GRIMM Returns to Revive Grimsby’s Fishing Heritage
By Grace Hatchell
Well loves, pack your oilskins and lace up your dancing shoes, because the infamous Ship Disco is throwing its doors wide once again. There’s a pint with your name on it, and if you’ve never stepped into GRIMM before, you’re in for a proper night of raw, raucous, and heart-thumping gig-theatre.
This isn’t your polished Broadway musical or your dainty period drama – GRIMM is rough round the edges in the very best way, rooted in the blood, sweat, and heartbreak of Grimsby’s fishing heritage. Audiences will find themselves smack bang on Landing Day, when the trawlermen tumble back home, wage packets bulging, three days to spend it all, and the looming shadow of war hanging in the air. It’s set in a sliver of time: seven years after the triple trawler tragedy, eleven years before the second Cod War, and just fifteen years before the industry would collapse altogether.
Writer and actor Evangeline Henderson knows these stories in her bones. Her pops worked the sea from fifteen right through to sixty, and she grew up on his tales of salt spray, danger, and camaraderie. “I felt it my duty to create something that will celebrate and shed light on Grimsby’s history,” she says, and you can hear the love in every word. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake; it’s a defiant reclaiming of a community that’s too often been forgotten.
Henderson’s been supported along the way by celebrated author Brian W. Lavery (The Luckiest Thirteen, The Headscarf Revolutionaries), who knows a thing or two about shining a light on untold stories. He reckons Henderson’s got the talent and determination to make a real difference – and if you’ve seen GRIMM before, you’ll know he’s not wrong.
And the best part? Many of the original cast and crew are back. It’s a proper homegrown affair, brimming with regional talent from Hull and Grimsby, and it shows in the authenticity. These performers don’t just act the lines – they live them.
So, where can you catch it? GRIMM is heading out across the country this autumn, from Lincolnshire and Northumberland to as far as Pembrokeshire. Expect pub venues, village halls, community centres, and of course a homecoming at Grimsby’s own Docks Beers. Tickets are sensibly priced – some just £3–£15 – because this story belongs to everyone. And don’t worry about access: there are captioned and audio-described performances across the tour.
GRIMM Tour Dates 2025
- Docks Beers, Grimsby – Wed 15 & Thu 16 October (Live Captions on the 16th)
- Boston Guildhall – Fri 17 October
- Edinburgh Street Community Centre – Wed 22 October
- Social, Hull – Thu 23 October (Post-Show Q&A)
- Thurlow Pavilion with Blaize – Sat 25 October
- Goxhill Memorial Hall with Blaize – Sun 26 October
- Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle – Wed 29 October (Closed Captions) & Thu 30 October (Audio Described)
- Edmundbyers Village Hall with Highlights – Fri 31 October
- Felton Village Hall with Highlights – Sat 1 November
- Bowes & Gilmonby Village Hall with Highlights – Sun 2 November
- Haverhub, Pembrokeshire – Sat 8 November
- Tickets and info: www.linktr.ee/GRIMM25
