Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

190668

The fourth wall and other ruins

immersive theatre as a brand

Rachael Blyth

pp. 193-198

Abstract

A former member of ritual theatre and film company FoolishPeople, Blyth argues that the most radical aspect of immersive theatre is neither its open structure nor its unconventional staging but rather the unique economic context which has fostered its development. Blyth demonstrates that immersive theatre's success derives primarily from its ability to meet the demands of the modern marketing industry. In tracing the effects of the immersive "brand" upon FoolishPeople, she shows that, whilst the adoption of immersive tropes and language might have postponed the company's disintegration, in so doing it has radically altered their former anti-theatrical raison d"être.

Publication details

Published in:

Frieze James (2016) Reframing immersive theatre: the politics and pragmatics of participatory performance. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 193-198

DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-36604-7_14

Full citation:

Blyth Rachael (2016) „The fourth wall and other ruins: immersive theatre as a brand“, In: J. Frieze (ed.), Reframing immersive theatre, Dordrecht, Springer, 193–198.