Charlotte Mackenzie speaks to the Bogotá Anglo Theater director Tigre Haller about the company’s latest spine-tingling production: The Turn of the Screw
Written by Henry James in the 1800s, The Turn of the Screw is, in Tigre’s words: “A classic psychological ghost story.”
For those of you expecting a large cast, in this adaptation all the parts are played by two actors – Nathalia Franco and Tatiana Ronderos – leaving a lot to the audience’s imagination.
Tigre has certainly risen to the challenge of putting on a classic thriller. Regarding the casting, he tells us: “Part of our mission at the BAT is to cast English-speaking Colombian actors in lead roles where possible”. It is just one aspect that adds to the BAT’s charm, and a key element behind the company’s well-executed productions.
“It’s been very interesting, working with a smaller cast the dynamic is much more heightened. Here with just the two of them up on stage, their relationship off stage has to be extremely solid. They work extremely well together.”
The Turn of the Screw will be staged in El Pepino restaurant, meaning a daily reshuffle of the space: “We reconfigure the space to our needs each night – and then we put it all back for the lunch service.
“Pepino is a very intimate space, it works very well for The Turn of the Screw because the production needs to be in a smaller venue so that everyone feels that they are being told a ghost story around the fireplace – it certainly lends itself to that.”
And for all you Christmas lovers, the BAT are already well into rehearsals for their 2015 production: The Eight Reindeer Monologues. Featuring a larger cast, and a plot involving sexual allegations against Santa Claus, the production will be staged during December.
Showing at El Pepino, Carrera 14 #87-71 from October 20 – 29. Performances on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (No performance on October 27). Tickets $45,000 on the door or at www.biciq.com (price includes a drink).
