A stumbling, down on his luck busker hears words of wisdom from a deaf musician. Fast forward to hours of jam sessions, beers, and banter, and they have formed an unlikely bond, and a songwriting partnership to break boundaries. Cora Bissett’s The Singer is a glistening and life-affirming piece of gig theatre that reinforces the power of music to reverberate, move and be felt viscerally, even if it is not ‘heard’.
Jamie Rea gives a sensational performance as Joe, a prolific songwriter and a deaf artist who experiences the vibrations and rhythms of music through movement. In a memorable scene, Joe takes centre stage to show Andy how he feels music through a vibrating vest. Free-styling and swaying to Rag ‘N’ Bone Man’s ‘Human,’ Rea is electrifying. The bond between Joe and the initially aloof, brooding Andy (Dylan Wood) is transformative. Even if the production uses the well-used trope of an unlikely friendship, the writing captures their earnest, moving brotherhood through hearty banter.
KT Tunstall’s heartwarming tracks such as the calming ‘Find My Feet’ channel the heart and soul of the production. Heavier numbers like ‘Wildcard’ with its stomping, pulsating beats soundtrack Joe’s competing emotions, as his anger grows toward Andy and society’s treatment of the deaf community.
Hannah Jarrett-Scott and Petre Dobre, the narrator-oracles, deliver witty quips and sincere commentaries. Jarrett-Scott morphs between characters, taking on the voice of Andy’s daughter, a bigwig record label exec, and a backing singer in Joe’s band. At times, however, the narration cuts through from more emotional scenes, feeling slightly scattered.
The show confronts the divide between the deaf community and the ‘hearies,’ particularly when the deaf centre is threatened by closure. These moments take us out of the triviality of record label drama, reinforcing the wider marginalisation that deaf people experience.
Garry Boyle’s inventive sound design allows the ‘hearies’ to enter Joe’s mind and experience music as he does, fading out certain instruments to place emphasis on vibrations and pulsing rhythms. In an interactive segment, the audience becomes Joe’s deaf choir, invited to learn ‘Find My Feet’ in BSL. Jenny Booth’s set features ceiling panels which caption the lyrics and dialogue, championing accessibility while seizing opportunities for humour (Andy’s busking number is captioned ‘Angry indie boy strumming’).
We part ways with audience members signing their applause under the glowing lights of the Barrowlands, a sparkling ode to the Scottish arts scene. The Singer radiates unbridled joy, and is proof of the uniting experience that can be achieved when theatre is designed for everyone, not just the ‘hearies’.
The Singer is running until 30 August at Traverse 1 at the Traverse theatre. Buy tickets here.
Image by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan, provided to The Student as press material.
