Classical and Jazz: Review - The Turn of the Screw at King’s Head Theatre
AS Benjamin Britten’s strong piece The Turn of the Screw is very much a chamber opera, it’s an excellent choice by Opera UpClose to join its repertoire of operas at the King’s Head Theatre, Islington, seating just 100 people.
In larger opera houses, it’s difficult to grow the claustrophobic tension as the Henry James psychological drama intensifies to its remarkable climax in Britten’s hands.
The opera works well in the King’s Head production directed by Edward Dick. He’s gone for a spartan set, just two chairs in front of a gauze across the stage, the ghostly apparitions appearing behind the gauze.
Much of the singing is pretty full-on for the small space. But that’s very good to hear when it’s done without amplification.
Katie Bird dominates the piece as the unsuspecting governess caught up by the ghostly events at the lonely country house of Bly, slowly becoming aware that the children in her care may have been sexually abused. But while she’s got a great voice singing at full throttle, her diction can be sacrificed in the process.
Laura Casey is exuberant as Mrs Grose, the housekeeper, oddly attired in a sort of superman shell-suit.
The two ghosts are given spirited performances by Catrine Kirkman as embittered Miss Jessel and David Menezes as the seductive Quint (excellent diction).
Sustaining the opera throughout is an excellent piano transcription of Britten’s orchestral score by David Eaton that he plays with determined verve.
Stars of the show are the children, Eleanor Burke as Flora and Samuel Woof as Miles. Currently, Eleanor Burke attends Highgate School where she is a music scholar, studying with vocal coach Jenny Lilleystone.
She’s got quite a list of singing credits to her name already, having performed at the ENO, Royal Opera House and La Fenice in Venice.
Samuel Woof is at University College School in Hampstead, moving up to its senior school in September. While he’s performed in school plays, Miles is his first operatic role to come from attending the Junior Guildhall School of Music’s Saturday class.
• The Turn of the Screw joins OperaUpClose’s current repertoire that includes La Boheme, The Barber of Seville and The Coronation of Poppea. www.kingsheadtheatre.com
Published: 14 July, 2011
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR