History Made as Awkward Productions Get Married Live On Stage at Edinburgh Fringe

History was made at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe yesterday when theatre makers Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, the duo behind Awkward Productions, tied the knot in front of a sold out audience at The Pleasance Grand.

On Saturday 16 August, the couple legally married on stage in front of 750 festivalgoers, becoming the first pair to wed as part of the official programme in the Fringe’s 78 year history. They are also believed to be the first LGBTQ+ couple to hold a legal wedding in a ticketed Fringe performance.

The ceremony was every bit as theatrical as their cult hits Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story. Styled by Edinburgh designer Cosimo Damiano Angiulli (SIMO THE LABEL), the grooms made spectacular entrances: Joseph channelled Charli XCX’s brat era with Von Dutch, while Linus was carried onto the stage by three helpers to the sound of Jellicle Cats.

The service, conducted by Edinburgh City Council’s Jackie Blackburn, struck a perfect balance between camp chaos and heartfelt sincerity. Highlights included comedian Sooz Kempner serenading the couple with 2 Become 1, a best man’s dramatic reading of Party in the USA, and fellow Fringe troupe Recent Cutbacks delivering the rings in a spoof Lord of the Rings routine. The audience rose to their feet as the couple were pronounced “husband and husband”.

Following the vows, the newlyweds hosted celebratory drinks before heading straight back to the stage that afternoon for their latest Fringe production, The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before [Insert Public Holiday Here]). The camp fairytale romcom set in the fictional kingdom of Swedonia has been drawing rave reviews across the festival, with critics calling it “another camp masterpiece” (Broadway Baby ★★★★), “outrageously funny, unapologetically queer, and utterly unforgettable” (Theatre Weekly ★★★★), and “extremely funny, extremely silly” (The National ★★★★).

The wedding marks yet another milestone in Awkward Productions’ uniquely theatrical journey. After staging more than 150 on stage royal weddings and divorces in Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, Karp and Martin have now sealed the deal for real in true Fringe fashion, with joy, chaos and an audience full of witnesses.