goldfish Goes Swimmingly at PSFT

Reviewed by Sookie Mei

Attending goldfish by Steve Ross at Port Stanley Festival Theatre, I was excited to see a world premiere by a favourite Stratford veteran, starring Stratford actors in their PSFT debuts. Big talent at the little theatre, and I was not disappointed.

First of all, the set is perfect. A front porch of a home, or maybe a cottage, with only partial walls and hints of other building elements, the design evokes a lived-in feeling, with an added sense of loss. Set designer Joe Recchia says on an online post, “Walter’s house is partially stripped away, allowing us to peek inside his private world. The holes in the siding, as well as the cutouts onstage and empty picture frames inside the house, also parallel the holes in Walter’s memory.”

Walter is the older gentleman who lives at this house, and spends all his time sitting on the porch. The character is confident, humorous, and interested, happy to watch the world go by. He also suffers from short-term memory loss – thus the play’s title, alluding to the three-second memory of a goldfish (a fact that is debunked in the script). So, when Walter meets new neighbour Shannon, a feisty mom and owner of a daycare across the street, he doesn’t remember it the next day, or the day after that. Despite this fact, the two forge a friendship, albeit unconventional, by sharing their life stores and telling corny jokes, and their unexpected bond ends up being meaningful and important to both.

Walter is expertly played by John Dolan, who lives in the stillness of an older body and uses words economically. His gait and movements are stilted, cautious – he has lived a long life, and now he’s in his golden years. Dolan plays him with wry humour and bravura, and the audience can’t help but fall a little in love with Walt. Martha Farrell is also a delight as Shannon. No matter how many times Walt forgets who she is, she’s still there, offering her name as well as friendship and warmth, even as she is dealing with her own personal crisis. Farrell brings a genuine charm to the role, and portrays Shannon’s sadness and frustration in an empathetic way. Great casting, and great performances.

Liz Gilroy’s direction is precise, and serves the story very well. She wisely chooses to keep the actors mostly side by side on the porch, since there is a LOT of dialogue. Since they are watching the kids across the street, the actors can sit facing the audience, rather than having to cheat out to the house. Short brownouts instead of full blackouts allow the action to progress, showing time passing while also highlighting the repetitive nature of the characters’ interaction. This also makes the first act seem a bit plodding, but perhaps the pace will tighten up as the run continues. Paige Thompson’s lighting and sound are also clever in that they convey different times of the year, with colour changes and songs suggesting the progressions of the seasons.

The poignant script by Steve Ross covers a diversity of subjects, including love, loss, mental health, marriage, children, gender, memory, and friendship. Despite this wide range, the show feels like a small slice of life, just a year in the lives of these two people. Ross presents ideas subtly, without spelling it all out, such as the ongoing discussion of Shannon’s child as they progress on a non-binary journey, or the seeming bipolar genes in Walt’s family. The result is a realistic play, showing everyday happenings and emotions, and it is quite relatable.

The script also includes quite a lot of “dad jokes,” possibly to its detriment. These corny jokes are a way for the characters to connect, but having them repeat the joke each time, or use the same explanation for why it is funny, becomes a bit tedious. If I were to edit the script, it would be to vary the delivery of the jokes, and the dialogue around them. That being said, I did repeat a couple of the jokes later that evening!

goldfish is a nice show to end the PSFT season. It is a genuine exploration of honesty and connection, and as one audience member remarked, “it’s about finding a bit of levity in the mundane or difficult.”  Everyone in the audience can find something to relate to in the play, and will leave the theatre feeling hopeful and warm, just as the weather turns cool.

goldfish continues at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre (PSFT) until September 13. Tickets are available at the PSFT box office at 519-782-4353 or 1-855-782-4353, or visit https://psft.ca.

Photo: Actors Martha Farrell and John Dolan. Photo by Daniel Platt.

goldfish
Written by Steve Ross
Directed by Liz Gilroy
Starring John Dolan and Martha Farrell
Set Design by Joe Recchia
Assistant Set Design by Doug Cottrell
Lighting Design/Sound Design by Paige Thompson
Costumes by Alex Amini
Port Stanley Festival Theatre, Port Stanley
August 27 to September 13, 2025
Reviewed by Sookie Mei