Jim Cartwright’s award-winning black comedy The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice is to be revived in the West End this autumn starring X-Factor contestant Diana Vickers.
The reality show star is to play the title role in the Terry Johnson-directed production which will play a limited season at the Vaudeville theatre from 8 October (press night 20 October).
Speaking about the casting of a West End newcomer in such a high profile role, producer Nica Burns said: “There was no question of reviving this fabulous play in the West End until we had found our Little Voice. When Jim Cartwright, who originally wrote The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice for Jane Horrocks, told me he had found the perfect girl and then dragged me off to Wembley to see Diana Vickers perform as part of the X Factor tour, I thought he’d gone mad! But when I saw Diana I knew immediately he was right; she has a special quality. When she finally agreed – after much persuasion – to come in and read for us, we found out that not only can she sing but she was an intuitive actress as well.”
Cartwright added: “This young girl is a natural actress. The moment she read the part, it was magic. A frisson ran through the room. Diana Vickers is the real deal. She is Little Voice.”
The play, which premiered at the National Theatre in 1992 and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, tells the story of Little Voice, who lives in the north of England with a drunken, overbearing mother. She finds solace in her bedroom, listening to her late father’s records and perfecting impressions of divas including Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland. When her mother’s latest boyfriend, a small-time working men’s club impresario, hears Little Voice singing, he sets in motion a tragic sequence of events that pushes her towards stardom, of which she is petrified.
Lancashire native Vickers rose to fame as part of the 2008 series of the X Factor, proving a hit with her quirky, unusual style of performance. The 17-year-old, who performed songs including Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror and U2’s With Or Without You on the show, is taking a break from recording her debut album to appear in The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, though it is still expected to be released in early 2010.
Director Johnson’s hit London productions include One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Hitchcock Blonde and La Cage Aux Folles, which won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival earlier this year.
The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice opens at the Vaudeville theatre following early autumn runs of cabaret Alan Cumming: I Bought A Blue Car Today and stand-up show Ed Byrne: Different Class. The venue is currently housing acclaimed drama Duet For One, starring Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman, which ends its London season on 1 August.
MA