Review: Fish Bowl (Peacock Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A common theme has cropped up in the other shows I have reviewed so far this week, and that is the underwhelming, questionable and even shocking writing, leaving me thinking perhaps I'd have enjoyed the shows more had they had no dialogue in them whatsoever. Luckily for me, MimeLondon is taking place across several London theatres this week, so I headed to the Peacock Theatre to experience Fish Bowl, but would it be a case of sink or swim for this wordless wonder?

If you are unfamiliar with MimeLondon, it is an occasional series of curated international visual and physical theatre, continuing the spirit of the London International Mime Festival. It takes place across theatres such as Sadler’s Wells East, Shoreditch Town Hall, and the Peacock, where I found myself on a cold and miserable Wednesday night to experience the West End debut of Fish Bowl.

Also known as BIGRE in French, Fish Bowl is set inside three small attic apartments in Paris, each home to very different odd-balls. There is a big man, a tall thin man and a curvaceous blonde woman. They may be different in appearance but these three neighbours share one similarity, and that is their talent for messing everything up. With a series of disasters unfolding one after another, the three neighbours experience changing relationships, friendships and rivalries with each other. Oh, and there’s a fish bowl too.

Fish Bowl has already received International acclaim, winning the Molière Award for Best Comedy in 2017, as well as a rave run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe run and subsequent tour, and it is easy to see why international audiences keep flocking to this show. Created by the French company le Fils du Grand Resau, it proves that comedy is a universal language, with no words needed to let the mix of genius and stupidity shine through, with nothing being lost in translation.

Though words may be few and far between (there is a bit of singing and the odd muffled word), the writing in Fish Bowl can never be underestimated with Pierre Guillois co-writing with Agathe L’Huillier and Olivier Martin-Salvan to create a story that is far more intricate and solid than the (intentionally) disastrous set pieces and flimsy walls that barely separate the three apartments. Each character has been given easily definable traits, allowing the audience to instantly understand who they are and why they clash with their neighbours. The hit-rate of the comedy is second to none, with inspired sequences and clever punchlines that sometimes come after a long wait, having been signposted much earlier on. Always visually thrilling to watch, Fish Bowl ensured a smile was glued to my face for the entire 85 minutes it was on.

Fish Bowl proves humour is universal, though of course there are differing kinds of humour, and this may not be to everyone’s taste. There is subtle nudity to be found, some fittingly disgusting yet admittedly funny toilet humour (including a brilliant payoff that gets one of the biggest laughs of the night) and some unfortunate humour involving a rabbit that animal lovers, vegans and fans of Bugs Bunny may not be too thrilled at, but you have to take it all in good spirit. What impressed me was the real variety of the gags, and how much they managed to do, relying solely on physical and visual humour, essentially keeping their mouths shut throughout.

The three writers are also the performers, with Agathe L’Huillier proving the catalyst of the changing relationships between the three, and a recurring gag of her learning new skills is one of the funniest jokes in the show. Olivier Martin-Salvan gives a larger-than-life performance, often dominating while never being afraid to do something extremely stupid. His pristine apartment paves the way for some of the greatest visual jokes of the show, as does his own changing appearance. Pierre Guillois isn’t afraid to be the butt of the joke (often literally) with what may be the most disastrous lifestyle of the three of them. Guilloius impresses at every turn, particularly in his physicality, whether he is falling from somewhere or contorting his body after a particularly painful session. What makes Fish Bowl come alive is the way all three interact with each other, with great humour and a chemistry that bounces off the stage.

Laura Léonard’s scenography creates three distinct apartments, each full of secrets, and no shortage of visual gags to be discovered in all three. The set reminded me of something you would see in a Mischief Comedy show, with the knowledge that each apartment was going to go through a transformation as things slowly fell apart. A strong use of lighting from Marie-Hélène Pinon and David Carreira, and clever special effects from Marie-Hélène Pinon and David Carreira made for a visually thrilling experience.

What is particularly impressive about Fish Bowl is the fact that, despite its seemingly silly premise, there is a serious message to be discovered behind closed doors. Though all three are odd-balls, all of them are longing for love as the themes of loneliness play out - sometimes subtly, sometimes with an over-the-top karaoke performance of ‘All By Myself’. This makes the impact of Fish Bowl all the more fulfilling, as it succeeds in its intention of making the audience laugh, while also filling their hearts with something much more careful than the various things that fill the fish bowl.

Fish Bowl is proof that you don’t need words to successfully tell a story, and sometimes it can be better if there aren’t any - it’s no coincidence that even without words, this was the strongest written show I have seen this week. While a show like this wouldn’t usually be the kind of thing I’d visit, I think it’s important to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things, particularly in theatre. With that in mind, I couldn’t be happier that I immersed myself in this weird, wacky and wonderful world. Fish Bowl makes more than a splash, delivering a much-needed good laugh that will stay with me far longer than a goldfish’s memory.

Fish Bowl plays at the Peacock Theatre until 31st January. Tickets from https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/le-fils-du-grand-resaeu-fishbowl/

Photos by Fabienne Rappeneau