Two actors will take a new adaptation of Henry James’s gothic masterpiece The Turn of the Screw to Buxton Fringe.
The story follows a young governess who is sent to the country to care for two orphans. Taken in by her ideal new life, she begins to see something sinister behind her charges' perfection and realises she must protect them from a new threat. But are they already lost?
“That's the question you always come back to: is the governess mad or are the ghosts real?” said actress Sarah Hastings. “I’m interested in great stories and The Turn of the Screw is one of the best. It’s the perfect combination of drama, unanswered questions and horror.”
The production involves the children recreated as puppets while actor Martin Prest takes on several roles, two of which are women. But he said there is nothing pantomime about the show.
“The question was how could we create something new, for a modern audience, while keeping the story true to the original. Multi-rolling and puppets made perfect sense and help us make a truly fresh piece of theatre.”
Husband-and-wife team Sarah Hastings and Martin Prest formed That's My Cue Productions in 2012. The company specialises in Victorian and gothic literature and tries to find the true heart of a story by creating “unique” theatrical experiences.
The Turn of the Screw will be performed at Underground Venues, The Square, Buxton on Wednesday 22 July at 10:15PM, Thursday 23 July at 4:15 and 10:15PM and Friday 24 July at 4:15PM.