‘A wickedly clever exposure of state racism and anti-immigration sentiment packed to the punch with humour and spookiness. ‘
Sonali Bhattacharyya’s play, King Troll (The Fawn), a finalist for the Women’s Prize for Playwrighting, began with a plunge into darkness and ended with a rapturous applause.
There was immediate intrigue amidst the dark room of The New Diorama theatre as lights intermittently flashed and the voice of The Fawn, expertly played by Dominic Holmes, warned the audience of the danger of those who look like us, but are someone else.
What followed was an entry into a world of mysticism and magic but also hostility and vileness. A world where the immigrant’s life is always on the line, exposing with urgent poignancy Britain’s state sponsored racism.
The play focused on two south Asian sisters, Riya and Nikita’s fight to secure their immigration status. On a hunt to prove their dead mother’s migration status they visit Shashi, their mothers’ ancient witchlike colleague played with fabulous comedic prowess by Ayesha Dharker, who also took on the role of the haughty landlady Mrs B. These were moments of powerful hilarity, effectively keeping the audience entertained and engaged.
Despite the laughs, the play had a serious question at its heart, brought out through a strong and original concept of ‘The Fawn’. Given a spell by Shashi, Riya conjures up a figure known as The Fawn, who is initially grotesque which Holmes brings out through skilful physical comedy and wonderfully horrifying makeup. The Fawn, however, quickly shifts from something innocent and revolting to a calculated and presentable white man, able to manipulate situations and those around him, securing Riya both permanent immigration status and a job in border control.
This asked probing questions about white privilege and morality and Holmes’ menacing stare and slippery movements clearly conveyed the seduction of evil. This was further brought out by Saffiya Ingar’s portrayal of Riya who was transformed from hapless, frightened and dependent on her sister to a stone-cold border control worker, conveyed with delicacy in Ingar’s shifts in energy and expression.
In some places, the play did drag, particularly the subplot of Tahir the asylum seeker which brought the play into a bureaucratic reality.
The mystical magical realm is where this play delights and dances. I left with more than enough to chew on. King Troll (The Fawn) is a true testament to the political power of theatre to hold up a mirror to society and ask those important, exposing and horrifying questions.