★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Stacy

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.

Faun took shape as a commissioned project by Cardboard Citizens, as a way of exploring the homeless crisis affecting young transgender people in the UK. For a play spanning eighty minutes, it certainly packed in a huge number of themes to raise awareness of important issues that affect young people who identify as LGBTQ+.

Comedy is a safe space for tackling tough issues and this is the direction that Faun took. From the starting blocks...the writing pulled us into a safe space, by breaking down the fourth wall, with an invitation to a world filled with witty asides and sarcasm that was barbed, yet accurate. With a script that trusted its audience to suspend belief and trust in the journey they were about to embark upon.

I instantly took to our featured character Ace, played by Aitch Wylie, their presentation was on the money, from start to finish. With comedy timing that hit every beat and versatility that showed no bounds. They shone in this role and elevated the piece for me. Aitch was joined on stage by Nyah Randon and Afton Moran, playing multi roles, to bring the piece to life with performances that grew in strength, coming into their own in the forest scenes.

This was definitely a play of two halves. The first tackled themes surrounding homelessness, with the second tackling self-identity, which did stretch out longer than was perhaps necessary. For me, I feel that some of the important themes, regarding homelessness, only touched the surface in a light-hearted approach. LGBTQ+ young people are facing a housing crisis and this could have delved deeper into Ace's fear as a little darkness before the enlightenment. The Author's notes on the text do suggest resisting "temptation to play the suffering" of the characters, but a bit of depth would only add to the layers of the piece.

Overall Faun did approach important conversations that we should be having. It was witty in its approach to these tough themes and provided a safe space to bring these messages to life. I think that there was a take home message to each and every person in that audience and I hope that this is only the beginning of this conversation.

Faun is unapologetically open and out there with a piece that touches on important themes....its witty barbs are quick to the punch with panpipes thrown in for the ride.