The Secret Garden – starring Daisy Rae as Mary Lennox

Image above: Daisy Rae as Mary Lennox, Theatre at The Tabard; photographs by Charles Flint

Theatre at the Tabard’s Christmas production, The Secret Garden, on until 31 December

From the creative minds behind last year’s Five Children and It, the Tabard beckons you to immerse yourself in the heart-warming classic story The Secret Garden and allow your imagination to flourish.

Enter the world of young Mary Lennox, a spirited and inquisitive orphan despatched to her Uncle Archibald’s Yorkshire estate. Wrestling with the unfamiliar, she finds solace in the outdoors and stumbles upon the key to a long-lost secret garden. With the help of local lad Dickon, she nurtures the neglected flora and fauna, unravelling the garden’s mysteries.

The big house also has secrets. The widowed Archibald has a sickly son, confined to his bed. Mary’s resilient spirit refuses to let her take ‘no’ for an answer and she makes it her mission to accomplish his recovery.

Adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 classic novel, this in-house production has been brought to life by Louise Haddington’s adaptation and the guidance of Simon Reilly, the Tabard’s Artistic Director.

The Chiswick Calendar has interviewed Daisy Rae, the lead actress, who trained at ArtsEd and plays Mary.

Image above: Daisy Rae as Mary and Sam McHale as Colin

Interview with Daisy Rae by Matt Smith

On her familiarity with the story and how she prepared for the role

“I remember watching the film with my grandparents and I’ve always been inspired by nature. I am an ambassador for the Tree Council and I’m always learning about birds in British wildlife and and the flora and fauna of the UK.”

The first play adaptation of The Secret Garden:

“Apparently, there is a Secret Garden musical, but for me this is the first time I’ve seen a play version adaptation of it. I haven’t actually read the book myself, but I am familiar with the film.”

Reflecting on portraying Mary and her challenges:

“She’s been through a really traumatic experience, and she just doesn’t know how to explain that to people. As she gets to know people, she starts to come out of her shell, and you realize that she is just a child…

“That manifests in her behaviour which comes across as really unsavoury [at first], but everything that’s happened to her it is not her fault… she’s navigating it the same as anyone would.”

Image above: Daisy Rae as Mary

On character development with fellow cast members:

“Dickon is the most far ahead in his sort of development, and he’s at one with nature. Mary starts following in his footsteps, and then she comes across Colin, who is like five steps behind that. It was helpful for us to see where our character might end up going.”

Which scenes she was excited to portray?

“For me, it’s the very first moments that Mary steps out into the outside world, the first moment she meets the robin. The first time she experiences any kind of joy, it’s not actually with any person; it’s when she meets a robin.”

The biggest theme of the play:

“Transformation and the connection with nature. Caring about the flora and fauna around you is so important for our mental health and well-being. Earlier in in the year in February I was in Scotland with my mum, and we were visiting community orchards and seeing how nature was a lifeline for communities and who literally could not afford food any other way.

“So caring about the flora and fauna around you the things that grow (and the things that help things grow) beetles and the animals that come along and and keep your own garden and your own natural space around you alive – that is so important.”

Image above: Jordan Rising as Dickon and Daisy Mae as Mary, in the snow

On the importance of portraying a connection with nature, especially with the climate crisis

“One of the biggest issues we face with the climate and ecological crisis is that people just don’t care. People are just not aware and not connected, a lot of people are in the habit of just not looking up and some people, some people have just never been taught anything about the natural world…

“This play is such a brilliant way of sharing that message which is one of the reasons I was just say delighted to be able to do it and because I was just hoping that some people come along and see it and think ‘Ok, maybe I will pay a bit more attention to the things that grow around me’.

How have the audience reacted 

I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but there are some very magical moments and when you hear audience members reacting, you think, ‘Wow, we really have brought the magic to this room’ and some people have been feeding back that they are just so amazed at how the space has been used. Sharing this experience with an audience is really important.”

A quintessential family show for the Christmas season, The Secret Garden is on at Theatre at the Tabard until 31 December.

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Image above: Sam McHale and Daisy Rae as Colin and Mary with animal puppets created by Hazel Owen

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