“…has a filmic quality…creates some lovely musical intimacies which enhance the magical sense of human fragility and reality on stage.”
— Lynne Walker in The Independent
“…brilliant writing by Garry Lyons in his handling of the kids…beautifully observed dialogue which captures kids’ talk…”
— British Theatre Guide
The Secret Garden (West Yorkshire Playhouse 2009-10)
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s classic was an unusual choice for a Christmas adaptation. But with Tim Sutton’s melodic music and Ruari Murchison’s sumptuous revolving set with hundreds of reflective hanging tubes capturing the changing seasons, Ian Brown’s magical production starring Jayne Wisener - shortly after she appeared opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd - proved a hit with Leeds audiences. The production was revived at Birmingham Rep the following year (see separate entry).
Photos: Keith Pattison