Written by Lauren Russell
Disclaimer - ticket was gifted in return for an honest review
Disclaimer - ticket was gifted in return for an honest review
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The Grandmother’s Grimm is a great representation of top tier storytelling at Fringe. Written and performed by an Edinburgh based company, Some Kind Of Theatre, the play offers an insight into the origin of many favourite fairytales. With a strong undercurrent of feminism, we learn that The Grimm Brothers, who are known for their gruesome and, frankly, strange tales, had greatly wronged the true owners of these stories – in more ways than one.
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| The 2019 production. Photo by Grant Jamieson |
As you enter; the set, stage, and violin audio are as ominous as the play’s poster and, as the play begins the fourth wall is sharply broken by the housemaid of the Grimm’s Brothers house (played by Emily Ingram). The epic cast voiced Ingram’s precise physicality from off stage, and character after character came to life as she began our first tale. Transforming seamlessly into story tale stereotypes was a product of the cast’s skill as performers and the strong connection between them.
The characters in the Grimm Brother’s house have a fascinating, and sometimes mysterious, complexity to them. As does the writing, which like real life, revealed moments of clashing moral high ground and imperfections. There was an element of predictability to the plot structure, however the performer’s kept a tight pace, and the audience was captivated by every tale. It is certainly a masterpiece script by Emily Ingram, and is matched with the energy and creativity it deserves.
The comedic ability of the cast, particularly Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm (played by Gerry Kielty and Justin Skelton) had the audience spontaneously laughing out loud with their spot on timing and hilarious facial expressions. Their portrayal of the Grimm’s Brothers was both harrowing and charming to watch. Their visitor, Marie Hassenpflug (played by Sophie Harris), had secretly joined them to share her childhood stories, and began to edit tales with them. Harris displays a wonderful performance, and tastefully drives the feminist voice of the character.
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Brothers Grimm (Gerry Kielty and Justin Skelton) - photo by Emily Ingram |
Each tale twisting and turning into shape after shape, edited before our eyes, and peppered with laugher - this play is a rare gem. If you’re a lover of physical comedy, gruesome folk tales, or a fierce feminist - or all three - this is certainly the fringe show is for you.
The Grandmothers Grimm plays at Paradise In The Vaults ant the Edinburgh Fringe until Saturday 19th August. Tickets are available from https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/grandmothers-grimm
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