Writer & Director: Michael J. Harnett
The action of Tropical Fish in the Tolka takes place in Studio 2 of fictional radio station FM101.4 where they are broadcasting a radio play about the Bradshaw family. We are transported into the home of Liz (Pat Sullivan) and Bob (Owen O’Gorman) after storm Matilda has soaked their house on the North Strand. Even the sofa has had to be dragged outside to try and dry it off. The roof had only recently been repaired by one of Bob’s ‘experts’ and Liz is ‘having a canary’ over it all. In an attempt to calm Liz down, Bob calls in reinforcements in the form of granddaughter Amy (Heather Hennessy) and from there we head down a windy and somewhat bizarre path.
At the beginning of the radio play, an announcement is made that the sound effects may not be up to their usual standard. Throughout the show several strange sound effects are played and some just don’t play when expected. This forces the Narrator, played by Jamie Brunty, to ‘improvise’ the noises for things like a doorbell, cats and building equipment. Although an initially entertaining joke, it gets a little tired towards the end of the play. The humour that works best throughout are the interactions between the different characters. They bounce off each other with such ease and the humour feels so grounded in the reality of Irish families that you can’t help but laugh.
Each of the four actors brought their own unique skills to the stage. Sullivan portraying Liz, every bit the Irish Granny, is a joy to watch. Every facial expression and piece of body language tells us exactly how her character is feeling throughout. O’Gorman is a wonderful comical actor with exemplary physical comedy skills. Brunty, who is the radio play’s narrator, as well as many other characters throughout, dances with ease between different accents, facial expressions and body language to signal a change of character for the audience, while also filling in for the sound board. Finally, O’Sullivan who portrays Amy does a wonderful job depicting the idealism of youth.
The staging and costuming are kept very simple throughout. The staging essentially consists of four music stands for the scripts of the radio play’s actors, an ‘on air’ button and a sign telling us that we’re in studio 2 at FM101.4. The simple staging ensures your focus is on the actors. The costuming is just head to toe black, but each person still had their own unique style and avoided the tendency of everyone blending together. When they weren’t speaking, each actor stood with their hands clasped in front of them which was a nice uniform choice by the director. It avoided anyone looking awkward or not knowing what to do with their hands while the focus wasn’t on them.
Tropical Fish in the Tolka is an hour of uniquely Irish humour. A comedy about family, it also has a broader theme about the importance of maintaining community and being proud of where you come from.
Runs Until 29th Nov 2025.
