Miss Myrtle’s Garden – ★★★★☆
“If you keep looking back to see what’s behind you, you miss what’s right here”
Set against the backdrop of a garden more overgrown with weeds than in bloom, Danny James King’s Miss Myrtle’s Garden paints a poignant and complex portrait of love, grief, and family, all while subtly addressing London’s ongoing housing crisis.
Through the lens of this narrative, King weaves a story about the fragility of memory, and the quiet persistence of loss. The central figures (Miss Myrtle, her grandson Rudy, his friend Jason, her neighbour Eddie and her late husband Melrose) are bound together by the unspoken tension of a matriarch struggling to articulate her deepest pain.
At 82, Miss Myrtle, portrayed with grace by Diveen Henry, is searching for Sarah, a name that initially puzzles. With the help of Rudy (Michael Ahomka-Lindsay) and Jason (Elander Moore), we eventually discover that Sarah was not a person, but Miss Myrtle’s beloved cat, who passed away some time ago.
As Miss Myrtle’s memory falters, the play delves into her emotional landscape, where her late husband Melrose (Mensah Bediako) appears as a ghost, and Rudy’s probing questions spark defensiveness and more confusion.
Eddie (Gary Lilburn), her kind-hearted neighbour and old friend, steps in as a comforting presence, helping Miss Myrtle navigate the disorienting experience of aging by tending to her garden, accompanying her to the hospital, and often (unwillingly) stepping into the role of Melrose. What begins as a light-hearted exchange between Miss Myrtle and Eddie quickly deepens into an exploration of grief, loss, and the search for closure.
King’s bold exploration of dementia is both raw and empathetic, offering an authentic and moving portrayal of the condition that transcends clichés. Taio Lawson’s direction brings a fresh, immersive energy to the production, guiding us through a minimalist yet evocative set that mirrors the fragmentation of Miss Myrtle’s mind. The garden becomes a space where everything; love, loss, conflict, and realisation - blossoms and fades, much like the passage of time itself.
Khadija Raza’s lighting design further enhances the play’s emotional depth, shifting from moments of clarity to total darkness, complementing the themes of fading memory and the cyclical nature of life. The collaboration between Raza’s lighting and the sound design by Gadsby and Balfour adds another layer of complexity to the storytelling, underscoring the play’s emotional highs and lows.
At the heart of the production is Diveen Henry’s exceptional performance as Miss Myrtle. She brings the Caribbean matriarch to life with sharp wit, profound wisdom, and a quiet yet unwavering strength. Miss Myrtle feels like a grandmother we all know, or wish we did, and Henry’s portrayal makes her an unforgettable figure. Equally compelling are the performances of Lilburn and Bediako, whose portrayals add richness and depth to their roles.
While there are moments when the pacing lags and certain aspects of the narrative could benefit from more nuance, Miss Myrtle’s Garden is an arresting, and refreshing piece of theatre. Set in southeast London and centred on a Caribbean family, it brings a story to the stage that feels both unique and essential—one that should resonate for generations to come.
Miss Myrtle’s Garden is showing at Bush Theatre until 12th July.
★★★★☆
By Eniola Edusi
