The Last Time I Saw Caileigh
Video Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Created by four collaborators during their MA in Theatre Lab at RADA, ‘The Last Time I Saw Caileigh’, revisits London following its US run at Brooklyn Art Haus.
‘The Last Time I saw Caileigh’ addresses questions of gender and wider identity in the form of a ‘trial’, and does so very effectively, movingly and at times with great humour. This is an extremely timely piece of theatre given the current debates and discussions around gender identity and rights. With it’s concise and adept writing a lot is covered, yet it never feels rushed.
In a funny and affectionate opening scene we meet Caileigh (Victoria Sasso) and partner Faruk (Harun Cehovic), a relatable young couple engrossed in their smart phones. Faruk is reading a puff piece on the Royal Family, Caileigh an article on transgender fish. We soon start to realise that Caileigh is questioning their relationship and their identity, specifically gender identity, and what that means for them. We later discover that Caileigh has gone missing. In a tightly written 45 minutes of theatre we start to find out why and who might be to blame.
We are introduced to 3 ‘Witnesses’ with different relationships to Caileigh. They each share their recollections of their last interactions with Caileigh. The previously mentioned Faruk is struggling with the fractures in their relationship and trying to save it. Caileighs’ Aunt Maureen (Helen Percival), expresses the view that Caileighs’ doubts and efforts to find herself are ‘just a phase’. Finally we meet Max (Matthias Moret), Caileighs’ gay best friend. Caileigh confides in Max that they have chosen to identify as non binary. Max is supportive at first, but is that the whole story?
The structure of a trial works brilliantly for this piece. With minimal staging the characters are the focus here. We are able to get to know them as they recount and re-enact what has lead up to Caileighs disappearance. The writing and performances are so naturalistic that I felt like I was eavesdropping on real life conversations.
As we see Caileighs journey unfold their story is told with great empathy and understanding of the subject matter. It feels very real and that is what makes this piece so effective, with its use of personal stories that feel authentic and accurate, used to tell a bigger story. One about the identity that we chose to show to the world and what we choose to hide or suppress. That we are not just one aspect of our identity, we are all so much more. I was left with much to think about.
This is a heartfelt, assured and thought provoking piece of theatre performed by an extremely talented ensemble of actors. I highly recommend seeing ‘The Last Time I Saw Caileigh’ and look forward to seeing future work.
Tickets for 'The Last Time I Saw Caileigh' are available here.
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Reviewed by Kate
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