A new full-length theatrical production is bringing together deaf and hearing cast and crew in a groundbreaking creative endeavor. The show began as a short film called The Singer, developed during the pandemic by theatre-maker Cora Bissett and performer Jamie Rea. The film tells the story of a deaf musician who partners with a struggling busker, with both characters drawing from the real experiences of those involved in the production.
Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall was brought on to compose the musical score after Bissett approached her about the project. Tunstall found personal resonance with the material, noting connections to her own life including her experience of hearing loss sustained in 2018 and her brother’s profound deafness from birth. She previously worked as a busker in Glasgow, mirroring one of the central characters in the show. Tunstall described the musical style as blending influences from artists like Massive Attack and Hozier.
The production has developed innovative technical approaches to accommodate both deaf and hearing performers. Performer Jamie Rea uses a vibration vest that allows him to feel the tempo and trigger his own rhythmic beats using drumsticks, a technique he mastered immediately upon attempting it. The show incorporates specialized lighting cues and technological solutions to facilitate seamless collaboration between deaf and hearing cast members and crew members.
Rea, a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Performance in British Sign Language and English degree program, expressed pride in representing the first cohort from that pioneering program. The production is being developed in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts, Dundee Rep, and Solar Bear, a theatre company specializing in work with both deaf and hearing performers. Tunstall, who first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe nearly 30 years ago, will return to the festival with this new production.
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