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Deaf-led “The Singer” Premieres in Glasgow With BSL

8/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Singer premiered in Glasgow, starring Deaf actor Jamie Rea as Joe and Dylan Wood as Andy.
The show blends British Sign Language with spoken English and uses captions that pulse with the music.
Joe feels bass through a Subpac device while Andy leans against a speaker stack.
KT Tunstall contributed songs while Michael John McCarthy directed the music.
Designer Jenny Booth kept spoken and signed languages visible on set.

History

Historical Context

Randa Haines’s 1986 film Children of a Lesser God, starring 21-year-old Marlee Matlin—who became the first deaf Oscar winner—followed the play’s 1980 Broadway run of 887 performances and five Academy Award nominations. The 2024 Glasgow debut of Singer’s production, using British Sign Language and subtitles, extends that legacy, prompting venues such as the Royal Lyceum to adopt captioned sound design.

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Story summary

The Singer premiered in Glasgow, starring Deaf actor Jamie Rea as Joe and Dylan Wood as Andy.
The show blends British Sign Language with spoken English and uses captions that pulse with the music.
Joe feels bass through a Subpac device while Andy leans against a speaker stack.
KT Tunstall contributed songs while Michael John McCarthy directed the music.
Designer Jenny Booth kept spoken and signed languages visible on set.

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