Mmm Hmmm
“Delight in the human voice and all it can convey”
- Bristol 24/7
Mmm Hmmm is a theatre show built from a cappella songs. Three voices make the ordinary extraordinary. From a self-service checkout to a train buffet car, snapshots of everyday life are transformed into intricate harmony.
The was performed up and down the UK, from village halls in the Outer Hebrides to the National Theatre, including dates at the Southbank Centre, Cardiff Festival of Voice and an extended, sold-out run at Tobacco Factory Theatres.
“Standen’s surprising, ingenious compositions force us to hear the human voice in ways not previously imagined. But it’s the wit that really makes this show and propels it beyond mere a capella concert. Mmm Hmmm forces us to listen again with pricked up ears to the mundane and the everyday, treating automated announcements with the same gravity – or perhaps levity – as love and heartbreak… Surprise follows surprise, all delivered with utter charm.”
- Exeunt
“If you want to hear three incredible voices embark on an intricate journey then this is the show. Mmm Hmmm is a combination of sublime vocals and ludicrous choreography.”
- Total Theatre
“It’s powerful, it’s funny, it’s weird, and it’s unique.”
– Bristol 24/7
Composer: Verity Standen
Performers: Ellian Showering, Dominie Hooper, Jannah Warlow & Verity Standen.
Costume Designer: Harriet de Winton
Lighting Designer: James Mackenzie
Additional Creative Support: Emma Williams, Ira Brand & Dan Canham.
Produced in association with Tobacco Factory Theatres.
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Photos and film by Paul Blakemore.