Review: Little Women at York Theatre Royal

Wednesday, 25th September 2024 at York Theatre Royal

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women holds high status on many bookshelves. It was one of the books my mother waxed lyrical about and insisted I read when I was younger – and she still references it on a regular basis (she’s a self-identifying Jo, for those who partake in the March Sisters Self-certification…). It’s always a tough gig adapting such a classic for the stage and thankfully, this production delivers.

Juliet Forster directs Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation of Alcott’s heartwarming tale, and it’s impressively faithful and sincere. Not one March sister is short-changed here, and the story itself is given scope to hurtle and meander as necessary. Usually I’d have something to say about a slower-paced second act, but here it’s fitting, and I think the production is a very strong example of an adaptation which doesn’t fuss too much with modernising but simply does justice to the warmth and noble messaging of its source material.

And let’s face it, Little Women is in part famous for its feisty heroine and relatable family dynamics, but it’s also a hefty set of life lessons handed down by life and Marmee. Whether it’s caring for the less fortunate, remaining humble against a backdrop of conflict or simply navigating familial or romantic tensions, the text is beloved for its great big heart.

Led by the superb Freya Parks as the ever-popular tearaway Jo, the March sisters are a wonderfully varied bunch. Helen Chong’s Amy blends comic and irritating youthfulness beautifully while Ainy Medina’s Meg is endearingly sensible and optimistic and Laura Soper’s Beth is every bit the lovable quiet one. The gaggle of uncertain girls grow before our eyes to become the kind of women their pure-hearted parents can be proud of.

The towering figure of Marmee falls to Kate Hampson, who is full of compassion and a flash of each of her children’s defining characteristics. Caroline Gruber well and truly makes the most of Aunt March’s limited stage time, landing cracking comic moments with the kind of classic Dowager energy which finds humour so smoothly (and uses the best of Ruari Murchison’s costume designs to give the character extra height and authority).

Nikhil Singh Raj gives Laurie a brilliant balance of the Young scamp, troubled youth and matured young man with layers of charm which feel like careful studies of the era, while Jack Ashton moves between the characters of John and Professor Bhaer with some well-defined physicality but a common thread of amorousness. 

All in all, the production does well to cover as much of the novel as it does, and to maintain that vital sense of yesteryear charm while approaching tricky sequences with a canny eye – the handling of the ice skating incident in particular stands out as a moment achieved with clear vision and clever simplicity without falling into over-ambition. Quite rightly, the show thoroughly rests on the shoulders of the sisters – and particularly Jo.

So, whether you’re a long-time fan of the novel or you have a mild awareness and fancy seeing a wholesome period drama on stage, you can’t go far wrong with this one. Yes, it could be trimmed just a little more, but it gets the key elements right and it’ll leave you with a warm glow as you head home.

Little Women is at York Theatre Royal until October 12th 2024 – more information and tickets can be found here.