Tuesday August 19th 2025
Linus Karp and Joseph Martin tying the knot on Saturday during their Fringe show, conducted by Councillor Jackie Blackburn in the background. Photos by Anna Clare.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A couple, Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, who are known for hit Fringe shows, tied the knot on Saturday, getting married in the middle of their performance.
The two made history at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe when the theatre-makers, who make up the popular Awkward Productions, legally got married infront of a sold-out audience at The Pleasance Grand which holds 750 people.
With many shows about marriage, this is the first time in the Fringe’s 78-year history that a couple has got married on stage infront of a ticketed audience, and the first LGBTQ+ couple to wed as part of the official programme.
“This day was so fergalicious. Being in a room so full of love alongside the love of my life is a moment that will live with me forever”, Linus explained.
The wedding ceremony was conducted by Edinburgh City Councillor Jackie Blackburn.
Jackie said, “I was excited and nervous about being involved in Joseph and Linus’s wedding, in my role I have been involved in many unique ceremonies but none quite on the scale of this, it was by far the largest venue and greatest number of guests I’ve officiated in front of.”
“My favourite part of their ceremony was when the grooms made their vows and declarations to each other, they were so sincere as in addition to the required legalities they had written their own personal vows, it was like a period of calm in the midst of magical romantic mayhem.”
Linus explained his appreciation for Jackie’s involvement in their special moment, saying, “We cannot wait for our incredible officiant Jackie Blackburn’s debut comedy hour at next year’s Fringe – she was an instant icon.”
The couple’s outfits were designed by Cosimo Damiano Angiulli (SIMO THE LABEL), making the ceremony nothing short of spectacular.
The couple kicked off the show with themed entrances; Joseph channelled brat with Von Dutch by Charli XCX, while Linus was carried onto the stage by three helpers to the tune of “Jellicle Cats”.
With Jackie Blackburns conducting, the ceremony blended camp chaos with heartfelt sincerity. From Sooz Kempner serendating the couple, to a best man’s dramatic reading of pop classic Party in the USA, the wedding ceremony encaptured the Fringe’s essence and created a unique history-making show.
“The nerves kicked in when we went to get dressed with our incredible designer Cosimo Damiano – then it felt real! But once we were in our outfits and backstage, it felt like the most natural thing for us to be doing”, Joseph explained.
“Walking down the aisle to Charli XCX’s ‘Von Dutch’ with bodyguards and spark machines wasn’t necessarily how I saw my wedding going, but I don’t think it gets any more iconic. I couldn’t be happier to be Mr Ljunggren.”
To top off the grand ceremony, the wedding rings were delivered via a spoof Lord of the Rings routine by fellow Fringe troupe ‘Recent Cutbacks’. Following this the crowd erupted for a momentous standing ovation as Jackie pronounced the couple “husband and husband”, a glorious reminder as to why everyone had gathered in The Pleasance Grand.
The newlywed couple are best known for their popular shows, such as, ‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing’ and ‘Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story’, being veterans to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
After the “I do’s”, the newlyweds invited everyone to join them for celebratory drinks before later that afternoon performing their latest Fringe hit, ‘The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here))’ – a camp and chaotic fairytale romcom set in the fictional kingdom of Swedonia.
Linus and Joseph made Fringe history on Saturday, being the first marriage on stage to a ticketed audience and the first LQBTQ+ couple to tie the knot as part of the official festival programe.
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