The Turn of the Screw
Venue 82, Zoo Southside
Henry James’ classic The Turn of the Screw is one of the great ghost stories, a psychological thriller that mesmerises with its ambiguity.
The story is one of tarnished purity, and of madness, as an idealistic young governess is made sole charge of a brother and sister. Left to her own devices in a rambling country house, the governess soon becomes convinced that the children have fallen under the power of malevolent forces. But the origin of these forces is the subject of considerable ambiguity.
For such a young cast, the performances here are of an impressive standard. The use of puppets to portray the children Flora and Miles is an ingeniuous touch, allowing the puppeteers to perform double duty as the evil Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, but also hinting at the manipulation of the children by the adults around them.
HookHitch Theatre have stayed true to the original work, leaving much of the action to take place in the minds of the characters – and the audience.
