Little Women, Louisa May Alcott's heartwarming adventures of the March sisters — romantic Meg, fiery Jo, shy Beth and willful Amy — has been a hugely popular read for parents and children for over a century.

Now, a new generation will see the characters brought to life on the stage rather than the page, in a theatrical adaptation of Alcott's stories about four sisters in 1860's New England.

The play makes ideal family entertainment, especially at Christmas, and the length of the run (Dec. 13, 2002 to Jan. 31, 2003) suggests that Sadler's Wells has every confidence that it has another seasonal hit on its hands.

The cast features Lizzie Conrad, Sarah Edwardson, Diana Eskell, Sarah Grochala, Paul Hampton, Nikki Leigh Scott and Ann Micklethwaite. They are directed by Andrew Loudon, who made his debut as a director in 1999, when he first staged Little Women at the Edinburgh Festival. It later sold out two London seasons: Upstairs at the Gatehouse, and the New End, Hampstead, last Christmas.

The adaptation is by Emma Reeves, design by Rachel Payne, with music by Paul Weir and lighting design by Matthew Eagland.

—By Theatrenow