“Don’t even think in your own language. English, all the time!”
In 1965, an American scientist lived with a dolphin for 10 weeks to try and teach him to speak English – part of a NASA-funded research project into human-animal communication. Condemned by the wider scientific community as an elaborate circus trick, Margaret’s lessons with Peter remain a controversial episode in the space race between the two Cold War superpowers.
Inspired by the Dolphin House experiments, Breach’s Fringe First Award-winning Tank rips this history apart to explore the difficulties of bridging cultural divides, the politics behind the stories we tell, and what happens when you inject a dolphin with LSD.
Winner of a Fringe First Award
“Thought-provoking… This deeply disturbing, psychedelically disorientating discussion of murky ethics and the pursuit of scientific progress is a pertinent, unsettling tale that needs to continue to be retold.” – The Reviews Hub
“A compelling hour of inspired storytelling, fractured and frantic but full of compassion… A disorientating fusion of stage, screen and radio full of daft humour, cold cruelty and brilliant performances, it’s almost as bizarre as the Cold War research project that inspired it… An unforgettable experience.” – Audience Bulldog
★★★★ “Bizarre, but nevertheless captivating… Funny, dark and brilliantly pitched.” – Upstaged Manchester
“Tank is sinister and tense, the performance generates an ever-increasing (and at times unbearable) atmosphere of sexual tension… A true masterpiece of psychological horror in the theatre.” – The Greater Manchester Reviewer
“It’s an enlightening telling of an enthralling story, with strong performances.” – British Theatre Guide
“Tank is produced by the award-winning multimedia performance company Breach Theatre, who create politically engaged, formally exploratory shows that blend drama and documentary; it delivers on all these counts as well as being a treat for the senses… Tank is a sixty-minute trip you will only regret taking if you’re a dolphin drying out in an auditorium rather than copulating in the sea where you belong.” – The Manchester Review
“So good to see the best of Edinburgh reaching Manchester theatre… Fascinating to watch, at times compelling, at other times quite disturbing and surreal… A powerful story well told using an interesting form that isn’t original but well applied here. Well worth seeing.” – Quiet Man Dave
Tank is a ground-breaking, honest and very real portrayal of dark side of relationships and an active examination of ethics and choice… I’m not really down with star ratings but, this really does deserve all of the stars.” – Afroanalysis
“Tank must fall into the category of being so odd it can only be true… Certainly gives plenty of food for thought.” – Manchester Theatre Awards
“Satirical and absurdly brilliant… Breach Theatre [demonstrate] the absurdity of what will be done in the name of science and politics.” Humanity Hallows
“Watching from outside the tank we are treated to something dark and slippery. But funny too.” – Circles and Stalls
“The pacing is perfect, as is the balance between fact and imagining, action and commentary… It is a brutal story, which is clearly intended to shock. And it succeeds. Verbatim theatre at its best.” – Unrestricted Views
★★★★ “Cleverly pitched, often comic.” – The Guardian
★★★★ “Wow, is all I can say.” – The Times
★★★★ “Funny, dark, and strangely dreamy.” – Time Out
★★★★ “Witty but disturbing… brilliant.” – The Stage
★★★★ “Raw, joyous psych-rock freak-out.” – The Scotsman
★★★★ “Fascinating gem of a show.” – The Independent
★★★★ “A very special young company.” – Fest Magazine
★★★★ “funny and bizarre, and then very tragic.” – What’s On Stage
“Deeply weird, completely fascinating…” – Exeunt
“Breach Theatre are to be congratulated for making an entertaining and engaging piece of theatre from what might be an undistinguished subject matter.” – Stagetalk
Commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre. Supported by New Diorama Theatre and Camden People’s Theatre.