If there’s one takeaway to be had from this review of Shake & Stir’s GRIMM, it’s this: parents, leave the kiddies at home; this one is not for them. Treat yourself to a night off and bring the girlfriends along instead. Officially, GRIMM is advertised for ages 14 and above, but it’s a show that will probably be best appreciated by the grown-ups.
Featuring the sassiest Little Red you’ve ever seen (she doesn’t just have bread in that basket), the raunchiest Rumplestiltskin you’re likely to meet (there’s a lot of bleeping over some of his lines) and the darkest wolf to lurk in the woods (he has a weapon and he’s not afraid to use it), GRIMM is a wickedly delicious re-imagining of some of the German brothers’ much-loved tales.
Directed by Daniel Evans who has brought his signature sense of style and fun to this adaptation by Nelle Lee, GRIMM subverts the happily-ever-after genre made popular by Disney, adding some 21st-century sass and spike with some really fun musical numbers too (a wolf doing a cabaret version of ‘Hungry Eyes’ anyone?). Some of the darkness of the original tales is back, but there’s plenty of tongue-in-cheek fabulousness as well.
I recommend taking your seats a few minutes early to revel in the incredible set designed by Josh McIntosh, featuring a dilapidated theatrette named ‘The Witch’s Tit’ and adorned by hundreds of luscious red apples off to the side. Trent Suidgeest’s lighting included repurposed vintage lighting units and bare bulbs, while Guy Webster’s sound is already playing before the show commences, and the effect is something Burton-esque and sets the scene for what’s to come.
The ensemble cast of four took on multiple roles, appearing at first as a singing and dancing chorus warning us that ‘these aren’t the stories you know.’ Indeed, the one-act seventy-five-minute show rocketed along like a haunted sideshow rollercoaster and featured characters who, like a much-loved toy, had been pulled apart, lovingly dissected and carefully exhumed and restored.
Brendan Maclean played the perfect predatory wolf, complete with crazy eyes and cheeky grin, and his musical skills at the on-stage piano added some atmosphere and danger, especially during the iconic number ‘Red Right Hand,’ a song about a shadowy, stalking figure. Nelle Lee was hilarious as the not-so-innocent Little Red, her comic timing was fantastic in every character she played, including her cameo as a cockney Snow White in the half-virgin musical number, and the woman obsessed with eternal youth.
Aljin Abella played a larger-than-life Rumplestiltskin with an energy that was almost cartoon-like. His Beast was also a standout, especially his scenes with the adorable deer puppet. Angie Milliken played a German-speaking witch (the surtitles that recurred above the theatrette designed by Nevin Howell were genius) and was compelling as Ashputtel, the German Cinderella. I felt for her character at times; this was a woman who didn’t have a lot of power, or, it seems, the ability to speak out loud, but she had some fight in her in the end, thank goodness.
It would be remiss not to mention the costumes, designed by Paul McCann, which could best be described as what a fairy tale might look like at Halloween.
GRIMM is a wonderfully irreverent re-imagining of the iconic tales we all know and love and is a welcome addition to the 2024 Brisbane Festival season. Be sure to catch GRIMM before the clock strikes midnight and it disappears forever.
GRIMM is playing at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC until 6 October 2024
Sarah Skubala
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! (shake & stir) – theatre review
- Jean Paul Gaultier: Fashion Freak Show (Brisbane Festival) – theatre review
- Frankenstein (shake & stir) – theatre review
Sarah Skubala is a freelance writer and has lived in Highgate Hill for several years. Originally from Adelaide, Sarah has a background in library work and musical publicity. She co-executive produced the award winning short film Down To Earth and has written a comedy short screenplay. She is currently working on a web series and a novella. Sarah is a fixture in West End and can be found wherever there is good coffee and cheap books.
