Review: Imara Savage Updates George Bernard Shaw's SAINT JOAN For A Modern Era With Captivating Results

Saturday 9th June 2018, 7:30pm, Roslyn Packer Theatre

The life of one of history's most famous and controversial women is presented with a contemporary clarity in Imara Savage's (Director) interpretation of George Bernard Shaw's SAINT JOAN. With additional text by Savage and Emme Hoy, the focus of Shaw's work is shifted to place the protagonist front and centre, ensuring that this woman's story is presented by the only woman on stage.

For those that may not be familiar with Joan of Arc, or the "Maid of Orleans" as the 19 year old was also known, entered history books under a cloud of controversy in the early 15th century. The illiterate farmer's daughter from the French rural town of Dorémy achieved notoriety for acting on visions of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine of Alexandria who first appeared to her at the age of 13 and gave her the instruction to lead France from English rule and install Charles VII, the Dauphin, to his rightful position as King of France. A groundbreaking leader, she donned male garb to fight alongside the soldiers whilst continuously reaffirming her belief that God was speaking to her, a claim that angered the church which believed that any messages from God could only be delivered through the institution. Eventually captured, the church set down the charge of heresy and the British leaders finally got their wish of doing away with the thorn in their side as she was sentenced to being burned at the stake at the age of 19.

Savage restructures Shaw's work to focus on Joan's (Sara Snook) trial before a team of men led by The Inquisitor (John Gaden), the Bishop (William Zappa), the Assessor Courcelles (Gareth Davies) and the Priest (Sean O'Shea). Throughout the trial Joan recounts the events that led her to be charged with heresy with the ensemble doubling as the various men the young woman encountered on her quest. Savage lets the text and the dramatization tell the story with minimal use of props in David Fleischer's imposing but simple set. In order to create a contemporary take on the daunting dark churches and official buildings of the Middle Ages, Fleischer utilises pleated black curtains to create an intimate arc of floor space whilst reaching up to the full height of the Roslyn Packer Theatre's 8-metre-high proscenium. The floor is a polished black tile with the subtle finish of lines which also assist in removing the rain which has become a relatively regular feature of Sydney Theatre Company productions. Renee Mulder's costume design continues this theme of modern simplicity with the men dressed in black, each with their own distinctive style to represent their status and age. In contrast, Joan, once stripped of her armour, remains in light casual clothing that shows signs of being captured whilst out fighting whilst also being representative of her humble origins.

Savage's retelling is powerful as it reminds the audience how patriarchal society was and still is and she has gathered a wonderful cast to give the work the requisite gravity whilst also capturing the humour in Shaw's text. Zappa ensures that the Bishop Cauchon is conflicted when the Earl of Warwick (David Whitney) and his Priest (O'Shea) try to bully him into arranging for Joan to be sentenced to death, challenged by his principles that Church and State should be separate but eventually justifying his agreement with the belief that soul and body can be considered as separate entities. Whitney and O'Shea ensure present the dominating force of the English feudal leaders where life is expendable and Joan is considered an obstacle to domination of Europe and should therefore be eliminated but they know they need to appear to do it within the confines of the law.

Gareth Davies as the Dauphin who becomes King Charles VII presents a fabulously snotty spoilt brat of a weak prince too lazy to do anything to save his country until badgered and challenged by Joan. In tracksuit and urban boots he presents the ultimate spoilt millennial as he whines from a supine position upon the red carpet. As Joan's supporters General Dunois and Bluebeard, Brandon McClelland and Anthony Taufa ensure that it is clear that Joan did once have support of the armies and soldiers that she fought beside. McClelland allows Joan's power of persuasion and his ultimate belief in her voices to gradually have an effect on him whilst Taufa presents a gentle force that backs the unusual leader, at least to a point. John Gaden's Inquisitor is presented with a calm balance against the Assessor and the Priests absurd list of charges, ensuring that a kindly voice is presented initially till Joan is manipulated into recanting her statements.

The star of the show is however Sarah Snook's portrayal of Joan. In both age and stature, she visually presents as diminutive against the octet of black clad men but it is her expression of Joan that is really compelling. She conveys Joan's strength and ferocity of her beliefs whilst also having the innocence of a young country girl. As Joan tracks back to her first visions when she was tasked with saving France Snook ensures there is a degree of naiveite along with the realisation that 'she is only a girl' in a society where she was meant to stay home, grow up and have a family, not go out to lead armies to war. Snook presents Joan's confidence and commitment to carrying out God's instructions given to her by the saints and angels as she wins over the soldiers and officers she encounters whilst also expressing the weight of that obligation and the toll it has on her physically and mentally when people stop believing her and Joan herself starts to doubt the origin of the voices.

SAINT JOAN is a powerful comment on leadership, gender balance and imbalance, the importance of the separation of religion and government and the need to move away from outdated ideas of what women can and cannot do. SAINT JOAN is visually stunning 110minutes of theatre with consistently strong dramatization filled with emotion that prompts thought and consideration of the world in which we live whilst giving an insight into a centuries old true story.

SAINT JOAN

Roslyn Packer Theatre

5 - 30 June 2018

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