Meet the Cast of THE MAIDS, at the Alexander Upstairs this November

Jean Genet's classic play, THE MAIDS, will be revived in a brand new staging by Philip Rademeyer, writer and director, and co-founder of the award-winning theatre collective, Rust Co-Operative. Presented by Wessel Pretorius, THE MAIDS will preview early in November 2015, with a full run commencing later that month. Meet the cast that will bring Genet's seductive and terrifying drama to life at the Alexander Bar and Café's Upstairs Theatre. The titular maids will be played by Wessel Pretorius and David Viviers, while their Madame will be played by Melissa Haiden.

Pretorius, who grew up in Nelspruit, obtained his Drama degree at the University of Pretoria and an Honours in Acting at the University of Stellenbosch. Pretorius has toured for several years in his self-penned solo show ONT-, which was translated by Hennie van Greunen as UNDONE to Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning effect. He has also appeared in Saartjie Botha's BALBESIT (directed by Jaco Bouwer) and Edward Albee's WIE'S BANG VIR VIRGINIA WOOLF? (directed by Christiaan Olwagen) and written SLAAF, AL JULLE VOLKE and SANDTON CITY GROOTDOOP, all of which premiered at the ABSA KKNK. He currently resides in Cape Town where he continues to invest in local theatre as actor, writer and theatermaker. Pretorius's prolific theatre career can be followed on Twitter at @anyopenspaces.

Viviers, who comes from the Garden Route town of George, graduated in 2014 from the University of Cape Town with distinction in Theatre and Performance, where he also received the Ruth Peffers prize for "Most Promising Student". At the beginning of 2015, he was nominated for a Fleur du Cap theatre award for Most Promising Student. His professional debut was in Wynne Bredenkamp's play, SALT, at the National Arts Festival. This year, he has performed alongside Nicholas Ellenbogen in the National Arts Festival cult classic RAIDERS and in Tom Coash's CRY HAVOC, directed by Roy Sargeant. Other credits include MEPHISTO, A LIE OF THE MIND and DIE BUFFEL - all directed by Christopher Weare. Keep up to date with Viviers's stage appearances by following him on Twitter at @DavidViviers.

Like Viviers, Cape Town-born Haiden graduated with a degree in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town. On stage, she has played rols like Desdemona in William Shakespeare's OTHELLO at Maynardville, under the direction of Fred Abrahamse, as well as W in Mike Bartlett's COCK. Haiden also appeared in 3 WOMEN IN JOHN at the Artscape Arena. She plays a very excitable Irish nurse in Netflix's JADOTVILLE and a savage pilgrim called Elinor Billington in Sony and Nat Geo's SAINTS AND STRANGERS, which will be released in November 2015. Keep up to date with all of Haiden's exploits on stage and screen by following her official Twitter account, @MelissaHaiden.

THE MAIDS previews on 9-10 November and runs from 16-28 November at the Alexander Bar's Upstairs Theatre. Tickets cost R90-R100 and can be booked online at the Alexander Bar website or purchased at the bar. For telephone bookings and enquiries, call 021 300 1652. Alexander Bar & Café is situated at 76 Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

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