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An energetic supernatural tale delivered by a comic duo using plenty of slapstick, The Grim delivers humour and suspense whilst encouraging the audience to rethink the narrative of a convicted murderer.Summary
Rating
Good
The sonorous tones of a cello serenade the audience as they enter. Slow and mournful, it encourages a sense of foreboding which is enhanced by the set: clean white tiles provide a clinical backdrop with a metal gurney centre stage, a set of knives and a hammer on the shelf underneath.
A comic ghost tale, The Grim features two East End undertakers in 1964. Edmund Morris plays boss Shaun with a cockney accent which is more than a little forced. His junior, Robert (Louis Davison), is a loveable Irish rogue played with more nuance and depth. Their day will entail preparing the body of an alleged murderer of young girls: Jackie (Jack) Gallagher. As they wait for the body to arrive, much banter occurs between the two accompanied by a fair amount of slapstick, mainly over a (period relevant) bag of sweets and their different approaches to the supernatural. Robert is a firm believer, particularly in ‘signs’ that foretell danger. Shaun is naturally sceptical and teases Robert mercilessly. Robert introduces the concept of The Grim: a large black dog or wolf that appears as an omen of impending death. Their contrasting personalities, accompanied by the dark humour often prevalent in those whose jobs involve the dead, bind this piece.
This is not a plot that has any hidden depths. The moment Robert disappears to buy the aforementioned bag of sweets the lights flicker, the telephone on the wall rings with no one on the other end, and continues to ring even after Shaun has picked up the receiver, and disturbing noises permeate the studio. Nevertheless, a surprising change of pace is brought about when the corpse (played expertly by Harry Carter) marches into the room. Loud and proud, and wearing only the briefest of briefs, he proceeds to explain his own version of accounts, and with no wish to provide a plot spoiler, it is of course at odds with the one the audience have been told so far.
Carter is very good and his presence a game changer. He captures the audience with his account of events and elevates the performance as a whole. His version of the story is more than relevant to similar recent tragedies and is thought provoking as a result. His delivery demonstrates a natural ebb and flow, and he is a natural storyteller. However this production at times feels hurried, over loud (this is a small studio – no need to shout!) and the ending all too sudden with too many threads left unexplained. That’s not to say that it isn’t a genuinely entertaining, slick 60 minute piece, but more nuance in Morris’s delivery and some thought as to how we get to the denouement would make a big difference.
Written by: Edmund Morris
Directed by: Ben Woodhall
The Grim plays at Old Red Lion Theatre until 18 January. Further information and tickets available here.
