BBC One and Playground’s upcoming Little Women adaptation has added national treasures Angela Lansbury and Michael Gambon alongside an impressive ensemble cast.

Joining Lansbury (Aunt March) and Gambon (Mr Laurence) are Emily Watson as matriarch Marmee, newcomer Maya Hawke as Jo, Willa Fitzgerald as Meg, Annes Elwy as Beth, Kathryn Newton as Amy and Jonah Hauer-King as boy next door Laurie Laurence.

The story, for those unfamiliar, is based on the classic 1868 Louisa May Alcott novel and will here be told over three parts. It follows four sisters as they come of age against the backdrop of a country divided.

The series has been written by Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas and directed by Vanessa Caswill (Thirteen; My Mad Fat Diary).

This book has endured for generations, but the most iconic screen adaptation remains the 1994 movie starring Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst and Christian Bale.