Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age story, concerns four sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March - as they navigate the journey from childhood innocence into adulthood, against the backdrop of the American Civil War. Anne-Marie Casey’s new stage adaptation promises to be a heartwarming and uplifting celebration of women, breathing new life into the beloved 19th-century novel. What’s On spoke to Grace Molony, who plays Jo, to learn more about the production...

How familiar are you with Little Women, Grace - was the story a childhood favourite?

The first time I was aware of Little Women was in secondary school - it came up in the same conversation as “What Harry Potter house are you in… What Little Women character are you?” Everyone was saying “My sister's such a Meg, my friend from primary school, she was a Beth, but I'm a Jo…” I watched the film and absolutely loved it, and then read the book shortly after. I've watched every version since - the BBC series that came out at Christmas a few years ago and all the films. I absolutely loved it, and never dreamed I'd be able to play Jo!

Can you give us a brief synopsis of the characters in the March family?

The four sisters all love each other intensely, but they're all quite different. Meg is beautiful, she's more sensible, she knows her duty to her family. She's the oldest sister, and she's the one who needs to marry... Amy is seen as the petulant child. She’s quite irrational at times and dreams of being wealthy - marrying and living in luxury. Beth is good, honest, sweet and kind… The sisters fall into pairs - Jo and Beth are very close, Meg and Amy are very close, but there is love between the four of them. 

We have Aunt March [played by Belinda Lang], the wealthy relation, who the family rely on, but she is difficult - the girls don't warm to her. Marmee [Honeysuckle Weeks] appears like she is in control of everything and wants to help people who are less privileged than her. She tries to instill great messages in the girls, but she also has less-favourable qualities to her personality that really come out in this production, in what I believe is a really exciting and different way. She can sometimes be just ‘the perfect mum’ - there's more to her in this version. 

Which March sister do you resonate with the most?

When I first read it, I was really confident in front of my close friends and my family, but I was quite quiet and not very confident in front of other people. Inside, I felt like Jo - I loved to write songs or plays, and put them on in front of my parents and their friends. In that way, I was so similar to Jo. I was a tomboy; I loved football… But then, in other ways, I think I was way more of a Beth. I was quite quiet and shy, and I didn't love going out of my comfort zone in front of people. I was a mixture of the two!

How does this production breathe new life into the story?

Loveday Ingram, the director, really wants the fact that this is set during the American Civil War to be a clear undertone throughout the first half of the play. It adds stakes, it adds danger, it means the girls have to think about their duty - what they need to do for their country and their family - more than enjoying their life and doing whatever they want. I think that adds a really interesting dimension to our version. 

Anne-Marie Casey's adaptation is really beautiful - it stays very true to the novel. I think that people who are huge fans of Little Women will not be disappointed. You're not going to be upset that your favourite moment didn't make it in! 

Jo is quite an iconic character - how do you approach playing the role?

I go through what’s said about Jo in the book, in the play, in interpretations… there's so much to read about Jo. I can't read it all, but I get a general sense of her. Then I put my own spin on things. I'm not into star signs myself, but I always give my character a star sign, because it gives them characteristics… I go from there, and work out her physicality and where the centre lies - where she's led from, in her body. I like secrets - things that the audience would never know, but that I know about her. She is such an iconic character, and there are such well-known interpretations of her that it's quite daunting. People have those expectations… but I love her. I'm giving everything to her, and hope to do her justice.

I’d like the audience to see all of her. I think this adaptation enables that, because she doesn't really leave the stage. It shows all sides of her: her wildness, her clumsiness, her humour, her sensitivity, her independence… There’s so much to Jo.

Have you settled on a star sign for Jo?

I can tell you her birthday! Her birthday is - in my opinion - the 6th of April, and she's an Aries: quick tempered, bold, ambitious, competitive, direct, uncomplicated, sociable, loyal, honest.’ I mean, I've got a whole page here! I do love the fact that when you research a star sign, it comes with all these characteristics that you can pick and choose. You don't have to use them all, but I think it helps me - it gives me something to play with. One day I can go into rehearsals and play the high-energy, trailblazer Jo, and then the next day, say “I'm going to play the motivated and driven Jo.” It's fun!

What are you looking forward to about the tour?

The first read-through that we did was just so exciting, because everyone - I can't speak for myself - but everyone in the room was so excellent at their part. They were so perfect, it was really exciting. All of us immediately clicked, and we got on really well, very quickly. It's not always what happens when you're doing a production - I think the love will grow. 

I've never done a tour before, personally, so taking it to different stages, seeing different theatres around the country and exploring different cities and towns with this extremely talented group of people - it's going to be so exciting! I have family in Manchester, I have family near Plymouth, and for once they don't have to come to London to see me in a show.

What’s it been like working with the rest of the company - has it started to feel like a real family?

It has. I know that's quite cliché, but we've been quick to bond, and we do get on really well. We went really quickly into staging it, rather than sitting reading around a table, so by day three, we were starting to get it up on its feet, which can be quite a scary thing to do. The first scene is in the March household. It's Christmas time, and the girls are waiting for Marmee. We just automatically knew how to play with each other, and how to be in the space around each other.

Little Women runs at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 22 March. The production also tours to Malvern Theatres, from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 April, and Birmingham Rep, from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 May