Awkward Productions are spreading Christmas cheer this festive season with their newest providing, The Match Prince (Who Will get Switched On within the Sq. within the Frosty Fortress the Night time Earlier than (Insert Public Vacation Right here)), now enjoying at London’s King’s Head Theatre.
Parodying all your favorite Netflix and Hallmark Christmas motion pictures, The Match Prince… combines queer pleasure with utter chaos as we’re transported to the land of Swedonia. The story begins with the tragic demise of the King, making Prince Elian (performed by Linus Karp) subsequent in line to the throne. Nevertheless, with a purpose to turn into King, Prince Elian should not solely get married, however he must do it earlier than Christmas which is just a few weeks away. The prince doesn’t vibe with any of his potential suitors by way of video, so the race is on to seek out the one earlier than the large festive day.
On the opposite facet of the world, New York baker Aaron Butcher (performed by Joseph Martin) receives an invite to bake Prince Elian’s wedding ceremony cake (due to quite a lot of interference from colleague Jenny Puppetson). Feeling deflated after being dumped by his ex (and desirous to make him jealous), Aaron seizes the chance and makes his option to Swedonia to fulfill the Prince.
This results in Prince Elian and Aaron having fun with a stereotypical meet cute earlier than naturally disliking one another. Nevertheless, the NYC baker later encourages the prince to discover what exists outdoors of the fortress grounds, setting the scene for a a lot rooted for love. What ensues is a frenzied Swedonian fairytale involving doppelgängers, a unusually acquainted BAAB live performance with hits together with ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘Motion King’, and a showstopping flip from Gerta McMurder, the orphanage supervisor.
The Match Prince… is a riotous rom-com which ticks all of the bins. From the second you step into the theatre, you understand that you simply’re in for an unbelievable expertise. Having by no means seen an Awkward Productions present earlier than, I wasn’t positive what to anticipate however I used to be in tears of laughter from the beginning. Linus and Joseph have created such an inclusive area, and it’s clear to see why they’ve such a robust following. The present is a love letter to Linus’ native Sweden however can be a hilarious caricature of the heteronormative fashionable Christmas rom-coms that everyone knows and love (even Vanessa Hudgens is a fan…if you understand, you understand).
Linus and Joseph slay their efficiency all through, and in addition to enjoying Prince Elian and Aaron respectively, additionally tackle different roles all through the night together with puppeteering Jenny and Gerta. Their chemistry is unmatched (which is unsurprising because of the pair truly being married in actual life), however in addition they had an excellent rapport with the viewers. There have been just a few technical difficulties on the night however they handled them in an beautiful method, laughing off any points and maintaining the group entertained with off-the -cuff remarks.
While Linus and Joseph are the celebs of the present, there are additionally video contributions from a complete host of well-known faces together with Tove Lo as The Prime Minister of Swedonia, drag queen Kate Butch as Angela Merkel, Yshee Black as Michelle Obama, Geri Allen as The Queen of England, and Heartstopper actor Sebastian Croft as Prince Balthazar of Bashington. Every character was woven into the story splendidly – Tove Lo self referencing her discography was a selected spotlight.
The present can be enhanced by a lot of viewers participation, with the fortunate viewers members chosen from the group earlier than the present begins. With ample roles on provide, together with a priest, orphanage kids, and Elian’s horses, the present is actually uplifted by the contribution of the group. On press night time, the chosen viewers members gave their every part, making us chuckle in all the precise locations. We have been additionally handled to a really particular visitor participation, with Sebastian Croft being given the function of Elian’s doppelgänger for one night time solely. This was made even funnier by the truth that he needed to romance his personal digital character, Prince Balthazar of Bashington.
The great thing about The Match Prince… is its versatility. The extremely lengthy title consists of “(inset vacation right here)”, which means that Linus and Joseph have been capable of replace the present from their Edinburgh Fringe run this summer season to create this festive providing. Additionally they preserve it updated with present popular culture references, together with a hilarious nod to the viral Madame Morrible x Depraved Witch TikTok pattern. As a result of ingredient of viewers participation, every present will look barely completely different in addition to you simply don’t understand how folks will react and play out their roles.
There’s additionally music laced all through the present, created by songwriter Leland. Whether or not it’s the Swedonia nationwide anthem (with ever altering lyrics to match the plot), the good BAAB songs parodying ABBA’s biggest hits, or Gerta McMurder’s highly effective ballad, every observe is sensational in its personal means and provides quite a lot of depth and humour to the plot.
As Christmas specials go, The Match Prince… is a must-see and is a wonderful different to your conventional pantomime. The 70-minute spectacular packs a punch in all the precise methods and can undoubtedly go away you feeling all heat and fuzzy inside. Ditch the Netflix specials and make your option to the King’s Head Theatre immediately!
The Match Prince (Who Will get Switched On within the Sq. within the Frosty Fortress the Night time Earlier than (Insert Public Vacation Right here)) performs at King’s Head Theatre, London between 2 December 2025 – 3 January 2026. Tickets can be found now.
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