The Importance of Sound in Theatre

(Sound Desk)

Introduction
Just like writing, acting, directing, and lighting, sound plays a critical role in the success of
any great theatrical production. Sound works hand in hand with the other elements of the
performance to help captivate the audience and bring them into another realm. By itself,
sound functions as a key technical aspect in any acclaimed performance, just like light. To
better understand the importance of sound in theatre, we’ll explore the importance of sound
in modern day performances.

Establishing the Time, Location

When you stop and think about it, you’ll realise just how commonplace sound is in our
everyday lives. At virtually every moment, you can hear new sounds coming in from the
background and flowing into your ears. There are rarely ever complete moments of silence,
and if they are, they are usually few and far between. This background or scenic noise you
hear is oftentimes described as ‘soundscapes’ in the theatrical setting. Soundscapes can be
effectively utilized to support designers in recreating a location and time. For example
criquets usually denote nighttime and birds denote early morning, but you don't get these
sounds in a busy city.

Reflecting the Cultural Context

It can reflect social, historical, and climatic contexts to reflect a deliberate, thoughtful story
being expressed to the audience. Detail is very important; the sound of a car in 1920 sounds
very different from a sports car driving down the highway today after all. A play set in Africa
will have different sound effects to that set in India. A play set in 1918, during WW1 (War
Horse), will have different sound effects and music to a play set in the 1970 (Grease)
When recreating any great theatrical performance, sound designers give a significant
amount of thought to the location, the time period, genre, and venue of the performance.
They then work with the sound technician- who programs this into a sound control desk.

Setting the Mood and Atmosphere

Moving an audience to feel a particular way is critical to keep their attention. Different
sounds one hears on stage are commonly associated with different moods and emotions.
The right combination of sounds can create for suspense and fear, while others can
influence an audience to feel excited and celebratory. Slower tempos can sadden us, while
heavy beating drums can suggest that tragedy is in the air. Utilizing various music and sound
effects at specific moments can heighten the mood and enrich the atmosphere.

Serving as Exposition
In the world of theatre, not everything can be shown on stage; you need to leave some room
to the imagination and understand that you do not have perfect Hollywood-studio effects at
your fingertips. This means that sometimes during theatrical performances, actions are
happening off-stage and you also need to prepare audiences for new, upcoming scenes
behind the curtain. For this purpose, sound plays an integral role in serving as exposition.
With realistic sound effects such as gunshots, doorbells, and telephones, sound can clearly
alert audiences about what to expect in the upcoming moments on stage and help them
make that mental transition quickly and seamlessly.

The Sound of Music

Music is very useful for creating atmosphere. Often, opening and closing the drama with
music makes the work seem less ragged. Sometimes the lyric, tempo or style of the music
may underline the theme of the dramatic piece. If music is needed as background,
remember that the actors need to be heard and must be able to speak above it. If music is
used in a public performance, then permission should be obtained from the Performing Right
Society Ltd.

By establishing the context, setting the mood, and serving as exposition, it is clear that
sound plays a critical role in enhancing the overall experience of any theatrical performance.
In many ways, the success of your next performance rests upon your ability to design a
captivating, quality production from start to finish.

Below are some video clips with a little more insight into the life of a Sound and Light
Technician
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=buDijqRDQAs&feature=emb_log
o
And a Sound Engineer- National Theatre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGtX9P8gDI8

Questions
1. How can you use sound to establish time and location?
2. What sort of music would you use to show a play set in India?
3. What is meant by the ‘Cultural Context’ of a play
4. What are the three main functions of Sound in Theatre?
5. Give two examples of how music is used in Theatre?
6. What is Exposition in Drama?
7. How does sound help reveal ‘the exposition’ ?
8. What is the job of a Sound Designer?
9. Who programs the sound cues into a sound control desk?
10. Why is sound important in theatre?