When asked what my highlights of the Fringe were, I didn’t think one of them would be about a homophobic hate crime, but that is part of what is so wonderful about the Fringe: there is always something to surprise you.
Linus Karp Was Hit with an Umbrella is a show about a homophobic attack on Linus Karp that took place in July 2024 when he was, as the title suggests, hit with an umbrella whilst in Soho with his now husband, Joseph. Throughout the show Karp talks about the attack itself, what happened in the immediate aftermath and the weeks that followed, his battle to try to ensure that his attacker faced justice and finally the legacy of the attack. Karp never shies away from what happened that night. The real 999 call from Joseph to the police is used and Karp is honest about the impact the attack had on him mentally, including how it had ‘compromised his queerness’. It is an unflinching account of a deeply personal experience.
Karp is a brilliant storyteller and, despite the subject matter, this is a genuinely funny show. The humour never undermines the seriousness of what he went through or the sad frequency of attacks like this. There are moments for reflection within the show, but equally Karp will have you laughing in the next breath, making the poignant moments even more poignant and the comedy even funnier. There is a running joke throughout as Karp does his best to get the show programmed at Soho Theatre, whilst his charisma and twinkle in his eye make even his jokes about how hot it was that his husband apprehended the attacker feel entirely natural.
The audience are also brought into the story, with Karp asking us to read quotes aloud at various points. This is an interesting way of involving the audience in the story and reinforces that the events being discussed are real, but it didn’t always work for me. Waiting for different sections of the audience to read their lines inevitably slowed the pace of the show and occasionally interrupted the momentum that Karp had built up. The idea is an interesting one, but I felt the show was at its strongest when Karp was simply telling his own story.
The set is equally simple, with a 2D version of Dean Street forming the backdrop and helping to contextualise both the location of the attack and the vibrant gay scene that surrounds it. This keeps the focus firmly on Karp and his story, whilst providing enough of a sense of place to remind the audience that this happened in a location familiar to many Londoners.
Linus Karp Was Hit with an Umbrella takes an incredibly personal experience and turns it into a show that is by turns funny, poignant and thought-provoking. Karp’s ability to find humour without ever losing sight of the seriousness of what happened is one of the show’s greatest strengths, and his honesty makes the story difficult to forget. There are moments where the audience interaction interrupts the otherwise strong momentum, but ultimately this is a powerful reminder of both the personal impact of hate crime and the importance of refusing to let it define you.
Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella is on at Underbelly Bristo Square from 20:20-21:20. You can find out more about the show here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Acid’s Reign, Under The Influence and One Man Musical.