The Grim – Southwark Playhouse

There are some of us who aren’t enthusiastic supporters of the supposed joy, goodwill and generosity which accompanies the season of Christmas. Whether this cynicism stems from resistance to consumerism, despair at an absence of spirituality or justified fear of family, one soon learns to limit such sentiments. Especially around children. This minority of Yuletide miseries tend to be cheered enormously when the usual cavalcade of schmaltz and plastic tat gives way to tales of horror or paranormal happenings. For the dark-hearted, the macabre is a comfort.

With that in mind, three cheers for whoever commissioned The Grim for a run at Southwark Playhouse. First performed at Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival, the play enjoyed a sell-out season, before a critically acclaimed run at the Old Red Lion in Islington. This is the second piece of original theatre from Edmund Morris, who garnered admiring attention with his surreally comic debut, You’re Dead Mate.

With regards to this production, Morris said: “I can’t wait for The Grim to be unleashed on audiences once more, who I hope are looking forward to exploring the hilarious, horrifying, and high-octane world we have waiting for them.”

Fuelled by this exciting and talented new playwright and with this show already blessed with superlatives in its wake, The Grim has quite a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it was a relief to find heft to the hype. Morris is obviously a consistent creator and the fanfare for his work is perfectly understandable. New writers who have an original voice, and a bold vision, but also know how to deliver a hit show are very rare. They are a PR and marketing gift and offer hope for the future of theatre.

This quirky horror comedy is set in London’s East End during 1964. It opens with wide-boy undertaker Shaun (Edmund Morris) at work in a funeral home’s mortuary. The homicide of three young women and a police officer has dominated the news bulletins, which the audience hear in a radio report as the play opens.

The set is stark, simple and effective. It’s a family business, which he has inherited from his recently deceased father. Even he admits that standards are slipping somewhat. His assistant, Robert (Louis Davison) is a melodramatic Irishman, fond of tall stories, mystical blarney and pseudo pious sentiments. After speaking of possessed cats, curses and ghosts, Shaun accuses him of being superstitious.

‘How can I be superstitious?’ he asks with wide eyes and total sincerity. ‘I’m a Catholic’.

That was just one of the great comic lines which riddle the script, especially in the first half. The serial killer, Jackie Gallagher (Harry Carter), soon arrives on their mortician’s slab after being shot in the face. The dead man’s lively introduction to the audience is without doubt, the most unintentionally homoerotic moment seen in a theatre this year. Harry Carter, who plays the undead murderer sports eye-popping, tight white shorts, a ‘50s quiff and a hulking physique. Carter was once part of the dance troupe Magic Mike Live and made his screen acting debut in Magic Mike: The Last Dance, so perhaps the nearly naked, pin-up undertones weren’t entirely an accident.

There’s an impressive range of humour in The Grim, despite its greater emphasis on scares and tension. We get a few few bracing quips which reflect the attitudes of ‘60s Britain. There’s a lot of geezer bravado that isn’t politically correct, but swerves being offensive. There’s heaps of blokey stupidity, recurring malapropisms, slapstick, word play, wit and gleeful hamming-up of horror tropes. Quite frankly, there’s a joke for everyone somewhere, and they come thick and fast.

In many ways, The Grim’s initial vibe is ‘60s sitcom, from a comedy aspect and in the aesthetic and characterisation. Porridge, Steptoe & Son, Dad’s Army and Rising Damp were all evoked in spirit. The audience for The Grim on the night we attended was a notably older crowd. This is unusual for Southwark Playhouse and for a new play written by an edgy new kid. It was hard to guess what had brought the pensioner contingent to the show, but they were laughing their triple-lock heads off. The old school comedy smorgasbord takes a back seat in the second half, where it leans into horror and violence with a bit more gusto.

To reveal much more about the plot in the second half would be ruinous. The play relies heavily on shocks and twists, which are a large part of its fun. The Grim stretches credulity a little and leaves a few questions unanswered but absolutely delivers on entertainment and adrenaline. While characters could be further developed, and it might be concluded in a more satisfactory manner, that would likely be a less thrilling ride. This is theatre as a 75-minute rollercoaster, rather than a cerebral exploration of the psyche and the foibles of the middle classes. Sometimes a quick trip to the fun fair is preferable to a long day in the library.

Lifers is at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 6th December 2025

Southwark Playhouse – Theatre and Stuff – Borough & Elephant

Reviewer: Stewart Who

Reviewed: 29th November 2025
North West End UK Rating: