Theatre and The Virtual

A succinct overview of the history of immersive and interactive practices in the theatre, exploring how the art forms integrates such tools and how this affects works and the accessibility of the form.

How is immersive and interactive technology integrated into theatre? How did the 'digital boom' and Covid-19 pandemic expand this integration? How does this integration affect the work, and the accessibility of the work?

This brief study examines the intersection of the augmented, mixed, and virtual reality technologies with theatre, exploring how this intersection has exploded over the last 15 years and how it can shape the art form moving forward.

Explored through four interlinked topics - immersion, interactivity, inclusion, and collaboration - Theatre and The Virtual celebrates the strengths of using this technology in creating theatre, whilst also recognizing the challenges of limited circulation and unequal access. In doing so, this concise guide investigates what the future of theatre may look like.