Little Lark of London

Think you know the story of Princess Diana? You might know what the documentaries and movies have told you, but what if I told you there was another version of the story? One that is untold (and also untrue) from Diana herself, speaking to us from Heaven. Well, that’s exactly what Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is.

Linus Karp plays Diana brilliantly, accurately imitating her accent and showing off her iconic outfits like her wedding dress and the “Fly Atlantic” sweater and bright orange shorts (does the “Revenge Dress” make an appearance? You’ll just have to go see it to find out!). Karp has a truly incredible sense of timing, including matching his jokes up to the projections on the screen. Joseph Martin has some hilarious moments throughout the show, especially when puppeteering Camilla, who is appropriately depicted as a demon ragdoll who has crawled up from the depths of Hell itself, growling voice and all. 

There is quite a bit of video usage throughout the show, including appearances from the Queen herself (played by the lovely Geri Allen, making it difficult to dislike her). I must applaud the team as there were zero noticeable technical errors in the entire show, an impressive feat! I do wish that the videos had been used a bit more, especially when there were breaks as Karp prepared to put on another spectacular Diana outfit. These pauses were a bit awkward, but the show is so good that you quickly forget about those and are consumed by the story and jokes.

Along with its witty script and lovely actors, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story has some of the best audience participation that I have seen so far at the Fringe. When entering the theatre, some audience members are given cards identifying them as different roles – “Diana’s Dad,” “Nurse,” “Nanny,” etc. These cardholders are welcomed as a part of the cast, with lines to read off of a screen and exiting with roaring applause from fellow audience members. It really helped to make the audience feel closer, forming a community of kindness like Diana would have wanted. 

Ultimately, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is a fabulous hour with Princess Diana taking her fate into her own hands. It is hilarious but also a reflection on the life of an incredible woman who stood up for the queer community and others in need when they were being ignored by society. Karp and Martin should be proud knowing that they are helping to continue Diana’s legacy. 

Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story runs at the Pleasance Dome in KingDome at 16:30 from 7 to 28 August (no performances on 15, 16, and 21 August).