The Last Time I Saw Caileigh

June 13, 2024

11th – 22nd June 2024

Caileigh (Victoria Sasso) is undergoing a gender identity crisis. We are introduced to those closest to her – boyfriend Faruk (Harun Ćehović), who is committed to the relationship and has moved from overseas to be with her, friend Maureen (Tiffany Elana King) who has been present since Caileigh was small and who provides the roof over her head along with husband James, and friend Maxime (Matthias Morret). When Caileigh goes missing they each blame each other, and we witness flashbacks of conversations between them from the days leading up to her disappearance.

We are taken on Caileigh’s journey of self-discovery and the pressure she is subjected to, to be something she is not. “I don’t feel like my clothes go with me anymore.” We see the difficulties within her relationship due to the lack of intimacy. We are present when Caileigh makes the decision to change her pronouns from she/her to they/them, and witness the various levels of emotional support — or lack of — from the people around them. Their only proper ally appears to be Maxime, who respects and uses the pronouns Caileigh has chosen but fears for their future and safety should they be open with their decision. He tells Caileigh that he was born gay. It is in the way he moves his hands, it is in his voice, however, Caileigh could hide their true identity from the world if they chose to. This was, unsurprisingly, not taken well.

Friend Maureen represents a generation, many of whom struggle with anything outside of gender normativity. She cares for Caileigh deeply and tries to convince them that it is just a phase. There is nothing malicious about Maureen’s actions, just a lack of understanding. Her heart is in the right place, but her opinions are unwanted and misdirected. There are welcome glimmers of a change in attitude by the end of the play.

Despite a slow start, there are some intense and emotional moments throughout, and an insight into the mind of someone who feels like they don’t fit into their body or societal norms. There is a conversation about what it means to be a woman. “If you’re not a woman, what are you?” “A human being”.

“…there are some intense and emotional moments throughout, and an insight into the mind of someone who feels like they don’t fit into their body or societal norms.”

Written by Sasso and Ćehović, and co-created by Morret and Helen Percival, their hope is that this production will “reach those within the LGBTQ+ community who think that the fight for trans and non-binary liberation is not worth fighting for and for those outside who wish to apply their definition of sex and gender onto others…”

It is an important play. To see something through someone else’s eyes is one of the most effective ways to convey a message, however, despite Sasso shining in her part as Caileigh, unfortunately, this still feels very much like a work in progress. A beautiful and meaningful soliloquy at the end of the play was sadly drowned out by the accompanying soundtrack, and the male actors were propping up the walls at the back of the set at times. It certainly has the potential to go further with some necessary tweaks.