EXETER Drama Company are currently putting the final touches to one of their most ambitious projects, Little Women, which they will be performing at the Shed Theatre, in Alphington, later this month .

The company, which was originally set up in 1954, have only been based in Alphington for three years, following the sale of their original home in Stepcote Hill. Spokesman Ian Guy says that while the company is very excited about performing the theatrical version of Louisa May Alcott's much-loved novel, it brings its own challenges.

"It's a cast of 11 in this play, which is the biggest cast we've had to date on our little stage at the shed. We have big Victorian furniture and big Victorian dresses, so not only do the actors have to learn their lines but they also have to remember not to fall over the furniture and not to tread on each other's dresses," he laughs.

"But they have been rehearsing since July twice a week. The cast is quite young because the March girls are in their teens and early 20s. We are particularly pleased because there are a couple of first-timers onstage – I think we have five new members of the company who've got parts in this one – and it is directed by two teachers, Jenny Nash and Sarah Newell."

Written in 1867, Little Women is a fictionalised biography of the author and her sisters, set in the 1860s in a New England town against the backdrop of the Civil War. While their clergyman father is away, the four daughters and their mother remain at home, struggling to live as comfortably as possible under the circumstances and, in the process, confronting conflicts between domestic duties and independence.

While it is not an easy play to stage, Ian says the set-building team have excelled themselves. "We have built a Victorian parlour for this one, complete with window seat and piano because halfway through the play somebody gives Beth March a piano," he says with a laugh.

The company are always looking for new members, not just budding actors but people who can do all sorts of roles and Ian says that people are often enticed by the friendly atmosphere – and the quality of home-made cakes on offer.

"I think we are just mad. But vast amounts of chocolate cake keep the company going. Every time we have a rehearsal or a meeting there is always cake," he laughs. "You don't have to join just to act – we currently need a couple of stage managers and prompts, lighting help, costumes, make-up – all that sort of stuff.

"And tea-making is vitally important because we haven't got the space for the 50-strong audience to mill around, so we serve them tea and biscuits in their seats. If somebody turns up and is keen and interested, we will give them something to do."

Little Women runs fromSeptember 13-17. Tickets cost £6, To book or more information go to www.exeterdramacompany.co.uk or call 01392 221481.