REVIEW | The Rise and Fall of Little Voice UK Tour

Christina Bianco in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Credit Pamela Raith

★★★★

Jim Cartwright's 1992 play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is currently heading across the UK in a brand new production, directed by Bronagh Lagan and produced by Aria Entertainment and Glass Half Full Production. With several revivals already under its belt and a popular movie adaptation in 1998 starring Jane Horrocks, this new production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice really makes a breakthrough for audiences looking for an uplifting night at the theatre right now.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice centres around LV or "little voice". A young woman, a recluse who seeks solitude in her bedroom. Her purpose comes from listening to her late father's vinyl records and impersonating the voices of huge American and British artists, whilst downstairs her mother seeks refuge in the arms of a man and alcohol. The relationship between mother and daughter has become difficult since the father figure died and LV is having to navigate herself through a variety of emotions and the difficult relationship she has with her mother. At the heart of this production is a jaw-dropping voice that attracts the attention of a manager who wants to exploit her gifts for his own financial gain.  It is a true story of discovering who LV is and how music can help us discover who we really are. 

Little Voice is played by popular US impressionist Christina Bianco and this performance clearly demonstrates why she excels at what she does. Bianco is flawless in her impressions but it is how this woman really digs down to really present this character both emotionally and physically too. LV is a character whose story is emotionally driven and Bianco really unearths this with incredible effect. When Christina Bianco performs a series of impressions in the production as LV, we get to really witness what an outstanding talent she is. She makes this role really something to be proud of professionally. 

She does have the support of a well-rounded cast surrounding her in this production. Little Voice's troublesome mother Mari Hoff is played by the exceptional Shobna Gulati. Known for her work both on stage and screen, she sits in this role so comfortably that it feels as though it was exclusively written for her. Gulati plays a character who is constantly shifting between comedic and eccentric. The audience absorbed all of her comedic elements as well as the more emotional and serious moments too. Her relationship with Christina's performance of Little Voice perfectly aligned to portray this complicated home dynamic too.

Sadie, played by Fiona Mulvaney really laps up every opportunity to have the audience laughing out loud. Her character says very little but her presence is felt throughout and her formidable double act with Shobna makes a noticeable impact on how she is throughout this story. Ian Kelsey gives a great performance as Mari's love interest, Ray Say. He does a great job at revealing different sides to his character in this story and adding depth to LV's journey. William Ilkley does a great job as the stereotypical club owner of that era with a great steed. What is really lovely about this production is how Akshay Gulati's performance as Billy is determined to show Little Voice who she really is outside the bedroom and the audience really ached for them to have a happy ending with one another. 

The only downside to this production was that on a few occasions, it was difficult to hear what the actors were saying. This resulted in losing some narrative which was a shame. They did well to project their voices into quite a vast auditorium but I felt as though having microphones would have benefited this show more as a more polished result.  

The scenery is intimate and not expansive which ensures this performance does exactly what it needs to. This smaller-scale scenery enables the show to accommodate well for smaller venues but does so with great effect.

Sara Perks has transformed the set into a traditional two-story house, aesthetically stereotypical of a middle-class home. The set is very static with multiple rooms in it which means the storytelling has great fluidity and pace to it throughout. The only transition comes from a curtain that drops to represent Mr. Boos club where LV performs at specific points in the story. This production is helped massively by Nic Farman's atmospheric lighting design. 

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is a joyous production of a timeless classic to watch. Bronagh Lagan continues to bring life and excitement into theatre for audiences with new and fresh productions like this one. There is a well-rounded cast, amplified by Christina Bianco 's stand-out performance as Little Voice. It is a well-produced production that will certainly be a hit with audiences! 

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice are touring until 16 July 2022.