Little Women – Review – Leeds Grand Theatre
By Sue Dean, June 2025
The curtain is already up as we take our seats. There’s no dramatic lift, no grand entrance – just a quiet introduction to the world of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. And with Anne-Marie Casey’s faithful adaptation, directed with care by Loveday Ingram, that understated beginning introduces a warm and familiar production that never tries to reinvent the wheel – nor does it need to.
The set is… curious. Ruari Murchison’s design gives us a twinkling Christmas tree, a piano, a dining table, Jo’s scribbling desk – and then, oddly, 18 floor-to-ceiling tree trunks that seem to suggest the wooded outskirts of Massachusetts creeping into the March household. These natural sentinels never leave, nor do most of the furnishings. Save for the discreet addition and removal of a couple of bookcases, scene changes are non-existent – a stylistic decision that leaves the focus squarely on the characters.
And rightly so. As the family gathers around the piano to sing ‘Glory Hallelujah’ on Christmas Eve, it’s like slipping into your cosiest cardigan. The period costumes are immediately pleasing – all floral prints, gingham dresses and modest civil war-era tailoring – evoking a time when appearances mattered and every stitch told a story.
But then, a surprise: the ever-watchable Honeysuckle Weeks is absent for this performance. In her place, Ellie Pawsey steps into the shoes of Marmee – and does so with quiet assurance. While she doesn’t quite look old enough to be the mother of four grown daughters, she brings enough calm warmth and maternal presence to make it work.
“Emotional truth”
Those daughters are, happily, cast to perfection. Grace Molony’s Jo is a powerhouse – word-perfect and accent-spot on from the off. She barely leaves the stage and brings such life to Jo’s rebellious, creative spirit that it anchors the whole play. Jo is, of course, the emotional and narrative heart of Little Women the novel, and Molony gives us a version that’s spirited, driven, and – crucially – deeply human.
Backing her up, Imogen Elliott injects wit and sparkle into the precocious Amy, delivering sharp lines with comic precision and just enough pathos to make Amy’s development feel earned. Jade Kennedy’s Meg and Catherine Chalk’s Beth are more reserved in their roles, but bring charm and softness where needed, particularly Chalk, who finds a delicate emotional truth in Beth’s tragic arc.
Then there’s Belinda Lang, bringing delicious bite and menace to Aunt March, even if her appearances are brief. She commands the stage each time she strides on, her every line dripping with superiority and veiled disdain. It’s a pleasure to watch.
The production doesn’t attempt to modernise or subvert expectations. There are omissions (some famous scenes and characters quietly dropped), but the core is intact, and this respectful rendition doesn’t suffer from the lack of novelty. With so many adaptations in film, TV and theatre, there’s a risk of overworking Alcott’s themes – but this one trusts the source, and that trust pays off.
“Strong performances”
There are moments of real joy – including a playful snowball fight complete with on-stage snowfall – and the warmth of family, romance, rivalry and reconciliation all pulse through the performance. The music by Matthew Bugg gently underscores the action, particularly during scene transitions, without tipping into sentimentality.
That said, the static set and lack of dramatic scene shifts sometimes make the pacing feel languid, particularly in the second half. But the strong performances carry it through.
This is a Little Women that honours its source – gentle, sincere, and peppered with laughter and tears. It’s not revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a story that continues to resonate, and here, it’s told with grace, warmth, and more than a little heart.
‘Little Women’ is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 14th June
images: Nobby Clark
