PICS: Rehearsals for The Secret Garden featuring 300 young people

Rehearsal images have been released for the upcoming London revival of The Secret Garden. Based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the musical has book and lyrics by Marsha Norman with music by Lucy Simon. Check out the images below (click to enlarge).

Directed by Rupert Hands, The Secret Garden opens at the Ambassadors Theatre on 3rd August (previews from 27th July) for a limited run to 31st August 2016. This “spring” version of the show has been adapted to 75 minutes by its creators to be performed by young people. Musical direction is by Richard Baker with choreography by Jamie Neale and design by Lizzy Leech. 300 young people have been cast in the production.

The Secret Garden to open at the Ambassadors Theatre

The Secret Garden is set to open at the Ambassadors Theatre this summer.

Based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett with script and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon, The Secret Garden will open on 3rd August (previews from 27th July) and run until 31st August 2016.

This specially “Spring” version of the show has been adapted to 75 minutes by its creators to be performed by young people. The Secret Garden is from the same production team as Annie Jr which ran last summer at the Arts Theatre. More than 2,000 children have auditioned for The Secret Garden and 300 youngsters will be cast in the show.

Review: The Secret Garden (UK Tour) at the Alban Arena

The Secret Garden (UK Tour) 

Alban Arena

Reviewed on Thursday 31st October 2013

Based on the novel by Francis Hodgson Burnett and following a successful run at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington, Aria Entertainment’s concert staging of The Secret Garden has embarked on a short UK Tour. With music by Lucy Simon and a book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, this musical is certainly an interesting adaptation of the well-known book.

Full casting announced for The Secret Garden UK Tour

Full casting has been announced for the upcoming UK Tour of The Secret Garden. The production will star Zoe Curlett as Lily, Alexander Evans as Archibald Craven, Ian Knauer as Neville Craven, Ashleigh Gray as Martha, Jordan Lee-Davies as Dickon, Pippa Winslow as Mrs Medlock and Martin Johnston as Ben Weatherstaff.

Elliot Jones and Finlay Banks will share the role of Colin Craven, and Anastasia Martin and Olivia Hallett will share the role of Mary Lennox. The cast also includes: Colin Zammit, Danny Whitehead and Kirsty Marie Ayers.

Jason Donovan's son to star in concert revival of The Secret Garden! Full casting announced

Full casting has been announced for the forthcoming concert revival of Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman’s three times Tony Award winning musical The Secret Garden. The production will run at the King's Head Theatre from 10th February until 17th March 2013.

Following in his father’s footsteps and making his professional stage debut in the shared role of Colin is Zac Donavon, son of Pop/TV/Musical Theatre star Jason Donovan. He will be sharing the role with Tyler Fagan an original Gustave in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies at The Adelphi Theatre. He also played Michael Banks in Disney’s Mary Poppins both in the West End and on the extensive UK Tour.

The role of Mary Lenox will be shared between Ana Martin who also makes her professional debut and Olivia Hallett who was a recent soloist in the West End Voices concert at The Actors Church in Covent Garden alongside Peter Polycarpou, Summer Strallen and Michael Xavier.

The Secret Garden for intimate concert version at the King’s Head Theatre

From the producing team behind The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Arts Theatre) and The Children of Eden Gala Concert (Prince Edward Theatre), Aria Entertainment and Knockhardy Productions bring the three times Tony Award winning musical The Secret Garden to life in an intimate concert at The King’s Head Theatre, Islington. The Secret Garden: In Concert will run from 10th February until 17th March 2013. The production is directed by Matthew Gould.

The Secret Garden is based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel which was first published in its entirety in 1911. This musical version was first produced on Broadway in 1991 and ran for 709 Performances, the production won the 1991 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and Best Scenic Design. A heavily revised Royal Shakespeare Company production ran at Stratford from November 13, 2000 until January 27, 2001. The RSC production transferred to the West End Aldwych Theatre, running from February 2001 until June 2001. A full recording of the RSC version was released on CD by First Night Records in 2001.