Review: The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)) (King’s Head Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The nation’s favourite harbingers of queer chaos, Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, collectively known as Awkward Productions, have seen their star rise in the last year, attracting global attention for their most recent shows, Gwyneth Goes Skiing and crossing the pond, and their other cult (that definitely says cult) favourite, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story.

Rather than dine out on vagina candles and revenge dresses for the foreseeable future, they are back with a brand new offering - and this time they’re targeting those Hallmark, Lifetime and Netflix rom-coms that seem to be on every channel non-stop at this time of year, like the inoffensive Christmas equivalent of Alison Hammond in her quest for world domination. Their version is the snappily titled The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)) - let’s just call it The Fit Prince from here on out. Would their own romcom give us a right royal laugh, or would it fail to provide a much-needed happy ending?

If you’ve never endured one of those Hallmark movies being parodied here, let me enlighten you on the plot of every single one. Boy and Girl (or sometimes different variations on those genders, but not often) are very different. They will never get on. Girl is a real go-getter, while boy is the opposite. Girl usually has to go somewhere new against her wishes, and then she meets boy. After a rocky start, they fall in love, live happily ever after, and girl changes her ways to become Lindsay Lohan… or something to that extent. That is pretty much the gist of all of them, though that doesn’t stop me from watching them when nothing better is on. Then there’s the Christmas twist to this genre, where all of the same stuff happens… only at Christmas. Do you see the difference? Oh, girl usually discovers the meaning of Christmas in a change of heart so sickeningly sweet, the Grinch and Scrooge would be forced to go back to their mean ways in protest.

So how does that rather long and unnecessary summary of an entire genre relate to The Fit Prince, I hear you cry (through the medium of your screen). Well, this show gloriously sends the whole genre up. The inclusion of (insert public holiday here) allows them to tailor the show for whatever time of year it happens to be playing. It was summer at the Edinburgh Fringe, but now it’s Christmas. We head to the mythical land of Swedonia (any resemblance to Sweden is purely coincidental), where Prince Elian is next in line for the throne following the death of his husband. Only, he needs to get married before Christmas to take the throne. Enter the Baker. Not like that… not on stage, at least. Aaron Butcher is a baker (confused?) in New York. When he gets commissioned to bake a cake for the Prince, a trip to Swedonia may just result in both of them finding what they need.

Let’s be clear - you don’t go to an Awkward Productions show for the plot, though there is more to be found in The Fit Prince than you might expect. By sending up an entire genre with a rich pool of titles to play on, they get a chance to hone their comedic skills, and the result is gloriously chaotic. Karp and Martin have carved out their own niche in the theatre landscape with their own brand of queer comedy and a distinct style, making any of their shows instantly recognisable. What is very clear to see with The Fit Prince, however, is their growth. Where their Gwyneth and Diana shows were already pretty exceptional, both earning five stars from me, they have reached a whole new level with The Fit Prince, making me pause to consider a sixth star. Their comedy somehow manages to feel more refined, while suitably chaotic. One aspect present in all of their shows is how it is always evolving, to fit in the latest pop culture references, and replace it when the next one comes along in a constant revolving door of comedy - almost like the theatrical equivalent of the Sugababes. One such example is a brilliantly landed send-up of Michelle Yeoh’s now viral “Wicked Witch” revelation, giving me the biggest laugh of the night.

Another staple in any Awkward Productions production is the inclusion of audience participation - a phrase that usually fills me with dread, but nobody does it like Karp and Martin do, and for that we should be thankful. In The Fit Prince, there feels like an even bigger prominence on the audience’s part, with many unsuspecting audience members given roles to play before the show starts. The result is pure chaos that more often than not proves unpredictable and hilarious. Knowing that no two shows will ever be the same, it allows the two writers and performers to improvise, reacting to what the audience are doing and even add a new off-the-cuff line, such as an unexpected show-stop moments into this press night performance.

Speaking of press night, with an audience full of people who had made pre-recorded video contributions to the show, this gave Karp and Martin an opportunity to really bring a whole new level to the comedy - an opportunity they gladly took. The highlight of this was undoubtedly Heartstopper star Sebastian Croft being given the biggest of the audience roles as Elian’s doppelganger. Hilarious enough, until he had to play with himself on screen as his love interest. Meta, weird and simply wonderful, Croft interacting with a video he had recorded months earlier and seemingly forgotten about was a stroke of genius, leading to some of the biggest laughs of the night. Though I can’t guarantee any Heartstopper cast members as doppelgangers whenever you attend, I can guarantee whoever is plucked from their seat will bring no shortage of hilarity, whether they intend to or not.

The Fit Prince also boasts the greatest comedic creation Karp and Martin have ever come up with, and that is the pop icons BAAB. Though London may have to deal with avatars, Swedonia gets the real thing with the four members giving us a megamix of their biggest hits, such as ‘Dunkirk’ (instead of ‘Waterloo’) and ‘Movement King’ (instead of… you get the idea). Is it genius or is it madness? Let’s call it a mixture of both. It is also pure chaos, and a perfect example of what Awkward Productions do best. I left the theatre a raging fan of BAAB, and am now campaigning for them to get their own spin-off show, or failing that, their own purpose-built multi-million-pound venue in London for them to perform night after night. I’m not fussy though.

Music plays a big part in this show, which dips one toe into musical theatre and another 30 toes into varying other genres, all with phenomenal success. Leland has provided the music for this, with the recurring motif of the Swedonia anthem and the aforementioned BAAB megamix standouts. It is the surprisingly gorgeous yet still ridiculous big ballad about an orphanage, sung by another genius creation from the pair, and performed expertly by Joseph Martin, that proves to be the big showstopper of the night in what could be the best big musical number performed by a puppet (or puppet-adjacent. I don’t discriminate) character this December. Sorry Paddington.

Having done these sorts of shows for a few years now and attracting a legion of loyal homo…sapiens attending every time they rear their head in London (and beyond), The Fit Prince now introduces the Awkward Productions Multiverse, with callbacks to Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story and Gwyneth Goes Skiing to be found throughout. Blink and you miss it cameos and brilliant references to their past successes add an entirely new dimension to the show, bringing an extra depth to their already stunning comedy.

Puppetry, pop culture, a Monarch returning from the dead, self-referencing celebrities on video and a whole lot of madness. What more could you possibly want from a show? If you have ever seen an Awkward Productions show before, you will love this perhaps even more than the others. If you are an Awkward virgin, make The Fit Prince the one to pop your cherry to - you won’t regret it. Karp and Martin have reached a new peak with this hilarious, joyous and unapologetically queer show, ticking all the boxes - even the ones you didn’t know needed ticking. With this festive-themed run of The Fit Prince, they have certainly found the winning recipe to make the yuletide gay - the result is a brilliantly weird marriage made in heaven, and the very best kind of happy ending.

The Fit Prince plays at King’s Head Theatre until 3rd January 2026. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/the-fit-prince-tickets

Photos by Anna Clare