The Maids by Jean Genet translated by Martin Crimp. Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1 until 23 January 2025, 3☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Steve Gregson.

The Maids by Jean Genet translated by Martin Crimp. Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1 until 23 January 2025,

3☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Worth catching revival.”

Based on a true murder case in the 1930s Genet's play was first staged in 1947 in Paris and here in 1952. It provides three actors with splendid roles and was once extremely shocking but times have changed. They are also roles which can be played by men. There was an RSC production with a male cast in 1987 and a very successful on in 1973 with Glenda Jackson and Susannah York as the maids who fantasize about murdering their mistress played by Vivienne Merchant. Director Annie Kershaw, who was last year's Carne Deputy Director at Jermyn Street, has come up with a fresh look at the piece in which she has made the mistress younger than usual choosing the playu because she found the way it looks not at the crime itself but at what led up to it something she wanted to tackle. She has secured fine performances from Anna Popplewell as Solange, the bossier of the sisters, and Charlie Oscar as Claire, who turns out to be less submissive than she seems. But her decision to cast the mistress as younger than usual does not really work and Carla Harrison-Hodge, while she is effective enough, is confronted with having been miscast and given some clothes to wear – a mini skirt and a dubious faux fur coat in particular – that do sabotage the role. She looks at times like the maids would on their day off. The Mistress is admittedly not quite out of the top drawer socially – her lover is a thief who has been arrested, the police having been informed by the maids – but she is someone who socially is their better and leaves her maids in no doubt of it.The result is that one never quite believes in what one is watching – the all white tiled set is also a problem as it belongs nowhere. This crime is taking place in limbo whereas Genet has set it firmly in the social structure where there are employers with power they abuse and employees who fantasise about revenge and possibly, as the real life Papin sisters did, take it. As always at Jermyn Street technically it all works beautifully and the actors seize the roles with relish but watching it one starts gripped by the fantasies as the two maids swap the role of mistress as they don her clothes, enact what they will do and gradually the fact that one is stronger than the other becomes clear only for the realisation that the weaker one is anything but to dawn. But somehow one starts not to believe in any of it and what should still all these years later be a devastating evening ceases to be one. Worth catching for all that. The production will transfer to Reading Rep Theatre from 28 January to 8 February.

Cast

Anna Popplewell – Solange

Carla Harrison-Hodge – Mistress

Charlie Oscar – Claire

Creatives

Director -Annie Kershaw

Set & Costume Designer -Cat Fuller

Lighting Designer -Catja Hamilton

Sound Designer – Joe Dines