Soundscapes: Seeing Sound, Hearing Colour
What if every sound painted the air with colour?
This January, our interdisciplinary production Soundscapes invites audiences into the vivid inner world of Iris—a teenager living with sound-to-colour synaesthesia. For Iris, every sound becomes colour, shape and texture. But as she grows older, she realises her friends and family do not share her perception. That difference begins to isolate her—until a chance reconnection with Tony, a classmate who shares her condition, helps her rediscover identity and belonging.
See the poster at the bottom of the article for ticket information.
A Multisensory Experience
Soundscapes is ambitious by design. It blends:
- Live painting created on stage by the lead actress
- Original music composed and arranged by Year 10 students
- Expressive movement and dance
The production celebrates collaboration across divisions, with performers from Upper Primary, Middle School and High School contributing to a truly multisensory experience—an artistic feast for both the eyes and the ears.
Directing the Vision
Secondary school theatre teacher Mr Aslett led casting, rehearsals and direction. The cast spans a remarkable range of ages and roles—from Iris’s parents and teacher to “Little Iris” from Primary—requiring careful consideration of age, emotional maturity and stage readiness.
“Some of the most memorable moments come when actors dig deeper—really considering the meaning behind their words and stepping into another person’s shoes,” says Mr Aslett. “You can see the shift—the authenticity—straight away.”
The Sound of Colour: Composing for Synaesthesia
Music teacher Mr Rues oversees the musical architecture, guiding Year 10 students through their incidental music unit as they compose and arrange the score.
Mr Rues’s approach begins with character themes—distinct musical identities for Iris, Tony and even the doll—that evolve with the story’s emotion and setting. Students work with modes, a musical system Mr Rues likens to a painter’s palette:
“Different modes give students different sets of notes—like colours to paint with,” Mr Rues explains.
“The same theme sounds different depending on the mode, mirroring how moods shift on stage.”
While the script calls for an adaptation of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, original student compositions will play a central role in crafting the show’s synaesthetic atmosphere.
Art in Motion
The production’s visual language extends beyond lighting and set. On stage, live painting becomes a narrative device: Iris translates the sounds she hears into colour and texture in real time, inviting the audience to witness perception turning into art.
This visual identity connects to the school’s broader artistic ecosystem. Eileen Li, a DP student and artist, has created the show’s art mural, which will be presented in a public exhibition after the play—an extension of her CAS journey supported by CAS Advisor Mr Ramon.
Voices from the Cast
Jessie Li (Iris):
“I do not see it (synaesthesia) as a disease—it is a talent, a beautiful one. When my character hears loud sounds, she freezes. Portraying that authentically has been challenging, but it is helping me understand her world.”
Kassandra Mayenberger (Iris’s Mum):
“Playing Iris’s mum is like viewing the story through an adult lens. She does not understand Iris’s colours—the disconnect shows how hard it can be to bridge that gap.”
Growth, Grit and Hidden Gems
Beyond craft, initiative and curiosity mark this cast and crew. One standout moment: the lead actress reached out to co-author Sarah Kraning in the United States for insight on synaesthesia, receiving a thoughtful response that enriched her performance.
“That initiative speaks volumes about the calibre of students we work with,” says Mr Aslett.
At its heart, Soundscapes is a story about empathy—about learning to honour the ways others experience the world. Through theatre, music and visual art, the production invites audiences to feel what Iris feels and to see what she sees.
At a Glance
- Public Performance: 31 January
- Disciplines Featured: Theatre, Music, Visual Art, Movement & Dance
- Student Contributions: Original music (Year 10), live painting, DP mural and exhibition
- Cast: Upper Primary, Middle School, High School performersSound
Join Us
Join us for an evening where sound becomes colour, colour becomes motion and motion becomes meaning—where the stage itself transforms into Iris’s canvas, and we all learn to see the world a little differently.
