L- R Christina Bianco, Shobna Gulati and Ian Kelsey The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (2022) Photo credit: Pamela Raith Photography
The Rise & Fall of Little Voice is one of the most iconic British plays of modern time (premiering in 1992 at the National, followed up with a film adaptation) and is currently embarking on a brand new UK Tour. The Olivier award-winning comedy-drama by Jim Cartwright (known for Road, Two to name just a few) has earned international acclaim across the globe, including a Golden Globe win for the movie for Michael Caine.
Meet Little Voice (Christina Bianco) and Mari Hoff (Shobna Gulati). This mother and daughter duo are at the very heart of this Northern story. LV leads a quiet and unassuming life, seeking joy from female “gay icons” after her father’s death. On the other hand, Mari prefers the sound of her own voice, a boogie with her pal Sadie (Fiona Mulvaney), indulging in a life of alcohol, cheap thrills and seedy men. LV’s quiet and mild nature starts to embody the famous divas she plays on continuous loop, as she exchanges Northern England for the bright lights of Divaland, all from the safety of her own safe space i.e. her bedroom. When Ray Say – the club owner in the small town – walks into Mari’s life, with the promise to change their lives, it is LV he really pines for in a twist which sees her suffer a break down in the second act. Once the drama unravels, the stage switches between Mr. Boo’s club and the home where we see the intense drama of mother-daughter duo Mari/LV. The set has to be commended for its brilliant way to provide a peep for the audience. The action occurs mostly in the home of Mrs. Hoff (a corker of a joke with the late husband’s initials had the audience in rapturous laughter), and the resonance with ordinary people is so convincingly told. There are plenty of humorous lines, especially from Sadie and Mari, which highlights their jokey-dependent friendship. It’s something we’ve all been privy to at some point in our life. Gulati’s comedic timing and depiction of the ‘Mari’ with her character arc is clearly laid out and a sheer joy to watch on stage. She captivates the audience with her booming voice, the shriek-tactic Mari whose life is so heavily reliant of men to settle her future. In short, she just wants to be happy. The vulnerability Gulati brings to the role in the second act is much more nuanced, her acting chops proving here that she has marked her own stamp on such an iconic role. I particularly loved the way in which she insinuates, through Cartwright’s words, that LV’s father might have been gay/bisexual with his choice of left-behind gay icons’ records – which were passed down to his daughter. Also, Akshay Gulati brought a real sense of maturity to the character of Billy, and the way he coax LV to realise her dreams was sweet viewing.
I’d also like to mention the incredible Christina Bianco – someone who I came across for the very first time years ago when she put up a Youtube video of her singing Let It Go in numerous stars’ style. Her portrayal of LV (from the accent, to her marvellous impressions and vocal talent) made you really feel for her character. The way Bianco played the young girl (who – by the end of it – has been through it) was with complete conviction and Bianco’s stage presence cements her as a tour de force of the stage; I was mostly impressed with the Edith Piaf impression, and the Shirley Bassey wasn’t too far behind. In fact, ALL of her singing – be it in the style of Divas – was a real pure highlight. The romance scenes were sweet, and again the shades to the character shows brilliant acting choices deployed. Finally, Sadie (Fiona Mulvaney) was able to hit the perfect notes on her comedic timing, and the dance scene had me in stitches. All in all, I was really blown away with this production; it is an iconic play and one I felt very entertained by. So much so, it went by really quickly as I was fully immersed on the action on-stage. Despite it having minimal set i.e. we only get a look-in to two places on set, it was really easy viewing and a must-see adaptation regardless of if you’ve never seen the play – or the film.
Do not miss it in York and Cheltenham – the last two stops on the UK Tour! 
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ BOOK : Until 16 July :https://littlevoiceuk.com/