The Maids

Text: Jean Genet
Director: Barış Celiloğlu
Assistant director and Set Construction: Berna Vardar
Lighting Design: Chuma Emembolu
Sound Design: Janbek Özdemir
Set Design: Barış Celiloğlu
Sound and Lighting Operator: Beril Karadeniz

Cast:
Ada Burke
İrem Sayılgan Bassil
Fiona Dawson

The Maids is a fantasy about pain, about playacting, mixed with a deep understanding of how power works on the powerless.

Trapped in a master/servant relationship and dehumanized, the maids go through a variety of high emotional states — psychopathic, and highly self-destructive at the same time. This play questions the idea of ownership and examines how power is decided. Genet has written a dark and twisted power triangle to question the power distribution and struggles among people. As Theatre East N Bull, we would proudly present that we have tried to adapt it to today’s world and its new power dynamics.

Our Team

Director

Barış Celiloğlu

Barış Celiloğlu is a graduate of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London.

Barış Celiloğlu is a graduate of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London. She started her acting and directing career in Istanbul, Turkey in 1992. She came to London in 1997 after acting and directing on stage for a few years in Istanbul. In Britain, she performed in venues such as The Gate Theatre, Arcola Theatre, The Young Vic in London and in Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as directing in London fringe theatres since 1998. She has recently directed "The Parade" by Loula Anagnostaki, "Two Lost in a Filthy Night" by Plinio Marcos and "Death and the Maiden" by Ariel Dorfman which were staged at Etcetera and Arcola Theatres in London as well as touring to Istanbul successfully. Baris Celiloglu has also recently been awarded the "best director" award by a prominent awarding body of Turkey for her direction of The Parade.
Actress

Fiona Dawson | Mistress

Fiona studied acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York with Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen.

Fiona Dawson Fiona's acting credits (New York) include: Mary Fydell, Born Today, the Comedy Club; Lillie, Tell Me Another, Theatre Productions; Rachel, Humaninanity, Castillio Arts Theatre; Helena, Alls Well That Ends Well; Phoebe, As You Like It; Olivia, Twelfth Night, HB Studio; Christina Grant, Murder on the Nile, Arena Repertory Theatre. She also played Doto, in "A Phoenix Too Frequent", directed by Christopher Fry at The Old Red Lion Theatre, London and Gwendolyn in Love From Shakespeare to Coward at the Covent Garden Theatre Museum. Her film credits include, Teresa, The Office and A Not Complete Score for Fireworks, NYU and commercials, the Fred Travalina Birthday Message, Phone Programs, New York. Fiona studied acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York with Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen.
Actress

Ada Burke | Solange

Ada Burke studied acting at London International School of Performing Arts and The Poor School in London.

Ada Burke studied acting at London International School of Performing Arts and The Poor School in London. She participated in many shows in many well known theatres such as Arcola Theatre, Soho Theatre, Hackney Showroom, Etcetera Theatre and Rosemary Theatre. Ada also took part in short and feature films. "Landescapes" brought her Best Actress Award in International Kosova Shqip Short Film Festival(2013). Ada still continues acting in different productions. She has been recently working as a pupeteer in famous Turkish shadow play Karagoz and Hacivat which is funded by Yunus Emre Institute and she also does voiceover for commercials and animations.
Assistant | Director

Berna Vardar

Berna Vardar studied Management Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. After moving to UK she graduated from King's College London, Department of Geography.

Berna Vardar studied Management Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. After moving to UK she graduated from King's College London, Department of Geography. She volunteered and worked at the LDAF, London Disability Art Forum. Involved in community theatre projects, sparsely but consistently. Berna was editor at 'Güncel Sanat', Istanbul based monthly art journal, 2014-2015. Also wrote art critiques/reviews for various London based Turkish newspapers. Translated books and articles.Berna writes reviews and press releases for artists such as Didem Ünlü and Sümer Erek, as well as for stage plays.
Actress

İrem Sayılgan | Claire

İrem Sayılgan was educated in Violin at Anatolia University Conservatory.

İrem Sayılgan was educated in Violin at Anatolia University Conservatory. She subsequently achieved a BA in Drama & Performing Arts at Near East University in Cyprus. Irem played the lead character in the award winning short film, 'Hope' which showed at BFI in 2014. and in the same year played one of the leading roles in Guest Theatre's production of Cocoons at Arcola theatre. She continues to work as a professional actor including performances with Creative Tutorials, Guest Theatre and Arcola theatre/Alaturca. She has played in numerous theatre plays internationally, including productions in Turkey, Cyprus and England. Irem continues to work as a professional actor as well as regularly giving Violin, piano and drama tuitions.
Sound Designer

Janbek Özdemir

In 2003, he was accepted to Anadolu University, Stringed Instruments department.

In 2003, he was accepted to Anadolu University, Stringed Instruments department. Here he received an educa-tion towards music theory, harmony, violin and the piano. Starting from 2006, he started attending many work-shops of well-known musicians. Apart from his solo concerts, he started working with the symphony orchestras as a guest artist which was mainly towards training young talent. In June 2011, he won the exam to study at Hfm Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig, and had the opportunity to attend Prof. Hans Werner Mehling's violin class. In 2015 he graduated from Anadolu University with an Honors degree. He is continuing his work in the music industry in London.