See THE GRANDMOTHERS GRIMM at Edinburgh Fringe This Month

Some Kind of Theatre's critically acclaimed, sell-out show The Grandmothers Grimm returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Created in Edinburgh, the show combines theatre, storytelling, object theatre and live foley in a macabre, fast-paced, witty exploration of women's contributions to - and erasure from - The Brothers Grimm's famous fairy tale anthology.

It is a winter's night in Kassel, early 1812. Marie Hassenpflug has crept out of her family's home to meet Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, hoping to share her stories and to hear tales the Brothers have collected from other women. There, in the Brothers' tiny study - with the help of the Grimm's housekeeper, 'Old' Marie Mueller, and the contents of Jacob's desk - the three of them bring to life werewolf trials, monstrous bridegrooms, musical hedgehogs and sleeping princesses. But as the evening progresses and the Brothers become more and more keen to edit and remould each story, Marie realises that the voices of the women who first told these tales are being lost. What will be saved and what will be forgotten?

The Grandmothers Grimm is a well-travelled, well-seasoned production. Originally created for the Edinburgh Horror Festival in 2017, it received further development in 2018 at Assembly Roxy's Formation Festival. A 2019 tour saw the production staged at Southwark Playhouse, Buxton Festival Fringe and Edinburgh Festival Fringe; and as lockdown restrictions lifted, The Grandmothers Grimm toured across Scottish and English venues in 2021, 2022, and 2023, receiving critical acclaim from audiences and critics. The show also received its North American premiere in June 2023 at the National Women's Theatre Festival in North Carolina, and was broadcast to audiences across the world. The show is due to appear at the Traverse Theatre as part of the venue's autumn programme.

The production stars an experienced cast and crew from Edinburgh. Gerry Kielty of Kielty Brothers fame (The Sundowe, Cameron Mackintosh, 2007-2008) reprises his role as Wilhelm Grimm alongside Justin Skelton (Kili, The Hobbit - West End Tour) who plays Jacob Grimm. Industry newcomer Sophie Harris (RCS graduate 2021) joins them as Marie Hassenpflug. The Grandmothers Grimm writer Emily Ingram (Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh: L20, Birds Of Paradise Young Artists) co-directs with Gerry Kielty and completes the cast as Marie Mueller, the Brothers' housekeeper who serves as the chorus for each story and a stand in for anonymous and forgotten storytellers of history.

Speaking about the production, Ingram comments: 'We are delighted to be bringing this funny, quirky, sinister show back to the Fringe to share it - and the true story of the Grimm's anthology - with new audiences."

The Grandmothers Grimm will be performed at Paradise In The Vault from August 14th-19th. The show will also be available throughout August for Some Kind of Theatre's iconic Theatre On The Sofa performances, which bring live theatre into homes, gardens, libraries, offices and care homes thanks to the Some Kind of Theatre's portable miniature sound and lighting set-up.

Performance Details: 

Venue: Paradise In The Vault (venue 29)

Tickets: £12 (£10, £9.50)

Dates: 14th - 19th August 2023

Time: 21:30 (1 hour)

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