See a new take on Strauss’s opera Salome
Enjoy a radical feminist reading of this classic production – inspired by Oscar Wilde's play – opening ENO’s 2018/19 season
English National Opera brings a new production of Salome to the London Coliseum this September, 13 years on from its last performance of the opera. Based on the familiar biblical story, this bold new version offers a creative and radically feminist interpretation of Strauss's tale of sexual awakening and obsession.
Providing a fresh perspective on one of the most important works of 20th-century music and opera, the production promises a hallucinatory experience intended to challenge the concepts of patriarchal power and generational influences.
Taking inspiration from Oscar Wilde‘s play of the same name, Strauss’s work is an intense psychological exploration of the Salome story. Living as a princess with access to whatever she wants, the one thing that Salome needs proves to be maddeningly out of reach.
As her life is twisted by control and neglect, an act of rejection ultimately causes her to realise her own brutal power. Featuring the Dance Of The Seven Veils that stepfather Herod demands in return for her heart’s desire, Salome’s shocking request reveals the effect of the warped world to which she has been exposed.
The all-female creative team is headed by acclaimed Australian theatre director Adena Jacobs, who makes her UK operatic debut. Jacobs is well-qualified to oversee the feminist interpretation thanks to her work as artistic director of Fraught Outfit, which is known in Australia for its stark re-imaginings of classical and biblical stories from a contemporary, feminine perspective.
Jacobs explains: “This production of Salome is mythic, feminine and brutally contemporary. Imagined through Salome’s perspective, Strauss’s opera becomes a fever dream, a dark fantasy, and an examination of patriarchal power and control.
“My approach to Salome is through the lens of trauma; the ways in which cycles of violence have inscribed themselves on to the bodies and psyches of these characters.”
The creative team is completed by award-winning designer Marg Horwell, along with Lucy Carter, one of London’s most sought-after lighting designers.
Conducted by ENO music director Martyn Brabbins, acclaimed Scottish mezzo-soprano Allison Cook makes her ENO debut as Salome. She is joined by tenor Michael Colvin as Herod and Susan Bickley as Herodias, while English bass David Soar sings Jokanaan for the first time.
Tickets for Salome start from £12, with 500 available for every performance at £20 or less. Booking fees apply. To find out more about the production or book tickets, visit eno.org/salome