Diana Vickers as LV

The Rise & Fall of Little Voice
Venue: Vaudeville Theatre
Where: West End
Date Reviewed: 21 October 2009
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Reader Reviews: View and add to our user reviews

Jim Cartwright wrote his 1992 play specifically for Jane Horrocks, who burst out of her bedroom-bound chrysalis to shake the rafters as a nightclub singer who could make you feel you were in the same room as Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey or Dusty Springfield.

The transformation seems less astonishing in the sweet and studied performance of 18 year-old X Factor finalist Diana Vickers; she makes LV’s emergence one that is more to do with confidence than brash vocalising talent. But hers is an extremely assured West End debut.

Otherwise, the play stands up well in Terry Johnson’s no-holds-barred production, with its savage portrayal of a skew-whiff working class milieu in a small Northern town on the Lancashire side of the Pennines. LV’s widowed,  alcoholic Mum, Mari Hoff, has set her sights on Marc Warren’s Ray Say.

But Ray, an out-of-time Teddy boy chancer, is moving into artiste management, and when he hears LV singing along with her Dad’s vinyl collection upstairs, he plots her progress in local show business.

The house is riddled with electrical faults, and indeed burns down in the second act, after a series of black-outs, but not before an equally shy and tentative electrician – played by the author’s son, James Cartwright – falls in love with LV at the top of his fork lift truck.

The house is designed on a revolve by Lez Brotherston, allowing full value to the outdoors and rooftop scenes, while the chaotic split-level interior is inhabited by the grotesque posing of Ray as well as the whale-like manoeuvres of Mari’s huge neighbor Sadie, hilariously played by Rachel Lumberg, rounding off her Jackson Five turn with the splits.

Mr Boo, the club manager, is given a nice seedy edge by Tony Haygarth in a precariously applied ginger hair-piece that looks as though it’s been out on the town by itself.

But the real star turn here is that of Lesley Sharp as Mari, whose opening twenty-minute salvo of crass, crude self-absorption is the biggest blast on the West End stage, an amazing performance that is then sustained with brilliance and bravura for the whole, slightly over-long duration.

- by Michael Coveney

Reader Reviews

Score	Comment	Date
	It was amazing, best show I seen - Tim	03 Feb 10
	David Baxter and Gareth James are pretty well spot on here - Lesley Sharp was far too OTT and Diana Vickers would have been chucked out of a gay bar if she had attempted to sing in one of them. Terrible would be an understatement. Not only was the casting to cock, so to was Terry Johnson's direction. If I was generous I would give it 3/10, but I'm not. - cjm	31 Jan 10
	I really enjoyed the second half of the show, thought the first half was very repetitive and a bit laboured but the part 2 definitely made up for it. I thought Lesley Sharpe was excellent and gave it her all, as did the rest of the cast. It would have been nice to see Diana Vickers doing more singing and looking more attractive as the show seems to impress but overall excellent and I thought the Big Lady was brilliant to. - Shelley	24 Jan 10
	Another one for which I'd like to give 3.5! I agree with most of what David Baxter says below. It's overlong at 2 hours 45 mins and loses impact as a result; the first act in particular drags. It's hard to believe it's 18 years since it was first produced; it seems much older - as old as (the also recently revived) Comedians. Lesley Sharpe, who I love, pushes too far into cartoon territory, but both Marc Warren and Diana Vickers(a hugely impressive debut) are spot on. I was immensely impressed by Rachel Lumberg as Sadie, who moves imperceptibly from funny to sad. Les Brotherston's design is excellent. Worth reviving, but with a bit of tightening it could have been a whole lot better. - Gareth James	21 Jan 10
	I absolutely loveed this show and was extremely impressed with all of the cast. Diana Vickers didn't disappoint and I was impressed with Lesley Sharp's ability to make me cringe at the way she treated her daughter. In reply to Holly, I think it depends on your views about swearing as there is a fair bit of it in the show but I would have thought that age 11 and over would be OK. - Lisa	11 Jan 10
	what age would anyone rate this? as i have seen it with my husband and i know my daughter wants to see it so i might take her and see it again myself, if anyone could give me an age what is suitale that would be an help. thank - holly	03 Jan 10
	Saw it last night and was blown away by Diana Vickers - both singing and acting. The rest of the cast were good, but Vickers steals it. Shock horror: I saw an excellent Stewart and McKellern 'Waiting for Godot' earlier in the year but, if you can stand the sacrilege, I enjoyed LV even more. - Dave Straker	22 Dec 09
	Terry Johnson's production is overlong, surprisingly dull and repetitive in parts and consequently misses nearly all the intended emotional peaks. I seem to be in a minority, but I was not impressed by Lesley Sharp's over-the-top performance. Of course Mari is meant to be a monster but Sharp made her so repellent that I couldn't wait for her to leave the stage and there was not a shred of sympathy or pity at her fate. In contrast Mark Warren managed to find a sliver of humanity in the equally odious Ray Say. The play is so obviously rooted in the 70s that the occasional modern references (Kylie?)sound ridiculous. BUT - the show is unexpectedly rescued by Diana Vickers. Her impersonations are not as spot-on as Jane Horrocks' and her acting ability is not stretched too far, but she has a touching vulnerability and there is a much needed charge of excitement when she sings (helped by some serious amplification). Where she goes after this is open to doubt but it is remarkable that an otherwise ordinary play can be rescued by an 18 year old with almost no experience. - David Baxter	17 Dec 09
	Loved the film but this play was almost bad you can see better performances of Dame Shirley and Judy at your local gay bar!! - Dave	16 Dec 09
	One of the best shows I have ever seen. Diana Vicker's voice is breathtaking and I was very moved by the performance. Lesley Sharp is superb and Rachel Lumburg was extremely funny. A must see - Sonya L	11 Nov 09
	Loved the show the star was Lesley Sharp fantastic. Diane Vickers as LV was ok strong voice but last song was disappointing dont like how she cuts off notes very annoying . Love the set and rest of cast. jill - jill	08 Nov 09
	Saw it last night. Some of the saddest characters I've seen on stage in a long time. All were excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed it. - Sue Evans	05 Nov 09
	brilliant show,we have found a big star in diana vickers.the vocals were amazing.the whole theatre was mesmerised by her little show.. - michael s	25 Oct 09
	Absolutely loved this show. Funny, warming and emotional. Diana Vickers showed her true talent as a vocalist. Marc Warren is excellent talent. My only critism was Lesley Sharp's accent kept wandering. - Kelly	23 Oct 09
	I really enjoyed this! the set was very well done and it was good to be able to see both floors of the house. I was impressed by Diane Vickers (i have never watched X-factor so not tainted by this). And Lesley Sharp threw everything into her performace and was as frustrating and annoying as her character should have been. - caroline	22 Oct 09

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