Tony-winning director John Doyle will direct a new revival of Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon's 1991 musical The Secret Garden at York Theatre Royal next year. The production will play the U.K. theatre March 17-April 4, 2026, opening March 19.
The production will see Doyle returning to his oft-used actor-musician setup, following similar stagings of Sweeney Todd, Company, Allegro, and others. Casting and the creative team are to be announced.
Adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's book, The Secret Garden centers on Mary Lennox, who moves to her uncle's gloomy Yorkshire mansion after being orphaned in British-occupied India. The discovery of a locked, neglected garden on the estate's grounds uncovers the restorative power of nature for an entire family struggling with grief. Norman and Simon's musical debuted on Broadway in 1991, winning Norman a Tony Award for her book.
The revival brings Doyle back to York Theatre Royal after serving as its artistic director 1993-1997. Doyle, whose actor-musician Sweeney Todd earned him a Tony Award, has also had stints as artistic director at London's Watermill and Off-Broadway's Classic Stage Company.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to York Theatre Royal and equally thrilled to be directing this beautiful, hopeful musical,” says Doyle in a statement.
“It is wonderful to have John Doyle return to York Theatre Royal and direct this beautiful Yorkshire story," adds YTR CEO Paul Crewes. "We are excited that this will be a fresh take on this critically acclaimed musical, and that our audiences will be the first to experience it.”
York Theatre Royal's upcoming season also includes Military Wives - The Musical (September 10-27), Sleeping Beauty (December 2, 2025-January 4, 2026), and The Last Picture (February 5-14, 2026).
