5 April
When it comes to reviewing a show, the litmus test for this particular reviewer is the extent to which I find myself immersed in a performance; to what degree any sense of time and space is lost during the shared experience as the drama unfolds on the stage before me. To that end, Jenny Wren Productions’ rendering of “Little Women” is nothing short of a triumph.
The desire to retell this much-loved and popular coming-of-age story to a 21st century audience is both understandable and laudable: such is the enduring appeal of Louisa May Alcott’s largely autobiographical tale of the four March sisters growing up in New England during the American Civil War, it has never been out of print since its initial publication in 1868, and the highly acclaimed film remake of 2019 is one of five big screen versions of this classic novel. But to tell this same story in the form of a one-woman show is a bold, brave step.
The significant challenge for Jenny Wicks and Hannah Churchill when adapting “Little Women” as a one-woman show must surely be how to effectively present such a wide cast of characters with just one actor. Fortunately, that one actor happens to be Hannah Churchill. In a quite extraordinary performance, she brings Meg, Beth, Amy and, especially, Jo to life through the sheer range and versatility of her talent. This is a show best suited to a smaller venue, where an audience in such close proximity to the stage can fully appreciate the mannerisms, idiosyncrasies and tics of each character, realised through Churchill’s impressive command of voice, expression and movement as her dramatic tools.
The narrative structure sees Jo March, in the present, recounting her life story to lifelong friend Lawrie Lawrence (Reece Webster) in the form of flashbacks, and in which even Laurie himself is played by Churchill. This allows Laurie some objective distance as a confidante, whilst also simultaneously enabling Webster to accompany Churchill’s wide range of characters on the piano, with an original musical score composed by himself.
One might be forgiven for thinking that frequent timeshifts between past and present, with no obvious indications of when this happens, might be confusing for the audience? One might also be forgiven for thinking that one actor playing, by my reckoning, seven different roles within the play with no costume changes or props may also leave the audience a little giddy…?
No. And no.
Such is the conviction and skill with which each character is brought to life, and so subtly effective are the distinctions between now and then, that it all feels not just plausible, but completely believable, as we do indeed become immersed in this charming, poignant and thoroughly engaging tale.
Audiences will have one more chance to see this very impressive show, at the Everyman Theatre on the 29th April, in the conclusion of its national tour. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
★★★★★ Tony Clarke 6 April 2023
