PACINO GOES WILDE IN THE WEST END

Al Pacino is returning to the london stage in a play for the first time in 30 years, and vows: ‘ There will be decadence!’ The oscar-winning legend told me he will lead a full production of oscar Wilde’s Salome in the spring of 2016.

Pacino has performed productions of Salome in Brooklyn and los angeles, but they were more rehearsed play readings than a full, dressed-up show.

‘We’ll be wearing clothes for london,’ he j oked when we chatted at a splashy dinner at the corinthia Hotel off Trafalgar Square, where the 74-year-old was being honoured with the British Film institute’s highest honour, the BFi Fellowship.

‘There will be make-up, sets, costumes . . . and decadence. it will be a whole different thing to what we did in america,’ he promised.

‘We had Jessica chastain play Salome in los angeles, and made a film of the play. it was her first film. We lucked out on her, but we need to discover a new actress to play Salome in london. We’re all

Obsession: Al Pacino looking,’ he said, referring to Salome’s director Robert allan ackerman and his l ong- time producer Robert Fox.

Pacino added that he had been ‘addicted’ to Wilde’s Salome ever since he saw Steven Berkoff in it in london back in 1989. He said he’s hoping to appear in a new play, possibly by David Mamet, in new York before doing Salome in london the year after next. ‘otherwise, i’d be here sooner,’ he added.

The filmed version of Salome, starring chastain, and Wilde Salome, an insightful documentary about Pacino’s obsession with the piece, was screened at the BFi national Film Theatre and broadcast into cinemas by omniverse Vision last Sunday.

The films will be released on DVD/download on november 10.

Pacino appeared in Mamet’s american Buffalo at the Duke of York’s Theatre in 1984. Various attempts to get him treading the boards again failed, though he did present an Evening With al Pacino at the london Palladium last year. That doesn’t exactly count as proper theatre, though.

The actor was at the BFi event on Wednesday with his lively romantic partner, actress lucila Sola.

John Hurt, Joan collins, Richard E. Grant and ian Holm were among those who popped open a few bottles of Moet to toast Pacino at the corinthia.

Though flutes were replenished, promptly and often, by sommeliers, there was some amusement when guests attempted to open the magnums of Moet & chandon proudly displayed on each table — only to find they were movie prop dummies.

Even so, it was still what Pacino called a ‘classy affair’.