There’s nothing wrong with theatre being pure entertainment, and Little Ones Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé doesn’t aspire to do anything but have a lot of fun. It’s a hoot, though admittedly not without its less-original moments, but the whole is energetic, amusing and sly; a camped-up drag-fest. One can’t help but think Oscar would have been delighted.
The text itself is a kind of oriental/gothic murkily biblical tale of sexuality, obsession, power and entitlement, building up menace with repetition of language and images of a destructive moon goddess, peacocks, jewels and blood. What was originally a serious essay on decadence and destructive (female) sexuality has been gleefully queered up, references to loins, swords, tongues and poison all given double meanings with a jolly, familiar rudeness, almost inoffensive, insofar as references to fisting can be inoffensive. The gender-bending works on the level of hilarity rather than subversion. A couple of Wilde’s characters have been sensibly incorporated into the cast of seven for reasons of economy, and the cast get to clown around in performances that segué into 80s style choreography, assisted by some familiar clubbing and rock classics.
Salomé is an exuberant production, although slow in starting, with a lip-synched drag routine by Ton Dent, the sort of thing that was tired by the time Rocky Horror conquered the world. Directed by Stephen Nicolazzo, it’s all innuendo, double meaning and gay slapstick, with Salomé herself played as a posturing matador princess, a nice, light delivery by Paul Blenheim who gives the Princess finesse and presence.
Alexandra Aldrich has a blast as the sleazy Herod and is also given the most opportunity in terms of acting range. Petite Genevieve Giuffre is a surprise as John the Baptist, part Southern gospel preacher, part Madonna-style pop star. Herod morphing into a rock god is a witty turn with Dent as wind machine, and Salomé’s dance of the seven veils is quite lovely, all of it wryly observed by Nick Pelomis’ elegant, vengeful Herodias.
Salomé is funny, stylish and appealing. A shared laugh is a good laugh.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Salomé
By Oscar Wilde
A Little Ones Theatre/Malthouse Theatre Production
Presented as part of the Helium independent theatre season
Director: Stephen Nicolazzo
Set Design: Eugyeene Teh
Costume Design: Tessa Leigh Wolffenbuttel Pitt and Eugyeene Teh
Lighting Design: Katie Sfetkidis
Sound Design: Nate Edmondson
Dramaturgy/Adaptation: Natalia Savvides
Choreography Kurt Phelan
Cast: Genevieve Giuffre, Paul Blenheim, Alexandra Aldrich, Peter Paltos, Tom Dent, Nick Pelomis and Zoe Boesen
Malthouse Theatre, The Tower
30 August – 13 September
