An Interesting Production

Northern Ireland Opera was founded in 2010, and Britten's The turn of the screw is only its fifth production. It does credit to a company of clearly limited means, but which evidently intends to go places (Buxton Festival, Buxton Opera House, Buxton, UK, 16 July 2012). Interestingly, it features two singers, Giselle Allen (Miss Jessel) and Yvonne Howard (Mrs Grose) repeating their roles, but to very different effect, from Opera North's production two years ago.

Director Oliver Mears moves the setting to the mid-fifties, when the opera was written, which works well...