Review – Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story at The Street Theatre, Canberra
Thursday 27 February
When you go out to see a show by performers you don’t know, it can be hard to know what to expect. That was the case with Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, which had a fabulous promotional image but not much else to go off.
The suspense was exacerbated by the first part of the show (before a really early intermission), which was hosted by British singing drag queen Pixie Polite and featured a special guest appearance by Australian/NZ First Nations queen, Pomara Fifth, who delivered one hell of a disco-dynamite performance. Still, no taste of Diana was given..
With wines topped up, we returned from the break with high hopes but little idea of what shape the show would take. We needn’t have worried as Swedish born Linus Karp (now residing in the UK) travelled down the long escalator from heaven to the Street Theatre stage as the People’s Princess, Diana, and delivered a show that was, well, unexpectedly delightful. As delightful as Diana, you could say…
With a Theatresports-vibe, the style here was British through-and-through; funny and affectionate and, of course, a little bit saucy. With the Queen, played by Geri Allen, beamed in on the big screen, pre-selected audience members played other important roles in the royals’ lives from the corgis to the Princess’s mother and father, to great effect (surely they were selected from an acting class, they were so good). A cardboard cut-out of Prince Charles had its work cut out (no pun intended) while Linus’s real-life partner and collaborator, Joseph Martin, very nearly stole the show as a Camilla-puppeteer.
All in all, it was enough to make us fall in love with Diana all over again.. and also with Linus and Joseph. There’s plenty to go around.
Reviewed by Danny Corvini
Photos by Nathan Smith Photography
