The National Theatre in London has confirmed a revival of hit musical The Rise and Fall of Little Voice starring award-winner Francesca Mills.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is set to play in the National’s Dorfman theatre from December 2026, with dates to be confirmed.
Written by Jim Cartwright, the show will star Ian Charleson Award-winner Francesca Mills (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Little Voice, with further casting to be announced.
Francesca Mills is a rising star of both stage and screen, with previous credits including Hamlet at the National Theatre, and The Duchess of Malfi and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe. Her TV credits including Harlots and The Witcher: Blood Origin, and Silent Witness.
Francesca told The Times in 2024, on winning the Ian Charleson Award, that, “I was born in Shropshire with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, and realised I wanted to act when I was nine. My parents have been supportive and sit in the front row of all my shows. I’m lucky they have never tried to steer me in a different direction.”
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will be directed by the National’s deputy artistic director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Operation Mincemeat).
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is a timeless and celebrated tale of small-town dreams, and features the music of Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Shirley Bassey and more.
Following its London run, the show is set to tour the UK in a new initiative by the National Theatre to take more shows out of London and on the road.
Connections:
- Robert Hastie and Francesca Mills last worked with each other in 2025, on Hamlet at the National Theatre.
- The show is coming back to where it all started: The The Rise and Fall of Little Voice originally premiered at the National Theatre in 1992 directed by Sam Mendes, in their Cottesloe theatre – now called the Dorfman theatre, and starring Jane Horrocks and Alison Steadman.
- Robert Hastie is set for a busy 2026 and 2027: It was announced yesterday that Hastie will also direct the new stage adaptation of The Traitors on Stage in 2027.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at the National
- Theatre: Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre, London
- Booking from: December 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
- Stars: Francesca Mills
- Written by: Jim Cartwright
- Directed by: Robert Hastie
- Tickets: On-sale soon. For more details sign-up for alerts on our Rise and Fall of Little Voice ticket page.
National Theatre - Dorfman Theatre, London
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