‘Turning the Screw’ explores composer Benjamin Britten’s then-illegal gay relationship and his known infatuation with a twelve-year-old boy in the 1950s. The play premieres at The Studio, New Wimbledon Theatre from the 20th to 29th October.
Benjamin Britten is a world-renowned composer, conductor and pianist. He died in 1976, but he is still regarded as a central figure in 20th-century music, being the first composer to be honoured with a life peerage. Britten had a considerable operatic output, including Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, and The Turn Of The Screw. He is also known for a range of work that includes orchestral and chamber pieces.
‘Turning the Screw’, by playwright Kevin Kelly, delves into Britten’s behind-the-scenes relationships and asks, “if we can value someone’s artistry even when there is something about the artist that is both unsettling and immoral?”
Britten’s attraction to boys has been well documented and discussed at length, and the extent to which he acted upon it has also been the subject of much scrutiny.
“As a fan of Britten’s work, I am fascinated by his life and genius, but also the man himself,” says Kelly. “It sits uncomfortably that, on the one hand, we have Britten writing an opera about seduction and the loss of innocence while sharing his bed with a 12-year-old boy. But there’s a lot more to the story than just that, and that’s what we shall explore in Turning the Screw, which I am thrilled to bring to the stage.”
The story revolves around Benjamin Britten’s (at the time) illegal homosexual relationship with the singer Peter Pears and his work on an opera based on the Henry James novella “The Turn of the Screw”.
Pears was three years senior to Britten, and while they lived as a married couple in private, they were much more cautious in public. After the war more than 1,000 gay men were imprisoned because of their sexuality!
The story also examines Britten’s decision to cast a twelve-year-old soprano, David Hemmings, for the part of Miles in the opera. The boy was not a gifted singer, and Britten had an infatuation with the boy that was apparent to those around them.
Britten started an intensive series of private lessons, and Hemmings came to live with him and Pears. Hemmings’ roguish charm also caused issues in the household. The play explores the tensions between Britten and Pears through a combination of words and music. The backdrop is the rehearsals for the premier performance of the opera in Venice.
The conductor Charles Mackerras witnessed the relationship between Britten and Hemmings first-hand, “Ben’s behaviour was so much that of the besotted lover that one thought that maybe he might have behaved improperly with him eventually. But if we can believe David Hemmings (and I do), there was no ‘hanky-panky’ at all.”
Britten’s attraction to boys is also the subject of Martin Kettle’s article for the Guardian, Why we must talk about Britten’s boys.
“When we think about hidden LGBT+ history, there is something appealing about Britten and Pears living openly as a gay couple. The pressure on them must have been immense, and then Britten risks it all when Hemmings comes to stay with them,” says McArthur, the play’s Director. “And the fact that the play is based wholly on historical events makes it even more compelling! I’m thrilled to be directing this new play and bringing it to Wimbledon.”
Buy tickets to Turning the Screw
Turning the Screw, 20 – 29 October 2022, at The Studio, New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1QG
Kelly’s Turning the Screw is directed by Tim McArthur. Tim was Associate Artistic Director at the Stag Theatre from 2009 – 2015. Kelly’s credits include Maurice, My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous, Orton, Cleveland Street, Rise Like a Phoenix, Boys Play, The Blink Series and three seasons of the hit Bathhouse.
The cast includes Gary Tushaw as Britten, Adam Lilley as Pears and Christian Andrews as Hemmings.
Turning the Screw is by K-Squared Productions Ltd
