Little Women 📚

#PRInvite #Gifted | Four Little Women have March'ed their way into Aberdeen this week, offering a slice of their New England lifestyles to audiences who will likely reminisce and cherish over the much loved title.

Star rating: ★★★★

What’s the use of being pretty if no one sees it? ‘Little Women’ arrives at His Majesty’s Theatre this week. The title, a well known classic, originates from its coming-of-age novel by Louisa May Alcot, taking the already familiar story to the stage in a brand new way. The novel, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869 respectively, and its story is a firm favourite - and 157 years later, it still managed to capture the hearts of Aberdeen audiences at last night’s press night. ‘Little Women’ as a title has been renewed a few times with two film treatments, and a musical. Yet, this production offers something new: a play crafted by Anne-Marie Casey, debuting to audiences via a UK tour for the first time this year. When researching this production, there is actually very little available online. Yet, this version of the text is not afraid to make ‘little’ changes to its origins, and though don’t let it spoil you, it makes for a very good play.

It may come as no surprise to followers that this is once again a classic piece of literature this English teacher was unfamiliar with. Committed readers may start to question the integrity of my degree, with many old-school pieces recently touring to HMT which I have long ignored. Though actually, from early on in the play, I realised that a story like this is much closer to my niche of literature than I imagined, and luckily, there is no shortage of material for ‘Little Women’ to enjoy once the curtain comes down.

The play ‘tests the promise of the four March sisters’, growing up in a life of poverty and gender prejudice. The four sisters, all alike in their family values, have their own distinct characteristics - some of which unlock conversations about what the world could be like if they weren’t faced with the disappointment of not being a boy. The play centralises Jo March’s ambitions of being a writer, her own journey of self-discovery, betrayal and long path to finding love. The plot is set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and period of Scarlet fever, offering the female’s perspective of taking ownership of life in New England, all whilst the March’s father’s health at war hangs in the balance.

Loveday Ingram directs the play and the consensus of the piece is largely gentle, subtle and slow-moving. Each moment of the show provides a rare depth to each of the characters, unpacking their motivations in full, so even a newbie to the piece can follow with ease. Its simplicity is also reflected in the casting and movement of the show; with the set being almost completely static without any form of bravado. The two multi-rolling male members of the cast, perhaps inadvertently, effectively reminded the audience about the shortage of men in New England at the time of war, and I felt this hidden nod complimented the piece really well. ‘Little Women’s plainness as a viewing experience only allowed the heart of the story to prove its own complexity - simply put, this is a delicate piece of theatre, but an extremely rich story to unravel. 

Jo March struggles to fit into the role of women which society prescribed for her at the time. An avid and passionate writer sees Jo immediately branded as ‘unladylike’, affectionately nicknamed the ‘Tomboy’ of the family. The presentation of the character, though, looks no different to her sisters initially - dawning similar hairstyles and dresses initially - emphasising that it was merely writing which stripped her of her femininity in the 19th century. Over the course of the show, Jo finds her identity, and embraces being different, with more masculine clothes, which obviously fits the discourse. The show makes allusions to the works of William Shakespeare throughout, serving a dual meaning if audience members know their Shakespearean history. On the surface, it acts as a comparison between the tremendous work by Shakespeare and Jo’s - implying her noticeable talents as a female writer. Yet, these references landed differently with me, reminding me of Shakespeare’s Dark Lady, a talented writer of her own, limited by the time she lived in. It is suggested that Shakespeare, at least, took inspiration from the women around him in his writing - because at that time, writing was a career for men, but only a hobby for women.

Moving forwards into the twentieth century, though, the character of Jo - expertly played by Grace Molony - can be analysed as a character who could be assessed for ADHD. This damsel in distress has all of the signs: restless leg syndrome, impulsive decisions, hyperactivity and a temper she finds difficult to control. The story lets audiences see a woman who struggles living in a society who does not understand her, allowing for reflection on how much we have learned since the 1800s, but also acting as a reminder that neurodivergent coded characters and individuals have always been here. Her interactions with Marmee are particularly poignant when looking through this lens, where her mum educates her to ‘try not let the sun go down on your anger’.

Though the plot is abundant, the construction of this play in particular did have its weaknesses. Whilst I praise the show for its simple and static set, the lack of movement was sometimes a detriment to the piece. The illusion of being indoors and outdoors, whilst the piano and table with chairs was still present worked up until a certain point - namely, the direction of the snow-fight didn’t quite work. Some elements of the plot, too, seem to have been redacted. I was left wanting an update on March's father’s injury which never seemed to conclude in this version. The backstory behind the piano which the cast rotated around seemed to be omitted, too, which could have added that extra level of detail to the story.

My main problem was unfortunately its pacing. Act 1 runs for an hour and 16 minutes, which felt elongated and unnecessarily lengthy by interval. Act 2 is significantly shorter at 46 minutes, but somehow felt a little bit longer. Whilst the second half jumps forward to a time where the girls have grown, the actual storyline behind it felt insubstantial, and I would have enjoyed a different ordering to the play, though I appreciate finding the correct point to break may be difficult.

Remaining cast members included Belinda Lang as Aunt March, understudy Ellie Pawsey as Abigail “Marmee” March, Jade Kennedy as Meg March, Catherine Chalk as Beth March and Imogen Elliot taking on the role of Amy March. The company is completed by Jack Ashton as John Brooke and Professor Bhaer and Cillian Lenaghan as Theodore “Lawrie” Lawrence.

Elevating the piece beautifully, I felt, were the moments of company singing, accompanied by a solo piano. The musical moments were composed by Matthew Bugg - familiar tunes relevant to the piece - and sung in beautiful harmony. It assists in reminding the audiences that no matter how troublesome life can be, people do ‘write such splendid things’.

Credits

Instagram links: @theatregramuk, @aberdeenperformingarts

Review by Joel Simpson cc: theatregram@gmail.com

Production photos supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts