GWYNETH GOES SKIING at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★

“it is hard to parody something that is so absurd in the first place”

One fateful day in 2016, award-winning actress and Goop-founding entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson collided on a ski slope at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort. Three years later, Sanderson filed a lawsuit against Paltrow for the sum of $3,000,000 (ultimately reduced tenfold). In early 2023, the trial kicked off with Sanderson claiming broken bones and life-changing injuries whilst Paltrow lamented a loss of “half a day of skiing” and countersued for $1.

The trial immediately became an iconic pop culture moment and featured many notable moments – from starstruck lawyers to questions about what Taylor Swift is really like. It thus seems only natural that camp-obsessed Linus Karp and Joseph Martin – together, Awkward Productions and fresh from the hilarious Princess Di in Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story – would turn the court case into the cabaret-drag musical Gwyneth Goes Skiing.

The absurdity of the whole affair is made clear before the show even starts. Screens to the side of the stage invite us to take part in a ‘Celebrity Lawsuit Name Generator’ and songs about falling or colliding with the occasional ‘ski’ dubbed over their choruses.

Unfortunately, this is one of the few times where the technology of the show was reliable – mic packs failed, screens had no signal, and the cast were forced to improvise when no lines appear for their participating audience members. Shout out to the two Stage Managers – Lauren Lambert-Moore and Ella Kennedy – for handling these problems so well. Their apparent boredom at the proceedings only added to the hilarity and stupidity of it all.

Karp plays a soft-spoken and self-obsessed Paltrow whilst Martin is Sanderson, an exceedingly awkward old man who leads a miserable life in stark context to his lawsuit rival. The pair – as expected – have great chemistry and are clearly having a lot of fun on stage. The rest of our colourful characters are made up of the audience themselves who are selected as they take their seats. The audience as a whole also has a significant role to play at the end of the show as they vote via QR code on whether Paltrow is Gwinnocent or Gwuilty.

“a fun show, and the pop culture references are rife.”

The main issue in this production is its pacing. The show drags – it is far longer than it ever needed to be. There is some expectation in drag circles that the overly camp will also be a bit rubbish featuring poor props and an ill-rehearsed cast. This, however, only works when the performance is also exceptionally funny which Gwyneth Goes Skiing is unfortunately not.

The audience must endure monumental amounts of filler. We meet The Deer of Deer Valley (a painted cardboard structure), Mrs Rabbit and Mr Squirrel (both puppets) on the slopes. The court scene eventually enters a montage sequence of key moments but not before near 30-minutes of inane chatter. The characters speak slowly – Paltrow understandably so – but it takes all the zing out of all the delivery. There are funny moments – joyously, Paltrow’s daughter Apple is played by an apple – but the largest laughs came from the show going wrong and even from the witty retorts of the participating audience.

The songs are originals by Leland – American songwriter of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame – and they are…OK. The best song is incidentally also the only one that is sung live by Martin via an appropriately absurd puppet of Sanderson’s attorney Kristin Vanorman. It is a shame that Karp and Martin opted for a lip-synced musical – especially as the voices do not match the gentle Swedish tones or gruff brutish voice of their respective characters.

The staging is fine. The revolve is used well to simulate skiing and the court scenes of the second half have a nice aesthetic to them. The audience is treated to recreations of Paltrow’s court-side outfits though Karp’s wig should really be the thing on trial here.

Gwyneth Goes Skiing is a fun show, and the pop culture references are rife. However, Karp and Martin don’t quite capture the camp of the original trial and it is hard to parody something that is so absurd in the first place. This is unfortunately not the duo’s strongest show.

GWYNETH GOES SKIING at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 7th February 2024

by Flora Doble

Photography by Jonny Ruff

Previously reviewed at this venue:

CASTING THE RUNES | ★★★ | October 2023

DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY | ★★★★ | November 2022

DIRTY CORSET | ★★½ | April 2022

SHE SEEKS OUT WOOL | ★★★★ | January 2022

DOG SHOW | ★★★★★ | December 2021

LIGHTS OUT | ★★★★ | October 2021

CATCHING COMETS | ★★★★ | September 2021

EXPRESS G&S | ★★★★ | June 2021

GINGER JOHNSON & PALS | ★★★★ | June 2021

GODOT IS A WOMAN | ★★★½ | June 2021

GWYNETH GOES SKIING

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★★★

“delightfully theatrical”

This ambitious M R James adaptation uses puppetry and carefully considered staging to build a spooky gothic tale.

It is densely plotted. Edward Dunning, a university lecturer, famously sceptical of the occult, comes afoul of a sinister mystical enthusiast, Mr Karswell. With the help of Rebecca Harrington, whose brother has already fallen prey to Karswell’s ominous wrath, Dunning must attempt to break away from Karswell’s curse.

Performed by Noel Byrne and Antonia Christophers and directed by Adam Lenson, this show is delightfully theatrical. Most of the characters are played by puppets, made by the company, and Karswell as a floating cloaked figure, is definitely sinister. It might’ve worked as well without some of the puppets, and with Christophers just multi-rolling, but the puppets do add a theatrical flavour.

“it is difficult to build the atmosphere needed for a true gothic thriller”

The staging is beautifully thought out. Street lamps are moved about to create different spaces, and switched on and off as the performers move under them. Screens are folded down into chairs and tables, and several trunks become chairs, tables, briefcases. It is a cleverly realised set, which works well for this touring company. It is impressive to build the world as clearly as they do, with as little as they use.

Composer Dan Melrose’s music is in keeping with the tone and themes, and the final piece is surprisingly catchy. The music and sound design which uses scratching and muttering to build tension, also help to create the intricate world of the play.

The problem is with the script, and the plot. There are a lot of characters, and tenuous motives, convenient encounters and it is all a little predictable. One especially credulous student, a puppet, provides wincingly expositional context throughout. I am fond of M R James, and have huge respect for this show for attempting to adapt his work, but it is difficult to build the atmosphere needed for a true gothic thriller, both in a theatre context, and in a modern context where much of it feels familiar and predictable.

This is a brave and theatrical production, and it is exciting to see puppetry for adults so smoothly integrated into the show.

GWYNETH GOES SKIING at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★

“it is hard to parody something that is so absurd in the first place”

“a fun show, and the pop culture references are rife.”

GWYNETH GOES SKIING at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 7th February 2024

by Flora Doble

Photography by Jonny Ruff

Previously reviewed at this venue:

GWYNETH GOES SKIING

GWYNETH GOES SKIING

CASTING THE RUNES at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★

“delightfully theatrical”

“it is difficult to build the atmosphere needed for a true gothic thriller”

CASTING THE RUNES at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 20th October 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by theatrical.solutions

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Casting the Runes

Casting the Runes