Marie Ndiaye is an prolific French author, a women voice through which topics of political and social relevance resonate. Relatively unknown outside the French realm, she raises, sometimes with a diplomatic irony, questions and outlines hypocritical social trends.
I don´t remember when I last read a play, and for sure I visited a theatre long time ago, but my love for theatre is always here, deep into my heart. Hilda is a relatively easy play, without any scenery details, focused on dialogues and, probably, voice and gestures.
The main characters are Frank, Hilda´s husband, Mme Lemarchand who is a declared ´gauchiste´ who needs a maid and ends up ´owning´ Hilda, and Corinne, Hilda´s sister. Hilda is absent, just mentioned as a passive object used either by the husband or by Mme. The children - Hilda and Frank´s and of Mme - are also only mentioned, but do not have their own entry into the story.
Mme Lemarchand, psychotically needs Hilda as a maid, imaginary friend and companion. She makes a ´deal´ with her husband to work for her, while paying her directly through her husband. Abandoned, Frank will replace her with her sister, but her value diminishes dramatically for her owner.
Because, in the end, control and manipulation is everything that Mme is looking for. She is persuasive, rich, psychotic - again - develops strategies to control and submiss both Hilda and her husband. It is the absurdity of control of bodies and souls, facilitated by money, social position and influence that amplifies the obsession.
I will be very curious to watch the play based on the book. As for the author, I have already some of her other books waiting for me to read and review them.
Rating: 4.5 stars
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