THE SECRET GARDEN Gilbert & Sullivan Society of SA The Arts Theatre Until 09 Feb 2013 Review by Benjamin Orchard Though you’ll find Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel, “The Secret Garden”, shelved in the children’s section of your local bookstore, it would be a mistake to dismiss it as being simply “kid’s stuff”. The story grapples intelligently with some pretty dark adult themes – including death, and the many varied forms that the grieving process takes. The novel also has much to say about the importance of attentive parenting and the psychological consequences that excessive neglect can have on children. These messages are imparted, not in a pompous and condescending way, but with much warmth and subtle humour. “The Secret Garden” is one of those rare children’s stories which offer as much to the mature adult reader, as it does to youngsters. Much the same can be said about Lucy Simon & Marsha Norman’s musical adaptation, which is currently being staged by The Gilbert & Sullivan Society Of SA. “The Secret Garden” tells the story of Mary Lennox (played on different nights by Nadia Barrow and Laura Williams) a spoilt and bad tempered child born and raised in India during the time of the British Raj. When a cholera epidemic claims the life of her parents, Mary is sent to live with her reclusive uncle, Archie (Mark Oates), at his mansion in Yorkshire. Unfortunately, Archie is so consumed with grief over the death of his wife, Lily (Carolyn Ferrie), that he has little time for the girl, or for his own sickly son, Colin (played either by Harry Fiedler or Jack Raftopoulos). The running of the house is left largely in the hands of Archie’s cynical brother, Neville (Andrew Crispe), and the primly proper head housekeeper, Mrs Medlock (Anne Doherty), who both resent Mary’s presence. Largely left to her own devices, Mary befriends jolly housemaid, Martha (Sarah Nagy) and her equally jolly brother, Dickon (Ian Andrew), who encourage her to explore the lush grounds. When Mary discovers Lily’s old garden, which Archie has neglected for years, she resolves to restore it to its former glory. This project serves as a catalyst to bring the family back together. Lily, Mary’s parents and their Indian household appear throughout the show as ghosts, observing and commenting on the events of the story as it unfolds. Their otherworldly nature may not be immediately apparent to the audience, as they haven’t been made up to look markedly different from the “living” characters, nonetheless, the unusual lighting and choreography get the message across. All the spooks have a suitably eerie stage presence, especially Ferrie, whose oddly ethereal loveliness makes it easy to understand why her character’s death hit poor Archie so hard. Although there was the odd case of first night jitters, a slight hesitation in the delivery of some phrases, the quality of the cast is uniformly first rate. That’s no mean feat. Simon’s sophisticated score, reminiscent of Sondheim’s “Into The Woods”, is quite vocally demanding. On top of that, the principle roles are VERY dramatically challenging. In the hands of a lesser actor, Archie could so easily have come across as a one dimensional, whiny emo, but Oates delivers an intelligent and multi-layered performance… which features some impeccably timed comic moments. Crispe and Doherty also deliver surprisingly subtle and nuanced performances, in roles that lesser actors might pitch to the audience as moustache twirling villains. Nagy and Andrew not only have affability to spare; they manage to pull off tricky Yorkshire accents without sounding like something out of a Monty Python skit. The children have the most difficult task of all, in that they are required to be convincingly snooty, and yet, at the same time, sympathetic to the audience. Williams and Raftopoulos make such a delicate balancing act seem effortless; one hopes that their alternates are equally accomplished. Overall, this is truly a show that deserves to be seen by anyone who appreciates well-made musical theatre, be they young or… not so young!