Let me start by commending the masterpiece of a cover that speaks louder than the entire play. The simplistic illustration of a woman’s hair tied in up in an ink pen as a pen sketch draws immediate attention to the details of symbolism behind it. During the 1860s, women were expected to tie up their hair as a sign of sophistication and maturity. However, this image of a bright yellow pen creates associations of themes such as literacy for women, female empowerment, and the art of creative writing in general.

Little Women follows the story of four sisters – Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth – and their how their bonds with each other and Marmee change and grow as life leads them in separate directions. Anne-Marie Casey’s stage adaptation of the book brings these characters to life by not only retaining the main message, despite translation, but also using the tools of theatre to their maximum advantage. The play opens with a chaotic household and four lively young sisters playing amongst themselves. Despite being poor, the March family value the virtues of kindness and empathy, as they help other poor families in need during Christmas. Jo, the protagonist, despises being a lady and wants nothing more than spend her days at her desk, scribbling away fairy tales with her black writing cloak and writing hat (quite literally) on. As the ‘man’ of the family, given that their father was serving in the army at that time, Jo is determined to earn by selling her stories. And she goes on to do exactly that when she grows up, but not without facing the harsh lessons of life on love and responsibility.

Grace Molony delivers Jo’s character with absolute charm! From the way of her walk, to her way with words, Molony is seen at her best performance, treating Jo’s character with an added flair of boyish grace as the character grows through her age. Imogen Elliott, playing Amy March, does a remarkable job by presenting her acting skills. Watching her on stage is like watching Florence Pugh acting live! Due to cast indisposition, Ellie Pawsey was seen as the epitome of a motherly figure in her character of Abigail (Marmee) March. Her relationship with each of her daughters is beautifully portrayed through small yet impactful lines and acts of love. The on-stage chemistry of Cillian Lenanghan (Laurie Laurence) and Jack Ashton (in his double role of John Brooke and Professor Bhaer) with their respective love interests is dynamic yet powerfully portrayed, thus adding character to their roles. Catherine Chalk (Beth March) and Jade Kennedy (Meg March) have a certain simplicity about their performance that befits their characters, through the uniqueness of their elegant voices.

The commitment of these actors is truly reflected in their treatment of the minimalistic props on the stage. The well-crafted direction, along with the perfect balance between original dialogues and stage script, produces nothing short of magical moments celebrating one of literature’s renowned classics. I was particularly enthralled by the depiction of the drowning scene, when Amy is shown falling into the lake while ice-skating when the ice breaks through. The sound effects of splashing water and the tunnel-like lighting spotlight made the act look almost real. Act 1 turned out to be more entertaining than expected, but the high bar of expectations could not quite be retained in the second Act. While it is justified that the story revolves around Jo, I believe Meg and Beth deserve more stage time in the second half. This would not only maintain consistency in individual character growth, but also space out the timeline and series of events to make Act 2 appear less cramped.

Overall, I found the stage play adaptation of Little Women to be a nostalgic experience, taking me ten years back in time when I first saw the film and fell in love with the art of creative writing. Little Women is more than just a tale of four sisters, it’s a visual representation of women embracing womanhood in their special ways by showing that love, care and kindness are the key values in life.

Little Women plays at the Birmingham Rep from Wednesday 21st May–Saturday 24 May 2025. Book your tickets here. 

Rating: 4/5