March newsletter - less than two weeks to Salome!
Greetings from the end of week three of our Salome rehearsals!
Mae Heydorn as Herodias, with Robin Whitehouse as Herodes, with the “Boy Band” behind.
Photo by Lexi Clare Photography
We’ve been having a marvellous time putting together a terrific show for you all. Now, I’d like to fill York Hall to the rafters on all six nights.
I'd really love people to pay the full price, if possible, but here's a discount code, if money's a bit tight:
NEWSLETTER, which will give you 10% off.
I’ve been asked: Why Salome? Why now? Why not Tannhäuser or Tristan, or could we kindly put on the entire Ring Cycle again, please…
I mean, for a start, after the enormity of the Ring Cycle, we could all do with a shorter, palate cleanser, right?
Perhaps it is a tragedy, but there is a lot in Salome that made me think that this is the right piece for right now.
Salome is about power; Salome herself is clearly the victim of some kind of prolongued familial abuse, and this story is about how she chooses to take back her power. Her stepfather, Herod (Herodes in the opera), has killed her father in order to marry her mother, and she witnessed all of that. From her entry onto the stage, Salome's obsession with the prophet John the Baptist (Jochanaan) turns into a struggle for control and this has disastrous consequences. I'm not giving you any spoilers by saying Mark Ravenhill's reading of the final scene is fascinating. Would she have resorted to this if she had not been a victim of Herod and Herodias’s abuse?
I am not going to pretend that this maps perfectly onto the things we see going on in the world today, but I do think that this opera, with its themes of obsession and revenge, in the light of recent scandals, is profoundly relevant.
This powerful narrative, coupled with Strauss's opulent score and some stunning singing, led by Kirsty Taylor-Stokes and Eleanor Dennis, make this quite the evening out!
Tables, dining and being in the thick of it!
The final tables await Salome’s ferocious revelry. Dine in the decadence of Herod’s court, where wine flows like sin and the air hums with forbidden desire.
Hosted by Herodias and introduced by the inimitable Revolting Rosy, the evening immerses you in a shared feast of bold flavours, striking spectacle, and cabaret intrigue. As the night deepens, indulgence curdles into intensity, and the court’s fate unfolds around you in a performance of Salome like no other.
This is a one-night descent into opulence and ruin, never to be repeated.
Tickets: £250 each, or reserve your own table of four for £1,000.
Only two tables remain for opening night, with limited seats on the 11th.
Use code HERODIAS for 15% off a whole table - your secret to the last supper.
We are offering newsletter subscribers early access with your exclusive discount for 24 hours.
Introducing your spectacular Gala performers
Revolting Rosy - Emcee
Rosy is a shape-shifting, party pumping toy box of curious characters, immersive intimacies, and strange spectacles.
A chameleonic clown, feared by stage managers for the mess she inevitably leaves in her wake.
She performs at events and festivals in the UK and internationally, including Bad Bruises, Cirque Le Soir, Fusion Festival, Pinky Promise, Soho House, Wilderness Festival and Torture Garden.
This tiny temptress explodes onto the stage with pocket rocket energy that would rival the Duracell Bunny himself. A vixen of versatility, she has been described as the swiss army knife of cabaret.
From compering to fire eating, aerial artistry to seductive striptease, her acts and talents have wowed audiences from Shambala to the Seychelles.
They say good things come in small packages. Would you like to find out...?
The astute among you will have noticed that there is a week long gap in our performance schedule. Because we just can’t get enough, a select group of singers, including a couple of Salomes and a Narraboth among others, will perform for you as you enjoy a drink on us, meet director Mark Ravenhill and choreographer Aletta Collins, and peruse a selection of props. Those of you who joined us last year seemed to enjoy posing with the Spear, so that may make another appearance along with Nothung, if we can find it. I will of course be there to play the piano and ply you with alcohol. We really hope to see you there, please RSVP cj@regentsopera.com and let us know if you have access needs. We will be upstairs, but could be downstairs if needed.
And if you haven’t considered it already, now really is your last chance to sponsor a member of the cast in time to get your name in the programme. If you sponsor a singer you will get a one to one meet and greet and a signed production photos, as well as your name in the programme and our profound gratitude.