BIGRE / “Fish Bowl” ★★★★ Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre | Jan 28 - 31, 2026


The art of mime has deep theatrical roots in France, evolving from commedia dell’arte and 19th-century pantomime into a modern form centred on gesture, silence, and physical storytelling. In the 20th century, Marcel Marceau elevated mime to international prominence through his character Bip and his poetic, wordless exploration of human emotion. At the same time, filmmaker Jacques Tati brought mimetic comedy to cinema, using precise physicality and keen observation to satirise modern life through his iconic Monsieur Hulot. This tradition is closely linked to silent film comedy, where meaning is carried through movement rather than speech. Like Marceau and Tati, silent-era figures such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton relied on gesture, timing, and physical invention to convey character and emotion, revealing a shared visual language of humour and poetry beyond words. The Compagnie Le Fils du Grand Réseau continues this lineage by translating French mime and visual comedy into a contemporary theatrical form. Drawing on the physical precision of Marceau, the observational humour of Tati, and the visual storytelling of Chaplin and Keaton, the company creates wordless performances that speak to modern social and human connections. BIGRE / Fish Bowl, created by the company’s Artistic Director, Pierre Guillois, exemplifies this contemporary reinvention. Winner of the 2017 Molière Award for Best Comedy, the production uses the tools of mime and silent-film humour to craft a physically driven, wordless comedy that should resonate with today’s audiences. In this piece, three quirky neighbours share an attic space and their lives, dealing with the daily irritants of construction noise, buzzing nocturnal insects, and each other’s idiosyncrasies and intrusiveness. While appreciation of BIGRE / Fish Bowl’s humour is subjective and may not be to everyone’s taste, the skill of the cast is undeniable. For aficionados of the art of mime, this is a not-to-be-missed delight.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Fabienne Rappeneau

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Portugal St, London WC2A 2HT, UK

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