Sharp, Warren and Vickers to Headline the West End's Little Voice

Lesley Sharp, Marc Warren and Diana Vickers are headlining the first major West End revival of Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. The production, directed by Terry Johnson, will begin performances at the Vaudeville Theatre on October 8 with opening night set for October 20.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is a black comedy about painfully shy, diminutive Little Voice (LV), who lives alone in the north of England with her mother, Mari. Mari’s drunken, overbearing personality has driven LV into seclusion in her bedroom, where she listens to her late father’s records and has perfected faultless impersonations of the greatest divas, including Judy Garland, Edith Piaf and Shirley Bassey. When Mari’s latest boyfriend, small-time working men’s club impresario Ray Say, overhears LV singing, he puts in place a tragic sequence of events as he pushes her towards stardom.

Sharp, who plays Mari, is has been nominated for two Baftas, two Oliviers and the Evening Standard Best Actress Award. Her starring television roles include Cranford, After Life, Rose in Bob and Rose, Clocking Off and Playing the Field. Film credits include Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake and Naked as well as Inkheart, The Full Monty, Rita and Sue and Bob Too. Sharp has had a number of leading roles at the National Theatre and Royal Court, most recently at the NT in Harper Regan. The Rise and Fall of Little Voice marks her West End debut.

Warren, who plays Ray Say, has enjoyed a distinguished 20-year career in television, best known as Danny Blue in four series of the BBC1 drama, Hustle, starring in the comedy series Mutual Friends and as DCI Walker in Messiah. Other TV credits include Dr. Who, Life on Mars, Ballet Shoes and Terry Pratchett’s Hog Father. He won the Royal Television Society Best Actor Award in 2000. He has made a number of films most recently Wanted with Angelina Jolie and earlier this year appeared on stage as Katurian in Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman.

Vickers, who plays LV, was born in Burnley, Lancashire, the sort of town where the play is set, and has been singing since the age of 11. Her talent came to light when she entered the X Factor in 2008 and survived nine weeks of live shows. Vickers is taking a short break from recording her debut album to take the role in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. She recently signed a record deal to RCA records and her debut album is due for release early 2010.

The cast also includes Rachel Lumbert as Sadie and James Cartwright as Billy.

“With this wonderful play, you have to find your Little Voice first. To find someone of the right age—just 18—who is as special as Diana Vickers is a gift,” producer Nica Burns said in a statement. “Having found our perfect Little Voice, I was delighted that the outstanding actress Lesley Sharp agreed to play her mother Mari and the charismatic actor Marc Warren, Ray Say. When Marc and Lesley first walked on stage together, the chemistry between them was instant.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice premiered in 1992 at the Royal National Theatre and then transferred to the Aldwych. It was nominated for six Olivier Awards, and won both the Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Comedy of the Year.