Wise Maids (1997)

Written by Clare Duffy

Once there were two sisters who lived in the attic of a large house owned by a rich woman. They lived alone and together for longer than either of them could remember. Their escapes took many forms.
Wise Maids was a short play for 2 actors which examined man’s fascination and the media’s obsession with women who kill.

“What Unlimited manage to do is to open up that silent part of the imagination that is all too oftenclosed in the world of theatre nowadays” Leicester Mail

Wise Maids was inspired by the real life story of the Papin sisters who brutally murdered their mistress and her daughter, causing public outrage in 1930’s France. The play imagines the interior worlds of these media created “monsters” as they escape into an all consuming fantasy world where murder, mayhem and Fondant Fancies are all on the menu.
The piece was originally toured to small scale studio venues in the UK and performed as the main theatre event at the 1997 International Women’s Writing Festival hosted by the Canadian Institute for Theatre Research. WISE MAIDS was visually stunning and creates a haunting atmosphere in which the performers portray a disturbed, tragic and moving relationship between the two sisters. It’s also very funny in places.

“Leave your preconceptions at the door and dare to take a seat in the front row” The Big Issue

Wise Maids was also commissioned by Leeds Metropolitan Gallery as a site-specific and outdoor installation piece titled ‘Ann & Mags’ – the names of the sisters in the play.
First performed at the Workshop Theatre, University of Leeds February 1997, it was re-worked and re-written for the Edinburgh Festival 2000 as CLEAN.


Original Cast:
Ann – Liz Margree
Mag – Louisa Ashley
Directed by Paul Warwick
Lighting Design by J Spooner

What we wrote about it at the time…

“It was the thing that I wrote when I decided I wanted to write. It’s idiosyncratic, affectionate and cruel and probably remains my favourite; in the way that your kid in the Christmas Nativity is always the best.” CLARE

“The character of Mag, I think, will continue to feature in my life forever. She develops as time passes and it is always a strange pleasure to have the opportunity to bring her back to life – like for “Ann and Mag” at The Gallery, LMU 1999. Wise Maids is from another world but is a world that we all carry within us. Some of us are too scared to have a look.” LOUISA

“Ann and Mag have a friendship that started like mine and Louisa’s, really massive and intense at the start, then knowingly permanent and pleasurable. They are our alter egos and being them again is like returning to old friends. Ann is more destructive than Mag, but Mag is more vicious. Together they are very dangerous, very secret, and very silly. Cross the road if you see them. You have been warned.” LIZ

“I don’t know if it’s because this is the only Unlimited show I haven’t been in and therefore able to watch, but it remains my favourite. I think that Clare’s writing (essentially a long poem) was turned into something truly amazing by Liz & Louisa’s incredible performances and Paul’s immaculate direction. I cried, which is the sign of a good show if you ask me.” J

“Like slipping into a nice warm bath and finding broken glass at the bottom.” CHRIS

“This show was better than we understood at the time. Directing Ann and Mags was like training lions, Liz and Louisa were disciplined and beautiful but I was never quite sure that they didn’t want to kill me. It’s perverse but I still like going back there. The rest…well, that’s our little secret.” PAUL