Regents Opera's production of Strauss's Salome, staged at York Hall in London, brings a lean intensity to the classic opera. Directed by Mark Ravenhill with gangsterish overtones, the production features a 24-piece orchestra playing a custom arrangement by Nigel Shore. While the reduced forces cannot capture Strauss's most luxuriant string textures, the clarity that emerges benefits the singers, who also gain from a runway-style stage that gives them a 20-metre head start on the instrumentalists.
Freddie Tong's Jochanaan delivers a voice on a Wagnerian scale, his hard-edged fury vivid even with his back to the audience. James Schouten as Narraboth is still more powerful, his tone rich and warm, while his awkward stage presence makes dramatic sense. Mae Heydorn's Herodias is blistering rather than beautiful, forming an effective double-act with Robin Whitehouse's underpowered Herod, a rubbish white-suited gangster. Among smaller roles, Felix Kemp and Davide Basso stand out.
Ultimately, the production depends on its title role, and Kirsty Taylor-Stokes is its finest asset. She is equal to Strauss's fiendish vocal writing, with a lush soprano, thrilling low notes, and only occasionally shrill upper register. Her Dance of the Seven Veils sees her seize items of clothing from others instead of stripping, moving with the confidence of a trained dancer. Taylor-Stokes's closing monologue is as compelling and disturbing as it gets, making this a memorable Salome.
