'Little Women's girls are the opposite of Austen'

Belinda Lang chats to JEFFREY DAVIES about perfecting her American accent and her West Country links as a stage adaptation of the much-loved Little Women comes to the Theatre Royal in Bath

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The cast of Little Women

ALTHOUGH published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, American author Louisa May Alcott's celebrated coming-of-age “autobiographical/semi-autobiographical” novel Little Women is said to be as relevant today as when it first appeared.

Taking to the stage in the West Country next week, audiences are invited to experience the enduring journey of the March sisters - tomboy Jo, beautiful Meg, sensitive Beth and spoilt Amy - as they navigate the challenges of the Civil War era, forging unbreakable bonds of love and family.

“Step into the world of sisterhood, courage and ambition, and follow the sisters as they progress into womanhood,” invites the blurb.

Directed by highly acclaimed director Loveday Ingram, Little Women stars Belinda Lang (Sister Boniface Mysteries, Dear John, 2 Point 4 Children), Juliet Aubrey (Middlemarch, Professor T, All Creatures Great and Small), with Natalie Dunne (Locked Up Abroad, The Girl on the Train), and Tom Richardson (Just Between Ourselves).

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women was an immediate critical and commercial success and remains one of the best-loved novels of all time.

Inspired by author Alcott's own journey into womanhood, Little Women is as relevant today as it was at the time of its release, proving that women can be bold, persistent, self-assured, and the heroes of their own stories.

Anne-Marie Casey's masterful new adaptation of the classic story “offers a captivating rendition of Little Women that breathes new life into a cherished classic”. A treat for West Country audiences, I remarked to Belinda Lang, who plays Aunt March in this production.

“Yes, I think it is a treat because everyone loves it. It is delightful and it’s such a sweet story. People of all ages and sexes seem to absolutely love it,” the most welcoming London-born actress told me with enthusiastically.