Rating: ★★
Venue: Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Cast: Christine Allado, Tracie Bennett, Eleanor Grant, Barry James, Chris Mann, Kelly Mathieson, Miyuki Miyagi, Julian Ovenden, Sophie Pollono, Yazdan Qafouri, Liam Tamne and Tobias Turley
At the heart of this iconic coming-of-age story is Jo March, the original literary heroine – a fiercely passionate young writer whose grief over losing her sister inspires a story that continues to resonate with audiences everywhere. This enchanting new musical is for anyone who has dreamed big, questioned their path, or yearned to share their story.
1 book, 10 media adaptations, and a musical already 20 years old - do we really need another one that started a further decade before that? Jo: The Little Women Musical promises audiences a reimagined take on a beloved classic, but doesn't quite deliver this to a Drury Lane standard.
Knowing that this production has been in the works since before many of the actors on stage were even born, it is interesting to know that the writers 'really haven't changed much' since finishing its first full draft. There are many issues to take with this - the most prominent of which, in my opinion, is that of representation for female characters and disability. The original Louisa May Alcott novel is over 150 years old and passes scrutinies such as the Bechdel Test with more ease and regularity than this new musical.
Stories about gender bias, sexism, misogyny, and social expectations of women have been told for centuries and will likely continue for a long time to come... but there really needs to be nuance. I don't feel like I was presented with anything other than the content of the source material in a different format. There were no significant changes to the plot, characters, or morals during the 3 hour performance - which in 2026 is just not good enough.
Terms like 'facial deformity' are used to describe someone simply having a larger nose, and there is a distinct lack of authentic casting for the (supposed) wheelchair-using character. It would be great to have a more updated and sensitive approach to these topics should this show receive another iteration in the future.
With new musicals often never reaching this stage, it is only fair to commend the creative team for their efforts this far - especially as many of them do not have previous professional credits in their current capacities. In the same breath, we saw two West End debut performers absolutely steal the show; Eleanor Grant as Beth and Sophie Pollono as Amy were immaculate casting. Their multifaceted talent, charm, and passion shone through to the very back of the stalls.
Tracie Bennett had Aunt March’s mannerisms spot on, but unfortunately to the detriment of her annunciation and vocal clarity. Given that the marketing focused heavily on the ‘big names’ within the cast (award winners and nominees etc.) it is a shame that these roles had the most noticeable let downs.
It was clear some scenes also felt under-rehearsed which, in fairness, is not uncommon for concert presentations, however did lower the overall bar of the production's calibre. The sound quality was also poor, meaning that dialogue was often overpowered by music, or actors cut in halfway through each other's lines.
Overall, a disappointing provision for what could have been an opportunity to modernise a tale as old as time - especially given how prevalent its themes are in today's world.
You can find out more about Jo: The Little Women Musical, here.
No comments