Salome Reviews (April 2026)

Bachtrack

https://bachtrack.com/review-salome-ravenhill-stokes-taylor-tong-regents-opera-london-april-2026

Narraboth, sung with power and presence by tenor James Schouton, dies by slurping from a bottle of bleach, vomiting from the side of the stage.

Opera Today

https://operatoday.com/2026/04/gangsta-salome-richard-strauss-in-bethnal-green/

James Schouten, who had impressed as an outstanding Loge in the Bethnal Green and Freemason’s Hall Rheingolds, made the Salome-obsessed Narraboth a part impossible to ignore. He is the one who drinks poison and gets to vomit on stage, but because his assumption of the role is so all-consuming, it becomes far more than a gesture but an intrinsic part of a broken character.

Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/apr/12/salome-review-york-hall-london-regents-opera-mark-ravenhill

As Narraboth, James Schouten was still more powerful, his tone rich and warm from bottom to top…

The Times

https://www.thetimes.com/culture/classical-opera/article/salome-review-red-blooded-and-riveting-qh863s6x0

Here the infatuated Narraboth

(James Schouten, potent) commits suicide by chugging Domestos

OperaNow Magazine

https://www.opera-now.com/content/reviews/strauss-salome-at-regents-opera-live-review

James Schouten (as Narraboth) produced his top notes reliably with a warmly spun tone, and was convincing in his death.

MusicOMH

https://www.musicomh.com/classical/opera-reviews/salome-review-regents-opera-richard-strauss-york-hall

James Schouten offered a commanding tenor as Narraboth.

Plays To See

https://playstosee.com/reviews/salome-11/

In the smaller role of Narraboth, a captain driven to despair by the behaviour of the princess he admires, James Schouten is superb.

Seen and Heard International

https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/04/regents-operas-chilling-salome-had-many-merits-and-packed-a-punch/?__cf_chl_tk=NZCsXYW2NyavuKIl5mz1o2AkoelHhi4dpcZqK8P0nz8-1777739589-1.0.1.1-UE66JBbJ91af3btsIorummX80RcLx4QhQ374ryDshRM

Salome refuses to join in the birthday celebrations and is the object of desire by Narraboth, captain of the King’s Guard. He opens the opera with ‘Wie schön ist die Prinzessin Salome heute Nacht?’ (’Doesn’t Salome look lovely tonight?’ ) and I was immediately struck by the warmth and tone of James Schouten’s voice. He has some Dutch blood and his German diction was, by some measure, the clearest and cleanest on stage. Instead of falling on his sword, when his approaches to Salome are rejected by her, he drinks what looks like industrial cleaner and vomits blood (more cranberry juice). I look forward to hearing Schouten in Katya Kabanova for New Palace Opera in July.

Operalogue

https://operalogue.substack.com/p/no-frills-lucretia-a-few-thrills

James Schouten’s Narraboth launched the evening with a

ringing, plangently yearning tenor.