Gwyneth Goes Skiing, which is written and performed by Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, documents the events leading up to and including the infamous Court case between Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Terry Sanderson, where the latter sued the former after a collision whilst skiing. Taking generous artistic liberty, the play is funny and entertaining, but not quite as engaging as it needs to be to make it work.
Karp does an incredible job as the zen, yet pretentious Paltrow, embodying the actress' famously mild manner well. However, this does result in a drastic lack of action during more dramatic moments, such as the courtroom scenes. Well written lines don't land quite as one may expect as the punchlines often lack the punch that make them funny. Whilst Karp is wholly committed to the bit, it does render in a weaker character, especially as there is little to no character development.
Martin is brilliant Sanderson. Hot-headed and passionate, Martin's performance is more enjoyable, yet without much detail into the character, his caricature feels hollow at times. Martin also plays Sanderson's legal representative in the trials scene with the help of puppetry and ventriloquism. This is endlessly amusing to watch, as Martin switches between the two characters, and demonstrates impressive theatrical flair.
The show makes Paltrow's lifestyle brand "Goop" its biggest joke, dropping the name in every other line. Whilst this is initially hilarious and cleverly written in through numerous puns, it does get very tired, very fast. Many of the jokes relating to "Goop" rely on the audience being familiar with the brand and its products. Perhaps this explains the numerous audience members leaving the show, each met with sharp sarcastic comments from the cast, that whilst admirably stayed relevant to the show, felt unnecessary.
The show also uses a lot of audience participation. Audience members are cast as characters in the show, and are either required to read lines off of helpful screens, or brought onto stage and must improvise. These moments always go down a storm with the crowd, with the selected audience members being bewildered and amused by the often hilarious and innuendo-heavy lines. Both Karp and Martin are fantastic at never breaking character with the improvisations, often turning it back onto the audience member.
The script is witty and is self-aware by the ridiculousness of the show's premise. It leans into this, with talking animals (puppets hauled about by a deadpan stage assistant), Gwyneth's daughter Apple being played by a literal apple and exaggerated blizzards. The play also includes an extended musical moment, yet these are pre-recorded by other talented singers (including Darren Criss) and feel out of place.
Gwyneth Goes Skiing is a fun show about a fascinatingly odd real life event, but unfortunately not one that stands out in the thousands of other shows at the Fringe.
⭐️⭐️ (2*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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