Review: Gwyneth Goes Skiing at Tobacco Factory Theatres

The hilarious show from Awkward Productions is in Bristol until Saturday

The legendary Linus Karp is in Bristol this week, with international hit show Gwyneth Goes Skiing. Karp is no stranger to the city having previously brought us How to Live a Jellicle Life, followed by the iconic Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story.

In the last 24 hours it’s been announced that both Gwyneth and Diana, will embark on an international tour. Once again they will be making the journey to Park City in Utah, the real-life location of the infamous ski trial.

Gwyneth Goes Skiing is an ambitious leap from Awkward Productions previous shows. This visit to Bristol sees the company going for a five performance run at Tobacco Factory Theatres. It’s a major step up from previous much smaller fringe venues in the city.

Everything is much bigger, with more props, a larger creative team and with an onscreen role performed by Trixie Mattel as Paltrow’s mother Blythe Danner.

Gwyneth runs at 1.30 hours long, including an interval. As with previous show Diana, it is based on actual events with a great deal of re-imagining and artistic license.

The first act works its way up to the crash itself. It spends time contrasting the differences between the show’s Sanderson and Paltrow. Sanderson is set up as a sad and lonely man against the somewhat frozen and supercilious Paltrow.

New characters include Deer of Deer Valley. It’s an almost mythical creature managing to speak with the gravitas of Mufasa in the Sky, whilst being Puppeteered by a hilariously bored looking stage manager.

The show utilises a lot of crowd-pleasing audience participation throughout, including use of an apple.

The book is packed with references to Paltrow’s viral moments, movies as well as her Goop brand, Jade Eggs, vagina candles, apples, Conscious Uncoupling and Coldplay. At times they come thick and fast, alongside other pop culture references that Awkward Productions excels at picking out.

The second half is all about the trial, some of which was so ridiculous and superficial in real life that it manages to be verbatim. The writing picks up on all the laughable moments that originally captured the interest of the internet.

Joseph Martin plays Terry Sanderson with a tinge of bitterness and gruff privilege. Sanderson is the optometrist. Not optician. From Utah, who claimed Paltrow skied into him causing a number of injuries and permanent health problems. Martin is the second half of Awkward Productions, really coming to the fore in shows from Diana onwards. Both Linus and Joseph Martin share credit for the writing, direction and lyrics of Gwyneth.

Martin, previously a puppeteer of Camilla Parker Bowles in Diana resumes the craft for Terry Sanderson’s lawyer Kristin Van Orman. The puppet has had a further glow-up since the production photos, now bearing an uncanny resemblance to the attorney.

We have the reconstructed Facebook photographs including Sanderson with that moose in the background. Iconic moments “well I lost half a day of skiing” and “I wish you well” were given the spotlight needed.

It all ends on a big happy-ever-after ‘Glee’ musical theatre number which itself acknowledges the ridiculousness of theatre plots.

Gwyneth Goes Skiing is another entertaining win from Awkward Productions. It will be at Tobacco Factory Theatre from 20 – 23 November 2024

For those who like an early night, there is also a Saturday matinee taking place

For more information or to book, visit: https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/gwyneth-goes-skiing/

For more about Awkward Productions, visit: https://linktr.ee/awkwardprods

Cast and Creatives
Gwyneth Paltrow – Linus Karp (he/him)
Terry Sanderson – Joseph Martin (he/they)
Singing Voice of Gwyneth Paltrow – Cat Cohen (she/her)
Singing Voice of Terry Sanderson – Darren Criss (he/him)
Blythe Danner – Trixie Mattel (she/her)
Deer of Deer Valley – Leland (he/him)
Voice of Deer Valley Resort, Mrs Rabbit – Sam Carlyle (she/her)
Mr Squirrel – Wez Maddocks (he/him)
Judge – Dan Hildebrand (he/him)

Writers, Directors, Lyrics – Linus Karp (he/him) and Joseph Martin (he/they)
Producer – Nic Connaughton (he/him)
Original Music and Lyrics – Leland (he/him)
SM, Lighting Design – James Appleby (he/him)
Assistant Stage Manager – Ciara Pidgeon (she/her)
Music Production – Gabe Lopez (he/him)
Sound Design – Roly Botha (they/them)
Choreographer – Sam Carlyle (she/her)
Associate Director – Lauren Lambert Moore (she/her)
Sound Recordist- Wez Maddocks (he/him)
Hair And Wig Styling – Styled By Vodka
Graphic Design – Alice Gorman (she/her

Production Photography – Jonny Ruff

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