Past productions

THE SECRET GARDEN

16 – 25 January 2025

by Frances Hodgson Burnett, adapted for the stage by Elizabeth Newman

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle’s great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. Left to make her own entertainment, Mary stumbles upon a garden, overgrown and locked for years. A forbidden garden.

Finding her way inside, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary develops a connection to the house and its inhabitants. Then, one night, in one of the house’s many rooms, she hears the sound of crying…

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s delightful and enduring tale celebrates the power of transformation and healing through nature.


Cast

Mary | Holly M / Lilia W
Colin | Henry P
Dickon | Oakley M
Martha | Céleste Rose-Valmary
Robin | Gerard Kelly
Mrs Medlock | Carol Moss
Mr Craven | Michael Cooke
Ben Weatherstaff | Peter Damesick

Directed by Lucinda Banton

Photography by Chris Fenton


Review | January 2025 | Theo Spring

With the gentle sound of birdsong welcoming the arriving audience, there was considerable anticipation of an enjoyable experience ahead, taking those of us whose childhood memories included this well-loved story, backwards in time. 

As the story is youth-centric, the casting of the four main characters was vital. All four roles were in very good hands, with the main role of Mary Lennox split between Holly M and Lilia W. It was Lilia who performed on the night I attended and her theatrical experience to date brought a very confident young lady to the stage. Word perfect and able to deliver the varying emotional requirements of a girl, finding herself not only an orphan and one transported to a strange country – from India to England. She travelled to the large cold Missellthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, owned by an emotionally-challenged Uncle who wanted nothing to do with either her, or his son, whose birth had resulted in the loss of his much-loved wife. Lilia’s every word was clear and she believably became Mary. I do regret that with two girls alternating the role, Holly M’s skills cannot be reviewed, but I do not have any doubt that she would have been an equally talented Mary. 

Martha is the young house maid put in charge of Mary and being a local girl, must have a Yorkshire accent. Both Céleste Rose-Valmary as Martha, and Oakley M who plays her young brother Dickon, triumphed with their accents which never faltered. 

Martha is an enthusiastic girl, albeit a little browbeaten by the houskeeper, but she recognises Mary’s need for affection and Céleste brought to life Martha’s loving family background, as well as her trepidation where the housekeeper was concerned. To Oakley, as Dickon, fell the requirement to be a free spirit, a lover of the outdoors and animals and he interpreted these well, making his gardening knowledge convincing alongside his friendship with Mary.

Colin, the son of Mary’s uncle – Mr Craven – required an altogether different approach. Supposedly sickly, dying even, Henry P had to realistically command the servants and be generally bad tempered. As we who know the story are aware, a transformation is required and this was realistically achieved, particularly when Colin tries to walk on wobbly legs, once he is in the garden. 

This stage adaption by Elizabeth Newman of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book, brings in a ‘robin’ as narrator to set the scene. Gerard Kelly as Robin, not only sets the scenes and moves the story along but, with the bird in hand, darts about the stage in a most robin-like manner. The bird chirrups his song as he goes and here Tony Richardson on the sound desk comes into his own, providing the right noises for the robin. His efforts drew acknowledgement from the cast at the curtain call – justifiably so. 

Mrs Medlock the housekeeper, is required to brook no nonsense whilst also showing concern and compliance towards Colin’s demands. Carol Moss captured both sides of the character whilst keeping the housekeeper’s iron rule over the household. Ben Weatherstaff – an old family retainer – added wisdom to the script with Peter Damesick as a friendly face in Mary’s early days at the Manor. More good accents from both these retainers. In a small but important role, Michael Cooke brought suitable melancholy to his brief appearance as Mr Craven and Elizabeth Newman’s script allows him to be a little more understanding towards Mary than he seems to be of his son. 

The set for the play is, as one would anticipate, beautifully done in the design by Jenny Kingman. Managing to incorporate a tuck-away bedroom for Mary and a raised bed ledge for Colin’s bed, the enviable Miller revolve allowed us all to go through the hidden door with Mary, to discover the secret garden. Plants blossomed between Act 1 and Act II and the sleeping forlorn garden bloomed through, I am sure, the considerable efforts of Jane Bishop in charge of Props. A truly charming set had lovely lighting and projection by Rachel Chrystie. Berry Butler dressed the cast to accurately reflect the era and a mention must also go to Robin Clark for the design of the programme with its splendid front cover illustration. 

The empathetic direction of Lucinda Banton brought this charming story to life in her excellent directing debut and the Miller Theatre have thus been able to add another very capable director to their directorial list.