Fishbow, a production by Pierre Guillois co-written by Agathe L’Huillier and Olivier Martin-Salvan, The Peacock Theatre, London | until 31 January 2026 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

Photo credit: Fabienne Rappeneau

Fishbowl

A production by Pierre Guillois
co-written by Agathe L’Huillier and Olivier Martin-Salvan

The Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, London WC2 | until 31 January 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

“Wordless but hilarious French mimes.”

Shades of Jacques Tati – who may or may not mean anything to readers now – hang over this very funny three hander performed entirely in mime with great skill by Pierre Gullois, who also directs, Agathe L’Huillier and Olivier Martin-Galvan. The action takes place in three adjacent attic  flats in a Paris side street – one is inhabited in minimal style by a large man with a wig, the middle one is a scene of chaos inhabited by a man who keeps breaking everything he touches, and the third by a handsome blonde who has a goldfish in a bowl, takes lots of showers and gets to know the men. There is no plot, simply chaos skilfully choreographed but they do manages to create a big city world of lonely people even if it does run out of steam as the show proceeds and there are at least three denouement moments, the last of which results in the large man's automatic lavatory, which pops out from beneath is bed at the clap of a hand, exploding. The sight is not exactly pretty but it does not pass verdict on the show. The individual routines would fit into any pantomime here quite nicely even if mime shows are not to your taste. Tati's greatest film was possible M Hulot's Holiday in which the lonely Monsieur goes through life wreaking disaster wherever he goes without realising it. In the days of the art house cinema, it was a must see. A play without words, of course, does avoid what so often sinks plays – terrible words. The skill and ingenuity on display, with some backstage help as props get removed at breakneck speed during blackouts is undeniable and audiences have been laughing at the company for some time. The routines are funny, to the point and that closing tableau is not a comment on the show but more on the lives these hapless people lead. But these really are grotesques rather than real people so that you are laughing at the outrageous, the wig that flops off, the strip tease on the roof, the things that go down the waste disposal unit and the various treatments the men are inflicted with by the woman. It is clever, funny and adds up to whatever you make of it – but at least it is not sound signifying nothing.

Cast

Pierre Guillois

Agathe L’Huillier

Olivier Martin-Galvas

Creatives

Director Pierre Guillois

Set Design – Laura Leonard

Lighting – Marie-Helene Pinon, David Carreira

Sound – Roland Aufret, Loie LeCadre

Costumes – Axel Chut