RAODS presents The Secret Garden next week in a stunning outdoor setting.

The production is presented in the delightful riverside gardens of Island House, Greatbridge, Romsey.

And you are asked to bring a picnic and feel the magic!

Written by Jessica Swale and Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden runs from Wednesday June 22- Saturday June 25 ( 8pm) and offers an enchanting evening for all the family

It's 1910, and life for the spoiled young Mary Lennox is pretty easy. She spends her days luxuriating in the Indian sunshine whilst her aristocratic parents rule the Indian Raj. But when an unexpected twist of fate leaves Mary orphaned, she finds herself on her way to England to live with her distant Uncle in Misselthwaite Manor on the Yorkshire Moors. Full of dark corners and strange night-time noises, Mary is certain there is more to Misselthwaite than meets the eye. With the help of some unexpected friends – and the overgrown magical garden – her life, and the lives of those around her, are transformed in a new adaptation of this much-loved children’s best seller.

The Island House Gardens consist of a total of six acres either side of the River Test. They are open to the public for two weekends a year as part of the National Gardens Scheme, which has raised more than £45 million for nursing and caring charities. The main garden has herbaceous and annual borders, fruit trees, rose pergola, lavender walk and extensive lawns. An arboretum planted in the 1930s by Sir Harold Hillier contains trees and shrubs providing interest throughout the year.

Tickets £12 from www.plazatheatre.com or from the Romsey Tourist Information Centre on 01794 512987.