BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
We all know what it feels like to lose a little sleep. Whether we’re excited about a big commitment, or worried we’ll snooze through the alarm on an important day, it’s common to toss and turn through the night.
Not often, though, do we lose sleep because our work “sounds darn creepy”. And this is how soprano Rachelle Durkin first became acquainted with her role in Benjamin Britten’s operatic horror The Turn of the Screw.
It’s based on Henry James’ 1898 novella, which is known as one of the scariest stories ever told. When Britten’s live performance adaptation premiered in 1954, the legacy continued.
Singing against a spooky 13-instrument chamber ensemble, Rachelle says “the music beckons us to be one with the story”. It’s a story you may prefer to watch at a distance — but good luck if you don’t feel swept into this tale of a Governess, two children, and this old English manor.
Ahead of her performances with State Opera South Australia and its all-Australian cast, Rachelle tells us why this production is one worth experiencing — even if it gives us all a chill.
Rachelle, The Turn of the Screw is commonly known as the scariest story ever told. When was the first time you acquainted yourself with this spooky tale?
I remember reading the synopsis of the opera a few years ago when the role of the Governess was mentioned numerous times to me by opera colleagues. I was certainly creeped out by the story, and I remember I had a bit of a sleepless night just thinking about it.
Not long thereafter, I decided I’d learn the Governess’ ‘tower scene’ for auditions, and delve into Henry James’ novella, which then frightened and confounded me even more. I found the Governess’ character incredibly intriguing, however — and so you can imagine how thrilled I was when asked to perform the role.
Wow! So why do you feel this is a story that has creeped out every generation of reader since 1898?
The Turn of the Screw certainly plays on the fears and the terrors we have about the supernatural. But what’s most unnerving is that we are confronted by an underlying subject matter that can be deeply disturbing depending on how you, the reader, interpret it.
It’s ultimately up to us to decide what’s going on. And I will tell you, it’s difficult to trust anyone in this story.
In 1954, Benjamin Britten’s operatic version of this story was premiered. How successfully do you feel this horror is translated into music?
The more and more I listen to Turn of the Screw, the more I am convinced that this is Britten’s masterpiece. In a nutshell, it just sounds darn creepy, and the way he frames each scene both dramatically and musically is so clever. He uses a 12-tone ‘Screw’ theme based on a rising sequence of falling fifths. This theme is used throughout, and sounds both ghostly and foreboding.
The juxtaposition is that there are some absolutely beautiful passages written, surprisingly, for the ghosts. Intentional? Certainly.
The piece is a perfect mix of dissonance and tonality, and given that he has only written this piece for 13 instruments, it’s obvious he wanted a real intimacy between the audience and the stage.
The music beckons us to be one with the story.
What are the ingredients of this opera that make it so thrilling to audiences, anyway?
The subject matter combined with Britten’s brilliant score is thrilling in itself, but the ambiguity of each of the characters is what drives the piece. One may not be able to easily discern who is good and who is evil, and this is what will be most fascinating to audiences.
Tell us about your own character — the star of the show, the Governess.
From what we know, she is young, naive, and the daughter of a poor country parson. She’s somewhat sheltered, and is clearly something of a romantic. She has only met her employer twice, and is completely smitten with him.
Without giving any spoilers away, the Governess’ personality is a complicated one. Though she’s the one character we seemingly have the most information about, we fear we may not know who she really is at any given time.
The same can be said about all of the characters, but it’s the psychological torment and the Governess’ emotional journey that has really been fleshed out here.
Sounds disturbing. What’s something you need to keep in mind when singing, and acting, in a horror role like this? How do you know what you’re doing will give the audience a chill?
I have never tackled anything quite like this in my career, which is why I’ve wanted to perform this role for a few years now. I have portrayed evil witches and women scorned, but I have never played an open-ended heroine, or anti-heroine for that matter. Given the intense undertones too, I may have to leave my emotions at the door before rehearsals — gulp!
Honestly, I have broken down on numerous occasions whilst reading the book, listening to the score, and practicing the role. As soon as I think the Governess is who I think she is, I listen again and I believe her to be the contrary. It’s this ambiguity I love about her, and yet it’s this ambiguity that frightens me all the same.
I am so excited to see what our director Stuart Maunder thinks — he’s a master at character development, and I look forward to seeing the Governess evolve.
So, what can we expect from you, Stuart, and the team in this State Opera South Australia production?
I love about everything about designer Roger Kirk’s productions, and so I can’t wait to see what this particular production will be like. I have no knowledge as to what period we will be in, or as to what the set looks like — it’ll be a surprise even to me. I can’t wait for the production call.
Before we go, what do you think this timeless horror story means to audiences today?
What we do know is that the title of The Turn of the Screw simply means an action that makes a bad situation worse.
We certainly see this happen to the characters in this story, particularly with the Governess. Henry James’ story is certainly designed to shock the pants off the reader, and Britten’s incredible score drives this home. Perhaps most people will walk away thinking this is just a simple horror ghost story, but for me it has been so much more.
In today’s world, a ‘turn of the screw’ could mean a change in one’s life in an instant. We’ve seen this currently with people who have been displaced, lives ruined with Covid, money issues, the stress of day-to-day living, abuse and a deeper decline in mental health. These characters resonate with us. We may not have encountered Casper the ghost, but we have empathy for them and the horrors they face, because we also face horrors on a daily basis.
This is a profound piece. I am so passionate about it, and I really hope the audience is moved as much as I am and goes away questioning everything.
Watch Rachelle Durkin perform in State Opera South Australia’s production The Turn of the Screw, 30 April-6 May, Festival Theatre, Adelaide.
Images supplied.
