THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE Returns To Sydney

Jim Cartwright's multi-award winning The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is coming back to Sydney and the cast and crew recently threw open the doors to the rehearsal room for an exclusive look at the brand new production ahead of its premiere on 5 February.

The production stars Caroline O'Connor (Mari), Geraldine Hakewill (Little Voice), Joseph del Re (Ray Say), Charles Wu (Billy), Kip Chapman (Mr Boo) and Bishanyia Vincent (Sadie).

In casting Caroline O'Connor and Geraldine Hakewill in the roles of Mari and Little Voice, director Shaun Rennie says, "Caroline has been wanting to sink her teeth into the grittier, dramatic role of Mari for a while now. Geraldine and I sang in a choir together, so I knew she had the singing chops for this role. She was thrilled when I told her we were doing this play, because she'd wanted to play Little Voice for years. There's a lot of passion fuelling this production."

Featuring standards and show tunes including Over the Rainbow, Goldfinger, There's no business like show business and My heart belongs to Daddy, this riotous and razor-sharp take on the Cinderella story will leave audiences humming long after they've left the theatre. Darlinghurst Theatre Company's new and edgy production by director Shaun Rennie and designer Isabel Hudson, lands Jim Cartwright's masterpiece firmly in the 21st Century, while still paying homage to the icons who fill Little Voice's world, like Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe.

Talking about his new production, Rennie says, "Jim Cartwright calls his play a contemporary fairy tale. The story is timeless, but how do we make sure that the world we create helps it feel relevant and urgent? The way we make theatre has changed so much in the 26 years since the play was written. Isabel Hudson and I spoke a lot about the fact that the world that Mari and Little Voice inhabit needs to be legitimately dire, electrically charged and potentially dangerous. Little Voice needs a space to retreat to; a refuge; her safe space. So, riffing on the fairy tale trope of the maiden in a tower, we have found a world that I hope is able to achieve all of this."

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright

WINNER! Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy | WINNER! Olivier Awards for Best Comedy WINNER! Golden Globe Award | WINNER! London Film Critics Circle Award

From 1-24 February at Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Eternity Playhouse - 39 Burton St. Darlinghurst, Sydney. Tuesdays - Saturdays 7.30pm, Sundays 5pm, matinees on Sat 9th, 16th and 23rd at 2pm. Bookings: (02) 8356 9987 or www.darlinghursttheatre.com