Sound Effect: The Theatre We Hear

The book Sound Effect explores the impact of theatrical aurality on modern culture, tracing its history from the emergence of scenic sound effects in the late 18th century to headphone theatre. It argues that theatre begins with a collective hearing, and the auditorium has turned inward on the people and their collective conversance in sonic memes, tropes, and clichés. The book also discusses how mythologies, pop-culture, art, commerce, and audio have shaped the audible world as a form of theatre.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 26 August 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Longlisted for the PQ Best Publication Award in Performance Design & Scenography 2023, Sound Effect delves into the profound impact of theatrical aurality on modern culture. Spanning from the emergence of the modern scenic sound effect in the late 18th century to the advent of headphone theatre, which establishes an intimate connection between the theatre auditorium and the audiences internal sonic space, the book explores the rich tapestry of Western cultural history of hearing. It argues that, at its core, theatre is an instrument for seeing and theorizing, but it initially emerged as a collective hearing experience, or audience. Theatre begins with individuals entering an acoustemological apparatus that shapes their way of hearing and knowing. In ancient times, this apparatus took the form of a giant marble ear perched on a hillside, tuned to the inaudible music of the cosmos.

In contemporary times, the theatre auditorium has turned inward, focusing on the people and their collective engagement with the sonic memes, tropes, clichés, and picturesque elements that constitute a popular, fictional ontology. This study delves into the realm of drama, entertainment, modernity, and the theatre of audibility, addressing the cultural frames of resonance that shape our understanding of sound as the rubric through which we experience the world.

Ross Brown, the author, unveils the intricate ways in which mythologies, pop culture, art, commerce, and audio have shaped the audible world as a form of theatre. Through his narrative, Garrick, De Loutherbourg, Brecht, Dracula, Jekyll, Hyde, Spike Milligan, John Lennon, James Bond, Scooby-Do, and Edison make cameo appearances, adding depth and richness to the historical tapestry. Brown weaves together a comprehensive history of modern hearing, presenting an argument that sound is a story, audibility possesses a dramaturgy, hearing is scenographic, and the auditoria of drama serve as the organon, or definitive, in modern life.

Sound Effect is a groundbreaking exploration that sheds light on the profound ways in which theatrical aurality has shaped our contemporary world. It invites readers to reimagine the role of sound in the theatre and beyond, challenging our assumptions and expanding our understanding of the arts and their impact on our lives.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 156 x 233 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350236004