Spooky season may be over, but something supernatural seems to be lingering at Southwark Playhouse. Following sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Old Red Lion, The Grim haunts the theatre’s smallest space for an ominous 13 performances only. A dark comedy that segues into full-blown horror, it’s a 1960s flashback featuring a pair of unlucky undertakers in custody of an infamous corpse.
Dealing with the dead is all in a day’s work for Shaun (Edmund Morris) and Rob (Louis Davison). But today is different, because on the table is no ordinary cadaver. The face that lies before them is on the front of every paper, and the phone’s ringing off the hook with journalists wanting the scoop on the demise of Jackie Gallagher.
Straight-talking cockney, Shaun’s not bothered at all. Proud of his ability to fix any face, however mangled, Shaun’s just keen to get Jackie fitted for his coffin so he can knock off and head to the pub. Irish Catholic, Rob is rather more anxious about burying the notorious serial killer, believing that the most evil of souls can’t help but hang around after their demise. Sceptical Shaun thinks this is superstitious bollocks.
Unfortunately for Shaun, Rob’s not wrong when he cautions his colleague that even the remains of murderers should be treated with respect. Shaun can’t see why he ought to do this. Turns out the answer is just in case they happen to resurrect themselves before your very eyes and, rather more crucially, within touching distance of your vulnerable human body.
Gallagher (Harry Carter) is big – a fact made abundantly clear by the sight of him sporting nothing but a pair of pants and a gaping head wound. But what’s brought him back to life? And how can Shaun and Rob get out of this predicament alive?
It’s an entertaining dark comedy which is peppered with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, particularly in the lighter first Act. The arrival of Gallagher interjects a welcome change of pace, which is inexplicably stopped dead in its tracks by the abrupt arrival of the interval. It’s a short production (running at a total of 90 minutes, including the interval) and could easily be run straight through without the break that snaps us out of the intense action.
The second Act digs a little deeper, giving us an insight into Gallagher’s life and death. The comedy continues here, but juxtaposed against a gravely serious storyline. Without wishing to spoil things, it’s not hugely surprising to discover that not all is as the media would wish us to believe, which is why Jackie is back to tell his side of the story. The plot is pretty predictable, but the direction (from Ben Woodhall) still manages to create moments of suspense and shock – Right up until the final moment, which is even more sudden than the first Act ending, and leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
Rather like Jackie Gallagher’s earthly life, it does feel a little unfinished and would benefit from some fleshing out, which would allow the darker elements to hit harder. That being said, there’s an awful lot to like in this engaging production, which features some sharp writing from Edmund Morris, including a series of repeating jokes that nicely tie the action of the two Acts together. The cast bounce well off each other, while Carter also puts in a menacing yet nuanced performance as Gallagher, which works well in the intimate setting of Southwark Playhouse.
Overall, The Grim is an entertaining black comedy that is held back by its brevity, but could be truly breathtaking if resurrected in an extended form.
The Grim plays at Southwark Playhouse from 26 November to 7 December 2025. We received a complimentary ticket to the press performance on 27 November.
Image credit: Molly Jackson-French