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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Bethany Grainger as Miss Grey, Halle Newton as Flora and Ripley Taylor O'Sullivan as Miles The Turn of the Screw The Nonenetities The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster **** It is a truth universally acknowledged, as Miss Austen might have put it, that any country house worth its privileged salt is haunted, we all know and accept that ghosts come with the territory. Some are mischievous, some malevolent, some just wander around for something to do to pass he time in eternity. And, in nature’s way of balancing things, while we know all this to be undeniably true, we also know that logic, science and common sense tells us ghosts don’t exist . . . but, that of course, doesn’t mean we can’t still jump, get shivers down the spine and, let’s be honest, actually enjoy that tingle of fear the mere thought ghosts can bring. . . as long as we are sitting comfortably in a theatre or in an armchair in front of the telly of course. It's what keeps Freddy Krueger and horror franchises in business. Ken Whitmore’s adaptation of Henry James gothic tale gives us both ghosts with evil intent and a counter of doubts as to their existence all set in the isolated country pile of Bly House. A couple have tragically died abroad – which is all you need to know about them – leaving their young children, Miles and Flora, in the care of their only relative their uncle, Mr Crimond, played in a rather superior way by Chris Kay. Crimond is a London businessman. We never did find out what his business was, but he was far too busy to look after the children or indeed to visit the Essex estate, so has employed 20-year-old Evelyn Gray as . . . well everything. A bit of a whirlwind engagement it seems. She answered the job advert for a governess, arrived for the interview in London in the morning and was immediately employed and whisked to Essax and put in charge at Bly by the afternoon. She was not only governess in charge of the two children but in charge of the whole shooting match, running the entire household and Gothic estate with its mysterious, always locked tower. As any horror aficionado would know, the tower bit is a dead giveaway for unearthly goings on, so the scene has been set from the outset. Beth Grainger’s Miss Grey is a mix of headstrong and innocent. A young girl from a country parsonage trying to find her feet in the outside world in her first job. She has the task of trying to assert both control and good relations in a household she knows nothing about yet, with no experience to fall back on, and shi is supposed to be running everything all while trying to find herself. It is a mammoth part, on stage the whole time, having to show fear, anger, frustration, compassion, terror, hysteria - every emotion you can think of, and she carries it off well. Grey never figured in James's original novella and adds another level to the story as we see it largely through her eyes, or at least as she sees it, but is she seeing it as it really is? First, though, she has her new role as the mistress by proxy of Bly to undertake.
Halle Newton as Flora and Melanie Jones as Mrs Grose Luckily the housekeeper Mrs Grose, a lovely performance from Melanie Jones, is amenable to the arrangement, indeed she seems relieved to have the responsibility lifted of her shoulders so she can get on with cooking, tidying up and doing housekeepery things. Mrs Grose can find a logical, or at the very least, a simple explanation for any of the strange goings on reported or seen by Miss Grey. She is a calming influence or would have been had the seeds of doubt had not been sown that she knew far more than she admitted. What was the real story behind the death of the last governess Miss Jessel, for instance. She left on a so-called holiday one day and never returned – having, apparently, died. Then there was the valet, Peter Quint who Crimond had supposedly left in charge. Quint was an evil bully by all accounts, universally disliked. He had spent one evening massively boosting the profits of the village inn and on his less than steady walk home had lost his way and was found dead the next morning at the base of an icy bank. As for the children . . . even for the mid 1800s when the story was set, their knowledge was remarkable. Miles, the eldest at, we would guess around 10, was already an accomplished pianist while his sister, Flora, aged at a guesstimate of eight or so, is a fine painter. Ripley Taylor O’Sullivan is a member of KRYPT, Kidderminster Rose Young People’s Theatre, and gives us a Miles who is at times precocious and at times sort of innocently sinister, a slightly unnerving, unsettling child with a smile that never seems to quite express the thoughts behind it. He has returned home after being expelled from his boarding school, or at he very least they don’t want him back after the holidays. We never did find out why and Miles was less than forthcoming when asked. Halle Newton’s Flora is another from KRYPT and gives us an innocent and rather naïve younger sister, but there is a hint of mystery about her, as if she knows more than appears. Two fine performances which are central to the plot. On the face of it they are innocent, Mrs Grose is under the impression they don’t have a bad bone between them – that despite Miles’ declaration he could be bad if he wanted to be, but Miss Grey sees her mission in life is to save them from . . . well that’s the question. Save them from what?
Bethany Grainger as Miss Grey,, Ripley
Taylor O'Sullivan as Miles and Melanie Jones Remember Jessel and Quint, we might not have
seen them and they were dead long before Miss Grey arrived but . . .
well there is a locked tower with a missing key, and the figures in the
garden, and the apparitions - and the funny music – all of which has
left Miss Grey with the dilemma of whether the children are victims of
malicious ghostly forces or, worse, willing participants in something
far more sinister.
It is all leading to a climax which, when it comes, is both quick, dramatic and unexpected, a real turn of the screw. The play is well done with set design by Jen Eglinton, constructed by Keith Higgins and his team a magnificent affaAir of sweeping staircase and Palladian walls of marble the most magnificent of stately homes would cherish, while Jan, again, Lynn Ravenhill and Natalie Newman, have gone to town on costumes adding authenticity. Clever lighting and shadow projection on opaque French doors along with will o’the wisp flickering add to the ghostly feel as does Paul Sawtell’s sound, we even get the strains of Mad World to add a little flavour to the mix. There are a few moments to make the audience jump and director Louise Fulwall and the cast do well to slowly build the tension with the acting carrying what is a slow burner with limited plot along to its unexpected conclusion. The screw will be turning to keep horror fans on their toes to 01-02-25 Roger Clarke 27-01-25 |
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