THE Swan Theatre Amateur Company is in the process of rehearsing the literary classic, Little Women, ready for a run at the Swan Theatre.

The show will take place from Tuesday, February 16 to Saturday, February 20.

A spokesman said: "One of the cast members, stalwart actress Janet Bright, plays the lead role of Marmee but she was also in the cast the last time the company did Little Women in July 1996, twenty years ago.

"Then Janet played the role of Jo March, who is the headstrong daughter and carries the plot of the show from start to finish."

Janet added: “Little Women is one of those classic tales of a strong family facing all sorts of trials and tribulations and how to overcome and face the hardships and also revel in the triumphs. "It is interesting playing both the mother and daughter from the same family. Marmee is the lynchpin that keeps the family together. My take on her is that she was much like Jo in her youth, headstrong and wilful, but didn’t have quite the same opportunity to express herself. She wants all the March daughters to be strong and independent with a good moral code."

The play has a wealth of appealing characters, including the interfering Aunt March.

Janet said: "It is a similar story to Pride and Prejudice and I think it captures the romantic imagination in a similar way”.

The story of Little Women is a classic novel by Louisa May Alcott. This adaptation for the stage is set during the turmoil of the American Civil War and follows the March Family as they struggle with the absence of their father as well as their declining social status into poverty.

Tickets for the show are £10 or £8 concessions. To book tickets for the show contact the Worcester Live Box Office on 01905 611427.