Fairy tales exist to warn children about the horrors lurking in the forest depths, but Grimm AF turns its attention to a more modern threat: predatory capitalism, corporate monopolies, and digital media manipulation. Conceived by Fringe stalwarts Baby Wants Candy alongside Schultz & Schirm, and directed with exuberant flair by Ashley Ward, this dark-ish musical comedy brings classic folklore into the twenty-first century.
No damsels in distress or heroic woodcutters will be found. Here, Wolf and Stepmother are not villains, but gig-economy caterers trying to make an honest living. When a toxic Prince Charming capriciously cancels their catering contract, the pair assembles a dubious crew of fairy-tale outcasts to execute a high-stakes heist targeting the hoard of gold inside the mansion of a billionaire Hamazon CEO (One of the ‘little’ pigs).
Though not without heart, the show prioritises satirical skewering over sentimental resolution, taking direct aim at cryptogrifters, corporate greed, and algorithmic influence.
The central antagonist of this realm isn’t dark magic, but “Grimm News”—the dominant streaming platform that dictates public perception. It’s this corporate propaganda outlet that smeared Wolf (who was actually just an independent contractor double-crossed by a Pig) and branded Stepmother as evil despite her earnest efforts to care for Hansel and Gretel.
“Conceived by Fringe stalwarts Baby Wants Candy alongside Schultz & Schirm, and directed with exuberant flair by Ashley Ward, this dark-ish musical comedy brings classic folklore into the twenty-first century.“
Composer and musical director Adrien Pellerin supplies a score that is inventive and consistently better than a parody musical really needs to be. The music proves as catchy as the lyrics are funny and considered. Whether it is Wolf pleading with the audience to “hate me for the right reasons”, or Rumpelstiltskin singing out his concerning hopes of fatherhood in “Skin Baby”, the songwriting hits the mark. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but maybe Rapunzel (Wolf’s ailing would-be wife) and her continually hijacked power ballad “Solo” show the score at its comedic, musical best. Overall, the production continually punches above its modest budget.
A Post-Truth Heist
However ambitious the book and score, the show would fail without such a talented cast of actor-singers with solid comedy chops. Jordan Stidham provides the emotional heart of the show as the surprisingly kind Wolf, while Alexandra Nader shines as the sassy, slightly problematic, yet lovable Stepmother. The remainder of the cast pull double shifts to flesh out this world of 21st-century fairytale characters.
Louie Cordon shifts between the manospheric vanity of the odious Prince Charming and deeply weird yet heroic Rumpelstiltskin. Jacob Fjare brings punchy comedic force, bringing arrogance to Gaston (the “least worst of the toxic males”) alongside a Pied Piper harbouring dreams of an Epstein-like island. Ali Reed shines as both a drunken, odious Goldilocks and a Witch more D&D than wicked. Rounded out by Michelle Ko sliding between Rapunzel and a continually leaking Humpty Dumpty, they make a fine ensemble.
They make light work of the joke-heavy script and its on-the-nose brand of SNL-esque satire. The toxic fairytale hero has been done before, but they find ways to make it fresh and funny, whilst some inventively reimagined storybook staples take the gags to wild and weird places. Humpty Dumpty leaks under pressure, Stepmother has some intimate questions regarding Rapunzel’s hair growth, the Hamazon factory is full to the brim with bottles of pee. Sight gags, physical humour, and good old-fashioned witty dialogue make for a bizarre, but very enjoyable hour. Kudos are also due to the show’s design team, who bring just the right scrappy, but ambitious, off-off-off Broadway aesthetic.
Ok, the final 15 to 20 minutes lose a touch of momentum—feeling slightly sparser in invention and laughs compared to the rapid-fire setup and heist execution—but the show’s overarching bite (wolf, get it? Never mind) never wavers. Ultimately, Grimm AF succeeds not only by recognising that contemporary monsters wear corporate lanyards, but by creating a strange, funny, musical fable with which to lampoon them
Show details
Venue: Venue 17: Assembly George Square Studios, George Square, EH8 9LH (Google Maps)
Date(s): Wed 05 Aug to Sun 16 Aug (12 shows)
Time(s): 6:35pm (60 mins)
Age recommendation: 14+
Price: From £11 (concessions available)
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