The Edinburgh Fringe can be the springboard to launch certain performers and shows into the stratosphere.
My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) was such a runaway hit at Edinburgh 2021, it propelled Rob Madge into a West End run at the Garrick Theatre and on to further success.
Two sell-out runs (plus a Recs’ 5-star review) at the 2022 and 2023 Fringes have sent Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! to the West End for an extended run at the Ambassadors Theatre this year.
We’ve watched Awkward Productions (Linus Karp and Joseph Martin) build up an ever-growing fanbase with ever-bolder, queertastic shows such as How to Live a Jellicle Life: Life Lessons from the 2019 Hit Musical ‘Cats’ and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story.
And then in December 2023, they unleashed Gwyneth Goes Skiing, a play with music that reimagines Gwyneth Paltrow’s infamous ski crash with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson. With puppets, snowstorms, audience interaction, ridiculously catchy songs, it’s like a Goop bag of delights.
The Recs is going to stick our neck out here: not only will Gwyneth Goes Skiing be the hot ticket for Edinburgh but whether it is sooner or later, a West End transfer is surely on the cards?