Collision course of the monstrous and magical elements of femininity, prejudice and Britney Spears.

From the moment one enters the Esplanade Annexe Studio for Magic Maids, there is the sense that we are participating in something sacred or ritualistic. Hanging from the back wall is an armoury of brooms of various lengths and types, while above us, white and red string is layered and arranged in a web-like formation – to ensnare or to protect us? A mound of white dust, perhaps purifying or protective salt, is arranged in a symbol on the floor, and if one observes closely, one notices lime and bird’s eye chili placed above the brooms, and off to the side, an altar of worship containing food offerings and images of a pantheon of gods.

What this seems to signify is that we are now firmly in a witches’ lair, perhaps not one intended to hurt us, but nonetheless, one created with intentionality, and brimming with sorcery, as we prepare to fall under co-creators Eisa Jocson and Venuri Perera’s spell, as they pace the perimeter of the space, throwing crumbs over the audience as if to cleanse us. Playing as part of the Esplanade’s 2024 edition of da:ns focus – Connect Asia Now (CAN), Magic Maids draws from both Eisa and Venuri’s home countries, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, and their reputation for the export of female domestic workers. In dealing with how domestic workers have faced prejudice and abuse over the years, both artists found a parallel in witchcraft, where historically, in both European and Asian countries, women accused of witchcraft have often been punished and feared for their powers.

That link may seem tenuous, but it makes a lot more sense when you consider the idea of both the witch and the maid as the ‘other’, a foreign, mysterious influence that has made her way into one’s most intimate domestic space, creating a sense of fear and suspicion, even as they may aid their employer. Not to mention, many of these domestic workers do actually bring their own form of religious practice with them as well, attempting to practice and maintain their connection to spirituality in a foreign land, which may well be seen as some form of black magic by employers who do not know better. It is this idea of power, spirituality and belief then that forms the basis of Magic Maids, as Eisa and Venuri emerge onstage, dressed in black coats, as if they are witches, embracing their saucy, sorcerous sides.

Through Magic Maids, Eisa and Venuri begin a ritual, each picking out a large scrub brush-headed broom, audibly tapping the handles on the floor, before mounting them, as if about to take off. Of course, there is no defying gravity in this performance – but what Eisa and Venuri do instead is keep the broom handles firmly clutched between their thighs, its back end sticking out their front like a grotesque additional appendage, and its head touching the ground behind them, like an animal’s tail as they swish it back and forth. In a sense, the dancers have undergone a form of metamorphosis through their initial spell, accessing the animalistic, perhaps even monstrous aspects of their selves through this process.

Soraya Bonaventure’s sound design is haunting, reminiscent of being lost in the woods straight out of a horror movie, with rustles and whispers. Eisa and Venuri proceed to dance, their movements initially slow as they sweep the ground with their ‘tail brooms’. It is strangely mesmerising to watch them, and we think of how spellcasting and magic too requires some degree of discipline, our own domestic routines some form of routine that brings order to our lives. But these movements eventually give way to wilder choreography, as they fall to the ground, chanting, then cackling, as if filled with some kind of power. They throw their coats off, revealing lacy material wrapped around black bodysuits, sensual, while also adorned with feathers, hair and string anklets and bracelets, charms that further their link to magic. It is sultry, as they remove the bands from their hair, letting it hang loose, as if trying to flirt with the audience and unleash their femininity for all.

The ritual has now reached its peak, as they begin to take turns grabbing the brooms from behind, each type of broom allowing them to transform into a brand new entity. Long brooms become extended arms, spinning around to show off their length, while shorter, rainbow-hued brooms become like wings, flapping them like birds showing off their feathers. All the while, the background music rises to a steady beat, and samples the repeated lyrics ‘slave’ and ‘I really wanna do, what you want me to’, from Britney Spears’ ‘Slave 4 U’, over and over. Britney herself becomes a symbol and icon of choice and power – as much as she seems to embody the embracing of female sexuality and success in the pop world, the story of her conservatorship and how she’s been controlled for most of her life begs the question, does she actually have any agency? And similarly, we then wonder if these domestic workers are here by choice, or are they forced into doing it, maintaining a smile as they serve?

The dance becomes more frenzied, both Eisa and Venuri panting from the exertion, until it comes to a grinding halt. Breaking the fourth wall, both Eisa and Venuri turn to face us, and ask us – ‘do you own a Sri Lankan? do you own a Filipina?’ The audience is clearly uncomfortable, and it takes some prompting from both Eisa and Venuri to get us to respond. This is not an accusation – it is in fact an advertisement, as they begin to expound on the advantages of owning a domestic worker; she will listen to you, have a personality, or perhaps allow you to beat her when she messes up, begging to be beaten, a slave for you, who might just say ‘hit me baby one more time’. And if we don’t already own one, perhaps we should work hard in order to afford one.

It is a segment that both breaks the momentum of the performance, yet is necessary to foreground and make it clear what Magic Maids is about, as we grapple with the seemingly paradoxical guilt and benefits of hiring a maid. In problematising it even further, Eisa and Venuri then go into stories and anecdotes of horrific abuse suffered by domestic workers – one who was sent home and set off the metal detector when they found nails driven into her body; women who were burnt or drowned; or of charming employers and sons to cover up unwanted pregnancies and affairs. All this while, Eisa and Venuri begin hanging up brooms onto the strings above, resembling the bodies of people being strung up and lynched. The space soon becomes a forest of corpses, the brooms dangling over us, and we think of how much blood has been spilt, how many lives lost from the abuse, these women never standing a chance without proper rights, doing this because it is their best shot at a better life, and dying because of it.

This same darkness then translates to the remainder of the performance, as the playful animal-movements of before are now gone, and a far more monstrous side comes out. The brooms are no longer a key part of their performance, in fact, they toss them at the salt structure (with their thighs) in an attempt to disrupt it, as if there are now no holds barred, allowing us to see the full extent of their power. There is something feral about their movements, pain and anger that translates to their bodies as they flip their hair over their face, Sadako-like, even coming together to connect their heads together, appearing like some kind of unknown beast. Panting, snarling, we wonder if this then is a form of revenge they wish to enact on all the abusive employers out there, to curse them for their years of cruelty.

During the curtain call, Britney Spears’ ‘Work Bitch’ plays, and we are left to wonder what the future of domestic work should indeed look like. Indeed, it seems there is nothing inherently wrong with hiring a maid, but it is the way we treat them with suspicion, as lesser beings, that often leads to far more damning consequences. Awash with ideas and fascinating imagery and movement, Magic Maids is both warning and tribute, a reminder that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, inciting both pity and fear in us for the domestic workers around us.

Magic Maids ran from 4th to 6th October 2024 at the Esplanade Annexe Studio. More information available here

da:ns focus – Connect Asia Now (CAN) 2024 ran from 4th to 6th October 2024 at the Esplanade. Full programme available here

Production Credits:

Concept, Creation, Dramaturgy, Performance Eisa Jocson, Venuri Perera Light Design Ariana Battagli Sound Design Soraya Bonaventure Artistic Advice Rasa Alksnyte Text Advice Ruhanie Perera Spiritual Advice Nenet Ocson Babaylan-Vaigaland Outside Eyes and Ears Arco Renz, Tang Fu Kuen In-House Dramaturgical Support Anna Wagner, Alexandra Hennig Production Advice Sandro Lunin Technical Production Seok Hui Yap Producer Katja Armknecht, Anne Kleiner Production Management Paula Elena Noack, Greta Katharina Klein