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.