The Fit Prince review: ‘Prepare to get out of your seat for incredibly funny love story’

I walked in to The Fit Prince having been told it wasn’t a panto – and it absolutely isn’t, in the best way – but left with the same warmth I’d only get for laughing nonstop for an hour.

The show, from Awkward Productions’ Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, is playing at the King’s Head Theatre and follows their viral smash hit Gwyneth Goes Skiing.

Having never seen an Awkward Productions show before, I had no idea what to expect. That somehow made the 70-minute performance even better.

Comedy duo Karp and Martin star as Swedionian Prince Elian and New York baker Aaron Butcher respectively, as well as a couple of other characters.

The supporting cast was made up of popular names such as Heartstopper‘s Sebastian Croft, pop star Tove Lo and Drag Race UK‘s Kate Butch, among others, who appear via well-timed videos. The rest of the characters are played by audience members picked at random before it all kicks off.

As someone who finds the thought of the spotlight terrifying (unless I’m a few wines deep), I was silently horrified when Martin approached with a character card and prop. Thankfully my partner volunteered, and would later make his stage debut as a horse, complete with latex mask.

The show, which also features original music from producer Leland of Drag Race fame, is a bag of endless laughs.

While I obviously saw it before Christmas, the clever full title – The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)) – means the duo aren’t restricted to performing it in the festive months.

It follows a Swedonian prince who must marry before Christmas (or other public holiday) – or else!

That’s where unlikely suitor Aaron Butcher the baker comes in, who travels across the globe, unaware of the journey he’s actually about to take.

Later, the characters fall in love and share a passionate kiss that made me say to my partner: “That looked very real.”

He then explained to me that Karp and Martin actually are a couple, and got married on stage earlier this year.

There’s incredible puppetry – one absolutely terrifying, the other hilarious. And I particularly enjoyed the reference to Wicked star Michelle Yeoh’s “Wicked Witch” meme.

At one point, Karp and Martin transform into the lead singers of BAAB while two audience members become the musicians, to perform a very clever medley that definitely aren’t ABBA songs, such as “Movement King”.

The King’s Head Theatre, which relies on ticket sales and donations to keep doors open, was the perfect venue, with its intimate seating and open stage.

The full space of the theatre was taken advantage of, with Karp and Martin appearing at various points among the audience as the story progressed.

And of course, without the warmth the duo brought to the production, those lucky (or unlucky, depending who you ask) audience members picked to play a character probably wouldn’t feel as inclined to get out of their seats.

The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)) is on until 3 January, and I couldn’t recommend it more if you’re wanting a sweet, funny and unexpectedly interactive show this Christmas.

For more information and tickets, head to the King’s Head Theatre website.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.