Have you ever been singing along to a song in the car (or in the shower, where ever you sing) and hit a note where your voice just won’t go? That’s called The Wolf in your voice; the space between your chest and head voice where singing is very difficult. Martin Julien and Brian Quirt’s The Wolf in the Voice has been curated around that spot, that area of difficulty singers have to train very hard to overcome. Featuring personal stories and unique arrangements, The Wolf in the Voice is a musical journey of the human instrument.

When you enter the theatre there’s a trio of performers, Neema Bickersteth, Jane Miller, and Taurian Teelucksingh, already gathered around the keyboard humming and singing in gorgeous harmonies. There are three tables along the back wall of the theatre, each with their own unique compilation of items for each performer. It takes a moment, but then you notice that the front of the raised platform on the stage is a piano! The keys cut into the floor, making it look like the giant piano from the movie “Big.” I found myself waiting with great anticipation to see how it was going to come into play, and I was absolutely not disappointed. Rebecca Picherack’s design for this production embodies its ethos perfectly. A particularly mesmerizing element is how the lighting often corresponds to what the performers are singing; there are times where they’re singing in the round and each person is individually lit as they sing their part. The lighting plays a central role in indicating the shifts between movements of the piece, as there isn’t particularly a narrative structure to follow.

The performers launch into a series of industry tales, classic tunes, and lessons about how our voices work. Did you know that what we used to call our vocal chords are technically vocal folds?!? I certainly didn’t until The Wolf in the Voice! The parts where they’re instructing you about our voices are very interactive, asking us to feel our voices while we hum and sing. It’s such a delight to hear a whole room of people sing together; theatre is always communal, but joining our voices together like that takes it to a whole other level.

Bickersteth’s soprano voice soars, filling the room with the sounds of opera. Miller has a jazz-club feel to her voice, paired with the ability to belt show tunes with the best of them. Teelucksingh’s voice is like velvet, smooth and comforting. The three of them have incredible chemistry, and the few moments where they did improvise a bit are clear evidence of the joy they’re experiencing in performing this piece with each other.

The Wolf in the Voice is a love letter to singing. Though there isn’t a plot to speak of, the piece truthfully doesn’t need it. The Wolf in the Voice is about the feeling of singing; the total lack of abandon as you let your voice blend in with a room full of other voices, or as you surrender yourself to the lyrics of a song. Truly an experience unlike anything I’ve seen thus far, The Wolf in the Voice will put you in touch with your own voice – it’s your choice how you’ll use it.

The Wolf in the Voice runs at the Tarragon Theatre Extraspace until February 26. For more information and tickets, visit: https://tarragontheatre.com/plays/current-season/the-wolf-in-the-voice/

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Cover Photo: Jane Miller, Neema Bickersteth and Taurian Teelucksingh in The Wolf in the Voice – Tarragon Theatre 2025 – Photo by Jae Yang

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