Review: THE HOOVES BELONGED TO THE DEER at Tarragon Theatre

The Hooves Belonged to the Deer, playing at the Tarragon Theatre, is an eye-opening revelation story where conflicting situations conspire and lead to a tumultuous end for for Izzy, a young teen Muslim boy coming to terms with his sexuality while under the lure of a local pastor.

Written by Makram Ayache who also plays Izzy, a Muslim teen from a small town drawn to the siren call of game consoles and freedom from Pastor Isaac (Ryan Hollyman). Isaac has decided that converting Izzy to Christianity and leading him away from sin and his growing fondness for his friend Will (Eric Wigston) will be his new pet project. This determination is likely fueled by his own familial struggles with his wife Rebecah (Bahareh Yaraghi) who also converted to Christianity from Islam and his son Jake (Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski) also conflicted with his sexuality.

Interspersed throughout is a version of the Garden of Eden story dreamed up by Izzy. In this version, Aadam (Noor Hamdi) is lead astray from Hawa (Eve in Arabic, also played by Yaraghi) by the arrival of an attractive Northerner Steve (Shepherd-Gawinski).

The performances in The Hooves Belonged to the Deer are outstanding, in particular with the actors needing to perform multiple roles. Considering how often the scenes from the different story lines weave and blend into each other, it's no easy task to keep the characters separate but the cast do a fine job here.

Yaraghi is mesmerizing in both her roles and even when she is required to play a horse, the shift in her mannerisms from an individual desperate to be heard to a trapped animal are both distinctly different and yet similar at the same time. Likewise is Shepherd-Gawinski, as both his characters involve playing a man who is at the same time fueled and at odds with his sexuality that the unbridled tension in his performance is palpable.

Ayache has written quite the thought provoking story here that deserves celebration. The evolution of his character Izzy throughout the story from shy teenager to proud college student who dove headfirst into his gay relationships while at the same time examining his relationship with his Islamic faith is uplifting at first but his past haunts him greatly. That personal dissension provokes his character making him so intriguing to watch.

Admittedly, this performance can be hard to follow along as the story lines blend and weave in and out of each other throughout. I often found it tricky to follow along with each thread, trying to pick up where it left off as the scene changes. Trying to anticipate the events that would follow is near impossible but that is part of the draw of the story.

The creative uses of stage elements - sitting and walking along the benches around the stage perimeter, the integration of a ladder at the centre of the stage leading up and out into the ceiling, water, lighting, they all combine for an intriguing and mesmeric visual experience expertly created by the creative team including director Peter Hinton-Davis and assistant director Michelle Mohammed, set and costume designer Anahita Dehbonehie, and lighting designer Whittyn Jason.

The Hooves Belonged to the Deer is a story that will take the audience for a ride into temptation, lust, conflict, and the disillusion of redemption. It is sexy, provocative, and dares to explore the darkest reaches of where internal conflict can be pushed. It is not for the sensitive, the easily offended, and those of whom are uncomfortable with depictions of non-graphic sex and sexual violence.

Photo credit: Cylla von Tiedemann

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