Maraithe Thomas

In Fish in the Dark...David plays what we can assume is another version of his real self...The Anna D Shapiro-directed play...looks in on a family grappling with a tragedy and what comes after, something he calls 'death etiquette'. It's a topic that puts David in his element. Dealing with parents, sex, death and the marital strife that comes with it: it's all there, and at times it's hilarious...he has the ability to slay the crowd with a gesture: standing on stage, arms out to both sides in mock outrage, a colossal grin on his face...While the set pieces are concocted with genius, and some...turn toe-curling into an art form, they don't come sublimely full circle in the way that David's plots are known and praised for. The show is very linear, and some of the funniest and cleverest scenes are cut off before they can really blossom. By the admittedly exceptional comic standards David has laid down, this ranks alongside an average episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.