It is well known that the brothers Grimm harvested folk tales, publishing more than two hundred enduring favourites including Rapunzel, Hanzel and Gretel and Snow White. Their stories have provided the raw material for pantos up and down the land for generations. And therein lies the problem: these stories are not ‘theirs’ and they did not write them. Luckily, theatre company Fiercely Spun are on hand at this year’s Fringe Festival to put the record straight.
Grimm: An Untold Tale puts the gathering of these famous stories into context, puts flesh on their bones, brings colour to their cheeks and generally breathes new life into them, allowing them to be viewed in a wholly different light. Seen through the eyes of three women who were major contributors to the Grimm’s first published volume, the drama of collecting and penning the often gruesome ‘fairy’ tales is set against the backdrop of the French occupation of Germany in the Napoleonic wars.
Dortchen the Wild (Jodie Garnish), Marie (Indigo Griffiths) who escapes from her tower to join the storytelling group and street-wise Dorothea (Ellie Whittaker) whose harsh life has made her canny and sharp, set the record straight with a lively balance of drama and original music (provided by David Green).
It’s a tale that to a modern audience - like many in the Grimm volumes themselves – is full of ignorance, prejudice and treachery. A good drama that informs and entertains.
Runs 4–28 August (not 17), £8.50-£10.50