EXTRAORDINARILY powerful sums this play up perfectly. Little Voice (played by the incredibly talented Jess Robinson) is a young woman who barely utters a word and is trapped by her alcoholic and verbally abusive mother Mari (Sally Dearlove standing in for a poorly Beverley Callard) in a world where she can only express herself through the precious records her father left her before he died.

Mari's boyfriend Ray (Simon Thorp) hears Little Voice impersonating her favourite singers and sees his ticket to fame, but his added pressure and abuse pushes Little Voice too far and in a powerful climax she finally finds her true voice.

This play is full a music and laughs with a sweet romance between Little Voice and the shy quiet BT man/lighting enthusiast Billy (Brookside's Ray Quinn) as well as the heart-wrenching undercurrent of a turbulent mother/daughter relationship.

Although all of the cast were amazing, Jess Robinson blew the audience away with her impersonating musical performances, bringing to life famous voices such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Lulu and Shirley Bassey.

She then sang the final song of the show in her own beautifully powerful voice. The only drawback to the night was a chatty contingent in the audience, whose constant conversations ruined the show for those sitting nearby.

  • The Rise & Fall of Little Voice runs until Saturday.