Haunting and cinematic with piercing writing, King Troll (The Fawn) follows two sisters...

One superb actor in a surreal triptych

A bold, bewildering but ultimately uplifting story

atmosphere of psychological intensity

A strong and polished production of Lucy Prebble’s debut play which hits differently in 2020

Pros: This is a well-constructed production, at times charming, at times heart-breaking. Cons: Both acting and story become increasingly repetitive, interfering with the play’s ability to be at all memorable. We are in a flat in Belsize Park in 1991. Books, art prints, classical sheet music, old-fashioned furniture and other bric-a-brac are scattered about, whilst Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor Opus 25 plays. Otto Huberman, a dotty old man who is obviously the flat’s sole inhabitant, listens ...

Pros: The set was absolutely mind-blowing. Cons: There was too much swearing in a script that otherwise flowed quite nicely. From the moment I entered the auditorium at the Arcola, I wished I could take a multi-sensorial picture of the mesmerising set into which I had been welcomed. Immersed in a cloud of incense-perfumed haze, a staircase led up to a red curtain, which was guarded on both sides by Chinese lanterns. Two golden doors and pillars with engraved logograms completed ...

A thought-provoking and accomplished new play brought to vivid life in a high-quality production.