THE TURN OF THE SCREW Comes to the Arcola Theatre in Autumn 2026

A brand-new stage adaptation of The Turn of the Screw by Olivier Award-winning playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm will open at Arcola Theatre in autumn 2026 before embarking on a major six-month UK tour. Performances will run Friday 11 September – Saturday 10 October.

“I read The Turn of the Screw as a teenager and have been haunted by the story ever since, so when Blackeyed Theatre offered me the opportunity to work with them again, I was thrilled. To have the chance to bring it to life at the Arcola with the wonderful Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, an artist I’ve hoped to collaborate with for some time, is so exciting. It’s mysterious, unnervingly spooky, and we can’t wait to give audiences a chilling evening of entertainment.” - Director Nicky Allpress 

England. A remote country house. A young governess, hired to care for two children, begins what appears to be an idyllic new life – but something about the children hints at a darker presence. 

Desperate to protect them from what she believes to be malevolent spirits, she finds herself descending into a world of ambiguity, leading to one far-reaching question: are the ghosts real... or are they a projection of something far more terrifying? 

A masterwork of psychological suspense and the inspiration for Susan Hill‘s The Woman in Black, Henry James’ classic novella The Turn of the Screw is brought to life in this brand-new stage adaptation by Olivier Award-winning playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Emilia; The Wasp). 

“I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to adapt this gothic classic. It has all the makings of a perfect ghost story (creepy children, huge strange house, the legacies of previous occupants) and yet it plays with ambiguity and we’re never sure of what is really happening. It’s an exciting tale to tell and I am particularly excited to be working with Nicky and everyone at Blackeyed Theatre and the Arcola on it. Horror in theatre is one of my greatest joys because there is nothing better than a well-told story in the dark, and this is one of the all-time greats.”  - Writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

Tour Dates

Arcola Theatre, London: 11 September – 10 October 
arcolatheatre.com 

New Theatre Royal, Lincoln: 13 October – 14 October
newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk 

CAST, Doncaster: 15 October – 17 October 
castindoncaster.com 

Theatre Royal, Windsor: 20 October – 24 October 
theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk 

Birmingham Rep, Birmingham: 29 October – 31 October
birmingham-rep.co.uk