Interactivity and Immersion: Theoretical Approaches

Abstract

The chapter outlines several models of interactivity from different fields, in order to discuss their various applications to immersive theatre and audience experience: digital and multimedia performance, including virtual reality and the idea of “presence”; improvisatory theatre and pervasive gaming; the experience economy; the theatrical event. The chapter examines how interactivity manifests in immersive theatre and considers the consequences of, and implicit values revealed by, each approach in relation to Punchdrunk and immersive theatre: issues of audience “empowerment,” “freedom” or “choice” are of particular interest. The chapter concludes by proposing a “multivalent model” of interactivity, drawn from the study of computer games, that allows for discussion of interactivity and immersive experience without implying a hierarchy of different modes of engagement.