Opera Scotland

Turn of the Screw 1970Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Turn of the Screw

Anthony Besch followed his successful staging of Albert Herring with The Turn of the Screw, this time collaborating with the designer John Stoddart, who had earlier designed his productions of The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte.

Several of the cast members had stayed together for years working with a variety of companies and productions. Judith Pierce had first sung Mrs Grose in 1957, when Britten conducted tours to Stratford (Ontario) and Berlin. She was following Joan Cross in that role, but many of the original cast were still available. Her colleagues on the tour included Peter Pears, Jennifer Vyvyan, Arda Mandikian and Olive Dyer.

The high-quality spring season also included a new Beethoven bi-centenary production of Fidelio, with further performances of Don Giovanni and Cenerentola.

One more 1970 performance in Newcastle Apr 7-10 (date to be confirmed)

This production was revived in the autumn of 1970, when, in repertoire with Albert Herring, it was taken on the company’s second foreign tour, this time north, to Iceland (Oct 1 to 4).