KT Tunstall and Cora Bissett's The Singer Opens at Edinburgh Fringe
A new piece of gig-theatre — a format that blends live music with dramatic storytelling — officially opened at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on 9 August 2026, premiering at the Traverse Theatre with original songs by Grammy-nominated songwriter KT Tunstall.
The Singer is written and directed by Cora Bissett, who developed it from a short film she made during lockdown, co-written with Deaf artist Jamie Rea. The production is co-produced by Dundee Rep Theatre and Solar Bear, a Glasgow-based company known for work with Deaf and hearing artists, in collaboration with Aberdeen Performing Arts. It is also screening at the Edinburgh Deaf Festival.
The story follows Joe, a Deaf artist who experiences rhythm through visceral physical sensation and "sings" with his hands, and Andy, a burnt-out hearing musician desperate for a comeback. The two meet on the loud streets of Glasgow and learn to communicate through their shared love of music. The plot draws on territory familiar from A Star Is Born — sudden breakthroughs, the seduction of fame, and references to Lady Gaga — while asking sharper questions about ableism in the music industry and why Deaf artists are pushed to seek validation from hearing audiences (WhatsOnStage).
Jamie Rea plays Joe, with Dylan Wood as Andy. Hannah Jarrett-Scott and Petre Dobre share the roles of the Oracles, narrating figures who guide the audience through the story. The creative team includes associate BSL (British Sign Language) director Benedetta Zanetti, lighting designer Emma Jones, sound designer Garry Boyle, and captioning designer Daniel Hughes.
The show's approach to accessibility is built into the production rather than added on. Hughes's captioning — the on-stage text that displays dialogue and lyrics — uses blurs, fades and wipes so the words sit alongside the action rather than interrupting it. A distinct Glaswegian identity runs through the piece, grounding the story in rich local flavour.
The Fringe run at the Traverse Theatre continues through 30 August, followed by a four-day run at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen from 9 to 12 September.
For audiences at the Fringe, the show sits at the intersection of several conversations the festival is hosting this August: who gets to make music, what counts as singing, and what happens when the industry's gatekeeping meets artists who were never supposed to be on the stage in the first place.
