The Secret Garden

Eastwood Uniting Church Musical Society’s production of the musical adaptation of the famous novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett was a truly magical interpretation of the fantasy tale for all ages.

Young Mary Lennox wakes up in India alone. She has been living there with her parents and servants, who have all been killed by Cholera. She is taken to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, and his stern brother Neville. Whilst living in the Castle Mistlethwaite, she is also introduced to the maid Martha, Martha’s younger brother Dickon, the gardener Ben and the house keeper Mrs Medlock. Whilst investigating the castle grounds, Mary uncovers the secret magical garden, which belonged to her late Aunt Lily. Secretly Mary opens the gate to the garden and with help from Ben, Martha and Dickon, restores the garden to its past glory. During the show we discover that both Archibald and his brother Neville had loved Lily. Archibald married her and keeps their sick child hidden within the Castle, while Neville’s secret love for her wasn’t reciprocated. Mary eventually discovers the crippled boy Colin (her cousin) in the castle and tries to help heal him in the garden with surprising success.

The rather small stage space at Eastwood Uniting Church, with only a white curtain with a plain garden setting on it, had me a little worried as I walked into the theatre. The scenes with all 24 cast members on stage did look a little crowded at times but it didn’t seem to effect the action. The ensemble numbers in this production sounded wonderful; notable voices were James Ogg (who also played Mary’s father who appeared throughout as a ghost) and Bruce Coitinho-Paz. Both these men sounded amazing when harmonising. The props that were added for certain scenes helped set the scene well. Credit must go Director Katherine Sharpham and her crew for getting these props on and off stage quickly, while we were mostly distracted by reprises of songs performed on the opposite side of the stage.

Many performances by the leads deserve a mention, starting with young Elsie Wilson as Mary Lennox. Elsie really brought out the bashfulness and excitement within the role. Her rapport with the adult cast was a delight, suggesting what a bright future she has in the arts.

Anthony Mason as the hunchback Uncle Archie gave a tremendous performance, both with his acting abilities and vocals. His struggle with the loss of his love Lily was truly felt by all in the audience. Anthony showed a lot of light and shade in the role, eFor instance when he sang the song “Race You to The Top of the Morning” to his sick son.

Dr Neville Craven was played with great passion by Sam Hile; you could feel the pain of losing Lily, while his clashes with both Archie and Mary were played with great intent. Sam’s vocals in the famous number “Lily’s Eyes” were captivating.

David Cuminsky was a treat to watch as the playful Dickon and his accent was spot on. Martha, played by Annemarie Murphy, added a nice steadiness to the group of leads and you could feel the love and care she had towards the younger characters. The stand out performance for me on the night was Rachael Fullston as Lily Craven. Her beautiful soprano voice was mesmerizing and she played the character with real heart in her interactions with Archibald before her death and her son Colin, when she sang to him in “Come to my Garden”. Joshua Wilson played the role of the sick boy Colin with a great gentleness.

Katherine Sharpham has navigated a rather large show with seeming ease on a smaller scale. Her ability to get her cast to deliver such great performances is a true credit to both her and Musical Director Rebecca Hansen. The small orchestra didn’t have that full large sound, but played the score perfectly.

Eastwood Uniting Church Musical Society have delivered a very entertaining night of Theatre and it’s a real credit to all involved.

James Russell.