The month-long Brighton Festival is always such a treat, offering a wide range of variety and one of the highlights of this year’s programme is the Molière award-winning French silent comedy ‘Fishbowl’.

After claiming success at the popular Edinburgh Fringe in 2019, it makes a return to the UK for three nights only at Brighton’s beautiful Theatre Royal and it’s clear to see why it’s practically sold out.

It’s a near wordless comedy featuring three neighbours who live at the top of a Parisian block of flats. The story follows their cramped lifestyles and reveals the similarities yet fine differences of their day to day lives and how their relationships develop and fail in such close quarters.

Unfortunately no programmes or cast & creative lists were available but the three performers were exceptional, exquisitely delivering clowning and silent comedy at its best. A special mention to the male actor, think Matt Berry meets Jack Black, who rinses every comic moment for exactly what it’s worth whilst also providing incredibly strong live vocals in several different languages. The company’s exhaustive, hilarious facial expressions and phenomenally skilled physical strengths make it a real sight to behold.

The piece is a montage of sketches, interwoven by the loose story. The set design is glorious and a true box of tricks with pyrotechnics, spraying water pipes, moving furniture and a spectacular electronic toilet operated by a single hand clap, which is a top class running gag leading to an honestly hysterical & surprising finale and pay off.

Maybe a more intimate venue would’ve been more suitable but if they can sell out The Theatre Royal, then frankly why not. Throw in some precise, funny choreography and together with the brilliant cast and special effects, it’s an eighty five minute, generally clean, romp of silly theatre which even Mr Bean would be proud of.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️