Little Women: A heart-warming classic brought to life in Gisborne

The cast of Evolution Theatre's production of Little Women are, standing (from left): Madeleine Poulter, Emma Ruelens, Uma Fischer Saenz, Molly Muir, Saeis Penney and Jess Horsfield. Seated: Elizabeth Stevens, Dorothy Fletcher and Susan Partington.

Review by Olivia White

Christmas came early for the audience at Evolution Theatre’s opening night of Little Women, as a nearly full house joined the March family for their holiday festivities in the adaption of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 classic.

Set during the American Civil War, we follow the lives of the four March daughters as they navigate the challenges of growing up in a changing environment.

If there were opening-night nerves, the cast did a fantastic job of hiding them.

The all-female cast had an exciting combination of experienced and newer actors, who all demonstrated a strong grasp of their lines and a subject-heavy script. The characters were instantly recognisable through costuming and the tact of the actors.

Excellent directing by Charli Haskell guided the actors in mastering comedic timing with the jokes and highlighting the heart-warming moments to offset the challenging events that are presented throughout.

The performances all felt genuine and unforced, allowing emotions to remain raw and vulnerable, which allowed the audience to connect with the girls as they faced their struggles.

Saeis Penney’s performance as Jo reflected her dramatic and boyish personality with strong physicality, and juggled the strong emotions her character feels with great maturity.

Emma Ruelens portrayed eldest sister Meg with a blend of maturity and tenderness, blossoming into a young woman in love over the two acts, all while taking the reins of her home and nurturing her sisters.

Molly Muir as Amy showcased fantastic moments of sass throughout her line delivery and facial expressions, effectively portraying her sisters’ annoyance.

Madeline Poulter portrayed youngest sister Beth’s gentle and kind nature with ease that connected her with the audience, which was imperative for later in the story.

Aunt March (played by Elizabeth Stevens) captivated the audience with every entrance and was an entertaining dose of sourness among the sweet.

As always, there has been incredible attention to detail in the set design and build (Dinna Myers, Andrew Stevens).

You felt as if you had pulled up a chair in a well-loved family lounge that was inviting and dramaturgically accurate.

Portions of dialogue were lost for the seats near the back. With a room full of bodies and a cosy aircon running, it’s easy for voices to get sucked up. Volume did pick up throughout, but a focus on projection and avoiding speaking directly upstage will help audiences absorb every word.

This show made this reviewer nostalgic for the years growing up with her sister.

From one minute arguing about boys and crying about bad hairstyles to laughing and playing make-believe the next, the moments of modern relatability in such an old story felt like a love letter to the timelessness and complexity of sisterhood.

This adaption not only honours Alcott’s novel but resonates with modern audiences and is an exciting showcase of new talent in Gisborne.

Little Women is running until August 25 at Evolution Theatre, 75 Disraeli St. Tickets via iSite or TryBooking.com