She flees reality, hiding away in her bedroom, listening to records and impersonating the voices of American and British artists such as Marilyn Monroe, Gracie Fields, Judy Garland, and Shirley Bassey; her love of songs is her only source of strength since her beloved father's death.

Ray sees that LV needs encouragement on stage and works with Mr. Boo to organize a big band, lights, and a new dress to give her confidence.

At the cabaret club, the London agent finally loses patience after several third-rate acts fill the time in LV's absence and leave.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an 80% rating based on 49 reviews with the consensus: "Little Voice brings its award-winning source material to the screen in style, elevated by a commanding lead performance from Jane Horrocks.

"[2] Janet Maslin wrote in her New York Times review, "Horrocks's phenomenal mimicry of musical grande dames from Marlene Dietrich to Marilyn Monroe, lavishing special loving care on Judy Garland, makes a splendid centerpiece for the otherwise more ordinary film built around it.

"[3] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times felt the story was "amusing but uneven" and that the film "seems to have all the pieces in place for another one of those whimsical, comic British slices of life.

Nevertheless, smooth direction by Mark Herman and juicy performances by a host of Brit character actors ... ensure an entertaining ride ... Horrocks, whose combo of gamin physique and big vocal talent make the title role seem unthinkable for any other actress, is a revelation, handling moments of solo emotion and onstage strutting with equal, moving panache.