Solomon

Step into Victorian London and meet Simeon Solomon, a brilliant, boundary-pushing queer Jewish artist at the heart of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

“Solomon” is a new biographical solo play that explores the life, art, and inner world of painter Simeon Solomon as he navigates faith, desire, ambition, and identity in a society determined to reject him. From his meteoric rise in the art world to the public scandal that shattered his career, Solomon’s story is both inspiring and devastatingly relevant.

Along the way, he encounters some of the era’s most celebrated figures, including Edward Burne-Jones, Henry Holiday, and Algernon Charles Swinburne, as he reflects on love, belief, and what it truly costs to live honestly.

Written by Stuart Eggleton, “Solomon” premiered at Camden People’s Theatre as part of the Tsitsit Jewish Fringe Festival (2023). Since then, it has been further developed with The Royal Academy of Art and toured to venues including JW3, Stanley Arts, Cambridge University, and Seven Arts Leeds.

The play will be followed by a conversation with Stuart Eggleton and Ariel Chapman from KeshetUK.