Salome

Important Information

About Salome

"One should not look at anything. Neither at things, nor at people should one look. Only in mirrors is it well to look, for mirrors do but show us masks...’"

Maxim Didenko, one of Europe’s leading theatre directors, will bring his production of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé to the West End this autumn, a co-production between the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Gesher Theatre.

Written by Wilde in 1891, this lyrical one-act play, banned in Britain at the time, tells the biblical tale of Salomé, the stepdaughter of the lecherous Herod Antipas, and her infatuation with John the Baptist. When her advances towards the prophet are spurned, Salomé unleashes a deadly dance that will echo through the ages... 

Bold, provocative, and drenched in poetic decadence, Salomé is a haunting exploration of power, eroticism, and the price of forbidden longing. The Gesher Theatre presents Didenko’s highly stylised production, which explores Wilde’s intoxicating world, where beauty becomes a weapon and a kiss can mean death.  

The mysterious Salomé has haunted the imagination of artists for centuries - but who was she, really? A naive girl swept up in forces beyond her control? A defiant teenager railing against the hypocrisy of the world around her? Or a dangerous seductress with a lust for power?  The enigmatic Jewish princess continues to electrify the minds of audiences with her dark allure and untamed spirit. 

This production is brought to life by designer Galya Solodovnikova, winner of the 2024 Off West End Award for Best Set, French composer Louis Lebe, and lighting designer Gleb Filshtinsky.

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, with a mission to build bridges between cultures, emphasising 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, the Vienna Festival and the Canada all in the past year, the Gesher Theatre return to the UK for the first time in over 25 years, last playing the Barbican in 1999.