History was made at the Edinburgh Fringe after a queer couple became the first to ever legally marry on stage at the festival in front of a ticketed audience. Theatre-makers Linus Karp and Joseph Martin of Awkward Productions tied the knot on Saturday, August 16, as all 750 members of the sold-out crowd in the Pleasance Grand watched on in jubilation.
The pair, who have been together for 10 years, arrived at the ceremony in style, with the help of Edinburgh designer Cosimo Damiano Anguilli (SIMO THE LABEL). Joseph entered to ‘Von Dutch’ by Charli xcx, while Linus was carried onto the stage by three helpers to the tune of ‘Jellicle Cats’.
Conducted by Edinburgh City Council’s Jackie Blackburn, the ceremony blended camp chaos with heartfelt sincerity. Sooz Kempner serenaded the couple with a rendition of ‘2 Become 1’, while the best man’s speech was a dramatic reading of ‘Party in the USA’.
The rings were delivered via a spoof Lord of the Rings routine by fellow Edinburgh Fringe troupe Recent Cutbacks, offering the last piece of the puzzle before the couple were able to legally marry. The pair received a standing ovation as they were announced husband and husband.
From there, the newlyweds invited everyone to join them for celebratory drinks before the afternoon performance of their latest show, The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)). The chaotic fairytale romcom is set in the fictional kingdom of Swedonia and has been drawing in rave reviews.
Linus and Joseph have previously been known for their cult hits like Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, but the latest production has been labelled “Their best show yet”. Other reviewers called it, “Another camp masterpiece,” “Outrageously funny, unapologetically quer, and utterly unforgettable,” and “Extremely funny, extremely silly”.
Did you know we have a team of wonderful runners taking part in this year’s Dublin Marathon and raising funds for GCN? You can support our athletes at this link.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.