We recently brought you the news of the show, today we bring you an exclusive Q&A with London-based Romanian actor Catinca Maria Nistor (Golda) is celebrating her UK stage debut with the forthcoming run of her one-woman show, The Second Coming of Joan of Arc at the Etcetera Theatre, London 25-31 March.

Catinca, who appeared alongside Oscar-winning Dame Helen Mirren in the 2023 film Golda, has a wealth of stage experience, including starring in A Doll’s House Part 2, Richard III & Love’s Labour’s Lost (directed by Andrei Serban) and leading roles in Les Miserables and Footloose – all in her home country of Romania.

In The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, Joan returns to share her story with contemporary women and unmask the brutal misogyny behind male institutions.

We catch up with Catinca for a chat…

-What drew you to this role?

I found this text, or rather this text found me, after emerging out of a very traumatizing work experience in the Romanian Foreign Cultural Diplomacy sector. Some phrases, even entire passages, are 1:1 relatable to how I was treated in terms of misogyny and mental and psychological abuse, so this project is deeply personal for me. It’s a way of bringing the ultimate healing and closure to a very disturbing yet very transformative chapter of my life and, at the same time, a rebirth. 

There’s also the opportunity to portray someone who actually existed. It’s a different type of responsibility. You want to do right by that person and honour her memory.

-Are you a fan of Carolyn Gage’s work?

Carolyne Gage’s work is not for the weak. It’s bold, raw, and penetrating. It moves you, shakes you, holds you accountable, and unapologetically calls you out for your passivity if need be. 

-You have performed on stage, TV and in films – which do you prefer and why?

I love all of them; all of them are wonderful ways of expressing myself, but my heart will always belong to the stage. The theatre has so much magic; it’s life, here, now, and in direct relation to the other (the audience). There’s a real connection there, an almost tangible exchange of energy that’s created between the two parties, an unrepeatable, irreversible moment gone after being shared. I live for this!

-Who are your theatre & film inspirations?

My all-time muse remains Dame Judy Dench, mainly because I’m quite old-fashioned regarding my values and craft, and I’m in awe of all her Shakespearean work. I find Shakespeare, the ultimate human nature connoisseur, and the fact that she had the chance to delve so deep into his world for so many years also fuels my fire. Times have changed so much that a career trajectory like hers would less likely be possible nowadays simply because theatre companies have almost become extinct. One can only dream now, but with clear intention and a little bit of luck, one can dream it into being. 

-Last year, you appeared in Golda alongside Helen Mirren; what was that experience like?

Dame Helen Mirren, another goddess muse. I had four days on set with her. Observing her at work, her craft, the way she carries herself, her character and generosity made this whole experience a beacon of light in my path. She is a great actress and an outstanding woman; she showed me so much kindness through the talks we had in between takes and the way she treated me on set; it even made people from the crew ask me if we knew each other before. I remember on my last day, she was the last person I spoke to before leaving. We were in the make-up trailer, and our conversation was almost cinematic; our dedicated team was taking her prosthetics off; I was behind her, and we both spoke to each other in the mirror. I left the set that day feeling uplifted by her words and with the confirmation that women like this really do exist. Women who know that helping/letting someone else shine won’t dim your light but will make you shine even brighter. It empowered me and reassured me that I’m walking the right path. But none of this would have happened if it weren’t for Guy Nattiv, our director and the person to whom I owe my timid but very flattering international feature debut. He sees me and believes in me, and to me, he is a person whom I’d follow to the end of the world without even blinking in any creative pursuit he’d endeavour. I trust his instinct, I trust his heart, his values and his choices. I’m very grateful for his presence in my life, and I know we will work together again; this was only the beginning.

-What’s next for you/future plans?

Returning to my rebirth, I’ve realized that this year marks ten years since first setting foot on stage in a professional production. It made me review my career, and if so far I have only made very correct, quiet, “well behaved”, so to speak, choices, paying more attention to pleasing others, at times to my growth detriment, now I am in the mood to explore, push my boundaries, stay consistently out of my comfort zone. I’m in my prime. I’ve never felt so potent and free, and I don’t want to waste any minute on it. I’m wearing my (he)art on my sleeve, and I cannot wait to see where this journey takes me next!

To book tickets for The Second Coming of Joan of Arc – 25-31 March 2024 at Etcetera Theatre, London NW1 visit: www.etceteratheatrecamden.com/events/joan-of-arc-g5rmx-m54gk-hld8d-jebf2

Karen Woodham

Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.

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