Black Fish

Sima Sheibani—Théâtre Cercle Molière

This surrealist epic features a modern day Scheherazade, spinning tales to survive what should be a routine customs and immigration entry screening. From there familiar stories of migrant struggles melt into deeper, secret realities hidden beneath the surface.

Sober and uncomfortable advice from those who have immigrated before bleed into traditional trials and ancient wisdom, including quotations from Persian texts that lend a spiritual quality to the piece. Just when the narrative seems to settle, the play delivers a zinger of a structural turn that re-contextualizes everything that came before.

In a festival that skews heavily comedic, Black Fish is a refreshing departure and easily one of the Fringe’s standout dramatic offerings.

Ashley Frantik