Review: Little Women at LOWRY is ‘a moving and modern take on Alcott’s timeless novel’

This week at LOWRY is a wonderful adaptation of Little Women.

Adapted by Anne-Marie Casey, Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 children’s novel is brought to life on stage with a fabulous cast of eight directed by Loveday Ingram and a stunning set design by Ruari Murchison.

This fast-paced show is an entertaining rollercoaster of emotion from laughter and enlightenment to sorrow, emphasising the great conundrums still concerning women today.

Little Women at LOWRY

Little Women is a lovely story of the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, learning to navigate their way through girlhood and into adolescence.

Delineated from its original linear narrative from girls getting to grips with their talents and who they are to then growing into understanding their position in 1860s American society where space to explore their passions is limited, especially as working women.

Little Women explores the complexities of platonic and romantic relationships and how these can, sometimes painfully, weave in and out of each other, as well as the multifaceted, unconditional love between families.

Taking the lead of this incredible cast is Grace Molony as Jo March who brilliantly brings to life the boisterous character. Jade Kennedy brings us the beautiful eldest sister Meg, Catherine Chalk is perfect as the virtuous Beth, and Imogen Elliot excellently portrays the arguably selfish, arguably opportunistic, Amy.

Cillian Lenaghan’s Laurie

These four are charming to watch together, and Cillian Lenaghan’s Laurie serves to draw out these character’s attributes.

Honeysuckle Weeks is warming as Marmee, while Belinda Lang provides extra depth to the uptight Aunt March, and Jack Ashton convincingly doubles as Meg’s love interest John Brooke as well as Jo’s Professor Bhaer.

The set design allows space for the highs and lows of the March sisters to pack an emotional punch.

The motif of Jo as the writer of the family is incorporated in every aspect, from the paper birch trees that skirt the edges of the stage, to Jo’s writing desk that remains in the prominent position at the front of the stage left.

Amongst the trees are the living spaces of the March family home, which includes a dining table, Beth’s piano, and a chaise lounge.

The characters pass through the trees to demonstrate movement between the outside and interior and the action is easy to follow.

Intelligent use of lighting (Mike Robertson) and sound (Matthew Bugg) allow for (spoiler ahead!) Amy’s falling through the ice to be a simple but poignant scene without being sensationalised.

For events taking place away from the March family home, a red curtain is drawn across close to the front of the stage to illustrate the higher class of society that the March’s no longer fit into.

Tickets for Little Women at LOWRY

Little Women is running performances at The Lowry until Saturday 12^th April. Matinees are on Wednesday and Saturday, with tickets starting at £17 that can be purchased here. Show runtime is approximately two and a half hours with a twenty-minute interval.

The audio-described show by Caroline Burn is on Friday 11^th April with a touch tour taking place an hour before the performance at 6:30pm.

A BSL interpreted performance by Emma Jane Mansfield on Saturday 12^th April.