Soap star Carli Norris talks ahead of Turn of the Screw role at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre
Actress Carli Norris is best known for her roles in popular soaps. She’s starred as Anoushka Flynn in the BBC soap opera Doctors and played Belinda Peacock in EastEnders. Carli also starred as Martha Kane in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks and Fran Reynolds in Holby City.
She’s swopping the small screen for the stage, however, to star in a new production of Henry James’ Turn of the Screw from Tuesday to April 14 at Wolverhampton’s Grand.
The spine-tingling show looks at whether or not there are such things as ghosts.
Carli was instantly attracted to the show, after reading the book as a youngster. “I remember reading the book when I was young and I was fascinated by it. Then last year I was in the foyer of the Mercury Theatre in Colchester because I was doing panto [Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs] there, saw the poster for Turn Of The Screw and almost bought a ticket there and then.
“I said to my husband ‘We must go and see that, it’s a really good story’. I’m fascinated by all things gothic horror and I thought it’d be interesting to see a live interpretation of the novel.
“Then I got the part of The Governess. I was playing The Enchantress in Snow White and the producer and the artistic director of the Mercury Theatre approached me on the first night and said ‘We’ve got an idea that we want you to do some proper acting’.
“I guessed straight away that it was Turn Of The Screw and I ummed and aahed a little bit because it meant going away on tour and I have two little girls, but I thought ‘I can’t turn it down because it’s such a brilliant part’.”
The psychological thriller is set in Victorian Britain and focuses on a young governess who is put in charge of two small orphaned children and who discovers when she goes to their house that they’re not alone.
There are ghosts from the past and the governess vows to do whatever she can to keep the children safe.
“It’s a very atmospheric production with amazing lighting and sound. Instead of just watching the story unfold the audience is made to feel a part of it as well and their senses will be heightened by the incredible filmic score.”
The show focuses on Tim Luscombe’s adaptation, which differs from the Henry James novel. It begins 30 years later, when The Governess is an older woman.
Carli says: “The Governess is very determined, quite nervous but feisty throughout and she finds a lot of strength. There are times you start to doubt whether or not her memories of what happened were really what happened or are possibly something she’s invented to sort of soothe the horror that went on around her.
“She’s romantic and reads a lot of romance books so the way she describes a lot of things is from these romantic ideas in her head. She’s also quite a spiritual person and God-fearing, as everybody was in those days, but she has an interest in the more macabre possibilities. She believes there are ghosts all around but to other people that’s just her explanation for strange goings-on.
“I’m quite determined and romantic and I do tend to daydream, but obviously it was a completely different time and I’m a modern woman with modern ethics. It’s difficult for me to get my head around putting myself in her shoes because I would make certain different decisions, but the feistiness and determination I can definitely relate to.”
Carli decided not to re-read the novel as preparation because it’s very different to the play. She didn’t want to colour her interpretation of the script. And she’s relished the challenge to step away from TV for a little while so that she can act each evening.
The role that she’s most recognised for is Belinda from EastEnders.
“Soap acting is a very strange phenomenon because you’re more accessible to ‘normal’ people. You come into their rooms four or five times a week, you speak like them, you might have the same dilemmas as them so they can relate to you. You see it in people’s faces. When I’m walking down the street and someone comes towards me their eyes change and you can see the confusion in their faces, like ‘Why is that woman off the telly here?’
“I’ve never understood the selfie thing because why would someone want a picture of me looking terrible with no make-up on for their Facebook page, but it’s part of the job. And I’m proud of having my own shop [Chocodolly in Colchester] and when people recognise me for that, saying they’ve been in the shop and really liked it, it’s nice to hear.”
Her career highlight was starring in Tilly Trotter on TV. She loved the costumes and the corsets and working in a big manor house.
“I also loved In Deep where I played an undercover police officer with a gun strapped to my thigh, constantly in disguise, getting the baddie. As far as theatre goes, I’ll never forget Pygmalion, which was my first job. As a young girl fresh out of drama school I was playing this incredible role and it was like a different world, working in the West End with all these amazing actors and meeting all these fabulous people.”
