Fringe review: THE FISH BOWL, Fish Bowl Productions - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Photo credit: Rosina Possingham

We all experience the world differently, but how does someone with Dementia experience the world?

How can we connect with people better in such a challenging environment in their hour of need?

The Fish Bowl is an experimental piece exploring communication, aging and identity. Created through people's real-life stories, exploring the characters that are encountered and the wisdom that they share, when working in aged care.

It's a touching and informative piece, told with a brutal honesty. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most importantly it will make you think about the process of Dementia, and how it affects everyone who comes into contact with it.

The performers take on multiple roles of both patients and carers, using the full space of the lecture theatre and the audience to portray these characters (people with Dementia don't just sit quietly and still in a corner). Some of the scenes are distressing to watch but as a viewer, we are hooked in and want to make sure they're okay.

It's an emotional piece to watch, but important one none the less.

Significant, reflective and emotive.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

The Fish Bowl plays at the Anatomy Lecture Hall at Summerhall at 10.25am until 27 August.