Cate Blanchett sweeps you under her spell in Jean Genet’s ‘The Maids’

Cate Blanchett is ready for her closeup, Mr. Genet — and in all of the demented desperation that suggests. The thrill of watching this Oscar winner and stage animal go belly-up in all her game-for-anything glory comes thanks to the Sydney Theatre Company’s wild and woolly but weirdly lopsided production of Jean Genet’s 1947 play, The Maids. Based on an actual ugly double homicide, the work is a spiky and spit-covered (on shoes, a dress and practically in a woman’s face) and repetitive one about class warfare, revenge and role-playing. Blanchett is Claire. French film and stage star Isabelle Huppert is her big sister Solange. They work as maids for a spoiled-rotten rich 20something mistress (Elizabeth Debicki), who can’t even tell them apart. They hate her. A lot. When the lady of the house is out, Claire and Solange get their rocks off acting out a charade. They take turns impersonating the boss and killing her. But now Claire has upped the revenge ante — and the maids’ gooses are cooked. Cracks in brave fronts are showing. At least one of them is going down — for good.