'Salome' encores at Palace Cineplex this Sunday

It is one of the most notorious and gruesome moments in the Bible. The story has been told several times, but not like this. This charged retelling turns the infamous biblical tale around by placing the seductress called Salome at the centre of a revolution. This exciting National Theatre Live production will encore at the Palace Cineplex this Sunday, December 3 at 11:30 p.m.

Internationally acclaimed director and writer Yael Farber serves up a visually stunning and emotional retelling of the biblical story Salome. Despite its refreshing radical perspective, Salome follows the original story closely. The production showcases the plight of a young girl (nameless in the Bible), who dances before the lascivious king- Herod, who preys sexually on her. In return, she makes a daring request. Prompted by her mother, Herodias, who is infuriated by John's condemnation of her marriage, the young seductress demands the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

The purpose for Farber's refreshing perspective is to reclaim Salome from the hands of interpreters who commit the common assault of erasing the feminine experience, by focusing on the male gaze. Instead of the diabolical and frivolous female who danced naked before Herod and demanded the head of Iokanaan (John the Baptist), Salome becomes a symbol of womanhood who acquires political intervention.

To make her perspective more comprehensive, Farber splits the character in two. One, simply called Nameless, is the quintessential embodiment of a voiceless,aged woman. She is played by National Theatre's veteran, Olwen Fouere. The younger Salome is the victim of her lustful stepfather, Herod, and ultimately the instrument of profound change.