The Maids

From the moment we took our seats in the delightful Arden Theatre our interest was piqued. The noise and bustle of the busy reception was immediately quieted as we entered the auditorium where we, the audience, were treated to a beautifully dressed stage. The lighting was truly effective in bringing it into sharp relief. An original oil painting, quality fabrics - everything intimated order, wealth and good taste. This was the wonderful setting of this evening’s quality entertainment. And what an excellent entertainment it was to be, confident, intriguing, shocking and absorbing. Spellbinding, word perfect and well paced. Caroline Lamoon - Director – had achieved the highest quality of performances from her actors and creative team. The use of Stanislavsky’s System certainly gave confidence and, I expect, surety to the players. Your direction gave life to a superb entertainment – thank you. They were word perfect and never out of the personally wrought characterisations they had chosen.

The lighting and the set were magnificent. Liberty Lines, playing Solange Lemercier, was unstoppable. She secured our attention from her first uttering. Frighteningly good, believable and word perfect – my goodness - articulate, emotionally intelligent. I’m loath to say that I would have liked to have seen a pause – a look - a slow silent breathing moment to underline the manic nature of the sisters’ ambition. Laura Crawte - playing Claire Lemercier was on-song. Caught up in a plan, no way out - complex and doomed! An excellent player. S-J Wnek – playing Madame, ultimately the victim of the piece, lived her part with a realistic ignorance of her ‘crime’! The victim – a privileged innocent! Well played. The Crew made this awesome production a reality.

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