Fishbowl

About the show

Stories in Theatre in association with Le Fils du Grand Réseau presents:

The hilarious misadventures of three eccentric and lovable anti-heroes crammed in their wacky rooftop bedsits. The funniest show in Europe comes to Edinburgh after a sell-out tour. The Molière Award for Best Comedy Play winner is a true physical comedy extravaganza!

Paper-thin walls barely separate three neighbours who strike up unlikely and moving friendships. The show packs a punch with technical genius, an incredibly realistic set, and tricks and surprises that shock and delight audiences.

Fishbowl premieres in the UK, expect Charlie Chaplin and Mr Bean antics.

“Acutely observed piece of physical theatre suited to an international audience” (The Stage)
“Both incredibly funny and incredibly poignant” (Daily Mail)
“Timeless silent comedy about the farce and forced intimacies of crowded urban living” (The Guardian)
“Wildly inventive French comedy” (The Times)
(Le Monde)
“1001 gags” (Le Parisien)
“A comic explosion” (Télérama)
“Belly-wrenching laughs” (Le Figaro)

Fishbowl is the UK adaptation of Bigre, which premiered at Le Quartz, Scène Nationale de Brest in June 2014 and was produced by Le Fils du Grand Réseau Theatre Company in association with Le Quartz, Scène nationale de Brest / Théâtre de l’Union – Limoges, Centre Dramatique National du Limousin / Théâtre de la Croix Rousse – Lyon, Lilas en scène, Centre d’échange et de création des arts de la scène.

Video

Gallery

Molière Award for Best Comedy Play 2017

Cast and creatives

Fishbowl is a show by Pierre Guillois, co-writtten with Agathe L’Huillier and Olivier Martin-Salvan
Performed by (in rotation):
- Pierre Guillois or Bruno Fleury
- Agathe L’Huillier or Éléonore Auzou-Connes or Anne Cressent
- Jonathan Pinto-Rocha or Olivier Martin Salvan
Director: Pierre Guillois
Assistant director: Robin Causse
Set design: Laura Léonard
Costume: Axel Aust
lighting design: Marie-Hélène Pinon and David Carreira
Hair/wigs/makeup: Catherine Saint-Sever
Sound : Roland Auffret and Loïc Le Cadre
Special effects: Abdul Alafrez, Ludovic Perché, Judith Dubois, Guillaume Junot
Set Builders: Atelier JIPANCO and the technical team at Le Quartz, Scène nationale de Brest
Executive Producer: Olivier Pierre-Noël for Stories in Theatre Productions
In Association with: Compagnie Le Fils du Grand Réseau, Brest, France.

The Edinburgh Fringe run has received the support of Spectacle Vivant En Bretagne.

Compagnie Le Fils du Grand Réseau is supported by DRAC de Bretagne, Ministère de la Culture.

Associate Producer: Adeola Akande
General Manager: Heather Ruck
Production Assistant and Street Team Manager: Michael Gouldney

Performance info

Edinburgh Fringe 2019
Pleasance Courtyard (The Grand), Edinburgh, UK
31 July-26 August 2019

Reviews

The Stage – 12 Aug 2019 – “ Acutely observed piece of physical theatre suited to an international audience. ”
The Scottish Play – 14 Aug 2019 – “ There’s nothing else remotely like ‘Fishbowl’ on offer amongst this year’s monstrously diverse show lists. The message and story are truly universal, and the whole production is a joy to behold. ”
Theatre Weekly – 12 Aug 2019
The Upcoming – 12 Aug 2019 – “ Don’t miss this delightful, compelling and innovative spectacle. ”
Daily Mail – 10 Aug 2019 – “ Both incredibly funny and incredibly poignant. ”
British Theatre Guide – 10 Aug 2019 – “ An incredible piece of theatre. ”
thespyinthestalls.com – 9 Aug 2019 – “ Fishbowl is a wild mix of theatre’s ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ and TV’s ‘Friends’. ”
Fife Today – 8 Aug 2019 – “ Simply, the best show I’ve seen so far at the 2019 Fringe. ”
Wrap Ya Lugs (ears) Round This Podcast – 8 Aug 2019 – “ I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in my life. ”
BroadwayBaby – 6 Aug 2019 – “ Polished, slick and professional enough to be on the West End. ”
Kris Hallett, Life as a Theatre – 13 Aug 2019 – “ An exhilarating joyride; 75 minutes of beautifully executed mayhem and slapstick that culminates fittingly with probably the best climax to any show seen this year. ”
Sardines Magazine – 18 Aug 2019 – “ An hour and a quarter of delirious fun and expert stagecraft, culminating in a crescendo of disaster which tops anything that has gone before. ”
Deadline News Agency – 23 Aug 2019 – “ This is an absolute thunderbox of a show – I loved it and would watch it again in a flash. ”
fringebiscuit – 22 Aug 2019 – “ A cleverly-choreographed, hilarious & superbly evocative show that appeals to all ages. ”
The 730 Review – 25 Aug 2019 – “ A play (…) which takes the breath away and succeeds on a truly epic scale. I’ve seen physical theatre. ”
Bouquets & Brickbats – 11 Aug 2019 – “ Endlessly inventive, and I can truthfully say it isn’t quite like anything I’ve seen before. ”
The Guardian – 13 Aug 2019 – “ Timeless silent comedy about the farce and forced intimacies of crowded urban living. ”
The Times – 8 Aug 2019 – “ Wildly inventive French comedy. ”
The Scotsman – 16 Aug 2019 – “ Judging by the packed full house in one of the largest non-traditional festival spaces in Edinburgh during August, this established French comedy hit needs no additional boost upon its transfer to the UK. ”
Broadway World – 18 Aug 2019 – “ A grown-up kids show, in a similar vein to The Play That Goes Wrong. ”
Reviewsphere – 3 Aug 2019 – “ Over 75 glorious minutes of continually chucklesome and frequently belly laugh-inducing slapstick. ”
Corr Blimey – 4 Aug 2019 – “ It ticks every box in the humour catalogue. ”
londontheatre1.com – 17 Aug 2019 – “ Highly accessible theatre, with sophistication in the form of the kind of split-second timing that brilliant farces are known for. ”
Daily Business Magazine – 8 Aug 2019 – “ At the top of their game. ”