Written by Jean Genet & Translated by Martin Crimp
Directed by Caroline Stacey
A Street Produced Professional Theatre Production
The Street Theatre to 8 June
Reviewed by Len Power 24 May 2025
Considered one of the great plays of the 20th century, ‘The Maids’ has a daunting reputation. Loosely based on a double murder by two sisters in France, 1933 of their employer and her daughter, it was first performed in Paris in 1947. It has been revived many times and was filmed in 1974. It has even been adapted as an opera.
Two sisters, Solange and Claire, are maids to a wealthy, glamorous mistress in a big city apartment. While the mistress is absent, the sisters indulge in an obsessive game of roleplaying ‘servant and mistress’.
Their game is meant to end with the ‘killing’ of their mistress, but their devotion to detail in the game means that they always fail to reach that climax before the mistress returns. The fantasy of their game and the reality of their situation becomes blurred to an increasingly dangerous degree.
Jean Genet’s play explores and challenges the complexities of social roles, class and identity. It’s highly stylised, ritualistic and provocatively theatrical in its depiction of the maids’ rebellion against authority and their own self-disgust at their perceived position in society. The struggle between outcasts, the lower classes and their oppressors is a constant theme through Genet’s plays.
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| Christina Falsone (Solange) and Sophia Marzano (Claire) |
Caroline Stacey’s production moves at a cracking pace, aided by strong performances by her cast of three. It helps that the sisters are played by actresses who are physically believable as sisters. Christina Falsone as Solange and Sophia Marzano as Claire play their roles with an intensity that never lets up, clearly showing every facet of their personalities and beliefs in their fiercely detailed performances.
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| Natasha Vickery (The Mistress) |
As The Mistress, Natasha Vickery presents a highly believable portrait of an upper class woman who knows her position in society and wields her power accordingly. She has achieved an impressive subtlety in her performance of this woman that displays the entitlement and attitudes of her class.
The elegant production design by Kathleen Kershaw and the lighting design by Neil Simpson that continually highlights various aspects of the set and performers in the play are very impressive. Kimmo Vennonen has produced an excellent soundscape for the production.
The translation of the play by British playwright, Martin Crimp, has a refreshing directness that helped in understanding these characters. With the fine performances by the cast and strong direction by Caroline Stacey, this is a production of a famous play that satisfies on all levels.
Photos by Nathan Smith Photography
Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.
