The Nature of Engagement of Audiences in Prison Theatre: a case study of the Shakespeare Prison Project

Abstract

Why would people choose to go into prison to see a play performed by prisoners? There is a growing body of research into prison theatre’s capacity for building pro-social skills in preparedness for rehabilitation but there has been little critical analysis directed at answering the above question. In contrast, audiences are generally regarded as an essential element of theatrical practice so, in the application of theatre in prisons, it is interesting to drill down to how audiences contribute to prison theatre specifically. This dissertation reveals what audience members experience when attending a prison theatre performance and outlines the valuable contribution that audiences offer to prison theatre projects. Ultimately, through the interaction of audience and performer, prison theatre performance engenders a bridging link between the prison and the world that prisoners aspire to re-enter. In order to test this claim, a case study was conducted of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble’s Shakespeare Prison Project 2013 performance of The Comedy of Errors, performed by prisoners incarcerated at the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre. Audiences who attended one of these performances were invited to participate in theatre talk discussions to reflect on their experience; a methodology adapted from Wilmar Sauter. The audience serves to legitimise the performers as performers, offering temporary respite from the weighty label of ‘offender’ under which they usually operate. Audiences themselves derive enjoyment in being able to provide this support to prisoners and begin to recognise the performers’ humanity rather than their criminal sentences. The use of Shakespeare’s works in prisons is becoming increasingly documented as a subset of prison arts and education practice. Participants reflected on what it felt like to witness prisoners negotiate Shakespeare’s language, characters and emotional resonances. Ultimately, audiences and performers experience a sense of connectedness they previously hadn’t thought possible. Audiences are invited to reflect on their attitudes, values and beliefs about incarceration, education and community building and are challenged to test the limits of their own empathy. This dissertation reinforces the capacity for theatre to stimulate positive, prosocial interactions with incarcerated individuals and highlights the important contribution that members of the public can make within this space when they participate in a prison theatre performance.