A VISUAL and inventive delight, Angel Theatre’s adaptation of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s classic tale uses modern theatrical devices to great effect.

The story is of two deserted children, a girl who lost her distant parents to cholera in India and a boy whose mother died in childbirth and whose father cannot cope with the bereavement.

Predictably, both are obnoxious brats. Their ultimate salvation comes through the power of natural healing and rejuvenation symbolised by the eponymous garden.

Fecund spirits of the garden guide a rapt audience through the story and transform Lighthouse’s studio space into a multitude of settings with effortless dexterity. A triumph of design, the show has a pace and rhythm which matches the changing of the seasons.

Puppets are very much in vogue at the moment and here they are used expertly, adding charm and always moving the story along.

Whether you are new to the novel or have fond memories of it from childhood, this is a production to savour.

John Billington