The Listeners (2024) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
1
This programme contains some strong language and
some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting
I couldn't imagine how my life
could unravel so completely.
LOW HUM
ECHOES: Are you hearing that?
It was so small and innocuous.
Such a barely perceptible sound.
I'm just hearing this
No, I'm just, erm
I'm just, erm
LOW HUM
Or maybe I could imagine it.
Maybe that was the problem.
What are you doing? How long
have you been up? Didn't sleep.
What?
No. Exhaustion.
Anxiety.
Oh. Yeah.
Tragic. Tragic.
I'm so tired of
working every day
Now the weekend's come
I'm going to throw
my troubles away ♪
HUMS ALONG WITH SONG
If you've got the cab fare,
Mr, you'll do all right ♪
WITH SONG: Meet
me at the station
Don't be late
I need to spend some
money and it just won't wait
No
Oh, take me to the dance
and hold me tight ♪
Dream till Monday
comes in sight
I want to see the
bright lights tonight. ♪
LOW HUM
What?
Oh, I just slept badly.
BELL RINGS
Good morning, everyone.
Or should I say, "Buenos dias"?
"Love is a disease.
"Love is a disease,"
so says Jose Arcadio.
Not me.
Erm, anyone?
What do we think?
What do we think
that Marquez is trying
to explore here?
"Love is a disease."
Mr Francis? SIGHS
Yoohoo, Mr Francis.
Please. Thank you.
Erm, "Love is a disease."
Erm, well, uh, there's
the obvious reading.
It's about incest
and the fear of it,
and the physical deformities
that are a product of it.
Like, that's literally love
manifesting as a disease.
Uh, it's what the fear
does to the family -
it isolates them.
It's rotten, like a disease.
Nice. OK, good.
I mean, some spoilers
there, but lots to unpack.
So let's, erm
Erm, God.
Are you all right, Miss?
Yeah! Just a nosebleed.
OK, let's, erm erm
..pick it up at 229.
Raina, you want to read for us?
"Both described at the same time
how it was always March there
"and always Monday, and then"
Oh, my God, you are SO driven.
What, how? How exactly
am I driven, Cass?
I mean, I think I used
to be way, you know
What are you talking about?
I was definitely very driven.
I mean, if you'd said to me
that I was going to be a teacher
and a mum, I'd have said,
"Sure, yeah, but what else?"
Ouch.
No, come on, I'm sorry.
I just mean, I was going to
change the fucking world, man.
Yeah.
THEY CHUCKLE
No, you should do
a book of, erm,
what do you call them?
Phrases. Aphorisms.
Yeah, like a book of aphorisms.
So do you write the sermons?
Oh, they don't let him anywhere
near the pulpit. Well, they should.
I mean, if you did it,
I'd come every Sunday.
There's a new guy who does it.
You SHOULD come. He's very good,
very charismatic, very funny.
Yeah, look, I love you guys,
but I think I had my fill of
church as a kid. Oh, come on, babe.
The new vicar - could be dreamy.
When I was 16 and
realised that God
was like every other
guy at my school -
only interested in me if
I was down on my knees.
LAUGHTER
Yeah. THEY CHUCKLE
Yeah, my mum was very religious.
Yeah. Very traditional.
Yeah. I couldn't
stand it growing up.
I just ran in the
opposite direction.
Yeah, to me - the heathen.
LIQUID POURS
CHATTER CONTINUES
LOW HUM
Yeah. Hiding stuff.
Thank you. Thank you.
We're switching to white. Mm.
Yeah? Yeah, yeah.
LOW HUM
Can you hear that? That buzzing?
No. Really?
Huh.
Too much wine.
HUMMING INCREASES
Something on downstairs?
Yeah. Maybe.
All right, I'll check.
Oh, my God.
God, that's, like,
my worst nightmare.
Like a normal operating level.
CHATTER CONTINUES
HUMMING CONTINUES
Ashley?
Ash?
Can you check - did someone leave
the bathroom fan on up there?
PHONE BUZZES No.
Well, what's that noise, then?
What noise?
That, right there.
SILENCE
No.
HUMMING RESUMES
I want you to put
down your script.
We can't hear you.
MUFFLED: We're standing right there,
and it's just getting swallowed.
You know these lyrics
- I know you do.
CHUCKLES SOFTLY
MUFFLED: Let's take
it from the top.
And, sweetheart, you
need to project, OK?
MUFFLED: Was it that bad?
NORMAL: Was it that bad?
Oh, sorry. No, no, no,
no, I wasn't Erm
I'm just, uh I'm just hearing
this, uh, low, deep noise somewhere
in the background.
Can anyone else?
No. No.
You all right? Yeah.
Never mind. Erm, just nothing.
Let's, uh, let's keep going.
OK. Let's take it
from the top. OK?
I just want to tell you
I've got scabs on my head
It's useless to live ♪
LOW HUM
They're constantly
slapping these things up.
And then ten, 15 years
later, it's like,
"Oh, that thing that we said
doesn't cause cancer or migraines,
"oh, actually, it turns
out it might after all."
What, you're saying 5G
is causing your noise?
No of course not.
I'm I'm just looking for things
that have changed in the last week
and there's that new mast there.
So I thought maybe I still think
you should get a check for tinnitus.
Babe, it's not.
Look.
There's a perfect seal. Yeah? And
the sound is basically gone, right?
Right.
And now it's back.
So
So it's happening
out in the world.
It's not happening
inside my head.
OK, so if it is the
5G Yeah? ..then
..there we go.
This is going to
Very clever.
Are we done? There you
go. Yeah. You know,
of all the people that
live in this house,
you are definitely the
New Age wanker among us.
OK, gloves are off.
Yeah, and that
magnetic bracelet
Don't come for the
magnetic bracelet, OK?
It's for my calibration.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Look, I'm just kidding,
but I just think you should
get tested, is
what I'm saying.
Just to
Just to rule it out.
Well, of Yeah, sure. Of course,
you're right. You know? I know.
Of course you're right.
LOW HUM
Hello, you've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
One of our team will
be with you shortly.
Please hold.
Hello, you've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
One of our team will be with
you shortly. Please hold.
INDISTINC
Hello, you've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
CACOPHONY OF SOUND
Hello, You've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
A member of the team will be
with you shortly. Please hold.
HUMMING CONTINUES
HUMMING STOPS
Found these in the garage.
MUFFLED: There you go.
MUFFLED: Do they work?
Well, I can barely hear what you're
saying. Great. There you go. Mm.
Good. So wear these for the rest
of my life - problem solved.
No, just till we
get this thing fixed.
GROANS What?
I just
Did you say that they were working
nights on your construction site?
Yeah.
Well
I mean, not from this distance,
and they were
pouring foundations -
that's not causing your noise.
Well, how do you know? I mean,
how you describe what you're
hearing - that's not it.
It's nothing like
that. Yeah, OK.
You're probably
right, but I just
I don't know, I'm just
trying to rule things out
and I thought maybe
it was big trucks and
Oh, big trucks. Yeah.
Mm.
I mean, that's what you do, isn't
it - big trucks? Yeah, big trucks.
Something lurks
over the west coast.
Something that sings at night
and produces a sound so low
that only two out of ten
people can hear it. A sound
..that has come to haunt me.
There's a hum that
an estimated 2%
Very, very low, bassy rumbling.
Regardless of where they
live, they call it
Scientists have managed to guess
the origins of certain sounds.
From our research on low-frequency
sounds There are sounds
that still remain a complete
mystery. It was heard
nearly 2,000 miles
away in Perth.
Lots of animals can hear and
make infrasonic sounds
What we're going through
today is tinnitus.
It's the perception
of sound that does not
have an external source.
It can sound like a ringing
or a humming in the brain.
What's really interesting
about infrasound
is that it does seem to
OVERLAPPING VOICES
It can sound like a ringing
or a throbbing in the brain.
My opinion is that it's caused by
an industrial source of some kind
Lots of animals can hear
and make infrasonic sounds.
Many land animals -
rhinos, elephants, pigeons.
They allow sound
waves to travel
Fascinating. Trees have a sound.
They rumble and they pop.
OVERLAPPING VOICES
..our ears respond
to these around 20Hz.
OVERLAPPING VOICES
Begin test.
Imagine you are at a party.
Repeat each sentence
the woman says.
I hope the house wasn't
too hard to find.
I hope the house wasn't
too hard to find.
It's easy to get lost if
you don't know the way.
It's easy to get lost if
you don't know the way.
LOUD BACKGROUND CHATTER I've
been looking for my daughter.
Have you seen her?
You don't have perceptible
hearing damage.
The only thing that I can say
is that you are hypersensitive
to white noise in
your environment
and becoming fixated on tones
that otherwise go unnoticed.
It could be related
to menopause.
Mm! OK. Hold on there, I'm 41.
OK. Or perimenopause. Sure.
It's also something that I have
seen in patients who are dealing
with acute stress.
Anxiety. Mm-hm. Which
is something I'd suggest
speaking to a
therapist about. Mm-hm.
Yeah. OK. Look, erm
I I understand why you
are suggesting these things,
but
..I promise you it is
not anxiety or stress.
I would like to run
some more tests, please.
I-I don't know.
Nervous system.
Maybe a b-brain thing.
I would like some
referrals, please.
OK, Claire, I'm just going to pop
your head into the screen here.
You OK there?
WHIRRING
"Death really did not
matter to him, but life did.
"And therefore, the sensation he
felt when they gave their decision
"was not a feeling of fear,
but of nostalgia.
"He did not speak until they
asked him for his last request."
BOOK SLAMS Kyle, if you want
to take a nap, go home.
Don't waste my fucking
time. CLASS GASPS
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God!
Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Can you sit back
down, please, Kyle?
Kyle.
Kyle, sit back down.
Kyle, do do not
leave my classroom.
Kyle.
Just relax.
Do you need anything?
Let's carry on, shall we?
And, uh, if none of you
go to sleep, then I promise
not to swear at you.
Deal? OK.
Rory, if you want
to pick us up
Kyle's got a vibe, that's all.
Yeah, a weird one.
He's not weird.
You're just sheltered. Right,
him and Rory are on
some WhatsApp group
where they just send each other
photos of their dicks in,
like, funny locations.
He's weird!
I know.
I saw some of his
contributions. THEY GIGGLE
Just go home. It's
just a nosebleed, Cass.
It's not just a
nosebleed, you know that.
Yeah, it is.
Any more test lined up?
No. Because, erm, medically,
there is nothing wrong with me,
so that can only mean one thing.
Just take the afternoon off.
I can't. The top of
Act 2 is still a mess,
and we need to
finish it tonight.
Listen, given what a
shitshow you currently are,
I'd rather run
rehearsals on my own. OK?
Thank you.
Go home, rest, come back
and be less boring.
Oof. OK.
Just
For the sake of the dolphins
That is not a strong look, Mum.
Yeah. I'm aware.
What's this?
Uh, they get, like, high off
this toxin in the puffer fish.
What?
It induces a state of euphoria,
like heightened awareness.
Wow.
What's going on?
Did you actually, like,
swear at Kyle Francis?
I know, I know.
And he just walked out? Mm-hm.
That's weird.
You've been weird.
People are noticing.
CLAIRE EXHALES
I'm worried about you.
What?
You've not been yourself.
I think you need,
like, actual help.
I'm fine.
I'm just tired.
I'm going to figure this out.
Babe? Yeah? What's going on?
Uh. Just thought I'd
set up shop in here.
Can't really do another
sleepless night.
Here, let me help.
No. It's fine.
I don't want you to
be punished for this.
I mean, I can No, it's not
about punishment. It's just, erm,
I think I can help you
better on a bit more sleep.
Great. Sure.
OK.
I'm sorry. No, it's fine.
LOW HUM
I've been looking
for my daughter.
Have you seen her?
She's wearing a blue
dress with a white gown.
CACOPHONY OF SOUND
I'm so tired. It's
It's worse than
when Ash was a baby.
I feel like I can't
trust my my senses.
Like, I don't
Like I don't know what's
real and what's in
BELL RINGS
CLAIRE EXHALES
Uh, Miss.
Do you have a sec?
Yeah, Kyle. Yes. I
know I've been a bit
..checked out in class recently.
I want to let you
know, I'm sorry.
Yeah, I appreciate that.
And I am sorry, too,
for losing my temper.
OK?
Seriously, though, what
ARE you listening to?
CLAIRE LAUGHS Erm
Uh, just some old-school stuff.
Oh, what? Old-school
like what - Mozart?
Uh Missy Elliott.
Oh! Come on.
Missy Elliott's not
old-school. That's like
It's before I was born, so, uh
Oh. Ouch. OK. Yeah, fair enough.
It's just, erm
..sometimes it helps
distract me from the sound.
The one that's always there.
Everywhere.
Or I lose myself.
I thought I was the only
one who could hear it.
And then, that one time in
rehearsal, you asked about it.
That low buzz. And
..I realised I wasn't.
Do you still hear it?
It's almost like
a kind of rumble.
CHATTER OUTSIDE
I thought it was a
concussion at first.
Luke Bamford hit me in
the head during football
and I started hearing it,
but it never went away.
I mean, all my
teachers think I'm
..high or something,
but it can be hard
to concentrate.
And it gives you headaches.
I'm sorry, I can't
I thought DOOR OPENS
Oh, Mr Francis.
We were just having a chat.
He's
OK.
Wait for you in the hall.
OK.
OK.
Erm
..maybe we can talk
about it more sometime.
Please.
I will see you at
rehearsal, Kyle.
Mm?
Mama, who gave me
No way to handle things
Who made me so bad
Mama, the weeping
Mama, the angels
No sleep in heaven
SINGING FADES ♪
Or Bethlehem. ♪
MUTED APPLAUSE
Let's get going.
Night. Night-night.
Please give me a second grace
Please give me
your second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
I sit on the
ground in your way
Come sit down on
the fence in the sun
I've fallen ♪
Kyle.
We'll never deny
It's really too
hard for the fly ♪
Kyle.
Sometimes I get lost in it
..like nothing else exists.
Yeah.
Like a giant fucking lorry
engine left on.
Like that low kind of rumble.
So have you Have
you told anyone?
My mum, but
..she freaked out.
So I told her it's gone.
OK.
And my mates.
But we were high, so I
think I got away with it.
Mm. No-one else can hear it.
No, I know. Why is it just us?
So what do you think it is,
some kind of factory
or industrial thing?
Maybe.
Could be some
natural phenomenon.
Or supernatural.
Kyle, this isn't some sort
of elaborate prank, is it?
Erm what do you mean?
I mean, are you playing
a practical joke on me?
No. No, w-why would I do that?
Can I show you something?
I've been doing this map thing.
So I live here.
Here's the field.
And then up here is a
big industrial park.
And then up here,
along this ridge,
you've got the new
wind turbines. Mm-hm.
I think that would be
a good place to start.
"Start"? Like to take
measurements. I'm
I've got an app that can measure
different signal strengths
to various frequencies
OK, what, are you?
Wait, are you suggesting that we
both go there and take measurements?
Yeah. No! Sorry. Don't you
want to know the source?
No. I cannot see you
outside of school.
That is not what we are doing.
No, we're not doing that.
No, no.
Kyle Just give
me your number.
Hey. Can you What?
CLAIRE SCOFFS
PHONE CHIMES, BUZZES
OK.
Done?
See you tomorrow. Yep.
When I woke up today
And you weren't there to play
Then I wanted to be with you
When you showed me your eyes
Whispered love at the skies
Then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel
Alone and unreal
And the way you kiss
Will always be a very
special thing to me
When I lay still at night
Seeing stars high and light
Then I wanted to be with you
When the rooftops
shone dark ♪
"I'm going to go
take some readings.
"Come?
"I'll let you drive."
Inside me I feel
Alone and unreal
And the way you kiss
Will always be a very
special thing to me
Hello, it's Claire.
Leave a message after the beep.
BEEP
Hey, it's me. Uh,
I sent you a text.
I know you're probably at your
appointment, but just call me
when you get this.
OK. Love you, bye.
Hey.
Come on, get in before
OK, then, show me
the the thing.
OK. So
OK.
So this measures decibels.
Mm-hm. Here's frequency.
Try it.
Aaaah.
WHISPERS: Beautiful.
Beautiful.
OK. Yeah. So, uh,
23dB and 192Hz.
Get down, get down!
And they found that elephants make
this really low-frequency sound
that we can't hear but
other elephants can. Mm.
Up to, like, miles away.
Hmm. And the sound acts like a
private communication
channel for them.
It's called infrasound.
You heard of it? Yeah,
I think so. Yeah.
I hadn't. It's like whales
and, erm, I think I read
that it's maybe rhinos once.
What are you?
Hey, what do you
Can you not in the car?!
I'll put the window down.
Sorry. Jesus, smells
like cough syrup.
KYLE LAUGHS
It can be produced naturally,
like weather. Uh-huh, OK.
But also factories
and shit. Right.
So it could be pretty much
anything, then. Yeah, I guess so.
So what is this place again?
Are we looking for
aliens? KYLE LAUGHS
No, I think it's like
Haven't they found them yet?
Maybe THAT'S who's
trying to reach us.
It's saying, uh, 78Hz.
78? Yeah. OK.
Do you, erm, get nightmares?
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know, it's hard,
though. It's like everything.
First, I think, well,
it's just lack of sleep.
My body's exhausted,
but then Yeah.
Then I start to think
that maybe it's
It feels like it's connected
to the noise. Mm-hm.
I don't know how else to explain
it. No, that makes sense.
Really? That makes sense. Yeah.
No, like
..I definitely thought it was
sleep deprivation at first.
Like before you go to sleep
and you think you're falling?
Yeah. Like that
but, like awake.
But since the last few days
..since we started talking
..I feel less freaked out.
Hey!
You can't be up there!
Run, run, run, run.
Just keep running.
THEY GIGGLE
Please give me a second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
Now I just sit on the
ground in your way ♪
I mean, I'm picking up a
pretty low frequency. Like
..50Hz.
I don't think that's it, though.
No, this has been
here for a while.
I remember this phase for you.
Introspective.
Well-read.
Antsy.
Mm.
So, uh, what now?
Dinner?
Mm?
Hey, I thought
maybe I could, erm
..you know. I mean, I've
been sleeping better
the last couple nights.
Please play me
your second game
I've fallen so far
For the people you are ♪
Come on.
I just need your
star for a day ♪
SONG CONTINUES
What's going on? Are you OK?
Yeah. I'm fine, I-I'm good.
Erm, I just needed
to talk to you.
Please, do not text me at night
unless it's an emergency.
How are you?
I mean, are you
somewhere you can talk?
Can this not wait until
tomorrow? Hey. Jesus!
Sorry.
You frightened me.
Erm
Who was that? It was just
It was Cassandra. She's
She's going through
a really hard time,
so I didn't want to, you know
Are you having an affair?
What? Ashley!
Is it Mr Deacon?
What?! No!
God, no!
Oh, please, give me some credit.
It's someone you're going
to see tomorrow, apparently,
at school.
Cassandra!
Right.
Night.
God, is this it?
This can't be it
Oh, God, what a bitch. ♪
Gentlemen, turn in your verses and
clear away your personal effects.
See you tomorrow. 7am.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
You've nailed it. Yes. Go,
go, go, go. Greet your fans.
CLAIRE CHUCKLES
Hi, Miss. Hi, Miss.
Hey! So good. Well
done. Have fun.
Erm, Miss Kutty? Yeah.
Erm, this is my mum, Siobhan.
Oh, hi. Hi.
It's really nice to meet you.
I've heard so much about you.
Yeah? Yeah. Well
..you have a very,
very talented son.
Oh, he's really enjoyed doing
the show. Yeah? It's, erm
It's rare for him to be enthusiastic
about anything Mum these days.
No, it's been hard since we moved
over, but this has really helped.
Yeah. I'm glad. So
Erm, I'm just going
to grab my stuff
and I'll meet you
at the car, OK?
OK, yeah. OK, yeah.
Don't be long.
Erm
Erm, there are other
people who can hear it.
What do you mean?
Other people who
can hear the hum.
Erm, they have a meeting.
I can't Mm.
What do you mean? There
There's others. OK, OK.
Yeah. You'll come, won't you?
You're not coming?
No. I'm a bit wiped
out from last night.
I think I'm just going
to rest up today.
OK. OK.
Hey, come here.
I'll see you later.
See ya. See ya.
DOOR CLOSES
Of lessons learned,
of lessons learned
Of bridges burned,
of bridges burned
This time I'll do
things differently
This time I'll act immediately
Of struggling, of struggling
Of giving in, of giving in
This time I'll
keep an overview ♪
Hi. Uh, we're here
for the group.
Welcome. Please, come in.
Omar. Kyle.
Claire.
This time I'll keep
away from you ♪
DOOR CLOSES
This programme contains some strong language and
some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting
I couldn't imagine how my life
could unravel so completely.
LOW HUM
ECHOES: Are you hearing that?
It was so small and innocuous.
Such a barely perceptible sound.
I'm just hearing this
No, I'm just, erm
I'm just, erm
LOW HUM
Or maybe I could imagine it.
Maybe that was the problem.
What are you doing? How long
have you been up? Didn't sleep.
What?
No. Exhaustion.
Anxiety.
Oh. Yeah.
Tragic. Tragic.
I'm so tired of
working every day
Now the weekend's come
I'm going to throw
my troubles away ♪
HUMS ALONG WITH SONG
If you've got the cab fare,
Mr, you'll do all right ♪
WITH SONG: Meet
me at the station
Don't be late
I need to spend some
money and it just won't wait
No
Oh, take me to the dance
and hold me tight ♪
Dream till Monday
comes in sight
I want to see the
bright lights tonight. ♪
LOW HUM
What?
Oh, I just slept badly.
BELL RINGS
Good morning, everyone.
Or should I say, "Buenos dias"?
"Love is a disease.
"Love is a disease,"
so says Jose Arcadio.
Not me.
Erm, anyone?
What do we think?
What do we think
that Marquez is trying
to explore here?
"Love is a disease."
Mr Francis? SIGHS
Yoohoo, Mr Francis.
Please. Thank you.
Erm, "Love is a disease."
Erm, well, uh, there's
the obvious reading.
It's about incest
and the fear of it,
and the physical deformities
that are a product of it.
Like, that's literally love
manifesting as a disease.
Uh, it's what the fear
does to the family -
it isolates them.
It's rotten, like a disease.
Nice. OK, good.
I mean, some spoilers
there, but lots to unpack.
So let's, erm
Erm, God.
Are you all right, Miss?
Yeah! Just a nosebleed.
OK, let's, erm erm
..pick it up at 229.
Raina, you want to read for us?
"Both described at the same time
how it was always March there
"and always Monday, and then"
Oh, my God, you are SO driven.
What, how? How exactly
am I driven, Cass?
I mean, I think I used
to be way, you know
What are you talking about?
I was definitely very driven.
I mean, if you'd said to me
that I was going to be a teacher
and a mum, I'd have said,
"Sure, yeah, but what else?"
Ouch.
No, come on, I'm sorry.
I just mean, I was going to
change the fucking world, man.
Yeah.
THEY CHUCKLE
No, you should do
a book of, erm,
what do you call them?
Phrases. Aphorisms.
Yeah, like a book of aphorisms.
So do you write the sermons?
Oh, they don't let him anywhere
near the pulpit. Well, they should.
I mean, if you did it,
I'd come every Sunday.
There's a new guy who does it.
You SHOULD come. He's very good,
very charismatic, very funny.
Yeah, look, I love you guys,
but I think I had my fill of
church as a kid. Oh, come on, babe.
The new vicar - could be dreamy.
When I was 16 and
realised that God
was like every other
guy at my school -
only interested in me if
I was down on my knees.
LAUGHTER
Yeah. THEY CHUCKLE
Yeah, my mum was very religious.
Yeah. Very traditional.
Yeah. I couldn't
stand it growing up.
I just ran in the
opposite direction.
Yeah, to me - the heathen.
LIQUID POURS
CHATTER CONTINUES
LOW HUM
Yeah. Hiding stuff.
Thank you. Thank you.
We're switching to white. Mm.
Yeah? Yeah, yeah.
LOW HUM
Can you hear that? That buzzing?
No. Really?
Huh.
Too much wine.
HUMMING INCREASES
Something on downstairs?
Yeah. Maybe.
All right, I'll check.
Oh, my God.
God, that's, like,
my worst nightmare.
Like a normal operating level.
CHATTER CONTINUES
HUMMING CONTINUES
Ashley?
Ash?
Can you check - did someone leave
the bathroom fan on up there?
PHONE BUZZES No.
Well, what's that noise, then?
What noise?
That, right there.
SILENCE
No.
HUMMING RESUMES
I want you to put
down your script.
We can't hear you.
MUFFLED: We're standing right there,
and it's just getting swallowed.
You know these lyrics
- I know you do.
CHUCKLES SOFTLY
MUFFLED: Let's take
it from the top.
And, sweetheart, you
need to project, OK?
MUFFLED: Was it that bad?
NORMAL: Was it that bad?
Oh, sorry. No, no, no,
no, I wasn't Erm
I'm just, uh I'm just hearing
this, uh, low, deep noise somewhere
in the background.
Can anyone else?
No. No.
You all right? Yeah.
Never mind. Erm, just nothing.
Let's, uh, let's keep going.
OK. Let's take it
from the top. OK?
I just want to tell you
I've got scabs on my head
It's useless to live ♪
LOW HUM
They're constantly
slapping these things up.
And then ten, 15 years
later, it's like,
"Oh, that thing that we said
doesn't cause cancer or migraines,
"oh, actually, it turns
out it might after all."
What, you're saying 5G
is causing your noise?
No of course not.
I'm I'm just looking for things
that have changed in the last week
and there's that new mast there.
So I thought maybe I still think
you should get a check for tinnitus.
Babe, it's not.
Look.
There's a perfect seal. Yeah? And
the sound is basically gone, right?
Right.
And now it's back.
So
So it's happening
out in the world.
It's not happening
inside my head.
OK, so if it is the
5G Yeah? ..then
..there we go.
This is going to
Very clever.
Are we done? There you
go. Yeah. You know,
of all the people that
live in this house,
you are definitely the
New Age wanker among us.
OK, gloves are off.
Yeah, and that
magnetic bracelet
Don't come for the
magnetic bracelet, OK?
It's for my calibration.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Look, I'm just kidding,
but I just think you should
get tested, is
what I'm saying.
Just to
Just to rule it out.
Well, of Yeah, sure. Of course,
you're right. You know? I know.
Of course you're right.
LOW HUM
Hello, you've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
One of our team will
be with you shortly.
Please hold.
Hello, you've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
One of our team will be with
you shortly. Please hold.
INDISTINC
Hello, you've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
CACOPHONY OF SOUND
Hello, You've reached
Cobb's Bridge Clinic.
A member of the team will be
with you shortly. Please hold.
HUMMING CONTINUES
HUMMING STOPS
Found these in the garage.
MUFFLED: There you go.
MUFFLED: Do they work?
Well, I can barely hear what you're
saying. Great. There you go. Mm.
Good. So wear these for the rest
of my life - problem solved.
No, just till we
get this thing fixed.
GROANS What?
I just
Did you say that they were working
nights on your construction site?
Yeah.
Well
I mean, not from this distance,
and they were
pouring foundations -
that's not causing your noise.
Well, how do you know? I mean,
how you describe what you're
hearing - that's not it.
It's nothing like
that. Yeah, OK.
You're probably
right, but I just
I don't know, I'm just
trying to rule things out
and I thought maybe
it was big trucks and
Oh, big trucks. Yeah.
Mm.
I mean, that's what you do, isn't
it - big trucks? Yeah, big trucks.
Something lurks
over the west coast.
Something that sings at night
and produces a sound so low
that only two out of ten
people can hear it. A sound
..that has come to haunt me.
There's a hum that
an estimated 2%
Very, very low, bassy rumbling.
Regardless of where they
live, they call it
Scientists have managed to guess
the origins of certain sounds.
From our research on low-frequency
sounds There are sounds
that still remain a complete
mystery. It was heard
nearly 2,000 miles
away in Perth.
Lots of animals can hear and
make infrasonic sounds
What we're going through
today is tinnitus.
It's the perception
of sound that does not
have an external source.
It can sound like a ringing
or a humming in the brain.
What's really interesting
about infrasound
is that it does seem to
OVERLAPPING VOICES
It can sound like a ringing
or a throbbing in the brain.
My opinion is that it's caused by
an industrial source of some kind
Lots of animals can hear
and make infrasonic sounds.
Many land animals -
rhinos, elephants, pigeons.
They allow sound
waves to travel
Fascinating. Trees have a sound.
They rumble and they pop.
OVERLAPPING VOICES
..our ears respond
to these around 20Hz.
OVERLAPPING VOICES
Begin test.
Imagine you are at a party.
Repeat each sentence
the woman says.
I hope the house wasn't
too hard to find.
I hope the house wasn't
too hard to find.
It's easy to get lost if
you don't know the way.
It's easy to get lost if
you don't know the way.
LOUD BACKGROUND CHATTER I've
been looking for my daughter.
Have you seen her?
You don't have perceptible
hearing damage.
The only thing that I can say
is that you are hypersensitive
to white noise in
your environment
and becoming fixated on tones
that otherwise go unnoticed.
It could be related
to menopause.
Mm! OK. Hold on there, I'm 41.
OK. Or perimenopause. Sure.
It's also something that I have
seen in patients who are dealing
with acute stress.
Anxiety. Mm-hm. Which
is something I'd suggest
speaking to a
therapist about. Mm-hm.
Yeah. OK. Look, erm
I I understand why you
are suggesting these things,
but
..I promise you it is
not anxiety or stress.
I would like to run
some more tests, please.
I-I don't know.
Nervous system.
Maybe a b-brain thing.
I would like some
referrals, please.
OK, Claire, I'm just going to pop
your head into the screen here.
You OK there?
WHIRRING
"Death really did not
matter to him, but life did.
"And therefore, the sensation he
felt when they gave their decision
"was not a feeling of fear,
but of nostalgia.
"He did not speak until they
asked him for his last request."
BOOK SLAMS Kyle, if you want
to take a nap, go home.
Don't waste my fucking
time. CLASS GASPS
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God!
Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Can you sit back
down, please, Kyle?
Kyle.
Kyle, sit back down.
Kyle, do do not
leave my classroom.
Kyle.
Just relax.
Do you need anything?
Let's carry on, shall we?
And, uh, if none of you
go to sleep, then I promise
not to swear at you.
Deal? OK.
Rory, if you want
to pick us up
Kyle's got a vibe, that's all.
Yeah, a weird one.
He's not weird.
You're just sheltered. Right,
him and Rory are on
some WhatsApp group
where they just send each other
photos of their dicks in,
like, funny locations.
He's weird!
I know.
I saw some of his
contributions. THEY GIGGLE
Just go home. It's
just a nosebleed, Cass.
It's not just a
nosebleed, you know that.
Yeah, it is.
Any more test lined up?
No. Because, erm, medically,
there is nothing wrong with me,
so that can only mean one thing.
Just take the afternoon off.
I can't. The top of
Act 2 is still a mess,
and we need to
finish it tonight.
Listen, given what a
shitshow you currently are,
I'd rather run
rehearsals on my own. OK?
Thank you.
Go home, rest, come back
and be less boring.
Oof. OK.
Just
For the sake of the dolphins
That is not a strong look, Mum.
Yeah. I'm aware.
What's this?
Uh, they get, like, high off
this toxin in the puffer fish.
What?
It induces a state of euphoria,
like heightened awareness.
Wow.
What's going on?
Did you actually, like,
swear at Kyle Francis?
I know, I know.
And he just walked out? Mm-hm.
That's weird.
You've been weird.
People are noticing.
CLAIRE EXHALES
I'm worried about you.
What?
You've not been yourself.
I think you need,
like, actual help.
I'm fine.
I'm just tired.
I'm going to figure this out.
Babe? Yeah? What's going on?
Uh. Just thought I'd
set up shop in here.
Can't really do another
sleepless night.
Here, let me help.
No. It's fine.
I don't want you to
be punished for this.
I mean, I can No, it's not
about punishment. It's just, erm,
I think I can help you
better on a bit more sleep.
Great. Sure.
OK.
I'm sorry. No, it's fine.
LOW HUM
I've been looking
for my daughter.
Have you seen her?
She's wearing a blue
dress with a white gown.
CACOPHONY OF SOUND
I'm so tired. It's
It's worse than
when Ash was a baby.
I feel like I can't
trust my my senses.
Like, I don't
Like I don't know what's
real and what's in
BELL RINGS
CLAIRE EXHALES
Uh, Miss.
Do you have a sec?
Yeah, Kyle. Yes. I
know I've been a bit
..checked out in class recently.
I want to let you
know, I'm sorry.
Yeah, I appreciate that.
And I am sorry, too,
for losing my temper.
OK?
Seriously, though, what
ARE you listening to?
CLAIRE LAUGHS Erm
Uh, just some old-school stuff.
Oh, what? Old-school
like what - Mozart?
Uh Missy Elliott.
Oh! Come on.
Missy Elliott's not
old-school. That's like
It's before I was born, so, uh
Oh. Ouch. OK. Yeah, fair enough.
It's just, erm
..sometimes it helps
distract me from the sound.
The one that's always there.
Everywhere.
Or I lose myself.
I thought I was the only
one who could hear it.
And then, that one time in
rehearsal, you asked about it.
That low buzz. And
..I realised I wasn't.
Do you still hear it?
It's almost like
a kind of rumble.
CHATTER OUTSIDE
I thought it was a
concussion at first.
Luke Bamford hit me in
the head during football
and I started hearing it,
but it never went away.
I mean, all my
teachers think I'm
..high or something,
but it can be hard
to concentrate.
And it gives you headaches.
I'm sorry, I can't
I thought DOOR OPENS
Oh, Mr Francis.
We were just having a chat.
He's
OK.
Wait for you in the hall.
OK.
OK.
Erm
..maybe we can talk
about it more sometime.
Please.
I will see you at
rehearsal, Kyle.
Mm?
Mama, who gave me
No way to handle things
Who made me so bad
Mama, the weeping
Mama, the angels
No sleep in heaven
SINGING FADES ♪
Or Bethlehem. ♪
MUTED APPLAUSE
Let's get going.
Night. Night-night.
Please give me a second grace
Please give me
your second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
I sit on the
ground in your way
Come sit down on
the fence in the sun
I've fallen ♪
Kyle.
We'll never deny
It's really too
hard for the fly ♪
Kyle.
Sometimes I get lost in it
..like nothing else exists.
Yeah.
Like a giant fucking lorry
engine left on.
Like that low kind of rumble.
So have you Have
you told anyone?
My mum, but
..she freaked out.
So I told her it's gone.
OK.
And my mates.
But we were high, so I
think I got away with it.
Mm. No-one else can hear it.
No, I know. Why is it just us?
So what do you think it is,
some kind of factory
or industrial thing?
Maybe.
Could be some
natural phenomenon.
Or supernatural.
Kyle, this isn't some sort
of elaborate prank, is it?
Erm what do you mean?
I mean, are you playing
a practical joke on me?
No. No, w-why would I do that?
Can I show you something?
I've been doing this map thing.
So I live here.
Here's the field.
And then up here is a
big industrial park.
And then up here,
along this ridge,
you've got the new
wind turbines. Mm-hm.
I think that would be
a good place to start.
"Start"? Like to take
measurements. I'm
I've got an app that can measure
different signal strengths
to various frequencies
OK, what, are you?
Wait, are you suggesting that we
both go there and take measurements?
Yeah. No! Sorry. Don't you
want to know the source?
No. I cannot see you
outside of school.
That is not what we are doing.
No, we're not doing that.
No, no.
Kyle Just give
me your number.
Hey. Can you What?
CLAIRE SCOFFS
PHONE CHIMES, BUZZES
OK.
Done?
See you tomorrow. Yep.
When I woke up today
And you weren't there to play
Then I wanted to be with you
When you showed me your eyes
Whispered love at the skies
Then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel
Alone and unreal
And the way you kiss
Will always be a very
special thing to me
When I lay still at night
Seeing stars high and light
Then I wanted to be with you
When the rooftops
shone dark ♪
"I'm going to go
take some readings.
"Come?
"I'll let you drive."
Inside me I feel
Alone and unreal
And the way you kiss
Will always be a very
special thing to me
Hello, it's Claire.
Leave a message after the beep.
BEEP
Hey, it's me. Uh,
I sent you a text.
I know you're probably at your
appointment, but just call me
when you get this.
OK. Love you, bye.
Hey.
Come on, get in before
OK, then, show me
the the thing.
OK. So
OK.
So this measures decibels.
Mm-hm. Here's frequency.
Try it.
Aaaah.
WHISPERS: Beautiful.
Beautiful.
OK. Yeah. So, uh,
23dB and 192Hz.
Get down, get down!
And they found that elephants make
this really low-frequency sound
that we can't hear but
other elephants can. Mm.
Up to, like, miles away.
Hmm. And the sound acts like a
private communication
channel for them.
It's called infrasound.
You heard of it? Yeah,
I think so. Yeah.
I hadn't. It's like whales
and, erm, I think I read
that it's maybe rhinos once.
What are you?
Hey, what do you
Can you not in the car?!
I'll put the window down.
Sorry. Jesus, smells
like cough syrup.
KYLE LAUGHS
It can be produced naturally,
like weather. Uh-huh, OK.
But also factories
and shit. Right.
So it could be pretty much
anything, then. Yeah, I guess so.
So what is this place again?
Are we looking for
aliens? KYLE LAUGHS
No, I think it's like
Haven't they found them yet?
Maybe THAT'S who's
trying to reach us.
It's saying, uh, 78Hz.
78? Yeah. OK.
Do you, erm, get nightmares?
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know, it's hard,
though. It's like everything.
First, I think, well,
it's just lack of sleep.
My body's exhausted,
but then Yeah.
Then I start to think
that maybe it's
It feels like it's connected
to the noise. Mm-hm.
I don't know how else to explain
it. No, that makes sense.
Really? That makes sense. Yeah.
No, like
..I definitely thought it was
sleep deprivation at first.
Like before you go to sleep
and you think you're falling?
Yeah. Like that
but, like awake.
But since the last few days
..since we started talking
..I feel less freaked out.
Hey!
You can't be up there!
Run, run, run, run.
Just keep running.
THEY GIGGLE
Please give me a second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
Now I just sit on the
ground in your way ♪
I mean, I'm picking up a
pretty low frequency. Like
..50Hz.
I don't think that's it, though.
No, this has been
here for a while.
I remember this phase for you.
Introspective.
Well-read.
Antsy.
Mm.
So, uh, what now?
Dinner?
Mm?
Hey, I thought
maybe I could, erm
..you know. I mean, I've
been sleeping better
the last couple nights.
Please play me
your second game
I've fallen so far
For the people you are ♪
Come on.
I just need your
star for a day ♪
SONG CONTINUES
What's going on? Are you OK?
Yeah. I'm fine, I-I'm good.
Erm, I just needed
to talk to you.
Please, do not text me at night
unless it's an emergency.
How are you?
I mean, are you
somewhere you can talk?
Can this not wait until
tomorrow? Hey. Jesus!
Sorry.
You frightened me.
Erm
Who was that? It was just
It was Cassandra. She's
She's going through
a really hard time,
so I didn't want to, you know
Are you having an affair?
What? Ashley!
Is it Mr Deacon?
What?! No!
God, no!
Oh, please, give me some credit.
It's someone you're going
to see tomorrow, apparently,
at school.
Cassandra!
Right.
Night.
God, is this it?
This can't be it
Oh, God, what a bitch. ♪
Gentlemen, turn in your verses and
clear away your personal effects.
See you tomorrow. 7am.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
You've nailed it. Yes. Go,
go, go, go. Greet your fans.
CLAIRE CHUCKLES
Hi, Miss. Hi, Miss.
Hey! So good. Well
done. Have fun.
Erm, Miss Kutty? Yeah.
Erm, this is my mum, Siobhan.
Oh, hi. Hi.
It's really nice to meet you.
I've heard so much about you.
Yeah? Yeah. Well
..you have a very,
very talented son.
Oh, he's really enjoyed doing
the show. Yeah? It's, erm
It's rare for him to be enthusiastic
about anything Mum these days.
No, it's been hard since we moved
over, but this has really helped.
Yeah. I'm glad. So
Erm, I'm just going
to grab my stuff
and I'll meet you
at the car, OK?
OK, yeah. OK, yeah.
Don't be long.
Erm
Erm, there are other
people who can hear it.
What do you mean?
Other people who
can hear the hum.
Erm, they have a meeting.
I can't Mm.
What do you mean? There
There's others. OK, OK.
Yeah. You'll come, won't you?
You're not coming?
No. I'm a bit wiped
out from last night.
I think I'm just going
to rest up today.
OK. OK.
Hey, come here.
I'll see you later.
See ya. See ya.
DOOR CLOSES
Of lessons learned,
of lessons learned
Of bridges burned,
of bridges burned
This time I'll do
things differently
This time I'll act immediately
Of struggling, of struggling
Of giving in, of giving in
This time I'll
keep an overview ♪
Hi. Uh, we're here
for the group.
Welcome. Please, come in.
Omar. Kyle.
Claire.
This time I'll keep
away from you ♪
DOOR CLOSES