THE GRIM
Southwark Playhouse Borough
★★★
“an ambitious piece with a killer concept”
A tiled backdrop and a stainless steel table set the mortuary scene, the lone hammer hinting at the menace to come. The Grim promises to blend impish slapstick comedy with clinical chill — horror and humour, light and dark, gangsters and sweeties — but while it sets plenty in motion, it never fully commits to what’s lurking in the dark.
Set in a 1960s East End mortuary, the play follows proprietor Shaun (Edmund Morris, who also wrote the script) and his assistant Robert (Louis Davison) as they await the arrival of notorious gangster and serial killer Jackie Gallagher (Harry Carter), recently gunned down. As they wait, strange things begin to stir, and the pair soon find themselves at the centre of their own ghost story.
What follows is truly a play of two halves. Morris’ script fires out gags and slapstick at an impressive rate, though the sheer volume sometimes leaves you wanting more texture. Their double act — pairing Shaun’s cynicism with Robert’s belief in religion and the occult — makes for an intriguing dynamic, and there are moments that hint at their respective histories. These glimpses, however, are never fully explored, quickly sidelined for another volley of barbs between the bickering pair.
Ben Woodhall’s direction keeps the energy buoyant, though a few moments feel hurried when they might have benefitted from being held — especially given the play’s flirtation with horror. His pacing leans toward the comic, but this often undercuts the tension the production seems keen to build.
The result is a comedy-heavy first act that rarely pauses long enough to let tension breathe, so the horror beats that do appear arrive abruptly, without the slow creep that might have given them more power. Lighting by Joe Hawkings and sound by Fergus Carver do their best to conjure unease, sharpening sudden shocks and adding atmosphere to Hiba Medina’s well-designed set, but while the potential for dread is there, it never quite settles over the room.
Then an interval comes with surprising abruptness, halting the momentum just as the play begins to shift gear. It’s with the arrival of Jackie Gallagher that the production truly stirs to life — quite literally. The jokes are pared back ever so slightly and better balanced by the new threat onstage. Carter is excellent: his physicality dominates the small space, prowling with a palpable sense of danger while still gesturing toward unexpected emotional depth. It’s a stand-out performance that hints of a richer, stranger play struggling to get out.
Elsewhere, certain character choices feel loosely justified, functioning more as devices to move the plot than as organic developments. The final stretch lands quickly and somewhat bluntly, leaving questions about what the piece ultimately wants to say or how its supernatural thread is meant to sit alongside its crime-comedy roots.
Ultimately, The Grim is an ambitious piece with a killer concept that doesn’t always deliver on its promise. Morris’ script shows signs of a fine writer — there are sharp lines and spirited performances throughout — but light without shadow can be one-note, and for too long the production never quite embraces the darkness it keeps hinting at. The result is fairly enjoyable, often funny, but a few shades short of the chilling comedy it seems to be reaching for. Those looking for jokes more than jolts may find enough to enjoy, but the shadows never fully gather to make this a ghost story you’ll want to return to.
THE GRIM
Southwark Playhouse Borough
Reviewed on 27th November 2025
by Daniel Outis
Photography by Molly Jackson-French
Previously reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:
RIDE THE CYCLONE | ★★★★ | November 2025
DRIFTING | ★★★ | November 2025
GWENDA’S GARAGE | ★★★ | November 2025
WYLD WOMAN: THE LEGEND OF SHY GIRL | ★★★★ | October 2025
HOT MESS | ★★★★★ | October 2025
LIFERS | ★★★ | October 2025
THE CHAOS THAT HAS BEEN AND WILL NO DOUBT RETURN | ★★★★★ | September 2025
THE ANIMATOR | ★★★ | August 2025
BRIXTON CALLING | ★★★★ | July 2025
THE WHITE CHIP | ★★★★ | July 2025
