Review: ★★★★ Saint Joan (STC)

A hero, a rebel, a feminist icon, a nationalist, a daughter of God, a witch, a heretic - who is Joan of Arc, and what is her relevance today?

The Sydney Theatre Company pierces through the veils of romanticism and myth surrounding this mysterious historical personality to reveal a troubled and determined young woman whose fate feels more closely bound to the present than you might expect. Saint Joan is good old-fashioned dramatic theatre, elevated with contemporary twists and a carefully crafted, imposing aesthetic.

Sarah Snook (who you might've clocked previously in The Dressmaker or The Beautiful Lie) is captivating as Joan, backed by a strong supporting cast of eight male actors in alternating roles. Joan is an isolated figure caught in the crossfire of squabbling men. While they may not agree on matters such as the extent of her crimes or the value of saving her eternal soul, they do agree that she must face the ultimate punishment.

The content is serious and weighty. However, the actors are given room to inject some humour, bringing a much-needed undercurrent of light relief. Joan defiantly shoots witty quips back to her prosecutors as they demean her choices and question her actions, and likewise, the men who squabble over her path to the flames exchange exasperated words.

The otherworldliness of the past is brought into view by beliefs and attitudes whose repercussions echo into our present. Jokes about the English occupiers self-professed "peculiar fitness to rule over less civilised races for their own good" feel particularly loaded, as does the rampant misogyny of Joan's prosecutors who cite the "unnatural" way she dressed in men's clothing and cropped her hair short among her sins and treacheries.

The immediacy of the action is sometimes lost to heavy walls of dialogue and scarce scatterings of action, however overall this is an impressive production with deeply affecting performances and inventive design aspects from set designer David Fleischer (including a stunning use of "rain") and unexpected costuming by Renee Mulder.

Director Imara Savage has pruned Bernard Shaw's 1923 play from an original runtime of over three and a half hours to just under two, reordering scenes and stitching them back together in a bold new adaptation. Taking issue with the way Joan felt like a cameo in her own play in the original, Savage has returned the story to its rightful teller by centering her in the action in both the script and the staging, and quickly places the audience firmly on her side.

Additional dialogue written by Savage and Emme Hoy (of STC's Emerging Writers' Group) takes the audience into Joan's inner world. The story unfolds around Joan's trial and regularly detours to her own memories - her traumatic youth, her affinity with nature, her conversations with the angels, and her subsequent battles against both the English invaders and her own countrymen who would ultimately undermine her.

Crafting this production with a deft hand, Savage has subverted the potentially problematic themes of nationalism and evangelism and brought audiences a considered play with a powerful protagonist. This is deeply alert, contemporary theatre that feels achnored to the now; an era where passionate teenage visionaries are also now leading activist movements to fight for liberty and challenge the status quo.

Sydney Theatre Company presents Saint Joan until 30 Jun at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.