Theatre Review: Gwyneth Goes Skiing, Tobacco Factory Theatres
Summary:
Rating: ★★★★
Running Dates: Wednesday 20th November – Saturday 23rd November 2024
Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatres
Duration: 1 hour, 50 minutes (inc. interval)
Keywords: Skiing, Courtroom drama, comedy
Photo Credit: Jonny Ruff
Gwyneth Goes Skiing is unlike anything I have ever seen before, and I was NOT prepared! This show is a whirlwind of pop culture references, camp comedy and audience participation, wrapped into the true story of *that* infamous ski incident. Gwyneth Goes Skiing takes us on a delightfully camp, comedy filled journey.
The show takes us all the way back to that fateful day in 2016, where we meet both Gwyneth (Linus Karp) and Terry Sanderson (Joseph Martin), on their skiing holiday in Deer Valley, Utah. Terry, a frustrated optometrist, is on a break with his then girlfriend. While Gwyneth is on a break with her then boyfriend, Brad Falchuk (played by an audience member), and daughter, Apple (played by…an apple). As the story unfolds, it reveals what really happened on the slopes (singing squirrels and deer included), as we follow on tenterhooks through to the ensuing trial in 2023.
The cast is small, comprising of just two, Linus Karp (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Jospeh Martin (Terry Sanderson), although their humorously begrudging stage manager does make an occasional appearance. However, they dominate the stage and captivate the audience as if it was a cast of twenty. The set and props while simple, (a puppet, goop gift bags and snowballs amongst others) are effective at setting the scene and pulling you right into the snowy mountain scene with them. The story is told through different mediums of song, dance, puppetry and audience participation and at the end, the jury, otherwise known as the audience, will need to make a decision on who they think is the guilty party.
Photo Credit: Jonny Ruff
Linus Karp portrays Gwyneth excellently, showcasing all aspects she is infamous for, softly spoken and gentle, with some outlandish business ideas but with the air of self-importance that leaves you with no doubt she thinks she is better than you could hope to be. The audience is guided in a perfectly timed way through the story, with Karp and Martin demonstrating excellent comedic timing and adapting perfectly to their audiences’ reactions. This is the most audience participation I have seen in a show, which only added to the fun. It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge how brilliantly the individuals who were called upon, slipped into their characters with no warning or preparation.
This show is all about the comedy (in case you hadn’t already picked that up!) and knowledge of pop culture events, memes and videos will really help you out here. There were a few times the audience around me were belly laughing, whereas I seemingly missed the joke and put this down to just not being in the right corner of the internet at the right time.
Critically acclaimed and having just announced a world tour, this speaks volumes about how the show is being received. If you are looking for a thoroughly outlandish evening of laughs and good fun, I recommend getting tickets for this before they are snapped up.
The show is running until the 5th of October so grab your ticket soon!
Standout Quote or Moment: The interaction between the audience and cast, including the audience participation was the cherry on the cake for me.
Similar Plays: Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story
See If: You are up to speed with pop culture over the last 10 or so years or want a crash course
Last Impression: Utterly bonkers but great fun.
To get tickets for the show click here
We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.
Written by Megan Lee
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