What if the Big Bad Wolf was the victim of a smear campaign? What if Cinderella’s evil stepmother was just sort of… an ordinary stepmother? The talented ensemble cast of Grimm AF, regulars from the improv group Baby Wants Candy, raise these and many other questions in their high energy and silly musical comedy. The real villains, they suggest, are the Three Little Pigs’ corporation Hamazon, and the fake news of the Grimm News Network.
Though the story is scripted, it has something of the modular and formulaic feel of an improvised musical: the heroes assemble and undertake their journey with the exactitude of a scriptwriting textbook. Obstacles are encountered and overcome, and the end nods neatly to the beginning, with lessons learned. The humour is cartoony, exaggerated, and extraordinarily broad rather than witty, with much clowning and slapstick.
The original musical numbers are hummable, if somewhat generic, with debts to (rather than being a satire of) Hamilton, Chicago, and more. The combination of recorded music along with live keyboard and a touch of live piccolo works nicely, and the costuming is clever.
The cast clearly work hard to dutifully execute the demanding script and vocal score, which undercuts some of the ebullience it feels as though their madcap antics ought to convey. The heavy and oddly corporate feel, given the ostensibly anti-corporate messaging, was especially evident in an accidental contrast toward the end. A minor mishap of an actor getting inadvertently entangled in garlands evoked genuine joy among the cast. The shift in mood, lightness, and sense of fun was immediate and striking. It’s a skilled group of actors, and seeing them with a greater allowance for spontaneity would be rewarding.
There’s not much in the way of character depth to be had here, think farce rather than dramatic comedy, and it’s best not to examine the story too closely for its apparent messaging, lest one end up querying whether they really mean to suggest that every villain deserves a chance to rewrite their story.
With these caveats in mind, Grimm AF is solid, high-octane entertainment. It may not be the most memorable Fringe show you’ll see this year, but it’s certain to provide some quality feel-good laughs and amusement.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
