Maxim Didenko (Salomé)

Gesher Theatre, a widely celebrated theatre company renowned for their work with international collaboration and building bridges between cultures, are set to bring their production of Salomé to the West End this Autumn. Theatre Director, Maxim Didenko will direct this bold and provocative piece of theatre, which was written by Oscar Wilde. We took the opportunity to speak with Maxim to tell us more.

Q) Hello Maxim, thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions today. Before we begin, please could you introduce yourself and tell us what inspired you to become a Theatre Director?

I grew up in a theatrical family in Russia and first stepped on stage as a child. That early sense of theatre as transformation inspired me to become a director.

Q) This is Gesher Theatre’s first UK appearance in over 25 years. Gesher Theatre strives to build bridges between cultures with an emphasis on international collaboration. How, as a Director, do you see your role in ensuring this?

This is my first production with Gesher, which I began after leaving Russia at the start of the war. For me, the production is not only a cultural bridge, but also a personal response to authoritarianism.

Q) What first attracted you to Oscar Wilde’s Salomé, and why did you want to stage it?

Unlike Wilde’s comedies, Salomé is mysterious, dark, and dangerous. It felt urgent to bring that energy into today’s world.

Q) Wilde’s play was banned in Britain at the time of its writing, preventing its premiere. How do you engage with that history in a 21st-century context?

It was censored because it was dangerous, and it still feels dangerous today. I want audiences to feel its provocation, not its safety.

Q) This production is described as “bold, provocative, and drenched in poetic decadence” - How would you define your personal vision for this staging?

My vision is to hold beauty and brutality side by side. I want the audience to feel both intoxicated and unsettled.

Q) Salomé has been interpreted as everything from a naive girl to a dangerous seductress. Which aspects of her character do you want to emphasise in your production?

She shifts constantly—innocent, rebellious, terrifying. That instability is her true power.

Q) The play explores power, obsession, and forbidden desire. Which of these themes do you feel speaks most urgently to audiences today?

Power. We live in a time where authoritarianism is everywhere, and the play exposes its dangers.

Q) You’re working with Galya Solodovnikova (set), Louis Lebe (music), and Gleb Filshtinsky (lighting). Can you give a little insight into your collaboration with your creative team to build the world of Salomé?

The set is opulent yet claustrophobic, the music moves between sacred and sensual, and the lighting paints the stage like a living canvas. Together they create Wilde’s unstable, intoxicating world.

Q) Your productions are often highly stylised. What role do design, music, and movement play in shaping this version of Wilde’s world?

They are not decoration—they are the language of the play. Design, sound, and movement pull the audience into Wilde’s fever dream.

Q) You often work with themes of history and mythology in your productions. How does Salomé connect with that ongoing interest?

Salomé is both a biblical story and a myth reimagined by Wilde. It’s a perfect example of how ancient stories can reflect today’s struggles.

Q) What do you hope British audiences — many of whom may be seeing Salomé for the first time — will take away from this production? And why should audiences come along?

I hope they leave disturbed but exhilarated, questioning power and desire. It’s dangerous, hypnotic, and unforgettable—that’s why they should come.

Salomé runs at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from the 30th September until 11th October 2025.

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Photography by Alexander Khanin