Sound Design as a Vehicle of Narrative

There are people onstage at The Southbank Centre in London. They fill the space with almost non-stop pedestrian movement, arranging and rearranging the set, sitting, standing, greeting, finding stillness. Racks of clothes line the edge of the performance space, the actors in a never ending cycle of outfits and wigs. There are a variety of props and set pieces that suggest we are observing a living space; indoor plants, tables, a ladder, seats, an armchair or two. The narrative or underlying message behind the performers’ business onstage is mystifying. While meaning-making from this piece of fragmented action proves evasive, sound design presents an opportunity for clarification, for what is sound design in theatre if not a tool to sharpen the lines carved out by storyline? 

However, the sound design in this production of Signal To Noise by Forced Entertainment furthers the esoteric nature of this piece. It eclipses the traditional implications of sound design in theatre, or moreover, the function of sound design as a tool for aiding the narrative arc of the piece. While sound design in theatre is usually considered no more than an indication of atmospheric changes, the sound design in Signal To Noise overturns this by including the dialogue itself. The performers never speak themselves. Instead, they lip sync to pre-recorded audio performed by distorted robotic voices, on top of a constant background crackle and an almost unnoticeable set of lulling sounds - piano, a ticking clock, applause, and the like:

One two one two is this the guy from before no no no I’m not the guy from before
Can you test can you hear me wait okay can you hear me?
Is my microphone on?
One two one two is my microphone on?

The borderline-insipid, almost-human quality of the audio conjures up an uncanny valley-like experience for the viewer, who watches these actual humans perform not-quite-human fragmented speech for an hour and a half. The text occasionally makes sense, but mostly features repeated snippets of conversations, lulling and dragging onwards. Voices overlap, two characters lip sync one voice simultaneously, characters break off and continue within their own little world. The production conjures up the feeling of a dinner party thrown in a blender.

To this end, the lauded Tim Etchell’s sound design in Signal To Noise indicates an alternative premise for the objective behind sound in theatre. In Signal To Noise, language and sound design coalesce to collectively contribute to the overarching question of the piece itself: “what’s human and what’s not, what’s real life and what’s just pretending?” 

Etchells work in Signal To Noise points to the often overlooked contribution sound design makes to any kind of performing arts. Mostly relegated to generating a tone that underlines the more prominent and visible work done by the writers, performers, and set designers, the sound design of Signal To Noise does not give us that option; it confronts us immediately with the realisation that the essential key into understanding this piece relies on our ears. Living up to its expectations, Etchell’s sound design deepens the dramaturgical work that is fundamental to this piece, and functions to not only enhance our understanding of the production, but puts its sonic landscape at the forefront of our experience. 

While theatre and sonic branding present as two distinct worlds, Signal To Noise serves as a strong case for the necessity of sonic identities. While our collective consciousness often reaches for the visual elements of branding first – the logos, icons, products – the emotional and therein narrative undercurrent of any identity relies heavily on sound. Crafting a brand identity is storytelling, and as demonstrated, sound is an indispensable part of that process.