Genre
Drama
Language
English
Setting and Context
An unnamed city in London - 1992
Narrator and Point of View
POV is that of LV and Mari
Tone and Mood
Serious and Dramatic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is LV. Antagonists are Mari and Ray
Major Conflict
Ray has signed LV as a client and has her singing every night at the club and it has completely worn her down.
Climax
LV pushed Ray down and tells him she won't sing anymore. He leaves and starts a fire in the apartment when the iron falls to the floor. Mari blames her daughter for ruining her relationship with Ray, but LV finally tells her how she's trampled her voice for years. Billy comes and has a light show ready for LV who sings while the lights dazzle her.
Foreshadowing
Mari yelling at LV to stop playing music foreshadows her disregard for her daughter's voice and how she values Ray over her.
Understatement
It is understated if Mari will reconcile with LV.
Allusions
The play is an allusion to how a parent can squash the voice of their child until there is nothing left.
Imagery
The light show of Billy's at the end of the play.
The burnt down flat after the fire.
Paradox
Ray wants to make LV into a star, paradoxically he never asks her what she wants out of all of this, he only tells her what he wants her to do.
Parallelism
LV and Billy on the cherry picker at the end of the play parallels Billy coming to her window in the cherry picker for the first time to see her.
Personification
LV becomes the personification of losing ones voice as all she can say are lines from artist's works while she fights off Ray.
Use of Dramatic Devices
LV's monologue to her mother.
The use of BLACKOUT to transition from the club to the flat and between scenes.
The cherry picker, and the light show.
