Conversations With a Fish

Conversations With a Fish is an interesting concept. In five short vignettes, fish face a variety of dilemmas, and the audience are asked to decide their fate. A look at the human experience through the eyes of the fish.

As the audience enter the Blue Room studio, they need to be careful not to step on the fish. In PsychoPomp a large fish, sympathetically played by Gabriel Critti-Schnars, is washed up on the beach, where he is discovered by beachgoers played by Paul Rowe and Jimi Fleming. They realise that the fish appears to be psychic. Probably the strongest of the stories, this is a well told story.

Act II, Blackfish, features a man who has fallen in love with his goldfish and wishes to make her a mermaid queen. Strongly narrated by Joey Vale, it features an impressive silent performance from Jimi Fleming as Goldy. David Whyatt plays the Admiral, doing well considering that he was a last-minute replacement for an actor unexpectedly called interstate.

Set in a fish tank, Act III, Lost and Found, explores the effect of fish - Lost (David Whyatt) and Found (Paul Rowe) - when a new fish, Betta (Joey Vale), is introduced to the tank. This scene also features Bruce Denny as the owner.

Act IV is a philosophical monologue, delivered by Fish from the first scene, well delivered by Gabriel Critti-Schnars.

The final scene, Kingfish, sees Kingfish in court as he tries to get the government the recognise his sovereignty. An interesting look at terra-nullius and recognition of land ownership, it features Bruce Denny as the Kingfish against David Whyatt, Jimi Fleming as the Bailiff, Paul Rowe as Advocate Dog and Joey Vale as the prosecutor.

The scenes are punctuated with musical accompaniment from cellist Camile Lalanne (with composition from David Whyatt and D’Abrande Ngoka). There’s some great costuming from Helah Milroy.

This is a show with great ideas and huge potential that doesn’t quite hit its strides. Perhaps it is the cast changes, the fact that it is a directing debut on an own work or unseen factors, but at times this feels quite undercooked. Having said that, it has great heart and soul, so the audience are willing to be forgiving. Allowing the audience to decide the end of each scene is a gem.

Conversations With a Fish is a good choice if you like your theatre (and your fish) very fresh (or raw). A choose your own adventure that should find its flow during the run.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Helah Milroy