Big Fish

A folksy fairy tale about the importance of not being earnest, Daniel Wallace’s 1998 best-seller Big Fish has swum upriver from page to screen to stage, first inspiring a 2003 Tim Burton movie, then a 2013 Broadway musical and now playing at Phoenix Ensemble as the Queensland premiere, directed by Tammy Linde. 

Unresolved tensions between larger-than-life Alabama fabulist Edward Bloom (Nathaniel Currie) and his semi-estranged reporter son Will (Connor Clarke) reach crisis point at Will’s wedding to his pregnant wife Josephine (Violet Rubero), when Will’s mother Sandra (Kellie Ireland) reveals Edward is dying of cancer. With limited time left, Will struggles to overcome the resentment he has long felt toward his father’s tall tales, seeking to understand the real man behind the egotistical, evasive, elaborately embroidered fabrications. In doing so, he must listen again to Edward’s preposterously overblown legends about his youthful adventures traversing a mythic America peopled with mermaids, giants, witches and werewolves.

Beneath its syrupy surface, Big Fish expects us to empathize with two petulant man-babies, each overindulged by adoring women who serve only as thinly realized supporting players throughout the story. Given this premise, considerable charm is required to make the borderline sociopathic Bloom menfolk likeable. So, credit is due to Currie for a performance that conveys the playful, big-hearted, childlike generosity of spirit behind Edward’s self-aggrandizing fantasies without showboating or overly emoting. 

Burdened with the uptight killjoy role of Will, the fall guy in a one-sided fable clearly weighted against him, Clarke inevitably comes across as a pompous young prig by comparison. Other stand out performances included Luke O’Hagan as Karl The Giant - a truly genuine and well delivered character who overcame every obstacle, metaphorically and physically. Also, Emma Whitefield, as the Witch - wow! Who knew such an enormous voice was within such a small person? Phenomenal control and a great deal of maturity in delivering a different side to the Witch than most performances lean toward. 

This show is perfectly scaled to the modest level of Edward’s boyish daydreams. Invention, not excess, seem to be the dominant house rule. The set is minimalist but ingenious, with a human sized canvas book showing projections of scenes. With subtle lighting changes and clever staging, the minimalistic approach was a raging success and allows the audience to focus on the story and emotion, without getting caught up in the finer details. 

Special mention to the band, and Musical Director Benjamin Tubb-Hearne, for phenomenal sound & timing - the small ensemble worked perfectly with the cast to deliver cohesive numbers. Another special mention to the supporting cast, who maintained a number of different roles and really understood where the show was going to be able to deliver those vital, yet subtle, emotions.

If you’re chasing a show that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired, this may or may not be the show for you. While it pulls at your heart strings, you will also find one or more of the characters resonates with you in a way you never could have imagined. Whether you are chasing adventure or love or just simply want to show love to your family, this musical really brings to life the warmth of Bloom’s character and communicates it perfectly.

Mel Bobbermien