Cast Members Announced for The Turn of the Screw at Hayes Theatre Co

Craig Baldwin in association with Hayes Theatre Co has announced some of the stellar cast for the upcoming chamber opera The Turn of the Screw which opens in August. For the first time ever, opera fills the intimate Hayes space with Benjamin Britten’s spine-chilling masterpiece The Turn of the Screw. Helmed by celebrated director Craig Baldwin (Consent, John and The Flick for Outhouse Theatre Co), The Turn of the Screw will feature some of Sydney’s finest rising opera stars. 

The role of governess will be played by Sophie Salvesani (La Traviata, West Side Story) and another performer still to be cast. They will be joined on stage by the supremely talented Kanen Breen (The Merry Widow, Sweeney Todd) and resplendent Ben Rasheed (Tosca, Rigoletto) who will alternate the role of Peter Quint. The role of Mrs Grose will be shared by Margaret Trubiano (Carmen) and Ruth Strutt(The Magic Flute, Opera Up Late) with more cast to be announced at a later date.

Director Craig Baldwin said, “I’m thrilled to be bringing opera to the Hayes for the first time. And what better way to do it, than with a mid-winter ghost story? In that uniquely intimate setting, every whispered secret, every ghostly apparition and every bit of haunting melody will envelop the audience. It will absolutely be a one-of-a-kind experience.”

This gripping tale unfolds in a remote English manor, as a young governess arrives to care for two orphaned children, Flora and Miles. She soon discovers that the grounds, and the children themselves, are haunted by mysterious apparitions. As the governess fights to protect her wards from the sinister forces that surround them, the line between sanity and madness becomes thrillingly blurred.

Britten’s evocative score weaves a web of tension, combining hauntingly beautiful melodies with dissonant harmonies, perfectly capturing the ghostly ambiance of Henry James’s classic gothic novel.

Baldwin has assembled an impressive creative team including Musical Director Francis Greep (Dry My Tears for The Song Company), Set and Costume Designer Emma Vine (Photograph 51 for Ensemble Theatre) and Lighting Designer Morgan Moroney(Sydney Theatre Award, Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production for Collapsible).

Presented in whisperingly intimate proximity, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Be immersed in the eerie sounds and psychological suspense of one of the world’s most popular operas. Prepare to question the boundaries between the material and the supernatural, and become enthralled by the dark recesses of the human mind. 

The Turn of the Screw will be at Hayes Theatre Co 16 August – 15 September. Tickets from $75-89. Click here to book now.

Sophie Salvesani, Kanen Breen in The Turn of the Screw, Photo by Marnya Rothe