The fact that there is not one but two Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial shows at this year’s Fringe is perhaps a damning demonstration of just how much our collective imagination is captured by vapid episodes of celebrity folly. Does the world need to be reminded of Gwyneth Paltrow, the picture of celebrity sanctimony quite so forcefully? Perhaps not, but we get it nonetheless, and this interpretation of events is every bit as shallow and silly as its subject matter.
Don’t expect to uncover any hidden profundity in Gwyneth’s tale, Linus Karp’s Gwyneth Paltrow is vapid and morally superior, with an unshakeable belief in her own beauty and virtue. It’s a pleasure to watch her spar with the comparatively downtrodden and bitter Terry Sanderson, played by Joseph Martin; they circle each other before they collide, mirroring an unwilling love affair. It’s all played out with a campy charm and witty references to everything from the blandness of Coldplay to Kamala Harris’ coconut tree. They continue to up the absurd ante with talking animals and mystical mountain encounters – which take up a bit much space but maintain the stellar level of humour already established.
They also drag crowd members from their seats to play supporting roles, such as Paltrow’s husband Brad Falchuk, to great comedic effect, and having Paltrow’s daughter, Apple, be played by an actual apple is genius. Then the infamous court scene plays out in all of its goopy absurdity, and a full range of gags are performed including scarcely believable verbatim segments. Gwyneth Goes Skiing is a delightfully funny satire on celebrity worship, and a better display of campy silliness you will not find anywhere else in Edinburgh this August.
Gwyneth Goes Skiing, 15.30 Pleasance, until August 26