THE TURN OF THE SCREW Comes to English National Opera Next Month

English National Opera will present Britten’s chilling chamber opera The Turn of the Screw, based on ’ dark and twisted gothic novella. This ENO production is directed and designed by award-winning Isabella Bywater. Bywater was recently celebrated for her critically acclaimed production of Symphony of Sorrowful Songs at the London Coliseum. 

Isabella Bywater says: ‘The Turn of the Screw, beautifully written by Benjamin Britten and Myfanwy Pryce, is a fascinating project. This psychological thriller is wonderfully observed and disturbing. The challenge is to tell the story, a ghost story, taking into account the possible unreliability of the witness, the governess, never named. Ambiguity is what makes it so unsettling’.

As one of Britten’s most evocative and ambiguous compositions, The Turn of the Screw follows the arrival of a young, unnamed governess at the imposing Bly House, following her employment as guardian to two orphaned children, Flora and Miles. Both seem deeply troubled by dark forces and her anxiety mounts as she begins to sense that ghostly presences haunt both the house and the children. Bywater presents this spine-tingling masterpiece through flashbacks from a psychiatric ward. 

One of Britten’s most expertly crafted operas, The Turn of the Screw has a twelve-note theme embedded in the score. Each scene is preceded by a variation on the theme – one of Britten’s favourite compositional techniques – effortlessly combining musical structure with dramatic tension. He uses the chamber orchestra of thirteen players with masterly inventiveness.

The production is conducted by Duncan Ward and – for the final two performances on 29 and 31 October – Charlotte Corderoy will conduct. Both make their ENO debut. Ward works frequently with the London Symphony Orchestra and has been Chief Conductor of Philzuid (South Netherlands Philharmonic) since 2021. Corderoy has recently been nominated for the 2024 International Opera Awards ‘Rising Star’ category, with her most recent work including The Barber of Seville (2024) at Opera Holland Park.

Multi-award winning, ‘tremendous’ (The Telegraph), Irish soprano, Ailish Tynan, stars as The Governess, bringing her rich vocal prowess to the role. Tynan returns to the ENO following her house debut as Tigrane in Handel’s Radamisto (2010). 

British soprano Gweneth Ann Rand joins Tynan as Mrs Grose, the housekeeper for Bly Manor. Her recent highlights for the ENO include Serena in Porgy and Bess (2018), and Mother Bailey for It’s a Wonderful Life (2022).

Accompanying them both will be former ENO Harewood artist and Scottish soprano, Eleanor Dennis, in the role of Miss Jessel. Dennis recently performed in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 at BBC Proms 2023 and as Penelope in ENO’s Gloriana during the 2022/23 Season. 

British tenor, , will join her as the former valet, Peter Quint. Murray makes a welcome return to ENO, following his roles in Gloriana (2022) and The Merry Widow (2019). 

British tenor, Alan Oke, will be singing the prologue. He has recently performed for ENO as The Doctor in The Handmaid’s Tale (2022 & 2024). In the roles of Flora and Miles are young performers Holly Hylton, Victoria Nekhaenko, Jerry Louth and Nicolai Flutter. 

Isabella Bywater is the Director and Designer, is the Lighting Designer, Jon Driscoll is the Projection Designer, and the Libretto is by Myfanwy Piper.

The Turn of the Screw opens on Friday 11 October for 7 performances: Oct 11, 16, 23, 29, 31 at 19.00. Oct 13 at 14.30. Oct 26 at 18.00. 

British Sign Language Performance: Sunday 13 October at 14.30.

Tickets start from £10 (plus booking fee*)