Martin Lissiach on Saint Joan of the Stockyards, “Primorski dnevnik”, November 22 2024

Aesthetically sophisticated, but “Brecht” is missing
Martin Lissiach, “Primorski dnevnik”, November 22nd 2024
“Multilingualism of Italian, Slovenian, German and English also contributes to the performance. Giovanna Dark – Agata Tomšič excels in her multilingual skills, as does Blaž Šef, a member of the Slovensko Mladinsko Gledalisce ensemble, who expresses himself in several languages, taking his acting to the limits of the absurd with gestures and facial expressions, using a smartphone in order to film the action live, which is simultaneously projected on the screen. The cast counts on such experienced actors as Katarina Stegnar, Matija Vastl, Klemen Kovačič and Ivan Peternelj, who perform in a choral ensemble, almost a choir. Italian actor Danilo Nigrelli embodies Mauler. In short, an interesting dialogue is created on stage between Italian and Slovenian acting. […] The social critique and relevance of the German playwright lie precisely in the ambiguous attitude of Joan of the Slaughterhouses herself toward the action, for she presents herself neither as a perfect heroine nor as a perfect victim. In short, a whole series of aesthetically sophisticated and symbol-laden scenes take place on stage: between martyrdom and consecration, Joan carries a white flag with the black cross of Laibach or Irwin. All these elements, set to music by the charming voices of Milan Fras and Mina Spiller, offer the audience an experience in which Brechtian acting and motivation are somewhat lost.”