To a backdrop of the American Civil War, Little Women opens with a basic but effective background of sounds from the battlefields, to an equally bleak and basic interior set of effective wooden furniture writes Paul Smalley
Mother(Marmee) played effectively throughout by Kasey Ainsworth who has been left to look after her teenage siblings after father as joined the Union as a Chaplin after making numerous unsound business investments that to say the least have left the family in a poor financial predicament.
Our four teenage siblings as you can imagine are all different there’s
Amy(Julia Brown) the innocent and youngest sister who is indulged upon by her elders.
Meg(Jessica Bridges)the elder of our girls who is the most attractive and more than willing to join the higher side of society.
Beth(Meg Chaplin)is sensitive and a home girl and Josephine (Jo)(Rachel McAllister)a tomboy and discerning writer who wants to write from her memories and heart.
As our family develop into womanhood we meet through various scenes Aunt March(Susan Twigg) who plays the matriarch part superbly in small but brilliant cameo performances as and when required.
We also meet Theodore ‘Laurie’Lawrence(Daniel Francis-Swaby) who along with John Brooke and Professor Bhaer both parts played by Tom Richardson are very prominent in their performance.
We have love,drama,sickness, happiness and death all including scenes that do justice to the story, throughout as our siblings develop their personal characteristics, with notable scenes of Amy’s admission of burning of Jo’s book, to ice skating, and two outstanding scenes one with lightning and white clothing as Meg slowly leaves our world, to the family round the Christmas tree to the subtle sounds of the classic hymn “Silent Night”, played earlier by our dearly departed Meg as the family unite.
Our finale of falling snow arrives as Jo and Professor Bhaer bond their love.
Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation is beautifully played and anyone wanting to get away from the current musical or pantomime productions dominating the city this is the perfect opportunity.
Go and enjoy.
The production is at Home until the 23/12/2023 with tickets available from £12.50
Four⭐
