Poor Clare review – sassy spin on a medieval saint asks pithy questions

Orange Tree theatre, LondonCasting two Netflix stars in this funny and astute modernisation of the life of Saint Clare of Assisi shows that the gulf between rich and poor never changesChiara Atik’s play about Saint Clare of Assisi and her friendship with the often more celebrated Saint Francis takes its lead from the Netflix school of sassy history. The cast have American accents and could be high-schoolers clicking their fingers, despite the period dress. The drama archly positions club-land beats and contemporary phraseology (“cool”, “totally” “my social anxiety …”) alongside choral sounds and medieval monasticism. It is light on historical detail, heavy on humour and attitude.So it makes sense to cast two Netflix stars in this very modern spin on the Italian saints: Clare is played by Arsema Thomas, known for her TV role in Queen Charlotte (the Bridgerton spin-off) while Shadow and Bone actor, Freddy Carter, is the priggishly earnest Francis. Continue reading...

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