This Christmas, in the tradition of Victorian fireside ghost stories, Strange Fish bring you Henry James’ classic tale of suspense, horror and repressed sexuality.
We caught up with some of the team to find out more…
With Director James O’Donnell
1. What drew you to creating a new version of The Turn of the Screw?
Many things drew me to this version created by Jeffrey Hatcher (award winning screenwriter and playwright) who created it from the novel for the American stage. The story lends itself to being adapted for the stage.It involves a central conceit where you question whether or not the main character, The Governess, sees the ghosts she describes in the play. Are they just in her mind? And that ambiguity is central to this adaptation. Then there are themes such as social inequality, mental health and class in the play which we have been exploring in rehearsals. Although it was written over a hundred years ago, the play still resonates loudly with us today.
2. What’s been the biggest challenge in bringing the novel to the stage?
So many people I have spoken to have heard of or know of the novel and many love it as the classic it is. One big challenge has been to keep all the elements from the novel that people love while making it theatrical for a modern audience. Another big challenge has been to tell the story with only two actors. This in turn has led to a very fast paced, inventive, immediate play that will keep the audience on their toes and fascinate them until the final scene.
3. What, for you, has been the most important element to retain from the original novel?
Many lines from the original novel have been used in this adaptation and we have spent a lot of time in the rehearsal room exploring the Victorian era to give us a deep, authentic knowledge of this period, which might not necessarily be evident when you watch the play but will underpin all of the action. The story itself is fantastic and this adaptation really captures all the elements of the novel you would wish to see.
4. Why should audiences choose a The Turn of the Screw to see at Christmas time?
During the Victorian period at Christmas time, it was fashionable to sit around the fire and tell each other ghost stories. Classic stories such as A Christmas Carol and The Turn of the Screw began life this way. So in time honoured tradition come down to the Omnibus theatre this December and let us tell you a chilling ghost story, full of riddles, suspense and ghostly figures.
With cast member Nick Danan
1. What is your personal perception of your character or characters?
So, I play several characters, switching back and forth between them -often quickly as the story gathers pace.
One of the characters I play is Miles, a 10-year-old boy who is very troubled and very lost. For me he is fighting valiantly against terrible circumstances with only the resources of a young child. Without giving too much away Miles has demons to face. He desperately needs The Governess’ help.
Then there is Mrs Grose, the housekeeper. She has a big heart and is tortured by the thought that she may not be able to protect “the lovely babies” Miles and Flora. If I could only use one word to describe her it would be “Love”.
I also play the Master of Bly House. He is charismatic and selfish. Pretty much every word out of his mouth is a manipulation.
Each character has their own unique energy and inner landscape. It is a real privilege to inhabit so many brilliantly written characters all in one go.
2. What has been the most challenging part of rehearsals so far?
There is only me and Ruth performing in this play. We are both on stage the entire time, which means no down time during rehearsals. It is a highly charged piece and both of us are on stage the entire time. This requires a lot of energy, but it is exhilarating too!
3. Tell us something about “the Turn of the Screw” that people might not know.
Henry James made very little money from his novels except for “The Turn of the Screw”. It was wildly successful.
The Turn of the Screw will run at Omnibus Theatre Thu 7 – Sat 9 Dec and Thu 14 – Sat 16 Dec at 7.30pm. For more information and to book tickets, click here.
