Written by Kerry for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

A lone light and white backdrop are all that stand on the stage, letting the story of Joan of Arc lead the production of “Saint Joan”. Presented by Raw Material and selected Scottish theatres, the piece brings Joan’s story into the present day. Reimagined by Stewart Laing, the piece seeks to assess Joan’s position in France’s Hundred Years’ War against England and in the coronation of Charles VII. Guided by God but charged with heresy by the English after “relapsing”, her punishment of death for wearing male clothing and her voices of the divine were deemed demonic.

The play tries its best to form its own aesthetic, trying to pull its audience with singular props and minor-key instrumentals. Sadly, the majority of the show’s elements feel very flat. The costumes, while on the modern side, struggled to convey anything about the characters at all, only standing out with the use of sportswear replacing armour and battle gear. Joan’s school blazer after the trial was unclear. Maybe it was to make her appear more innocent or to evoke how Joan was only nineteen when she was executed, so she would have just finished high school recently in the present time. I did like the touch of Joan’s golden cross necklace, constantly being on display, showing her pure love for God. It just would have been nice to have a bit more consistency with the wardrobe’s storytelling, making it easier to distinguish one character from the next when all the male performers portrayed multiple roles.

An interesting piece of the show, I’m unaware if it is from the original by George Bernard Shaw or created within this particular production, was having a singular chorus character, portrayed by Martin O’Connor, reciting the action and shot directions from the script. This felt like a refreshing choice, which helped keep the audience engaged. However, it did begin to tire through the lengthy dialogue segments, instituting a common state of repetitiveness. The worst of this was during the trial, where the Inquisitor conveys an extremely long monologue which very much dangled on the line of boring.

The music choices worked to some extent. During the battle scenes it felt almost deafening, which made it quite hard to hear the un-mic’ed actors. On reflection though, this feels like a smart choice, almost overconsuming the mind as it would be in an actual battle. A remix of Charli XCX’s 360 featuring Robyn & Yung Lean acted like a momentary interval, understandable with the focus on modernising the piece, but the brat-green lyric video stuck out like a sore thumb, especially with the aesthetic of the rest of the show. A shining grace of “Saint Joan” is its cast, who take a bold approach to their performances. Mandipa Kabana is the true highlight of the show as the titular Joan, pushing the boundaries of how women faithful to God are portrayed, while the cast continues to keep up a constant fear of actions and their consequences throughout.

Saint Joan, whilst valiant in its efforts to immerse the story into the 21st century, struggles to find a clear method. The best way to describe it is perhaps to compare it to a charity shop jigsaw puzzle: you hope all the pieces are there, but you have to try and force it together to make a full picture, even if it doesn't look cohesive.

Plays until 28 February

★★