The Secret Garden - Brueton Park

Went to see an outdoor production of The Secret Garden last night.  Held in Brueton Park it's a lovely way to spend a summer evening.     

If you are unfamiliar with the story it tells tale of a proud and headstrong girl discovering some of life’s lessons as a consequence of stumbling upon her Uncle’s secret garden.

The cast of Heartbreak productions were fantastic and really managed to draw you into the story which is not an easy thing to do with all the distractions of a public park.  They also managed to keep the kids entertained, again not an easy task.

I like that they are already in character when you arrive, directing people to their seats and milling about the crowd. The small cast of 5 were faultless in their performance and the set, although minimal, is a work of engineering genius. You go from garden to bedroom and back again with just one or two panels been put up or taken down.

I don't know much about the company other than that they perform outdoor events throughout the summer.  You can check out their website here.

We sat near the front of the stage, on blankets. People seated on chairs sat behind.  There was a good turnout, a mixture of all ages.  Family groups, couples and friends. All of whom seemed to enjoy it.

Clare had packed a lovely picnic and so as the play got underway I sat eating olives and drinking gin and tonic.  It was a perfect evening.  The weather which had been cloudy all day had given way to a lovely evening sky which was great  as last year we got soaked watching Wind in the Willows.

Following the performance we strolled back through the park in the twilight before making our way home.