The Turn of the Screw - Hayes Theatre Co (NSW)

By Benjamin Britten. Libretto by Myfanwy Piper. Presented by Craig Baldwin & Hayes Theatre Co

A skilled and talented ensemble present a powerful, eerie, and well-crafted rendition of a fascinating work

Reviewed by Juliana Payne

Hayes Theatre Co, Potts Point

Until 15th September 2024

Tickets: https://hayestheatre.com.au/event/the-turn-of-the-screw/

Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw is a masterclass in operatic tension, and the current production at the Hayes Theatre gives Screw a deliciously melodramatic Gothic treatment. Coming in at about two hours (including an interval) and based on a well-known Victorian novella, it is both highly accessible,yet challenging and unnerving enough for opera aficionados to have a very satisfying evening.

The opera tells the story of a young governess sent to look after two orphaned children in an expansive, yet empty mansion in the country. What could possibly go wrong? As the dark secrets unfold in true horror style, we watch complex characters and nuanced themes play out via Myfanwy Piper’s wonderful libretto that still manages to extract a few wry laughs along the journey. Plot-wise, the story has been re-interpreted in new ways – are the ghosts real, or are they manifestations of the neurotic messed-up governess’s repressed personality? Britten’s version comes down squarely on the side of the ghosts – boy are they real, and their wonderfully malevolent presence dominates the stage.

The Turn of the Screw, Hayes Theatre (2024). Images by Richard Farland

Kanen Breen as the evil Peter Quint is on stage throughout most of the production. When not singing, he lurks and creeps about like a reincarnation of Christopher Lee – he’s fantastic! Catherine Bouchier as the mournful yet spiteful Miss Jessel is equally ubiquitous and mesmerising, an undead Miss Havisham who wants to consume the souls of the children like a Victorian Skeksi. These two hungry ghosts set up the monumental battle for the children with the governess, played with intensity and vulnerability by Sophie Salvesani. Margaret Trubiano’ Mrs Grose is a powerhouse of puzzled disbelief.

No one leaves this performance humming any sparkly showtunes...Nothing is as it seems, which is just what we’re meant to feel

The “children” in director Craig Baldwin’s vision are brought to life on stage through life-size marionettes, worked Julie-Taymor style with the puppeteers in full view. Whoever had this ingenious idea deserves a prize. Sandy Leung singing and working Flora, and Addy Robertson doing Miles, are multitasking in the best possible way. They invest such genuine emotion in the marionettes with a tilt of a head or a little hand raised; it is unsettling and beautiful to watch. Their voices blend beautifully in the delicate and eerie duets, and the flashes of maturity and menace are offset by their childishness, keeping the audience off balance.

We are unnerved from the very first note to the chilling final silence as darkness falls. Britten’s signature atonality and ominous, discordant crescendos are present throughout this performance, never letting us sit back and relax into familiar territory. No one leaves this performance humming any sparkly showtunes. With just two instruments, a piano and a keyboard, musical director Francis Greep creates an immersive eerie soundscape that fills the intimate Hayes with a sense of psychological horror and supernatural mystery. Emma Vines’ set design perfectly underpins this atmosphere, with gauze, haze, smoke and untrustworthy mirrors. Nothing is as it seems, which is just what we’re meant to feel.

This performance is both emotionally charged and meticulously controlled

This performance is both emotionally charged and meticulously controlled. The thematic move from innocence into doubt and fear is heartbreaking and very spooky. The opening of the second act, with a masque-like dance between Quint and Miss Jessel, is stunning and spine-tingling. Baldwin writes that “We live in a time when library books are once more being banned.  What is it we fear about the imagination of a child?” The innocence of childhood is contrasted with the dark undercurrents of the story, and yet we still feel unease at the children’s silences and obfuscations. How much do they know? As with all brilliant works of art, our interpretation says more about ourselves than the work we are watching.

This production of The Turn of the Screw is well worth seeing - a skilled and talented ensemble who present a powerful well-crafted rendition of a fascinating work. It’s also helped that it’s great fun to watch as well!

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Cast & Creatives

Director Craig Baldwin

Musical Director & Pianist Francis Greep

Set & Costume Designer Emma Vine

Lighting Designer Morgan Moroney

Stage Manager  Grace Sackman

Assistant Stage Manager Hannah Ribbons

Associate Producer Julia Robertson

Assistant Director Sheanna Parker Russon

Assistant Musical Director & Keyboardist Lillian Hearne

Starring

The Governess Julie Lea Goodwin, Sophie Salvesani (alternating performances)

Peter Quint Kanen Breen (until 1 Sept), Benjamin Rasheed (24, 31 Aug mat, 3 Sep-15 Sep)

Mrs. Grose Margaret Trubiano (until 25 Aug), Ruth Strutt (27 Aug-15 Sep)

Miss Jessel Catherine Bouchier, Georgia Cooper (some performances)

Miles Addy Robertson

Flora Sandy Leung

The Governess Performance Dates:

Julie Lea Goodwin – 17 Aug mat, 18 Aug, 21 Aug, 23 Aug, 24 Aug eve, 27 Aug, 29 Aug, 31 Aug mat, 1 Sep, 4 Sep, 5 Sep eve, 8 Sep, 11 Sep, 12 Sep, 14 Sep mat, 15 Sep

Sophie Salvesani – 16 Aug, 17 Aug eve, 20 Aug, 22 Aug, 24 Aug mat, 25 Aug, 28 Aug, 30 Aug, 31 Aug eve, 3 Sep, 5 Sep mat, 6 Sep, 7 Sep eve, 10 Sep, 13 Sep, 14 Sep eve