We round up the reviews for Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s adaptation of Henry James’s ghost story, playing at the Arcola Theatre until the 10th October.
The Guardian: “There are some startling visual moments: the screens do a fine job of bringing on characters as if out of nowhere. The final twist, looping back to the beginning, half explains the puzzle of the governess’s interrogation (Who is the man? What does he want to prove? Which timeframe is she in?) and the idea of women having to eternally defend their version of events. But the production is hampered by its own cleverness, the elliptic storytelling a distraction from the clarity and intrigue of this story’s psychological questions around fear, sexual desire and moral corruption.”
Everything Theatre: “Allpress creates a dramatic, claustrophobic atmosphere as the script respectfully builds with supernatural ambiguity, erratic behaviour and doubts about what is real. The central character might benefit from a deeper balance of tone to dig deep into the gothic genre. There is menace despite the sightline issues and in this new framing, are women being ghosted to retell their story again? It’s a dark, seasonal treat to experience front on and full throttle!”
Camden New Journal: “There are some effective jump scares, and it’s competently acted, but over the two hours I never felt invested enough in the characters to care about their fates, whether the governess is telling the truth, or has internalised the threat. The traditional storytelling isn’t frightening enough to offer a proper escape.”
The Turn of the Screw: “This is a cleverly done production with a fantastic cast, leaving us questioning the series of events and inspiring me to reread the novella. Spooky season has well and truly commenced.”
Harry Theatre Life: “Overall, The Turn of the Screw is a creative but respectful reimagining of James’ novella, enlivened by an eerie soundscape and flashes of visual ingenuity. A tighter script, greater tonal variation from the lead and staging that accounted for all audience sightlines would make its menace much harder to escape.”
All That Dazzles: ” Overall, all the elements of this production of The Turn of The Screw work incredibly well together, from the gripping adaptation to the smart direction and powerful performances, that I was on the edge of my seat throughout.”
The Spy in The Stalls: “But what truly creates the sense of unease and suspense is Hattie North’s sound design, which spills over into the preshow and interval. Coupled with Oliver McNally’s lighting and the occasional bursts of illusion courtesy of Wayne Fox, there is enough to keep us on the edge of our seats.”
Curtain Calls Reviews: “Horror in theatre is like a coiled spring. You must build to a release, and The Turn of the Screw was a great example of how all the elements can work together to create a show that will leave the audience questioning.”
Viewfromthegods.co.uk: “Matthew Cassar’s strikingly diaphanous set makes use of the intimate horseshow effect and crafts an impenetrable shimmer of the upstage wall. It’s a frontage in front of the frontage of Bly, where between a tenebrous corridor shadowed with flitting figures, where Oliver McNally’s lighting shafts half-caught or momentarily shock-bright images where Wayne Fox’s illusions. Cassar’s period costumes are sumptuous, down to the governess’s fashionably mauve dress: the only colour in this black and white world. Hattie North goes for huge shlock chords and a sinister Woman in Black feel to the damaged Jack-in-the-Box. Mandy Gordon makes a sinister ballet of intimacy and movement.”
London Theatre 1: “Atmospheric, tense, spooky and terrifying. That is The Turn of the Screw. A masterclass in how a Gothic novel adaptation should be done whilst adding an extra twist or two along the way.”
The Reviews Hub: “One of the key reasons James’s novella remains such a beloved story in the Gothic horror genre is the ambiguity that leaves it open to interpretation. Any physical reenactment must, by its very nature, remove some of that doubt. Malcolm’s adaptation recognises this, and attempts to replace the questions that her version answers with new ones of her own. That makes The Turn of the Screw as mysterious and unknowable on stage as it is in book form. With every retelling, the story changes slightly – but the sense of Gothic chill remains.”
West End Best Friend: “The Turn of the Screw is a solid production with a strong cast and deserves its place as a ghost story on stage. While some improvements could be made with the directing and the writing, including pacing, utilising tension more and jump scares being less heavily reliant on sound, it is certainly worth considering if you are looking for a scary show to watch this autumn.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/the-turn-of-the-screw/?