Silence: Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell

It only takes one spark of love to change the world forever.

Mabel Hubbard Bell was a strong, self-assured woman—bright, passionate, and a complete original. Despite a near-fatal case of childhood scarlet fever that cost her the ability to hear, she learned to talk and lip-read in multiple languages. At nineteen, she married a young inventor named Alexander Graham Bell and became the most significant influence in his life.

This is Mabel's story, offering the unique perspective of a woman whose remarkable life was forever connected to her famous, distracted husband. From inspiring invention to promoting public service, Mabel and Alec challenged each other to become strong forces for good. Silence is a beautiful and true love story about how we communicate.

• Silence opened the National Arts Centre’s 50th anniversary season in 2018.
• A part of the story takes place in Baddeck, NS, where the Bell family had, and their descendants continue to maintain, a summer home. Baddeck is also home to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site.
• A part of the story takes place in Brantford, Ontario, where Alexander Graham Bell’s parents lived, and where he often visited. Brantford is also home to the Bell Homestead National Historic Site.