The High Priestess - Johanna ****

The Alchemist Bar in Prague can get unbearably hot during a heatwave — and this might contribute to the slow opening fifteen or so minutes of Beatrice Schiaffino's English-language debut, but once she gets into its rhythm The High Priestess - Johanna is a memorable, intoxicating hour that brilliantly draws on the Pope Joan myth and recontextualises it with imagination this Prague Fringe.

Schiaffino's production draws on the second card of the Major Arcana, La Papesse — which holds symbols of duality, learning and theology. This card sits aloft on Schiaffino's minimal set, drawing comparisons between her form and that of the card. She combines this symbol with the narrative of a medieval legend, that of the female Pope Joan. The play mostly functions as a retelling of this myth.

Symbols from the card are cleverly intertwined through the story. Duality is the key one here — the conflict between male and female is explored over and over, whether through sexual encounters, subjective rebellion against patriarchy or literally the act of presenting as another gender. These ideas are always implied, never forced — and their associations makes the work stick in the memory.

Schiaffino is a compelling performer and carries the hour well. Her first time performing in English, she will certainly strengthen her command of the language with further runs of this text. Issues of intensity and pace, whilst few, are mostly down to this aspect, and since we're all in Prague, certain expectations to forgive this should be on us as audience members, given that the performers have gone to great lengths to make the show work with Prague Fringe's requirements.

As the show goes on, Schiaffino begins to construct herself as the image of the High Priestess, a moving transformation that implies a duality between her most basic state and her ultimate one. She begins crawling on the floor, dressed only in white, and ends the hour with an enchanting dance as the High Priestess. This stagecraft is simple, but beautiful and creates a resonance which sticks in the memory.

The High Priestess - Johanna is a formidable solo performance that is sure to go from strength to strength. It ought to play again, and was a great piece of work this Prague Fringe.

Salvador Kent, June 2026