Directed by former Carne Deputy Director and Genesis Future Directors Award winner Annie Kershaw,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 Jermyn Street Theatre stage for the first time in a co-production with Reading Rep.
THE MAIDS RUNS AT JERMYN STREET THEATRE FROM 9 -22 JANUARY 2025 – FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFOhttp://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/
The PRODUCTION THEN RUNS AT READING REP THEATRE FROM 28 JANUARY TO 8 FEBRUARY – FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFO – http://www.readingrep.com/
What drew you to Jean Genet’s The Maids, and how do you plan to interpret its themes for contemporary audiences?
I was gripped by the premise and intrigued by how it’s inspired by the true story of the Papin Sisters which was an extremely horrific crime with a lot of scandalous context around it. There was so much darkness, surrealism and theatricality in the script woven together in a way that I think can be challenging to work out as a reader, you are left constantly questioning what’s real and not real. So, I was drawn to that challenge.
I suppose I’m thinking about how contemporary society has a fascination with scandalous crimes and murder cases. This play can offer a surreal look into what that ‘before’ stage before someone commits murder, which we don’t often get to see as we learn about perpetrators in retrospect. So we’re approaching it by drawing out the desires, botched plans and contradictions that occur in this stage.
Any unique elements you’re incorporating to bring this classic to life?
I wouldn’t claim uniqueness but I’m very excited by some of the interventions we are introducing to the play that feel like elements of thriller. We call them glitches and they are symbolic of the characters’ mental state. They are about diving into the brain of someone who has lost touch of reality and seeing what images might be conjured up by them. I’m pretty sure that the technical elements of these glitches are firsts at Jermyn Street Theatre and Reading Rep Theatre.
How has your experience as a Carne Deputy Director influenced your approach to directing The Maids?
Firstly, extra familiarity with the Jermyn Street Theatre space has really helped. I knew I wanted this play to deceive as much as possible and keep the audience guessing. When the audience are so close and able to feel every breath from the actors like at this theatre, I know that any trickery at play would have to be incisive and immaculate in its execution. This has forced me to condense my ideas.
Another thing I learnt from the time there was that the knowledge and diversity of experience of your creative team collaborators is invaluable. There was a risk in what we were attempting to do on this gem of a stage which involved conferring with West End shows and even taking a field trip to the Donmar Warehouse to research it. We wouldn’t have been able to even attempt it if it weren’t for the willingness, cleverness and experience of the brilliant creative team, production manager and producers.
What insights have you gained from the mentorship provided by the Carne Deputy Director scheme, and how have they shaped your development as an artistic leader?
In the role I supported and was mentored by Artistic Director Stella Powell-Jones who runs Jermyn Street Theatre with Executive Producer David Doyle. From them, I’ve learnt about risk management in programming and producing, in that they’ve been able to bring such exciting and daring work to the theatre but they also are extremely clever in mitigating risks around that and they know what different audiences appreciate.
My time there has improved my ability in having both the eye for the detail in all the runnings of a theatre as well as the ability to make larger decisions based on the bigger picture. I’ve seen how that balance is so important for artistic leaders. One detail could change everything but also spending too much time on the details makes you lose momentum in achieving your overall aims.
Overall, it’s given me incredible clarity about what I need to do next to be an Artistic Director some day.
The Maids is a co-production with Reading Rep Theatre. How has this collaboration enriched the production process?
Reading Rep Theatre is the theatre I started out in and its Founder and Artistic Director Paul Stacey has been my mentor for years. It’s a luxury being able to bounce ideas and get support from not one but two excellent Artistic Directors like Stella and Paul. Much of the freelance artists we have brought on board to form our creative team are brilliant and have either worked at Reading Rep or Jermyn Street Theatre before. So, having that wealth of experience of both venues spread across the team has allowed us to make more exciting and informed choices early on in the design process.
Looking ahead, how do you envision your role in the theatre industry evolving, and what projects do you have in mind for the future?
I’m going to develop some new writing next – I’d like to get more involved in earlier stages of creating and have a few ideas up my sleeve that are to be realised. I also want to work on some larger shows as Associate Director because I’ve only done it once and it was a baptism of fire, so becoming a bit better at that is on my list. I’d also like to broaden in genre and direct some musicals. I can’t afford to be picky though because you can’t plan these things – I’ll see what exciting projects come my way and hopefully I’ll get to work on them.