The Fish Bowl: an immersive and profound exploration of dementia

Director Steph Daughtry and playwright/performer Matthew Barker bring together a moving piece of theatre that intimately depicts dementia and its many complex layers. 

The Fish Bowl presents the meaningful real-life stories of both carers and people living with dementia and the ways in which they navigate their lives within the taut confines of the aged care system.

Informed by his own experiences of working as a carer in a local Adelaide nursing home, playwright/performer Matthew Barker takes the stage alongside performer Evie Leonard in an hour-long portrayal of the often challenging, but intrinsically beautiful, relationship between a person living with dementia and their carer.

Once the audience are settled into the intimate atmosphere of Holden Street Theatres’ Studio, with their seats closely encircling the stage, they are met with a clinical and somewhat confronting scene: two aged care workers, played by Barker and Daughtry, dressed in pandemic-appropriate medical PPE and face shields.

The professional demeanour and clinical attention that they show to Leonard’s character Enid, combined with bright white lighting, initially paints a picture of the detachment that can exist between carers and those that need them.

However, as the show goes on, this picture gains vivid colour and texture through Barker and Leonard’s vignettes and strong portrayals of numerous other characters – all of whom breathe life, honesty and empathy into the show with many endearing personas, impassioned dialogues and vulnerable interactions.

The simultaneous narrating and channelling of countless characters gives the play a scattered quality at times, but more importantly helps illustrate the deep contours of people living with dementia.

One powerful moment that further conveys the complexities of dementia, and the human mind itself, is when the audience are asked to close their eyes while distorted and uncomfortable background noise plays; Leonard’s steady humming, being the only calming constant above this noise, immerses the audience into a consideration of sound, memory and identity.

The decision to shatter the fourth wall and drive audience interaction is what allows Barker to capture people’s experiences with dementia authentically and meaningfully – no matter how confronting. While this does become overwhelming at times, particularly when the show’s dialogue involves shouting, it only solidifies the discomfort and reality of living with dementia.

Because of this, The Fish Bowl is an important show that seeks to powerfully inform and support a deeper understanding for people in aged care, with the hope for a future of greater consideration, care and acceptance.

The Fish Bowl is showing at Holden Street Theatres until March 19.