A specially created youth version of the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden will play a six-week season at the Ambassadors Theatre this summer.
From 27 July to 31 August, the show, which has been shortened to 75 minutes and will be performed by a cast of 20 children and four adult actors, will bring Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic story to the stage. The full run of the show will feature 21 different teams of child actors.
Burnett’s story tells of 10-year-old Mary Lennox, who returns to Yorkshire having been orphaned while living in India. Living with her reclusive uncle, Mary meets a host of characters while searching for the mysterious secret garden that belonged to her aunt before she died.
The short adaptation of the story features music by Lucy Simon and a book and lyrics by Marsha Norman.
Speaking about the production, director Rupert Hands said: “I’m very much looking forward to working on this beautiful musical with such an exciting company of young actors. Giving young people the opportunity to work on great shows in great spaces is vital for the future of theatre.”
The Secret Garden will play in rep with long-running West End favourite Stomp at the Ambassadors Theatre. It will be followed by the National Youth Theatre’s residency in the autumn.