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 June 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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/.
