REVIEW: The Turn of the Screw, Blackeyed Theatre at Arcola Theatre 11 September - 10 October 2026
‘A remarkable bold and atmospheric experience’ ★★★
‘I don’t know what I don’t see - what I don’t fear,” exclaims Olivier-award-winning Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s reworking of Henry James’ celebrated late-Victorian ghost story and In a fierce study of contested truth, this play challenges how we rely upon our own recollections after enduring shock.
Tragedy follows when new governess (Amy Tara) takes charge of two orphaned children at the Bly estate. Left to bear the blame alone, she is convinced there is an unexplainable presence lingering over the whole house. But is it genuinely haunted, or is she simply disturbed and consumed by delusion? Lloyd Malcolm adds another question to this; does this terror come from a reality which women have recognised for generations before?
This reworking sees the governess subjected to constant cross-examination by a hostile and authoritative male figure (Jim Fish) who appears in another dimension to question the governess’ integrity at regular intervals throughout the play. His true identity is never revealed, but he mostly takes on the role of detective, reflecting the Master of this house but also her own conscience or doubt. This structure allows the introspective narrative element of James’ story to be reflected well on stage, by constantly putting her sanity on trial; the interrogation continues out of this realm, as her reflections are challenged by every other character in the play.
Her strength of character is seen both in the opening and at the play’s end as she desperately protests her certainty and sanity. Lloyd Malcolm draws our attention well away from the supernatural and towards the result of male power. The Master is instantly framed as a predatory figure who manipulates women through his strange relationships with the late Quint, alongside the unexplained death of a previous governess.
Nicky Allpress creates a heated environment on stage built by subtle details and sudden jumpscares. The decision to double-cast Miles and Flora with their supernatural counterparts serves to not overcrowd the small stage, and to remind us that these children are possessed. This double-casting is played well and eerily by the ‘children’ (Kathleen McAuley Irvine, Toby Beynon), particularly as little is done to infantilise them.
Matthew Cassar’s minimalist landscape using framed partitions mimics the passages and rooms of the Bly estate and it is the visual highlight of the play. Oliver McNally and Hattie North add to this to create some genuinely scary moments, but while the jumpscares and other horror features (off-stage whistling, knocking) are executed well, little is done to build up to any real horror climax.
The creative team’s reimagining of the relationships between the Governess and the characters is exceptional and works upon ideas already implicit in James’ original story by pushing them to their limits. The result of this is a remarkable bold and atmospheric experience that gives the original tale a real modern resonance.
The Turn of the Screw,
Produced by Blackeyed Theatre
At Arcola Theatre in London, 11 Sep - 10 Oct 2026
Box Office: The Turn of the Screw - Arcola Theatre
Directed by Nicky Allpress
Written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Cast:
Toby Beynon
Jim Fish
Kathleen McAuley Irvine
Janita Mikkola
Katy Slater
Amy Tara
