Salomé, Tragedy of the Femme Fatale – theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall

Harrowing, dark, and honest, this one-woman monologue shows our femme fatale Salomé, giving her confession to a detective who is working on the murder case of Salomé’s husband.  Based on Oscar Wilde’s Salome, this piece, performed and produced by Maryam S. Holleman, brings a new light to the classic tale.  

A beautifully written, thoughtful adaptation, Holleman uses the story to give power and understanding to Salomé – a typically scorned character, who has faced a barrage of misogyny over time is given grace.

Holleman’s performance is striking and powerful, including raw subject matter discussing the abuse and turmoil of Salomé’s childhood.  With discussion too around the South African apartheid as well as other violence in the countries in which Salomé had lived in, we see another layer of metaphor to the story.  There are nods to the original writing of Wilde with moments of dialogue spoken in French, hinting as well to the colonisation of certain African colonies.

Because this monologue is so impactful and has so many layers, I needed more time to process it.  The words needed air to breathe – relinquishment and pause.  I was enamoured by this work, I just needed more time with it.

As my last show of the Fringe, this was a perfect way to round it off.  An incredibly meaningful show that was conceptually poignant and stirring presented by an incredibly intelligent writer and performer. 

Reviewer: Jessie Martin

Reviewed: 22nd August 2024

North West End UK Rating: