Reviews – Little Women

A complete sell-out show, with waiting lists almost every night; Little Women was a triumph for the Studio cast and crew involved.

Here is a fantastic review from Scene One Plus: **** https://sceneoneplus.com/little-women/ **** by Anne Waggott. Click on link.

A coming-of-age classic greeted theatre lovers this week with the story of Little Women on the stage.

If you haven’t read the book, Little Women follows the story of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and sees their transformation to adulthood. It is 1862, the time of the American Civil War and the girls are feeling the emotional pain of their father being away. Each letter from him brings bittersweet joy.

Jo March (Martha-Rose McKeown) is the outgoing tomboy wowing the audience with her energy. Jo is against love and romance, she just wants to write and yearns for independence. Her developing friendship with Theodore Laurence (Philipp Nikolin) brought a sense of warmth and integrity to the play.

Meg March (Sarah Derry) is the older sister and the glue that holds them together. But there is a ripple of concern when Meg starts to attend balls and an attraction forms between her and John Brooke (Sonny Jarmin). Love beckons but if it develops, the sisters will soon be separated.

Amy March (Olivia Wordley) is charming, amusing and spirited, and brings more than a little petulance to the stage. From self-indulgent to a more compassionate adult, she is treated to a trip of a lifetime by Aunt March and manages to make the most of her time with possible suitors.

Beth March (Libby Richards) brings a delicate characterisation to the fore. She is the youngest sister, the peacemaker, but her life does not develop in the way the family hopes.

Aunt March (Jackie Pilkington) brings the crotchety older character to centre stage. With money, there is power, and she likes to shape the girls as she sees fit but that doesn’t make her very popular.

Mrs March, known as Marmee, (Tamsin Jacson) is a kind loving mother bringing compassion, patience and kindness to the girls. She is the rock, and is seemingly unshakable, until she receives some sad news.

This is a big production and each actor brings historic reverence to the role. The characters were well-developed and it was like watching time rolling back and it being brought into sharp focus. It was eminently believable.

I am always intrigued by the sets. This set has been built over three levels and is adaptive. All areas were used and conveyed different places and different emotional states.

The story addresses three themes – love, work and domesticity. It’s an emotional story, but there is laughter and joy too. The storyline is portrayed with conviction on stage and as each character develops, the play lifts you and carries you with it. For the duration of the play, I was in New England, in 1862, and what an appealing place it was.

Co-directed by Anthony Von Roretz and Jill Redston, this is a production which is worth seeing.

https://insidesalisbury.substack.com/p/studio-theatre-salisbury-little-women

With Christmas just around the corner, there’s nothing like a classic tale brought to stage to warm the cockles of your heart and Salisbury’s award-winning Studio Theatre has once again successfully delivered an absolute blinder.

The group’s interpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel Little Women was a slick, entertaining and incredibly moving production.

Set in New England during the American Civil War, the story follows the passage from childhood to womanhood of the four newly-impecunious March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy – detailing their hopes, aspirations and squabbles, overseen by their beloved Marmee, while father is absent at war.

Adapted for stage by Emma Reeves, the play was admirably co-directed by Anthony von Roretz and Jill Redston, who worked hard with cast members to ensure every mannerism and nuance was befitting of the character and period. The result was a play performed with such professionalism, it was easy to forget that you were watching an amateur production.

American accents were commendable as each cast member brought something of their own to the stage.

Martha-Rose McKeown was outstanding as the passionate, adventurous and brave protagonist Jo, with a gift for writing and making people laugh. Sarah Derry played a fine Meg, the oldest sister who is ready for love and yearns for a great life. Libby Richards was endearing as the peace-maker Beth who thinks only of others and Olivia Wordley was perfect as the spirited youngest sister Amy, bringing a constant source of amusement with her vanity. Mother to Libby in both real life and the play, Tamsin Jacson brought a warm soliloquy as she played the calm and caring backbone of the family Marmee.

Interwoven into the family’s lives are wealthy boy next door Laurie, superbly portrayed by Philipp Nikolin – the chemistry between his Laurie and Martha-Rose’s Jo was incredibly convincing. Sonny Jarmin played tutor John Brooke; Jackie Pilkington was aptly formidable as the wealthy but over-bearing Great Aunt March; while Jenny Wordley was funny as ditzy Aunt Carol. Claire Brooks and Lynnette Barnes brought a peppering of bitchiness as glamorous socialites Sallie Gardiner and Belle Moffat, while Beau Roberts (Ned Moffat) and James Cates (Fred Vaughn) were both dashing and funny as the debonaire suitors whose affections were spurned by Meg and Amy. Final cast member Matthew Hodge was loveable as Professor Bhaer – eventually succeeding to steal Jo’s heart.

It’s a fast-paced play and the set – cleverly designed by Jemma and Octavia Clark – was laid out on four levels, allowing division and blending of different scenes, while projections onto large hanging screens helped create the different houses and settings.

Anyone familiar with the book or film will be aware of its tragic storyline and this was performed in a sensitive but incredibly moving way.

All seven performances of Little Women – on stage at the Studio Theatre in Ashley Road last week – sold out, which was truly deserving and testament to this exceptionally talented and hard-working bunch.

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/24799320.studio-theatres-little-women-entertaining-incredibly-moving/

Louisa May Alcott’s claim to a December slot on the theatrical calendar rests with the titular March girls’ yearnings for fine dresses and Christmas presents instead of the lives they are living in 1860s Massachusetts, while their newly-penurious father is off fighting in the four-year American Civil War.

It was the perfect choice for Salisbury’s Studio Theatre – full of fun, goodwill, family dramas, action and song. Jill Redston and Anthony von Roretz shared the directing duties for this complex story, adapted for the stage by Emma Reeves and requiring a multi-purpose set. Cleverly designed by Jemma and Octavia Clark, it utilises not only split levels and the usual props but projections that change the settings from the March home to European hotels, New York rooming houses and the homes of wealthy socialites.

The timeless story introduces its audience to the spirited and independent Jo March and her sisters Meg, Beth and Amy. Living in genteel poverty, they overlook their wealthy neighbour and his grandson Laurie, a lonely boy whose meeting with the March girls changes his life. While Marmee writes letters to her soldier husband and keeps the peace in the house, the little women grow up.

Martha-Rose McKeown is Studio’s splendid Jo, with Sarah Derry as her elder sister Meg, Libby Richards as the frail and thoughtful Beth and Olivia Wordley as Amy. Olivia manages the transformation from headstrong and selfish child to thoughtful woman with great conviction. Tamsin Jacson (Libby’s mother in real life) is the warm, wise and ever dependable Marmee.

Jackie Pilkington enjoys the entitled archness of the spiteful wealthy maiden Aunt March, and Claire Brooks captures the all-too-recognisably two-faced Sallie Gardiner, so-called friend of governess Meg.

Alcott’s story is all about the girls, but they have agreed to take Laurie into their secret society, so his place is pivotal, and there could hardly have been a better performance than that of Philipp Nikolin as the boy Jo possessively calls Teddy. Both their full-on and tentative scenes were performed with extraordinary nuance and tenderness.

Sonny Jarmin (John Brooke) and Matthew Hodge (Professor Bhaer) sensitively portray the intelligence and empathy of the suitors.

Everything about this production is a joy. It tells the (familiar) story with flamboyant charm and real pathos.

https://www.theftr.co.uk/little-women-studio-theatre-salisbury/