The Turn of the Screw - Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre

I wasn't able to see The Hampstead Players' Richard II last week, unfortunately, due to unavoidable job-related circumstances. However, I made up for it by seeing the Tower Theatre Company's The Turn of the Screw twice! It was performed at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, which, like most places in Highgate, is apparently haunted. The intimate, hot, slightly oppressive space of Upstairs at the Gatehouse was the perfect setting for a summer ghost story and psychological drama.

Set at the turn of the century, The Turn of the Screw is the story of a young governess who obtains a post at the country estate of Bly, where she is to look after two orphaned children, Miles and Flora Havelock. Full of good intentions, she quickly grows unsettled when she learns more about the former inhabitants of the house, namely the governess, Miss Jessell, and valet, Peter Quint. Who are DEAD! But who may or may not remain as ghosts, with whom the children may or may not interact. 

The attention to detail in this production was extraordinary. If you have read any other reviews in this blog you will know what a sucker I am for lavish sets and minutiae; I was all over the sets and props here. The main set comprised a door, bookcase and large window with long curtains. A translucent white curtain was periodically drawn across the above for scenes taking place outside the house. Most of the ghosts' appearances took place behind the translucent curtain or the window. The lighting on the ghosts' faces was used to great effect, rendering Miss Jessell's face skull-like and Peter Quint's craggy and unhinged. Things that particularly impressed me included the following:

• The stagehands were all dressed in servants' garb of the period rather than the traditional stagehand clothing of anything black.
• The letter from Miles' headmaster had a school crest on it! Which I could see through the paper, as well as the word 'School' in copperplate print!
• The old-fashioned, completely authentic-looking schoolroom desks.
• When the Governess and the children came in from the rain, they were actually wet.
• The bookcase that folded down into a life-sized wooden bed.

Emily Carmichael was excellent as the nameless Governess, believably turning from a determined, idealistic, self-controlled young woman into an obsessive nervous wreck (still determined, though). It was an extremely intense part and she remained focussed and engaging right up until her final scream. Miles and Flora (Isaac and Eliza Insley) were also very well played. They looked perfect for their roles - Miles really did look angelic - and they had an endearing, realistic sibling rapport, which perhaps wasn't surprising given that they were siblings in real life. Miles was properly precocious and creepy but also sympathetic, and did the best pretend piano playing I have ever seen. Flora's character was more fleshed-out than in the 2009 BBC adaptation of The Turn of the Screw (my only previous exposure to TTotS). She had an interesting personality of her own rather than just serving as the more innocent adjunct of Miles. They both had quite a few funny lines.

My favourite scene was Miles and Flora's show, which they performed in front of the Governess and Mrs Grose (Alison Liney). It was sweet and amusing but had menacing undertones. My second favourite scene was that in which Peter Quint (Nicolas Holzapfel) unexpectedly appeared in the Governess' bed, eliciting gasps and squeals from the audience, after having behaved amorously with Miss Jessell (Nina Tolleret) outside the window.

The only slightly weak element of the play was the Governess' alleged attraction to the Master (i.e. her employer, the children's uncle), Mr Sackville (Martin South). Given how much older he was than her, it just didn't seem plausible to me that she would have fancied him - especially after only one meeting - even if she was naive and inexperienced.

The piano music between scenes suited the tense atmosphere perfectly.

Next: Richard II (Globe version)