BIRMINGHAM Theatre Company returns to the Civic Theatre in Darlington this month with a new adaptation of the children’s story Tom’s Midnight Garden.

The story tells of two lonely children longing for friendship and finding each other – but Tom is living in the 1950s and Hatty is in the 1880s and 1890s. For Tom, the friendship lasts a few weeks; for Hatty it lasts about ten years. The story is set within a complex structure of time fantasy.

Tom, at midnight each night, is able to go back in time to meet Hatty at various stages of her young life, but not always in conventional time sequence. His visits seem quite long in Hatty’s time, but when he returns to his own time each night, Tom finds he has only been away a few minutes. David Tute, who plays Tom, said audiences are in for a surprise. “Previous productions have been very minimalist and you didn’t really see the garden.

“In our production the audience is taken on a journey.

To begin with we are in this 1950s house and for a while the garden isn’t there. But when the garden is revealed by theatrical magic the audience goes ‘wow’. And they go on the journey with Tom. That is the best bit. When you hear them respond to the garden.”

Hatty is played by Caitlin Thorburn.

Performance dates are March 25-29 including morning and afternoon matinees. The recommended age is five-plus. For tickets, ring 01325-486555 or visit darlingtoncivic.org.