This show is not for someone with delicate nerves and be aware of the trigger warnings as you enter the space…
By Suman Bhuchar
SET ON AN UNNAMED island, ‘King Troll (The Fawn)’, begins with a complete black out and a disembodied voiceover with the audience in pitch darkness. It doesn’t get any more relaxing.
Two sisters Nikita (Zainab Hassan) and Riya (Safiyya Ingar) one legal, and one not, are rehearsing a possible scenario of how to deal with an upcoming Home Office interview on obtaining ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) for Riya.
There are some missing years to account for, so the sisters decide to look up their late mother’s workmate, Shashi – a nice turn by Ayesha Dharker as a wicked old witch complete with headscarf and plastic bags.
She shatters the sisters’ illusions to explain that they worked cash in hand but she does offer a solution to the siblings’ problem.
How to explain this without a spoiler?
She gives them a potion to create a fawn who emerges in the dark with a membrane all over his face in the dim light. The sisters find their creation distasteful but Riya learns to control the fawn (called Jonathan in his human avatar) who is finely played by Dominic Holmes.
At first he mimics them and then acquires enough intelligence to think and act independently.
Is he a benevolent or malevolent influence who enables Riya to move on? Or is it the monster within our head or a Caliban with Riya as Prospero?
Or is he in control as is physically anthropomorphised in a dance sequence? It’s open to interpretation.
Directed by Milli Bhatia, the setting is naturalistic and atmospheric with fantastic sound by Xana that uses Bollywood soundtracks along with classical music.
The set with a chicken wire fence, and a basic front room, is designed Rajha Shakiry and the lighting by Elliot Griggs gives us a lot of strobe, flickering lights, thunder effects and total blackouts.
Are these external elemental forces like Storm Milton (the recent hurricane in Florida) or portents of messing with the elemental powers of nature?
It’s never clear but it does make you sit in the small black box space totally in the dark at moments.
Although the show raises questions around asylum seekers and rights through the character of Tahir (Diyar Bozkurt), it’s only touched upon. Once Riya is sorted, the sibling’s lives and politics diverge. Some nice humour moments with Dharker who also doubles up as their landlady.
This is an atmospheric production with fine performances and a strong production all round.
ACV rating: **** (out of five)
Top pic: The Fawn (Dominic Hughes) and Riya (Safiyya Ingar) pic: ©HelenMurray
Listing
King Troll (The Fawn) by Sonali Bhattacharrya from (October 4) until November 2 at 15-16 Triton Street, London NW1 3BF
https://newdiorama.com/whats-on/king-troll-the-fawn
