Jo: The Little Women Musical in Concert – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Sophie Pollono, Kelly Mathieson, Kerry Ellis, Eleanor Grant and Christine Allado in Jo: The Little Women Musical in Concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Picture: Roger Alarcon

Jo: The Little Women Musical in Concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

For one night only, Theatre Royal Drury Lane opened its doors to the world premiere of Jo: The Little Women Musical, a new piece inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel. The production brought this well-loved story to life on one of London’s most iconic stages.

Christine Allado shones as Jo March, Kerry Ellis was a warm and powerful Marmee and Tracie Bennett made Aunt March unforgettable. They were joined by Kelly Mathieson (Meg), Eleanor Grant (Beth), Sophie Pollono (Amy), Tobias Turley (Theodore ‘Laurie’ Laurence), Julian Ovenden (Father), Liam Tamne (John Brooke), Miyuki Miyagi (Sallie Gardiner) and Yazdan Qafouri (Fred Vaughn).

With a 27-piece orchestra on stage, there wasn’t enough space for large set-pieces, so director JoAnn M Hunter used smaller, versatile elements across multiple scenes. It was minimalistic but worked brilliantly.

The set and costumes transported the audience straight to 1868 and everything fit together beautifully. The orchestra itself added a special touch, and the score – written by composer Dan Redfeld, Christina Harding (lyrics/book) and John Gabriel Koladziej (lyrics/book) – became such an integral part of the storytelling.

With this cast, the singing was nothing short of outstanding. Everything flowed with ease, even though the score asked so much from them. The ensemble was consistently strong, full of emotion and power, and on each side of the orchestra the additional vocalists added even more depth, making the sound rich, full and perfectly suited to Drury Lane.

Following Jo, who dreams of becoming a famous writer, the musical brings the story to life without ever feeling repetitive or overly nostalgic. Fans of Little Women will recognise key moments and relationships, but the show also finds fresh ways to explore ambition, independence, family and love. Jo’s inner world feels modern and relatable, so the story will resonate just as strongly with today’s audiences. It’s easy to see yourself in her journey, with the clear message: follow your heart into the future.

The simple staging proved that emotional impact doesn’t always derive from big sets or flashy ideas. Jo: The Little Women Musical is heartfelt, charming and a very promising new musical that deserves to grow beyond this one-night premiere.

Jolien Laeremans