Since its initial publication in 1868, Louisa May Alcott’s semi-autobiographical novel Little Women has captivated readers’ hearts and remains one of the most beloved novels of all time — and it has found just as much affection on stage too, such as right here in Manchester’s HOME Theatre.
Against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the book draws inspiration from Alcott’s own upbringing with her three sisters in what, despite the very specific historical context, turned out to be a very relatable and familiar feeling story filled with plenty of compelling character studies.
Little Women tells the tale of the March family, with the story revolving around the hardworking mother, Marmee, and her four daughters: Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy.
As their father serves in the war, the narrative follows the sisters’ journey from childhood to adulthood, navigating the challenges of survival in New England during the War.
(Credit: HOME Manchester)
It achieves a perfect blend of humour, drama, romance and, of course, tragedy, along the way, and it’s easy to see the influences director Brigid Larmour has brought to the production.
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Bringing her expertise and acclaim from The Merchant of Venice 1936, not only does the theatrical performance sweep you in the spirit of the age but, just like the hugely popular and successful movie adaptation by Greta Gerwig in 2019, the production boasts an impressive cast.
From Kacey Ainsworth as mum Marmee, known for her role as ‘Little Mo’ in Eastenders, to Jessica Brydges, Rachael McAllister, Meg Chaplin and Julia Brown as the differing daughters (Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, respectively), they all bring Alcott classic characters to life and without feeling like a various obvious nod to their recent Hollywood portrayals.
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The ensemble is rounded out by Daniel Francis-Swaby, Susan Twist and Tom Richardson: all of whom are seasoned performers on stage and screen — and it shows, pulling just the right amount of focus from the central figures and shining in their own right.
The most notable nod to the supporting cast goes to Twist, who plays Aunt March and emerges as a formidable force, providing comic relief during tense moments and adding an extra layer of entertainment to the production.
Manchester’s HOME theatre makes for the perfect space to bring Little Women to life.
Overall, the overarching family dynamic in Little Women mirrors the funny and chaotic moments reminiscent of those Christmas gatherings just around the corner, evoking a sense of nostalgia and universality through the little quirks and idiosyncrasies that define family life.
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In short, it’s akin to experiencing many ‘Christopher Columbus!’ moments in real-time, discovering uncharted territories within the family circle as you go — something everyone can identify with.
Anne-Marie Casey’s celebrated modern adaptation of the classic story, complemented by a stellar lineup both in its on-stage personalities, Larmour direction and wider creative team, along with a touch of festive cheer, makes Little Women a must-see production this winter.
All in all, it was a heartwarming show suitable for all ages which guarantees to resonate with both those discovering the tale for the first time and those first captivated by reading it on the page. Playing at HOME until 23 December, you can grab your tickets HERE.
Little Women is comfortably one of the best shows in Manchester right now.
Jersey Boys at Palace Theatre, Manchester – Oh, what a night
Amy Williams
20 years, 65 major awards (including Tonys, a Grammy, and an Olivier), and seen by over 27 million people worldwide – it could only be Jersey Boys, and now it’s back at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
This is one of those shows where you realise just how many songs you know and love by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, but may not know the story behind the band themselves. How they started, how big they became, how they fell apart, and how they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It follows the four boys from Jersey (who each narrate their parts of the story), how it started as just Tommy and Nick and a range of different guys along the way, until they found the one who has a voice like an angel, Frankie Valli, and this started to change the direction of their success.
But they were missing a key part, a good song writer – enter Bob Gaudio, and the creation of The Four Lovers, who then became The Four Seasons.
Mixed with issues of debt, loan sharks, prison time and more, it wasn’t the smoothest of sailing for them, and as they said themselves, they didn’t create a movement like the Beatles. But The Four Seasons were for the factory workers, the dads, the working class people who could relate to them.
One thing we need to talk about, is just how INCREDIBLE the vocal performances are in this tour of Jersey Boys, staring Luke Baker as Frankie Valli, Carlo Boumouglbay as Tommy Devito, Lewis Kennedy as Nick Massi, and Toby Miles as Bob Gaudio.
Jersey Boys is back in Manchester, for a run at the Palace Theatre
A special mention for Luke Baker, because as iconic as Frankie Valli’s voice is, he very perfectly matched it.
The musical features some of their biggest hits including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Beggin’, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like A Man, and of course, December 1963 (Oh, What A Night) which had everyone up on their feet dancing at the end.
This show is incredible from beginning to end, and would recommend everyone go to see this.
Jersey Boys is running at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 19 September, and you can grab your tickets HERE.
High School Musical at Lowry, Salford – a night spent reliving our childhood | Review
Amy Williams
What a night spent reliving our childhood.
Now, I don’t want to exaggerate or seem biased, considering this is one of my favourite film trilogies of all time, but this could be the best stage show I’ve seen in a long while.
We all know how High School Musical goes, right? Set at East High, we follow Troy and Gabriella (the star basketball player, and the geeky new girl) who meet over New Year, and then become ‘star-crossed lovers’ when back at school as they’re part of two different ‘cliques’.
The duo mess with the ‘Status Quo’ when they audition for the school musical. But will they stick to what they know? Or become stars of the stage? I’m sure you know the ending.
High School Musical is currently on stage at Lowry, Salford / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
From the costumes and the characters, to the memorable songs (there’s actually 52 songs in this production, including a mega mix at the end), they’ve kept right to the script of the films – and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.
Of course, the biggest throwback of them all is Kaycee Stroh – who originally featured as Martha Cox in the film trilogy – taking the role as Ms Darbus, and she was just as incredible as we expected her to be. And to see her do the iconic dance in the finale was unbelievable, 13-year-old Amy was screaming.
Also featuring Jason Donovan as Coach Bolton, Tobias Turley as Troy, Leonor Correia as Gabriella, Caitlin Tipping Sharpay, and Luke Bayer as Ryan, it was a proper impressive cast all round.
It’s a night to properly relive your mid-00s childhood / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
There was crowd interaction right from the off, as they taught the crowd a cheerleading routine to be included later in the show, plus for the finale, they had the lyrics on the big screen too so everyone could sing-along.
If we could go and see this show every single night, we would – it is absolutely brilliant.
The Manc -
13th December 2023 
