Joan of Arc’s story told through a mother’s eyes

How would you react in the 1420s if your daughter claimed to see holy visions and said God had chosen her to lead the French army into battle during the Hundred Years’ War? In Mother of the Maid, Isabelle – who treasures her children – is a sensible, hard-working, God-fearing peasant woman whose faith is shaken as she grapples with the baffling journey of her unusual and extraordinary daughter, Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc).

Although set in 1428, Emmy Award-winning playwright Jane Anderson uses modern language to make the play feel intimate, funny, messy, and real. Across 13 scenes, director Glenda Campi centres the story cleverly first on the relationship between mother and daughter, before the history we know takes over. It also explores what it means to raise a child whose aspirations or identity fall outside what family or society may consider acceptable.

Isabelle is played remarkably by Sharon Grimley, who appears in every scene and has inhabited this demanding role convincingly over the past six months. Jeanne’s father, Jacques, is played by Dave Readett, while Will Wallace plays brother Pierre. Together, they create a credible family portrait, supported by five other cast members who round out the world of the play.

• Season July 3-11. Bookings: https://lindlane.com.au/whats-on

Sharon Grimley, Britt Love and Lea-Anne Grevett. Photo supplied by Glenda Campi.