“Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden — in all the places.”
The Secret Garden, published in 1911, is a popular and much-loved classic of children’s literature. Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, it is the story of Mary Lennox, a British girl born in India to wealthy parents. After the death of her parents, who cared little for her, she moves to England to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor on the edge of the Yorkshire moors. Here, she makes friends for the first time in her life and experiences the magical and healing qualities of nature.
In this talk, Shelley Piasecka, Associate Professor of Theatre and Applied Drama at the University of Chester, will discuss her stage adaptation of the book, informed through post-pandemic themes of ecology and sustainability. She will also draw our attention to other examples of theatre and art that have helped us to connect with the natural world.