The Secret Garden (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

Frances Hodgson Burnett

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 67

Beschreibung

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. Left to make her own entertainment, Mary stumbles upon a garden, overgrown and locked for years. A forbidden garden. Finding her way inside, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary begins to feel a connection to the house and its inhabitants. Then, one night, in one of the house's many rooms, she hears the sound of crying… Frances Hodgson Burnett's delightful and enduring tale celebrates the power of transformation and healing through nature. Elizabeth Newman's magical adaptation was premiered at Pitlochry Festival Theatre's open-air amphitheatre in 2023, where Newman is Artistic Director. This version will appeal to other professional and amateur companies looking for a much-loved classic that can be easily staged in theatres, outdoor venues – and gardens. 'An enriching, affirmative show, steeped in gentle wonder' – The Stage 'A near-perfect summer theatre experience for children… The Secret Garden is fast emerging as a key children's story for our time: a profound legend about how human beings need the natural world and its energy to survive and thrive… Newman's adaptation glows from its opening moments with love for, and understanding of, the basic dynamics of Hodgson Burnett's bold narrative… a beautiful show' – The Scotsman 'Enrapturing… a tremendous fervour of pace… simply gorgeous… a thing of beauty' – Reviews Hub 'Retains all the essentials of the original novel but brings in the whole thing at around 90 minutes, including an interval. It's appealingly crisp, which is helpful for the younger members of the audience, and it doesn't shun the novel's all-important use of Yorkshire dialect… a play that retains its own distinctive sense of charm' – WhatsOnStage 'The perfect show for all the family… delights at every turn… a salve to the soul for grown ups in these troubled times and even better, the children in the audience clearly loved it' – Broadway Baby

Leseprobe

Frances Hodgson Burnett

THE SECRET GARDEN

Adapted by

Elizabeth Newman

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

For Annabella and Russell

Contents

Original Production Details

Characters

Suggested Doubling

Time and Place

Notes

The Secret Garden

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

This adaptation of The Secret Garden was first performed at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on 7 July 2023. The cast was as follows:

ROBIN

Matthew Churcher

BEN

Oliver Cookson

MARY

Blythe Jandoo

DICKON

Robbie Scott

MR CRAVEN

Marc Small

COLIN

Jack Ward

MARTHA

Trudy Ward

MRS MEDLOCK

Shona White

All other parts are played by members of the company.

Director and Composer

Ben Occhipinti

Designer

Nick Trueman

Costume Designer

Natalie Fern

Stage Manager

Katy Nicolson

Deputy Stage Manager

Claire Litton

Assistant Stage Manager

Rebecca Gorman

Producer

Deborah Dickinson

Characters

COLIN

BASIL

MARTHA

ANNIE

LAMB

MOTHER

MRS MEDLOCK

MARY

MR CRAVEN

ADESH

LIEUTENANT

DEER

CROW

BEN WEATHERSTAFF

CAPTAIN

RABBIT

DICKON

ROBIN

Suggested Doubling

COLIN/BASIL/ENSEMBLE

MARTHA/ANNIE/LAMB/MOTHER/ENSEMBLE

MRS MEDLOCK/ENSEMBLE

MR CRAVEN/ADESH/LIEUTENANT/DEER/CROW/ ENSEMBLE

BEN WEATHERSTAFF/CAPTAIN/RABBIT/ENSEMBLE

DICKON/BASIL/ENSEMBLE

ROBIN/ENSEMBLE

The adaptation could be performed by five actors with different doubling, or far more actors. A company of forty actors would be glorious if such a company was interested in producing the adaptation.

Time and Place

The time is 1911 and the place is Yorkshire.

We visit India at the beginning of the story and then return to England.

Notes

A forward slash / indicates the point of interruption in overlapping dialogue.

Brackets ( ) indicate a suggestion to the actor.

There are several musical themes in the adaptation, expressed below. This music must support the story to unfold for an audience.

India

The Sea

Travelling

Misselthwaite Manor

The Secret Garden

Magic

A New Beginning

If you are interested in licensing this music for use in a future production, please contact Nick Hern Books (see details on page 4).

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

ACT ONE

Morning.

Summer.

As the audience enters the theatre we hear the sound of blue tits, cuckoos, swallows, turtle doves, swifts and robins.

There is a short swell of sound and the music of the Secret Garden. This fills the space.

ROBIN appears. A country worker. He loves to whistle. A kind and mischievous soul, what makes him distinct from others is his red waistcoat. We later learn that ROBIN is in fact the robin who guides MARY to find the secret garden.

ROBIN. When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle, everybody said she was the most disagreeable looking child ever seen.

MARY appears.

It was true. She was sickly and she had a very sour expression.

The swell completes and we hear the music of India.

She was born in India.

India is created around MARY. Beautiful fabrics and sticks make a tent-like den. She is drawing a lotus flower in her book.

The music fades into the background. There is a party in the distance.

We can now hear the sound of Asian koel, bee-eaters, starlings and Eurasian golden oriole.

Mary’s father held a position in the English Government. He had always been too busy to care for his daughter. Mary’s mother had not wanted a little girl at all. She was a great beauty who cared only to go to parties. When Mary was born, she handed her over to the care of / an –

MARY. Ayah! Ayah! Where’s my ayah? Ayah!!!

We can now hear pained screams and panic. MARY comes out of her tent and begins to scream even harder for her ayah.

What’s happening, Ayah?

ADESH appears. He is not her ayah. He is followed by MRS LENNOX, MARY’s mother. He is carrying their coats.

Why did you come? Go away. Send my ayah to me.

ADESH. Mary, you must put your coat on.

MARY. No.

She huffs back to the tent and closes it up, peeking through.

MRS LENNOX (panicked). Is it so very bad? Oh, is it?

ADESH. Yes. Very bad, memsahib. You ought to have gone to the hills two weeks ago.

MRS LENNOX (crying). Oh, I know. I only stayed to go to that silly party. I am such a fool!

MARY comes out of the tent. She is annoyed with all this commotion.

MARY. What is it, Mother?

A young officer runs in.

OFFICER. I’m so sorry, Mrs Lennox. I’m so –

MARY (looks at her mother). Father?

MRS LENNOX pushes past the OFFICER. She knows her husband is dead.

MRS LENNOX. Nooooo. Get out of my way –

She rushes out. MARY is left. She is no longer shouting. She knows.

MARY (quietly). Where is my ayah?

Abandoned.

We hear the music of India. It is distant but still plays – melancholic.

ROBIN. Mary’s ayah was dead, and her mother died very quickly after. Cholera took everyone from MARY. She was all alone. An orphan. There was nobody left to look after her so eventually –

Ship’s horn. Music of the Sea.

The material that made MARY’s tent helps become the ship that will take MARY to England. She turns to see a CAPTAIN and his LIEUTENANT. She is handed a suitcase. The other ‘children’ gather around her.

Ship’s horn.

CHILDREN. Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockleshells, And marigolds all in a row.

ROBIN. Mary was put on a ship and sent back home to England to live with her uncle. Mr Archibald Craven. At Misselthwaite Manor.

Ship’s horn.

MARY. Go away, you are all vile children! And I hate you! All!

The children continue to chant whilst the CAPTAIN and LIEUTENANT talk.

CHILDREN. How does your garden grow? How does your garden grow? How does your garden grow?

CAPTAIN (to the LIEUTENANT). Poor child.

LIEUTENANT. Children can be so cruel, but she certainly gives as good she gets, sir.

CAPTAIN. Aye, that she does. But she doesn’t look well, does she?

They exit.

BASIL. You are going to be sent home.

MARY. I am glad of it, too.

ANNIE. Where is home, Mary? (She sniggers.)

BASIL. She doesn’t know where home is!

MARY. It’s England, of course.

Autumn.

Ship’s siren.

Music. England. The ship disappears. MARY is sat alone on her large suitcase.

MRS MEDLOCK appears with CAPTAIN and LIEUTENANT as ROBIN is speaking. She is carrying a basket.

ROBIN. After a very long journey on the boat, Mary eventually arrived in England. She was last to be collected at the dockyard. And it wasn’t her uncle who came to meet her. It was / Mrs Medlock.

MRS MEDLOCK interrupts ROBIN.

CAPTAIN. Mrs Medlock?

MRS MEDLOCK. Oh, dear me, she is such a plain sickly-looking child.

LIEUTENANT. Perhaps she will improve as she grows older?

MRS MEDLOCK. There’s very little to improve her at Misselthwaite Manor!

The CAPTAIN goes to MARY. The LIEUTENANT and the CAPTAIN look concerned.

CAPTAIN (looks at a bit of paper). Yes, so it says here, Mary, you’re going to live with your uncle. Mr Archibald Craven at Misselthwaite Manor. This is /

MRS MEDLOCK. Medlock. / Mrs Medlock.

CAPTAIN. / Mrs Medlock.

ROBIN. / Mrs Medlock, the housekeeper.

CAPTAIN. / She’s going to take you now.

MARY looks stunned and frightened. Ship’s horn. Then the men depart.

MARY is dragged away by MRS MEDLOCK.

MRS MEDLOCK. Come along.

Music of Misselthwaite Manor begins.

Autumn leaves fall.

A carriage is made. MARY’s case becomes the seat. MRS MEDLOCK tucks into the basket full of food.

Do you know anything about your uncle?

MARY. No.

MRS MEDLOCK. Never heard your father or mother talk about him?

MARY. No.

MRS MEDLOCK. Humph. I suppose you might as well be told something – to prepare you. You are going to a sad and gloomy place, Mary Lennox.

MARY says nothing.

Don’t you care?

MARY. It doesn’t matter whether I care or not.

MRS MEDLOCK. You are right enough there. Your uncle is not going to trouble himself about you, that’s for sure.

MRS MEDLOCK