There is little sweetness and light to be found in GRIMM, Shake & Stir Theatre Co’s deliciously dark reimagining of the tales of the Brothers Grimm. Instead, this bold theatrical concoction takes familiar fairytales, throws them into the shadows and gives them a wickedly entertaining makeover.
Directed with an assured hand by Daniel Evans, GRIMM unfolds within the walls of an abandoned drinking house deep in the forest, a suitably atmospheric setting where Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Witch, the Wolf, Hansel and Gretel, and a host of other familiar characters emerge from the shadows to reveal what really happened.
As their stories unfold, the well-worn fairytales begin to take on darker, more complicated dimensions, exposing secrets, grievances and truths conveniently omitted from the versions we thought we knew.
The production embraces the darker impulses of the Grimm stories while adding a generous dose of irreverence, theatrical invention and cabaret sensibility. It is at once sinister, funny, macabre and playful, with the performers moving effortlessly between more than a dozen characters.
Aljin Abella, Helen Cassidy, Nelle Lee and Henry Rollo make for a highly talented ensemble, attacking their various roles with delicious and, at times, wicked glee. There is an infectious sense of play in their performances, even as the material ventures into considerably darker territory.
The design is particularly impressive. Josh McIntosh’s set, suggesting an abandoned drinking establishment known as The Witches Tit, evokes the smoky decadence of a Weimar cabaret while providing an appropriately claustrophobic setting for the unfolding tales.
Paul McCann’s costumes are exquisitely realised, while Trent Suidgeest’s lighting adds considerable atmosphere and Guy Webster’s sound design and composition deepen the unsettling mood. Live piano, performed by Rollo, is an especially effective touch, giving the production an additional cabaret flavour and helping to propel its various transformations.
Dan Venz’s choreography and NJ Price’s fight direction contribute to the physicality of the production, while Saffron Benner’s dramaturgy helps shape its multiple stories and shifts in tone, maintaining momentum as it moves between comedy and its darker aspects.
What distinguishes GRIMM is its understanding that the enduring appeal of these stories lies not in their prettiness but in their darkness. Fairytales have always been repositories for our anxieties about power, desire, punishment and survival. Shake & Stir simply removes some of the sugar coating.
The result is an inventive and entertaining theatrical experience that is considerably darker than the fairytales many of us grew up with, but also considerably closer to their original spirit. Forget happily ever after. In this forest, the stories are only just beginning.
GRIMM
Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 27 August 2026
Season continues to 12 September 2026
Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Following the Melbourne season, GRIMM will tour to Newcastle Civic Theatre (16 – 17 September), Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs (26 September) and AANT Centre, Darwin (1 – 2 October). For more information, visit: www.shakeandstir.com.au for details.
Images: Shake & Stir Theatre Co’s GRIMM (Melbourne, 2026) – photos by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy
Review: Rohan Shearn