In an enchanting revival of the beloved classic, The Secret Garden, we dive into the heart of a story that has resonated with audiences for generations. With a captivating score by Lucy Simon and a powerful book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, this Tony Award-winning Broadway musical finds new life in North Yorkshire, 1906. At the center of this poignant tale is young Mary Lennox, a recently orphaned girl sent to the moors to live with her widower uncle at Misselthwaite Manor. Here, she encounters a world filled with memories, secrets, and the spectral traces of the past.
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| Elliot Mackenzie (Dickon) and Henry Jenkinson (Archibald). Photo by Marc Brenner. |
As Mary discovers her Aunt Lily's mysterious neglected garden, her curiosity ignites a desire to revive it, paving the way for a magical transformation of not only the garden but her own spirit as well. With the help of her new friends, Mary embarks on a journey that underscores the profound power of connection and the restorative magic that nature offers.
Directed by the talented Tony Award-winner John Doyle, this revival brings together a dynamic cast of actor-musicians, making it a truly immersive experience. It’s a narrative filled with themes of love, loss, healing, and hope—elements that resonate deeply in today’s world.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Elliot Mackenzie, who plays Dickon in the production.
What can you tell us about this production of The Secret Garden and your role of Dickon?
This production of The Secret Garden is being told in a way that no one has ever done it before - as a modern piece of actor-musician theatre. John has been very interested to find 'the beauty in bleakness and the bleakness in beauty' and I think the staging, lighting and design will all help to carry those ideas through to our audience.
This production of The Secret Garden is being told in a way that no one has ever done it before - as a modern piece of actor-musician theatre. John has been very interested to find 'the beauty in bleakness and the bleakness in beauty' and I think the staging, lighting and design will all help to carry those ideas through to our audience.
What attracted you to this role?
Dickon's optimism in difficult circumstances is to be praised massively and it's a joy to embody such a positive soul. The songs he (I?!) get(s) to sing and play are amazing, Winter's On the Wing is an absolute joy and I remember listening to a cast recording before auditioning thinking 'oooh... this one's a bit of a banger!'.
Dickon's optimism in difficult circumstances is to be praised massively and it's a joy to embody such a positive soul. The songs he (I?!) get(s) to sing and play are amazing, Winter's On the Wing is an absolute joy and I remember listening to a cast recording before auditioning thinking 'oooh... this one's a bit of a banger!'.
The setting of Misselthwaite Manor seems to have a life of its own. How does that influence your performance?
What's interesting about Misselthwaite is (apart from all the ghosts and spirits wandering about the gaff, obviously!) that it’s a place that’s so heavy and literally shrouded with grief at the start of the piece. Told through Mary's eyes, the show invites us to see it as – although beautiful - a really difficult place to be. It’s a real relief for Mary and the rest of this cast of storytellers when we eventually end up 'outside' where one can breathe a little easier and the air is lighter.
How do you approach putting something new into the role?
The more roles I play and the projects I work, the more I come round to the idea that most characters you play are basically just extensions of bits of you. There are definitely moments where people play hugely transformative roles (I've played old school robots in family shows before that are definitely not 'me', for obvious reasons!) but for the most part, it's a process of working out which bits of 'you' fit 'them'. Dickon is not a huge stretch for me - he's a person who spends as much of his time outside as possible and is fascinated by the natural world. I myself have a lifelong love of plants and critters so that's a pretty easy transplant. If Dickon were around now, I think it's fairly safe to say he'd be a veggie or vegan and I love bringing a bit of 'hippy' to the role!
The more roles I play and the projects I work, the more I come round to the idea that most characters you play are basically just extensions of bits of you. There are definitely moments where people play hugely transformative roles (I've played old school robots in family shows before that are definitely not 'me', for obvious reasons!) but for the most part, it's a process of working out which bits of 'you' fit 'them'. Dickon is not a huge stretch for me - he's a person who spends as much of his time outside as possible and is fascinated by the natural world. I myself have a lifelong love of plants and critters so that's a pretty easy transplant. If Dickon were around now, I think it's fairly safe to say he'd be a veggie or vegan and I love bringing a bit of 'hippy' to the role!
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| Ann Marcuson (Mrs Winthrop), Henry Jenkinson (Archibald), Elliot Mackenzie (Dickon) and Stephanie Cremona (Storyteller). Photo by Marc Brenner. |
What energy do you believe the actor-musician element brings to the piece?
A cast of 12 adults and 4 young people are telling this story – both acting and while playing instruments at the same time - and rarely leaving the stage which bears witness to scenes that their characters don't necessarily see. This means that unlike previous productions of this show where the ghost of Lily may not have been present in certain scenes and songs, here she may be present. Lily will be playing her cello in the shadows adding a lovely depth to the show. Death and haunting are a large part of this production and we as an ensemble are often very reminiscent of those very spirits that haunt Misselthwaite.
A cast of 12 adults and 4 young people are telling this story – both acting and while playing instruments at the same time - and rarely leaving the stage which bears witness to scenes that their characters don't necessarily see. This means that unlike previous productions of this show where the ghost of Lily may not have been present in certain scenes and songs, here she may be present. Lily will be playing her cello in the shadows adding a lovely depth to the show. Death and haunting are a large part of this production and we as an ensemble are often very reminiscent of those very spirits that haunt Misselthwaite.
If you could ask your character a question about anything, what would you ask him?
I reckon Dickon is pretty hot on foraging and it's something I know next to nothing about but would like to. So I'd probably ask if he wouldn't mind taking me out in the woods to forage for some mushrooms and wild herbs and to teach me about them!
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a performance?
The 'stagey' answer to this is that I put genuine time, effort and energy into my warm-ups. Not only are they there to get your body, voice and mind engaged and ready to work but they are also mainly there (I think) to make sure you've 'met' your fellow performers before you go onstage with them. The warm ups are often the first time you see your cast mates that day so it's lovely to check in with them and make sure you're all on the same page and about to tell the same story. The more practical answer is that I try and drink a tonne of water and I play match-4 games, like 'Bejewelled', in the dressing room - the latter requires just enough of my focus that I'm not worrying about what I'm about to do - however, it’s just easy enough on the brain that I can chat to people in my dressing room and ask and answers questions!
What was the first piece of theatre that had an impact on your career?
If you're talking way, way, way back, then seeing a production of Chicago in the West End was probably the thing that made me go 'oh, I'd really like to do that one day!'. Something about the storytelling and pure physical work of the ensemble that was hidden away behind a veil of 'theatre magic' was really compelling. In terms of projects that I have been a part of, then probably Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale at the Watermill. That was, sort of, the first time I'd been part of something that went absolutely huge. We had folks coming to see us in this tiny theatre in rural Berkshire from all over the world and that was amazing. The 'Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft' were particularly lovely, I seem to recall!
If you're talking way, way, way back, then seeing a production of Chicago in the West End was probably the thing that made me go 'oh, I'd really like to do that one day!'. Something about the storytelling and pure physical work of the ensemble that was hidden away behind a veil of 'theatre magic' was really compelling. In terms of projects that I have been a part of, then probably Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale at the Watermill. That was, sort of, the first time I'd been part of something that went absolutely huge. We had folks coming to see us in this tiny theatre in rural Berkshire from all over the world and that was amazing. The 'Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft' were particularly lovely, I seem to recall!
A really lovely actor mate of mine who is a bit older than me once told me that there's no such thing as job progression in our career and it's absolutely true. My 'career' is just a series of exciting sideways moves throughout different projects, with one job bouncing me on to another!
What keeps you inspired?
From a work perspective - I'm a big 'genre nut' when it comes to music. The music that I listen to is very varied and wide-reaching and I absolutely delight in learning about different styles of music from different times and cultures and understanding how to replicate them and see how bits of them can influence my own playing and writing. I am also generally inspired by amazing ensemble theatre that I see and work on. The idea of a group of people being greater than the sum of its parts and working towards one united goal is always going to be inspiring to me. On a slightly different note, I love watching YouTube videos of makers in disciplines that differ from my own: model builders, carpenters, tailors, etc and I find that we can all learn a huge amount from each other’s practices.
From a work perspective - I'm a big 'genre nut' when it comes to music. The music that I listen to is very varied and wide-reaching and I absolutely delight in learning about different styles of music from different times and cultures and understanding how to replicate them and see how bits of them can influence my own playing and writing. I am also generally inspired by amazing ensemble theatre that I see and work on. The idea of a group of people being greater than the sum of its parts and working towards one united goal is always going to be inspiring to me. On a slightly different note, I love watching YouTube videos of makers in disciplines that differ from my own: model builders, carpenters, tailors, etc and I find that we can all learn a huge amount from each other’s practices.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing The Secret Garden?
I think the biggest thing that I'd like an audience to take away from the show is about the positive impact that young people can have on our lives as adults. The younger characters in the piece are often the most emotionally intelligent and able to sort out disagreements the quickest so reminding an audience about the wisdom of kids and young adults will be lovely.
The Secret Garden runs at York Theatre Royal from Tuesday 17th March until Saturday 4th April 2026. For tickets and more information visit https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/the-secret-garden-the-musical/
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