The Brothers Grimm are famously known for their fairy tales. From Snow White to Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel to Rapunzel, and even Little Red Riding Hood. Many of these stories you would recognise from the large catalogue of Disney animations.
Most of the Grimm tales hold the same themes and plotlines of cautionary stories of survival against an evil antagonist. And whilst the Disneyfication of these stories bring light into the plot, there are some very dark undertones that tend to be forgotten. Well, this is where Shake & Stir Theatre Co. step up with their stage adaptation titled GRIMM.
Co-Adapted by Daniel Evans and Nelle Lee, with direction by Daniel Evans and produced by Ross Balbuziente, GRIMM dives deeper into the darkness of these classical tales. Mixing them with some music, intertwined character arcs, dark humour, some carefully placed hints of pop culture and some very important political notes.
GRIMM sees four extremely talented cast take on multiple roles and we’re led on a supercharged journey into the universe of The Brothers Grimm. Aljin Abella, Helen Cassidy, Nelle Lee and Henry Rollo are all equally as incredible as each other, guiding us through multiple tales, including the classic of Red Riding Hood with Lee as Little Red and Rollo as The Wolf, Rumpelstiltskin with Abella as a crass version of the character that appears to have had too much Red Bull. Abella joins forces with Cassidy as Hansel and Gretel, while Cassidy also portrays a darker version of Cinderella. There’s an Evil Witch character too that appears to speak German!
Whilst GRIMM is not a musical, music does play a pivotal role within the show, with a live piano to the side of stage where Henry Rollo would take up position to play. Up tempo soundscapes and loud effects created by sound designer Guy Webster are carefully placed throughout the production that enhance each of the performances. In partnership with lighting design from Trent Suidgeest, this show is sonically and visually spectacular, especially in the final act. I was completely blown away!
The set design from Josh McIntosh perfectly accompanies GRIMM’s chaotic energy. It appears as a run down, wooden shack that takes on multiple personas. Surrounding the front of the stage is what I could best describe as a moat of red delicious apples. No, literally, there are hundreds of red apples that separate the patrons from the stage.
GRIMM is unlike anything I have seen before. I went into this production only knowing that it was about the classic fairytales and thought it would be something like Into the Woods. I was way off. GRIMM is very dark, quite literally dark at multiple points of the show. The jarring blackout with thunder and flashes of lighting at the start really took me by surprise, but I think that was the point as it perfectly set the tone for what was to come. The jokes are subtle and cleverly woven into the narrative.
Highlights of GRIMM include Henry Rollo’s rendition of Nick Cave’s ‘Red Right Hand’ as an ode to the bloody antics that The Big Bad Wolf gets up to throughout the show. The shift in Aljin Abella’s vulnerability as The Beast, to the whacky and crass Rumpelstiltskin, you’re never confused which character he’s playing. Hellen Cassidy shines as The Witch that shuffles around on stage, grunting and moaning, but also speaking in German with subtitles projected onto the stage. And of course, Nelle Lee as Red Riding Hood that has some fantastic moments alongside Rollo’s Big Bad Wolf. Lee also a joy to watch, especially when portraying an innocent little deer with some fantastic puppeteering skills. All four share at least a dozen different characters throughout the 75-minute show and it’s stupendous.
Overall GRIMM is an exhilarating experience and something I never thought I needed. It was fun, captivating, dark and even some had some clever moments of wholesomeness. Whilst GRIMM is a satirical view and a fresh take on some of these classic fairytales, there are smart and bold notes of current political topics with links to the ‘Cost of Living’ and the epidemic of violence towards women.
GRIMM might just be one of the best theatrical surprises in Australia this year. Everything about this show is brilliant. The stage, the lighting, the sound, the writing and the four phenomenal performances, that combined, make GRIMM the must-see production of 2026.
You don’t have much time before the book closes on this production with performances at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Fairfax Studio until the 5th of September. GRIMM then heads to Newcastle on 16th and 17th of September, Taree on 19th and 20th of September, Alice Springs on the 26th of September, with final performances in Darwin on the 1st and 2nd of October.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://shakeandstir.com.au/mainstage/grimm
Photography by Cameron Grant.
