A Soho Umbrella Attack Becomes an Edinburgh Fringe Show: Linus Karp's Real-Life Story on at Underbelly
A man struck across the head with an umbrella while walking through Soho holding hands with his partner has turned the experience into an Edinburgh Fringe show. 'Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella' is running at Underbelly Bristo Square, produced by Awkward Productions, with performances at 8:20pm and tickets from £11.50 (from £17.50 full price), running until 30 August 2026 WhatsOnStage.
The incident took place in July 2024. Linus Karp was walking through London's Soho, hand in hand with Joseph Martin, his partner of 11 years, when a stranger hit him across the head with an umbrella. According to the official Edinburgh Fringe programme listing, the attacker shouted that he would have killed Karp edfringe.com.
Martin gave chase. He accosted the attacker, tackled him to the ground and held him there until police vehicles arrived WhatsOnStage.
The show retells the events and their aftermath, including the police investigation. It is dramaturged by Haley McGee, an Olivier Award nominee — the Oliviers being the UK's most prestigious theatre awards, run annually by the Society of London Theatre WhatsOnStage.
Awkward Productions, the company behind the show, has form at the Fringe. They are also the creative team behind 'Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story' and 'Gwyneth Goes Skiing' — both comedic, celebrity-focused productions that have drawn audiences in previous festival runs WhatsOnStage.
The company promoted the show's first Edinburgh performance via its official Instagram account, @awkwardprods, announcing the 8:20pm slot and advertising a £10 preview at Underbelly. The listing appears on both the official Underbelly website and the Edinburgh Fringe programme pages at edfringe.com Awkward Productions Instagram, 13 August 2026.
For a festival that fills roughly 300 venues with over 3,000 shows each August, a single real-life story turned into theatre is nothing unusual. What sets this one apart is that the show's subject and its lead performer are the same person — Karp is telling his own story, with the dramaturgical guidance of a writer recognised at the highest level of British theatre.
The Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, runs throughout August across the Scottish capital. This year's edition closes on 25 August for most venues, though some shows, including this one, extend beyond that date.
