Theatre News

Gemma Jones & Anna Madeley star in Almeida Turn of the Screw

Casting has been announced for Lindsay Posner‘s forthcoming production of Rebecca Lenkiewicz‘ new stage adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, which runs at the Almeida from 24 January to 16 March 2013 (previews from 18 January).

The cast comprises: Anna Madeley (The Governess), Gemma Jones (Mrs Grose), Caroline Bartleet (a woman), Laurence Belcher (Miles), Eoin Geoghegan (a man), Orlando Wells (Sackville) and Isabella Blake, Emilia Jones and Lucy Morton who will alternate the role of Flora.

Miss Jessel is dead. A new governess arrives at a remote estate in Bly
to care for Miles and Flora. Wild but angelic they charm their guardian
with flowers, poetry and song. But as she grows to love her two wards,
figures appear in the darkness outside and the corners of the house are
haunted by those that have gone before. The Governess must confront her
fear and protect the children from the alarming dangers that surround
them.

Gemma Jones returns to the Almeida having previously been seen in Dance
of Death
. Her other theatre credits include Richard III as part of the Old
Vic Bridge Project, Family Reunion at the Donmar Warehouse, Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof
at the Lyric Theatre and The Glass Menagerie and Much Ado
About Nothing
at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Anna Madeley
was last at the Almeida in Becky Shaw. Her other theatre credits
include Richard Eyre’s Broadway production of Private Lives, the
National Theatre’s productions of Earthquakes in London and Coram Boy,
as well as Contractions and Ladybird for the Royal Court, The
Philanthropist
and The Cosmonaut’s Last Message for the Donmar Warehouse
and Roman Actor and The Malcontent for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Sixteen-year-old Laurence Belcher made his theatre debut in Alan Bennett’s The Habit of
Art
at the National. He has subsequently been seen in The Late
Middle Classes
at the Donmar Warehouse, Mary Poppins at the Prince
Edward Theatre and Scrooge at the London Palladium. He
will soon be seen on screen playing Prince William in Diana.

Orlando Wells‘ theatre credits include The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre, Katrina for The Jericho House, The History Boys for the National Theatre, Pirandello’s Henry IV for the Donmar Warehouse and Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello and Antony and Cleopatra for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Turn of the Screw is designed by Peter McKintosh, with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound
by John Leonard. The Turn of the Screw is presented in association with
Act Productions Limited and Hammer Theatre of Horror and sponsored by Pinsent Masons LLP.

The production runs as part of Michael Attenborough‘s final season as artistic director of the Almeida.