Much, of course, hinges on Atlas’s performance as Elle – and it is exceptionally good. Her portrayal of a woman in distress is finely nuanced, resisting any tendency towards melodrama. It is a portrait full of nuance, Elle’s constant self-deprecation sitting side-by-side with emotionally manipulative gestures. Atlas’s sinewy voice is also beautifully suited to the role, the musical writing of which emphasises recitative-style passages and small, terse intervals. The rare moments of melodic richness and forte singing are all the more effective as contrasts. In the background, pianist David Kelly provides the jagged, unsettling accompaniment to Elle’s emotional turmoil. – Max Rashbrooke, Scoop
Amanda Atlas is an impressive dramatic performer, with a rich and powerful soprano voice. Somehow all that charisma and vocal force was compressed into a smaller, more brittle woman, Elle (She), as she weathers one last phone conversation with the lover who has left her. The Human Voice follows Elle as she waits for that phonecall, and along the complex emotional path the conversation takes. – Sophie Thompson, The Wellingtonista
McAndrew’s “gauging of vocal intensity is perfect for the small venue” – William Dart, NZ Herald
