I, Joan: a ‘stirring, questioning and incendiary’ play
Shakespeare’s Globe production reimagines Joan of Arc as a nonbinary person

Before it even opened, this new play by the nonbinary playwright Charlie Josephine had been condemned by some people (who had neither read nor seen it) as a trans appropriation of an iconic female figure, and her story. Yet in fact, I, Joan, which reimagines Joan of Arc as a nonbinary person, is an “expansive, unifying and overall joyful piece of work”, said Nick Curtis in the London Evening Standard – “baggy at times but too subtle for a hot culture-war take”.
Josephine’s tone is archly anachronistic; the language “modern and poetically slangy, but with a 15th century vibe”. And the writer pulls off an “extraordinary balancing act”: this is a “funny” play which explores profound issues of identity and belief, without seeking to “invalidate any past or future versions of Joan, or sideline women in any way”.
The play is “stirring, questioning and incendiary”, said Donald Hutera in The Times; and it is well served by a clever, nimble and engaging production, directed by Ilinca Radulian, in which text, music, movement and design all work together.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The acting, too, is first-rate. Jolyon Coy is “hilarious” as king-in-waiting Charles, and Adam Gillen excels as a shy underling who becomes Joan’s most loyal follower. But the evening is driven by a “staggering” central performance by Isobel Thom, said Anya Ryan in The Guardian – a nonbinary actor making their professional stage debut.
“Whatever your view on the gender debate, the idea of Joan as trans is fertile subject for drama and discussion,” said Claire Allfree in The Daily Telegraph. And this production has a “boisterous, cartoonish pantomime quality” that mostly counters any “suggestion of po-faced preachiness”. The only problem is that Josephine’s play is “desperately thin”. There are “powerful and poignant moments”, but for the most part the piece “reduces the spiritual and political nature of Joan’s militaristic fervour to glib, empty proclamations”. For a drama about such a courageous figure, I, Joan is “weirdly toothless”.
Shakespeare’s Globe, London SE1. Until 22 October
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein
-
Fowlescombe Farm: a luxurious retreat rooted in nature
The Week Recommends This historic working farm in south Devon is the perfect place to get back to basics
-
July 18 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday's political cartoons include Donald Trump desperately trying to avoid the Jeffrey Epstein story while JD Vance and Elon Musk say the loud part silently
-
6 peaceful homes near small towns
Feature Featuring doors with local topographical maps in Oregon and a 1850s homestead-turned-house in Vermont
-
Too Much: London-set romantic comedy from Lena Dunham
The Week Recommends Megan Stalter stars as a 'neurotic' New Yorker who falls in love with a Brit
-
Apocalypse in the Tropics: a 'troubling' portrait of modern Brazil
The Week Recommends Petra Costa's sobering documentary examines the rise of right-wing evangelical Christianity in Brazilian politics
-
Murderland: a 'hauntingly compulsive' book
The Week Recommends Caroline Fraser sets out a 'compelling theory' that toxins were to blame for the 1970s serial killer epidemic
-
The 2025 James Beard Award winners
Feature Featuring a casually elegant restaurant, recipes nearly lost to war, and more
-
Film reviews: Superman and Sorry, Baby
Feature A hero returns, in surprising earnest, and a woman navigates life after a tragedy
-
Music reviews: Lorde, Barbra Streisand, and Karol G
Feature "Virgin," "The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two," and "Tropicoqueta"
-
Laura Lippman's 6 favorite books for those who crave a high-stakes adventure
Feature The Grand Master recommends works by E.L. Konigsburg, Charles Portis, and more