Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a classic coming-of-age text with a devoted readership, which can be daunting for anyone considering making an adaptation to the stage.
At the time of the American Civil War, the March family lives in genteel poverty, their father having squandered their finances. The four daughters of the family consider the limited options open to women at that time. Meg (Jade Kennedy) works as a tutor and, contrary to prevailing wisdom and her own traditionalist nature, considers marrying for love rather than financial security. Although artistically inclined, Amy (Imogen Elloitt) is more materialistic and perceives her duty as providing for the family by marrying into money but manages to redeem a character who has slid into a wasteful life. Beth (Catherine Chalk) is unworldly and willing to devote herself to acts of charity. Tomboy Jo (Grace Malony) does not conform to societal expectations and hopes to make her living as a writer.
Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation avoids any radical revisions concentrating on ensuring well-known scenes appear on stage, which results in a show that is respectful if unimaginative. The only startling changes are that the patriarch of the family, while mentioned, never makes an actual appearance, and the story ends before Jo receives an unexpected inheritance, thus demonstrating the Little Women have made their own way in the world without outside intervention.
Director Loveday Ingram seems overawed by the text and content to simply stage scenes without drawing out any social or political viewpoints. The cast singing songs from the Civil War period at the opening of the play establish its setting, while songs and carols mark scene changes. Characterisation is largely defined by physical movement, the matriarch Marmee (Honeysuckle Weeks) has a brisk, business-like stride while tomboy Jo slouches on chairs in an unladylike manner.
Early parts of the play suffer from explanatory dialogue with the sisters speculating how their lives would be more pleasant if their father had not squandered the family fortune. The volume of incidents in the story crowds out the drama—the sisters move on rapidly from traumatic events such as observing the death of a sick child. Jo’s disappointment in act two that her younger sister has been chosen for a round-the-world trip instead of her lacks emotional impact as, up to that point, the possibility of Jo taking part in such a trip had hardly been mentioned.
There are examples of humour, mainly from Grace Malony, Jo being a poor dance partner as she insists on always taking the lead and stumbling over her feet while trying to demonstrate a dignified exit. Jo’s self-sacrifice in cutting and selling her abundant hair is nicely punctured with the observation her new hairstyle resembles a porcupine.
The production is not lavish. Most of the budget is absorbed by some eye-catching dresses, so the set comprises a series of skeletal trees, the odd item of furniture and the occasional festive decoration. The sparse setting is in accord with the reduced means of the Marsh family but makes for a drab background to the story.
Although the adaptation of Little Women is illustrative of the past role of women and of family dynamics, the play tends to be more informative than dramatically interesting.