Regents Opera's Salome: A Lean, Fierce Production with Raw Power
Regents Opera, the wildly ambitious fringe company, has returned to York Hall in London's East End with a production of Richard Strauss's Salome, billed as "Strauss's MOST DANGEROUS opera." Directed by Mark Ravenhill with gangsterish overtones, this lean interpretation focuses on the contrasting dramas of the roles, delivering righteous fury and dynamic clarity in a historic boxing venue.
A Stripped-Back Musical Approach
The company, which last year mounted Wagner's entire Ring cycle with only 18 musicians, has now mustered a 24-piece ensemble for Salome. Seated at the far end of the space from most of the audience and playing a custom arrangement by Nigel Shore, the orchestra sounded somewhat defanged. Despite conductor Ben Woodward's seemingly boundless energy, the limited number of players made it impossible to capture Strauss's most luxuriant string textures, reducing the contrast between the score's vast climaxes and its creepiest, emptiest moments.
What emerged instead was an unusual degree of clarity, along with a built-in balance aid for the singers. They benefited from a 20-metre head start on the instrumentalists, thanks to a runway-style stage protruding through the audience, which allowed for dynamic use of the entire space in the opening scenes.
Powerful Vocal Performances
Not that some of the singers needed the boost. Freddie Tong's Jochanaan had a voice on a Wagnerian scale, his hard-edged fury still vivid even with his back to the audience. As Narraboth, James Schouten was even more powerful, with a rich and warm tone from bottom to top, while his awkward stage presence added a layer of dramatic sense.
Mae Heydorn's Herodias was blistering rather than beautiful, her tone darkly covered but unwieldy in its upper reaches. This made for a surprisingly effective double-act with Robin Whitehouse's underpowered Herod, portrayed as a rubbish white-suited gangster in danger of being upstaged by his own loud shirt. Among the smaller roles, Felix Kemp and Davide Basso stood out with notable performances.
Kirsty Taylor-Stokes as a Compelling Salome
Ultimately, Salome depends on its title role, and Kirsty Taylor-Stokes is this production's finest asset. She is a singer equal to Strauss's fiendish vocal writing, with a lush soprano, thrilling low notes, and an upper register only occasionally shrill. Moreover, she can persuasively act the part, bringing Salome to life with raw intensity.
Ravenhill's modern-ish production features East End flat caps, 80s shoulder pads, and his'n'hers bling for Herod and Herodias. It opens with Herod's birthday party, where Salome the rebellious teen wears a Guns N' Roses T-shirt. Her Dance of the Seven Veils sees her seize items of clothing from others instead of stripping, with Taylor-Stokes moving with the confidence of a trained dancer.
By the end, the rest of the cast simply stands around, eyes averted from Salome, who is enthralled with Jochanaan's severed head. Taylor-Stokes' closing monologue was as compelling and as disturbing as it gets, showcasing her ability to command the stage with emotional depth.
A Testament to Fringe Ambition
This production of Salome runs at York Hall, Bethnal Green, until 23 April, continuing Regents Opera's tradition of against-the-odds critical acclaim. With its tempered musical weight and focus on dramatic contrasts, it offers a unique take on a classic opera, proving that even with limited resources, raw power and clarity can shine through in the world of classical music.
