The Maids

After a (deliberately) slow start, there are some bursts of hysteria and then a lot of messing about with water, slopping it rather too close to the electric lights for my personal comfort. It's been many years since I last read Jean Genet's play of this title, so I only approached this physical theatre production with a vague idea of the gist of the story. Maybe the gist is all the show contains anyway or perhaps, if I'd done my research, I'd have been able to work out what they were saying when, having gone some time with no dialogue at all, they started speaking Korean. All in all, I think it's probably more inspired by, than based on, let alone an adaptation of... Genet's play. At the end, I asked my friend, who seeks out unusual theatre experiences, if it was weird enough for her and she said 'No'. Weird though it may be, it's not quite in the way she or I seek. However, despite feeling a bit out of my depth much of the time, I did find at least some of it aesthetically pleasing.

We never received a script.
I'm a huge fan of physical theatre so scripts aren't needed. However, this play had so much spoken word ( in Korean) that made me frustrated and disappointed being unable to understand what the actors were so desperately trying to communicate. If there had been some form of subtle visual cues as a backdrop/ multi media imagery to support the dialogue then I think this would have added to the message..the powerful themes being expressed by the superb actors. It was a powerful well acted drama but partly lost in translation.

This was a very difficult show to watch as we could understand neither the mime, nor the spoken Korean, which we were not told/warned about. Further, about 5 minutes before the start, the ushers started frantically handing out some English scrips, and asked us to share, as they had few copies.

Sadly, no one in our group understood what the heck was going on. The first 20 minutes was VERY slow-moving mime. VERY. The balance was a series of skits none of us could fathom. There was a bit of a funny part, or so the whole audience thought, with a long, wet cloth that became an uncomfortable, sadistic, and dangerous tug-of-war.

I wanted **so** badly to understand/enjoy this, but couldn't. Not one whit. I hope others could and can. It was clearly a highly cultural-specific piece of theatre, but — I believe — totally mismatched with The Ed Fringe.

Thank you to team for a brilliant, moving and energetic staging of the Maids.
One of my favorite plays of all time I was truly moved by the physicality of the actors and how they were able to convey the multi layers of Claire and Solange. Truly Powerful. Don't walk, RUN to see the show!

If you really like long stretches of Mime, and can perhaps understand Korean for the verbal exchanges in between, you might well enjoy this show, as the performers are undoubtedly talented and the staging is stylish.

However, not expecting (or much appreciating) Mime and not able to follow Korean, it was rather lost on us. From reactions around us, I'm pretty sure we were not the only audience members wondering if they'd missed some vital clues in the publicity.

The couple of pages of dialogue (and stage directions) in English, issued to us in the queue, served as a warning that there would be no other help with the words, but otherwise merely baffled my companion and gave bizarre spoilers for anyone unfamiliar with the play.

Absolutely superb! You've gotta be a fan of physical and post dramatic stuff to truly appreciate it. Most impressive!!!

It was totally. great. show!!
Never. ever. seen. before!
I moved after. show.
Thanks. for all.!