Brighton Fringe 2012

Something Fishy is a delightful family comedy, giving an hour of warm chuckles and occasional prolonged laughter. Beautifully performed by the writer, Ginny Davis, this is the fourth  of a series of one-woman plays based on the problems of everyday family life with teenagers, and would appeal to anyone who has or has had teenagers in the house, and also to the teenagers themselves.

 This particular play is the story of a mother who, in order to allow her otherwise banned 16 year old son to participate in his school trip to Morocco, ends up  not only chaperoning him there herself, but against her better judgement allowing her 17 yr old daughter to be home-alone looking after the house, agreeing to  her son’s equally uncontrollable friend  accompanying  them, and worse of all, the friend’s glamorous and manipulative mother ( who is the person she would least ever want to go on holiday with) comes too.

Ms Davis people’s the stage with these differing characters, as well as assorted teachers and Arabs, the husband, the elder daughter….if I have left anyone out it was because I was too engrossed and amused to make any notes.    It’s a light-hearted , frothy mixture of anticipated  laughs and original surprises (like the henna incident,  which I won’t spoil for future audiences by describing -suffice it to say that there are worse things boys could get up to at an airport!)                

 The story flowed well and developed delicious twists and turns.  The clever use of mobile phones and texts allows the stories of home and abroad to mingle. With a simple set, well chosen music and sound effects and the use of a few props the different scenes were suggested, whether it was the house, the journey or a souk.  Ms Davis by expression and body language clearly defined each character, and the two teenagers particularly were hilariously accurate, easily recognised by any parent in the audience .  

 I felt at the end that there could have been a little more variety of pace, and the dramas of the return home could have built up to a stronger climax, but the final incident not only rounded off the piece but came as a big surprise. Performed at the friendly Marlborough Theatre at 6pm, Ms David is to be congratulated for giving us a truly happy hour!