In a truly unprecedented moment for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, theatre-makers Linus Karp and Joseph Martin of Awkward Productions legally wed on Saturday, August 16, in front of a sold-out audience at The Pleasance Grand. This landmark event marks the first time a couple has been married on stage with a ticketed audience in the festival’s 78-year history, and the first time an LGBTQ+ couple has wed as part of the official program.
The ceremony was a masterful blend of camp and heartfelt sincerity, befitting a couple known for cult hits like Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story. The stylish pair, dressed by Edinburgh designer Cosimo Damiano Angiulli, made theatrical entrances: Joseph to the tune of Charli XCX’s “Von Dutch” and Linus carried on stage to the iconic sounds of "Jellicle Cats."
The proceedings, conducted by Jackie Blackburn of the Edinburgh City Council, were pure theatrical chaos. Sooz Kempner serenaded the couple with a rendition of “2 Become 1,” while the best man delivered a dramatic reading of “Party in the USA.” Fellow Fringe troupe Recent Cutbacks provided the rings in a hilarious spoof of Lord of the Rings. The ceremony reached a climax as Blackburn pronounced them “husband and husband,” prompting a rapturous standing ovation from the 750-seat venue.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds invited the crowd for celebratory drinks before performing their latest Fringe hit, The Fit Prince. The show, a camp and chaotic fairytale rom-com, has already been receiving rave reviews, hailed as a "camp masterpiece" and "their best show yet." The on-stage wedding was not only a personal milestone for Karp and Martin but a powerful, joyful reminder of the queer creativity and boundary-pushing spirit that defines the Edinburgh Fringe.
