Playing Joan

Interviews with 26 actresses who have played George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, including Eileen Atkins, Elisabeth Bergner, Judi Dench, Wendy Hiller, Barbara Jefford, Siobhan McKenna, Sarah Miles, Joan Plowright.

Through interviews with major actresses who have performed the challenging role of Saint Joan, this book provides insights on the historical Joan, the Joan of Shaw's play and the difficult choices involved in portraying this complex heroine.

'A great play brings out the greatness in an actor. The women who have played Shaw's Joan will be the first to tell you this. These interviews are about the actor's deepest, most important, most intimate struggle - to meet the challenge of the role of a lifetime' Colleen Dewhurst

'fascinating and immensely useful' Richard Gilman