ANNE-Marie Casey’s vivid, energetic and passionate adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic story Little Women comes to Salisbury for the first showings of the second leg of its 2025 tour, with a largely new cast and all the atmosphere and delight of its Pitlochry debut back in 2022.
A judging colleague of mine says nothing is good enough that it can’t be improved, but I can’t think of any better way to tell this story of love, growing up, families and disappointment than this wonderful version, directed by Loveday Ingram. The sad thing for this cast is that it probably won’t get any national attention, all of which was turned on the original, and the 2025 spring tour.
Only the arch, hyper-critical Aunt March keeps her original casting, and Belinda Lang is having a marvellous time as the sarcastic, dictatorial wealthy aunt who thinks she can buy anyone’s time and affection.
Of course Jo March, second daughter of Marmee and her soldier-padre husband, won’t have any of it. From writing adventure tales of derring do for her sisters to perform through hacking off her abundant hair to heading off for New York to make her name as a writer, Jo has been a role model for independent girls ever since Alcott’s book was first published in 1868, and Natalie Dunne is inspirational, energetic, passionate and at times infuriating!
Stepping into the role of Marmee, the excellent Juliet Aubrey brings the perfect blend of exhausted determination and powerful goodness to the stage, balancing the needs of the domesticated Meg(Jade Oswald), the thoughtless and sparky Amy (Jewelle Hutchinson) and the frail and gentle Beth (a beautiful performance by newcomer Megan Richards. Another newcomer, recent RADA graduate Perry Williams, is the ideal foil for the exuberant Jo as Laurie, overlaying his romantic love and entitlement with an irrepressible sense of fun.
Tom Richardson creates two very different characters, doubling the roles of John Brooke and the tender, rigorous and insecure prof Bhaer.
The story unfolds on Ruari Murchison’s clever set, with its swaying aspens and sparse furniture, backed by Matthew Bugg’s atmospheric music capturing the mood and the period to perfection. Adapting a favourite book is never easy, but here Anne-Marie Casey finds a way to highlight the timeless messages and never lose the period of the original – momentary descriptions of the neighbours’ poverty and distress and the anxiety about the war have a painful reality.
The tour continues at Salisbury until 13th September, continuing at Poole Lighthouse from 16th to 20th September, and returning south to Bath Theatre Royal from 28th October to 1st November. Don’t miss it.
GP-W
Photographs by Nobby Clark
Footnote: I was delighted to see that the Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Constant Wife, Somerset Maugham’s original updated by Laura Wade, will tour next year, coming to Bath in May.
When we saw the play at Stratford, the star, Rose Leslie, was indisposed, and her understudy took over at very short notice (between the matinee and evening performances.) Jess Nesling, pictured left, gave a mesmerising performance in the role, richly deserving her standing ovation and extended applause.
For the tour, Kara Tointon takes the role, presumably on the basis that you have to have a star name. Let’s spare a thought for the understudies, and those who take over already reviewed roles. And NEVER be put off if there is an announcement before the curtain goes up. You might be in for a real theatrical treat.