The Secret Garden

A story of children who decide to start living

Ten-year-old Mary’s world has collapsed. She has just lost her parents and must move to her uncle, Mr. Craven’s, gloomy Misselthwaite Manor. In this unfamiliar place, no one seems to expect her. Mary is alone, angry, and full of grief. She does not want to be there. In fact, she does not want to be anywhere or with anyone.

At night, the endless and dark corridors of the massive manor echo with a child’s cry, and the portraits on the walls seem to come alive. The people in the manor appear to carry some sad secret. A giant wall surrounds the garden, and no one is telling Mary anything.

Autumn turns to winter, and Mary tries to adapt to her new life. Curiosity wins, and she dares to befriend a Robin flying around the yard as well as Dino, who lives in a forest cabin and speaks the language of animals. Mary decides to uncover the dark secret of the manor: to find the child crying at night and bring the secret garden back to life. And when spring finally arrives, nothing remains the same.

F. H. Burnett’s beloved classic is a story about children who have far too much grief and far too little power over their own lives. What happens when adults fall silent and children are forced to carry things they should never have to carry? It’s also a story about grief, loneliness, and longing – but above all, about friendship, play, curiosity, and the immense power that arises when someone says: I see you. And the overwhelming joy bursting from within when you get to live!

Director

Emma Mattila is a director who graduated from the University of the Arts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy in 2025. At the core of her work lie carnivalism, comfort, and the demanding hope that theatre has the power to change the world. Mattila has directed works for the city theatres of Kajaani, Vaasa, and Lahti, among others. Her recent works include Ahma – korpisoturi, Pippi Longstocking, Orlando, and The Truth.

Playwright

F. H. Burnett (Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett, 1849–1924) was a British-American author who wrote over 50 books primarily aimed at children and young adults. Burnett is best known for her children’s novels Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911).

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