Saint Joan

Synopsis

A country girl in her late teens declares her bloody mission to drive the English from France and to crown the reluctant Daphin as King. With staggering confidence, she takes command of the army and conducts a brutal campaign that leads to Charles VII’s coronation. But as one of the first Protestants and nationalists, she threatens the very fabric of feudal society and the Catholic Church across Europe. Within one year she is burnt at the stake.

Our Review:

12 July 2007

Great bore or great masterpiece? The jury has been out on this one for decades, but Marianne Elliott’s exciting revival of Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan suggests something more troubling than either assertion: that Joan’s campaign of military action is the work of a fanatic driven by mysterious voices. The case against her is that she is a crazed terrorist who threatens a civilised way of life.

Elliott and designer Rae Smith take a “physical theatre” risk with a premonition of the sacrificial pyre right at the start. There is no smoke without choir, and the musicians are vocalising disaster (Jocelyn Pook’s score has an eerie, Celtic flavour of chants and bells) as actors unpick a pile of chairs in slow motion.

A council chamber is suggested immediately as the platform is raised on the great, slow-moving Olivier revolve against a background vista of blasted trees. As Dunois (Christopher Colqhhoun) delivers his lyrical “west wind” speech, the blue ki...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 25 September 2007:

Further proof that Marianne Elliott is one of the most exciting directors in the country as she just about manages to triumph over Shaw's legendary verbosity. This Saint Joan is an unexpectedly physical piece; the lifting of the siege of Orleans is an exciting mix of Stomp and Les Mis. Anne-Marie Duff is a spirited Joan although I was not totally convinced of her religious fervour until the magnificent trial scene (with great support from Oliver Ford Davies and especially Paterson Joseph). That leads to a heart-rending execution with the music building to a wonderful climax, but unfortunately Shaw tacks on a completely unnecessary 15-minute epilogue. If only Ms Elliott had been brave enough to cut that this would have been another 5-star review for the National which has had a mostly superb summer season....

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