Genet’s ‘the maids’ gets a starkly modern makeover, starring bridgerton’s yerin ha

Jean Genet’s notoriously complex and psychologically charged drama, ‘The Maids,’ is getting a provocative, contemporary update, and the star of this daring reimagining is Yerin Ha, the breakout talent who captivated audiences as Sophie Baek in Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton.’

A haired turn, a digital dynasty

Kip Williams’s production, slated to premiere at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn this spring, isn’t a gentle reimagining. Instead, it transplants the claustrophobic dynamics of the original play – centered on the simmering resentments and murderous fantasies of three housemaids trapped within the opulent confines of their mistress’s estate – into the hyper-saturated world of Social Media and influencer culture. Madame, once a figure of unattainable beauty, is now an heiress-turned-influencer, a caricature of undeserved privilege, meticulously curated for her online audience.

Ha, who previously worked with Williams on a production of ‘Lord of the Flies’ in Sydney, expressed a palpable excitement about returning to the project. “Coming back into the rehearsal room, I felt like I was ready, but also hoping to expand and dive deeper into what we had already explored,” she stated. “That’s a real gift, because it doesn’t come often.” Her recent turn as Sophie Baek in ‘Bridgerton’ – a role that catapulted her to international stardom – has undoubtedly shaped her understanding of Madame, lending a fresh perspective to the character’s motivations and desires.

A twist of the sheers

Williams’s script is deliberately unsettling, filled with knowing references to follower counts, designer labels, and the relentless pursuit of online validation. The director cleverly manipulates the audience, using the central motif of drawn-back sheers – a recurring image in Genet’s play – to position us as silent voyeurs, complicit in the maids’ escalating acts of cruelty. “It was a bit of a revelation,” says Claire Wilson, who portrays Claire, one of the housemaids. “I read it in a coffee shop the day he sent it. I was just laughing out loud like, Oh, my God, the audacity to turn it this modern and to give it such a spin.”

The play’s themes – materialism, obsession with youth, and the corrosive effects of power – resonate powerfully with Ha’s own recent experiences. “It is a very modern take,” she explains, examining the play’s exploration of these issues. “It embraces those themes with a lurid, absurdist sense of humor that spares no one.” The cast, including Phia Saban as Solange and Yerin Ha as Madame, are committed to pushing the boundaries of the narrative, exploring the darkest corners of human nature with unflinching honesty.

Beyond the headlines

This transfer from the Donmar Warehouse in London to New York represents yet another instance of a West End production successfully capturing the attention of American audiences. Ha’s newfound fame – bolstered by her role in ‘Bridgerton’ and subsequent accolades, including being named the 2026 Ambassador of the Actor Awards – has undoubtedly contributed to the play’s buzz.

“Diving deeper into those themes and how that resonates with me today, versus how it resonated with me a year ago—that has shifted as well,” Ha adds. Saban, known for her role as Halaena Targaryen on ‘House of the Dragon,’ captures the essence of the production’s unsettling nature: “If you’re lucky enough to do something that has enough attention to qualify for press, there’s this strange dissonance between presenting the appealing side of yourself, but then hopefully, in your work, getting to explore being horrific.”

A bold new vision

Kip Williams’s adaptation is not simply a modernization of ‘The Maids’; it’s a deliberate provocation, a questioning of our own complicity in a culture obsessed with image and status. The production promises to be a gripping, unsettling, and ultimately unforgettable theatrical experience.