‘Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story’ Returns to London and Edinburgh Following Sold Out International Success

After building a devoted cult following across the UK, New York, and an international tour spanning four continents, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is returning to both London and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer.

Created by Linus Karp and Joseph Martin under their company Awkward Prods, the production has become one of the most recognisable comedy theatre hits to emerge from recent Fringe seasons, blending audience participation, multimedia performance, queer satire, and an intentionally chaotic retelling of royal history.

The production will return to Arcola Theatre from 6–11 July before heading back to Edinburgh for a final week Fringe run at Underbelly Bristo Square from 24–30 August.

Originally premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023, the show quickly evolved from a Fringe breakout into a wider international success story. Multiple UK tours, sold out London runs, a sold out New York engagement, and a global tour followed, alongside growing recognition within both theatre and queer performance spaces.

The premise itself remains deliberately absurd.

Performed by Linus Karp as Princess Diana narrating her story from heaven, the production reframes one of the world’s most documented public figures through a wildly exaggerated and knowingly inaccurate lens. Yet beneath the camp spectacle and relentless humour, the show also revisits Diana’s cultural legacy, particularly her relationship with social issues, outsider identity, and public empathy.

The production’s tone has become central to its appeal.

Rather than treating the monarchy with reverence, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story fully embraces theatrical chaos, audience interaction, drag influenced comedy, puppetry, and niche pop culture references. The result is a performance style that feels closer to an immersive cult comedy event than traditional theatre.

That approach has resonated particularly strongly with younger theatre audiences and Fringe audiences seeking productions that blur the lines between live performance, internet humour, queer nightlife culture, and satire.

The returning cast includes Karp alongside Joseph Martin, with multimedia appearances from performers including Geri Allen, Zina Badran, Jeanna de Waal, and Rob Madge.

The production has also collected significant critical recognition during its run, including an OffFest Award for Best Play and the LAURA Award, while continuing to build a strong online following through clips, fan engagement, and repeat audiences.

For Awkward Prods, the return of Diana also arrives during a period of continued momentum for the company itself.

Alongside the ongoing Diana tour, the company is also touring The Fit Prince while preparing to debut a new Edinburgh Fringe production, Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella, based on a real life hate crime experienced by Karp.

Their productions have increasingly carved out a distinctive place within contemporary comedy theatre, combining highly interactive performance with internet aware humour and unapologetically queer storytelling.

In many ways, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story reflects how Fringe theatre itself has evolved over recent years.

The production exists comfortably between theatre, fandom, drag performance, social satire, and participatory comedy. It understands the mythology surrounding Princess Diana while simultaneously dismantling it for comic effect, turning one of Britain’s most iconic public figures into the centre of a deliberately chaotic shared experience.

For audiences returning this summer, that unpredictability remains part of the attraction. No two performances unfold in exactly the same way, which is precisely how Awkward Prods wants it.