The Maids
Reading Rep Theatre and Jermyn Street Theatre present
Written by Jean Genet
Translated by Martin Crimp
Directed by Annie Kershaw
You girls worship me, don’t you?
Two maids, Solange and Claire, are sisters with a secret.
When their wealthy, glamorous madam is away, they fill their time roleplaying as mistress and maid in her lavish bedroom. However, their private ritual is not harmless fun. A shocking revelation soon turns their world into a deadly game of cat and mouse and the true intentions of their power play are unveiled.
Jean Genet’s classic play has scandalised audiences since 1947. Inspired by the real murders committed by the Papin sisters, the loose lines between fantasy and reality blur with breathtaking consequences. This spectacle of rage and revenge explodes onto the Reading Rep Stage for the first time in collaboration with Jermyn Street Theatre. Directed by 2024 Carne Deputy Director and Genesis Future Directors Award winner Annie Kershaw.
Please note the following content warnings: haze, strobe lighting, themes of violence and death
There will be no re-entry into the theatre if you need to leave at any point
Cast & Creative
Anna Popplewell
Solange
Charlie Oscar
Claire
Carla Harrison-Hodge
Mistress
Annie Kershaw
Director
Cat Fuller
Set and Costume Design
Catja Hamilton
Lighting Designer
Adi Gortler
Movement and Intimacy Coordinator
Joe Dines
Composer and Sound Design
Heather Smith
Stage Manager
