London’s Globe Theatre is Making Joan of Arc ‘Non-Binary’ in New Production

 

French heroine Joan of Arc will be portrayed as “non-binary” in the London Globe Theatre’s new production of her story.

The theatre removing the patron saint of France’s gender was once home to British playwright William Shakespeare.

In “I, Joan,” the iconic woman will be played by Isobel Thom, who claims to be “non-binary.” The production will use “they/them” pronouns to refer to Joan.

“Our story of Joan is full of joy and love and hope and magic and revolution,” Thom told NBC News.  

“Storytelling and art is a platform to share experiences, to stretch imaginations, to excite and inspire, to explore language, and to represent. People and communities deserve to be championed, and there’s no limit to the number we can do that for,” the actress continued.

In a press release about the production, the Globe Theatre said, “our new play I, Joan shows Joan as a legendary leader who uses the pronouns ‘they/them’. We are not the first to present Joan in this way, and we will not be the last. We can’t wait to share this production with everyone and discover this cultural icon.”

Throughout their press release, the theatre repeatedly claimed that they were behaving as Shakespeare would have by removing Joan’s gender — a huge part of her identity.

“Shakespeare was not afraid to ask difficult questions as he imagined the lives of 1,223 characters; he represented an extraordinary range of diverse perspectives and identities, and we are all still enjoying his work over 400 years later. Shakespeare was not afraid of discomfort, and neither is the Globe,” the theatre said.

The statement added, “for centuries, Joan has been a cultural icon portrayed in countless plays, books, films, etc. History has provided countless and wonderful examples of Joan portrayed as a woman. This production is simply offering the possibility of another point of view. That is the role of theatre: to simply ask the question ‘imagine if?.'”

The virtue signaling kicked into an even higher gear as the theatre declared, “trans men and women and non-binary identities exist and are valid.”

“We are committed to becoming an inclusive and diverse organisation, and making necessary change is at the heart of our strategic aims for the organisation. This includes becoming pro-trans, anti-racist, and taking positive, conscious, and intentional action against any form of prejudice present in our culture,” the statement continued.

The production opens on August 25 and tickets will be just £5.

“We hope this £5 ticket invites as many people as possible to come and have an opinion of their own, and even if we don’t agree with each other, still show kindness, curiosity, and respect,” the theatre said in the statement.