It follows on from Gwyneth Goes Skiing already enjoying hugely successful London runs and a US transfer. And soon this sweet-natured and slightly musical comedy / courtroom drama is heading out on a nationwide tour, jibbing into Hove’s The Old Market on Mon 7 - Tues 8 Oct.

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“We’ve been spoiled,” says Martin. “Everything has gone well and people are really enjoying it. Right from when we announced the show just before Christmas, the response was extremely positive. We’re very, very pleased.”  

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A mixture of love, betrayal and skiing, the show enables the audience to become the jury in that now infamous trial. Martin takes on the part of Sanderson, while Karp transforms into Paltrow – managing to not only embrace some chic ski wear but cast a look at some of the star’s fashion from earlier years as well.

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“Luckily, he takes quite a while to grow hair,” Joseph says with a chortle. “But there is a whole transformation process which happens before the show. He takes it very seriously. You'll meet Gwyneth and Terry… and see the lead up to the collision. Or what we believe that looked like in our version of their universe. The second act is the trial. There's a mix of ridiculous verbatim quotes and some other bits we've created. We’ve also got these fabulous songs peppered throughout.”

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The score for Gwyneth Goes Skiing was composed by singer and record producer Leland, who has appeared in several seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race and written hits for artists like Selena Gomez, Troye Sivan, Daya, Andy Grammer and Kelsea Ballerini. It also features a special video appearance by Drag Race All Stars winner Trixie Mattel, while other vocals are provided by Darren Criss (Glee, The Assassination of Gianni Versace) and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Catherine Cohen.

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Karp tells me they met Leland during their run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe with the hugely acclaimed Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story. “He came to see us and was really nice afterwards, so we all went for dinner. He was saying how much he enjoyed our work, and if we ever needed music for a show…

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“We were like: ‘Oh, I wonder if he’s just saying that?’ When we had this Gwyneth idea, we approached him. He’s been amazing. He’s been so involved throughout the entire process, which has been so cool.” Rather than being a direct musical, the pair describe the work as a play with songs. Their practice plays around with the form, seeing which boundaries can be pushed and what can be achieved with a bit of ambition. “I think, you know… not necessarily being musical theatre performers doesn't stop us from doing it,” says Martin.

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The pair were both professionally trained in stage skills. Karp in Sweden and Martin in London. But they’ve had to learn every other aspect of being an award-winning theatre company by going out and doing it. “Things like production, directing and writing, we’ve learnt as we've gone along, and that's also been part of the real fun of it,” says Martin. “Both the last show and this one involved puppetry. From me, I've got no puppetry experience… but let's just figure it out and make it work!”

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The pair started working together in 2017, after Karp found a script that he wanted to put on. “We kind of figured it out together,” continues Martin. “Like how you stage a play, how you get the rights, how you book a theatre, blah, blah, blah. And it's just grown from there.”

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“After that one, we've started writing our own shows,” adds Karp. “I think it's always been pop culture based. It's always been very queer, positive and joyful. A lot of queer stories can be very sad. That's often, you know, homophobia, AIDS or bad coming-out stories. Obviously, those need to be told, but I feel there should be room for queer joy as well. That's what we tend to centre our shows around.” They say they always want their productions to feel like a live event; the very opposite of going to the cinema and just sitting back and watching something. By building a world together onstage and involving the audience, they can ensure every night is unique.

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“We love combining art forms,” Karp muses. “When we were developing the show before this, I found myself writing musical numbers. I guess that’s happening now! And we’ve got a choreographer on board who has helped us.”

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Martin says the development in ambition for the company has been quite interesting. “We were writing Gwyneth, and said: ‘This thing happens, and then this thing...’ We were writing stage directions and thinking it doesn't matter how we make it work. That's the director's problem. But we're also those people!” Karp breaks in for a moment. “But you can't really think too much about that. You're like: ‘I'm just gonna write the best version of this early…’ When that's finished, that will be when we'll work it out.”

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Obviously, the burning question is has the titular Gwyneth seen their show yet? “She's been asked about it in interviews,” says Karp. “She sort of said…” He suddenly breaks into a surprisingly good Paltrow impression. “I tend not to engage too much with that kind of thing! But she knew it was going on when she was in London.” Martin says her legal team lawyers saw the show when they performed in Utah. “They were very nice,” he says, with a small measure of relief. “They were very positive. So, if you can pass the lawyer test... I feel good.”

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“The lawyers actually bought a ticket for her to come with them, but she didn’t show up,” adds Karp. “But the lawyers loved it. One of them came back twice. And we have a couple of people who knew her who had come to see it, and they said she’d probably enjoy it.”

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The thing the pair found when creating the show was they knew a lot more about Paltrow than previously thought. She remains a staple for newspaper and magazine headlines because, aside from her performances in films like sliding doors and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she’s become well known for her beauty brands and eccentric lifestyle advice – including a range of ‘personal smelling’ candles. “She's one of those people who has been in the public eye for however many decades; there's information about her stored in the depths of our brains,” says Martin. As well as covering the trial, the show also examines different public perceptions of Paltrow, continuing their practice of examining every aspect of celebrity culture. 

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“Ultimately, it's just there to entertain,” says Karp. “Gwyneth Paltrow is such a fascinating person, just because there are so many sides to her. There's the film star and her business empire, the famous relationships, her naming her daughter Apple and the sort of language she chooses to use. Blythe Danner is her mum; her dad is a film director, and her godfather is Steven Spielberg. She's been a big part of the Hollywood establishment from birth.”

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Despite the gentle chiding, Martin is eager to point out the production remains very much pro-Paltrow. “What we are commenting on is the trial and what the online world saw of it,” he asserts. “It's not: ‘Oh my God, look at how stupid Gwyneth Paltrow is by doing all of these crazy things!’ I don't think that would be enjoyable. I don't think that's fair for an audience as well. I think that kind of humour feels quite cheap. We'll embrace it all and give you the full ridiculousness of it… but it's done with genuine love and affection.”

For upcoming events visit www.theoldmarket.com or go to www.linktr.ee/awkwardprods 

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