The Turn of the Screw

A chilling psychological thriller where innocence confronts the unknown.

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Based on the novella by Henry James that tells the story of a young, inexperienced governess sent to a country house to care for two children, whom she is gradually convinced have been corrupted by the ghosts haunting the house.  While maintaining melodic vocal lines, Benjamin Britten’s alternating themes and keys represent the “screw tightening”.  The piece leaves us with the question: Were there ever really ghosts or was it all in her head? Does the governess’ desire to do her job and her own anxieties lead her into madness or is she truly fighting for the souls of the children in her charge? It is the perfect piece to get you in the Halloween mood and is going to make the hair on the back of your arms stand up as our Canadian cast takes to the stage. Directed by Michael Shamata and featuring tenor Isaiah Bell in the role of Peter Quint.

Enter the eerie, spellbinding world of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw—a psychological thriller where innocence meets the unknown. Based on the chilling novella by Henry James, this haunting chamber opera follows a young governess sent to a remote English estate to care for two orphaned children. But something is not right at Bly. Shadows linger. Whispers echo. And as the line between the supernatural and the psychological begins to blur, the governess is forced to confront the terrifying question: are the children being haunted… or is she?

Thanks to Britten’s brilliantly taut twelve-note theme and variations, The Turn of the Screw builds unrelenting tension with hypnotic motifs, ghostly beauty, and disquieting calm. Each scene draws the audience deeper into a spiral of suspicion, desire, and dread, where past traumas bleed into the present and the line between protector and threat dissolves. With music that chills and seduces, and a libretto that dances between reality and illusion, Britten creates a gothic landscape of repressed emotion, buried secrets, and uncanny innocence.

The Turn of the Screw is not just an opera—it’s a fever dream of fear and fascination, leaving you suspended in the unknown, questioning what is real long after the final curtain falls – perfect for late October.