Fish – 07 October 2026
The Internet is a myriad of possibilities, and giant mistakes waiting to happen when one gets carried away. Fish by playwright Melis Aker explores what happens when a high school girl named Karya (Yasmin Ranz-Lind) catfishes ISIS in what begins as a misguided attempt to find her missing brother, Amir. As she and her friend Libby (Alyssa May Gold) happen upon a way to monetize their search for information, Karya gets caught up in the pursuit of material wealth and the self importance it makes her feel. Karya risks it all by showing her face on camera, and must deal with the fallout with everyone in her life, including Libby, her mother Ceyda (Roxanna Hope Radja), and Amir’s ex-girlfriend Isha (Sara Haider).
The characters in Fish were clearly being seen through Karya’s eyes. She idolized her best friend, felt embarrassed by her mother, was confused about her brother’s ex, and knew the pool instructor Jon (Kario Marcel) was hot but wasn’t fully settled in her own sexuality. It’s important to understand this lens as the lens of a teenager with some limitations on what Karya’s character did and did not think through. For example, the idea of just contacting ISIS on Twitter would have drawn some kind of pause from an adult, but Karya did it at Libby’s suggestion without the slightest thought about who she might be putting in danger. For a moment, the audience gets to experience the rush of being young and doing something reckless, and this adrenaline boost really carries the show.
The concept of Fish is deeply engaging and utterly unique. Yet it oversimplified or glossed over many of the things I wanted to know. For instance, I am curious about the UK government’s definition of working for ISIS, as Karya was being paid to provide a service (in this case, pictures and videos of her body, as well as flirtation). How is there no investigation into her actions? Also, moving to a new home can’t possibly be the sole solution after ISIS has identified you and put a target on your back. It can’t really be that simple, and while I understand that the play was more about Karya’s infatuation and fall from grace, I still found myself worried about the specifics of the consequences and left the theater feeling puzzled and unsettled about some of the bigger questions that went unanswered.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my experience while watching Fish, I left at the end of the night feeling unsure what the show was meant to teach or highlight. It was a wild adventure with a lot of laughs and smiles despite the pervasive uncertainty, and it was really fun to watch, but there wasn’t a clear message or warning. It was difficult for me to process the show with so many missing pieces and to accept that it was just a story of a girl who used social media for money under a false guise of looking for a brother who may or may not have joined ISIS. It didn’t make sense given how many ISIS agents there are worldwide, but it didn’t matter because Karya was sending videos of her breasts, not questions about her brother. The poorly thought-out plan may be the point here— that young people have lost sight of the ability to think logically and make a plan that leads to a desired outcome. Still, that message seems off brand given the strong feminist energy of the rest of the writing.
I am still pondering what this show is meant to mean, but in a way, that is a good thing. Most shows don’t make me think this much, and some fade away as I am walking out of the theater. Fish gave me pause and asked me questions about how knowable consequences really are. It showed dynamic, interesting relationships between vastly different characters, and it had some really great one-liners. It made me think about morality, and it left an indelible impression.
I attended this performance on a press pass from Vivacity Media Group.
