A mother and daughter central to the heart of this Northern fairy-tale, but as far apart in character as can be. Left to her own devices, Little Voice starts to embody the famous divas she plays on repeat, from Judy Garland to Shirley Bassey, and becomes an overnight sensation. With humour, heart and countless timeless classics all performed live on stage, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice explores the highs and the lows of small-town dreams, family rivalry and finding your voice in a noisy world.
Cartwright’s tender and life-affirming play won both the Olivier award and Evening Standard award for Best Comedy when it premiered at the National Theatre in 1992 in a production directed by Sam Mendes which transferred to the Aldwych Theatre, starring Jane Horrocks and Alison Steadman. Horrocks later reprised the role of LV in a film adaptation also starring Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent.
Directed by Bronagh Lagan (Cruise, West End), the brand new stage production stars international YouTube sensation Christina Bianco (Funny Girl, Theatre Marigny Paris) in the title role. Christina is joined by Shobna Gulati (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Dinnerladies) as Mari Hoff, Ian Kelsey (Coronation Street; Emmerdale) as Ray Say, Akshay Gulati (East is East, Bolton Octagon) as Billy, William Ilkley (War Horse, UK/ International Tour) as Mr Boo, Fiona Mulvaney (The Ferryman, West End) as Sadie, and James Robert Moore (All That, Lion and Unicorn) as Phone Man. The company is completed by Anna Hale (London Road, Cuba Pictures/BBC Films) as understudy LV and Sadie.
In a role she was born to play, two-time Drama Desk nominee Christina Bianco will perform beloved ballads by icons such as Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black live on stage, capturing their unique style through her extraordinary impressions. Just like LV, Christina is ‘the girl of a thousand voices’ and has performed to sold out crowds in New York and across the US. In the UK, she’s enjoyed extended runs headlining at London’s Hippodrome, Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, Live at Zedel’s and The Charing Cross Theatre. In 2019 Christina won great critical acclaim in the role of Fanny Brice in Stephen Mear’s production of Funny Girl at Theatre Marigny Paris, for which she was awarded the Trophees De Le Comedie Musicale.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is at York Theatre Royal from 4-9 July.
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