Salomé, Teatre Goya Barcelona Review

Reviews

23 Mar

Written by Laura for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings for the show: sexual assault, verbal assault against women, sexism, blood, and graphic scenes.

Judea, conquered by the Roman Empire, is being ruthlessly ruled by King Herod. John the Baptist, the spiritual leader of his people, has been imprisoned by the king. Princess Salome, feeling trapped and repressed, secretly supports the people of Judea who are rebelling against her father-in-law. Her desire for John is dangerous, fierce, and deadly.

This production, directed and written by Magüi Mira, premiered at the International Festival of Classical Theatre of Mérida in 2023, and has now arrived in Barcelona. The first thing that catches your eye is the gorgeous set design by Curt Allen Wilmer and Leticia Gañan, featuring a grand table with an opulent feast at Herod’s palace. It skillfully conveys the grandeur and decadence of the palace, while also serving as a prison cell or a hiding place for some of the characters. It’s a simple but effective concept.

The costume design by Helena Sanchis is also remarkable, blending more classical shapes and fabrics, such as velvet, with a modern twist. Salome’s skirts had many layers of rich and beautiful fabrics that aided her movement and conveyed the stark contrast between her and John’s torn and simple clothing.

While all theatre is art in my eyes, and all theatrical productions hold value for different reasons, there seems to be a trend that for something to be artistic, it needs to be as unintelligible and abstract as possible, a notion that I unfortunately do not agree with. This production is a perfect example of that. The character of John, for example, sings on several occasions, but no one else does; is it because he’s a prophet? Is it because he’s the only one who’s right? This is never explained. The songs don’t really add anything to his character development either, as he already has monologues for that. John also keeps alluding to eagles as a sign of freedom and resilience when, to me, eagles are a clear reference to the Roman empire.

There are other odd directing choices, such as the palace soldiers wearing sunglasses while “marching” and gossiping for about five minutes, or a meaningless parade at the beginning of the play. In short, I feel like there is no need to add strange or meaningless things into a production to make it look edgier or contemporary.

I believe they may have attempted to tell too many stories at the same time: Salome’s quest for freedom and sexual liberation for herself and other women, Herodias’ backstory and her marriage with Herodes, John’s speeches of freedom, a rebellion, etc. I wish they had chosen fewer themes and actually spent time developing them in depth; otherwise, the script feels somewhat disjointed and clumsy.

Despite these criticisms, there were many positive aspects to the play! For me, the highlight must be the acting. Belén Rueda shines as Salome; every single one of her expressions is fascinating to watch, she’s mesmerizing. Her performance during her final scene was absolutely powerful and fascinating; I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Luisa Martín was so good as Herodias that I wanted a whole play just about her. Pablo Puyol delivered a solid performance as John the Baptist, particularly shining in his scenes opposite Belén as Salome. The addition of Sirio, a star that has been watching humankind for ages and that acts as somewhat of a narrator during the show, was a unique and interesting choice, and Sergio Mur did a wonderful job of appearing elegant and serene throughout.

“Salomé” offers an interesting modern take on the well-known story, and even though I believe there are areas that could be improved—especially regarding the script and directing choices—it features a very strong cast and some shocking imagery that makes it worth seeing. Catch it at Teatre Goya until the 24th of March.