© Bernie Ng, courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore

Magic Maids

Eisa Jocson (PH) & Venuri Perera (LK) in coproductie met Frascati Producties

Tue 12 May ’26 and Wed 13 May ’26

Ritual performance, theatricality, and possession interwoven into a compelling whole.

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Tue 12 May ’26

and

Wed 13 May ’26

coming soon

Tue 12 May ’26

20:30

Frascati, Amsterdam

Frascati 1

To wishlist

coming soon
Wed 13 May ’26

20:30

Frascati, Amsterdam

Frascati 1

To wishlist

coming soon

Magic Maids interweaves ritual performance, pageantry and possession. A feral incantation that demystifies the connection of the history of European witch-hunts to the enduring extraction and exploitation of women's labour in today’s global chain of migrant care work.

Both female figures, “the witch” and “the maid”, are part of the same matrix: powerful and powerless, feared and revered, used, accused and discarded. The tropes are not mere hearsay and history but deeply rooted in today’s psyche.

International artists Eisa Jocson and Venuri Perera have collected stories of migrant domestic workers from the so-called Global South, the echoes of which now haunt their bodies. In the work, the domestic cleaning tool, as well as the vehicle of the witch, the Broom, becomes an extension of their body, an axis that transforms oppression into monstrous feminist resistance.

The brooming duo dances to rewild the domesticated feminine, performing a ritual of disobedience that dismantles the dominant narrative we live in.

During their residency at Frascati Producties in April 2024, Eisa and Venuri worked on Magic Maids. The piece premiered in May 2025 at SPRING Performing Arts Festival in Utrecht and is now being presented at Frascati.

Duration: 80 mins.
Language: English

Part of

Credits

concept, creatie, dramaturgie, performance Eisa Jocson, Venuri Perera geluidsontwerp Soraya Bonaventure lichtontwerp Ariana Battaglia artistiek advies Rasa Alksnyte, Tang Fu Kuen tekstadvies Ruhanie Perera spiritueel advies Nenet Ocson Babaylan-Vaigaland artistieke bijdrage Arco Renz dramaturgische ondersteuning Anna Wagner, Alexandra Hennig productieadvies Sandro Lunin producenten Katja Armknecht, Anne Kleiner productieleiding Greta Katharina Klein technische productie, tour Yap Seok Hui

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In the press

“In Magic Maids, the discomfort hits harder, especially when the two performers sweetly recount stories of exploited, abused, raped, and murdered maids.” de Volkskrant

About the makers

Eisa Jocson is an interdisciplinary artist from the Philippines with a background in visual arts and ballet, who entered contemporary dance through pole dancing. Her work examines body politics within the service and entertainment industries through the socioeconomic lens of the Philippines. She explores how and why bodies move, often in relation to labour and migration, and how these movements are shaped by global capitalism. Her work has been presented internationally at leading festivals and has received multiple awards.

Venuri Perera is an independent artist, curator, and educator from Colombo, working between Sri Lanka and Amsterdam. Her practice explores power dynamics of visibility and opacity, questioning how we perceive “the other.” Her performances address themes such as nationalism, patriarchy, migration, colonial legacies, and class. She presents her work internationally, collaborates across disciplines, and is actively engaged in supporting the independent dance scene in Sri Lanka.