This is my final Edinburgh Fringe review, this review is for the online edition of the show as unfortunately my full diary meant I couldn’t review this show in person.
Catinca Maria Nistor has has previously performed alongside Dame Helen Mirren in the Film Golda and therefore brings a wealth of experience to this show.
The plot pivots around Joan Of Arc returning to share her story, there are themes of misogyny, defiance and gender equality. The stage lighting is basic and hardly any theatre props. This is a solo female show by Maria, with a bare landscape on stage it allows for more focus to be put on the performer- Catinca. Sometimes solo shows can drag in the delivery of the monologue however Catinca gave an exceptional piece and the delivery of the writing kept me as a viewer enthralled.
The pacing of the show was good as well, the lines were not delivered in a monotone format and showed very good acting. This was a drama piece which lit my world. This was powerful acting set in an intimate space.
There was no lighting or sound I can comment on, purely a review of the play and the acting.
The story contained brutal elements and misogyny but it placed Joan as a figurehead of defiance and resistance. With the hundreds of shows, it can be missed. It is only on for a very limited run and therefore get booking. It runs till the 23rd August
Did the show set out what it wanted to achieve? Yes
Was the acting superb? Yes
Were the stage elements appropriate for the show? Yes
In deciding how many stars to award a show, I review a lot of elements- but the key piece for me is, does the show deliver on what it set out to do? This show did. I hope to see Catinca in the future, she is definitely a star. Due to the exceptional acting involved in this show and considering the sparse scene setting which could be improved, I award this show 4 stars.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/second-coming-of-joan-of-arc