The Grim by Edmund Morris. Southwark Playhouse, The Little Theatre, 72 Newington Causeway, London SE1 until 7 December 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Molly Jackson-French.

The Grim by Edmund Morris. Southwark Playhouse, The Little Theatre, 72 Newington Causeway, London SE1 until 7 December 2025,

4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Very funny account of bad behaviour in a mortuary.”

As black comedies go this one set in an undertaker's office is about as black as it is possible to be. A hit on the Edinburgh fringe it is very funny although there really is no reason to divide it into two acts and the cast, while performing with great energy really need to practice how to speak – too often lines just do not get projected properly. Working with an audience on three sides is tricky but how to let everyone hear what one is saying is a trick that can be mastered. Shawn, played by Edmund Morris, is working in the mortuary with his dim Irish assistant Robert played by Louis Davison. Their latest corpse is of a notorious murderer. It looks like what we are getting is a battle of wills between the pair, Shawn being a bit of a bully and a mother's boy, Robert being as priest dominated an Irish Catholic as one could find in a seminary. But there is a surprise ahead and all the playing with knives and scissors and hammers is nothing as to what follows when the corpse turns out to be anything but dead. Harry Carter, muscle bound to say the least, is a very dangerous man indeed and out for revenge on the policeman who killed his sister and framed him for murders currently taking place in town. At least, as far as I could make out, that is what the plot was all about. The jokes are good, the performances polished but director Ben Woodhall really needs to have got his cast to cope with the environment of the Little – what worked in Edinburgh does not necessarily work here and – I do go on about this – they need to speak with greater clarity, But that said this is a nicely sadistic comedy of mortuary manners which, while it may appal at times, has laughs aplenty amid the mayhem and body parts.

Cast

Edmund Morris – Shaun

Louis Davison – Robert

Harry Carter – Jack

Creatives

Director – Ben Woodall

Costumes & Props – Hiba Medina

Sound Design – Fergus Carver

Technician – Joe Hawkins