Ice Fishing and Absurdist Theatre Out On the Great Lakes

Mark Rylance is entertaining as ever in Nice Fish, a loveable introduction to theatre of the absurd for those unfamiliar with the genre. Directed by Claire van Kampen, the production has seen considerable success over in the US before finally transferring here to the West End. And it’s clear to see why the play has done well - Rylance plays the sage, thespian and goofball all at once as he delivers lines which vary from being amusing to unforgettable, his super-star status ensuring that the audience’s attention is held whenever he dispenses narrative gems, and his natural propensity for physical comedy allowing his goofy character to not let things get too serious. In short, would the production work if he wasn’t one of the two leads? Well, probably not. An absurdist play loosely woven around ice fishing with two unknowns just wouldn’t be able to warrant the 90 minutes spent listening to Louis Jenkin’s prose. Read the book or have Mark Rylance read it for us? We’d choose the latter, obviously.

Rylance and co-star Jim Lichtscheidl play Ron and Eric, two friends braving the last dregs of winter out on the ice. Eric is clearly more prepared (and experienced) at ice fishing than Ron, but that doesn’t really matter given that not much actual ice fishing takes place. Tod Rosenthal’s superb set design for the play’s barren location cleverly becomes a character in its own right, creating a setting in which Ron, Eric and three equally as quirky visitors recite prose and poems written by Jenkins. There is a loose narrative, though much of the dialogue is in the form of soliloquies and musings on topics ranging from the meaning of life to losing one’s wristwatch, all directed to the audience rather than the other characters.

Nice Fish doesn’t always make sense, but then it doesn’t need to in order to work. One of Rylance’s final observations, which goes along the line of “Old people exit life like a movie muttering, “I didn’t get it, it had hardly any plot and no characters!”’, is poignant and draws laughter as it perfectly sums up the last 90 minutes. Sometimes completely understanding how or why something works is trumped by the fact that, whatever it was, we enjoyed it. And when that production is as beautifully executed as Nice Fish is, that’s always ok.

Reviewed by Wendy FYNN

Wednesday 23rd November 2016
Harold Pinter Theatre, London
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View our show pages for more information about Nice Fish, Harold Pinter Theatre.