The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice

Shirley Bassey. Judy Garland. Dusty Springfield.

In a northern English town, sometime in the early 1990s, the shy, reclusive Little Voice locks herself away in her upstairs bedroom listening to her dead father’s record collection. Missing her father more than she can say, she plays his treasured vinyl obsessively and quietly perfects astonishing, pitch-perfect impersonations of the many famous divas she hears coming out of the speakers . . .

Downstairs, Little Voice’s loud, blousy mother, Mari, has been left similarly bereft by her husband’s death, but rages at him rather than mourning his loss. Out-of-control and desperate, she lurches from man to man, seeking what she thinks will be her last chance at love, life and happiness . . .

Upstairs and downstairs rarely meet. And when they do, Little Voice is all but mute. But when Mari brings home her latest fancy-man, small-time agent and talent scout Ray Say, something unexpected happens. Ray overhears Little Voice singing – and immediately realises he’s stumbled onto his golden ticket to the Big Time. There’s just one problem. Little Voice doesn’t want to sing in public. For anybody. Ever . . .

The Olivier Award-wining Rise And Fall Of Little Voice is part showbusiness fairytale, part Northern clubland comedy. Life affirming and bittersweet, Jim Cartwright’s tale of mothers, daughters and the need to be loved combines hilarity and poignancy with classic knock-out songs.

If you remember fondly the 1998 film starring Jane Horrocks, or enjoyed our production of Jim Cartwright’s Two in 2013, make a date to see (and hear) Little Voice: it’s the perfect afternoon or evening’s musical-comedy entertainment.