"Salome" Opera by Richard Strauss (based on Oscar Wilde's play)

Apollo Theatre Production, Tuesday 12th March 2002 - reviewed by Henrietta Stackpole

'Salome' is the tale of corruption and lust from the Bible, where Herod's incestuous fixation with his brother's daughter is duly punished by her falling in love with Jokanaan, whom he reveres as a prophet. He begs her to drink, eat and sit with him, but the offer of having anything she desires if she dances with him is too powerful after Jokanaan has rejected her. She dances, and requests for Jokanaan's head on a silver platter…

I was a little apprehensive about seeing 'Salome' at the Apollo, since all the productions I've ever seen confirm my view that the play is Oscar Wilde's greatest comedy. However, this production is different. Set upon a realistic and breath-taking, grey-grilled background, the performance was astounding.

The whole cast shone, with even the more minor characters keeping in character throughout. Peter Hoare and Anna Burford were excellent as Narraboth and the Page who is in love with him at the start of the musical, setting the high standard for singing and passion in the play, as he gazes upon Salome through the bars, and the Page attempts to distract him by singing of the moon. Eliane Coelho exudes presence as the title role, and manages to underplay her character beautifully at times as an intelligent woman who finds her power to manipulate men amusing, particularly since this sets off the spiral into despair and a deeply pathetic, obsessive madness when Jokanaan rejects her advances. Her voice is beautiful, and her dancing seductive and filled with the sexual symbolism of traditional female submission to the man towards both Jokanaan and her step-father.

Matthew Best (Jokanaan) sings movingly, and his rumbling voice penetrates your heart even when off stage in the cell. When he appears through the mist arising from his leaving the cell (the stage effects add much), he maintains a dignified front in his rags, contrasting well with Salome's white dress and red belt, the latter signifying her passion, the former perhaps ironically her purity. His white headband is also well chosen, since it contrasts with the black blindfolds the three soldiers wear in the beginning scene to shield them from Salome's beauty. They still cannot resist, but he can, and the chemistry between the two protagonists is magnificent. Coelho uses her whole body well to express Salome's love for the prophet, and he rejects her with increasing reluctance, which is perhaps why the physical resistance becomes so necessarily forceful. I was not quite sure about him throwing his shoes at her at the start of this resistance; it was the only point in the performance to be disputed, since he lost some dramatic stature in doing so.

Robin Leggate and Elizabeth Vaughen were excellent as Herod and Herodias. As well as having brilliant voices, they skilfully managed to add some comic touches which enhanced the production. Vaughen swept over the stage magnificently in her purple robe, and Leggate managed to portray Herod with true pathos as an unwitting prophet of doom himself, entangled in the incestuous, so that our sympathy is with him when he calls Salome a monster.

The combination of gifted singers, a strong orchestra and a beautiful set makes 'Salome' compulsory viewing.

Go and see it!