Turning the Screw (directed by Kevin Kelly) delves into the life of renowned composer Benjamin Britten as he grapples with obsession, set against the backdrop of the 1950s Pink Panic era. 

Running for 90 minutes at the new and improved King’s Head Theatre from 14th Feb-10th March the play touches on themes of emotional abuse, paedophilia and victim shaming.

Directed by Tim McArthur, the play explores Britten’s dynamics with young choirboy David Hemmings, examining power imbalances, vulnerability, and social attitudes towards homosexuality.

Despite a minimalist set and occasional theatrical shortcomings, the cast displays commendable effort. 

Gary Tunshaw delivers an increasingly unsettling performance as Britten strives to get ever closer to the 12 year old David, so at times it all feels a but awkward and uncomfortable. Liam Watson plays the young David and hits the opera high notes well, however some of the dialogue given to the character feels at times a bit too mature, breaking the illusion of a young boy on stage.

The plot feels convoluted at times as Britten begins to unravel, which becomes distracting, if not annoying. He is terrified that his inappropriate relationship with David will come to light, so understandably this fails to evoke empathy and removes any likeability to the character. 

On top of this, Britten’s team are more concerned with David starting puberty than they are with the composer sneaking into the boys room in the dead of the night. The cover up and victim blaming that follows parallels the recent Me Too movement which brings the play back to the realities of modern life.

Turning the Screw is an intriguing glimpse into Benjamin Britten’s life during a tumultuous period, but its execution falls short in fully engaging the audience. It attempts to address significant parts of LGBTQ+ history – they name dropped Oscar Wilde and Alan Turing, who both suffered terribly due to their sexuality, and whilst you can see the connection they were trying to achieve here, it didn’t seem quite as hard hitting as intended.

Turning the Screw offers a commentary on a time where, due to the Pink Panic, homosexuality was still illegal, and how far society has come along since then.
With that in mind, yes it’s quite thought provoking and so is worth a visit to the recently revamped King’s Head Theatre.

3/5 stars

Book yourself tickets to go and see Turning the Screw for yourself via the link.

Take a look at our review for director Tim McArthur’s Deeper and Deeper here.