‘Little Women’
Pitlochry Festival Theatre - 22/09/22
One of the best loved novels, published 1868, this coming-of-age story has been adapted into a film seven times, recently in a big screen version starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Meryl Streep, plus many TV incarnations. It remains the favourite reading of girls worldwide. This was evident by the school party in the stalls, as a show suitable for nice young ladies. One can draw a similarity between ‘Derry Girls’, the popular TV series, also following a tight group of young ladies navigating their future pathways. ‘Little Women’ is set in the America Civil War. ‘Derry Girls’ in The Troubles. Not an awful lot had changed. All wrestle with the concept of what it is to be a woman.
This adaptation is a worthy retelling of the tale. It has a beautiful set within woods and pathways with the ability to create different spaces and locations in the narrative. A parlour with a piano, a dining table, a chaise lounge, a library, as the story moves from place to place. This works well without the need for complex scene changes. It is a long story of four sisters trapped in genteel poverty, where ambitions are dominated by a loving mother and a strict widowed aunt who wants them all to marry well. There is an awful lot to get in. Directed with pace by Brigid Larmour, as a co-production with Watford Palace Theatre this has been a stalwart of the Pitlochry season. With an accomplished repertory cast of talented young actors, it could not fail to attract the Pitlochry traditional audience. The emphasis in this production is placed firmly on Jo March, the tomboy of the story who wants to escape domesticity and marriage to become a writer. This is a dominating performance by Rachel McAllister, slightly overshadowing the pathways of the other sisters in this adaptation. Remembering as all girls have done, deciding which sister you wanted to be, in this instance it is Jo. Her delightful three sisters, Meg (Jessica Brydges), Beth (Meg Chaplin) and Amy (Anna Fordham) are overshadowed. There is a charming performance by Amelia Donkor as ‘Marmee’ and a rather underplayed Aunt March by Deirdre Davis. Another outstanding performance is Richie Spencer as Laurie. He handsomely struts the stage, making the audience wonder why Jo resists him. Tom Richardson plays Professor Bhaer with a perfect German accent. But ultimately unless you are a fan of the book, or have never read it, as most men haven’t, then this production seems overlong. A worthy production demonstrating the breadth of talent in the current company.
