Isobel Thom, centre, as Joan, with the company in rehearsals for I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe
(Picture: Helen Murray)Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake for assuming an identity – as military leader, as divine intermediary – that the Christian patriarchy powerfully disapproved of. Now, nearly 600 years later, this historical figure is sparking outrage once again. Only this time, it’s not Joan’s claims to hear God’s voice that’s in contention. It’s Joan’s pronouns.
Playwright Charlie Josephine’s new play I, Joan, which opens tomorrow night at Shakespeare’s Globe, depicts the patron saint of France as a non-binary person, shown in the play’s artwork wearing a chest binder. The backlash has been swift and fiery, both on social media and in sections of the press.
