....................Little Voice.

Playlovers is on a roll! Following up the much-acclaimed "Oedipus" comes the soon-to-be much-acclaimed "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice".
The first (and according to some, the most important) task of a Director is to cast well. David Gardette (or should I say the soon-to-be much-missed David Gardette) has cast brilliantly. Finding someone to carry off the role Little Voice was never going to be easy but Sonni Byrne carries the role with aplomb. Boy can this lady sing! And to top it off, she acts her way into peoples hearts with an excellent portrayal of the shy and retiring LV.
But the brilliant casting didn't stop there. To give the role of the sleazy and manipulative Ray Say to Peter Fry was asking the actor to go totally against his own character - although I must say he took to it like a duck to water. I'm still not convinced it was in fact Peter. Looked more like his younger brother! Very good advertisement for razor blades and hair dye if it was Peter.
And speaking of casting against character, the ability to play the drunken, air-headed, over-bearing slut of a mother so convincingly by Sue Darge is an indicator as to this lady's great talent (or an indicator to a past she keeps well hidden). Actors of Sue's class should be seen far more often. If only we could get her husband to stop impregnating her we may achieve this.
Each of the smaller roles were also handled very well. Pat Golding made the ultimate sacrifice of gaining 30 kilos for the role and I must say she looks well for it! Cory Jones is a trouper! Every time I see him he carries his role impressively. David Young looked like he'd been in overalls all his life and knew a thing or two about manual labour! But you wouldn't expect anything but a great portrayal by David. And last but not least, Ray Condy as Mr Boo looked and acted like you would expect a small-scale promoter to do.
But David's good work didn't stop with casting. The play was moved well, the set was excellent and imaginative and the technical side of things was well handled.
It's always a good night when a production can take you through almost every emotion you are capable of feeling. This play does just that. At times you laugh your head off (not a good look) and at others you are greatly saddened. It lifts your spirits on occassions and also angers you at others. This must always be a credit to the script, the Director and the Actors.
Get along to see this production. You will have a great night.
Dean (soon-to-be much-criticized) Schulze