Godfather Death: A Grimm’s Musical is a dark comedic adaptation of a lesser-known Grimm fairytale. There is a boy whose godfather is Death, and Death grants him the power to see who will live and die. The musical follows his life as he navigates the moral and existential challenges this brings.
I attended this show on Saturday, August 3rd. It’s impossible to give a rating because of what I believe were technical issues. The cast had no amplification, and their songs were frequently drowned out. Members of the tech team walked through the performance area multiple times, perhaps this was related to those sound issues? Additionally, noise from a nearby eating area with an open window drowned out much of the dialogue and music. Even with microphones, this would have been a significant problem.
A lot happens in the first 5-10 minutes. You are introduced to the family, God, the Devil, and Death. Without background reading on the Grimm story, it might have been difficult to follow the plot or underlying motivations. This part felt rushed and could have done more to ensure everyone was on the same page at the outset.
The stage is extremely cramped, and there’s a lot for the characters to do. There are six people on stage at any one time, with at least one other person doing something in the background. This makes it very cramped and distracting when you are trying to focus on the main action while background activity is happening a foot away. Clever lighting could have helped direct attention to the main action, but there was no evident use of such techniques – which might have been another technical issue.
I appreciated how the Avison Brothers adapted this Grimm story for the stage. The use of a candle metaphor was a nice touch, easy to follow, and very visual. This avoided cluttering things up even further! The protagonist’s sister becomes a very manipulative person, a real devil on the shoulder. The resolution of the story felt less contrived and long-winded than the actual fairytale.
It’s a dark comedy musical, and much of the comedic dialogue lands successfully. However, the combination of slow pacing and volume issues prevents it from reaching its full potential. In the middle of the performance, neither I nor the audience seemed to have any emotional reaction to the protagonist’s entire family dying. The lowered voices made it impossible to hear, contributing to this disconnect. Overall, the piece didn’t make us care about whether anyone lived or died, which is definitely due to the writing and direction.
Obviously, I did not hear a lot of the music as it was intended. I did catch a bit more of the last two songs, as they were more of a chorus. The dark humour in these final songs was well-written and engaging. This part of Godfather Death showed that there is something here; I just didn’t hear it.
Show Details
Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Haldane Theatre
Dates: Aug 2-10, 12-17
Showtimes: 15:10
Running Time: 1 hour
Age Recommendation: 14+
Price: From £15 (concessions available)
Accessibility
Interested in accessibility? The performance space, ‘Haldane Theatre’, is wheel chair accessible.
The venue, ‘theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall’, has provided the following accessibility information: ‘Please contact us directly if you have any questions regarding disability access. Full venue site is accessible, Wheelchair accessible toilet, No reserved accessible parking, On street blue badge parking, Assistance dogs welcome in all areas. There is a ramp to the venue entrance. Three of the theatres are on the ground floor and there is a passenger lift to the Grand Theatre’.
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