Little Women at Festival Theatre Edinburgh Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Emily

Louise May Alcott’s Little Women, adapted for the stage by Anne-Marie Casey, is playing at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh until Saturday 5th April. This production is refreshing and heartfelt while capturing the essence of Alcott’s work, the themes of which are still relevant in society today.

Set during the American Civil War, the production follows the four March sister, Jo, who is a bit of a tomboy, the beautiful Meg, the rather spoiled and selfish Amy and gentle musician, Beth. Mr March has selflessly volunteered as a Chaplin to help the war efforts, leaving his family at home. Times are tough for the March’s but Mrs March, Marmee, instils her selfless nature upon her daughters. During this time a new neighbour arrives, Laurie, who becomes good friends with the sisters, especially Jo.

Marmee helps her four daughters navigate the ups and downs of growing up, womanhood and life in general. The individual story of each daughter is carefully and seamlessly interwoven making it very relatable for the audience.

The all-star cast includes Belinda Lang as Aunt March (2point4children, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries and The Sister Boniface Mysteries), Honeysuckle Weeks as Marmee (Foyle’s War, Victoria Wood: With all the Trimmings and King Lear, Jack Ashton as John Brooks and Professor Bhaer (Call the Midwife, Broadchurch and Waterloo Road), Grace Molony as Jo (Mary Queen of Scots, Artemis Fowl and We Live in Time), Cillian Lenaghan as Laurie (Whitetail, Falling for the Life of Alex Whelan and The Woman in the Wall), Jade Kennedy as Meg (Rebus: A Game Called Malice, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, Winter Palace), Catherine Chalk as Beth (Hilma, The Circle and Dear Elizabeth) and Imogen Elliott as Amy (The Voice of a Turtle and Grantchester). Their performances brought the characters to life and gave depth to the challenges each experienced and highlighted the unbreakable family bonds.

The set design and costumes reflect the era in which it is set. While understated, they provided the perfect backdrop to the storyline and added to the development of the play and characters.

I attended with my daughter who is 13 and she was engrossed and invested in the characters. Her favourite performance was Jo, who’s spirit and determination shone through as she navigated the world on her terms. The recommended age for the play is 10+. The mature themes mean it is not really suitable for younger children. Our seats were in the stall where we had an excellent view of the stage and characters.

Casey’s adaption of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel is sympathetic whilst humorous and uplifting. Whether you have read the novel or not, the play is captivating from start to finish.

Rating: 5/5

Little Women runs from the 1st until the 5th of April at the Festival Theatre, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh. Performances are at 7.30 each evening with matinee performances at 2.30pm on Wednesday 3rd and Saturday 5th. Tickets start from £22.50 and are available from www.capitaltheatres.com or 0131 529 6000. The show runs for 2 hours 20 minutes (including the interval).