Raving in “Dysphoria Mundi”: Archiving, Queer Temporalities, and Trans Aesthetics in Charlie Josephine’s I, Joan

Abstract This article examines Charlie Josephine’s I, Joan (Globe Theatre, 2022) as a radical reimagining of Joan of Arc through trans and queer aesthetics. Framed by the queer archival turn (Marshall and Tortorici), the analysis explores how the play’s rewriting of the character as openly non-binary activates a lineage of queer and trans reinterpretations of the character. Drawing on Paul B. Preciado’s concept of “dysphoria mundi” and McKenzie Wark’s theorization of rave culture, the article extends the analysis of the play’s trans aesthetics by focussing on the playwright’s decision to stage all the battles as raves. By interlacing queer dramaturgical strategies with archival reactivation, I, Joan constructs a queer temporality that unsettles historical narratives and imagines futures where trans and queer lives are liveable and celebrated, foregrounding pleasure, mutual aid, and the refusal of erasure. Ultimately, the article argues that Josephine’s work does not merely rewrite Joan’s story but also transforms the Globe stage into an archive of the present, where strategies for queer endurance and resistance unfold against the structural violence of a dysphoric world.