Publisher Description

'I have to write. That's what I am. My sister Meg is beautiful, my sister Beth is good, my sister Amy is, well, she is what she is, but I'm the writer of the family. What shall I do?'Christmas Eve, 1862. With their father away on the frontline of the American Civil War, the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy – journey into adulthood, each determined to pursue a life on their own terms. But growing up means contending with love and loss, as well as the myriad twists of fortune that shape a life.Published in 1868, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women was an immediate critical and commercial success, and remains one of the best-loved novels of all time.This joyful and spirited adaptation was first produced at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Watford Palace Theatre in 2022, directed by Brigid Larmour. An earlier version was staged at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, in 2011.It provides rich opportunities for any amateur company looking for an uplifting version of a classic story that's guaranteed to delight audiences.

Author Biography

Louisa May Alcott (1832–88) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886).Anne-Marie Casey is a screenwriter, novelist and playwright.Her novels include An Englishwoman in New York and The Real Liddy James.Her plays include stage adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 2011) and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (Gate Theatre, 2014). A revised version of Little Women was staged in 2022 by Watford Palace Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.A graduate of Oxford University, Syracuse University and the short directing programme at NYU, she holds dual UK/Irish nationality and lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Review

'Stylish, humorous and compassionate, this is a lovingly crafted adaptation of an American classic... re-establishes the book's evergreen credentials... a clean, crisp, faithfully episodic adaptation that successfully evokes both the love and the tensions between the four sisters' * Daily Telegraph *
'Anne-Marie Casey's adaptation is pacey and full of life, trimming lots of the story's fat and focusing on key characters and incidents so as to keep things moving in only two hours of action' * WhatsOnStage *
'A loving staging of the story... both wholesome and exhortatory... Casey bottles the story's magic, which sweeps us from the trials of the Civil War to the buzz of New York... charming' * Daily Mail *
'A classic, charming retelling of the novel that doesn't seek to do anything other than celebrate the story... full of gentle humour, humanity and emotion... a bit of traditional charm, great storytelling and the perfect family show' * Reviews Hub *
'A boldly traditional adaptation... carefully crafted... thoughtful and multilayered' * The Stage *
'Heartbreaking... Anne-Marie Casey's script bounces along briskly, oscillating between quick-fire quips and moments of poignancy... as comforting and filling as Christmas dinner' * The Arts Despatch *
'Beautiful... makes us look again at Louisa May Alcott's radical rite of passage classic' * Belfast Times *
'A classic retelling of the beloved novel, celebrating the story in a manner which is true to the text... Anne-Marie Casey's adaptation hits all the big moments of the book... a well-presented, highly respectful interpretation of a classic tale... incredibly hard to resist' * No More Workhorse *

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