• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Tickets

Nice Fish at the Harold Pinter Theatre

November 30, 2016 by Adam McCormack Leave a Comment

Review of: Nice Fish at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Produced by:
Sonia Friedman Productions in association with 1001 Nights Productions, Paula Marie Black, Rupert Gavin, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Brian Zeilinger present the American Repertory Theater production of NICE FISH.
Price:
£49.50

Reviewed by: Adam McCormack
Rating:
4
On November 30, 2016
Last modified:November 30, 2016

Summary:

A whimsical, surreal and existentialist comedy that shows Mark Rylance's writing and acting talents at their best. All of the performances are impressive and the poetic prose both beautiful and genuinely funny.

More Details

Mark Rylance’s recent acting successes; on stage in Farinelli and the King and Jerusalem, on the big screen in Bridge of Spies and on TV in Wolf Hall, make the opening in London of a play that he co-wrote and in which he also acts, a much anticipated event. Nice Fish arrives, cast intact, following a sell-out run in New York and should see similar success in London. Ice fishing in Minnesota is not an obvious setting for a play, but as a vehicle for a whimsical, surreal and at times existentialist comedy, this play is both entertaining and compelling.

Friends, Ron (Rylance) and Erik (Jim Lichtscheidl) are trying to make the best of an end of season ice-fishing expedition on a lake in Minnesota. Ron is, at best, an inept and disinterested fisherman, and much more interested in talking about the nature of life and his experiences, while Erik really knows what he is doing and wants to focus on catching that big fish. As the action develops, that fish becomes a metaphor for life’s purpose, with other characters appearing to challenge and obstruct our heroes in their ambition. A messianic DNR officer arrives to question their right to fish, a young girl emerges from a sauna to distract them from their objectives, and a spear fisherman in fancy dress offers new insights and a different, if illegal, approach to securing their prey. All of these characters may not be as they appear and, as the action becomes ever more surreal, we are led to question whether the frozen lake really exists, and if our heroes are the hunters or the hunted.

nice-fish-hp

Rylance and co-writer Louis Jenkin’s poetic prose style, together with Claire van Kampen’s direction, give this comedy elements of real beauty, and some of the soliloquies of Ron and Erik are moments of genius; notably ruminations on the difference between a dog and a wolf, and Erik’s compulsion to withhold delivering letters when he was a postman. Rylance has great command of the stage, with a perfect Fargoesque Scandinavian-American delivery, and his struggles to put up a tent in a blizzard are comic gold. Jim Lichtscheidl more than holds his own, with a tale of visiting relatives in Scandinavia (or so he thought) priceless. All of the performances are strong, despite a lapse in the narrative when the young girl, Flo, and the spear fisherman, Wayne, extemporise. Todd Rosenthal’s set is perfect in drawing us in, with the use of distant puppetery, to believing we are witnessing a vast expanse of ice, and then transforming to pose the questions surrounding what we have really been witnessing.

Surreal comedy may not be for everyone, but the audience on the first night of this production was universally appreciative and the production’s 13-week run looks sure to sell out. For those that struggle to get a ticket, the theatre offers places to those who turn up in fishing gear, complete with a rod. On the question of the surreal, is it possible that Godot was a fish?

Author: Adam McCormack
T: Twitter

Filed Under: Featured, Review

Join the discussion Cancel reply

INTERVIEW / Plain Heroines talks SCRATCHES at VAULT Festival 2023

We spoke to director Gabrielle Bird from Plain Heroines about taking part in VAULT Festival 2023 with their show SCRATCHES   Tell us [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Anthony Clark on SHE

Anthony Clark is the writer of SHE, a new show interweaving the stories of 14 different women in their twenties, [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Thick ‘n’ Fast talks General Secretary at VAULT Festival

We spoke to co-writers and performers Cassie Symes and Georgina Thomas about taking part in VAULT Festival 2023 with their [Read More]

NEWS / Too Much World at Once tour announced

Set against a backdrop of the climate crisis, the debut from Papatango shortlisted writer Billie Collins is a lyrical coming [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Ian Nicholas talks The Elephant Song

Ian Nicholas is a theatre producer, running OnBook Theatre alongside director Jason Moore. He talks here about their next production, [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Hotel- a new play by Polly Stenham at The Shed, National Theatre
  • Spotlight On: The London Clown Festival
  • London Clown Festival Coming to, well, London
  • Willy Hudson on Welcome Home
  • Athena Stevens on seeing what you’ve turned a blind eye to
  • Is this the real location of Ambridge?
  • Ed Fringe 2016: Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons at Summerhall Roundabout
  • Southwold Summer Theatre Season 2022
  • Interview with Theresa Heskins, co-director of "Astley's Astounding Adventures"
  • VAULT Festival unveils 2018 programme!
  • Adam McCormack
    Contributor

  • November 30th, 2016
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2023 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!