Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Linus Karp
Directors: Linus Karp & Joseph Martin
“Royally Ridiculous“
3.5 / 5
Diana Spencer – best known as the Princess of Wales: fashion icon and gay rights activist. Lesser known as the woman who won a boxing match against Camilla for trying to steal her husband away. That’s because that’s one of the many untold (and untrue) stories about her that Awkward Productions have uncovered (made up) and are ready to tell the world.
The story is told to us from Heaven, taking us through her mainly faux-life story from birth to present day, which in true Awkward Productions fashion involves a heavy amount of hilariously obligatory audience involvement. Unlike other participatory productions it’s not only the front row that gets picked to join in – everyone is fair game! In the show, her presence is fawned over by everyone she meets – from school teachers, to random fans wanting a selfie, she attracts adoration wherever she goes, almost as though she was destined to be an icon.
Early on, she meets Charles (played by a giant cardboard cut-out with a fabulous hair revamp) and their romance quickly begins, much to the dismay of Camilla (played by a puppet operated by Joseph Martin). The exorcist style portrayal of Camilla is brilliantly bonkers, with the demonic voice and horror-esque lighting changes signalling her arrival whenever she’s about to enter the stage. Also featured, is the Queen (Geri Allen) who pops up occasionally in various pre-recorded video sequences to outline her plans to try and assassinate Diana, as well as remind us of her long tenure in the role.
Linus Karp is fantastic as the People’s Princess – elegantly dressed, serene and gentle, talking wistfully about the circumstances that have led to her hanging out with Sir Captain Tom Moore in heaven. Joseph Martin, as well as being a wonderful puppeteer, keeps things ticking along off-stage with various voiceovers throughout the performance. The whole show is fantastically satirical, with some wonderfully scathing references to the Tories and Prince Andrew, which adds a nice punch to the script. The slightly more serious references to gay rights and the acknowledgement of Diana’s role in combatting the stigma around HIV back in the 80s, is a great addition to an otherwise light-hearted, silly show.
As expected, Diana: The Untold and Untrue story is royally ridiculous, filled with an abundance of notable references sprinkled in to the humorous performances – from the miles long wedding dress train, to the unexpected Come Dine With Me ‘What a sad little life’ quote worked into an interaction between Diana and Camilla. This show is another gem from the iconic Awkward Productions duo.
Runs Until 5 May 2024
Photo Credit: Dave Bird
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