Little Women – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Writer: Louisa May Alcott

Adaptor: Anne-Marie Casey

Director: Loveday Ingram

There can be few who have not heard of Louisa May Alcott’s most famous work, Little Women. Set during the American Civil War, a time when countryman was set against countryman, it’s a coming-of-age tale of four sisters, and based very much on Alcott’s own upbringing and family.

Thanks to, we’re told, some poor decisions by their father, the family lives in severely reduced circumstances but mostly remains stoic. We’re introduced to them – Meg, the eldest and most beautiful works as a governess; Jo, who dreams of becoming a published writer and is also quick to temper; Beth, described as the ‘good’ one: it is she who reminds the family of how fortunate they are to have each other and their health, and suggests that they share their Christmas breakfast with the poor; and Amy, the youngest, spoilt and indulged.
Their father is serving in the war as a chaplain, so Marmee, the matriarch, is the glue that holds them all together, though she is not without her flaws. And then there’s the rich, traditional and sometimes curmudgeonly Aunt March, to whom Jo is companion.

In any literary adaptation, there are choices to be made as to the narrative’s focus; Anne-Marie Casey puts her spotlight squarely on Jo and her point of view. The girls in general are the central characters, with the rest very much in supporting roles. The absence onstage of their father, even after his return from the war, is in tune with that, but that absence feels a touch jarring.

Grace Malony brings a depth and complexity to Jo. Initially, she’s very much a girl and a tomboy at that. We see clearly her humour and also her flashes of temper. When she receives setbacks, we see how deeply they affect her. She befriends their neighbour, Laurie (Cillian Leneghan). She loves his company but is blind to his growing affection for her. Malony’s Jo retains her childlike quality even after moving away from home to work as a writer in New York.

Leneghan shows us the boy growing into a young man and the impact that Jo’s admission that she loves him solely as a friend has on him. His subsequent descent into a level of aimlessness while studying abroad is well-painted. We can’t help but empathise with him and his confusion.

Jade Kennedy brings us Meg. Kennedy’s Meg is very much of the time, keen to use her looks to find a husband who can care for her but despairing that she is already out of the market because she needs to work to help support the family. Catherine Chalk’s tragic Beth is somewhat understated, not helped by being less audible than the others at the start. Imogen Elliott portrays the artistic Amy as self-centred and occasionally downright unpleasant; even when she has an epiphany it’s hard to sympathise with the character.

Supporting the sisters is Honeysuckle Weeks as Marmee – she brings a maturity to the character, but her tiredness as a life in relative penury without her husband inevitably grinds her down. Belinda Lang’s Aunt March is a delight, with one-liner putdowns and flashes of humour, supported by her flawless comic timing.

Jack Ashton brings us both Brooke – Laurie’s tutor – in the first half who befriends Meg, and Bhaer, a German immigrant to New York who similarly befriends Jo. Both characters are thoughtful, believable and sympathetic. Bhaer’s speech that trashy writing has a negative impact on young minds reminds us of the pervasive nature of the misinformation all around us nowadays.

Ruari Murchison has designed a simple set that combines outdoor and indoor elements and allows smooth movement between them. However, the transition to other locations for dances seems a touch awkward. Mike Robertson’s lighting, often monochromatic, is excellent and drives the mood – a scene in which Amy gets into trouble while skating is especially effective.

Loveday Ingram’s direction is mainly surefooted, though the opening sections, where the characters are introduced to us, is a little hesitant; it’s early in the tour, of course, and there is plenty of time for this to become more assured. And this hesitancy soon evaporates as the play progresses. The use of period songs as punctuation marking time passing is an effective technique.

There’s much to enjoy in this adaptation of Little Women, although it does feel as if it’s finding its feet to an extent. Nevertheless, the potential is there for a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking evening.

Runs until 22 March 2025 and on tour