Gwyneth Goes Skiing at Hope Mill Theatre
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Sometimes we get a moment in celebrity culture that takes the internet, the world and the stage by storm. Packed with the same absurdity as the Wagatha Christie trial, Gwyneth Paltrow’s 2023 ski trial caught the imagination of the ever-brilliant Awkward Productions, following their sell-out success with Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story.
Captivating and ridiculous, Awkward Productions are billed as “harbingers of queer chaos”. Making theatre with a unique blend of drag, multimedia, puppetry and audience interaction, the company create unashamedly outlandish theatre packed with original songs.
Their latest production, Gwyneth Goes Skiing, which comes to Hope Mill Theatre in September tells the story of Gwyneth Paltrow and Dr Terry Sanderson’s 2016 ski slope collision.
Gwyneth Paltrow is the Goop-founding, consciously-uncoupling Hollywood superstar and Dr Anderson is a retired Optometrist from Utah. In 2016 – on the slopes of Deer Valley- their worlds collided…quite literally. Seven years later in 2023, they met again in court. Gwyneth Goes Skiing revisits their incident – documenting the lead-up to the ski accident, the actual collision, and the subsequent trial in court.
For this super entertaining story of love, betrayal and skiing, Hope Mill Theatre is transformed into the Deer Valley Ski Resort, and the audience takes centre stage as the jury.
Written and performed by Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, featuring original songs by Leland (RuPaul, Troye Sivan, Cher), with a special video appearance by Trixie Mattel (RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 winner), and the singing voices of Darren Criss (Glee, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story), and Catherine Cohen (Edinburgh Comedy Award winner), the sell-out show has received critical acclaim, a US transfer and a run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Packed with pop culture references and Awkward Productions’ trademark humour, Gwyneth Goes Skiing delivers laughs in spades. Don’t miss the chance to catch this rip-roaring show when it crashes into Hope Mill this autumn.
