Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Lisa Symonds, Jason Carragher, Hannah Ruth Cooke, Jamie Stuart, Sam Liu, Douglas Austin, Jessica Olwyn, Justine Williams, Lauren Naylor, Laura Ryan.

The Lantern Theatre may have only just celebrated its first birthday but what an end to the 2012  season with their showcasing Purplecoat Productions of Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.

To step into the shoes of Jane Horrocks, who bought the charter of Laura Hoff (Little Voice) to the big screen takes some doing, to even get into the audience’s mind and dispel all the thoughts of the film is a huge achievement and the cast and dancers provided the final wonderful tonic in the run up to the festive season. In Jessica Olwyn, this was, even at a tender age, the first steps on what surely will be an outstanding career.

With the mimicry and vocal talents of some of the biggest female names to have performed on stage, Jessica Olwyn is nothing short of a tremendous find. Her almost uncanny knack of capturing the voice of Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe gave this production it’s inspiring and moving class.

Ms. Olwyn wasn’t alone of course in making this a fitting and perfect play to catch before Christmas, the entire cast, led by the outstanding Lisa Symonds as Laura’s mum, the devilish Jason Carragher as the manipulative agent Ray Say and the brilliant Hannah Ruth Cooke as Mari Hoff’s best friend Sadie May were fastidious and excellent of their portrayals as the people who were really and truly after one thing.

The scene in which Ray Say finally lets his mask slip to reveal his true thoughts on the relationship between himself and the mother was chilling and honest in its dramatic brutality, even drawing panto boos from the exhilarated crowd.

A fantastic production, a cast that gave its all, well produced and with the value of a play that is much loved. Astonishing and brilliant!

Ian D. Hall