Edward Alderton Theatre

The Maids
by Jean Genet

Directed by Ian Long

15-22 May 2010 (7 performances)

Solange, a hard-headed realist with a penchant for domination, and Claire, her ethereal sister, labour in the employ of the kind but superficial Madame. In a twisted ritual of revenge, they conspire to have their master arrested by the police while they plot the murder of their mistress. However, things do not go according to plan and they are forced to improvise a solution before they are discovered...

Cast
Claire	Rachel de Silva
Solange	Linda Gay
Madame	Aysev Ismail

Crew
Stage Managers	Yvonne Golding, Richard Banks
Assistant Stage Manager	Helen Banks
Design & Wardrobe	Laura Lockwood
Design & Wardrobe Assistant	Helen Banks
Wardrobe	Joyce Howes
Set Construction	John Vinnels, Ron Andrews
Set Painting	Dan Cox, Ian Long, Richard Banks, Helen Banks
Lighting Design, Rigging & Programming	Jerry McKeon, Christine McKeon, Rebecca Mason, Natalie Walker, Ian Long
Lighting Operation	Natalie Walker
Sound Design	Ian Long, Rebecca Mason
Sound Operation	Dan Cox
Backstage	Laura Lockwood
Production Artwork	Richard Banks

With special thanks to the film team whose efforts sadly languish on the cutting room floor: Mark Campbell, Dan Cox, Neil Bowden, Sue Watson, Laura Lockwood and Matthew Broderick. Thanks to: Vanburgh Community Centre, Westcombe Park; Brian and Jean at the Star Inn, Plumstead; La Famille Staden, Blackheath.

Review

Maid becomes Madame

Eclecticism really is the order of the day at the Edward Alderton Theatre, writes Steve Spencer. The production of Jean Genet's The Maids, a scandal in its day for the stark portrayal of brooding working class resentments, is the latest offering from this Bexleyheath company. Ian Long has been painstaking in his research and preparation and directs and intelligent and engaging play. You simply feel he has taken his cast and stage crew with him on this illusionary journey where the maids act out elaborate role plays in the absence of their mistress as a means to overcome their oppressive circumstances.

Rachel de Silva (Claire) and Linda Gay (Solange) are well cast as the sisters who resent everything Madame stands for. Ashamed and degraded because of their poverty, their secret ceremonies of revenge allow Claire to fulfill her dream of wealth by 'playing' Madame, and the self-loathing Solange to satisfy her desires of being a worthy maid by beating down her resentful mistress. Both actors convey confused emotions: for one, an intriguing blend of dominance and submissiveness; for the other, humiliation and escapist fantasy.

Aysev Ismail (Madame), whose smaller part on stage is no less important in this 'unreal' world, commands a haughty presence, minimal in her movement, betraying her preference for Claire and her diffidence to Solange. Her resistance to drinking the laced tea — the means to kill her off — was tantalizingly plausible. They deliver their lines (and there are lots to learn!) assuredly: overplaying where necessary, revealing fear and vulnerability, chiding and deploying cutting insults.

My one minor quibble is the couple of occasions towards the frenzied climax of the play where anger and resentment boil over. Lines are rushed and so delivery becomes unclear, which is a pity as the poetry of the text is fundamental.

The director's collaboration with the production team must be commended. The set and costumes are well thought out: the opulence of Madame's bedroom is appropriately oppressive. Her tailored wardrobe contrasts perfectly with the drabness of the maid's uniform. Lighting transitions were used effectively and intelligently to draw the audience into the maids' dark and sadomasochistic world. It is also good to see that the programme includes some useful talking points provided by the director. Hint, hint! Why not more of this for future productions?

The play takes the audience on a challenging journey but it's a challenge which has surely earned the company another feather in its cap.

Steve Spencer

Kentish Times | 27 May 2010

Miscellaneous