Shadows Songs and Stories | The Quiet Earth Beneath | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Casey Jay Andrews & Jack Brett | Dissection Room @ Summerhall

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There are shows at the Fringe that entertain, and then there are shows that burrow under your skin and stay there long after the lights fade. The Quiet Earth Beneath belongs firmly in the latter camp. Performed in the atmospheric Dissection Room of the Old Dick Veterinary School, this piece feels less like theatre and more like a ritual that makes an offering of words, sound, and silence.

Fringe First-winning writer Casey Jay Andrews weaves language like lace, delicately yet unflinchingly, her storytelling lyrical and raw. Alongside her, Jack Brett, a musician with a gift for conjuring soundscapes that tremble on the edge of the subconscious, guides us into an underworld that is paradoxically both literal and metaphorical. Their fusion of spoken word, song, and urban legend is not simply storytelling; it is ceremonial and experimental, each moment polished as it is unearthed from the darkness.

The show journeys deep underground—from the caves of Wales, to half-remembered urban legends, to the broken fragments of porcelain. Themes of grief and the things we bury (both inside and out) are handled with grace and precision. At times, it feels like listening to a concept album performed live; at others, like being guided through half-forgotten dreams, therapeutically calling forward neglected memories which can now, at long last, be laid to rest.

The Quiet Earth Beneath is not traditional theatre or spoken word, nor is it a concert or a story told aloud. It is an experience: a descent followed by a climb at which you will return changed. It is not for the faint of heart, but rather for anyone willing to peer into the darkness and listen for what might still be living beneath the quiet earth. You may leave the Dissection Room in silence, but the echoes will follow you on into the night and the hope might just guide you through the rest of your life.

The Arts Business Top Tips

1. Pair Storytelling with Sound for a Multi-Sensory Experience

• Just as Casey Jay Andrews’ lyrical storytelling is enhanced by Jack Brett’s immersive soundscape, brands can create richer audience experiences by combining mediums.

• Take for example: a podcast paired with visuals, a product launch paired with live music or a campaign paired with ambient sound design. A combination of elements can deepen emotional impact and memorability.

• Think about all the senses when developing a project, yes our most prominent senses are of sight and sound, but this means that taste, smell and touch often get overlooked.

2. Lean into Atmosphere as a Selling Point

• The Dissection Room, with its evocative name and ambience, is part of the marketing for The Quiet Earth Beneath as is the venue of Summerhall as a whole.

• Choosing the right context or environment for your product or event (whether online or physical) can strengthen your brand identity and help your audience connect on a visceral level.

• Online? Think about what social media networks your audience is on, graphic designers are more often than not on Behance, photographers and artists lean into the visual platform of Instagram, professionals and more corporate businesses can be found on LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to focus your efforts into the platform that best suits your business.

3. Use Trigger Warnings to Build Trust

• This show is upfront about its challenging themes (death, grief, drowning). Transparency doesn’t scare audiences away—it builds trust.

• In business, being honest about limitations, risks, or challenges can actually increase customer confidence.

• Don’t be afraid to tell the truth: if things aren’t going well share this. It makes you human and it helps to build relationships with your following.

4. Borrow from Ritual to Build Community

• The Quiet Earth Beneath frames its narrative as a ritual, giving the audience a shared, transformative experience.

• Brands can harness the power of ritual through repeatable experiences. Think about launching your own traditions or creating community-focused campaigns that can evoke the feeling of shared experience within a new found community.

5. Highlight What Lingers, Not Just What Happens

• The show’s real power lies not in spectacle but in the lingering emotional imprint. Similarly, businesses should market not just what they do, but what customers feel afterwards. Focus messaging on the long-term value, memories, or sense of belonging your product creates.

6. Collaborate Across Disciplines for Unique Results

• Casey and Jack fuse writing, myth, and music into something fresh.

• Collaboration between different fields of the creative industries, for example tech & art, fashion & sustainability, food & storytelling, can produce standout marketing campaigns and new creative opportunities.

• Also, by collaborating with people it means, quite simply you aren’t alone. Whatever you might struggle with from writer’s block during the development phase to the marketing processes once a product or show is launched, and everything in-between, there is always someone by your side, to lend an ear and support through the good times and the bad.

7. Market Depth, Not Just Dazzle

• While flashy shows draw attention, The Quiet Earth Beneath proves that depth and intimacy can be just as powerful in pulling audiences in.

• Businesses can differentiate by leaning into nuance, storytelling, and authenticity rather than chasing trends alone.