Another homerun for Pangdemonium

PANGDEMONIUM is on a roll. Its last musical Next To Normal clinched the Production of the Year trophy at this year's Life! Theatre Awards. And its new musical The Rise and Fall of Little Voice has hit another homerun for the company.

The 1992 British musical has been brought home, so to speak, in that it's been completely re-written and localised by Adrian Pang to be set in 1970s Singapore. This must rank as one of Pangdemonium's most adventurous efforts, since it has never before staged a production with such a strong local flavour. The script is replete with Singlish jibes, local references and fun rides down memory lane - Roxy cinema, Telecom and Milo jingles, anyone?

Relative newcomer Mina Kaye is a revelation in the titular role of Little Voice or LV for short, the nickname for a painfully shy girl who only comes out of her shell when she starts singing. For when she does, her voice is simply stunning. She can belt out any standard by famous songbirds Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf - you name it.