The Staging, Production, and Reception of Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw in the UK from 1954 onwards.

Relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to the production and staging of Benjamin Britten’s chamber opera The Turn of the Screw, even though it remains one of the most frequently performed operas in the UK. This thesis seeks to explore the cultural significance and representations inherent in Britten’s opera since its première in 1954. Employing case study examples of six productions of The Turn of the Screw staged in the UK from 1954 to 2022, each directed by different opera directors, these productions are analysed considering factors such as the creative team’s philosophy, stage design, blocking, directorial decisions, and post-performance critical reception and interpretations. The thesis is structured around four key themes: social class, the supernatural, sexuality, and gender. Research analysing the diverse stage performances of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, and examining the reception of its various productions, sheds light on the continuous renewal and revitalisation of the opera over nearly seven decades.
The opera’s productions not only mirror, to a certain extent, the prevailing social and cultural trends of their respective eras, but also invite audiences to perpetually re-engage with and reinterpret the work. This process continually updates and enriches the collective understanding of the opera. This thesis offers an in-depth analysis of the thematic reception and interpretative evolution of the opera in the UK since its inception, contributing to the scholarly discourse on opera staging, production methodologies, and reception theory. It enriches academic discourse on The Turn of the Screw with detailed case studies and critical insights, deepening the understanding of the opera’s cultural significance.