Preview: Salome at Hampstead Theatre

Preview: Salome at Hampstead Theatre


by: Spoonfed Theatre Team

Salome at Hampstead Theatre closes on July 17th. Here's why you shouldn't miss it:

This week is your last chance to catch Jamie Lloyd’s production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome at Hampstead Theatre. The once-banned biblical drama eventually published in 1893 sent shockwaves through its audience and Lloyd sets out to do much the same this time around. 

You’re guaranteed a heavy dose of rich drama as Lloyd and his stellar cast lay bare the infatuation, jealousy and corruption that pervade the morally vacant world of sexy Salome, her perverse stepfather Herod and his wife Herodias.  

Jaye Griffiths has won critical acclaim across the board for her brilliant portrayal of the desperate Herodias. Undeniably talented, you’ll recognise her from a bunch of TV roles including The Bill and Silent Witness but the stage is her real calling as proved by her performance in Salome. Salome, played by the stunning Zawe Ashton, oozes seduction and wastes no time whipping Herod into a darkly erotic frenzy before demanding the head of John the Baptist. 

Con O’Neil is brilliantly disturbing as the villainous Herod. His ego is egged on by his step-daughter as his wife watches while he spirals into further depths of depravity. The performances in this arresting play are highlighted by the mammoth effort that has gone into making the show visually striking. The characters dwell in designer Soutra Gilmour’s post-apocalyptic world of bleak black, their debauchery lit with startling sophistication. 

Having won crowds over at The Curve in Leicester, Salome is definitely a play to catch before the end of its London run on July 17th.

 

 

Click here for more Classic Theatre
Click here for more London Theatre
Click here for more Things to do in London

Latest From the Critics

Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...

Clerkenwell, Cyanotypes, Conspiracy - Editor's Choice, Exhibitions
From Wednesday 30th May Rachel Lichtenstein @ Tintype A site-specific installation by Rachel Lichtenstein...

Posh at Duke of York's Theatre
Laura Wade's Posh finally gets its West End transfer two years after it ran at Royal Court in the run...

The return of the lolly joke
Whatever happened to lolly stick jokes? Admittedly, they were a teensy bit rubbish but they added that...

Street Parties, Tea Parties and Tiaras - Editor's Choice, Life & Style
All WeekThe Tiara Shop @ Selfridge'sAs much as we're all looking forward to putting our glad rags on n...