LOVE, SATIRE & SWEDONIA at The Edinburgh Fringe: The Fit Prince Is the Camp Rom-Com You Didn't Know You Needed

It began with a week of COVID, a pile of cheesy Christmas films, and a shared sense of humour. Now, real-life couple and creative duo behind Awkward Productions are bringing The Fit Prince to Edinburgh - a gloriously camp, queer stage parody of the holiday rom-coms we love (and love to roast). Combining big laughs, ambitious staging, and a few well-aimed jabs at monarchy and fascism, this is no ordinary festive fairytale. We sat down with the pair to talk love, laughter, and Swedonian politics.

You’re a real-life couple preparing to get married. And you create very ambitious shows together. How does that relationship work creatively? 

We have a lot of fun together and are always talking about silly, ridiculous things and making each other laugh - making shows around those things just felt like the next step. This is our most ambitious show so far, and there are jokes and ideas in Fit Prince that have been brewing for years…

What drew you to parodying holiday romcoms in The Fit Prince? Was there a particular film that sparked the idea? Or do you just love the genre?

We had enjoyed many films from the genre before, but during Christmas 2021 we both got covid. All our Christmas plans were cancelled, and we spent a week in bed watching film after film after film: A Christmas Prince, Princess Switch, Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, The Knight Before Christmas, A Castle for Christmas - the list go on. We really wanted to make our own version of that - but queer and for stage. And here we are - with a show that pretty much started as a covid fever dream. 

How difficult is a rom-com to write for stage? Where did you start?  How much did you feel you wanted to/needed to stay loyal to the formula?

I think it started quite close to the Hallmarkish formula, but quite quickly grew from that. It now has enough of the romantic cliches to feel familiar at times, but it has grown into its own original story and has many surprises. There are definitely scenes that would never be seen in a Hallmark film, just wait until you meet Gerta McMurder or attend the BAAB concert…

What is it that makes a holiday romcom so good for parody do you think?

It’s such a familiar, well used formula that people are all familiar with. It’s always fun to take something people know well and then tell it in a different, new and surprising way. The Fit Prince is it’s own thing, though it is in part a celebration of things we love, like the holiday romcom, Sweden and Abba.

Is the show pure fun and silliness or is there something else you hope audiences will take away?

It is fun and silliness, but I also think it’s something inherently political to be creating work that is both loudly queer and also joyous - especially in these times that are so full of anti-queer voices. The show, in its own ridiculous way, also shows how fragile the things we love are and how easy it can be to fall into facism…

Ultimately, what do you hope to get out of this Edinburgh run? What’s next for Awkward Prods?

I think it’s important to go into the fringe with realistic expectations. By this time next year we would therefore expect Fit Prince to have had West End and Broadway transfers, have toured internationally and to be developed for a Netflix film starring Nicole Kidman as the Queen of Swedonia. 

The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before (Insert Public Holiday Here)) will be performed at 4.40pm in Pleasance Courtyard (Beyond) from 30th July – 25th August (not Tuesdays)

Booking link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/fit-prince-who-gets-switched-square-frosty-castle-night-insert-public-holiday-here