Darlings — sharpen your eyeliner and steady your nerves, because Maxim Didenko, the electric Russian maestro of European theatre, is sashaying into the West End this autumn with a production so bold, so brazen, and so beautifully blasphemous, it could make even Wilde blush.
That’s right — Oscar Wilde’s Salomé, once banned in Britain for being too much, is returning to its rightful place: the stage of the Theatre Royal Haymarket, in a jaw-droppingly stylish co-production with Gesher Theatre.
A Princess. A Prophet. A Deadly Dance.
Written in 1891 by Mr Wilde himself (the man could write a dinner party and a decapitation scene, darling), Salomé is the tale of desire, rejection, and revenge served on a silver platter. Quite literally.
Our heroine? The hypnotic, hell-raising Salomé, stepdaughter to Herod, who becomes infatuated with the brooding and buttoned-up John the Baptist. When he dares rebuff her — well, let’s just say it doesn’t end with a polite “thanks for your time.”
Instead? A dance. A kiss. A severed head.
(And you thought Phantom was dark.)
Dark Allure Meets Divine Direction
The divine Didenko is known for theatre that crackles, and this version of Salomé promises no exceptions. With Galya Solodovnikova’s award-winning sets, French composer Louis Lebe’s seductive score, and Gleb Filshtinsky’s moody lighting, we’re talking a production that practically drips with forbidden glamour.
From 30th September to 11th October, the Theatre Royal Haymarket becomes a den of lyrical sin and candlelit chaos — just how we like it. Press night is on the 30th, and if you’re not in a seat by then, darling, you’d better hope there’s a prophet to forgive your tardiness.
A World-Class Collaboration
The Gesher Theatre (Gesher meaning ‘bridge’ in Hebrew) is one of the world’s most celebrated
theatres. Based in Jaffa, the company has a repertory troupe of immigrant artists, and it’s
mission is to build bridges between cultures with an emphasis on international collaboration. It
has staged over 60 productions since its founding in 1991, has toured the world, won numerous
awards and been praised as one of “the greatest and most important troupes in the world” (The
Times). Following hugely successful tours to France, USA and the Canada over the past year, the
Gesher Theatre returns to the UK for the first time in over 25 years, having last played at the
Barbican in 1999.
Salomé is produced by Ekaterina Kashyntseva and casting for the production will be announced
at a later date.
So if you fancy a night of poetry, provocation, and power plays — with a heaping of biblical scandal — you know where to be. And no, you don’t need to bring your own silver platter. (Unless it’s designer.)
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