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The Secret Garden is an enchanting, magical story, which will appeal to children and adults alike. With a beautifully emotional score by composer Lucy Simon and lyricist Marsha Norman plus some exceptional performances, scene after scene constantly delights.
And Philip Quast *IS* Archibald Craven. Have no doubt about it - he has made the role his own. It's over three years now since Philip's last singing role (The Fix, Donmar Warehouse) and it has to be said that Archibald Craven bears definite shades of Grahame Chandler. We have the stick, the limp, the goatee, the sombre black clothes. But what Philip's portrayal of Archie also has in common with Grahame, is that it has "Olivier Award Winner" stamped all over it. He will surely receive an Olivier nomination should Secret Garden transfer to London's West End.
But to speak first of all about the show in general; it has been considerably re-worked for the RSC. I was lucky to speak with Philip, and he tells me they have made it a lot "darker" than previously, though I'm not sure whether he was comparing it to both the Broadway and Australian productions or just the Australian.I did hear, for instance, that Philip's characterisation of Dr Neville Craven in Australia was altered so as to be more sympathetic. In this new RSC version, Peter Polycarpou portrays Neville as stern, humourless and, to my mind, totally unsympathetic; constantly trying to influence his unhappy brother and, one assumes, gain control of Misselthwaite. It could be that changes to the show generally have been made in order for it to appeal to a much wider audience, that is, to make it less of a children's story and to create more identifiable characters to whom grown-ups can relate.
Set designs by Anthony Ward are fairly simple, the garden being depicted by a delightful backdrop of silver grey foliage which is transformed into a stunning cascade of the most beautiful pink roses when Spring and life finally return to Lily's long-lost garden. Transparent, movable screens depict the "maze" which is the rest of the garden, stark doorways represent the gloomy interior of Misselthwaite Manor. The sound balance is good and I had no trouble distinguishing dialogue or lyrics. Best of all, singers are not drowned out by the orchestra, which sadly is an all too common annoyance. Gillian Lynne's choregraphy is good, particularly in the two main ensemble routines 'It's a Maze' and 'Come Spirit, Come Charm' where the movements of the Gardeners and Maids somehow put me in mind of the Martin Guerre "working on the land" routines.
The cast boasts some very fine performances. Linzi Hateley is an adorable Martha, the maid who befriends young Mary, and gave a faultless performance on each of the three shows I attended. Her 'Hold On' is a delight and I love the way in which her spoken first line leads seamlessly into the song. Meredith Braun (Lily) has the loveliest of voices and is a beautifully ethereal presence as she moves gracefully around the stage, a delicate smile often playing on her face. The tender scenes she shares with Archie or Colin are most touching. Carmen Cusack sings sweetly as Rose (mother of Mary and sister to Lily), and Alistair Robins (Mary's father) looks extremely dashing and handsome in his army uniform. Alistair has the most incredible voice. I had wondered which male voice was singing the reprise of "A Bit of Earth" during Act II and assumed it was Philip. Then I realised it was in fact Alistair. I see from the programme that Alistair is Philip's understudy, and what a good choice of understudy he is.
And so to Peter Polycarpou as Dr Neville Craven. As has already been said, Peter and Philp's duet of 'Lily's Eyes' is worth the ticket price on it's own. They are both in fine voice and for me, each successive visit saw them get better and better. By opening night they will be amazing! The song is staged in the drawing room, the brothers standing before a large portrait of Lily. As Neville faces the audience front of stage and starts to sing "Strangely quiet....", Archie gazes at the portrait, his back towards us.
Then Archie turns and moves forward to deliver his lines, as Neville withdraws, and so on, until they both stand together to deliver the final powerful finale. A spectacular, bravura performance! I noticed some minor changes to the lyrics, also the song now occurs early in Act II as opposed to toward the end of Act I. But it is still a show-stopper!
Peter's Neville is outwardly rather stiff, formal and awkward, and he portrays brilliantly the repressed emotion, anger and frustration constantly bubbling under the surface, waiting to explode. I suspect this interpretation is rather more close to the American version than the Australian. Certainly, there is no warmth between the brothers in the final scene when Archie offers Neville his Paris flat and Neville grudgingly accepts. I hope I'm not being unfair to Peter by having missed the redeeming characteristics. But as far as I can see, Neville is portrayed pretty much as the villain of the piece. Archie irritates him. He is annoyed at always having to remind Archie what to do. He resents Colin and Mary. He wants to get his hands on Misselthwaite. Young Colin has a very pertinent comment to make when he remarks that a doctor should make you forget that you are ill, rather than constantly remind you of it. But it is in Neville's best interests that Colin remains ill.
My one big reservation about the show is the charaterisation of Dickon. From what I recollect of the novel, Dickon is a simple country boy, at one with nature and wildlife. But he is not a buffoon, and to my mind the clownish element is somewhat over-exaggerated. Subsequently "Winter's on the Wing" is performed rather too animatedly for my taste, and this together with the fact that Dickon not only talks but also sings with quite a pronounced Yorkshire accent detracts greatly from the sheer beauty of this number. Craig Purnell has a good voice and I think could do the song more justice if it were more simply staged. On the other hand, his duet with Mary in "Wick" works much better and is quite charming.
There are three "sets" of children for the roles of Mary and Colin. Eliza Caird (daughter of John), Tamsin Egerton Dick and Natalie Morgan share the role of Mary Lennox, but Eliza doesn't join the cast until 22nd December. Of the two girls I saw, I prefer Natalie as I think she is better at portraying Mary's "contrariness". The boys are Eddie Brown, Adam Clarke and Luke Newberry. Eddie is my favourite, but Luke looks the best and is so uncannily like Meredith Braun it gives the scenes they share an extra poignancy. However all the children sing extremely well.
As most will know, Philip Quast was Dr Neville Craven in the Australian production of The Secret Garden, and I'm sure Philip must be delighted to have now been given the opportunity to perform the leading role with all the wonderful songs this entails. I was grateful to Philip, or maybe I should say Archie, for explaining the presence of the ghosts during his first conversation with Mary. They are, as he says, "only a ghost if someone alive is holding on to them". How true this is of Lily. As if Archie's life hasn't been desolate enough since her death ten years previously, there is something about this Mary that awakens powerful memories within him. Philip's first two songs in Act I, 'A Girl in the Valley' and "A Bit of Earth" are sung so sweetly. The first sees Archie throwing away his stick, forgetting his limp, and waltzing with the ghost of Lily, a flashback to the halcyon life they once shared, until Lily evaporates into thin air, maids enter the room, and Archie's miserable life resumes it's course. The second, prompted by Mary's request for a garden of her own, is so beautifully sung with great passion and intensity by Philip, and for me is one of the show's highlights.
What I regard as the showstopper from Act I is called, I think (in the absence of a Songlist), 'I Heard Someone Crying' and is a powerfully moving, brilliantly staged scene. As Mary searches the dark corridors of Misselthwaite for the source of the crying she hears at night, Archie is at the same time searching aimlessly for Lily, whom he can hear singing to him. Appearing in the doorways are groups of servants holding candles, then Lily herself, as Archie proclaims he is lost without her. Archie, Lily and Mary move to the front of the stage, singing in counterpoint, and are joined by the entire cast for a stunning climax which brings the house down.
Devastated as he is about the death of his beloved wife and obsessed with her memory, Philip's Archie is nevertheless a kindly, caring man as is touchingly portrayed in his scenes with Mary, and in particular the scene in which he tells Colin a bedtime story. As Archie reads to his sleeping son he gently strokes the boy's hair, holds his hand and finally kisses him so tenderly before he takes his reluctant leave. But go he must. He feels so useless at Misselthwaite, and this distresses him.
And so to what is the most powerfully moving sequence of the entire show, as we see Archie aimlessly wandering the rain-drenched streets of Paris, searching for Lily amongst the crowds of people, their umbrellas tilted against the driving rain. 'Where In the World' is sung with such powerful emotion it is almost too much to bear, and as the crowds disappear we see Archie has a gun in his hand. But suddenly he realises there is one person left, and he senses it is Lily. His grief and helplessness at a peak, he collapses to the ground and weeps as she sings 'How Could I Ever Know?'. At that point I thought my heart would break. Philip's anguish and torment are unbelievable in their intensity and his tears would move the hardest of hearts. But as they embrace and touch each other's faces tenderly you can sense his relief and the realisation that everything he really needs is waiting for him at home in the garden. And as if to clarify this, there have been slight changes to the lyrics so that at the end of the duet Archie now sings "Now I can let you go" in place of "How could I ever know".
The final scene is a delight, as Archie discovers the son he has never really known and welcomes Mary into the new, extended, family. He jokes as he apologises for having overlooked her in his delight at Colin's recovery. "I should be able to remember three people. Three people isn't very many at all !" And the finale, as Philip (sorry) Archie kneels centre stage, beckons Mary onto his knee, puts his arm around Colin and gazes at him lovingly, is truly enchanting.
The Secret Garden is still in preview at Stratford, and it remains for the real critics to voice their opinions before a decision is made as to whether the show will transfer to The Aldwych in London. We can only hope that it does, and that a wider audience is given the opportunity to enjoy this magical show and the immense talents of Mr Quast and this fine cast. In the meantime, it plays at Stratford until 27th January. Don't miss it!
