REVIEW: DIANA - THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY @ ARCOLA THEATRE

🎭 Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story

📍 Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL

🗓 Tuesday 7th July 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

THE CROWN JEWELS OF CAMP COMEDY!

Heading across a sweltering London in this heatwave, my anticipation was through the roof. I was buzzing to see DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY after catching Awkward Productions’ brilliant The Fit Prince last year - which completely won me over with its hilariously brilliant chaos. I absolutely fell in love with the creative duo of Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, so I knew I was in for something special.

Taking my seat in the Arcola, the tone was immediately set when I was presented with the Royal Name Generator. Emerging as the 'Jellicle Countess of Anti-Vaxxers', I think I got off lightly! It perfectly primed the audience for the total absurdity of the evening ahead.

Before the show even officially kicks off, Joseph is working the room, chatting to the crowd and hand-picking unsuspecting victims to play vital roles. Throughout the night, these audience members are summoned to the stage, handed props, and given lines of dialogue to read. It creates this beautifully tumultuous, interactive energy where absolutely anything can happen. The standout of the night had to be the guy chosen to play Diana's Dad. He absolutely threw himself into the madness, taking to the stage with zero hesitation. His comic timing was impeccable, delivering his given lines with a straight-faced commitment that had the entire room in stitches. It turns regular theatregoers into overnight comedy stars and makes the audience feel like co-conspirators in the madness.

Linus Karp’s portrayal of Diana is nothing short of masterful. He has that iconic, under-the-fringe sultry look down to an absolute tee - the tilted head, the wide, doe-eyed glance at the floor before peeking up. It is pure performance art. The narrative itself starts with a loose footing in reality, tracking her early life, but it incredibly quickly derails into the beautifully absurd.

Nowhere is this absurdity more glorious than the way the births of the princes are handled. We see Diana popping out her "nepo babies", William and Harry, live on stage in quick succession, before casually tossing them to a bewildered audience member with a deadpan command to "raise him well". The relentless pace of the show never lets up for a single second. It hooks you from the opening line and sprints through its 75-minute runtime with an intoxicating, breathless momentum

The writing leans heavily into royal pop culture, weaponising iconic real-life soundbites to hilarious effect. The infamous "whatever 'love' means" statement is thrown out frequently, twisted and milked for every ounce of comedic value. What makes Linus and Joseph so brilliant is that they really know how to push a joke right to the absolute edge. In lesser hands, repeating these famous lines might feel lazy, but here it never feels repetitive. Instead, each callback builds on the last, layering the absurdity until the audience is practically begging for mercy. It is just so brilliantly camp and laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish. The sheer joy in the room is infectious, fueled by a relentless barrage of sharp queer humour and over-the-top theatricality.

The supporting "characters" are just as unhinged. While Charles is depicted as a literal cardboard cutout, Camilla is portrayed via some of the most unforgettably terrifying puppetry you will ever see. She is brought to life as a screeching, monstrous puppet that completely steals every single scene she is in, offering a perfect, chaotic foil to Linus's ethereal, angelic Diana.

Ultimately, this is another brilliant piece of theatre from Awkward Productions. It is wild, irreverent, brilliantly crude, and pure joy from start to finish. You can catch DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY at the Arcola Theatre until Saturday 11th July. CLICK HERE to book your tickets and see Diana as you've never seen her before!

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair, and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story was gifted by Awkward productions, who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Linus Karp as Diana; Joseph Martin as Charles, Camilla, and others

DIGITAL CAST:

Geri Allen as The Queen; Zina Badran as God; Rob Madge as Mother Teresa; Jeanna de Waal (special appearance)

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 15 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; Flashing lights; Audience participation; Camilla Parker Bowles!

AGE GUIDELINE:

16+

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