Little Voice breaks out of her cocoon. Photo: Robert Catto
Jim Cartwright’s Rise & Fall of Little Voice, now playing at the Eternity Theatre until February 24, is an absolute theatrical gem. I expected it to be good knowing the wonderful Caroline O’Connor was in the cast but the entire production was a delightful surprise.
O’Connor is a much-loved song and dance gal so it was a special treat to see her role entirely based on acting: her strong performance as the drunken raunchy Mari Hoff (with a truly trashy fashion sense) is sustained from start to end.
Refuge above and chaos below. Photo: Robert Catto
The singing, and the real surprise, comes courtesy of Geraldine Hakewell as LV (Little Voice), Hoff’s stuttering, fearful and reclusive daughter who hides in her room playing Shirley Bassey, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Edith Piaf golden classics from a treasured album collection left by her much-loved dead father, but scorned and berated by her resentful impatient mother.
LV spends most of her time trying to be invisible and finding refuge in her upstairs room where she listens to her treasured record collection. To drown out the chaos and emotional brutality of the world downstairs she channels her beloved divas and imitates their voices to lose herself in their songs.
Hakewell shows finely focused control as she evolves slowly from the anxious fearful girl sitting still and silent in her bare room – where a couple of milk crates filled with vinyl albums are the only items, guarded by giant mural sketches of the divas – as the audience enters. This is LV’s refuge, the only place she feels safe. The bareness contrasts with the chaotic dirty mess downstairs.
But little by little Little Voice emerges from her cocoon to reveal a huge voice, pushed by her mother and Ray, Hoff’s love interest who sees her secret talent as his path to riches and success. When she finally erupts from her cocoon in a stellar nightclub performance belting out a medley of her favourite songs you can hear the gasps in the audience.
Director Shaun Rennie does not miss a beat in this tightly structured Darlinghurst Theatre Company production that is engrossing throughout. While O’Connor and Hakewell are the opposing forces holding this drama together they are ably supported by a great cast: Joseph Del Re (Ray Say the boyfriend), Kip Chapman (club MC and comic Mr Boo), Bishanyia Vincent (as Sadie the ever-supportive and suffering neighbour) and Charles Wu (as Billy, the unlikely Prince Charming who comes to rescue LV).
I love this production. The set is effective but basic and it is the power of the performances and Hakewell’s voice that make this play extend its force beyond the intimate Eternity Theatre.
The Rise & Fall of Little Voice, a Darlighurst Theatre Company production, is at the Eternity Theatre until February 24.
