The Turn of the Screw

I recently attended a production of "The Turn of the Screw" at the Stoneham Theatre. After my last post about Stoneham Theatre, I received the following email from Mary Curtin on behalf of Stoneham Theatre:

Hi Chatelaine,

First of all, I want to thank you for not only coming to "Gaslight", but also posting a thumbs up in your blog. That's so great!

The theatre would love for you to come join us again, along with a friend, as our guests.


I was thrilled that they saw my blogpost. I had seen the play "Gaslight" with my sister and we had given it two thumbs up. This time I wanted to see another thriller. I saw the ad in the theatre brochure and I knew "The Turn of the Screw" was the show I wanted to see. I was also given two passes by my friend Carolyn who ushers at the theatre so I invited my friend Debbi and her mother to join us. Debbi and her mom are avid theatre goers.

What drew me to this show? Set in Victorian England, a governess and two children, ghosts, and a strange handsome man! Come on, this is right up my alley. The photo in the ad of the man and the woman and the gorgeous house in the background was intriguing. Just perfect for someone who loves anything Victorian, British, and mysterious.

At the show's opening it was announced that the play was 80 minutes with no intermission and I thought I might be bored. A quick glance at my program showed just two actors listed as the cast members. Yikes, I thought, it was going to be a long night.

I am happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed this production. The set was as sparse as could be. Just a chair on stage and strands of white cord with lights resembling a web. Nothing to distract from the actors' performance.

Both of the actors were fabulous. The male character played numerous parts including the role of a ten year old boy. The change in his voice, the body movements and mannerisms made him totatally believable as he morphed into the uncle, the housekeeper, and the child. Oh, did I mention he was also the narrator?

The young woman was superb as the governess. She was so innocent at first and then gained strength when on a mission to protect the children from all the sinister goings on in the house. She was perfect for the role.

"The Turn of the Screw" was another winner for Stoneham Theatre. It's wonderful to have first class entertainment so close to home. I shall definitely return.