In 2019, Thorn hosted a livestream on Twitch in which she read plays from the Complete Works of Shakespeare for the mental health charity Samaritans.
She then trained at East 15 Acting School, completing a Master of Arts awarded by the University of Essex in 2017 before moving to London.
[13][14][15][16] Thorn cited the trans singer Kim Petras and the feminist Audre Lorde as influences in understanding her femininity.
[26] Kayleigh Donaldson of Pajiba described the works as "long-form think-pieces" with "detailed production design" that use aspects of sketch comedy.
[28] Emily St. James of Vox summarised that the channel covers both philosophical topics and "sociopolitical ideas of the current era from a leftist point of view".
[26] In January 2020, Dmitry Kuznetsov and Milan Ismangil, writing for tripleC, reported that the channel is a focus of an internet fan community centred around leftist YouTubers categorised as "BreadTube".
The authors note fan crowdfunding, production value, criticism of the alt-right, use of citation and videos about broad topics as common BreadTube attributes that are employed by Philosophy Tube.
In an interview with Insider, Thorn said she had an idea for the final Philosophy Tube episode and that the channel's continuation depended on future acting roles.
[22] Thorn's 2018 video Suic!de and Ment@l He@lth examines societal attitudes to mental health, along with her personal experiences: she has a history of self-harm and attempted suicide twice in her life.
There are no cuts or editing,[28] and a single costume change is facilitated by a slow camera pan across the room;[27] Thorn used the second of two takes.
[27] Emily St. James of Vox praised that the "tension and vulnerability that builds" is maintained by the lack of editing, and opined that in the video, "aesthetic form is inseparable from content".
[11][12] Jezebel's Harron Walker described it as a "feminist, anticapitalist appeal in support [of] trans people's legal equality, physical autonomy, and broader liberation in the United Kingdom and beyond".
[5] Thorn told the Daily Xtra that studying works by trans philosophers helped her gain insight about her identity, but that she felt significant societal pressure as a transgender public figure.
[37] Thorn told Insider that prior to her transition, when male fans would refer to her as a positive role model for masculinity, "it always felt like they were talking about someone else".
She described: "I tried to do the man of the 21st century thing ... woke but also compassionate and fun and charming and sexy and all the rest of it ... and it all made me sort of miserable really.
When she came out, she felt external pressure to "perform a certain model of femininity", as a "white, stylish, eloquent, charming, non-threatening woman", saying that "that's kind of what British women are expected to be".
[22] In 2019, Thorn aimed to read the Complete Works of Shakespeare in order to raise money for the Samaritans, a UK charity that helps people in emotional distress.
[23] Many internet personalities joined Thorn to voice roles in the plays, such as Mara Wilson as Lady Macbeth[23] and Dominique "SonicFox" McLean as Troilus and Cressida's Hector.
Sarah Guinevere Smit of Rock Paper Shotgun lauded Nocturne's transgender identity, characterisation and diary entries.
[52] It follows a theatrical adaptation of Dracula that was abandoned due to COVID-19 lockdowns, which would have interpreted the title character as a powerful, abusive man who manipulated people's insecurities.
[55][56] The show features characters becoming self-aware and trying to escape from Shakespeare's oeuvre, centring around Henry IV, Part 1 and Hamlet.
[55] The programme notes compare it to the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which shows Hamlet from the perspective of two minor characters.
[61] Thorn said that Shakespeare is fit for trans allegory as performers were originally all male and the writing is dense with jokes about people dressing up as or being confused for other genders.
[63] Claire Allfree of The Daily Telegraph analysed that The Prince fit well with Shakespeare's use of metatheatre and themes of gender and performance.
[58] However, BroadwayWorld's Cindy Marcolina believed that "the scripted ending stands on wobbly feet and the framing never gets the explanation it needs to be satisfyingly convincing".
[66][67] The podcast takes a critical angle, attempting in the words of its creators to "give 007 the socialist, feminist upcoming he so richly deserves".
[69] Shannon Strucci, writing for the magazine Sight & Sound published by the British Film Institute, said that Thorn's videos "vary tremendously" in "tone and content".
[81] Wil Williams of Polygon reviewed Data as one of Thorn's most underrated videos, comparing the format to a Platonic dialogue and the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
The awarding body credited her as "a pioneer for trans rights" across her YouTube work, Shakespeare charity livestream, and role in The Prince.