King troll [the fawn]

A dystopian tale about the corrosive impact of state racism and the monster within

Two migrant sisters Riya and Nikita navigate the increasingly authoritarian island where they live in wildly different ways – both insecure, stateless and desperate for somewhere to call ‘home’.

Riya is offered the chance to create an advocate in the form of a homunculus, or fawn and sees a chance to elevate herself above the cruelty meted out to others.

Nikita tries to keep her saviour complex in check as she negotiates the challenges and hypocrisy of the third sector where she supports migrant teenagers. A deep connection with one client forces her to confront the limitations of her work.

King Troll is about the troll that lives within all of us – whispering ‘me, not us’, and definitely ‘me first’

The play was a finalist for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Playwriting.

  • ★★★★★ “Milli Bhatia’s production of Sonali Bhattacharyya’s bleak allegorical dystopia is an awesome and unsettling experience”

    —Time Out

  • ★★★★★ “As an art form theatre is rarely truly frightening. Often a show will be disquieting, or sinister, but as King Troll began, I was confronted with the unusual sensation of fear… It is thought provoking and moving and is horror at its best.”

    —The Spy in the Stalls

  • ★★★★★ “As terrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sonali Bhattacharyya’s script masterfully explores the complexities of migrant experiences wrapped up in a thrilling horror allegory… an expertly executed political thriller.”

    Theatre and Tonic

  • ★★★★  “Grim, modern-day reality and folklore chillingly collide in Sonali Bhattacharyya’s new play… Milli Bhatia’s production brims with an anger fuelled by dark playfulness.”

    – The Stage

  • ★★★★ “Nerves jangle from the first moment, and never get a chance to calm during this cracking show that nudges activist drama into atavistic horror.”

    –The Guardian

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