In 1994, Falkenberg continued his fruitful collaboration with visual artist Graham Bennett to develop a new interpretation of Oscar Wilde's Salome. The production was praised for its nuanced performances, beautifully playing in and around the striking design, a series of turning iron glass/mirror structures on stage.
Neither at things, nor at people should one look. Only in mirrors should one look, for mirrors do but show us masks.
King Herod in Oscar Wilde's Salome
The production again involved students from the now firmly established and successful Drama Programme along with Free Theatre stalwarts such as Robin Bond as King Herod. While Free Theatre continued as an independent entity, a professional theatre producing high quality experimental work, its collaboration with the University meant that students were able to work in an environment that allowed them to grow as artists through experimentation and a rare combination (in New Zealand) of theory and practice. This paved the way for the emergence of a new dedicated department at the University, growing out of the extraordinary work of Free Theatre artists over the previous decade.
Robin Bond and Peter Falkenberg back stage at the original Free Theatre in the Christchurch Arts Centre.
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