Diana Vickers: Little Voice, Big Risk
Published on Monday 13th July, 9.29am, Written by Carrie Dunn
It was bad enough when Ray Quinn decided he wanted to pursue a stage career. Why don’t reality TV losers just fade away?
We didn’t want to see you on our television screens any more, nor did we want to hear you, so why on Earth would we want to pay for tickets to see you at the theatre?
Yes, this rant is triggered by the fact that Diana Vickers is bringing her very particular vocal stylings to the West End, playing the part that Jane Horrocks made famous in The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice.
If you don’t know of Vickers’ work, that’s not surprising. She’s currently only well-known for a) having laryngitis during last year’s X-Factor, and b) singing barefoot with her hand misshapen into a claw, wandering around the stage caterwauling like a banshee crab.
For all Vickers’ many and varied vocal tics on show last year, which ranged from nasalness to flat high notes, she never had the kind of voice that suggested she might be able to fill a theatre. Ironically, during Big Band theme week on The X-Factor, she ventured the thought that she might be drowned out by the backing group because of her “little voice”. Her tuning was dodgy on many occasions – if she can’t correct minor pitching issues, does she really have a good enough ear to pull off the necessary imitation for Little Voice?
Amateurs and those at the start of their careers are likely to incur health problems when they’re thrown into a challenging role – Martine McCutcheon couldn’t hack eight shows a week as Eliza Doolittle; even the fully-trained Connie Fisher made herself ill when she first starred in The Sound of Music. Does Diana Vickers have the strength and the stamina to carry a whole production at the tender age of 18? More to the point, has she had tuition to improve her technique? If she uses that contrived fey voice when she’s acting as well as singing, her throat will be destroyed within a fortnight.
I’d be delighted if Vickers genuinely has the talent, the charisma, the personality, the presence and the likeability to pull off such a complex part so early in her career. However, I fear it’s more likely that the clawlike little hand has pincered off more than it can hold.
The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice opens at the Vaudeville on Thursday 8 October.
@Ryan
Yes, clearly because I made one typo that’s the same as not having any concept of how to construct a sentence with proper spelling and grammar.
If it makes you feel any better I wasn’t talking about you specifically, I was talking about any and all of the people who had jumped to her defence with well-intentioned yet illiterate passion.
Okay Juls, Fair enough.
And ‘The Byronic Woman’ – I’m not here for spelling contest idiot, So how about growing up?
At the end of the day, It’s unfair for Diana to be judged before people have even seen her act on stage, Atleast wait until you’ve actually seen her before you judge!
And by the way, I think you’ll find forgetting and adding captial letters by mistake dont class as spelling and grammar, I MAY have spelt 1 or 2 words incorrectly, But they were close enough, Although it’s good to know you had the spare time to actually pick them out. :’)
To heck will spealling. I look at content more than style, and everyone seems to be missing the point that Carrie appears to be spiteful, envious and full of crap. Why is it talentless people are so quick to critise those who only wish to use what God has given them? Is it wrong to be offered a role in a show and accept it? Is it wrong to have a distinct voice and want to use it? And what’s the difference between a public trial of talent and an audition behind closed doors? Or slugging it out in the clubs before ‘being discovered’ by some scout who wants to line his pockets from some youth’s raw ability? I reckon Diana will do the best she can. Hat’s off to you Diana. Break a leg.
PS. Can Carrie sing and dance like Ray Quinn – and even if she could, would anyone pay to see her?
And another thing, Jane had been in the ‘show’ business for 11 years before Ab-fab and the 1998 hit maker Little Voice. While I think Jane is wonderful, I think she would have loved to strike it big on her first vocal outting on “An Audience with Ken Dodd in 1994.
And now James Cartwright, son of the writer, has been cast as Billy – the sensitive electrics boy who urges LV out of her shell. One question? Why don’t plays have actors in them any more?
wow, this is one JEALOUS article!
i think you need to get a life and stop hating on the likes of reality stars like diana!
shes amazing at singing and i no she’ll do extremely well!
so do us all a favour and stop being so jealous and rude, whats she ever done to you excactly :/
what a loser you are..
Who writes this stuff? The idea that because she didn’t actually win the X Factor that somehow means she has zero talent, or that no-one would ever be interested in seeing her again is just nonsense.
You may as well wonder why any films other than Titanic have ever been released, as not as many people want to see them, as went to see Titanic.
Cue some lame ass dissection of what a piss poor film Titanic was.
Which will be entertaining I’m sure, but will somewhat miss the point.
my friend is the lead cover! so dont worry, she rocks and im sure the show will be a big sucess because she is a talented proffessional who will be able to play the part amazingly! so to be honest, i hope she does get ill and cant play the part so the people buying tickets will get there moneys worth and actually see a proper performer!!!!
this article is extremely pathetic. tickets are flying out and YES people still want to hear Diana, that is why RCA SIGNED HER! she has more fans on her official website than all of the other contestants put together, and that’s no a lie, that’s actually a FACT, so there. I’M going to see Little Voice, and I know a tonne of other people who are too! Sorry if YOU think that she’s very unknown, but she really isn’t.
YOU’RE the unknown one here, and after reading this I know I will NEVER buy a ticket to see you in any play.
Go and pick on someone your own age. Not an innocent, talented 18 year old.
This is an AWFUL piece of writing!
Why would anyone want to attack Diana Vickers, she’s truly amazing, why not slaughter someone who cant sing, eg. DUFFY ??
Also, people who write these “GOSSIP” extracts are the biggest bitches. Why not tell the truth for once, inbstead of shreading genuine people like Diana to bits?
Get a life.
Would that be chart-topping singer Duffy? You idiot Kyle.
Enough is enough, some people do not like Ms Vickers and some people (like Kyle: Lord of caps) do like Ms Vickers.
This is not a gossip piece and it is not the bitter ramblings of a ‘failed’ actress. It is a blog based entirely on personal opinion.
Play nicely, children.
Good grief! I’m so glad I didn’t come across this article/blog (call it what you will) when it was first put together or I might have been tempted to get involved with all the bickering. All that is irrelevant now. The show opened last night and at the end of the evening the audience gave an 8-minute standing ovation – not bad for someone, in the words of Carrie Dunn, “… wandering around the stage caterwauling …”
Oh and by the way Carrie, the live shows of this seasons X Factor start tomorrow – I suggest you watch and may be get your claws into one of those contestants and leave Diana alone. Diana was chosen for the role by highly respected individuals, NOT by some little known writer of a cheap-skate blog!
I bet your eating your words now after the fenomenal reviews about her. EVERYONE LAUGH AT THEM HAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHA
gosh, claws away people! i hope diana did well, she was one of my favourites last year. However, this man obviously felt strongly enough to write an article so there’s no need to slag him off for being opiniated.
oops, i meant woman not man :S
I LOVE DIANA VICKERS
What a very harsh opinion indeed! Well my opinion is you are a plain LOSER, and you do not speak for everybody. If every singer acted the same, sung the same how BORING would the world be?!
Go Diana woo!
how gutted do you feel that shes done so well?
Diana is trying to get her career going, with a lot of support so far.
Carrie is trying to make a career, as a critic it seems. We all respect good critique, but nobody likes bitching.
Keep it cool if you want the same support and respect.
Sorry I didnt read all of the early posts. CDF talks about people going through college, artist training, etc, etc.
I appreciate and respect the effort, I had to do a lot as an engineer too; but what is to stop all of those pre-trained people taking the x factor fast track (there maybe some rule I dont know about) or are they concerned that they may only be concidered average amongst many thousands of unknowns. Up your game and have the courage and put yourselves up. You could all rewrite the show concept if the talent is there.
Break a leg.
I would have loved to have had the fastrack opportunity in Engineering.
Diana Vickers is the best!
I went to see her in London and she was FANTASTIC!!
SHe deserves the roll!
You do realise Diana won the Theatregoers Choice Award for West End Newcomer of The Year last night for her role in Little Voice. Shows how much you know Carrie, eating your words? I think so. Diana is a star.
i love u diana and ive been trying to sing like u and my parent say i can if i could see u and sing to u i would i love u and ur voice diana vickers xxxxxxxxxxxxxx