Review: Little Women at HMT Aberdeen 'utterly absorbing'

Little Women at His Majesty’s Theatre gave me pre-show jitters.

You know, where you straddle the eager anticipation of seeing something long-awaited, with the very real worry that it may tarnish a story you love so much?

Yeah, that was me. Spoiler: My fears were not founded.

From the first boom of an American Civil War cannon, and a mere bar of Glory Glory Hallelujah, within the first 30 seconds, I was utterly absorbed.

The stage was set for a tale for the ages, and I, for one, was anything but disappointed.

Coming-of-age drama brings to life the original story

I have been immersing myself in the high jinks of Louisa M Alcott’s March sisters since I first got a library card.

More than 100 years old, it’s a story that has stood the test of time, and if the largely female audience was anything to go by, I wasn’t the only grown-up little girl spending a night with the family she came of age with.

For the puritans among us, Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation of the Massachusetts family’s journey through love, lore and longing is true to the original text.

March sisters Amy, Meg, Beth and Jo are the central characters to this production. Image: Nobby Clark.

Clever – yet simple – set arrangements, do a lot of the heavy lifting as we move scene-to-scene, and age-to-age.

It’s compelling and captivating.

I particularly loved the snow scenes, and the artistry involved in repentant Amy’s brush with death when she plunges through the ice to make amends with her elder sister Jo.

Belinda Lang’s Aunt March anchored show to its underlying premise

However, its stellar performances from Jo (Grace Maloney – seen in Mary Queen of Scots), Laurie (Cillian Lenaghan – who appeared in Small Town Big Sky), and Aunt March (Belinda Lang – beloved in 2point4 Children), surrounded by the rest of the ensemble that make this pure theatre magic.

Grace Molony as Josephine March, and Belinda Lang as the formidable Aunt March. Credit Nobby Clark.

Morphing into a gentrified new England version of Honour Blackman, the exaggerated, dulcet tones of Aunt March – in her the breath-defyingly tight bodices – keep anchoring the audience back to the premise of the play.

This once “fine” family is finding itself in a new normal of war, and in an absence of affluence, at a time when the only expectation on women was to marry well.

Energetic chemistry between Jo and Laurie is exactly what you’d hope for

Unlike Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film adaptation, this version sticks to the chronological order of the narrative, making it an excellent introduction to the story for newbies (or the many male sidekicks) in attendance.

I’m a stickler for this approach because I watch the 1994 movie starring Winona Ryder as Jo, Susan Sarandon as Marmee and a young Christian Bale as Laurie, too often to truthfully admit.

But because of that I have high expectations for the cast.

Jo and Laurie captivate as their relationship grows on stage. Image: Nobby Clark.

Jo was every bit the energetic, defiant, boyish teenager you’d expect in act one, growing into the much more level-headed, but no less impassioned woman in the second.

Her on-stage chemistry with floppy-fringed Laurie was fantastic.

He had the gangly, likeable, almost dopey presence of a young James Stewart depicting his formative years, all the while exuding warmth between himself and the leading lady.

Incredible performances all round

All the March sisters held their own. A surprisingly infantile Beth matured just at the most tragic moment. Drawing audible sniffs and sobs from the audience.

Amy and Meg too, all had fantastic energy – but a special shout out goes to our performance’s Marmee.

Out because of injury we didn’t see top-billed Honeysuckle Weeks. Instead Ellie Pawsey – the cover actor for Aunt March, Marmee and Beth, stood in.

Four March sisters, Amy, played by Imogen Elliot, Meg – Jade Kennedy, Beth – Catherine Chalk and Grace Molony as Jo.

I have to be honest, this is one of my favourite things to happen at the theatre. The understudies are INCREDIBLE. Knowing multiple roles, we get to witness often their one shot. And hers was stupendous.

Second half charmed as TV star Jack Ashton took to the stage

My final comments will be reserved for Call the Midwife’s Jack Ashton. From the reserved reverend amidst midwives, he’s again surrounded by women playing the love interest of both Meg, and then Jo.

Jo with her love interest Professor Bhaer, aka actor Jack Ashton. Image: Nobby Clark.

His role in the first half as John Brooke was understated.

I presume to allow him to fully embrace the much more enigmatic Professor Baher in the second, so in that regard I much preferred the latter half of the show.

I’d have liked to have seen more of him. Who Wouldn’t?

But my reading of this novel always leaves me grateful for the good men, who believe in great women, and I didn’t feel we saw enough of him to generate that depth.