Tom's Midnight Garden - Library Theatre - 03/12/07 by Kashif Naveed

The yuletide season often brings the usual cornucopia of the festive fare that passes for entertainment in this part of the world. If it is not some run of the mill clichéd Pantomime then it is some avant garde adaptation of the Nutcracker Suite. Therefore I urge you all, young and old, to avoid the customary Christmas creations and head down to the Library Theatre for their seasonal offering of Tom’s Midnight Garden.

Manchester’s Library Theatre is one of the region’s little gems. It may be off the beaten track but has a reputation of putting on productions that are high on quality and leave many audiences in rapturous delight. The confines of the Library Theatre also lends itself to more intimate productions due to its claustrophobic size and giving performers no hiding place whatsoever. Furthermore, it is ideally suited to not only David Wood’s version of Phillipa Pearce’s enchanting children’s classic but also allows the audience to participate in proceedings.

For most of the audience cannot be helped but be drawn into the story and the performances of those on stage. Tom’s Midnight Garden is not laden with the sentimentality you’d expect from such seasonal offerings and that is its strength, and one of many it has to be said. The plot also is captivating and always keeps those in the aisles more than engrossed and that is a testament to Wood himself, who alludes to his raison d’etre as a children’s playwright in the programme notes by recalling a visit to see a Pantomime several years ago:

“The theatre was packed, mainly with children. Most of them became restless as the story became less and less involving”

Therein lies the secret to the wonderful charm of Wood’s production, which is without a hint of patronisation or dumbing down for the sake of its younger members of the audience.

Of course his choice of Tom’s Midnight Garden is also inspired. A children’s classic that tells the story of Tom, who is sent away to be cared for by his aunt and uncle after his brother catches measles. There at the house he meets a strange elderly lady and stumbles upon a magical garden in another period of time, where he encounters another lonely figure in Hatty. Suffice to say adventure ensue.

Bringing to life these wondrous characters are an equally adroit and adept cast. Arthur Wilson excels as Tom, giving a gravitas to his performance that involves a whole range of emotions. He is more than matched by his sidekick, Claire Redcliffe, who brings the vulnerability of Hatty to the stage. I could continue, with fine performances from Christopher Chilton as the amiable Uncle Alan and the strange gardener, Carolyn Tomkinson as the slightly comical Aunt Gwen and Helen Ryan as a formidable Aunt Grace and the affectionate Mrs. Batholomew.

Moreover, it is not just the performances on stage that contribute to the magical of the production. The set focuses on plot’s main theme of time with a giant clock face whose mechanical hands move at their own will. You’d think that this would limit the actors on stage, but the set more than plays it’s part with the aid of mysterious figures that cut as hidden faces in long cloaks also contributing to the set and story. The mechanical aspect to the set would have also enthralled those younger elements in the audience, but I’m glad to say that these became far less noticeable as the story took hold in the second act. The lighting and sound also add to the production as a whole, more than bringing the magical garden to life through light and music.

When you add all the parts together it forms a formidable offering at this time of year, for people of ALL ages.