The Turn of the Screw is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James that offers gothic fiction and ghost story in equal measure.

A new governess (known only as that) is appointed care for Miles and Flora who live alone at Bly, a remote country estate tended by Mrs Grose, the housekeeper.

Their father has insisted the new governess not bother him with any issues regarding the children and their upbringing.

But all too soon after arriving at Bly, the governess becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted by the ghosts of a Peter Quint and Miss Jesselmean.

And that they mean the children harm.

The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and English National Opera are staging Benjamin Britten's opera of The Turn of the Screw to much critical, and much deserved, acclaim.

And this theatre is as near perfect setting as one could hope to get for the opera.

The stage is dominated by a rusting, age ravaged conservatory standing forlornly in grounds untended and overgrown.

This, in itself, creates a slightly unnerving expectation as we enter the theatre for the performance.

And the production exploits the gradually diminishing daylight to dramatic effect.

As nightfall closes in and the temperature drops, so the mood of Turn of the Screw darkens.

The ghostly threat to the children, from beyond the grave, becomes grippingly real and the Mrs Grose's attempts to protect them ever more frantic.

As someone who is not normally drawn to opera, I was not sure how much I would be able to appreciate Turn of the Screw with my untrained ear.

The answer is that it was a genuinely memorable theatrical experience with the exceptional vocal performances and that of the orchestra, shrouded in the conservatory.

It is good (for me) that Brittan's opera is sung in English, that the Open AirnTheatre enjoys wonderful acoustics,and that the libretto sheet is available for us to follow.

As someone who looks to take in every production at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, I welcome the way each season strives to challenge as well as entertain its audiences.

As an opera, The Turn of the Screw was, for me, just such a theatricalchallenge but all the more rewarding for that.

Turn of the Screw runs until 30 June 2018, but do not be surprised if this excellent production returns to haunt future seasons at the Open Air Theatre.

www.openairtheatre.com/production/the-turn-of-the-screw

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