Review: Saint Joan at Arches Lane Theatre — A Riveting Two-Hander That Sets the Stage Alight

Ruthie Black and James Saxby -Photo by HAUI

This fresh, 90-minute adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, brought to life by the Ruthie Black Company at Arches Lane Theatre, is nothing short of mesmerising. Directed by the acclaimed Peter Hinton-Davis, the production takes Shaw’s four-hour epic and transforms it into a taut, urgent confrontation — part interrogation, part confession, part cinematic dreamscape.

At the heart of this reinterpretation are two extraordinary performances that completely captivate the audience from beginning to end. Ruthie Black, as Joan, is magnetic — fierce yet fragile, her presence burns with conviction. She embodies the saint, the soldier, and the woman trapped between divine purpose and human doubt, holding the stage with a power that’s almost electric.

Opposite her, James Saxby delivers a masterclass in range and nuance, shifting seamlessly between comrade, fellow soldier, interrogator, Dauphin, and executioner. Each transformation is distinct and compelling, giving the sense of an entire world whirling around Joan without ever feeling rushed or contrived. His ability to embody multiple roles with such clarity and depth brings Shaw’s themes vividly into focus — faith, politics, gender, and power clash in every exchange.

Together, Black and Saxby are utterly spellbinding. Their chemistry drives the energy of the piece, creating a living, breathing argument that grips the audience with both intellect and emotion. The result is 90 minutes that feel both timeless and urgently contemporary — as provocative today as when Shaw first wrote it.

In this sleek, modern staging, Saint Joan becomes not just a play but a battle between belief and reason, brought to life by two actors whose sheer presence lingers long after the lights fade.

🎭 Saint Joan runs at Arches Lane Theatre, Battersea, 8–12 April.

🎟️ Tickets: archeslanetheatre.com

📺 Watch the teaser: youtube.com