Audience Responses

David and Wessel were spectacular in this dark, disturbing production. Some of the moments - exquisitely blocked to give us intimate and surprising angles with mirrors - were so fiercely intimate I felt viscerally uncomfortable about my presence intruding. This is a powerful, subversive and very timely staging. It felt like a body blow.

Outstanding!

Astonishing! Huge respect to those actors. Artistry at its best!! Massive congrats to all.

Thought it a very good production - by its very nature The Maids is a play that it is very difficult not to play in a very overwrought state. But the actors managed to pitch it just right.

Tough to watch and great to watch. I really loved it. Thank you so much!

Enthralling from start to finish. Original and exciting performances from this trio. The danger, desperation and sexiness was palpable.

Outstanding!

Glad I finally saw this famous play, a great mixture of unsettling unreality and absurd humour. The actors threw themselves into it with great physicality...

Two superb performances from two hugely gifted actors brought this dark, fascinating, thrilling piece of theatre to life. Voyeuristic and magnetic. Was taken aback by the bravery of the two leading performances which wouldn't have been possible without direction from a real storyteller. Terrific

Outstanding!

Exquisitely detailed work. Inventive and weighty.

An incredibly tough play to pull off, and yet they did. Splendidly.

Brilliant

Although it was a dark peace I liked it. The two main characters portrayed their characters brilliantly!

Yellow rubber kitchen gloves will never be the same again for me, after watching The Maids. I staggered out of there. It’s a very intimate staging – raw, physical, sexually charged all the way. Very different interpretation to what I’ve seen before with opulent gowns, velvet curtains. All that is stripped bare in this production. I loved the fact that it has been de-South Africanised and that there is no clichéd pandering to a maids and madams construct in this country – at least not for me. This could be taking place anywhere. The maids are outcasts – the lower end of society consigned to their stinky garret. The Madame is privileged, hoity toity but all up, they are a nasty bunch as they attempt to dominate each other; taunt and hurl abuse and loathing. Amazing to consider that this play premiered in 1947. It is so contemporary as it spits and slaps into sexual politics, gender, identity, class – the whole shebang. Superb performances and wow direction.

I think it was well directed and acting was lovely but it went a bit over my head...the text was complex...also very late time to have such an intellectual piece for that length

Charged, gut-wrenching, funny and sexy. Thank you!

Glad I finally saw this famous play, a great mixture of unsettling unreality and absurd humour. The actors threw themselves into it with great physicality...

Outstanding!

I loved David Viviers' performance as Claire. He is doing beautiful work.

An email to Philip Rademeyer Dear Philip, I’m not sure why people still do Genet, but you did a great job with it! Both the performances of Wessel and David were out of the top drawer; I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. I thought the eroticism between them could have been even more explicit that you made it. But your decision to be subtle and restrained was probably the best decision. You should have a good run with this.

Brilliant acting. Not an easily accessible play, but stimulated great conversation afterwards aided by a glass of good red wine!

Awesome everything.