Humming to the Moon

Set in the sticky heat of a 1990s summer, Humming to the Moon follows, a young girl, Jarjum, as she spends her last holidays with her beloved Uncle — a deaf and mute man whose world is shaped not by words, but by signs, rhythms, and vibrations. Through spirituality, silences, shared laughter, and unspoken lessons, Jarjum comes to understand the deep language of love that exists beyond speech.

Told through a fusion of sign language, movement, vibration, and fragments of dialogue, this play is a tender love letter from a child to the uncle who shaped her life in quiet, unforgettable ways. Humming to the Moon explores memory, loss, and the ways family teaches us how to listen with more than our ears.

“This story is an homage to my Uncle Hummy, and to our old people who have passed on but are never truly gone. Their stories live in vibrations, in memory, in the quiet moments where we stop and listen. Each time we remember them, we breathe life back into who they were and who they continue to be.

My Uncle was an integral part of our family. I grieve him not through sadness, but through cherished moments, shared knowledge, and deep admiration for a man who grew up in a time where it was easy and expected for him to be silenced. Deaf, mute and Blak, he was denied many privileges, yet he taught me how presence, love and resilience speak louder than sound.

This work is offered in gratitude and love. It honours the man who helped shape me into the fierce Blak woman I am today, and it invites you to honour and remember those who have shaped you too.”

– Phi Sandy

This creative development is part of the collaborative Storytellers partnership program between QPAC and Metro Arts, created to realise fresh ideas and foster new voices in theatre. Working with emerging to mid-career First Nations playwrights and physical theatre artists, the program supports the development of bold original work from early-stage script writing to show creation through a series of workshops and intensives, with guidance and direction from industry professionals.

Find out more about the Storytellers Program HERE.