b'because she makes this quantum leap without afrom her mothers. Her reclusive life has meantof reader-response herethere is the fictional discernible performance persona (that is, publicthat her music has only given her connection toreading of music by the characters in the play, identity as a performer), her characters journeyher father and not to anybody else in the outsideand how they impose their own meaning onto it is harder to accept as realistic. Society expects aworld. Although society may identify LV as a bitand respond to it, and then there is the audiences level of narcissism and image-consciousness inof an eccentric who likes old fashioned songs, shereading of the play itself and the music within entertainers, maybe especially in the exuberantis not aiming to gain any group identity from herthe play. It is a combination of these readings, field of cabaret, which is not evident in LV. Thismusical preference. both within the play and looking in from the missing part of her identity as a musician givesoutside, that goes towards the communication of her additional vulnerability to the watcher of theThe composer Igor Stravinsky said: Music is, byidentity.play and reinforces her helplessness in the faceits very nature, essentially powerless to express of all the negativity and pressure aimed at her byanything at all, whether a feeling, an attitudeIn the latter stages of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, her mother and Ray. Although Ray tells LV, Iof mind, a psychological mood, a phenomenonLVs relationship with music shifts, and with this understand the artiste (1992: 20), we can assumeof nature (in Juslin, 2019: 101-102). It is whenshift comes a change in the tone of the play. She she is unlike any of the artistes he has dealt withmusic has an idea or attitude imposed onto it byfinally finds her own voice, both singing and up until this point, as she insists of her singing,a listener that it takes on meaning for them andspeaking, and the audience is given a new side Its private (1992: 35). confers identity back to them. Mari responds toto a familiar character. In a climactic scene, the her late husbands music having overlaid it withimpersonated voices that Ray has so desperate-Ray may just see LV as a commodity, but he doesher prejudice, just as we, as an audience, cannotly been trying to get LV to reproduce, begin to understand the way music connects her to herhelp but impose our meaning onto our readingrush out of her uncontrollably (1992: 72), and father. One of his tactics for manipulating herof her character in the play. She dismisses hisare fired at him in a purging of negative emo-into performing publicly is to refer to music asbeloved songs with: Put it this way, he listenedtion. This exorcism of the voices that have been his lifes love (1992: 53). He also appeals to herto womens records (1992: 18). She uses this inresident in her head leads to a new clarity for LV music taste by breaking into song himself, witha purely derogatory sense, but it does reflect ourand a reclaiming of self. The big, show-stopping Therell be bluebirds over, the white cliffs of Do- tendency to categorise and stereotype musicalsongs that, ironically, she never wanted to sing in ver, tomorrow., a tune from her favourite genrestyles as written, performed or enjoyed by a par- public, have left her, replaced (in the play script, of music. Mari is not so subtle in her methods ofticular group of people. Behind Maris statement,if not the screenplay) by a fresh version of her persuasion. She does not care enough about LVsthere is a subtext that her husband was emascu- musicality. At the end of the play, she showcases relationship with music to bother trying to un- lated in some way and that this was a bad thing.her newfound identity and appropriates a power-derstand it. She is outside the musical tribe thatThe contemporary audience, who connects Judyful orchestral arrangement of Judy Garland song LV and her father were part of, one which appre- Garland, for example, very strongly with the gay(1992: 85) as her own, this time singing full, con-ciated and adored the divas of the 40s, 50s andcommunity, will form an impression of how andfident, loud without any impulse for imitation.Billington, M. (2018) The Rise and Fall of Little Voice re-60s. This divergence in musical taste both reflectswho he was just by association with his preferredTia DeNora writes that music has transformativeviewCinderella still has the vocal chops. The Guardian. their mother/daughter relationship and reinforcesmusic. Though Maris allusions to him (e.g., Ipowers, it does things, changes things, makes22 August. it. They do not share any collective identity forgedthought Id found Gary Cooper but ended up Idthings happen (2000: 48). This is certainly trueCartwright, J. (1992) The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Lon-through music. There is evidence that this lack offound Olive Oil) show his femininity as a nega- for the story of Little Voice, in which the centraldon: Methuen Drama. collective identity causes distancing or even divi- tive characteristic in her opinion; to us, his femi- presence of music drives the narrative and im-sion: recent studies support the idea that peoplenine qualities and the tenderness of the relation- pacts the subjective and objective identities of allCross, I. (2021) Interview with Professor Ian Cross for 5 perceive those who share their musical tastes sig- ship he shared with LV are entirely positive. LVsits characters.Live Science: A Christmas Quandary, 19 December. nificantly more favourably than those who do notfather is not an actual character in the play but isDeNora, T. (2000). Music in everyday life. Cambridge: Cam-(Lonsdale & North, 2009: 320). That Mari and LVstill a huge presence whom we read as likeable.bridge University Press. do not respect each others music makes a har- Mari is diametrically opposed to his musical taste, monious household almost impossible for them.and we know Mari to be a cruel person, thereforeHarkin, P. (2005) The Reception of Reader-Response The-For example, Mari uses her music to take Rayshis music becomes imbued with goodness in ourory, College Composition and Communication. 56(3), pp. attention off LV and bring it back to her. Hereyes, and so does he.410-425. reaction to LV playing an old record in her bed- Juslin, P. N. (2019) Musical Emotions Explained: Unlock-room is: Sod the bitch. Well have our own onThis associative process works on the analysis ofing the Secrets of Musical Affect. Oxford: Oxford University (1992: 17). Mari self-identifies as a party animal,music as an art form generally, in the two-wayPress. and enjoys the upbeat music associated with thatrelationship between the art form itself and its labelmusic is essentially social and celebratoryconsumer, as described by reader-response theory.OConnell, S. (2011) Performing Judy: The Creation and Function of Cover Personae in Popular Music in Rufus for her. Believing that Ray is interested in her,Texts of all kinds, including plays and music,Wainwrights Judy Garland Concerts, Contemporary Thea-she exclaims, Get Jackson 5 on, Sadie. We alwaysare received by their audiences not as a reposito- tre Review, 21(3), pp. 317-331. play it when weve something to celebrate, dontry of stable meaning but as an invitation to make we? (1992: 25). LVs use of music is far removedit (Harkin, 2005: 413). However, there are layersThomaidis, K. (2017) Theatre & Voice. London: Palgrave.66 67'