Awkward Prods, the company behind Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, arrives at Hull's Truck Theatre, on Thursday 11 June with The Fit Prince — a romcom parody whose full title runs to a deliberately ridiculous twenty-three words and gently mocks every Hallmark holiday film ever made.

The premise is pure Netflix-at-Christmas, run through a queer comic blender. In the fictional kingdom of Swedonia, the King is dead and the heir to the throne must marry — or forfeit the crown. Meanwhile, in New York, struggling baker Aaron Butcher is, in his own estimation, butchering his career. His puppet colleague Jenny Puppetson secretly enters him for a royal commission to bake the Prince's wedding cake. Reluctantly, and largely to spite his ex, Aaron accepts. The chaos that follows is, in the company's own words, "the chaotic queer cousin" to every Hallmark romcom you have ever cringed at and secretly enjoyed.

Written by and starring Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, the show carries an unusually warm backstory. Last August the pair were legally married on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe, in front of a 750-seat audience at the Pleasance Grand — believed to be the first legal wedding ever to take place at the festival, and the first LGBTQ+ wedding in its official programme. After 11 years together, they made it official with what they describe as a mix of festival sparkle and real-life romance.

Karp, a Swedish actor and writer whose previous solo work has ranged across Gwyneth Goes Skiing, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story and How to live a Jellicle Life, describes the show as a love letter to his native Sweden. Martin, an actor and musician based in North London, co-founded Awkward Prods with Karp in 2017; his credits include Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds and Sir Quentin Blake's The Green Ship.

The original score comes from Golden Globe–nominated songwriter Leland, whose writing credits read like a pop-chart roll-call: Troye Sivan, Charli xcx, Kylie Minogue, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Cher, with television and film work for RuPaul's Drag Race, Love, Victor and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.

The live action is punctuated by a string of digital cameos. Grammy-nominated Swedish pop star Tove Lo makes her theatrical debut as the Prime Minister of Swedonia, joined on screen by Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper, Game of Thrones), Malte Gårdinger (Young Royals), Joshua Whitehouse (The Knight Before Christmas), Misia Butler (Kaos), Jeremy McClain (Pose) and Kate Butch of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Geri Allen reprises her acclaimed Queen of England from Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story.

Following 2025 runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London — with more than 21 five-star reviews to its name — The Fit Prince arrives in Hull as part of a wider tour. Interactive, irreverent, heartfelt and unapologetically queer, it is a parody that loves the genre it lampoons.

The Fit Prince Hull Truck Theatre, 50 Ferensway, Hull, HU2 8LB on Thursday 11th June 2026 7.30pm
Tickets: https://www.hulltruck.co.uk/whats-on/general-entertainment/the-fit-prince/