Preview: Little Women the Musical

Little Women has been one of my favourite musicals ever since I saw it with my lovely mum at the Park Theatre in 2021. Even with the added emotional barrier of having to wear a mask during the performance, the show swept me up, and carried me away to Concord Massachusetts, right into Jo’s quaint little attic.

This is not only my SLT directing debut, but my directing debut full stop. The idea of Little Women first bloomed when fellow actress Holly Marsden and I were in a show together in 2022, and were talking about our dream roles. I told her that mine was Amy, the youngest of the four March sisters, and from that moment the Little Women seed was planted. I completed my professional training at ArtsEd in Musical Theatre, graduating in 2019, and as someone who thought of themselves as a lifelong performer, I’ve not only surprised those around me, but most of all myself, with my new found passion for directing! From putting on my first pair of ballet & tap shoes at 2 years old, to performing in the West End, I knew that my unconditional love for the arts would help to make Little Women a success.

As we travel from New York to Concord and back again, we meet the March family. This comprises loving mother Marmee (Lea Jeffers), formidable Aunt March (Delsa Ghorbani), and the four sisters, traditional Meg (Edie O’Brien), courageous Jo (Emily Baker), timid Beth (Amy Perkis)  and romantic Amy (Kitty McNeill). Their Concord neighbours are Mr. Laurence (Ian MacEwan), his grandson Theodore Laurence (Jack Matthews) and his tutor John Brooke (Edward Smith). We also meet Jo’s New York/Irish landlady Mrs. Kirk (Carole Coyne) and fellow boarding house resident Professor Bhaer (Stephen Hayward).

As a new director, every moment has been a new experience and so you might say a challenge, but one that I’ve enjoyed and I hope taken in my stride.

When directing a musical, and especially one with as much demanding music as this, the main concern is will we be able to find the performers to fill the roles? This was something I was particularly apprehensive about, but come the audition days, I was absolutely overwhelmed by not only the talent, but the sheer number of auditionees who presented. Co-ordinating music, choreography and acting has thrown us in at the deep end, but with support of my fantastic Musical Director, Alan Walker, it’s been an exhilarating process.

Little Women is a timeless tale. Many people know this story as a book or stage play, but the musical elevates the story about a family with a dream to a new emotional level. Despite being performed in period, we still see the struggles, adventures and determination each of the characters has to overcome at all levels, as a parent, sister and friend.

As the first show of the new year, I hope that the audience will go away with a sense of optimism and belief, that even in the face of all that life may throw at them, they will get through and find their ‘small umbrella’ to help weather the storm.

Exhilarating, moving, theatrical.

This show is currently sold out, but you can join a waiting list for tickets here.

If you live locally, it’s always worth turning up on the night 30 minutes before the show starts to see if there are any returns.