Pronoun was a solid performance of a well-written play that examines what it means for an individual to transition and the consequent impact on those who love them most. Directed by Sophie Leydon, this production challenges perceptions of sexuality and gender with directorial choices that reach further than Evan Placey’s script.

There was a certain inconsistency apparent in the choice of props used. Some, such as table decorations, seemed almost inconsequential and a hindrance to scene transitions; some, such as a Lonely Planet travel guide to Thailand, seem to have been meticulously hunted down; and yet, at times, audience members were required to suspend their belief in perceiving tents at a festival. One which was well chosen and well utilised, however, was the mirror frame. When positioned at the corner of the Corpus performance space, it provided the ideal medium through which Dean (Franky Sissons) directed an internal monologue. This emotive speech, and the coinciding statement about identity and perceived identity, proved to be one of the standout moments of Sisson’s performance in his Cambridge theatre scene debut.

Perhaps it could be attributed to the introspective nature of Dean as a character, but Sissons’ acting was noticeably better in the monologues and speeches he had. In dialogue, his performance was more nuanced and this meant that the attention was focused more on his fellow cast members than him. This is testament to the talents of the supporting cast as much as it is a slight shortcoming on Sissons’ part.

Despite a slightly rushed pace at the start of the play where some moments of light relief were lost, the actors generally grew more comfortable as the story progressed, letting individual performances shine. Jerome Burelbach played the role of James Dean with a characteristic level of swagger and charisma, while Jamie Robson delicately portrayed the character of Josh and his trajectory from tolerance to acceptance.

Joe Pieri and Julia Xavier Stier equally excelled in the gender fluid roles of Dean’s parents. This directorial choice is an example of how Leydon went beyond Placey’s script to make statements of her own. The positioning of the costume rail at the back of the stage was innovative as it allowed audience members to see the cast assuming markers of gender such as a tie or a pinafore as they assumed their various roles. The final scene between Pieri and Xavier Stier was a powerful, symbolic moment as they swapped tie for pinafore and took over each other’s internal monologues.

At other points of the play, however, where the final line of a scene was often charged with great significance, there was not enough time for this to resonate with the audience before the scene transition was initiated, the lights were dimmed and the music started. This meant that scene changes often jarred with the content that the audience had just witnessed.

These technical hitches, alongside some of the disruptive nuances in acting meant that overall Pronoun could have delivered more of an emotional punch. Nevertheless, the directorial stamp offered audiences additional, powerful considerations of gender and sexuality through Leydon’s choice interpretations of Placey’s script.