King Troll (The Fawn), New Diorama Theatre Review

King Troll (The Fawn) at New Diorama Theatre. Photo by Helen Murray

Reviewed by Becky K for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

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To coincide with the autumn season, Kali Theatre Company’s King Fawn (The Troll) debuted at the New Diorama Theatre. As terrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sonali Bhattacharyya’s script masterfully explores the complexities of migrant experiences wrapped up in a thrilling horror allegory. 

Orphans Riya (Safiyya Ingar) and Nikita (Zainab Hasan) are behind on their rent, with Riya unemployed and struggling to provide paperwork for the Home Office, and Nikita consistently working overtime to provide support to young migrants in a failing system. After a visit to an old, unknown friend of their mother’s, her sinister instructions spark a dystopian turn in the narrative through the creation of The Fawn (Dominic Holmes), whose purpose to bid in support for Riya leads to a deeply unsettling conclusion. 

The world that director Milli Bhatia creates on stage brilliantly encapsulates the bleak and scary reality that migrants are living in in the UK. Eery background noise in areas of tension, mixed with loud and sudden transitions rounds off and intense sound design by XANA, which never allows the audience to settle. Similarly, the strong set design by Rajha Shakiry shows soil and broken fencing in the background, which acts as a reminder of what people have gone through in the hope of living a ‘better’ life on the island. 

Bhattacharyya’s script directly interrogates the poignant issues surrounding immigration in modern society through an exciting abstract allegory while remaining nuanced and thoughtful. The dynamic between Riya and Nikita and their respective relationships with The Fawn (an arguably grotesque embodiment of Western anxieties and ‘the troll’ that lives in all of us) explores the question as to why migrants can turn towards conservatism. Creating parallels that incrementally shift, Riya’s personal journey from a profound sense of fear to slowly adopting right wing ideologies from her relationship with The Fawn is perhaps the most unsettling part of the whole concept. 

Interview: Zainab Hasan, King Troll (The Fawn)

The show is capped off with outstanding acting performances, with each member of the cast rightfully owning their role. A particular favourite of mine was Ayesha Dharker’s portrayal of Shashi as she provides Riya with the tools to create The Fawn. Appearing only in a couple scenes, Dharker’s dark, powerful wisdom intertwined with South Asian humour is a scene stealer. On the other end of the spectrum, Diyar Bozkurt’s emotive performance as young and out-of-luck migrant Tahir adds to the heartbreaking narrative Bhattacharyya explores with how vulnerable people are exploited. 

Overall, King Troll (The Fawn) is a show that will make you think for days after viewing. I would encourage theatregoers to see the show before close at the start of November for an expertly executed political thriller.

At New Diorama Theatre until 2 November 2024. 
★ ★ ★ ★ ★