Ahead of The Secret Garden – The Musical opening at YTR this month, we caught up with the some of the cast to find out more about how they got started in the world of theatre and why they wanted to be a part of the show.
Hear from Catrin Mai Edwards (Martha), Ann Marcuson (Mrs Winthrop) and Elliot Mackenzie (Dickon), three talented actor- musicians who are working hard bringing The Secret Garden – The Musical to life.
How did you get started in the world of theatre/playing music?
Elliot: I’ve done and enjoyed theatre for as long as I can remember – a very early love of Dick Van Dyke led me to, at aged 3, bring a towel into the lounge, put it on the floor, declaring that it was my ‘stage’ and performing a (presumably abridged?!) version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to my parents.
Piano lessons (that I often forgot to go to!) at secondary school was my first introduction to playing music and what followed was a process of acquiring instruments. An acoustic guitar bought for my 13th birthday, getting hold of my late uncle’s bass guitar from my Grandparents’ house, finding my Mum’s old and neglected saxophone in the loft and then learning how to play them!
Ann: I played the trumpet from 7, but decided it was too masculine for me once I hit 15, so changed to the French horn (because that is so feminine!!). Having been at a stuffy girls’ school with absolutely no opportunity to do any acting and a monster of an English teacher who directed a play once every 2 years, I went to 6th form college and did every play, operetta, orchestral performance there was. I found comedy very freeing.
I then went on to Birmingham University, known for its playwriting course with David Edgar and worked with some amazing well-known directors. I then went on to study acting at Webber Douglas, which merged with Central in the 2000s.
Catrin: I started acting at classes at Theatr Clwyd and went on to perform in shows there until I was 18. I was fortunate to return there after training and make my professional debut back in 2021 in Curtain Up.
I was lucky the music service provided free lessons when I was younger, and I had the opportunity to learn Harp, Saxophone, Violin and Singing whilst at school.
My Dad has been running a folk club for over 15 years, and I’d sing with him – so my love of music started very early! I competed in the Eisteddfod from age 5 to 25 and have been fortunate to travel the world performing with the Urdd in places like America and Argentina.
What made you want to be a part of The Secret Garden – The Musical?
Ann: I love the metaphors of the story, very simple, but woven so beautifully. The score that Lucy Simon wrote and Cathy has arranged is stunning. I have always wanted to work with John and Cathy, having met them both several times and admired both their work. I sensed it would be a magical experience, and it is proving to be so.
Catrin: The Secret Garden film from the 90’s was my favourite to watch when I was growing up. I watched it so much I wore out the VHS. When I heard it was being revived, and as an actor-musician production, I was thrilled. It’s a beautiful story, and the musical really captures the beauty of it, and I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve created.
Elliot: To be honest, John and Cathy were a huge part of why I wanted to do The Secret Garden. I am a massive enjoyer, practitioner and studier of actor-musicianship and the influence of those two humans on the movement can’t really be overstated. As for the piece itself, the music is absolutely stunning - English folk combined with massive Broadway orchestrations which are both a joy to listen to and to play!
What are you looking forward to about coming to work in York?
Ann: Revisiting Betty’s obviously and enjoying the city’s beauty. The theatre is such a wonderful place to perform in.
Elliot: There are a number of things I am looking forward to about York! I’ve never spent a huge amount of time there on tour, so being there for a little chunk of time will be great. The theatre is supposed to be absolutely beautiful and one of the oldest in the UK so that is a massive draw. If I’m being completely honest – the amazing architecture, beautiful wee pubs and National Railway Museum are other large draws for me!
Catrin: I’m looking forward to exploring the city and getting to tell a story based in Yorkshire in its home.
This adaptation of The Secret Garden – The Musical is an actor-musician production, what do you think makes this type of performance so unique and special?
Ann: My experience on shows that have actors who are also musicians is that the rehearsal dynamic is quite egoless. Of course, we all have an ego, but when you are playing a piece of music together and all hitting bum notes (particularly loudly in my case as a brass player), it is a total leveller. That makes for very good company cohesion.
John treats everyone with exactly the same respect in the rehearsal room. Actors who feel valued, respected and seen give their best work because they are relaxed. We are also not hiding that we are playing. It is fully integrated into the piece and playing the music allows us to tell the story through the instruments. It is like another realm that we are able to use, and this works beautifully for The Secret Garden.
Elliot: I think the things that will make this particular show special are the things that often make actor-muso work special in general. Playing the score whilst playing the characters means that there is no separation between music and narrative, so everything feels very cohesive.
As well as this, so many of the ‘theatre magic’ things that you associate with Musical Theatre (the sound coming from a separate orchestra pit, large literal projections on the back wall, for example) are done away with. All the magic is happening right in front of you with very little hidden which, I think, is kind of why one wants to go to the theatre in the first place.
Catrin: Actor-musician productions add a whole new layer – we not only tell the story, and sing the story, but we also create the world we are in with our instruments. It becomes a vessel to help us tell the story and brings a whole new element to ensemble story telling.
What do you hope audiences will take away from watching the show?
Catrin: In the end, I believe it’s a story about hope and allowing ourselves to see that hope, no matter how bleak things are. John, our director, said something on our first day that really stuck with me, ‘There is beauty in the bleakness, and a bleakness in the beauty’ (or something along those lines). That’s what I hope they take away from it.
Ann: I want them to feel touched, moved and inspired by the piece.
Elliot: I hope they’ll learn something about grief, about the impact that the energy and optimism of young people can have on the world and how beautiful a medium actor-musicianship can be for telling stories. Oh, also, that we should probably all chat to more robins!
The Secret Garden – The Musical opens at York Theatre Royal on 19 March with previews from 17 March and runs until 04 April.
Find out more information and book your tickets here.
You might also be interested in...
