The Secret Garden, Little Theatre Leicester
The Secret Garden production image. Photo by Dave Morris.Written by Hollie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Are you looking for a musical to watch during the Easter holidays? Then head down to The Little Theatre in Leicester to watch this production of the adaptation of author Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel into a musical. After only ever watching the film repeatedly as a child, I was interested to see how this classic tale of mystery and loneliness would transfer onto the stage as a musical.
The production opens with the clever use of technology and projection on the stage, as the protagonist Mary Lennox, played by Olivia King, finds herself an orphan when both of her parents die in 1906 in India. Mary finds herself in what she believes is a frightful dream, as she is transported to England to live with her late aunt’s husband, her only living relative.
Mary comes across to all who live in the mansion as a stubborn and sad little girl, but as the story progresses this slowly changes and her character develops. As this is a musical, the songs keep the pace going throughout the show and the clever use of dance and choreography by the chorus mimics the movement of the windy and stormy weather in England. The musical numbers change the mood between the different scenes and give the musical a different dynamic from the film. The use of shadows, lighting, and the spectacular scenery make this production particularly enchanting and ensure that it is great for both adults and children alike!
As the story moves on, Mary’s relationship with housemaid Martha develops and the mood around the house begins to change. Martha, played by Kerry Smith, brings some great humorous moments to the show and Kerry’s depiction of the character as well as her Yorkshire accent are fantastic!
The only disappointment for me, and this is not a reflection on the actors who played them, but I feel that the parts of Dickin and the Robin felt disjointed and almost a bit panto-like. I would have liked the use of technology to have been used to reflect the part of the Robin as it took a while for me to grasp who those characters were supposed to be.
As the play moves on, Mary can hear a lot of crying at night in the house and she isn’t sure where the sound is coming from or whether she is dreaming it. The crying and wailing give the house a haunted kind of feel which is then felt even more with the flashes of lightning as a storm signals impending doom and changes to the character’s lives.
Mary tries hard to get to know her Uncle Archibald, played by Keiran Whelan-Newby, and he struggles to get to know her when she arrives. Keiran’s depiction of Uncle Archibald is splendid and he is a very good actor with a great singing voice. All of the cast have excellent singing voices and the fact that this is a musical production of The Secret Garden gives this show a different energy.
The way that the production builds up to the revealing of the secret garden is magical and the use of the scenery throughout the show by the actors provides reflections and foreshadowing which is clever on such a smaller and more intimate stage.
With brilliant performances from the entire cast and a captivating adaptation of a beloved classic, The Secret Garden transports audiences into a magical world of imagination and discovery. This show will resonate with audiences of all ages!
The Little Theatre’s production of ‘The Secret Garden’ is showing from 24th - 27th March and from 3rd - 6th April.
★ ★ ★ ★
