The full cast joining Paul Chuckle, Jill Halfpenny and Francesca Mills in Jim Cartwright’s modern classic The Rise and Fall of Little Voice has been announced ahead of its debut at the National Theatre this December.
Chuckle plays Mr Boo, Halfpenny is Mari Hoff and Mills is Little Voice. They are joined by Beverly Rudd as Sadie, Daniel Ryan as Ray Say, Adonis Siddique as Billy and Noel White as Telephone Man and understudy Ray Say/Mr Boo.
Completing the company are Alice Croft (ensemble and understudy Little Voice), Kofi Dennis (ensemble and understudy Billy/Telephone Man) and Nicky Swift (ensemble and understudy Mari Hoff/Sadie).
The hardest voice to find is your own.
Alone in the sanctuary of her small bedroom, Little Voice fills the air with pitch‑perfect renditions of her deceased dad’s prized record collection of the great divas, from Judy Garland to Billie Holiday.
But when her mother Mari’s latest fling, local wheeler dealer Ray, hears her sing he’s certain he’s struck gold. Will Little Voice be pushed into a spotlight she never asked for?
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is described as a joyful, tender and bittersweet celebration of music, ambition and the courage it takes to be heard featuring iconic music from the likes of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and more.
Directed by Robert Hastie, this new production boasts a creative team including set and costume designer Janet Bird; lighting designer Paul Pyant; sound designer Mike Walker; composer and music director David Shrubsole; movement director Ira Mandela Siobhan; fight and intimacy director Bethan Clark; casting by Alastair Coomer and Harry McDonald; dialect coach Hazel Holder and voice coach Zoe Littleton.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will run at the National’s Dorfman theatre from December 2, 2026 until January 23, 2027, before starting a tour across England.
Tickets here.
Top image: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice L-R Francesca Mills, Jill Halfpenny Photography by Lillie Eiger (image supplied)