Salomé is a rare instance in British theatrical history of an authentically ‘Symbolist’ drama. This means that it belongs with an innovative group of plays produced in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Conceived as an alternative to naturalism and the kind of plays that purported to represent life by reproducing everyday habits of speech and physical behaviour in recognisable environments, ‘Symbolist’ drama made use of poetic language and pictorial settings to invoke the inner lives of characters. Released from the constraints of the here-and-now it was free to express all manner of emotions both spiritual and sensual.
John Stokes РSalom̩: symbolism, decadence and censorship
Oscar Wilde РSalom̩ (Original text in French)
Oscar Wilde РSalom̩ (English translation)
Oscar Wilde РSalom̩ (Free audio at Librivox)
Oscar Wilde РSalom̩ (Ken Russell production from 1988)