DRAMA SOCIETY Little Voice at full pitch
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See the article in its original context from October 2002.
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Little Voice at full pitch
Review by Elphina Magona
The opening night of Cayman Drama Society's The Rise and Fall of Little Voice found full pitch, at the newly refurbished Playhouse Theatre last Thursday, as the cast quickly warmed up and got into their roles.
The two-act tragicomedy, about mouse-like Little Voice (LV) and her unusual gift for mimicking the likes of Monroe and Garland, was a wellrounded and enjoyable production.
Sticking fairly closely to the film of the same name, the plot revolves around the tensions in the life of the super shy LV. The world of the recluse, haunted by the memory of her dead father, is dominated by her self-obsessed, man hungry mother Mari and the blind avarice of Mari's latest flame, small-time
agent Ray Say.
The two and a half hour show produced able performances from the seven strong ensemble cast aided by Jim Cartwright's pacey and amusing script.
Particular praise goes to Wendy Bewley for
her knock Vanessa Hansen
out, drag LV in Jim Car 'em dead in of Little Voice
terpretation of the self-obsessed Mari. Not to give too much away, the actress made the part hers and gave full vent to the character's ribald take on life.
Vanessa Hansen, in
Hansen, in
the role of Little Voice, also did credit to her dramaticallychallenging part. Her transformation from chrysalis to butterfly was amazing to see. Other solid perfor-
mances were those of Alan Hall (Ray Say) and Roland Stacey as nightclub proprietor, Mr. Boo.
The set design for Little Voice is also worth mentioning. Itself an important character in the drama, time had obviously been spent on getting it right. This led to a split-level set, a useful device, which amplifies LV's isolated existence and gives the audience insight into LV's secret world of song.
Another nice touch by the directing duo of Pat Steward and Regina Oliver was the use of the audience as an audience within the drama itself.
For those who enjoy amateur dramatics the CDS' The Rise and Fall of Little Voice should hit the right notes.
The show, which is for a mature audience, runs this evening through until Sunday, 6 October from 7.30pm to 9.45pm. Tickets are CI$15.
Vanessa Hansen takes centre stage as LV in Jim Cartwright's The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Photo: Carol Winker
