Directed by Georgie Straight, the Royal Academy's musical production of ‘Little Women' seamlessly interweaves dreams with reality, exploring the age-old dynamics of sisterhood and the uphill struggles of adulthood.
Musically, the show is beautiful with some truly stunning vocal prowess littered throughout. Matilda Shapland is a particular standout, commanding the stage as the plucky Jo March and melting the audience's hearts with her tender ballads. Kacey Wadge also does a strong job at portraying Marmee March. With rich and matured vocals, Wadge delivers the essential intricacy and depth to Marmie's character.
With such a strong musical theatre production, sometimes the acting can take a bit of a back seat. Santi Lembo's Laurie, however, ensures this isn't the case. Perfectly undercutting the story with impeccable comedic timing, I found myself eagerly awaiting each time Lembo featured on stage.
The staging was also particularly impressive, with incredibly creative interpretations of the script material. The dream-like storytelling sequences were particularly enjoyable, with Jo's hugely melodramatic characters prancing around the stage whilst she narrates. The clever use of lighting (Ben Jacobs) and choreography (Tara Young) allowed for a really playful atmosphere that truly felt like the pages of a storybook.
The overall production does potentially feel quite long and, at times, slow. Little Women is, of course, a classic and that does make it harder to play around with plot-wise. But there were certain scenes and songs that could've done with condensing slightly to help keep the plot moving along swiftly, particularly as the story does cover so much time.
The Royal Academy's production of Little Women is, in conclusion, sweet and sentimental, with some seriously impressive talent littered throughout the cast. We can certainly expect to see these names making a West End debut very soon!
Review: Bethany Chandler Photos: Craig Fuller