By Paul Bromley
I’ll start with a confession: I’ve never read Little Women. Nor have I seen any TV, film or stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic tale.
So it was with an open mind and no pre-conceived notions that I took my seat in the Devonshire Park Theatre for Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation of the story of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War.
The atmosphere is set right from the start with the distant sound of gunfire providing the backdrop to the entrance of the March family – romantic Meg (Jade Kennedy), ambitious Jo (Grace Molony), quiet Beth (Catherine Chalk) and spoilt Amy (Imogen Elliott) plus their mother Marmee (Ellie Pawsey playing the part in place of Honeysuckle Weeks on opening night) and aunt March (a splendid Belinda Lang).
The Christian theme of giving to others less fortunate than themselves is well told through the Christmas and New Year scenes alongside hymns and songs. There’s even very realistic snow falling and snowball fights.
It took a while for the four sisters to gel on stage. But there was plenty of time for their chemistry to develop: the first half felt like a long slog at 1 hour and 20 minutes to the interval with several passages of exposition and detailed recounting of events to fill in the background to the women’s struggles for independence and finding their place not just in the world but in a world heavily dominated by men.
The delineation of men’s roles and women’s roles is marked. “If I can’t write like a man, I’ll never get published,” wails aspiring writer Jo at one point.
Belinda Lang channels her best Lady Bracknell into the role of Aunt March with her withering put-downs and imperious hauteur. For “handbag”, read “marry” with elongated vowel sounds stretching from Eastbourne to America and back.
Romantic interest comes via new neighbour Laurie Laurence (Cillian Lenaghan), his tutor John Brooke (Jack Ashton) and later Professor Friedrich Bhaer (also Jack Ashton).
There are some lovely production touches: I particularly enjoyed the theatrical presentation of the letters written by Amy while on a tour of Europe with her aunt to sister Jo, by now a governess in New York.
The story arcs of Amy and Jo are the most pronounced during the second half (running at 50 minutes) as the “little women” of the title develop into adult women via romance, marriage and motherhood.
This part-Christian morality tale and part-coming of age story has survived for centuries and seems as relevant today as when it was published in the 1860s.
The audience at the Devonshire Park Theatre on opening night was predominantly women. But I’ll end with another confession: Little Women appeals to grown men too.
:: The reviewer’s ticket was supplied by Eastbourne Theatres
