LITTLE WOMEN Comes to Watford Palace Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre This Year

Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Watford Palace Theatre are set to join forces this summer to stage the première of Anne-Marie Casey's new adaptation of Louise May Alcott's much loved tale Little Women. Directed by Watford Palace Theatre's Artistic Director Brigid Larmour, Little Women will premiere at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 21 July - 29 September and then transfer to Watford Palace Theatre from 11-22 October.

Published in 1868, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is one of the best loved novels of all time. By turns comic, dramatic, romantic, and tragic, the book was inspired by Alcott's experiences growing up with her three sisters and is the story of the March family, mother Marmee and her daughters, beautiful Meg, strong-minded Jo, sensitive Beth, and spoilt Amy, as they struggle to survive in New England during the American Civil War.

Anne-Marie Casey's adaptation of the classic story offers an exciting theatrical experience, guaranteed to be a night (or afternoon!) filled with laughter, tears, and a lifting of the spirits.

Director and Watford Palace Artistic Director Brigid Larmour said: 'Lockdown has had its weird upsides! It enabled collaborative zoom play readings in the ether between Pitlochry and Watford, attended by audiences as far afield as Shetland and Chicago. That led to a partnership to co-create on two major productions over the next two years, and share them between our two theatres, and nations. Little Women is loved by huge numbers of people, from Margaret Attwood to Patti Smith to Caitlin Moran. Anne-Marie Casey's fresh, fast-moving take on this family isolated together at home, fractious and loving, tragic, and funny - took on a whole new meaning in lockdown! There is nothing chocolate-box about the show. It's the best in period drama like Bridgerton, with some of the cheeky humour, and all the heart, of Derry Girls. An earlier version of this script had two sell-out runs at Dublin's Gate Theatre, and I think it's the kind of joyous and engaging theatre we all need right now.'

Playwright Anne-Marie Casey said: "Like millions of others around the world, I first encountered Little Women as a child. Louisa May Alcott's timeless tale of the triumphs and tribulations of the four March sisters and the headstrong Jo, who defies all expectations and obstacles to pursue an independent life as a writer, left an indelible impression upon me. It has been a privilege to adapt this funny, warm, poignant, and ultimately life affirming story for the stage, and I thank the Pitlochry Festival and Watford Palace theatres for bringing these wonderful characters to life in the UK premiere of this new production"

Watford Palace Theatre inspires and entertains through inventive, ambitious, and inclusive drama, new plays, musicals, dance, and family shows; Imagine Watford, a free annual festival celebrating a range of outdoor performance art; diverse stand-up; and a much-loved traditional pantomime. It reflects its diverse communities, and fully represents women, both onstage and behind the scenes, whilst celebrating and developing creativity and skill in the community and with young people, exhibited with Buffering, the first onstage performance by the Palace Young Company at Stage in the Park, and the Hertfordshire Film Festival produced in partnership with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the University of Hertfordshire, and CathARTic Art. The theatre's locally produced shows and home-grown talent have toured nationally and internationally, been seen on BBC iPlayer, won awards, and transferred to the West End. Central to WPT's vision is Resident Partner Rifco Theatre Company. Recent WPT productions include Jan Ravens in Talking Heads; an all-female Gaslight; the UK's first African-American Glass Menagerie; and Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular. World premieres include musicals Mushy and Miss Meena & the Masala Queens (with Rifco), and I Capture the Castle, and plays good dog by Arinze Kene (with tiata fahodzi), Poppy+George by Diane Samuels, Coming Up by Neil d'Souza, Jefferson's Garden by Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Jumpers for Goalposts by Tom Wells.

Performances

21 July - 29 Sept Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Port-Na-Craig, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland PH16 5DR

Eve perf at 8pm: July: 21, 22 & 26 / August: 2, 13, 17, 27/ September: 3, 14, 22 & 28

Mat at 2pm: 27 July and 29 September

Ticket prices: From £16

pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com | 01796 484626

11 - 22 Oct Watford Palace Theatre

20 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1JZ

Eve perf at 7.30pm: October: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Mat at 2.30pm: October: 13, 15, 20, 22

Mat at 3pm: October: 16

Ticket prices: From £10. VIP package available

watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk | 01923 225 671

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