And for the milkman, which Madame subtly ridicules them for while offering comradery that they know is fake. And they not-so-subtly feel the same for each other, since they are each other’s only sexual outlet and fuel each other’s resentment and ideation on murder. “What of it? We’re just scum!” they rebuke each other, decrying their living condition, their obsession, their cowardice, and their dependency on each other. But tonight is different because getting Madame’s lover arrested has created a crisis that will finally force them to deal with her or be destroyed. They just need to practice a few times.
A Textured Relationship
While the sadomasochism is what immediately stands out to most viewers, this reviewer was struck by how well Hinkypunk and Patience Darling captured the older and younger sibling dynamic. Patience Darling’s younger sister Claire is needy, impulsive, provocative, shameless, and loud, but ultimately easily cowed. Hinkypunk’s Solange is the voice of, well, not reason, but responsibility and experience. We don’t learn anything about the sisters’ background, but it seems clear that Solange has been Claire’s anchor for a while. And Solange is scary. Her anger seethes and ultimately comes out in an unforgettable monologue in which Hinkypunk dominates the entire playing space.
Brookelyn Hebert rounds out the cast as Madame. Despite the maids’ idealization of the woman, she’s little more than an archetypical high school mean girl. But Hebert does show a trace of what they see in her when she casually throws out barbs with an almost supernatural ability to stab Solange or Claire in their weakest points. She also brings some very dark humor to the show when she taunts the women who are struggling to find the courage to kill her. You can almost see the vein bulging in Solange’s forehead as she keeps her eyes on the floor.
