And the Jo of this production, played by the feisty Grace Molony, is most definitely a young woman wanting to assert her independence by becoming a writer in mid-19th Century America, all too aware of the social and economic restrictions she faces. As in the 2019 film, Casey’s version shows a Jo who is inspired to produce better work when chastised by Professor Bhaer (Jack Ashton), her eventual husband, rather than abandoning her passion for writing. The theme of strong women runs throughout.

Whilst Jo is central to the piece, the adaptation allows space for the characters of her three sisters, Meg (Jade Kennedy), Beth (Catherine Chalk) and Amy (Imogen Elliott) to develop. Over the course of the play they go through their own journeys and each, in her own way, emerges as a forceful young woman with an independence of spirit, even if their choices are more conventional than those of Jo. References to the struggle for equality with men, and the issue of the reduced status of women who have to work for a living adds to the feminist theme and brings cohesion to plot and characters.

However, it takes the second act of the play for the emotional depth of the piece to be plumbed. The first act, which concentrates on the teenage years of the four sisters in their home with Marmee (Honeysuckle Weeks), has limited variation of pace and feels somewhat two-dimensional in delivery.

Yes, there is much story to be told (and no-one wants their favourite bit to be left out) but the tone is one of telling, rather than showing. The notable exception to this is the scene in which Marmee leaves her daughters to attend her husband who is invalided in a field hospital in the American Civil War.

The second act makes better use of pacing, and scenes such as the death of Beth are well developed and moving, enhanced by effective use of lighting and costuming. Humour is used to show both tension and affection between the sisters, and unaccompanied singing gives further texture.

As the backdrop of the story, the presence of American Civil War is apparent in the daily lives of the March family. Marmee’s departure to attend to her husband is a reminder of its presence, as is the family’s relative poverty. Her appeals for the girls to focus on self-improvement before their father comes home is another pointer. In contrast Aunt March (Belinda Lang), who struts around the stage like a peacock, and Laurie (Cillian Lenaghan), whose main pleasure is self-indulgence, would seem to be as unaffected by the war as is possible.

The set, a composite of the interior of the March’s home and outdoor woodlands, with the occasional addition of a chaise-lounge and bookcases to indicate a shift to other locations, helps with the story-telling.

All in all, devotees of the novel Little Women will enjoy this production. And those who have not read the book will find it is a story that still resonates and one that is filled with characters who are recognisable.

The production was directed by Loveday Ingram. Little Women is on at the Rep until 24th May. For further information: birmingham-rep.co.uk.