It
was the brutal murders committed by sisters Christine and Léa Papin of their employer and her daughter in France in 1933 that inspired Jean Genet to
write The Maids. In his play, two
maids, Solange and Claire, fantasise about and role play murdering their Madame
when she is away. Performed as part of the Midsumma Festival, Samuel Russo and
Adam Ibrahim present a bold queer reimagining of the play that is still just as revealing
about class divide and the way “Others” are perceived by society.Russo and Ibrahim are in their element with this style of theatre, camping it up with some dazzling costumes, wigs and accessories while firmly establishing the relationship between the sisters and those around them. However, as we edge closer to Madame’s arrival, the show loses some if its momentum as the two actors begin to mirror each other’s energy and character and it feels like they're running out of steam.
Once Artemis Ioannides appears as Madame, there is new life breathed into the production and it keeps riding this wave right up until the end. While Ioannides is only on stage for a short time, she demands the audience’s attention and you wish she’d come back for more. This isn’t her story though, and Ioannides serves her purpose marvellously, making evident the privileged life Madame leads and why her maids have so much hate for her.