When I mention Little Women and musical in the same sentence most people would immediately jump to Sutton Foster belting out ‘Astonishing’ but last night saw something very different and a new production of Jo The Little Women Musical. This new musical focuses on the story of Little Women and tells the adventures of the 4 March sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy and we follow Jo as she tries to sell her stories for publication and the journey that leads her to find her voice.

Last night we saw a concert, semi-staged version of this new musical with music by Dan Redfeld and book and lyrics by Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej. The show clearly has big ambitions and the stage was filled with an orchestra of 27 and a cast packed full of big west end names. The focus of this production is clearly the music and with over 35 numbers there is little time for the book in this production. In theory there is nothing wrong with this however the musical numbers soon began to feel repetitive and it was hard to distinguish pivotal moments in the plot when each of the numbers appeared stacked with grandeur. The show ran to nearly 3 hours and the pacing also seemed off with Act 1 spending huge amounts of time setting the scene and Act 2 glossing over the building of key relationships. The book also suffers with the fact that each moment feels so terribly important and there are very few moments of humour which makes the show a bit of a slog at points. There are moments that really glimmer through, Jo’s end of Act 1 number ‘Fly Away’ brings the house down and Meg’s ‘Simple Truth’ is hauntingly beautiful and Marmee’s Little Women is a brilliant vehicle for the demonstration of mothers love.

With the book and the format of the show it is also hard to know what it is adding to the already numerous versions of the same story out there. Whilst the show is titled ‘Jo’ act 1 spends seemingly equal parts in the various sisters lives and even in Act 2 when Jo is brought to the fore slightly more we still have moments of Amy and Meg taking centre stage. Equally the show doesn’t look at the story through a new lens and it is difficult to understand what is unique about this story.

The cast are unquestionably exceptional across the board. Christine Allado takes the title role, Jo and the lynchpin that holds this piece together. Her warmth radiated for her sisters and her fiery passion for her writing was unquestionable. Her performance in Act 1 is potentially slightly too mature for a teenager but in Act 2 as Jo matures Allado really comes into her own. Kelly Mathieson played the eldest sister, Meg March with the quartet completed by Eleanor Grant as Beth and Sophie Pollono as Amy. Individually they have been cast brilliantly, leaning into their characters traits and together they shine as the 4 sisters. Kerry Ellis takes on the role of Marmee with a quiet air of authority about her, perfect for this role. Tobias Turley continues to prove his versatility and plays Laurie with a cheeky warmth about him.

The staging itself by director Joann M Hunter was pleasant and all that was needed for a show of this format and I was grateful for it being semi-staged as otherwise the repetitive nature of the music meant that my attention would have wandered a lot sooner. In terms of the costumes these felt like a strange mixture of costumes and modern wear with a vintage twist but the 2 didn’t fuse together very well. In concerts such as this a half way point is hard and you either need to fully lean into a period appropriate costume for each individual or simply perform it in modern day attire.

Overall, Jo – The Little Women Musical feels like a production with undeniable scale and talent, still searching for its point of difference. There is no shortage of vocal power, orchestral richness or commitment from an excellent cast, and in isolation many of the songs soar. Yet the sheer volume of music, combined with a book that struggles to shape and prioritise its storytelling, leaves the piece feeling longer and heavier than it needs to be. With refinement, sharper pacing and a clearer sense of why this version of Little Women needs to exist, Jo could yet find its voice. As it stands, this concert outing showcases impressive ambition and artistry, but also highlights the work still required to turn it into a truly distinctive and compelling musical.

You can find out more about the musical on their Instagram page.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Back to the Future, Hadestown and Hunger Games.