When performer and writer Linus Karp was struck across the head with an umbrella while walking hand-in-hand with his partner through Soho, London, in July 2024, it was an act of violence that would leave a lasting mark far beyond the immediate shock of the attack.
The award-winning theatre-maker, best known for cult Fringe hits including Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story and Gwyneth Goes Skiing, was targeted in what he describes as a homophobic attack shortly before he was due to appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As Karp and his partner of eleven years, Joseph Martin, walked through the capital's historic LGBTQ+ district, a man allegedly approached them without warning, struck Karp with an umbrella and shouted homophobic abuse.
Martin chased the attacker, tackled him to the ground and restrained him until police arrived. The man was arrested at the scene.
Now, nearly two years later, Karp is bringing the experience to the stage in a new solo show, Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella, which will run at Underbelly Bristo Square during this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Rather than focusing solely on the attack itself, the production explores the aftermath: the emotional impact of being targeted for holding hands with a partner, the erosion of confidence in public spaces, and the uncomfortable reality that even areas regarded as safe havens for queer communities can still be sites of hate crime.
The show traces the events that followed the assault, including the lengthy legal process and the challenges of returning to public life and performance while processing the trauma. At the time of the incident, Karp was preparing to take Gwyneth Goes Skiing to Edinburgh, meaning he found himself stepping in front of audiences just weeks after the attack.
Drawing on his own experiences, Karp examines how a single act of violence can reshape everyday behaviour. The production reflects on the anxiety that can accompany simple displays of affection in public, a heightened awareness of personal safety, and the lingering questions that remain long after an incident has passed.
In a theatrical twist, the show's final act transforms the stage into a fictional courtroom where Karp reimagines the justice process and confronts questions left unanswered in real life. By placing his attacker on trial in a fictional setting, he explores the limits of legal resolution and the search for closure following a hate crime.
Produced by Awkward Prods, the company Karp co-founded with Martin, the production represents a significant shift for a creative team known for high-camp comedy, audience participation and irreverent pop-culture satire. While Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella retains elements of the company's trademark humour and theatricality, it is their most personal work to date.
The show has been developed with dramaturgy from Olivier Award nominee Haley McGee and is presented by Awkward Prods alongside Eric Kuhn Productions, Side Hustle Productions and Daddy's Money Productions.
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